Trayvon Martin Could Be My Grandson

After death threats and an avalanche of hate mail, the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26 has packed up his belongings and moved away to an unknown location.

So how does that happen? How does George Zimmerman get to receive a pass for shooting the unarmed teen who was just walking home from a convenience store with some skittles and an iced tea? How come the police believe Zimmerman's story that he was defending himself when he was the one who got out of his vehicle in pursuit of Trayvon and then pulled a weapon as the young man screamed for his life? Zimmerman was also told NOT to pursue the teen but failed to obey? Why did the police lie to the media and say Zimmerman had a squeaky clean criminal record---only to discover he had been charged with assault on a law enforcement officer?

All one has to do is listen to the 9-1-1 tapes - and realize this kid was screaming for help.

Trayvon could've been my grandson. How sad it is to know that, even with a black President, some of us still remain defenseless at the hands of police.

May George Zimmerman get exactly what is coming to him.

Have You Had the Talk With Your Spouse Yet

For many couples, talking about death is difficult. Nobody likes to think about dying. It's scary to think the person you're growing old with will no longer be around someday.

The other day my husband said, "I can't imagine my life without you. That's why I'm going to die first." Of course, his comment shocked me and I wasn't sure how to respond. Trying to lighten the mood, I said, "No--I need to go first because I know you will be able to re-group a whole lot better than I would." Then, jokingly, I suggested we die together.

That brief conversation got me to do some serious thinking. How would I cope emotionally and financially should my husband pass away before me?

Preparing your finances for your death is a topic many don't want to talk about. Death is inevitable, however, and if you don't take the time to plan, your wishes (and your family's financial security) could be at risk.

Here are some tips I found, which I hope will be as helpful to you as they are to me:

1) Creating a living will and name an executor.

2) Discuss your finances with your spouse and make sure you know account numbers, passwords, billing arrangements and insurance information.

3) Talk about about funeral arrangements and find out if your spouse wants a coffin or prefers cremation.

4) List insurance and medical policy numbers, investment and other financial account numbers, along with passwords, social security information, and login data for websites.

5) Make a rough draft of your monthly budget, factoring in living expenses and income.

Getting your house in order while you're both still alive will save the surviving spouse (and other family members) a lot of frustration and paperwork during the grieving process.

Celebrating Dr Seuss with Grandchildren

Dr. Seuss and I share something in common. We've both been around long enough to inspire a lot of children over the years.

I was always taught "reading is fundamental" and is tied to EVERYTHING you do in life. If you can't read, you can't effectively communicate. Not knowing how to read may result in having people cheat you out of your money. Poor reading skills may leave you jobless.

When my daughter, now 22, was learning how to talk, Dr. Seuss and I became her reader advocates. Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut--- all became favorites. Even though I had a full-time job, I always tried to find the time to go to my daughter's school and read to the class.

The same holds true today with my five-year-old grandson. I'm a rockin' reader grandma at his school. I want him to know how much I value reading and how much I support him in getting the best education he can---PLUS I absolutely adore his class. They all give me big hugs every time I visit.

Yes, Dr. Seuss and I are still hanging tough.

Giving Children Grand Support

Today at my grandson's school there was a special event: Boys to Men Luncheon. Fathers, granddads, brothers, uncles, cousins, mentors, males role models were invited to come hang out with their child and enjoy lunch---let me say TRY to enjoy lunch because I've eaten in that cafeteria.

I decided to pop in to capture a Kodak moment and much to my surprise, the parking lot was jam-packed with cars. Once inside the cafeteria, I was overcome with emotion when I saw ALL of the men who had shown up to eat with their kids. These men took time out of their day to do something they believed was important.

I am a firm believer that when men show up as an active and loving participant in their children's lives, the children fare much better because of it. Moms and grand moms are used to doing it but seeing a positive male role model in a child's life speaks volumes and, whether you want to believe it or not, teachers do notice those things because then they know they have another level of support to reach out to.

My grandson was represented today by his grandfather and great-grandfather and his dad, who I'm sure was smiling down from Heaven.

Thank you Spring Valley for a wonderful idea!

If I was the Grandmother of Blue Ivy

If I was the grandmother of Beyonce and Jay-Z's new baby girl, the first thing I would do is sit down and have a long, and not-so-nice Parenting 101 lesson with them.

I'd tell them how foolish I think they are to spend over a million dollars to seal off a wing of the hospital to assure their privacy. If they wanted privacy, they could've paid for a PRIVATE facility with PRIVATE everything else.

I'd tell them how inconsiderate they are to keep other new parents from having access to their own newborns in the neonatal care unit of the hospital. One father took his complaints to the media---and we all know how that gets blown up.

I'd tell them they could've donated that $1.3 million they spent on hospital privacy and security to different organizations to ensure that less fortunate mothers could get good prenatal care.

These are the things I would say if I were the grandmother of Beyonce and Jay-Z's baby girl. I'm just wondering what their own mothers said---if anything.

Parents Children and Guns Don't Mix

While preparing for my radio show this morning, I decided to do some research and talk about some of the most bizarre stories of 2011. During my search, I came across what has to be not only bizarre but one of the most ridiculous stories I've ever heard of in my life!

A 17-year-old Florida girl reportedly pistol-whipped her mother because the mother refused to sign a car loan for her. On top of that, the daughter held the gun to her mother's head and forced her to drive to the dealership, where her mother decided to sign the car loan. The daughter then drove off in her new Nissan 350Z.

Oh---and it gets worse. THE MOTHER REFUSED TO PRESS CHARGES BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE HER DAUGHTER'S IVY LEAGUE COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES AND SCHOLARSHIPS.

Seriously???!!!

This is obviously the case of a spoiled brat who has lived a life of privilege. Her mother (and probably others) have catered to her every whim and the one time her mother decided to put her foot down, the daughter just wasn't having it.

This is definitely the extreme, but believe it or not more and more young people today live in a world of entitlment. Why? Because baby boomer and millennial parents have set a new definition for raising children.

Parents reach for their checkbooks whenever their grown children ask for money to pay their credit-card bills, parking tickets, real estate agent fees, medical expenses and insurance premiums. They buy them clothes, condos, new cars and vacations--and welcome them home again to live without asking them to pay rent.

As much as I thought I'd hate saying it, I am thankful for old school parents, who made me appreciate what it means to work hard to earn what I want.

There is no way in hell that a child should demand that a parent do anything for them. And the fact that this child threatened to kill her mother over a car makes me question the lack of parental guidance.

I wish my daughter would try to threaten me with some nonsense. I'll be calling the police and the undertaker.

Holy Cow Batman Santa Claus is Black

When I was growing up, I always believed santa claus was a fat, old white man with a fake beard and a red suit because that's the only image I ever saw at the mall or on TV.

You can imagine my surprise when the Hayti Heritage Center announced it was bringing a black santa to Durham, NC for the first time ever. I had to see it for myself. But more importantly, I wanted by five-year-old grandson to see an image that looked more like him.

Last year, my grandson asked me if santa claus was going to bring him some presents. Without hesitation, I told him no and then proceeded to explain that his mom, grandparents, nana and papa and other family members are the ones who buy him gifts.

I didn't want my grandson to get it in his head that if he was good all year, some jolly old white man would come and bring him presents. It just didn't seem right.

Now I know someone reading this is going to think I'm being racist but I would argue the whole idea of promoting santa claus as white is racist. It's something that's been embedded in our minds for years with movies, TV specials and in practically every mall in America.

Just like I thought I'd never live to see the day we'd have a black President, I never thought I'd see a black santa claus on public display.

##!@Holy Freakin' Cow Batman!@#!!$@! KA-BOOM!