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The Break – Love for Father Figures

In this episode KC, Chris, KJ and Lady J discuss giving love to fathers and father figures, belief vs truth, bashing and judging, breastfeeding, and shopping for husbands.

Check out the Welcome 2 The Village podcast here.

Twitter: @W2theVillage

Please leave your comments and feedback below, or you can contact us via:

Twitter: @BLACKISONLINE

Facebook: Black Is Magazine

Email: kc@blackisonline.com

Hotline: (323) 455-4219

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Culture Connection: ‘Tis the Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and Brother Malcolm’s favorite holiday is in our midst: Christmas! Listen in to his ideas and suggestions for having a merry holiday season, including activities to engage in and places to visit. Don’t miss his holiday party tips!

For comments or questions about this episode, call the hotline at (323) 455-4219!

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Holiday Shopping? Support Black Businesses

There’s no better time than the holidays to support Black businesses. With so many our small business owners having to close their doors this year, it’s imperative that we stay committed to those who have had the good fortune to remain with us. If you aren’t sure where to find these business, we’ve helped you out with a selection of LA-based and/or online, Black-owned businesses to support this holiday season:

  • Before you go to Borders or Barnes & Noble, give the gift of reading through EsoWon Books. EsoWon has been a staple in Black LA for years and we want to keep them going. They have a great selection of fiction, non-fiction, audio books, special interest books (for your picky recipients) and coffee table books.
  • Instead of gifting a generic piece of art or home furnishings from Pier One or Bed Bath and Beyond, send a gift from Sable Images or Gold Coast Africa. Sable Images is a purveyor of Black memorabilia and antiques. Everything from Aunt Jemima kitchenware to original classic black film posters, Sable Images is the housing place for decorative pieces of our history. Gold Coast Africa is a warehouse of minority vendors who create unique gifts and furnishings for the home. You can find everything here, including kitchenware, furniture, lighting, bed and bathroom accessories, and artwork. They also have an amazing 2011 Black calendar selection.
  • Before you buy that Macy’s or Nordstrom’s gift card, check out Nobody Jones and Philthy Ragz Boutiques. Nobody Jones, located on 48th and Crenshaw is the baby of Odessa Bowden, and houses the latest in today’s trends, all designed and created by Odessa herself. You can find anything in here, including a great selection of casual and evening wear, handbags, and unique accessories. Philthy Ragz, located on Centinela just off of La Cienega in Inglewood also houses great fashion deals for women, including a decent selection of shoes and handbags.
  • Don’t even step a foot into Tiffany or Kay Jewelers this year. Get that special trinket from Jendayi Collection or Sika. Jendayi is a family owned and operated business that handcrafts jewelry in gold, silver and platinum with any precious stones of your choice. They have a one-of-a-kind selection of wedding and anniversary jewelry, all of which can be customized. Check out their line of Adinkra symbol jewelry – these one-of-a-kind pieces you cannot find anywhere else. Also, trade your own gold in for new pieces! Sika is a master jeweler located in Leimert Park and the creator of magnificent, handmade pieces. You won’t find jewelry like Sika’s anywhere else in the city.
  • Pass up Bath and Body Works this year and make your way into Carol’s Daughter. With it’s growth over the last two years, we can no longer say Carol’s Daughter products aren’t easily accessible. You can find Carol’s Daughter bath and beauty products everywhere including Sephora, Macy’s and don’t forget the flagship store in the Westfield Culver City Shopping Center (formerly Fox Hills Mall). Take advantage of their stocking stuffers and 30-40% off of holiday gifts!
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Holiday Driving Tips

On your mark, credit cards set and go…to the nearest mall, because it is holiday shopping time. That’s right; soon millions of consumers will be flooding the malls in search of the perfect gifts for everyone on their shopping list. But before you hop in your car and drive to the nearest mall, you may want to check out our Holiday Shopping Car Safety Tips – it just might make the difference between a happy holiday season and a disastrous one.

Holiday Mall Parking Lot
Many things can happen to your vehicle in a mall parking lot while you are inside happily holiday shopping away. For instance, your car can get damaged by opening doors, rolling shopping carts or testy drivers trying to fit into tight parking spots. While this may seem like the price your car has to pay for trying to go to the mall during the holidays – it doesn’t have to be. There are many things you can do to help keep you and your car safe while at the mall this holiday season.

Popular Shopping Malls
After work and weekends are the most popular times for people to go holiday shopping. With that being said, consider shopping during the day or before noon on weekends. This will not only help you avoid over crowded mall parking lots, it will also help you to get in and out of stores quickly!

In addition, avoid going to popular malls in your area during peak shopping hours. This will help reduce the amount of cars and people you have to dodge and help keep your car safe from potential theft and damage.

Stay Safe During The Holiday Season
No matter when or where you go holiday shopping, safety should always be your first priority – especially when it comes to your car. That’s because mall and shopping center parking lots are prime targets for car theft, car vandalism and robberies.

To help prevent this from happening to you, ComparisonMarket has provided some helpful Holiday Shopping Safety Tips to keep you and your car safe and secure during the holiday season.

Always park in a spot where there is plenty of light and if possible, park close to your destination.

  • Avoid parking next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.
  • Close all windows and lock all doors.
  • Take note of where you parked your car and what store entrance it is closest to.
  • Shop with a friend or family member – having a friend walk to and from the parking lot with you will help keep you both safe and sound.
  • Place your packages in your trunk or under your seat where no one can see them.
  • Condense your packages into one or two bags to create the illusion that you did not purchase so many valuable (and theft-worthy) items.
  • If you run out to your car to drop off packages while shopping, make sure to move your car to a new location before heading back into the mall. This will help lead anyone that is watching you to believe that you and your packages have headed home for the night.
  • Leave your most expensive purchases until the end of the day when you can quickly hop in your car and go directly home.
  • Request for a security guard to escort to your car.
  • When walking to your car have your head up and your keys ready, the last thing you want to do is appear vulnerable to criminals. In addition, make sure to look under and in front of your car to make sure that no one is waiting to attack you.
  • Do not approach your car alone if there are suspicious people in the area.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. Often thieves will disguise themselves as normal shoppers who accidentally bump into you stealing your purse, wallet, packages, car keys or even worse, attacking you.
  • When entering your car, make sure to check your front seat and back seat for anyone that could potentially be hiding in the car.
  • Get into the car, lock the doors and exit the area immediately. Criminals prey on shoppers who sit in their cars to make phone calls or review their purchases for the day. Don’t leave yourself susceptible to such a risk.

What Your Auto Insurance Coverage Won’t Cover
Through the course of a shopping day, many people will take packages to and from their car to lessen the load while they are walking through the mall. Even though this may seem like a great idea at the time, it is not if the gifts are stolen from your car. That’s because many auto insurance company will not cover holiday packages stolen from a policy holder’s car – even if they were securely stored in your trunk. However, if you paid for your gifts with a credit card you might be in luck! Some credit card companies will cover stolen purchases if they were paid for with their credit card, but if you paid with cash or check, you are out of luck.

Regardless of how you paid for your gifts, you should always file a police report to help alert police of the incident and to potentially prevent this crime from happening to someone else.