Obama

Aaron & Cornell @ the Elphant & Castle in Illadelph.

Proof

Nathaniel asleep on the couch and Mick on the floor. It's true ... they made it to San Diego.

Got more wedding pics

We got our pics back! So far Fuquan has posted some on Facebook. We'll send a link to more later. Love you all

Nas Petitions Against Fox

http://www.blacknews.com/blackcelebritygossip/nas101.shtml
and guess who was there to deliver the petition with Nas (and others)?
One of our very own....

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

I finally finished reading this! I have been reading it on and off when I have time for the past year probably. It is really good. I haven't read much for pleasure in a long time and I really got into it before Spring Semester and then in the past couple of weeks. I think we can all relate to his story and so will find a personal connection in reading it. Hope you check it out.

The Kindergarchy - interesting article

Hi all,

A friend sent me this article regarding the current state of childrearing. The underlying message is that kids are being smothered, and we are producing (and have produced) armies of self-important brats who need constant reassurances and coddling. Parts of the article seemed right on; other parts made me sad: like when the author said he didn't hug his parents a lot.

Thoughts? http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/161yutrk.asp?pg=1

-- Sarah

Testing the (Warm, Blue) Waters

Hello Joseph Family,

For years now, we have toyed with the idea of escaping a typical Christmas and heading to a beautiful beachfront villa instead. Aaron, Natalia and I LOVE the idea, and would like to do it this year if at all possible. Yet, this is not cheap - we would all have to scrimp and save for a week in paradise. But, I think it could be worth it!

Here are some basics:

Dates: 12/26 or 1/2 (Friday to Friday) (HIGH SEASON Holiday dates, so villas are pricey. We could save by going 2 wks later or earlier, but these really are awesome dates)

Where: Recommendations include:

Key West
Costa Rica
Puerto Rico (Vieques Island gets top marks for beauty, nature and serenity - very rustic)
Tobago
Barbados
Bermuda
Towns South of Cancun

Villa Websites: We need to book soon, as the holidays fill up fast!

http://www.vrbo.com/; http://www.locogringo.com/; http://www.islandhideaways.com/
http://www.caribbeanway.com/ http://www.villascaribe.com/

What:

• At least 4 separate bedrooms (one with 2 beds) if we are all in. It should sleep at least 8 adults comfortably + Natalia Jane.



• Private Pool, beach access, a good kitchen and excellent grilling/BBQ space.



• This is not asking too much - many villas have this. Some also have maid service and cooking that comes with the place.



• Some have Internet service as well.
  

Cost:

• Airfare could be $1000+ per person.



• Villas could be about $4000 - $5500 per week + taxes, equaling about $1000 to $1375 per group (Maya + Fu, Bert + Andrea, Rose and Nate, Aaron + Sarah). The villas actually work out to be a reasonable deal, about $160/night per couple. That is a great hotel room rate!!

How: We would do no Christmas gifts at all, right? That would be a helpful start to balancing the costs.

What now?

• Let us know if you are in or out.



• Look for airfare deals.



• Weigh in on location.



• Look for Villas ASAP and point out options.



• Ask friends for recommendations.

We can't wait to hear from you!

Love,

Sarah, Aaron, and Natalia

Maya + Fuquan

I just uploaded the photos we took from Maya and Fuquan's wedding a couple weeks back. Sorry it took so long --> we are having router problems. Makes wireless internet ANGRY!

It was a great time. Maya & Fuquan are a fantastic couple. I really enjoyed seeing everybody and celebrating with you all. See the pics here.

Books

Here is my take on a few recent reads. Please add your take on these books and any others that you loved, liked or loathed.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards (401 pages; published 2005)
This was an impulse airport purchase. I fell for the obvious publisher's trap of naming this lesser book in the same manner as the exceptional Chicagoan-authored The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger. In short, skip this book unless you have loads of extra time.

Set in the mid 60s, it chronicles an uptight doctor and his young bride's journey with pregnancy, childbirth, and life thereafter. Mrs. Uptight Doctor delivers twins in an emergency delivery, but is unaware in her drugged state. One twin, the son, makes the grade. A little girl with Downs is sent off with the loyal attending nurse to deposit in a state-run home. The nurse turns out to be loyal to the Doctor, but not always obedient.

The core of the story seemed to have potential, but the main Doctor character takes far too long to redeem himself in any way, and his deep-seeded reasons for being a cold perfectionist don't quite add up. Some of the character development is impressive and unexpected, but other key characters are cliche and uninteresting (like the twin son). I found myself reading very fast to finish the book, and the conclusion was only partially satisfying.

Grade: C-



Kindred
by Octavia Butler (Published 1979; 264 pages)
This is my favorite book. I read it first sophomore year of college and have re-read it several times since; not yet has another booked knocked this out of #1. It involves time travel, history, drama, and a strong central female character, Dana.

It is 1976 and Dana is settling into both her new Southern California home and her interracial marriage to a white man named Kevin when history yanks Dana back in time to the antebellum South. One of her ancestors has the ability to call Dana to him when he is in danger, forcing her to live for periods of time as a plantation slave. The plot seems shaky, but Butler (R.I.P.) executed it with power and grace. You become very connected to Dana, feeling her triumph and terror and - somewhat uncomfortably - rooting for her to exact brutal revenge at times. You will read this book in 3 days tops.

Butler's female characters are always impressive, strong, smart and human. If you have never tried science fiction, Butler is a great bridge and Kindred would be the perfect first.

Grade: A

Virtual Living Room?

Hello. For a while now I have wanted to start a Joseph family blog, a place where we can share pictures, links to stories on the web we find interesting, and post musings on the great ideas we all come up with.

We could think of it as a virtual living room. I plan to set up accounts for everybody, or there may be one log-in that we all share. Not too sure yet, but we will sort it out. So, on that note, let me post a couple photos.

You can see more at my flickr page

I think this will be fun; I hope you all will contribute.

All the best,

Aaron