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What Sounds Can I Hear?

I hear ambient sounds emanating from the fourth floor of a downtown office building.

Peering through my office portal I stand in awe of Almighty God.

His marvelous works surround us daily.

My mind is constantly filled with the questions,

"Why are we, what are we, and what is our purpose?"

I only wonder, what does all of this mean?

My mind is constantly filled with the questions, "Why are we, what are we, and what is our purpose?" — Robert Odell, Jr.

Recommencing my peep through the 4th floor window behind my elevated desk,

I witnessed the white blossoms of a magnolia tree showering themselves

in the drizzly waters emanating from a gray, puffy, cloudy sky.

I failed to imitate but I did silently appreciate my immediate surroundings.

No one stared or noticed me there

as I wondered and stood in awe.

I failed to imitate but I did silently appreciate my immediate surroundings.

— Robert Odell, Jr.

© 2025 Robert Odell Jr

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The Morphing of Memorial Day (Part 1)

Since 1868 on Memorial Day, Americans have remembered those who died serving in the U.S. Military. The day has had a gradual change. It has become a time to remember and honor the recipients of the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.

In the United States, Memorial Day comes every year on the last Monday of May. Americans, on that day, offer condolences and thanks to families with loved ones and friends who died while serving in the United States Military. Memorial Day has also become a time to pay homage to recipients of the nation's highest and most prestigious military decoration, the esteemed Medal of Honor.

Once known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated after the Civil War. The Civil War, which ended on a spring day in 1865, claimed more lives than any U.S. history conflict. It was the catalyst that prompted the fledgling country's first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s, Americans began holding springtime tributes to countless fallen soldiers in many cities and towns. They prayed and decorated the graves of loved ones with flowers.

Observed on May 30, from 1868 to 1970, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971. Americans celebrate Memorial Day by visiting memorials and cemeteries, holding family gatherings, or participating in parades.

Eventually, Memorial Day, or the days surrounding it, became a time to pay homage to those who have received America's most prestigious and highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. Presentations of the Medal of Honor do not always occur on Memorial Day. The first presentation of the Medal of Honor was during the Civil War on March 25, 1863. Although not recognized as a federal holiday, March 25 became National Medal of Honor Day.

Presenter: William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd USA President

Presenter: George Walker Bush, 43rd USA President

Presenter: Barack Hussein Obama II, 44th USA President

Presenter: Donald John Trump, 45th USA President

Presenter: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., 46th USA President

Although the Medal of Honor presentations are not always on Memorial Day, the day has morphed into a time to reflect on American service personnel's distinguished deeds of valor.

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The Morphing of Memorial Day (Part 2)

Eventually, Memorial Day, or the days surrounding it, became a time to honor Medal of Honor recipients. My hometown, the U.S. city of Memphis, in Shelby County in Tennessee, has reared Medal of Honor Recipients. One of which was in the Philippine Insurrection in 1901. Another recipient was in the Vietnam War in 1967.

During the Philippine War, medal of Honor recipient Allen James Greer served as a lieutenant in the US Army, 4th Infantry.

During the Philippine War (February 4, 1899, to July 2, 1902), Lieutenant Allen James Greer displayed extraordinary courage.

Frederick Remington

Sergeant Walter K. Singleton_U.S. Marine Corps

Singleton displayed a selfless devotion to duty and a fighting spirit that would not yield. His actions led to his receiving the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces, The Medal of Honor.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have given their lives in service to the United States of America.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. It is a day to pause, pray, and give gratitude. It is a time to remember the 1.3 million brave men and women who have died to protect the freedoms every American enjoys.

It is no sin to have fun and entertainment on Memorial Day. But we should not neglect to pause, remember, and respect.

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How to Walk With Power (Part 1)

Carolyn Yancy, a first-rate instructor with over 20 years of experience, teaches the technique of “walking with power.”

"Walking with power" can get any individual positive and healthy attention and give them an extra advantage for getting that position or job.

Yancy's technique of "walking with power" can help you to:

Walk and get noticed

Get noticed after you have stopped walking

Walk a runway (for those who want to model)

The proper type of walking can cause an individual to stand out and get noticed favorably.

Something as simple as walking can get any individual positive and healthy attention and give them an extra advantage.

Proper walking techniques can cause any aspiring person to stand out and have the edge that leads to success.

The first step is to stand correctly. Ms. Carolyn begins with "The Right Model's Stance."

Once in "The Right Model's Stance," the next step is to flex your knees. Bending your knees allows blood to flow to the top of your head.

Pull in your stomach after flexing your knees. Ms. Carolyn teaches that tightening your stomach helps achieve a posture that is not slouchy.

Once your stomach is pulled in, roll your shoulders back. According to Ms. Carolyn, women who roll their shoulders back may never need to have a breast lift. She teaches that, for women, rolling the shoulders back gives an instant "boob job."

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The Morphing of Memorial Day (Part 1)

Since 1868 on Memorial Day, Americans have remembered those who died serving in the U.S. Military. The day has had a gradual change. It has become a time to remember and honor the recipients of the nation's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor.

In the United States, Memorial Day comes every year on the last Monday of May. Americans, on that day, offer condolences and thanks to families with loved ones and friends who died while serving in the United States Military. Memorial Day has also become a time to pay homage to recipients of the nation's highest and most prestigious military decoration, the esteemed Medal of Honor.

Once known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated after the Civil War. The Civil War, which ended on a spring day in 1865, claimed more lives than any U.S. history conflict. It was the catalyst that prompted the fledgling country's first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s, Americans began holding springtime tributes to countless fallen soldiers in many cities and towns. They prayed and decorated the graves of loved ones with flowers.

Observed on May 30, from 1868 to 1970, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971. Americans celebrate Memorial Day by visiting memorials and cemeteries, holding family gatherings, or participating in parades.

Eventually, Memorial Day, or the days surrounding it, became a time to pay homage to those who have received America's most prestigious and highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor. Presentations of the Medal of Honor do not always occur on Memorial Day. The first presentation of the Medal of Honor was during the Civil War on March 25, 1863. Although not recognized as a federal holiday, March 25 became National Medal of Honor Day.

Presenter: William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd USA President

Presenter: George Walker Bush, 43rd USA President

Presenter: Barack Hussein Obama II, 44th USA President

Presenter: Donald John Trump, 45th USA President

Presenter: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., 46th USA President

Although the Medal of Honor presentations are not always on Memorial Day, the day has morphed into a time to reflect on American service personnel's distinguished deeds of valor.

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The Morphing of Memorial Day (Part 2)

Eventually, Memorial Day, or the days surrounding it, became a time to honor Medal of Honor recipients. My hometown, the U.S. city of Memphis, in Shelby County in Tennessee, has reared Medal of Honor Recipients. One of which was in the Philippine Insurrection in 1901. Another recipient was in the Vietnam War in 1967.

During the Philippine War, medal of Honor recipient Allen James Greer served as a lieutenant in the US Army, 4th Infantry.

During the Philippine War (February 4, 1899, to July 2, 1902), Lieutenant Allen James Greer displayed extraordinary courage.

Frederick Remington

Sergeant Walter K. Singleton_U.S. Marine Corps

Singleton displayed a selfless devotion to duty and a fighting spirit that would not yield. His actions led to his receiving the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces, The Medal of Honor.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who have given their lives in service to the United States of America.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. It is a day to pause, pray, and give gratitude. It is a time to remember the 1.3 million brave men and women who have died to protect the freedoms every American enjoys.

It is no sin to have fun and entertainment on Memorial Day. But we should not neglect to pause, remember, and respect.

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LT. Col. Luke J. Weathers, Jr., Facts Greater Than Fiction

Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers, Jr. was an American fighter pilot and one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during WWII.

Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers, Jr. was an American fighter pilot during World War II (WWII). He was one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen and made tremendous and heroic contributions to US History. Weathers and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen hold the record for the most outstanding pilots and crew efforts in US Military History.

When WWII began, Luke Weathers, Jr. and other African-Americans desired to serve their country in a capacity other than cleaning latrines or cooking.

In 1941, the Tuskegee Project, intended to prove the ill-conceived notion that black men (negroes) could not endure flight training, began in Tuskegee, Alabama, at Moton Field.

Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers, Jr. was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. He was an American fighter pilot, just like the men pictured in this photo.

Source: Tuskegee Airmen Archives

The Tuskegee Airmen safely escorted countless bombers to their assigned missions.

Source: Awesome Stories

Historical documents show that The Tuskegee Airmen hold the best air support and air battles record in US military history. They lost almost no bombers under their protection.

While escorting a bomber to England, Weathers flew beneath the bomber to disguise his presence from potential enemy attacks.

Source: Aviation Art Hangar

Weathers reversed a hostile situation when he sent an enemy aircraft that had been on his tail tumbling to the ground.

On one of his missions, the enemy shot down Weathers over Greece.

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Dr. Karenga and the History and Origins of Kwanzaa (Part 1)

The Internet was the vehicle by which the holiday called Kwanzaa gained national and international notoriety. By the twenty-first century, the seeds of Kwanzaa had been sown across North America and had germinated in Africa and Europe.

The Kinara is one of the most prominent symbols of Kwanzaa.

Contact with Councill Taylor, a Jamaican anthropologist who challenged Eurocentrism and other influences, led to Ronald McKinley Everett's embracement of the Swahili name Karenga (keeper of tradition). Everette also added the Swahili-Arabic title Maulana (master teacher).

During Kwanzaa, each family has leeway to establish their candle lighting traditions.

Kwanzaa's most notable symbol is the Kinara (Kee-Nah-rah). The Kinara is a candleholder that symbolizes the ancestral roots of the African continent.

Families celebrating Kwanzaa sometimes share the candle lighting duties each night by allowing a different family member to light the candles.

The Nguzo Saba Poster (Poster of The Seven Principles)

The Nguzo Saba (En-GOO-Zoh Sah-BAH), or the seven principles of Kwanzaa

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Dr. Karenga and the History and Origins of Kwanzaa (Part 2)

Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols, including the Kinara (Candle Holder). Two supplemental symbols, the Bendera (Flag) and the Nguzo Saba Poster (Poster of The Seven Principles), are also included in the festivities.

Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols, including the Kinara (Candle Holder).

Kwanzaa has seven basic symbols.

Kwanzaa participants say "Habari Gani?" when greeting others at the festival. Saying the name of the principle for that day is the appropriate response.

On the seventh day of Kwanzaa, Zawadi (gifts) are exchanged with immediate family and guests.

After its 1966 inception, Kwanzaa and its practices had a slow increase in the United States. The Internet was the vehicle by which the holiday gained national and international notoriety. The twenty-first century revealed that the seeds of Kwanzaa had been sown across North America and had germinated in Africa and Europe.

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How to Walk With Power (Part 2)

Start walking with power by standing correctly and rolling your shoulders back. Men and women benefit from rolling their shoulders back. Men who roll their shoulders back produce an air of confidence, good self-esteem, and healthy posture.

After rolling your shoulders back, you must relax your arms to keep you from looking tense and stiff.

Standing as if you have an imaginary nickel between your buns helps create a good look.

Standing as if carrying a book on top of your head gives a look of dignity.

Anyone who uses the technique of "walking with power" will get positive and healthy attention.

The catwalk is the platform that extends into an auditorium, and models walk to display clothes in fashion shows. While walking on the catwalk or runway, many female models do the angle walk.

Most models on the runway use the angle walk by, crisscrossing along an imaginary line on the catwalk.

The benefits of "walking with power" are a part of the social graces and manners curriculum taught in many charm and etiquette courses. There is a concerted effort to incorporate charm, etiquette, and social graces and manners into the public school system. Until that happens, various workshops and summer camps throughout the United States teach young people excellent life skills and the proper way to walk and stand.

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Dr. Sebi’s Niece and Her Proven Cures

Many organizations claim to be the heirs of the verified healing formulas of Alfredo Darrington Bowman, better known as "Dr. Sebi." After his death, Sebi's niece, Emily Eden, began producing herbal healing formulas using his original techniques.

Emily Eden, the niece and heiress of the healing remedies of world-renowned herbalist Alfredo Darrington Bowman, better known as "Dr. Sebi.

Emily's uncle was Alfredo Darrington Bowman, better known as "Dr. Sebi." Sebi was the world-renowned herbalist who, in 1988, went to the Supreme Court and won the case proving his herbal nutrients cured aids, cancer, diabetes, herpes, sickle cell anemia, and HIV.

Emily's mother, Rosemary "Maxim" May (left), was the only sister Dr. Sebi (right) ever had.

Hombre Grande (Spanish for big man) treats constipation, fever, and indigestion. It is one of the most studied and analyzed plants in laboratories because of the medicinal properties found in its compounds.

Hombre grande (Amargo herb) comes from a small tropical tree thriving in Pacific coastal rain forests.

Lily-of-the-Valley (a woodland flowering plant) relieves heart problems, including heart failure and irregular heartbeat. People use it for urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Lily-of-the-Valley comes from a woodland plant that grows in eastern North America, Asia, and Europe.

Sea Moss, also known as Irish moss, contains 92 of the 102 minerals our bodies need.

Emily Eden brought forth a mission to care for all of humanity lovingly and share the good news of herbal healing. Through Dr. Sebi's niece, the legacy of natural healing herbs lives on.

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The Family Man With a Dark Side

William Latura, better known as "Wild Bill," embraced violence and made a career of dishing out brutality. He shot many people, both black and white. In 1908, Latura walked into Hammitt Ashford's saloon on Beale Street and shot five people, leaving them lying wounded or dead. Citizens across the United States grimaced and moaned as they learned Latura admitted to the crime but never received prosecution.

This actor portrays William "Wild Bill" Latura casually leaving Hammett Ashford's Saloon after shooting five people on Beale Street in 1908.

In the early 1900s, Beale Street was often the scene of chaos and death.

Source: CFA Productions, Inc. / Take Me Back To Beale, Book I (Before The Red Ball)

Following the slaughter at Hammitt Ashford's Saloon on Beale Street in 1908, five people, including a woman, lay wounded or dead. All the victims were black.

Source: CFA Productions, Inc. / Take Me Back To Beale, Book I (Before The Red Ball)

The Washington Herald referred to "Wild Bill" Latura as the last real Memphis "bad man."

Source: The Washington Herald, Saturday, Sept. 02, 1916

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The Festival of Lights: Do Black People Celebrate?

The United States has many Black luminaries who have celebrated Hanukkah.

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Two Beale Street Flippers and Their Amazing Flip for Peace (Two athletes, trained, groomed, and inspired by the world-famous Beale Street Flippers, did an amazing flip for peace).

As they live out their dreams, The Beale Street Flippers continue to mentor, train, groom, inspire, and pass their skills to new generations of athletes. Their passion for flipping spawned an amazing flip for peace, a bright future for themselves, and wonders for the world to see.