FEELING THE SPIRITS

WRITTEN BY: Raphael Baker

For your next networking event, mixer or social gathering, try my recipe for an amazing pomegranate rumtini. If it is an event during the heat of summer, try my frozen pomegranate margarita. Both of these drinks are very easy to make and require just a few ingredients. Remember to drink responsibly, and no drinking and driving!

Pomegranate Rumtini

Ingredients:

Bottle of Bacardi Rum

1 bottle of pomegranate juice or a pomegranate drink mixer (get it at Ross for $3.99)

2 ltr bottle of ginger ale

Ice

Shaker

Sliced lemons (or any other type of fruit)

Martini glasses

Instructions:

Ingredients:

Bottle of Bacardi Rum

1 bottle of pomegranate juice or a pomegranate drink mixer

Ice

Salt/Sugar (optional)

Blender

Margarita glasses

Large pitcher

Instructions:

I pride myself in being a shopping connoisseur. I know where to get it and how not to give away the bank. Last November, I clearly felt it was my duty to pass a bit of information on to my friends. It started from an email I received. I did a little research and found that this email had some type of truth. This led me to believe the email’s foreshadowed events would come true.

I quickly chose names from my address book and filled them into the “bcc” field of my email. Some of the names were those of avid shoppers. Others, well…needed to hang with me more often. In my email I stated, “Here is a list that I found of retailers that are closing all or some of their stores. Even though this is a horrible situation, those of us that like to shop and spend may find bargains in the near future.” In less than two minutes after I clicked send, my Blackberry began to dance. I was receiving emails from my friends suggesting that I did not know what I was talking about. “Are you for real”, “I don’t believe you”, and “It is an internet scam” they gawked. I assured them that I would not have sent this if I in fact did not see truth in it. I told them that over the past year, companies had started to go out of business saying things like “This location was never popular” or “We decided to merge with another location”. Bologna! I had shopped these stores time and time again. They were popular locations and some of them had just opened last year. My friends went on with doubt in their heads and I prepared to save.

Since November, I have watched stores on my list fall from sight: Linens ‘N’ Things, Circuit City, Talbots, Bombay, Home Depot, Sharper Image, and Wilsons Leather to name a few. These are companies that have been around as long as I have if not longer. They are memories of my childhood. Gone. Now none of my friends remember my alert. Or so they say.

I feel it is only fair to pass this list along again. Some of these companies may still be in business in your area. If they are, know that they are hurting. Watch for sales and promotions. Please use existing gift cards and do not buy new ones. Take advantage of upcoming closings. There is nothing better than knowing you paid 50%-90% less than you would have for something that you love.

Circuit City- Closing Ann Taylor- Closing 117 stores Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherine's- Closing 150 stores Eddie Bauer- Closing 27 stores Cache- Closing Talbots- Closing J. Jill- Closing GAP- Closing 85 stores Footlocker- Closing 140 stores Wickes Furniture- Closing Levitz- Closing Bombay- Closing Zales- Closing 187 stores Whitehall- Closing Piercing Pagoda- Closing Disney- Closing 98 stores Home Depot- Closing 15 stores Macys- Closing 9 stores Linens ‘N’ Things- Closing Movie Galley- Closing Pacific Sunwear- Closing Pep Boys- Closing 33 stores Sprint/Nextel- Closing 133 stores JC Penney- Closing some stores Ethan Allen- Closing 12 stores Wilsons Leather- Closing Sharper Image- Closing KB Toys- Closing 356 stores Lowes- Closing some stores Dillards- Closing some stores

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?

Take pride in who you are and what you do. Spread the word and take advantage of these strategies. Whether you network online or in person, you will definitely earn great exposure. Get up, get out, and become a localite.

Many guys think that dropping a few dollars on their “Seeds” gives them the right to receive a gift on Father’s Day. Guess what playas; it’s definitely not that simple. Some guys also feel that if they pay child support on time each month they are upholding their fatherly duties. What? Are they really serious? It’s not a surprise that the English dictionary doesn’t list a specific definition of father, so let me break off a little knowledge about fatherhood. Fatherhood is a position that cannot be held by boys. It is a MEN’S ONLY CLUB. That’s right. You have to be a man before you can even begin to think of qualifying for it. Some will have to research the real definition of being a man, but that will be another article in itself. When a man steps into fatherhood, immeasurable power is placed into his hands to shape a special gift that will honor, cherish and respect him for all his days. Fatherhood is a very demanding position that if done correctly will require on-call 24 hour shifts, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Fatherhood is not only a position, but it is a lifestyle. A balance of love and discipline has to be maintained on a consistent basis. I have had many conversations with guys that have children and most of them don’t realize how much power that is available to them that they don’t use! If this power is abused, ignored or neglected, there will be extreme consequences. These consequences could include your child failing school, being incarcerated, or even worse, death. Use your power wisely and their first smiles, first steps, first words, will all turn into your smiles on Graduation Day as they step to receive their diplomas. I know that this article will offend a few of you, but ahhhh well. It’s time that someone put this out there. For hundreds of years, Black men have been stereotyped to be breeders and a few of you have fueled the fire for this unjust accusation. We have the opportunity to destroy the untrue picture that has been painted. Fellas, our children need us to survive in this world and if you are not a major part of their lives, you have failed as a man. There is no excuse on God’s green earth that should prevent you from being a true father to your children. Real men stand up and embrace the power of fatherhood!

All was going well with me matriculating towards the Bachelors degree until I obtained an internship at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, VA. At that time, I discovered the benefits of an advanced degree and how it can open up more doors for you personally and professionally. I learned the following:

· A Bachelor’s degree basically certifies that you are capable of learning.

· A Master’s degree signifies that you can extract information and are able to apply those teachings in your own way.

· A Doctorate degree establishes your credibility as a researcher.

Through advice and direction given by mentors and other students in the internship program, I decided to forego looking for a job after I completed my undergraduate studies and started looking for a graduate school.

After years of being a “Professional Student”, I have obtained a Masters in Information Systems and a Masters in Public Administration. I feel that I am more than equipped to do a number of tasks. Higher education gives an individual a degree of flexibility that is nearly unobtainable without any form of post-secondary education. During this period of recession and employer downsizing, it is a benefit to be able to bring some type of expertise to your field of discipline. This type of expertise can be obtained in graduate school as you are challenged to explore issues within your discipline of study and to analyze possible solutions to problems.

Now, to keep things are real and honest as possible, I must disclose that having an advanced degree does not mean that you are “automagically” promoted to lead a team, or be assigned as a manager of your peers. Take things in stride. Remember, life is about learning. Obtain as much information as you can in any position that you are in so that you can easily identify problems and create solutions.

During a 2007 study conducted by the United States Census Bureau, of 22 million Americans age 40-45 questioned about educational levels, it was discovered that:

· 22% earned Bachelor degrees (approximately 4.84 million)

· 29% of the people who earned Bachelor degrees earned a graduate degree (approximately 1.4 million)

· 4.5% of those were professional degrees (approximately 630,000)

These numbers solidify the unique affect that a graduate degree has on an individual. It allows you to stand out amongst your peers and with the right career planning, goal setting, job performance, and a solid work ethic, success becomes eminent.

JUST GIMME THE LIFE

WRITTEN BY: Raphael Baker

No one really wants to think about death. We think we are young and invincible and that we’ll live forever. Unfortunately, many people are not immortal, so now is the time to plan for the inevitable. If you were to die today, how will your children survive financially? Who is going to pay off your house? Is your spouse or significant other going to be stuck in debt because of funeral costs and unpaid medical bills?

Life insurance is one of the most important financial decisions you will ever make. There are numerous products out there, and the lingo can get quite confusing. Don’t worry too much. The three most important terms that you need to know are death benefit, whole life and term life. While there are many variations and combinations of whole life and term life, if you know the basics, you won’t be totally confused.

Death Benefit:

The death benefit is the amount of money your survivor or beneficiary will receive upon your death. This amount will be reduced by any outstanding loans that you have taken out against your policy.

Whole Life:

Whole life covers you for life. It is permanent coverage and remains in place as long as you continue to make payments. Although this is the most expensive type of life insurance, it builds up cash value. You can make loans against the accrued amount, but be cautious. Any amount you borrow should be paid back or your death benefit will be reduced.

Term Life:

Term life is insurance that covers you for a specified period of time. Common term policies cover you for 10, 20 and 30 years. This type of insurance is much more affordable than whole life, since it is temporary insurance. One key feature of most term insurance policies is guaranteed convertibility. This means that if you decide to change your policy into a whole life policy, you cannot be denied, regardless of health. Be mindful, however, that there are certain time limits for you to convert your policy.

Term life can also be used as a type of mortgage protection. For example, you have a 30 year mortgage on your home. You would purchase a 30 year term life policy. If you died before the end of the 30 years, your death benefit can pay off your mortgage balance.

Term life is also an excellent way to cover your children. Once they become adults, they can opt to convert to whole life policies, without fear of being rejected.

In order to determine the amount of insurance you need, some experts suggest that you multiply your annual salary by 20. I suggest that you take some time out and itemize all of your expenses, including car payments, mortgage payments, tuition for your children, etc. Once you have everything written down, come up with a figure that will allow your beneficiaries to live comfortably for at least ten years (longer if you have young children).

The time to buy life insurance is now. The younger and healthier you are, the cheaper insurance will be. This chart shows the rates from a popular carrier of term life insurance for non-smokers of various ages. Please note how the monthly premiums increase with age.