Hustle & Flow

Theatrical Release Date: 07/13/2005 Remind Me Starring: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, Taraji Henson, more credits Directed By: Craig Brewer Released By: MTV Films Run Time: 115 min. Genre: Drama, Coming Soon Rating: R

Terrence Howard, who has stolen scenes in more than 30 movies including 'Ray' and 'Lackawanna Blues,' gets his breakout starring role in 'Hustle and Flow.' Howard plays DJay, a hardworking hustler (that's pimp to you) who spends most days in his parked Chevy philosophizing about life. DJay harbors dreams of recording his flow and becoming a respected rapper, while he and his girls, including runaway Nola (Taryn Manning), make just enough to get by. When a pot client and club owner (Isaac Hayes) tells DJay that local rapper-turned-mogul Skinny Black (Ludacris), is rolling through town for July 4th, DJay sees an opportunity to fulfill his dream and change his life for the better.

Radio Personality and Author Delores Thornton

by Yolanda M. Johnson

I had the pleasure of interviewing Delores Thornton, owner of Marguerite Press and host of Arount2It, which airs on Artist First and The Book Nook. In addition to being a radio host, Delores is an author. Ida Mae, Anybody Seen Junebug, Babe and most recently Divine Appointment: A Caregiver's Guide are amongst her list of accomplished and published works. Delores is currently working on a self help book called "How To Self Publish That Great Novel Without Going Nuts!". It is due out this month. As if that did not keep her busy, she also has a new novel titled "Airing Dirty Linen" that is set to be released sometime in November. Due to time, space and the limited use of Constant Contact this interview has been condensed.

YMJ: Hello Delores. How are you? DT: Good and you? YMJ: I'm good, thank you for talking to me today. You have two radio shows right? DT: Yes. Around2It and The Book Nook. YMJ: They air on Artist First right? DT: Right. YMJ: When did you first start writing? DT: I first started writing in 1995, and actually some friends convinced me to publish my work. In 1999, I enrolled in the LongRidge Writers Group, to hone my writing skills. YMJ: Did you self publish your titles? DT: Yes I did. I formed my company, Marguerite Press in 1996. YMJ: What are your views on self publishing as opposed to traditional publishing? DT: I like the control that I have with self-publishing. I can choose my own cover and everything else involved. My name is going out there, so I want the best product possible and I want it the way that I want it. YMJ: Are you working on anything right now? DT: I'm working on my next novel, "Airing Dirty Linen" which should be out in November, and my self-help book "How To Self-Publish That Great Novel Without Going Nuts!".

YMJ: Do you mind me asking about your education and background that led you to this type of business? DT: You know I don't really have a lot of background in this venue. It was something that I had not really thought about. I worked for 23 years before going into business for myself, in 1996. I retired from the United States Postal Service after 30 years (in 2003). YMJ: Thirty years? You don't sound like you're retired, let alone retired after 30 years of service. So I won't even put you on the spot and ask your age. DT: I feel old as dirt. YMJ: In all the interviews you have done, which would you say was the one you enjoyed the most? DT: (lol) I'd have to say Heather Covington of Disigold, was one of the most enjoyable. I like to interview people that are actively involved in the interview and have something to say. Heather makes an interview interesting and you both are talking and I'm not just asking questions that get a short response. Also, Charlotte Clark-Frieson, Frances Ray and Kevin Wayne Johnson. YMJ: Now who is Kevin Wayne Johnson? DT: Kevin Wayne Johnson is the author of the "Give God The Glory" series. YMJ: Who is the one person that you would like to interview that you have not interviewed yet? DT: I'd say Zane. Because she has been so successful, first as a self-publisher, then as a mainstream author. I've met her and she's so personable and I'm sure people would pick up on that, and also glean from her business savvy. YMJ: What is one book that you have in your collection that you think everyone should have in theirs? DT: Zora Neal Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God". YMJ: Did you see the movie? DT: Yes I did and I was kind of let down. The movie did not do the book any justice.

YMJ: What is one book in your collection that you can't even give away. DT: Silence. YMJ: Lol. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that. You don't even have to answer that question.

I enjoyed the rest of the interview with Delores Thornton and she had lots to say and taught me a lot of things that I was surprised that I did not know about the industry.

In addition to writing and hosting radio, Delores does volunteer work as mentor for the Marion County Probation Department. Delores is also the Co-founder/Executive Director, of Indianapolis Book Fest, Incorporated. Look for Delores soon on PowerTalk FM. Delores still finds time to give seminars and workshops.

Delores offers promo opportunities as she spotlights up and coming authors at http://www.margueritepresspromo.com/index.html. Delores is also sponsoring the Around2It Essay Contest. For more information visit www.deloresthornton.com and www.margueritepress.com.

YMJ: Thank you Delores for granting this interview. Any last words? DT: Yolanda, first, I'd like to thank you for this opportunity. And, I'd like you and your readers to note that I will be filling orders for, How To Self-Publish That Great Novel: Without Going Nuts!, starting next week. God is so Good!

Options Trading

What are options? The basics

An option is simply a contract that represents the right to buy or sell an underlying security at a specified price until a certain date. Options fall into a category of investments called derivatives because they are derived from an underlying product. You can trade options on a variety of products, including stocks, indices and foreign currencies. Although the concepts remain similar from product to product, for simplicity we will focus on stock options.

All standardized, listed options (that is, options traded on exchanges) are issued by the Options Clearing Corp. (OCC) and traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), American Stock Exchange (AMEX), Pacific Exchange (PCX), the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) and the International Securities Exchange (ISE). You can buy or sell standardized options through your broker.

There are two types of options; put options and call options. Here, we'll look at buying call options, or calls-one of the most widely used option strategies. We'll cover the basics of buying calls, examine the investment objectives of this strategy and review the potential risks and rewards.

How do call options work?

Generally, one call contract represents the right to buy 100 shares of the underlying stock at a specified price-the strike price-until a certain date-the expiration date. Options expire on the Saturday following the third Friday of a particular month. However, because options exchanges and brokerage firms are closed on Saturdays, the third Friday of the month is the last day of trading.

By the time your options expire, you will likely do one of three things: 1. Exercise your options and purchase the underlying shares of stock. 2. Close out your position by selling your options according to what the market will pay (see below). 3. Let your options expire worthless.

An example of buying calls Let's look at a hypothetical example (for the sake of simplicity, we'll exclude commissions charged for buying, selling or exercising options). Assume you are buying calls. You might ask your broker to buy 10 XYZ Mar 25 calls at $4 Let's break down what this means. Buy 10 XYZ Mar 25 Calls at $4 This means you want to buy 10contracts of stock symbol XYZ March 25 Calls.

Buy 10 XYZ Mar 25 Calls at $4 Listed options are quoted on a per-contract basis. Since most options contracts represent 100 shares of stock, Calls at $4 means $400 per contract. In this example, you wish to buy 10 contracts representing 1,000 shares of stock, so the cost of this investment is $4,000 (10 contracts x 100 shares of stock x $4) Buy 10 XYZ Mar 25 Calls at $4 March is the month your option contracts expire. Specifically, the options will cease to exist after the third Friday in March. Buy 10 XYZ Mar 25 Calls at $4 The strike price you have chosen is $25 (Check with your broker to find out what strike prices are available.)

In summary, opening this position gives you the right to buy 1,000 shares of XYZ stock at $25 through the third Friday in March. You can exercise these options, sell to close or let them expire.

For more information on trading option calls and puts, or other investment tools, click the link below.

What You Need To Know About Diabetes

by Yolanda M. Johnson

I've always been small in stature and pretty much healthy. I could eat anything I wanted and not worry about its affects. My metabolism was high; no worries right? Wrong. Out of no where, I began to gain weight. No amount of working out or watching what I ate at that point made a difference. Then my doctor introduced me to a term that I never "noticed" before. The term was "STRESS". Notice that I said notice. Although I had heard about stress, it was not something ANYone in my family talked about, therefore I thought stress was a white man's disease that resulted from some evil deed they had done and now their conscious was eating at them. (I know, I watched way too much television back then).

In my struggle, I continued to work out, and tried watching what I ate, but nothing worked and the weight continued to pile on. It was not until I separated from my now exhusband that I really paid attention to this thing they caused stress. My diagnosis from my doctor was, "Get rid of some of the stress, becuase if you don't several things could happen. #1, you could die. You cold also develop heart disease and if you have a family history of certain disease, you can trigger an early onset of one of these ailments." Like I was supposed to know what that meant. Besides, I was fine as wine, with a body like a Goddess and I went to my gynocologist once a year. That was all I needed right?

Wrong. I had my first heart attack in 2000 upon learning my mother had cancer and had been diagnosed to live for 11 months. During her short bout with cancer, she developed diabetes. You would have thought that even then I would have taken heed. Besides, my grandmother, grandfather and a few other releatives had diabetes. My mother died 11 months later. After that I was more aware of things like my migranes which I got often, for my mother died of brain cancer that was discovered after she complained of a migrane.

Still, I gave no thought to diabetes. It was not until September of 2004, that I was sitting at my desk at work, drinking my favorite Sonic Route 44 Strawberry Fruit Slush, like I had done nearly every day at this time, and I fell out. Yes, I fainted. Just the week prior to that, my company sponsored a health fair that I participated in, however I had not gotten my results yet.

Still my ignorance got the best of me, and I blamed my spell on "stress". A few days later, I got my results in the mail and it was then that I found out that I had diabetes. I made an appointment with my physician and went. With yet another strawberry fruit slush in had, I greeted my doctor who instantly told me, if you keep drinking that you are going to kill yourself. I was puzzled until he explained to me that I had diabetes. Type 2 diabetes to be precise. Suddenly the thought of shooting insulin down my veins on a regular basis with a needle sent me into instant denial. He took more blood test at my request, even though he knew the truth. I finally came to grips with the fact that I have diabetes. After begging my doctor not to make me use a needle, he prescribed me 1000 mg of Metphormin per day and altered my diet. Needless to say, as the months went by, 1000mg was not enough. Currently I am on 2000 mg of Metaphormin a day and dreading that day when my doctor tells me I have to switch to insulin. In February 2005, I had my second heart attack. I joined Weight Watchers and with a combination of the Weight Watchers and exercise I have decreased my weight by a total of 25 pounds.

I want to strongly urge, actually beg everyone to get checked for diabetes. Research your family's health history. Prevent and not maintain this disease. I ocassionally lose feeling in my limbs due to poor circulation. My doctor's diagnosis: If it doesn't subside, amputation is inevidable.

Below I've added a few facts about diabetes, in the hopes that it will help someone else become more aware and throw ignorance aside. After all, it seems as if the African American life span is decreasing; we don't need another enabler.

Diabetes develops because the body can't make or properly use a natural hormone called insulin. Insulin is made in your pancreas and it helps your body's cells take in sugars from your bloodstream. Diabetes is diagnosed when a blood sugar called glucose builds up in your blood. High levels of sugar can make you feel tired, damage your organs and increase your risk of heart disease.

The three most common forms of diabetes are: Type 1 - This often affects children, but adults can develop it, too. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin or they may go into comas, and perhaps die. Type 2 - This type is rising fast in the U.S. and accounts for 90% to 95% of diabetes cases. With this form of diabetes, your body probably still makes insulin, but cells can't use it well. This is called insulin resistance. Gastational diabetes - this form occurs in some pregnant women and can cause complications during labor and delivery. Diabetes that develops in later trimesters usually goes away after the pregnancy ends. However, women who get gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Insulin resistance happens when cells in your muscle, fat and liver can't use insuin well. As sa result, the cells can't absorb enough sugar from your blood. As sugar bilds up in your blood, you may eventually develop diabetes. Mot people with insulin resistance have no symptoms. But this silent condition raises your risk of getting diabetes and heart disease. Some common risk factors that may apply to you are diabetes or heart disease runs in your family; you are overweight and your body mass index is over 25kg; your waist measures over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women and you have had gestational diabetes.

Family history and excess weight are the main risk factors of this condition. Too much fat harms your body's ability to use insulin. MOst overweight people can help their cells use insulin just by losing 5%-10% of their weight. Physical activity also helps the body use insulin.

About 13 million Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and nearly 5.2 millin more have it and don't it. Stats by race are 8.4% Caucasian, 8.2% Hispanics, 11.4% African Americans and 14.9% Amrican Indians and Alaska Natives. Native Hawaiins, Japanese, and Filipino residents of Hawaii are twice as likely to have diabetes as Caucasians.

For more information on diabetes, see your physician or you can research it online at sites like Webmd.com, realage.com or google it!

Mystery/Thriller author John A. Wooden

by Yolanda M. Johnson

YMJ: Please tell us a little about yourself. JW: My name is John A. Wooden. I laugh when I get this question, because I am so many things to so many people. I love telling folks I am a father, son, brother, ex-military officer, technical editor, team leader, author and storyteller, and finally, a child of God! (catching my breath)

YMJ: Tell us about your current literary work. JW: I have published two books. My first, A Collection of Thoughts, was released in April 2003, and A Moment of Justice, A Lifetime of Vengeance, released in April of this year. A Collection of Thoughts was my introduction into the literary world. It was a collection of what I called life experience chapters and nonfiction short stories/novellas. It was well received and did fairly well for the amount of time I put into it. I was still in the Air Force at the time and really couldn't dedicate the time required to make it a complete success

A Moment of Justice, A Lifetime of Vengeance is my suspense thriller. I wanted to capture something different and thought-provoking. This is a story that starts with a lynching of a Black man in 1974 Alabama and transitions to 2004, where an Alabama senator/Presidential hopeful is found dead in a DC area hotel with his throat cut and a picture of fifteen white teenagers and a lynched Black man. Oh yea, nine of the fifteen teenagers faces are "x" out in the senator's blood and his name is also signed in his own blood. From there, the fun starts as my main character, FBI Special Agent Kenny "KC" Carson and his team must try to find the remaining racists, who years ago would have killed him for one reason;the color of his skin!

I love the attention the book is getting, especially since the Edgar Ray Killen verdict (Mississippi Burning trial) and the reopening of the Emmett Till case. A lot of parallels. So I am riding the waves and hoping something good comes out of it. But I love the fact everyone loves the book. I am already working on the next "KC" novel. Hopefully it will be released by the beginning of the year or on my birthday in February.

YMJ: What was the purpose of this literary work? JW: I thought this was a story that needed to be told. I bring up several points in my book about life in general and thus far, readers have been able to latch on to my points. This book is more about justice, than revenge. It's more about the characters who make the story, than a lynching. It's more about the life and world we live in, than the death and destruction of the lives we live.

YMJ: Are any of your writings based on truth? JW: Truth in the sense that lynchings occurred, which we all know. Truth in the sense that the American government should have done something years ago about the numerous photographs floating around of people taking pictures with lynched African-Americans. But no! To my knowledge, no one has ever sought vengeance against those who lynched Black men years ago.

YMJ: What genre do you consider your work to be? JW: Mystery and suspense.

YMJ: Tell us about other literary works and non-literary projects that you are working on. JW: I have been asked by a couple of filmmakers to write a Movie Treatment for my book, A Moment of Justice, A Lifetime of Vengeance. I am also writing another Kenny "KC" Carson book, my main character in A Moment of Justice, A Lifetime of Vengeance, tentatively called An Eye for A Deadly Eye, and I have started on another suspense thriller with a female lead, tentatively called Sasha McCoy, Freelancer.

YMJ: What is some of the feedback that you've gotten on your work? JW: Yolanda, the feedback from A Moment of Justice is outstanding, extraordinary. I have yet to meet or hear from anyone who did not enjoy the book. Everything I have received is positive. Hearing that your literary work is a page-turner or can't put it down or very intriguing is something special. I especially like it when someone compares my work to a published author and say they like my work better. But the one that's a killer is when someone tells me they can't believe I am not published by a major publishing house. I know it is meant as a compliment, but it also signifies that I need to get on my J-O-B and make something happen.

YMJ: What are your views on literary practices in the world today? What would you change? JW: I think the advent of modern technology makes it easier to publish today, especially when you look at the world of PODs and self-publishing. I think it is a good thing and open doors for many of us to make it big with a major publishing house. Unfortunately, with so many avenues to get published, I think it is also easy to lose hard earned money when publishing with the wrong POD publisher. I'm against too many "watchdogs" overseeing the publishing industry, but I think my only change would be regulating the companies that are truly out to rip off potential authors. You hear about a different story every week.

YMJ: What have been the ups and downs of writing? JW: Biggest down, by far, is getting the book to a wider audience. I want my book to be read from California to New York and everywhere in between. I have confidence that if someone picks it up and starts reading, they will like it. It's a story that needed to be told and consequently, needs to be read. The biggest up is when someone reads my work and likes it. I think it's a special thing when you can touch someone with your work.

YMJ: How can readers get in contact with you? JW: Via my website: www.jwooden.com, e-mail: jwooden61@yahoo.com / jwooden61@gmail.com or through my Publicist, S. Redic Publicity (Sherita Redic-Nunn).

To read this interview in its entirety please go to: http://www.literarywonders.com/featured_authors.htm

Watch Out For Ceecee Michaela!

Learn more About Cee Cee Michaela, GodzGirl Network and the HolyWood 2005 Retreat.

GodzGirl Network is an Atlanta non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Our mission is to educate & empower young ladies. It serves as an outlet to open the lines of communication so that they will begin to express their concerns and feelings. The organization is faith-based & advocates abstinence from pre-marital sex, drugs, and alcohol. We here at GodzGirl Network promote a lifestyle of sexual purity and it is our hope that each girl, through the gaining of knowledge and the invitation to express themselves, be empowered to make wise decisions and live long, healthy, wholesome lives.

Also pick up Cee Cee''s CD "Everybody's Talkin'". To purchase go to http://www.ceeceemichaela.com/store.asp

To read an exclusive interview with Cee Cee, visit www.literarywonders.com/ceeceemichaela.htm

. . . . . And We Have Lost Yet Another One

by Yolanda M. Johnson

Legendary R&B artist Luther Vandross died July 1, 2005. He was 54 years young. Luther was best known for his silky smooth voice that crooned soulful ballads like "Here and Now", "Endless Love" and the most recent "Dance With My Father". Many were saddened by the passing of the R&B Legend. Afterall, many of them were conceived during one of his ballads, or they had a lot of fun trying. The true cause of death is unknown, some will only say that Luther never recovered from a stroke that he had in 2003.

Yes, we have lost another one. A great and inspiring African American. To Luther I say, Rest In Peace. God has His own reasons for taking you, ones that are beyond our understanding. You will truly be missed, and in your infamous words, "Never Too Much".

I would also like to take this time to say goodbye to Ronald Winans who died June 23, 2005. He died of heart complications. Ronald Winans was a member of the grammy winning gospel group the Winans. Ronald Winans was 48 years young. The Winans "It's Time" and "Tomorrow" gave hope to the young and old alike. Rest In Peace. God is with you.

And last but definately not least, Rest In Peace to Obie Benson of the infamous Four Tops. Obie Benson was 69 years young. The Four Tops were known for hits like "I Can't Help Myself", "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got" and "Ask The Lonely". Obie died of lung cancer. May you find peace in the gates of God.

Embrace life

When life comes at you, run out and embrace it. The more enthusiastically and completely you embrace life, the better it will be. Embrace the beauty, the joy, the wonder and the abundance of life. At the same time, embrace the challenges, the setbacks, the disappointments and the difficulties. For by embracing life fully, you put yourself in a position to make a positive difference. By welcoming the ups and the downs, you're able to move forward from an effective and realistic perspective. Certainly life has very real tragedies, yet often what seem to be disappointments are disappointments only because you imagine them to be. When you stop fighting them and start embracing them as part of life's flow, you'll find many of them not to be disappointments at all. Whatever life sends your way at any given moment is what you have to work with. So embrace it and then set about to make the most of it. Embrace life, and all the many paths it takes. Embrace life, and those paths will lead where you truly want to go. -- Ralph Marston

Proverbs 15:13-14

13 A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. 14 The mind of him who has understanding, seeks knowledge, inquires after and craves it, but the mouths of (self-confident) fools feed on folly.