If you are attending the BlogHer annual conference this year there is plenty of information and lists that can help you prepare for the conference.

Kitchen table issues like jobs, health care, gas and food prices are on
voters' minds this year, but after the Supreme Court decision
overturning the DC handgun ban, the 2nd amendment is on the table as
well. This hits home for me as my suburb in Chicago instituted a
handgun ban some years ago, along with the City of Chicago, similar to
DC's. My town has suspended the law and I welcome the change. Why? The
handgun ban was a welcome mat to criminals seeking an easy target for
robbery. Our community will be safer now that they can't be sure what

Birthday party themes can take a lot of work out of planning a birthday party. Choosing a theme makes decorating, games, and even the food much easier to pull together.

After studying how once-democratic nations slide into fascism, writer Naomi Wolf came to a horrifying conclusion: in the last five years, the United States has taken all of the steps that have historically led to the end of republican government. Wolf issued a call to patriotic dissent in her 2007 book, The End of America: Letter of Warning to A Young Patriot. A sample chapter is available here (.pdf).

Guess Blog, published by permission of Stephen Richard Livine. My thanks to Mr. Livine for his permission to publish this blog.

This is a guess blog published on my blog of my book While African Americans Slept. For a Chapter-by-Chapter of the contents of my Book: While African American Slept, Go to http://lentonaikins.com and click on Products.

Yes, just under the wire, I am here to announce the BlogHer Community Keynote line-up.

What to say about an idea that prompted hundreds of posts to come flooding in?

How about: We better do this again!

And how about: A heartfelt thanks to our selection committee:

Alice from finslippy
Debbie from Body Impolitic
Heather from NoPasaNada
Jessica from Oh the Joys!
Mona from Kirida
Kristy Sammis and Denise Tanton from BlogHer

And, of course, the woman who proposed the idea in the first place, Eden Kennedy from Fussy.

There is a three foot pile of papers, books, bookmarks and information goodness buried on my bed. (Hey, I found a wrapped cookie!) A clear sign it is time for a little serendipity. I plunge into the center and pull out...a Nanotechnology catalog.  Oh my.

Renovation-palooza continues at my house. This past weekend saw us hanging sheet rock on the ceiling of our empty kitchen. Yes, this is as exciting as my life is. Don't be jealous.

It also saw me cooking every single meal on the grill. Which I will be doing for the foreseeable future.