How To Write A Eulogy

An excerpt from the Mirror - 

How to write a eulogy for a funeral - where to start and what should you include

A eulogy at a funeral for a loved-one is like a best man's speech except everyone is crying, it's no wonder some people find the prospect of delivering one daunting

By Emily Sleight 

A eulogy is often a key part of a funeral, you will have a chance to talk about your loved one’s life and what they meant to you, they can be very emotional.

It is often regarded as an honour to be asked to give a eulogy, as it means you played a big part in the life of the deceased.

If you've been tasked with putting together a eulogy you might be feeling pretty anxious about it, but thankfully there is no real right or wrong in what you say.

You just need to think about your audience, and establish a basic structure so you’re feeling prepared and confident.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-write-eulogy-funeral-start-24524052

From Reffing to Fighting For His Life

An excerpt from the Undefeated - 

A year ago, Tony Brown was reffing his first NBA Finals. Now, he’s fighting for his life.

The veteran referee opens up about the pancreatic cancer diagnosis that changed his course

BY TONY BROWN, AS TOLD TO JERRY BEMBRY

Tony Brown worked Game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals
between the Heat and Lakers.
JESSE D. GARRABRANT/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

As I watch the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns play for an NBA championship, I can’t help but revisit this stage of the season a year ago.

It was Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat. LeBron James against Jimmy Butler. The NBA bubble.

It was also, in Game 4, the moment I reached the pinnacle of my professional career. After 19 years as an NBA referee, after over 1,000 regular-season and 35 playoff games, I stepped on the court to work my first Finals.

Most eyes at tipoff were, I’m sure, focused on the star players who are the driving force in this league. I’m sure back home in Atlanta the eyes of my wife and my three kids were focused on me as I finally got the opportunity to work the NBA’s premier event.

It was career validation: I was considered one of the best referees in the world. 

When this season began, my goal was to experience that exhilarating moment again.

But life threw me a curveball.

Pancreatic cancer. Stage 4.

Honestly, I don’t know what’s in store for me.  

But with the love of my wife, my kids, my NBA family and my friends in the trenches alongside me, I’m well armed for this battle for my life.

https://theundefeated.com/features/a-year-ago-tony-brown-was-reffing-his-first-nba-finals-now-hes-fighting-for-his-life/

Common Courtesies

From Buzzfeed - 

People Are Sharing The Unwritten Rules Of Life, And I Never Thought Of These

FOLLOW THESE!

by Ryan Schocket

On Tuesday, Reddit user u/0_7_0 asked, "What is one 'unwritten rule' that you believe everyone should know and follow?" People responded with a bunch of valuable tidbits we all should listen to.

1. "If I show you a picture on my phone, don't go swiping sideways."

—u/Soft-Problem

2. "If you borrow something, return it in the same condition."

—u/Ryastor

3. "Stand back before boarding a bus, subway, metro, or elevator so that those on can get off quickly without having to wait for you to back up first."

—u/Lightmareman

4. "Don't watch loud videos on your phone at a restaurant. Can't believe this isn't common courtesy anymore."

—u/penguinmanbat

5. "The last one to go to bed has to turn all the lights off."

—u/Rebeca2277

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/people-are-sharing-the-unwritten-rules-of-life-and-i-never

Woodturning - The Pencil Globe !!

Jamie Foxx Tributes Anita Baker By Singing Some Of Her Classics! | BET A...

i say a little prayer | aretha franklin | acoustic cover ft. arlissa | s...

If by Rudyard Kipling - Read by Sir Michael Caine

Nina Simone - Feeling Good (Official Video)

Discover Local Black-Owned Eats!

https://www.eatokra.com/

Another Brilliant Black Doctor Sounding the Alarm

An excerpt from Zenger - 

America’s First Black Female Transplant Surgeon Says Organ Donation Is Racially Lopsided

The number of organ donors in the black community is alarmingly low. Velma Scantlebury is working to change that.

By Vandita Agrawal 

Dr. Velma Scantlebury, who earned her Doctor of Surgery in 1989,
has performed over 2,000 transplants. (Courtesy of Velma Scantlebury)

The nation’s first black female transplant surgeon says that while donated organs are allocated equitably along racial lines in America, African-Americans continue to face unique disadvantages in the life-saving process she has worked in since 1989.

Velma Scantlebury told Zenger that the black community needs greater awareness about the need for more organ donors among nonwhite Americans. She points to the Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program, founded in 1991.

African-Americans have a more difficult time getting on kidney transplant lists, even though they are more likely to have end-stage renal disease. They trail whites in access to kidney transplants. Scantlebury said her black patients face inequality in health care, poor treatment by some doctors, lack of insurance, late referrals to specialists and a lack of health literacy.

“They are often diagnosed late, due to a lack of equity of health care. When referred to transplant, many have difficulty navigating the system to get the required tests. Hypertension and diabetes are more common in African-Americans, and despite this, many patients are neglected when it comes to getter their kidney function checked,” said Scantlebury, who has performed more than 2,000 transplants.

https://www.zenger.news/2021/07/05/nations-first-black-female-transplant-surgeon-advocates-for-better-care-for-african-americans/

First Black Female Chair of Surgery @ Albany Medical College

 

Albany Medical College appoints the first Black female chair of surgery at an academic health science center in the US: Dr. KMarie King Learn more: https://t.co/diQSAaBLYd @KmarieMD @amcollsurgeons @societyofBAS @womensurgeons pic.twitter.com/4hNtgDfGHT

— Albany Med (@AlbanyMed) July 6, 2021

https://www.blackenterprise.com/meet-the-first-black-female-chair-of-surgery-at-a-u-s-academic-health-science-center/

"Is Angela Working?"

An excerpt from The Mirror - 

Woman escapes date with 'violent' man with life-saving secret signal to club DJ

The woman asked the DJ at a Liverpool pub the question that alerted him to her situation. He knew exactly what she meant and helped her to leave with the aid of a security guard

By Tim Hanlon 

A distressed woman needing help to escape a potentially violent date used a private signal to the DJ at a Liverpool pub to get away.

She was saved by asking the DJ if Angela was working and, knowing immediately what she meant, he helped her out of the difficult situation.

At the city centre pub, the DJ responded by saying yes, Angela was working and told the nervous woman to get inside the booth with him.

He then called for help from security, and asked a guard the same question, which led to the woman being helped out of the back of the venue and into a taxi.

The man, who shared the episode on a Liverpool hospitality industry Facebook page, is now calling on other venues to train its staff to know what to do in these types of situations.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/woman-escapes-date-violent-man-24495152

Four Phrases to Use When Stopped by Cops

An excerpt from Good - 

The Four Magic Phrases to Use When You’re Stopped by the Cops

Everyone should know their rights.

By Brandon Weber

 Whether it's a traffic stop that turns into “We smell something in your car" or a “driving while black" situation, you have rights when you're pulled over, and it's for the best if you actually use them. So how does this work, anyway? Well, you have rights when you're pulled over. These have been established via case law, and ultimately, some stem from the Constitution itself. In order, here are the magic phrases, along with some graphics to help you remember.

1. “Am I free to go?"

In any situation involving the police, you can ask this question. Some people ask it slightly differently: “Am I being detained?"—which is a version of the same question. Basically, if they've got nothing on you, they have to let you go. If they answer no to that question, you are in fact not free to go. In that case, you are suspected of doing something, and it's their job to try to get you to admit to it or to say a bit too much and incriminate yourself.

https://www.good.is/articles/4-magic-phrases-cops

Football players give student clothes

High School Students Create Wheelchair Stroller for Teacher's Husband

One Smart Cookie - Historical Spelling Bee Winner = 14 Year Old Black Girl!

From HuffPost - 

Spelling Bee Champ Is A Speed-Reading Math Whiz Who Holds 3 World Records

Zaila Avant-garde, 14, also made history at this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee.

By Elyse Wanshel 

Zaila Avant-garde competes in the first round of the
Scripps National Spelling Bee finals in Orlando, Florida, on July 8.
JIM WATSON VIA GETTY IMAGES

This year’s spelling bee champ is F-A-S-C-I-N-A-T-I-N-G.

Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, made history Thursday when she became the first African American winner and the second Black champion in the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s 96-year history.

But that may not even be the most interesting thing about the teen.

Zaila, who dipped her toe into competitive spelling just two years ago, knows how to speed-read and discovered that she could divide five-digit numbers by two-digit numbers in her head, according to The New York Times.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spelling-bee-champ-speed-reading-math-whiz-3-world-records_n_60e856eee4b0b0220ededff8?ncid=NEWSSTAND0001

Dad interrogates daughter's first date via doorbell camera. - 1062899

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (Fingerstyle)

Stand By Me - Ben E. King (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spotify & Apple

He's A Chess National Master!

From the NY Times - 

Remember the Homeless Chess Champion? The Boy Is Now a Chess Master.

By Nicholas Kristof

Tanitoluwa Adewumi two years ago.
Credit...Christopher Lee for The New York Times

Once upon a time a 7-year-old refugee living in a homeless shelter sat down at a chess board in school and learned how to play. His school then agreed to his mom’s plea to waive fees for him to join the chess club.

The boy wasn’t any good at first. His initial chess rating was 105, barely above the lowest possible rating, 100.

But the boy, Tanitoluwa Adewumi — better known as Tani — enjoyed chess as an escape from the chaos of the homeless shelter, and his skills progressed in stunning fashion. After little more than a year, at age 8, he won the New York State chess championship for his age group, beating well-coached children from rich private schools.

I wrote a couple of columns about Tani at that time, and readers responded by donating more than $250,000 to a GoFundMe campaign for Tani’s family, along with a year of free housing. It was heartwarming to see Tani running around the family’s new apartment, but I wondered: Is this kid really that good?

It turns out he is. This month, as a fifth grader, Tani cruised through an in-person tournament in Connecticut open to advanced players of all ages and won every game. He emerged with a chess rating of 2223, making him a national master.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/08/opinion/sunday/homeless-chess-champion-tani-adewumi.html