Baby Boomers in the Hood

When I was growing up "neighbors" were something like an extended family. Everybody knew everybody and all of the grown-ups always had permission to spank anybody's child if they got out of line. During the holidays neighbors visited each other and brought goodies and swapped presents.

That was the community I came from and I still have that sense of "community." When I moved into my neighborhood three years ago, I immediately wanted to know who my neighbors were. Not because I was trying to find out their business so I could turn around and gossip to my friends...but rather because I wanted to know what things we had in common and to develop a sense of trust between each other. All of us share one thing in common---we're baby boomers!

Immediately I discovered my next door neighbor Kathy is a cat lover and loves to square dance. She's from Ohio. She also has a hidden talent of writing deep inside of her and she could do her own series on "Ms. Home Improvement." The things she can do with a drill are nothing short of incredible!

My other neighbors, Adair and Vickie are nurses. I don't get to see them much because of their schedules but when our paths do cross we find plenty to talk about. Up the street, there's a James Taylor look-a-like. I remember the first time I saw him I thought he was the "Handy Man" and I told him so. He said he's been told that before but doesn't see the resemblance. He has two children and a wife who's also a nurse. Much to my surprise his next door neighbor is a guy I used to bowl with in a league. We weren't on the same team but he was friendly then and remains true in spirit now.

This past Saturday my neighbor (and friend) Kathy invited my husband and me to her home for a celebration party. She earned a long-awaited degree from NCCU and she and her friend Ray were also celebrating birthday milestones. We didn't know anybody at the party but Kathy and Ray but by the end we made some new friends. My husband hit it off with some fellow "boring" engineers and I had an absolutely fabulous time mingling with people I probably would've never met otherwise. We talked about the good old days and how much things have changed,

Do I know my neighbors? Yes...and in case of an emergency I know I can call upon anyone of them. Can you do the same?


Need a last minute Christmas gift? Give the gift of humor and inspiration with a copy of "Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age" Available on amazon.com or get an autographed copy at: www.talk2bev.com

How to avoid having your gift "re-gifted" this year

Every year thousands of Christmas gifts are “re-gifted.” The truth of the matter is your friends and loved ones don't necessarily have the same taste as you, therefore, may not love the gifts you've chosen. Or they might give you one you're not crazy about.

In a survey conducted last year, nearly 40 percent of the respondants said they re-gifted a present they didn't particularly care for. Why?

1) It wasn't the right size size.
2) They didn't like the color.
3) It looked "cheesy"
4) They already had one.
5) It was a fruitcake!

If you want to make sure your present will be appreciated and used this year, purchase a copy of “Hope for the Holidays.”

This CD Project is a combination of Spoken Word & Music and is also “personalized” to the recipient with a special poem.

Instead of re-wrapping it and giving it away to some unsuspecting soul, your loved ones will “Thank You” and play it for their friends while complimenting you for giving them such an inspiring and unique gift.

Order your copy now by going to: http://www.talk2bev.com/holiday.htm

And the best part of it all is the price is UNDER $10!!!!


Beverly Mahone is the author of the book, "Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age and inspirational speaker who put together the "Hope for the Holidays" CD Project.

"Hope for the Holidays"

"Hope for the Holidays" is a heart-warming collection of spoken word put to some of your favorite holiday classics by Author and Inspirational Speaker, Beverly Mahone. (There are 8 selections, along with some closing remarks and credits).

This is a labour of love--inspired by God.

Pre-order sales are being taken RIGHT NOW. I encourage you to go to the site and listen to a sample of the CD.

http://www.talk2bev.com/holiday.htm


A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the CD's will go towards various charities.

The first 25 people to order will also receive another little special gift.

This makes a perfect gift for yourself, family, friends and it will last as long as the CD does. Make sure you specify who you would like the poem to be personalized for.


Peace & Blessings,
Beverly Mahone
Author, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age
http://www.talk2bev.com

“I’m not a writer because I wrote a book. I wrote a book because I was inspired by God.”

Name My CD

This holiday season I’d like to partner up with one of you to make a generous donation to our favorite charities.

I have put together a Holiday CD, complete with Spoken Word and Music. It's a project I started working on before the book promotion and now it's finally complete. If you've gone to my website recently and listened to "Who Stole My Body" you'll have some idea of how I mix spoken words with music.

I need a name for the CD. Here's what's on it:

"Twas the Night before Christmas" (music: Winter Wonderland)

"Not Only Christmas Day" beautiful poem written by a woman named Mary Fairchild www.christianity.about.com (music: What Child is This)

"The Birth of Jesus" (music: O Holy Night)

Plus TWO light-hearted pieces including “12 Days of a Menopausal Christmas.”

This project has been on my heart for awhile. It's just my way of giving back because of the blessings I've received.

O.K...so here's the deal....If you come up with a name for the CD and it's chosen (I think I'll let my husband make the decision), I'll give you a free copy AND donate a portion of the proceeds to YOUR favorite charity. I already have one of my own that I'm planning to donate to. I expect to sell tons of these CD's & downloads (both on and off line) so your charity will love you love you love you love you.....

So, that's it. I'd like to have a name by Sunday so I can start the promotion on Monday. You can come up with as many names as you can think of.

As always I appreciate your support!


Peace & Blessings,
Beverly Mahone
Author, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age
http://www.talk2bev.com

“I’m not a writer because I wrote a book. I wrote a book because I was inspired by God.”

Free Teleseminar on Book Marketing & Promotion

Do you have a good book just waiting to be read by the masses? Do you want to know how to take your book to the next level? Are you trying to finish writing your book and wondering how you can successfully promote it?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, then you’ll want to attend a FREE one-hour teleseminar on Successful Book Promoting with Author Beverly Mahone.

Learn how this “unknown” writer took her book from the bottom of the barrel on Amazon.com, with a ranking of 1,622,326, to the Top 400 OVERALL and a #71 ranking in Women's non-fiction in less than 24 hours.

Find out how I moved hundreds of books successfully without spending thousands of dollars.

Selling your book to family and friends is easy because they know you and want to support you but marketing to the “general public” is another story altogether. Learn how to market on and off line in this FREE teleseminar on Tuesday, December 12 at 8pm (EST).

If you know you’ve written a good book, this is your opportunity to show the rest of the world know just how talented you are. Sign up for this free teleseminar today by sending your name and email address to: mahonebeverly@ yahoo.com. A confirmation email will be sent to you, along with the access number for the seminar.

SPACE IS LIMITED SO RESERVE YOUR SEATING NOW!!! I look forward to chatting with you on Tuesday, December 12, 2006. Please feel free to share with your fellow writing buddies.


Peace & Blessings,
Beverly Mahone
Author, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age
http://www.talk2bev.com

“I’m not a writer because I wrote a book. I wrote a book because I was inspired by God.”

What a difference a year makes

For as long as I can remember, I spent every Thanksgiving at work. That's because television news doesn't take breaks for holidays. Even though it tends to be the one day out of the year when crime is down, the show must always go on. I spent the last 25 years in the business---most recently at an ABC Affiliate in North Carolina.

Year after year, I would be one of the ones "stuck" in the newsroom, behind the Assignment Desk, waiting for news to happen. More often than not, I would have to put on a creative thinking cap and make something happen myself. It didn't matter that I was a single mom who had to cart her child off to some other family. It didn't matter than I was a "seasoned veteran" who should've been given more respect for my years of service.

As a thank you for being forced to come in to work, management would provide a Thanksgiving meal consisting of dried turkey and other less than desirable items. And you would be forced to enjoy your thanksgiving meal with some less than desirable colleagues.

But things are different this year. I no longer have to work on Thanksgiving or any other holiday for that matter (if I choose not to). After more than 25 years in the business, I was forced to throw in the towel. Television news isn't anything like it was when I first started out as a rookie reporter. News is LESS about news these days and MORE about "showcasing" individuals or fiercely competing with other stations for the right to be #1. It doesn't seem to matter anymore if all of the facts aren't quite right in the story or if the reporter is "clueless" about the subject they're trying to report on or if managers show a total lack of sensitivity to the REAL ISSUES.

That's not a business I want to be a part of anymore. I'm sad to say that because I believe I was one of the last voices protesting in editorial meetings when managers insisted on portraying African-American male suspects in such a negative light while giving a free pass to their white male counterparts. I was one of the last voices to insist that reporters act like journalists and not like some prima donna TV stars.

So on this Thanksgiving Day, even though I'm unemployed, I can honestly say I am so thankful I don't have to leave my daughter at home alone (she's old enough now) while I go in and wait for BREAKING NEWS.


You can read more about Beverly's days in television in her book "Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age." It's available on amazon.com or through her website at http://www.talk2bev.com

Michael Richards Giving Baby Boomers a Bad Name

His racist comments are a wake-up call on the state of race relations.

My daughter came home from school today and asked if I had heard the racist comments made by someone from the Seinfeld show. I had not. She proceeded to tell me all she could remember from the discussion in her African American History class.

Needless to say, I was shocked but wasn't quite sure what to believe since it was coming from my daughter--who doesn't always pay the best of attention in class.

But sure enough, she was right! Michael Richards, who played Kramer in the Seinfeld series, apparently went off the deep end during a stand-up comedy routine at the Laugh Factory over the weekend. There were some hecklers in the audience. They just happened to be African-American males.

Richards was reported as saying, “Shut up! Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a [*fucking*] fork up your ass.....You can talk, you can talk, you're brave now [expletive]. Throw his ass out. He's a nigger!” Richards shouted before repeating the racial epithet over and over again.

If you watch the video, you can hear some laughter in the audience as Richards is ranting and raving and then someone can be heard gasping “Oh my God” and people respond with “ooh” after Richards uses the n-word.

You can also hear someone say: “It's not funny. That's why you're a reject, never had no shows, never had no movies. Seinfeld, that's it.”

There is outrage being expressed. Comedianne Mo'Nique has been on the radio urging folks to ask televisions around the country to cancel Seinfeld.

But you know what? Michael Richards did us all a favor. He made us painfully aware that racism is still very much alive and well in America. He said what many of us are afraid to say. His comment about Blacks hanging upside down 50 years ago sounds like it came from something deeply rooted in him. He didn't just come up with that off of the top of his head. It was in his heart and it was ugly.

How far this story will go will depend on how far the media chooses to carry it. As a journalist, I know the make-up of many newsrooms around the country. They consist of white men in suits who make editorial decisions daily without much input from African-Americans because we are rarely hired for decision-making positions.

Yes, Michael Richards did apologize...some 48 hours later...but the damage has already been done.

Thank you Kramer, for keepin' it real!

http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/20/kramers-racist-tirade-caught-on-tape/