As public awareness grows about lead in toys and precautions are being taken to reduce exposure to lead… the same effort is needed as it relates to water.

If you live in a home with running water, your water most likely contains lead. How much lead? I don’t know but there are ways to test, filter, and significantly reduce the amount of lead in your water (which we’ll get to later).

A few years back an artists wrote a compelling song about water. It wasn’t one of those songs you hear on the radio…at least it never made rotation on any of the stations I listened too. The recent oil spill in San Francisco made me think about the song because there’s a line in it in which the artist says:

Used to be free now it cost you a fee
Cause oil tankers spill they load as they roam cross the sea

Today I had to play the song a few times (its always been a favorite you can listen to it by clicking on the video below) but now I’m feeling the lyrics even more.

We just paid our water bill the other day and today I find myself pondering what exactly are we paying for? What the hell is in that water that we get the pleasure of paying for every month? What am I paying for when I buy a bottle of Aquafina and whats the difference between what comes out of my sink or shower head and bottled water?

For as long as I can remember my grandmother has always boiled her water. It didn’t really make sense to me as a kid but I certainly get it now! Am I just a housewife with too much time on her hands?Read this before you answer that rhetorical question:

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When I was growing up there was a commercial that every little girl and woman knew word for word and it still rings til this day. Men and boys are also very familiar with this commercial. I would even dare go as far as to say that this commercial may have helped shaped their opinions and ideas about women…..I’m sure you remember these lyrics:

I can bring home the bacon…

fry it up in a pan…

and never let you forget

You’re a Man….

Cause I’m a Woman!

The commercial paints the picture of a woman/wife/mom that maintains a successful career and happy well taken care of home/family life. This Super Woman

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Should African Americans Get Reparations for Slavery?

When the topic of reparations comes up people get very heated and opinionated… oftentimes without even knowing the facts or history behind reparations.

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On Saturday 17 year old Laterian Tasby was shot and killed at a Halloween party after a fight broke out. Laterian was an athlete and student leader at San Pedro High School.

He was not a gang member although police say his death maybe gang related. School staff, team mates, and family members are adamant that Laterian Tasby was not involved with gangs. He was known as a hard worker, a mediator, and a peacemaker with a warm personality. Laterian Tasby was trying to make something of himself. He understood the importance of education and took his school work and athletics seriously. He had dreams and goals…but on Saturday his life was taken.

What happened at the party is still unclear and the shooter has not been identified.

According to

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I am so excited and proud to announce that Living Life Abundantly a.k.a. Marenda.Biz was recently honored with the Totally Fabulous Award by Annita at FootPrints.

Thanks Annita, of the millions of blogs you could have chosen…thank you for thinking of, considering, and choosing mine This means a lot!

The award was started by Christy of ChristysCoffeebreak and Ann of ANicePlaceintheSun to recognize “bloggers who are fun, cool, and of course Totally Fabulous!”

Recipients of the award pass it on to 5 Totally Fabulous Bloggers.

Today I bestow this honor upon the following 5 in no particular order:  Read more... (137 words, 1 image, estimated 33 secs reading time)

I think saggin pants look ridiculous. It is neither fashionable or sexy. Why wear pants if they hang past your underwear. Why not wear a pair of chaps

I recently received this interesting email forward about “saggin” so here it is enjoy:

Subject: S-A-G-G-I-N
The Other Day, A friend of mine came to my dorm room just to chat while her laundry was drying. As we were chatting, two young freshmen came by. One of the boys wanted to “talk” to my friend (as in date). She asked him how old they were, and both of the boys replied 18. My friend and I both laughed hysterically because we are both 22 years old. After my friend left, the young men were still hanging around and one wanted to know how he could gain her interest.
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Remember when Hip Hop songs meant something? remember when there was a relevant message? Today I take you way back with an important blast from the past.

This song burned deep in my mind this morning as I ran a few errands throughout my neighborHOOD. The last verse of the song struck a nerve deep down with an intensity that I’m hard pressed to explain…

If your neighborHOOD is like mine perhaps you’ll feel me…

The last verse of The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five:  Read more... (354 words, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

Note: This article appeared in the Baltimore Sun newspaper and was written by a Caucasian professor of Journalism at the University of Texas. The article appears here on Living Life Abundantly Marenda.Biz with permission directly from the author.

“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” —Charles de Montesquieu

A “white tree” at a high school…

Nooses hanging from a “white tree” in protest of Black students sitting under the “white tree”…

A White student beats up a Black student without consequence or repercussion…

Black students beat up White student and are charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder…

Have we traveled back in time? Is this 1957 or 2007? Sounds crazy right? Well its real. What are you going to do about it?  Read more... (117 words, estimated 28 secs reading time)