When will Confidence Against COVID be Restored

Will we ever return to "business as usual" since the invasion of COVID-19 more than a year ago?  According to a new Pew Research Center survey nearly 60 percent of Americans believe it will take a  more than a year before most businesses, schools, churches, etc., return to what they were prior to the pandemic.  

Although more than four million businesses received emergency loans from the Small Business Association (SBA), a study conducted by researchers at Harvard Business School and The University of Chicago indicates over 100 thousand small businesses have closed their doors forever.  Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center study shows that only 16 percent believe businesses will be able to bounce back in 6 months to a year.   A whopping 81 percent believe it will take a year or more for the job market to recover.

When you examine the study along gender, racial, income status, and political lines, it reveals the following:

60% of women believe it could take two or more years to return to some sense of normalcy, compare to 53 percent of men.  

64% of Black Americans believe it will take longer than a year to resume a normal life, compared to 56% for Asians and 51% for Hispanics.  

People in the upper income brackets are the most optimistic about when life will return to normal.  49% believe the country will get back to business as usual in 6 months to a year compared to 43 percent of people who fall into the middle income bracket and 40% for lower income.

Republicans account for 44% of people who think it will take more than two years for jobs to return in comparison to 26% of Democrats. (Wonder how different these numbers would be in Trump were still in office)?    

It's been over a year now since we've been dealing with the pandemic that has taken more than 500 thousand lives.  Personally, I don't want us to return to "business as usual."  I want to see us grow from this mess and implement new strategies to avoid a similar disaster in the future.  Perhaps it means getting rid of ELECTED OFFICIALS on the local, state and national levels to make that happen.  What do you think? 

Why is Easter a Floating holiday?

This inquiring mind wants to know.....why is Easter a floating holiday?

When I was five-years-old Easter was on April 22; At the age of 10, Easter was on March 26; In 1972 it was celebrated on April 2; Last year the date was April 12 and now in 2021, we recognize Easter on April 4.  So how do all of these different dates play out for Christians who believe Jesus died on a specific date?   

As a child I was taught Jesus died on the cross on a Friday (which we observed as Good Friday) and He arose three days later.  No specific date was ever given and as a child I never questioned it.  My main concerns as the time were seeing the Easter Bunny, getting a cute little dress to wear to church, coloring Easter eggs and getting an Easter basket.  The date seemed irrelevant.  But today my mind is piqued with curiosity on why Easter is celebrated on different dates?  Is this more symbolism rather than actual fact?

Here are the facts I've gathered:

Easter is determined by the Jewish calendar.  Easter's date varies so much because it is dictated by the moon. Easter falls on the First Sunday after the full moon date.  (In 2021, that date was recorded as March 28). If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter is celebrated the following Sunday.  Because the Jewish calendar is tied to solar and lunar cycles, the dates of Passover and Easter fluctuate from year to year.

Easter is mentioned only once in the Bible (King James version).  The other versions refer to the Passover. 

In the Hebrew Bible, Passover is a festival that commemorates the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.  Easter, meanwhile, is a springtime Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and freedom from sin and death.  

Good Friday is a day set aside for Christians to remember and mourn the death of Jesus and then to turn around three days later and celebrate His resurrection.  Twelve states have made Good Friday a public holiday:  Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota.  NC celebrated Easter Monday  from 1935-1987 because of an early 2oth century tradition of state government workers taking the day off to attend an annual baseball game between N.C. State and Wake Forest.

Easter actually started out as a pagan festival celebrating Spring in the northern hemisphere, prior to Christianity.  To be a pagan meant you worshipped many gods but when Christianity came on the scene, we were taught there was only one God to worship.

There was a German tradition known as the Easter Hare, where bringing eggs to good children became a custom.  When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, they brought the Easter Hare tradition with them and the wild hare they used to use was replaced by a domestic bunny rabbit and tied directly to the Easter celebration. 

Since there is no exact recording of the death of Jesus that probably explains why Easter is a floating holiday.  And man, with his greed and capitalism, has done his best to make the most of it.

Why Going to an HBCU is Important Part II

 

This is an update to the original post I wrote in August of 2019:  

Let me first of all say, I am NOT a Stephen A. Smith fan.  I understand what he does and, perhaps, why he does it but I don't like his antics with all of the yelling and "I know it all" attitude.  I do, however, respect him a lot because I truly understand that to get where he is today has been no easy task.  He is to be applauded for that.  Another black man paving the way......

Today, I was watching First Take with Stephen A.  and Max Kellerman and I was rather moved by Stephen A's tribute to HBCUs.  I watched him do it last year but this time it was different.  It seemed more sincere.  LESS of Stephen A. and more about the HBCU he represents--Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).  I got to hear from students who went there and their reasons why---they ALL said the same thing:  They felt like they were a part of a family there and were nurtured in addition to being educated.  Their motto:  Earn to Learn, Depart to Serve.  That resonated so deeply with me because I never thought of my alma mater as very nurturing (as a matter of fact, it was just the opposite. At Ohio University, I felt like I was being thrown into the lion's den and had to fight daily to escape). I have no doubt I received a good education there but that's all it was.  I went out into the world to show everyone what a great school I went to.  OU did not encourage me, in any way, to go out and serve in the same way HBCU students are indoctrinated to do.  I have often wondered had I gone to an HBCU would I have had similar success in radio and television news?  Perhaps, I would've had even more.  But who knows.

I am so happy my daughter chose to go to an HBCU (North Carolina A&T University) even though I had my heart set on her going to my alma mater.  And I can honestly say right now I am excited to be affiliated with another HBCU--North Carolina Central University (NCCU), where I work part-time as a Writing Consultant--helping students find their unique voices through their writing. Their motto is:  Truth and Service.    It is a position I absolutely LOVE and it is my way way of giving back.  It is my way of nurturing young minds and being connected with a "family."   

Here are some other HBCU Facts you may not know:

60 percent of all Engineering degrees are earned by black students

70 percent of black dentists and physicians earned degrees from an HBCU

40 percent of blacks in Congress come from HBCU's

HBCU's  only have 1/8 of the average size of endowments that PWI's have

Cheyney University of PA was the first HBCU founded in 1837

In addition to Stephen A. Smith (WSSU), other celebrities attending HBCUs include Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State), Samuel L. Jackson (Morehouse College), Taraji P. Henson (NC A&T/Howard University) and Chadwick Boseman, a.k.a "The Black Panther" (Howard University).

And there were many notable Black Scholars including:  Poet/Playwright Langston Hughes (Lincoln University),  Biologist Ernest Just (South Carolina State University) Mathematician and computer scientist Katherine Johnson (West Virginia State University), and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Colbert King (Howard University). 

These are just a few examples of what makes going to an HBCU so special.

Karma Needed and Appreciated in 2020

 

To say it's been one hell of a year is clearly an understatement! When I look back over all that I've been through personally and professionally in 2020, I know it is by the Grace of God that I am still able to persevere.  In addition I have watched in horror as people of color have been beaten and murdered at the hands of police and vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse.  We continue to fight against social injustice, police brutality, the Covid health disparities and economic hardships ON TOP OF being led---no, I mean  dragged by an illiterate and non-functioning Trump Administration.  

But that's not what this particular post is about. Today I experienced some karma that was so needed and truly appreciated.   Here's what happened:  I went to the post office to purchase some stamps and mail some Christmas cards.  I put the stamps inside the case of my cell phone and then proceeded to go to the beauty supply store.  I made a purchase there and then went to the Dollar Tree to get some more Christmas cards.  While in line I noticed a woman behind me who had a few items so I offered to pay for them.  She said, "Happy Birthday to me!"

"Oh, it's your birthday today?", I said.

"Yes, it is and I was just buying some items to wear."  Now mind you, we're in a dollar store that doesn't sell clothes.  Her items consisted of Christmas tree ornaments, a wreath and some lights I believe. 

"Well, Happy Birthday to you!  My daughter's birthday is next Tuesday."  My husband then chimed in and said his daughter's birthday was today also (which I obviously forgot).

After the clerk rang her items up she continued to thank me and I asked her to just pay it forward when she could.  She said she would.

Now once I got back in the car, I realized I didn't have my stamps and assumed they had fallen out of my phone when I made the purchase. So I asked my husband to go back into the store to see if he could find them.  No such luck.  I then told him we'd have to go back to the post office to get another book of stamps because I really needed them to finish my Christmas card mailings.  (I also knew I was going to spend another $11 because the post office doesn't give refunds on lost postage).

Then I thought, perhaps I should go back to the beauty supply store where I FIRST went after the post office to see if, by chance, someone had found then and turned them in.   When I walked in there was another young lady at the register.  I told her I was looking for the person who waited on me about 15 minutes earlier because I had lost a book of stamps.  And guess what?

The cashier said, "Yes, we found them!" Then she handed them to me.  All I could do was cry, thank her, and think about the KARMA that had come back to me for a small gesture I did for someone else.  I needed that---especially on a day like today when I woke up dealing with some health setbacks.

When I was a child, my parents used to say "What goes around comes around."  KARMA is real.  How you treat others will come back to you---good or bad.

COVID and Thanksgiving

I just came across another survey that, once again, shows the differences between baby boomers and millennials.  In the midst of a pandemic, Lending Tree conducted a survey to find out how much money people, who are planning to host a Thanksgiving dinner, will spend on all the fixins'. Based on the responses, millennials plan to outspend baby boomers by a 3 to 1 margin.

Here were some of the key findings:

On average, Americans will spend around $475 to host Thanksgiving, which is up more than 50 percent from 2019.  Those who are hosting say the additional expenses are being used to make up for holidays that weren't celebrated earlier in the year due to Corona. Millennials expect to spend $556.46 while baby boomers say they will be spending less than $175.  So when you go to your daughter or son's house for Turkey Day this year expect a Happy Thanksgiving, Valentines, Memorial Day, July4th, Birthday celebration! 

41 percent of Americans plan to host Thanksgiving this year, up from 33 percent last year (when there was NO pandemic). 

Hosts say they will spend roughly 8.5 hours preparing for the holiday feast and someone will take off from work to prepare.  (Why, when we're all working from home anyway?)

42 percent of the hosts surveyed say the worry about heated debates that could  break out at the dinner table. (Perhaps everyone should be required to leave any perceived weapons at home because Donald Trump's name is sure to come up!) 

22 percent are nervous about discussing politics.  Only 22 percent? (Having a woman of color as the second in charge of the U.S. should generate some lively discussion or to discover how many family members truly believe the election was stolen from the bully baby in the White House).

15 percent are concerned their guests will argue about the pandemic.  Again, only 15 percent?  My question for the survey would've been: "Will you be requiring ALL guests wear a mask?"

10 percent say they are concerned about "family drama." 

38 percent of the hosts surveyed say they plan to borrow money to cover Thanksgiving costs, including charging a credit card or taking out a holiday loan. (Perhaps Lending Tree will drum up some more business since they do give out personal loans) 

32 percent say they will use coupons and shop around for the best deals.  Or perhaps they can check out the Food Bank in their community and get a free Thanksgiving food basket. 

The Right to Vote After Death in North Carolina

 It's uncertain if baby boomer Anne Ashcroft knew she would be dead on Election Day when she voted by absentee ballot in Brunswick County, North Carolina back in September.  Sadly, however, she did pass away on October 11th.  Her death meant her vote would be thrown out because there is a Law on the books in the State that says voters must be alive on Election Day in order for their absentee OR early-in person vote to count.  Her daughter, who just happened to be the Brunswick County Elections Director, says she was the one to ask the Elections Board to reject her mother's ballot.  She said, "Honestly, when she was voting her ballot, she was under hospice care.  So I knew that she may not be alive on Election Day."

North Carolina is one of 17 states that prohibits counting ballots of someone who dies before election day. Those states include Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan, where 864 ballots were rejected in their Primary earlier this year because voters had died before the election even though they were alive when they filled them out.

My guess is a Law like this was put into effect primarily by Republican led State legislatures as another method of voter suppression.  If a person is eligible to vote, they should be allowed to and their ballot count should they die before Election Day.  We have no control over death but we do have control over our vote when we are alive.

As for 62-year-old Anne Ashcroft, no one knows how she may have voted but Brunswick County, NC is heavily Republican and have voters have cast their ballots for a Republican President in the last five presidential elections.  

 To learn about how North Carolina voted in 2020, click here:  Politico

How to Find the Right Doctor

 If you're over the age of 50, you probably have at least one doctor.  As a matter of fact, most of us probably have two or three.  I've had pretty much the same doctors for the past 20 years.  They know me quite well and have seen me at my best AND worst during that time.  Earlier this year I saw a survey in AARP Magazine that caught my attention because it was about how people go about selecting the best physicians for themselves.

The survey was conducted by the University of Michigan in conjunction with AARP.  Of the 2,256 people who participated, a whopping 93 percent said the most important critical factor in selecting a doctor was whether or not he/she accepted the medical insurance they're covered under. I can see why that's important because no one wants to incur additional expenses if they don't have to. If your physician isn't covered under your private health insurance plan, you'll end up paying 100 percent of the cost. If you are retired or underemployed, the added medical expenses could become a burden. The IRS will allow you to claim medical expenses if you are itemizing your deductions if you have unreimbursed expenses BUT they have to be more than 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income.  For example, if your AGI is $50K for example, the first $3750 of qualified medical expenses (7.5 percent of $50K) don't count for deduction purposes.  

On the other hand, it may not matter if you find a doctor you believe gives you the absolute best care, has a bedside manner second to none, and you don't go to the doctor that often.  

After knowing whether or not the doctor is covered under your plan, survey participants listed the following as other important elements:

Ease in getting appointments:  61 percent
Doctor's years of experience:  42 percent
Recommended by family/friends:  23 percent
Medical school attended: 17 percent
Same gender as patient: 6 percent
Same race/ethnicity:      2 percent

So now that you've seen this list, what are YOUR Top 3 choices for selecting a doctor? '

To learn more about deducting medical expenses go here:  IRS