How Leftover Turkey Launched The TV Dinner
by Rebecca Rupp
In the fall of 1953, the frozen-food company of C.A. Swanson & Sons of Omaha, Nebraska, was left with what must be a record in turkey leftovers: ten railroad cars packed with 520,000 pounds of turkey.
Swanson had massively overestimated the number of birds Americans planned to purchase for Thanksgiving, and so now was stuck shuttling a trainload of spurned turkeys back and forth between the Midwest and the East Coast in order to keep the electricity on in the refrigerated cars, thus keeping the turkeys safely cold.
At its wit’s end, the company put out an all-points bulletin to employees, asking for solutions to the turkey problem. The winner was salesman Gerry Thomas, who proposed that Swanson turn the turkeys into frozen dinners. Thomas suggested that the meals be packaged in a three-compartment aluminum-foil tray—a version of the trays then used to serve in-flight meals on airplanes— and sold as TV Dinners, in colorful boxes designed to look like television sets, complete with screens and tuning and volume knobs.
THE TRAGIC, FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF BLACK MILITARY VETERANS
By Peter C. Baker
“We do so much in this country to celebrate and honor folks who risk their lives on the battlefield,” Stevenson told me recently. “But we don’t remember that black veterans were more likely to be attacked for their service than honored for it.” To be a soldier is to receive training in weapons, in organizations, in tactics: the skills of self-assertion. It is also to lay claim to the reverence that America sets aside for its former warriors. For these reasons, the return home of black soldiers after war has infuriated and terrified white America, setting the stage for reactionary aggression.
When the Civil War broke out, the Union was reluctant to let black soldiers fight at all, citing concerns over white soldiers’ morale and the respect that black soldiers would feel entitled to when the war ended. But, as the Union death toll increased, the skeptics relented. By war’s end, almost two hundred thousand black men had enlisted. This is widely known today, thanks in large part to works of art like the 1989 film “Glory.” Unfortunately, less cultural bandwidth has been devoted to what happened to those black troops after the fighting stopped. Few high-school or college students, when they learn about military history, learn about the lynching of black veterans.
In 1867, when Reconstruction ended, black veterans living in Southern states quickly became targets for white violence. White newspapers spread rumors of black soldiers assaulting white police. States across the South prohibited blacks from handling weapons. Compared to those who had not served, former soldiers were disproportionately assaulted, driven from their homes, and, in the most extreme cases, lynched in public. “Targeting Black Veterans” traces this trend in coolly objective prose, occasionally detailing shocking examples. “At Bardstown in Nelson County, Kentucky, a mob brutally lynched a United States Colored Troops veteran,” we learn. “The mob stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and then cut off his sexual organs. He was then forced to run half a mile to a bridge outside of town, where he was shot and killed.”
Confessions of a Bad Dad on the Eve of His 2nd Child Sometimes, I’m just not good at my job. By Corey Richardson
As my wife and I careen into the last few weeks of her pregnancy and prepare for life with our new little girl, it’s beginning to dawn on me just how bad a job I’ve been doing as a parent for our first daughter. Four, almost five, years into the game, and I’m finally coming to grips with the fact that, as a dad, I’m not very good at my job sometimes.
So, in the spirit of clearing the slate for this new life to come, I feel like I owe it to my eldest to confess my sins and seek something like forgiveness for being a s–tty, although involved, dad. So, in the spirit of Usher Raymond, these are my parental confessions (although imagine me as DMX on the cover of Flesh of My Flesh) laying myself bare for your judgment.
I’ve exploited my child’s illiteracy for my own gain. Throughout my life, I’ve had to use a variety of ruses as tools to get my way, get what I want or get out of a jam. Most of the time, when I had to run game, I was dealing with adults with some modicum of education who required a lot of thought to pull off a con. Then, God gifted me this little person, who came into this world knowing essentially nothing. But most importantly, this lil bama doesn’t quite know how to read yet.
Man, is that liberating. Driving down the street and you see a sign for a fast-food place she recognizes? I tell her that the sign says it’s closed and she just can’t read it. At the store and she’s getting ready to get her Ezell on for some cookies or some chips? Flip that bag over and tell her, “Oh no, these say they’re spoiled,” then keep on truckin’. And then there’s my favorite move–when she pulls out that long-ass bedtime story to try to prolong the magic and keep from going to sleep (bruh, there’s this book that’s called Grandfather Ghandi that’s like the goddamn Odyssey for children), I skip pages and make up a new story on the spot. What’s she gonna do; stop you? She can’t read and I know the jig is gonna be up any day now, so I might as well get it in while I can.
I’m pretty sure I’m gonna pay for this when she gets a neck tattoo that I’m forced to read for the rest of my life. I’m sorry.
How to Tell Someone’s Age When All You Know Is Her Name
By Nate Silver and Allison McCann
Picture Mildred, Agnes, Ethel and Blanche. Perhaps you imagine the Golden Girls or your grandmother’s poker game. These are names for women of age, wisdom and distinction. The median living Mildred in the United States is now 78 years old.
Now imagine Madison, Sydney, Alexa and Hailey. They sound like the starting midfield on a fourth-grade girls’ soccer team. And they might as well be: the median American females with these names are between 9 and 12 years old.
To keep alive the perception of white superiority, these white Americans tuck their heads under cone-shaped hats and American flags and deny themselves the dignity of face-to-face confrontation, training their guns on the unarmed, the innocent, the scared, on subjects who are running away, exposing their unthreatening backs to bullets. Surely, shooting a fleeing man in the back hurts the presumption of white strength? The sad plight of grown white men, crouching beneath their (better) selves, to slaughter the innocent during traffic stops, to push black women’s faces into the dirt, to handcuff black children. Only the frightened would do that. Right?
All-American Killer: How the AR-15 Became Mass Shooters' Weapon of Choice An assault rifle designed for the battlefield has become a windfall for the gun industry and common in mass shootings By Tim Dickinson
The Cowgirls of Color: the black women's team bucking rodeo trends
By Annalies Winny
In a sport dominated by white men, the all-female, all-black team is a rarity. At the Bill Pickett rodeo, the only black rodeo in the country, high-octane events such as bull riding and steer wrestling remain almost exclusively male. But every year brings more female contestants than the last.
Pennie Brown of Cowgirls of Color gathers speed during the barrel relay. Photograph: M Holden Warrenhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/nov/20/rodeo-black-women-cowgirls-of-color?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
The Story Behind Jared Kushner’s Curious Acceptance into Harvard ProPublica editor Daniel Golden wrote a book a decade ago about how the rich buy their children access to elite colleges. One student he covered is now poised to become one of the most powerful figures in the country. By Daniel Golden
I would like to express my gratitude to Jared Kushner for reviving interest in my 2006 book, “The Price of Admission.” I have never met or spoken with him, and it’s rare in this life to find such a selfless benefactor. Of course, I doubt he became Donald Trump’s son-in-law and consigliere merely to boost my lagging sales, but still, I’m thankful.
My book exposed a grubby secret of American higher education: that the rich buy their under-achieving children’s way into elite universities with massive, tax-deductible donations. It reported that New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner had pledged $2.5 million to Harvard University in 1998, not long before his son Jared was admitted to the prestigious Ivy League school. At the time, Harvard accepted about one of every nine applicants. (Nowadays, it only takes one out of twenty.)
All of the Black Owned Brands You Can Shop at Target for Under $20
http://www.essence.com/beauty/beauty-products-tools/black-owned-brands-target?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_111916#1052660
Anyone with a Jewish grandparent (or anyone who converts to Judaism) under the age of 27 is eligible for a completely free seven- to 10-day trip to Israel through Birthright.
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-countries-visit-young-backpacking
By writing your own fortune cookie fortune. Keep it positive. Only uplifting ones will be printed.
Super cool.
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From The Huffington Post -
People from all around the world are submitting their own tidbits of advice to the Museum of Food and Drink in New York City, where they will be printed and baked inside a fresh batch of fortune cookies. The museum will then serve the desserts to visitors, who can crack open their cookies and read a message from a stranger.
It’s part of the museum’s current exhibit, “Chow: Making The Chinese American Restaurant,” an exploration of Chinese food in America from 1910 to today, which opened this month.
If you downloaded the Minibar Delivery App that delivers liquor to your door, but haven't ordered yet, here's a 10% off code for your first order. It's ANDREWS10.
Cheers.
Side note - I promise I don't have any stakes in this game. I just know most of us will need all the coping mechanisms we can find to get through these next four years.
'Obama made me a better man,' Glenn Beck tells The New Yorker
By William Cummings
Beck went even further in the interview, saying President Obama "made me a better man." This is the man who called Obama a Marxist. a racist with a "deep-seated hatred for white people" and who once asked a guest if Obama might be the Antichrist.
"I did a lot of freaking out about Barack Obama," Beck conceded to The New Yorker. He said he regrets calling the president a racist and he said he considers himself a Black Lives Matter supporter.
Extremely Calming Bob Ross Episodes To Get You Through This Election Our remedy to Election Stress Disorder is by no means a cure. But it does come with happy little trees. By Katherine Brooks
Tending to your own mental health is hard ― and complex. Therapy is essential, and the APA’s guidelines are helpful. But sometimes you need Bob Ross. And in those times, these 17 extremely calming episodes will help. Let’s get through this damn election together. In the words of Ross himself: “That’s a crooked tree. We’ll send him to Washington.” “Every day is a good day when you paint.”
1Season 26, Episode 12: Because this is guaranteed “to make you feel good inside.”
For my brother's book, The Transformation of a Lost Soul, by Forrest J. Beverly.
All of us who had the pleasure of reading early drafts recognized this as a genuine, intimate, inspiring peek into the heart and mind of someone who has lived an extraordinary life and learned lessons along the way, some heartfelt, some harsh. I'm thrilled that others see the incredible value in all this book has to offer.
Am I biased?
Of course.
But the attached reviewed are not.
Check out what they have to say, then click on the link, and make plans to read it for yourself.
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Reviews for THE TRANSFORMATION OF A LOST SOUL
by Forrest J. Beverly
1.“The Transformation of a Lost Soul” by Forrest J. Beverly is an addicting, intoxicating read that holds no punches and goes straight for the heart. I read the whole thing in the course of a few nights, and wished there was more because I was disappointed when it was over… I wanted more! I like reading nonfiction on occasion to switch it up from my normal routine (in this case his autobiography), and because I feel that when done right it can affect you in a different way than a fiction novel can. Overall I found the writing quality to be superb, and I was truly impressed with the way Forrest J. Beverly managed to put so many events and emotions and experiences into a highly readable story. But even though some parts are a bit on the darker side, I really enjoyed the epic journey that he tells not only of his life, but how he delivers with a sense of deeper emotion and sense of raw humanity-the good and the bad- and faith in God. Highly recommend.(5 stars) Claire Middleton—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
2.“The Transformation of a Lost Soul: My Spiritual Journey” by Forrest J. Beverly is hands down one of the most riveting and well-crafted books I’ve read in a long time! I was completely drawn in from the opening pages, and absolutely loved the author’s use of description of the different phases of his life, from childhood through adulthood, as he gives great attention to personal and cultural detail of the time. We feel swept away not only into the narrator Forrest J. Beverly’s life, but his amazing life experiences…This is a nonfiction memoir but feels like a drama novel with lots of ups and downs along the way. They say truth is stranger than fiction, and some of this was downright heartbreaking and shocking, but also uplifting and amazing. From racism, to music, to working in the DEA…“The Transformation of a Lost Soul” covers so, so much it’s impossible to sum up, but it felt like I was living through Mr. Beverly’s life, and it was interesting to see how it all tied together in the end, which was quite beautiful!! Loved the ending and especially that poem (one of my all-time favorites). A wonderful literary treat and I would recommend this to fans of memoirs/autobiographies. (5 stars) Jenna Brewster—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
3.This was a really good book that captured my attention from the beginning, pulled me in, and never once let go. Each scene was engaging, imaginative, and flowed smoothly from one to the next… never a “dull part” where you get bored or want to skip ahead… in fact almost the opposite with the various interweaving plotlines and going from one character and event in Forrest Beverly’s life to the next. The descriptions were very strong, and I mean with the author’s word choice… unique and powerful, and with the deeply personal narrative style the author uses I felt like I was genuinely inside his head experiencing the world and his life through his eyes, for better or worse. Very touching and profound, this book will make you think, but sometimes it is quite uncomfortable to read, especially the author’s younger years. But it is also interesting and entertaining, and it is watching him overcome all this adversity and ups and downs and ultimately find his place in the world and Peace with God is what makes this book all that much more amazing. I would love to read more from Forrest J. Beverly in the future as he has a natural gift for creating a well-thought out story that touches your heart and soul. (4-5 stars) Gillian Hancock—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
4.Okay--- I really loved this book. I thought it was excellently written and the editing was nearly flawless (rare for e-books these days!!). It kept my attention from the opening to the satisfying, inspirational ending. It is *not* a quick read by any stretch… nor should it be. There are too many important events and experiences here to gloss over so the author takes his time in carefully developing the various storylines so that we the readers are thoroughly invested the whole way through. I liked Mr. Beverly’s writing style very much, and found myself completely lost in this world he recanted night after night (this is all based on a ‘true story’ which makes it even cooler!!). Was almost sad when I was done, but the ending gave the emotional satisfaction I look for in a great book. Well done. Recommend to fans of dramatic nonfiction/memoirs, or anyone who just enjoys an entertaining, well-written story with lots of drama and emotional impact. Touches on some pretty heavy issues (abuse, racism, discrimination,) but never gets too depressing. Just very powerful. Recommend for mature teens on up. (5 stars) Laura Clarke—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
5.Just a heads up—when starting “The Transformation of a Lost Soul” by Forrest J. Beverly make sure you don’t have anywhere you need to be or anything you need to do because you won’t want to stop reading until you’ve finished it all!! Trust me on this! (and it’s pretty long, ha!) The book starts off with an intriguing beginning setting up the stage of Forrest Beverly’s extraordinary life and just keeps going from there. We get to know him through his first-person narration, and get to know the other characters in his life as well. They are so well-developed and fully fleshed out you feel like you know him and them personally. I think what I liked the most about this book was just the overall feel the author managed to create where it felt intimate, like a close friend was telling me this really awesome, sad, inspiring story that I didn’t want to stop listening to. There are some surprising twists and some parts that really catch you off guard – some shocking and some sad… but that just made this true book even more heart wrenching and inspirational. Recommend. (4 stars) Steph Coleman—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
6.This book, “The Transformation of a Lost Soul” by Forrest J. Beverly seems to have something of everything… seriously. Historical drama (pre-civil rights era), personal and family struggles, romance, music, work issues (DEA drama), humor, sadness, and a spiritual awakening that is both profound and inspiring… I was impressed by the seamless narrative transitions, and while I’m not usually a fan of dense ‘telling’ narrative prose with little dialogue for stretches, it didn’t bother me here much as I enjoyed Mr. Beverly’s skillful word-play and the way he did a great job of always progressing the storyline in an engaging manner. Always found myself reading for longer than I planned to, as there was never a good place to just “stop”. This is good too. This book will have wide ranging appeal, and I can see fans of literary drama and nonfiction bio/memoirs gobbling it up. (5 stars) Tabitha Parks—Goodreads; Barnes & Noble; Indie Book Reviewers
#IfTrumpWereBlack Exposes the Biases Regarding Donald Trump and His Scandals We all know that if Trump were a black man, he wouldn’t even be an option for conservatives, and mainstream media would be having a field day ripping him to pieces.
By Yesha Callahan
Quote -
-----5 kids by 3 different mothers & an admitted history of adultery would NOT have Evangelicals praising his "family values". - Only4RM (Twitter)
-----@Only4RM four bankruptcies and a history of not paying his taxes would not be described as "financial genius" #IfTrumpWereBlack
What a Nigerian-American's struggle at the lunch table tells us about diversity.
By Boyede Sobitan
“When you are in this house, you are in Nigeria; when you are outside of these doors, you are in the USA.”
This was a common refrain from my dad. He and my mom immigrated to the U.S. from Lagos in the '80s to finish university. I was the first in my family to be born in the U.S. — but I lived in an alternate Nigerian-American reality. As a child of Nigerian immigrants growing up in Chicago, code-switching was an art form.
It was particularly tough when it came to school. In a Nigerian household, education is everything. Religion and education are the panacea for all problems. There was no challenge that a Holy book, or a math book, couldn’t solve. School in Nigeria isn’t about making friends or varsity sports or prom queens. It is about putting your head down and studying. The overarching theme is: Work now, play later. By labor comes wealth.
Museum of Historical Chamber Pots and Toilets
Dedicated to the unsung history of human waste. There is a small museum in Prague, not far from the Vltava River, that is truly a celebration of “form follows function.” In its collection of historical chamber pots and toilets there is a wide array of forms, all for one bodily function (or maybe two).
Thank God, I'm way pass the point of needing these, but for those who still have monthly visits from Aunt Flo, these specially formulated panties may be just the thing.
Black Friday’s Inside Secret: Same Deals Every Year Circulars from retailers like Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart repeat products, prices from holidays past By SUZANNE KAPNER
Shoppers who missed out on $97 Beats headphones, a $99 Nikon camera and other Black Friday deals last year needn’t worry. Chances are those same items will be on sale again this year—for the same price.
An interesting article on black cowboys, then and now.
From The Undefeated -
Fred Whitfield and the Black Cowboys of Rodeo The champion calf-roper is a legend and an outlier BY PAUL WACHTER The cowboy is an iconic American figure and in popular mythology almost always a white one. For every Django or Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman’s character in Unforgiven) there are hundreds of white gunslingers. But of the “estimated thirty-five thousand cowboys that worked the ranches and rode the trails between 1866 and 1895, researchers have calculated that the number of black cowboys ranged from five thousand to nine thousand, with the high number representing 25 percent,” wrote Tricia Martineau Wagner, an author of several books about the West, in Black Cowboys of the Old West. http://theundefeated.com/features/fred-whitfield-and-the-black-cowboys-of-rodeo/
