-
Smacking Children Not Your Own
Maybe Roger Stephens was having a bad day. Maybe it was a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder flashback from his own days as a parent. Whatever it was, when he heard 2 year-old Paige Matthews wailing in a Wal Mart near his Stone Mountain, Ga home, he stepped up to the toddler’s mother and told her…
-
Phoning It In
I’ve spent more time than I would have liked in doctors’ offices recently, and have been interested to note that virtually every single one has a sign that says, essentially, “please don’t use your phone in here.” Mostly the people I’ve seen have complied; they spend a lot of time playing with their smart phones,…
-
Dressing For Sober Occasions
We’ve watched two high-profile ceremonies this summer—Michael Jackson’s in Los Angeles and Ted Kennedy’s in Boston, and beyond the sadness of the occasion the thing that struck me about both was how dignified the families looked in their sorrow. Sober, elegant clothes that hit exactly the right note. The Jacksons were, if rumor is correct,…
-
Celebriquette, The Presidential Edition
Although it’s more likely than not that they’ll stay on the secured grounds of their rented estate, it’s not impossible that if you’re on Martha’s Vineyard at the same time that you could bump into the first family. Maybe Mrs. O will be taking the girls to Mad Martha’s for an afternoon ice cream. The president might…
-
Who You Callin' Ghetto?!
OK, I will admit it: I didn’t much care for or about the Real Housewives franchise until Bravo decided to take it to Atlanta. I sat down to watch them last season and, to my husband’s horror, I found it riveting, for all kinds of reasons. (Who lives with that kind of excess? Why buy a…
-
An Expensive Evening Out
Dear Come Correct: My boyfriend and I often see a few other couples socially for things where we go together and split the tab. We’ve done dinner and a movie night, a weekend at the beach, a tasting at a winery. Every time we’ve done this, we’ve split the tab four ways—each couple pays 25%—and…
-
Vacation Misers
Dear Come Correct: Our business has definitely been affected by the recession. Some people were laid off. To prevent even more from being fired, we have had no raises this year, the annual company picnic was cancelled and so were paid holidays. If you want to take Thanksgiving off this year, you’ll have to use…
-
Don't Ask, and For Sure Don't Tell
Sometimes it’s rudeness, sometimes it’s a cultural misunderstanding. Whatever. There are questions you shouldn’t be asked that you probably will be anyway. Herewith some answers that could be helpful: Q: How much do you make? How much did your car/house/necklace cost? Y: My mother raised me not to talk about money outside the immediate family.…
-
A Little Too Personal
A good friend of mine called recently to check in and catch up. We hadn’t talked for awhile. “I’ve been out,” she said carefully. “But you’re back now. That’s good. Are you okay?” “Getting there. I’ll fill you in later. I’m in the office and there a lot of nosy people in here, let me…
-
Style, Grace and Free Enterprise: Remembering Naomi Sims
She did not throw telephones or tantrums. She did not sulk in the backs of limousines, refusing to meet her public. She was never rude or snobbish. She was the personification of approachable elegance. She always remembered that somewhere, some little black girl was gazing at her in open-mouthed admiration, and she acted accordingly. Naomi…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
