The Washington, D.C. area expects to receive as many as 5 million visitors for the inaugural events between Jan. 18 and Jan. 21. There are reportedly more than 14,000 homeless people in the Washington metropolitan area. So when droves of Obama maniacs rush D.C., what will happen to all the homeless people?

Sweet potato fries in the oven. Good wine in the sangria. Ben Harper and Charlie Parker on the iPod. Bryant Terry returns with a sumptuous meal to get you through the holidays.

For my two young daughters, I'm on the search for authentic black dolls this Christmas. And not just any black dolls, but ones that look like real black girls and women. They, too, are beautiful enough to be center stage even amid an aesthetic that normalizes straight-haired, milky-skinned whiteness as the default and ideal.

Okay, so you haven't granted The Root an interview yet, but we're willing yo wait our turn if you sit down with Damon Weaver. You've done Meet the Press and 60 Minutes. Enough with the big wigs. Time to cut a cub reporter a break.

808s and Heartbreak is the artistic culmination of a year of tumult in West's life: the tragic death of his mother and his breakup with fiancé Alexis Phifer. The use of Auto-tune was critical to the grieving process.

Femi Kuti—the eldest son of the late Afrobeat progenitor Fela Anikulapo Kuti—works very hard to make a name for himself, and in "Day to Day," Femi's newest disc, the 46-year-old artist succeeds in doing just that.

Tipping service workers is not only expected but is so much a part of the holiday tradition that it provokes its own level of anxiety about how to do it right. There are plenty of folks to thank: your nanny, hairstylist and building manager. So here's a little guidance on tips and tokens for the people who make your life easier.

Santa might be a little strapped for cash this year, but if your kids are anything like mine, they won't be trying to hear that on Christmas morning. Don't give up just yet—with this handy gift guide, you can put smiles on the faces of the important little ones in your life, without emptying Santa's pockets in the process. 

Here are some healthful new products to fit everyone on your gift list.

Books are fool-proof gifts. There really is a book for everyone and especially for the person who has everything. To get you started, here are some ideas for adults, young people and children.