foxxydiva-telling it like I see it

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

2011-01-09T21:34:00.002-06:00

I believe many people often say things (cliches) and they truly don't mean it. Have you ever run into an old friend and once you get through speaking with him/her they next thing you hear is "I'll call you." Now, I don't really know how often men do this but I know a lot of women tend to do this and I don't know why. My rule of thumb is, if you really were concerned with me and my well-being, you would have kept in touch with me.

Wouldn't it by nice if people actually meant what they said? Aah, only in a perfect world.

New Beginnings

2011-01-01T20:15:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year to all!!!

I am looking forward to new and exciting things this year. I did not make and resolutions because everyday I'm going to resolve to be a better me! I am not sure exactly what God has in store for me, but I know I'm ready to receive it.

Change is in order.

2010-12-28T10:39:00.003-06:00

I am in the process of making some changes in my life. Some people may get upset during this transitional stage, but it is truly for the better.

A few weeks ago, my dad had a seizure and a slight stroke and went into the hospital. He had surgery to stop the bleeding on his brain and he seemed to be doing well. Then he needed another surgery to unclog the shunt in his arm for dialysis. It was after that surgery that things started looking kinda grim.

During this entire process, I realized a lot and I am grateful for the lessons. I remember this lady told me some years ago that I tend to value friendships more than others. I knew that but I didn't know how to handle it. I am no longer going to be the anchor in many of my relationships.

My dad's death, along with my friend Shalonda said this " But I do know this much for as long as I've known and interacted with you and your family, you ALL have always opened your hearts and home unselfishly to sooo many!!! You and your family serve as the "rock" too many. If there was anything anyone needed you guys are there jolly on the spot!!! It just hurts so bad because so many go to you all for consoling advice and assistance."

My father's death was so unexpected. There were some people who said some bizarre things to my family and I will never forget that. If you have never lost someone close to you and have to deal with foolishness in the process, you will never truly understand what I'm going through. I am taking time to re-evaluate all of my relationships. The people who call themselves my friend but have never really shown themselves friendly will be eliminated from my life. Those family members who only call or come around when it is convenient for them, are gone. Those males who are always in my face pretending like they really want to be with me but during this time of need, they were M.I.A.

These changes are inevitable and during the process some people may get their feelings hurt; however, I have to do this to maintain my peace of mind. I am only going to nurture relationships that are nurturing to me.

WOW!

2010-08-15T21:14:00.002-05:00

Yesterday and today I was out running some errands and I saw a bunch of fashion bloopers and blunders. In some instances, I couldn't believe my eyes.

The first one was a woman with more dimples than a golf ball and more cottage cheese than Breakstones and she had the nerve to have on some daisy dukes! I couldn't believe my eyes. They were screaming "Stop it, please!" This woman had the nerve to be sharing her sexual escapades. I think she thought it was cute but she sounded like a low budget ho.

The next one was a young girl (maybe 16)who was wearing some black sheer leggings with some polka dot panties. Now, I'm sure this girl didn't realize how she looked. Maybe her mom doesn't know any better so she can't teach her to do any better.

Yesterday, I was in the store and this woman was walking in some high heels. As she was walking, you could hear the nail in the heel. Ladies, take your shoes to the shoe repair shop or pitch them when the tip is missing. Stop wearing them. It is not cute and it is annoying to the ear.

Now, I know some people may not think anything was/is wrong with these things, but I couldn't believe some of the people were actually out and about looking the way they were. What happened to women of color looking decent when they leave the house? Does that even happen anymore?

Another year.

2010-08-14T13:23:00.004-05:00

A few days ago (3 to be exact) I celebrated my 35th birthday. I was contemplating on having a birthday party but then life got in the way and I just didn't have the time to plan it properly.

In recent months, I have been invited to adult birthday parties and you are expected to pay for your own lunch or dinner and bring them a gift! Now, when people plan parties for their children, they don't ask you to pay for your child, so why do they do this as adults?

This is just my opinion and I am not asking people to agree with it although a lot of the etiquette experts would agree as well, if you are planning a birthday dinner party, you should pick up the tab and do not expect a gift. If people want to bring you a gift they will do so on their own, but it should not be expected. I always like to believe that a parties are a way of celebrating with those who are close to you. If you are planning a party to gain, maybe you should reconsider doing this.

Growth

2010-07-31T21:46:00.003-05:00

In a few weeks, I'll turn 35. I've learned so much about life and people in general. I'm grateful for the lessons that I've learned and I'm looking forward to many more.

Hmm...

2010-04-25T10:00:00.001-05:00

I think I like him.

To settle or not to settle: That is the question.

2010-02-16T15:16:00.005-06:00

I got this article from a friend today and I found it quite interesting.

In this article, the author( who is a woman) suggests that women who desire marriage need to settle. She suggests this for women who are 30ish and older.

One issue I have is that there is never much talk about men settling. In most cases the man is not settling, he's getting a good thing. There are some men who may settle for a woman who may not be the prettiest, but she possesses some domestic skills that may seem appealing to the man.

Another issue was the suggestion that women are too picky or standards are too high. Why is it that women are too picky or standards are too high when they want certain things? If a man wants a women with certain standards, nothing is wrong with that. It's that old double standard.

I think the biggest issue I have with the article was the moms who were encouraging their daughters to settle. What ever happened to a mom wanting what's best for her daughter? Is settling what's best? I am not sure.

What happened to trusting God to give you the desire of your hearts? I guess after a certain age, that goes out the window with the bath water. I am not an advocate for anyone settling. I think it sets women up for a life of misery. It is okay to compromise, but not your beliefs. When women start to do that, I believe they lose sight of who they are.

Goodbye 2009!

2009-12-31T15:54:00.002-06:00

Today is the last day of 2009. I am grateful to still be here through all of my trials and tribulations. I am looking forward to new things in 2010.

This year I realized a few things and I am grateful for those revelations. I am waiting and anticipating great things! I know God has a purpose and a plan and once it comes to pass, people will know it was Him!

Happy New Year to all!!!!!

I couldn't make this up if you paid me.

2009-11-30T10:51:00.002-06:00

I recently got an invitation to a birthday party. I wasn't sure if I was going to attend or not. As I was riding in the car with my friends, we realized that there was another party at the same venue. At the time, I didn't know that the person who sent me the invite was having their party at someone else's party. We figured it out in the car.

Now my question is, who does that? I mean really. How tacky are you to send out invites for your celebration at someone else's event? That isn't the worst part. The next day, I got a thank you text for coming out to celebrate this person's birthday (at someone else's party). This is just wrong and tacky on so many levels. Have you any integrity?

Am I now classified as a cougar?

2009-10-28T11:53:00.004-05:00

I met this guy the other day who is a little younger than I am. I figured he was younger, I just didn't know how young. Anyway, he was very persistent in me calling him. I was a bit apprenhensive, but I did. We went out and I had a good time. He actually seems more mature than what I expected.

I guess my question is, does this classify me as a cougar?

It doesn't end!

2009-09-24T13:43:00.002-05:00

The other night I was coming in from class and as I was turning the corner I saw my neighbor walking his dog. By the time I parked the car, he was in front of my house motioning for me to hurry up and get out of the car. I was on the phone with my sister and had already told her what he was doing. So she got off the phone with me and when I got out of the car, I asked him "How do you know I wasn't trying to plan my get away?" Why did this fool ask me "Where are we going?" I said "Three's a crowd!" Then he had the nerve to say, "Oh, I'm three?" Um, you may be number one to your wife, but not to me!

I was disgusted by this and I should have slapped him clear into next week!

It's unbelievable

2009-09-01T09:46:00.004-05:00

For the people who have been following my blog for sometime, I've often shared the good, the bad, and the ugly as it relates to my experiences dating. Well, I've got some more comical things to share.

There was this guy who was sweating me HARD for a year. I believe he was living with someone and they had a small child, and I guess he thought I wouldn't mind. I was not interested in him for other reasons, but that just added fuel to the fire. One day I saw him out and he kept on trying to pursue me. When he finished talking to me, my sister said" He really likes you a lot".

Well, the other day, I checked my e-mail and he sent me an e-mail to see how I was doing and told me he got married and sent the link to the wedding pictures. I was too tickled. When he was trying to get with me, he was planning a wedding. LOL I hope this means he will stop trying.

Then there is this other guy I used to date who dumped me because he said that it was too much pressure. I'm not sure who was pressuring him, but it wasn't me. When I mentioned this to some male friends they all told me that was a bunch of bullshit!(Which I already knew.) If he's a man and he can't handle you, that's not a real man or the kind of man you want/need to be with. Just imagine what he'll do when things really get tough.

I wasn't too surprised by this guy or his actions. When I met him, I told him that he wasn't ready for me, but he tried to convince himself that he was. He had also made some other decisions that let me know he lacked maturity.

In both of these situations, I believe the males were only doing as they knew. It is unfortunate that so many women will put up with this type of tomfoolery. One of my mantras has always been "what one man won't do, another will." This is true of women and that's why a lot of men do the things they do.

What I don't know...

2009-08-30T20:43:00.003-05:00

Today I went to a conference fr beauty professionals. I have been licensed as a nail technician for quite some time. One of the requirements is to obtain continuing education hours every two years. I originally went to the conference with the intent on getting my hours, but I left with so much more.

This year I didn't take any product related classes. All of the classes were pertaining to the business aspect and not the technical side. Some of the classes I took were actually beneficial to any industry. I left feeling renewed and ready to conquer the world.

There were a few things that had a tremendous impact on me. One thing that I really stuck with me was the following question: What is it that I don't know that if I did know would make a difference in what/who I'm trying to become/accomplish? When the speaker Geno Stampora posed this question, it got me to thinking. I can't say that I have the answer to this question, but it surely has gotten me to thinking. BTW, Mr. Stampora, if you're reading this, you were right about that dinner conversation:)

Is free!

2009-08-29T00:05:00.001-05:00

Is glad to be free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reflections of my life and lessons that I've learned

2009-08-09T13:22:00.006-05:00

I have been reflecting upon my life for a few months and some of the lessons that I've learned. I decided to chronicle them after reading a note from one of my friends on Facebook (in no particular order) to share with people and hopefully they will learn from them as well.

1. Love- I am not sure if it's better to have known love than to have never loved at all. I'm still pondering this one.

2. Listening and hearing are two different things. People can hear but don't listen. Listening is active and most people haven't gotten this.

3. Friends-Most people really don't know what it means to be a friend. Friendship is not something I take lightly and I've learned that most people don't value friendship as I.

4. Words do hurt!- I wish I knew who started that 'sticks and stones' mess. It is a lie from the pit of hell. Words are very hurtful and sometimes it's our 'friends' who spew them out.

5. Standards- I've been told that my standards are too high, especially when it comes to my expectations of a man. If I don't stand for something, I'll fall for anything. I'm still baffled by individuals who will research a car, home, career, etc., in depth but won't do the same for a relationship. I value myself and I deserve God's best.

6. Education- Education has become watered/dumbed down over the years and many people are okay with it. I am not sure how this can be fixed, but don't be mad at me because I hold my students to a higher standard because I believe in them and want them to do well.

7. Class(not the class system)- So many people like to think they possess class, but somewhere down the line this vision/definition has become distorted. When I think of class, I think about Jackie O., Princess Di, Michelle Obama, and Diahann Carroll.

8. Integrity- Integrity is becoming extinct. People are no longer concerned with honoring their word. They'll commit to something and either back out at the last minute of don't show up at all. Sometimes they'll offer an excuse, but most times they won't.

9. Most people truly don't want to see me succeed.- I've learned that so many people who claimed to be my friend and want to see me do well, really don't. Subconsciously, they don't want me to surpass them. I know this because of the comments/remarks that roll from their lips.

10. Seasons, reasons and lifetime.- People fall into the three aforementioned categories and sometimes we try to make them be something they are not intended to be. I've learned to let go of toxic people and toxic relationships. It has not been easy, but I am grateful that I have.

11. Most people who say they love God don't always show it.- If you are a Christian, I don't think you should have to tell people this. Your actions would show who you truly are.

12. Parenting- This is probably the most difficult job and no matter how hard you try to do the right thing, someone will always find fault with you.

13. Parenting- You can't tell other people how to parent their children because they are not always receptive to your thoughts or experiences.

14. Education- It is the key to a better you!

15. Education- It can never be taken away from you once you have it.

16. Truth- Most individuals can't handle the truth. People claim they want honesty, but once you give it to them if often creates a problem.

17. Opinions- Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I have never understood why people get mad about this. People opinions are just that and if everyone shared the same view points, this world would be boring.

18. People don't always do better when they know better.- I believe a lot of people are rebellious. They don't want to follow directions when instructed. There are people who know what they are doing is wrong, but they insist on doing it anyway. It is difficult to change ones thought process when they have been thinking a certain way for years.

19. Perception- Things are not always as they seem. They way one person perceives something or a situation has a lot to do with prior experiences.

20. The past- People always say the past should be left behind, but that is often difficult to do. Realistically speaking, a lot of people may have thought they left the past behind until someone or something triggers that memory and then they are reliving it. Our past is what has helped shape us into who we are today.

21. I'm still a work in progress.- I know God has some more things to work out of me and I am trying to be obedient during this process.

22. It's okay to question God.- I know many people may not agree with this, but I have learned that it's okay to question God. He already knows that we were going to do it because we don't understand His decisions.

23. Spiritual growth/maturity- There are some people who will always play church and that's alright. Don't get mad at me because I'm not doing it.

24. Hell- I am not going to hell for anyone else. No one is worth me going to hell for so don't overestimate your importance in my life.

25. Family- You can't choose your family, but you can choose how you deal with them.

26. Goals- Goals are great to have, but without a plan it is nothing more than a dream.

27. Destiny- I believe God has destined me for great things, I just have to follow His will to accomplish it.

Just my 2 cents

2009-07-26T17:15:00.003-05:00

I just wanted people to know that my other blog is up and running. It's http://rants-raves-andmy2cents.blogspot.com

This blog will focus be just like the title states. I hope you enjoy it just as much as this one. I'll still blog on both and sometimes the post may be the same.

Nothing much has changed for Black people

2009-07-23T15:58:00.003-05:00

I know many people have been in an uproar about Professor Henry Gates recent arrest in his home in Cambridge, MA. For those people who are unaware of who he is, you can google him to find additional information about him. Mr. Gates is an educated Black man who was reminded the other day by the Cambridge police that he is nothing more than a nigger (yes, I said it). Before you all get your panties in a bunch, the way he was treated shows Black America that is what the white officers thought of him.

Many Black men experience that same treatment Prof. Gates received on a daily basis and it often goes unnoticed. Most of these men are not educated, but some are. It doesn't matter in most places because any Black male is an easy target for police.

I am not sure if Black people living in America will ever get treated fairly. There are many people who often like to claim that race relations have improved but I beg to differ. If you have never been in a store and the clerk overlooked you to service another patron when it was obvious that you were next, then things haven't improved. When you are a Black female working in corporate and you are a no nonsense individual, you are labled a bitch. If this same woman is white, she is aggressive. I am not sure why this occurs, but it does. More often than not, a Back woman has to prove herself to everyone before she is given a promotion. Then if she is promoted, she has to worry about others trying to sabotage her career. Does that sound like race relations have improved? When you have educated Black people being turned down for jobs based on their names sounding too ethnic, surely things have changed. When banks enter minority communities and prey on the residents because many of them are uneducated and as a result are taken advantage of, that surely has to be a clear indication that things have changed.

I could list many more, but the reality is this: race relations are pretty much the same. I don't think it will change until more people will wake up and smell the cocoa beans. Michael Jackson challenged us all to look at the man in the mirror. Let us all take heed to his words.

Changes

2009-07-01T13:35:00.005-05:00

There are and have been a number of changes in Chicago. One of the major changes has been the tearing down of the Chicago Housing Authority Projects. Most if not all of them have been demolished and new homes have been built to replace them. The new homes include townhouses, condos and single-family dwellings. So what is or has happened to the residents that once occupied these projects? A good number of them has been pushed into various neighborhoods throughout the city and suburbs. As a result, many neighborhoods are experiencing crime that may have been minimal in the past.

When the housing projects were in existence, all of the crime was in a concentrated area. Now they are gone, it has made a lot of neighborhoods seem as if crime is on the rise. What can be done to eliminate the crime that is taking place throughout the city?

It is often very difficult to show people that crime is not the answer. Even if these individuals go to jail, many of them return upon release because they have a difficult time matriculating into society. A lot of critics would argue that the schools and teachers need to do a better job of teaching these kids about the options available to them. Students are only with teachers 6 or 7 hours a day. The majority of their day is spent with family and friends. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the people the students spend the majority of their time with has the most influence over them.

The President has challenged all parents to obtain higher education for at least a year or two. I believe if more parents would do this, more kids would see the possibilities available to them. The oneness is not on the school system and teachers alone. Parents play a big part of this equation. If the parents would take an active role in their child's life, they would know what their precious baby is doing and maybe some of this crime wouldn't occur.

Integrity

2009-06-29T23:03:00.002-05:00

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, integrity means steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical ode. Soundness. Completeness; unity.

I was having a discussion with my summer school class and realized that so many of them do not know what integrity is and they lack it. It is not the child's fault because many of them are doing as they know. I think integrity is becoming obsolete and often wonder how can we get it back?

There used to be a time when your word meant everything, but now it seems like people can't/won't/don't honor their word. I think it's a sign of the times and it has gotten out of control.

I want to challenge all to search their souls to see if they are a person of integrity.

Busy Bee

2009-06-18T22:50:00.001-05:00

I've been busy for sometime and have neglected my blog. I am going to do a better job of posting. I promise.

Untitled

2009-05-19T12:49:00.002-05:00

I didn't title this post because I am not exactly sure what I should call it. It is almost the end of the school year and many of my students are failing. They refuse to do any work and when you call the home, the parents often act like something is wrong with you. I gave an assignment where the students had to prepare a 3 page typed report. It should be in their own words. I showed them how to use in-text citations, write a thesis statement, prepare an outline and do a works cited page. Most of the kids didn't even attempt to do the work. What a lot of them fail to realize is this:three pages typed (double spaced, 12-pt font, Times New Roman) comes out to be about 6 paragraphs. It really isn't a lot. It's one more paragraph than a 5-paragraph essay.

What I've come to discover is that the reason I have to fight with many of my students is education is not considered to be valuable. A lot of them don't have real-life examples of people who went to college and made it so they just give up. I also think my students truly believe they are better off than they are. I also believe a lot of feel like they have time to get it together and they don't.

I am not sure what can be done to change this, but I always tell my students that education begins at home. Parents have to instill in their children at an early age the importance of getting an education. By the time these children come to me, they are so screwed up, it's not funny. I am always worried about the future generations but I think I am beginning to worry about the present one.

The Current State of Education

2009-04-30T10:18:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was listening to the radio and Rev. Al Sharpton was on speaking about this Mackenzie Report that was coming out talking about the state of public education. This report says that Blacks and some Latinos are functioning at least 4 grade levels behind. Now, I didn't need a report to tell me this because I witness it on a daily basis. It is often suggested that many schools need to be shut down, teachers removed, new teachers come in and the same students return in order to see some change. Well, I have some issues with this concept.

I do believe that if it's broke, fix it. The issue here is not just one or two schools, we are talking about a nation full of broken schools. A lot of the "solutions" are no more effective than a band-aid is on a war wound. Many of the students in public schools often miss the fundamentals needed to be successful and they are often promoted to the next grade when they really should be retained. When these individuals enter high school (9th grade) a lot of them are functioning anywhere between a 4th and 6th grade level.

As it relates to removing teachers, I believe teachers who don't have the child's best interest at heart should be removed. It is not the teachers fault when a student fails, especially at that level. Most times the child is not doing any work or coming to school. When and if a school closes and teachers are displaced, I think it may cause teachers to socially promote students who are not prepared. These teachers may decide that it is better to pass the kids than for them to look for a new job. My main concern is when the new teachers come and the old students with their old habits come back. It seems to me like you would want to make some changes with the students as well. Maybe they can be in a school where the students are performing at or above grade level and have a vested interest in their education.

Another issue that plagues public education is the lack of parental involvement. If more parents were involved in their children's education, many of the kids would not fail. It is not rocket science. The more you put into your child, the more you get out.

Networking

2009-04-26T11:09:00.002-05:00

There are a number of on-line 'networking' sites available, people don't necessarily have to get together face to face anymore. I've joined a number of them and I can't really keep up with all of the usernames and passwords. (It helps when the site allows you to use your e-mail address as a username.) I'm on www.facebook.com: Http://twitter.com/foxxychica: www.hoverspot.com: www.chocolatepages.com: and on various sites within www.ning.com.

I am not sure how I got started on these sites, but they can become very addictive. I've also come to realize that these online sources are a good medium to network, but when people come together, they often don't know how to communicate with one another because of all of the computer networking they do. I was at a networking event the other day and I noticed that many people (including me) were not actually networking. There were other factors that may have contributed to this, but nonetheless, people were not really networking.

After I left this event, I realized a few things. One of them was the person hosting the event may not have been too sure of what type of things should be done at a networking event so people can actually network with one another. In order for a networking event to be successful, you need to have some type of setting that is going to have people talking with one another. It is difficult for people to communicate when there is music playing and it is not playing softly and it's party/dance music. Also, I think when food is served, it should be finger foods. When people are networking, they don't need a full plate of food. Light snacks are better because people will snack and not eat.

After attending this event, I was inspired to do some things on a personal level. I am currently working on them and I'm excited about my new beginnings.

Resurrection Sunday

2009-04-11T14:14:00.004-05:00

This Sunday is Resurrection Sunday. Many Christians all over the world will celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I have often thought about this upcoming Sunday and how many people don't realize that Resurrection Sunday should not only symbolize that Jesus is alive, but it should symbolize our personal lives.

During this Lenten season, I purposed in my mind and heart to make some personal changes. I wasn't successful in all of them, but I kept (and continue) to strive to do better. I've decided to kill off certain things in my life. Afterwards I'm gonna bury them and do my darnedest not to resurrect them ever again!

I've decided that negativity has to die. This means negative people in my life has to go as well. Life is too short to be around Debbie Downer and Negative Ned. Some people only know negative things so I guess I have to do like Lauryn Hill did in one of her songs and ask my "Father to forgive them for they know not what they do". I've noticed that people will say some dumb stuff and don't realize they've said it until you regurgitate that mess back to them.

The second thing I am killing is procrastination. I read once that "Procrastination is the thief of time". I've been guilty of this too often. It seems like I don't have enough time in the day to do most of the things I need to do, and some of the things I want to do. I am no longer going to put off today for tomorrow because tomorrow is not promised.

I've also decided that control has to go. I'm learning that there are certain things I will never have any control over and the sooner I realize this and let it go, the better I'll be. I can't change people's attitudes and perceptions of me or life. That is their personal battle that I am not going to try and fight. I know I may have strong opinions about certain things, but they are just that, my opinions.

I have more things that I have decided to kill and bury and never to resurrect, but I really don't have the time to divulge all of that information. I think if more people would take a good look at their personal lives and determine what things they need to eliminate, many of us would be a whole lot better.

What does abuse look like?

2009-03-29T09:03:00.002-05:00

Oftentimes many people don't realize that abuse can take may shapes and forms. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, abuse is defined as follows: To use wrongly or improperly; to hurt or injure by maltreatment; to rape or molest; to insult; revile; misuse; physical maltreatment; insulting or coarse language.

I think a lot of people view abuse as something that is visible. I've been thinking about this for quite some time and I had to write about it. Abuse generally begins in the form of words. Sometimes people will say things that they may believe are not harmful but in reality they are. I think all people are guilty of this. If we look at the many definitions given, I don't think anyone can say they have never insulted anyone. Now, I know some people may be thinking they did it in fun, but that is how it begins. Remember that lie we were told growing up about sticks and stones. Well, words do hurt and people don't forget them.

I know I've been guilty of being abusive to others and I've had to go back and rectify that situation. I believe the reason many of us are abusive is it's all we know and have been taught. Hurting people hurt others. We need to learn how to speak words of encouragement to one another and keep our little snide comments to ourselves. In the words of my mother and grandmother "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". I think if a lot of us learn to live by that creed, we wouldn't walk around abusing people on a daily basis.

I quit.

2009-03-09T21:13:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking about eliminating this blog. I blog on another site and I get more feedback and traffic on that site. I've had this blog for a little less than a year (I think it'll be a year next month) and it's been slow going. We'll see what happens.

The five-paragraph essay.

2009-02-20T13:39:00.004-06:00

Silly me. I thought many of my students would know how to write a five-paragraph essay, but boy was I wrong. Since our school received the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant to improve the quality of education, we are required to test the students 4 times throughout the year. Well, the second assessment was given and after reading the written parts, I realized the majority of my students didn't know how to write a 5-paragraph essay.

The topic they were given was about standardized test. Are they good or bad? So, I started with the basics. I told them before they can write, they need to plan. I told them this will help them with their writing. The first thing we did was created 2 columns. One for the pros (good) and the other for the cons (bad). I told them whenever they are required to write a paper, this is what they should do first. Depending upon the number of paragraphs required, they should have that same number of items listed. For example, if you need a 10-paragraph paper, you will need at least 8 pros and 8 cons (the first paragraph is the introductory paragraph and the last is the concluding paragraph). If they can't think of that many for both, it is a good idea to argue/present based on the side they have the most evidence for, even if they don't agree with it.

Once we did that, I had them to use a graphic organizer similar to the picture.

The circle is where they should list their subtopic. Everything they listed under the pros or cons. On the web extenders, they should write down what they want to say about the topic. For example, if the subtopic is: Test are a waste of time. I would put that in the circle. In the extenders, I would list all of the reasons for stating that. Many of them understood this concept. After they have listed their reasons in the extensions, those serve as the basis for their sentences. One student I'll call "Jack" said to me "It's that simple?" I replied "Yep, just like that. Depending on how many parapgraphs you need to write, that determines how many of the little webs you need." That comment made my heart leap. I was so elated that someone finally got it.

After we went through that, I showed them how to state their position without restating the prompt. I want them to become skilled writers and I explained to them restating the prompt is not bad, nonetheless, they are high school sophomores and we are going to prove to people that we know how to write like we are going to go to college. I also told them that all of their essays should have an attention grabber to get the readers attention. If everyone starts out with "In my opinion" or "I believe that" and my all time favorite "Yes, or No and then restate the prompt", they have not captured my attention.

I worked with a few of them on an individual basis and they seemed to be progressing well. I am excited about reading their revised essays on Monday.

How do I reach the lost children?

2009-02-06T18:05:00.004-06:00

I teach in an inner city/urban school. Many of the students receive free or reduced lunch. A lot of them come from less than stellar homes and in addition to poor home lives, they are way behind in school. I don't think many people realize the correlation between poverty and performance. I could name a number of books and studies that outline this, but you can research this on your own time. There is a correlation that children who come from poor environments tend to perform less in school and in life. Now, I know there are exceptions to the rule, but those are few and far in between.

A friend of mine often gets upset when I mention this because she grew up poor and on public assistance. I grew up poor, wore hand-me-downs (from a neighbor on the same block) and ate commodities (government handouts). I know and understand what it's like to not have. I think the difference for me (I don't know about my friend) was i was exposed to people who didn't live like me. I was able to interact with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicity's. I was able to know and understand that it is possible to make it out. Many of my students do not have these opportunities and I think this hurts them. Whenever I try to tell them there is a way out, they think I am making it up or acting white.

How do I reach a group of children who's expectations have been lowered or non-existent? How do I compete with parents, friends, and a community that has accepted mediocrity? What can I do or say to encourage these kids? I am not sure if there is a solution. I believe there has to be some type of push from within at this point. The children have to want to have more for themselves. I often pose this scenario to them: Imagine it's twenty years from now,, you are 35/36 yrs old. The only knowledge you have is what you have learned thus far. The only money you have is what is in your pocket today? You have nothing more and nothing less. Is this how you want to live? Many of them say no, but they don't try to change their actions. I don't think many of them have gotten angry enough with their current situation to try and change it.

I often tell my students to listen and pay attention to what I am trying to teach because it will help them in life. A lot of my students feel like college is not an option and they are wasting their time. I try to tell them that it may not make them famous, but an education is something no one can take from them. Once you have the knowledge, it's yours forever.

I often feel like I am wasting my time with these children and feel like quitting. I am tired of being their only cheerleader. Then I often wonder, if I quit, who will cheer for them? But what about me, who's cheering for me? Why do I keep feeling empty, unfulfilled and miserable? I think I like teaching, but I don't like the apathy that I have to deal with.

This is the big one!

2009-01-20T10:13:00.002-06:00

1-20-2009, 10:56 CST, 44.
To some those numbers may not mean anything, but to me it means a lot. This tells me that anything is possible if you believe and work hard. Today, I am extremely proud to call myself an American. It is my prayer that America does not disappoint me and the many others who have faith in this country and the great things to come.

Keeping it chic (and affordable) in 2009

2009-01-04T21:02:00.007-06:00

This past Wednesday, I was at the hair salon and there was a lady who was complaining about her hairstyle. According to my hairstylist, when the lady came in her hair was gelled down and she had a banana clip in the top of her hair (horizontally). This lady also had some breakage. My stylist had to add some hair to her natural hair to make it look decent. After my stylist was finished, this woman kept complaining about how she didn't like her hair. My stylist and this lady's friend told her that her hair looked better than when she first walked into the shop. One of the other clients asked her how old was she and she replied 46. As I was sitting there listening to this exchange, I began to wonder: How did this woman get to be 46 and not care about her hair or how she looked? I'm sure it didn't happen overnight.

I want to encourage all of my sister girlfriends to keep it chic in 2009. I know there are a lot of people who think they can't afford to get their hair styled on a regular basis, but that's not true. Many(if not all) cosmetology schools/barber colleges
' offer services at a discount price. If you need a wash and trim, this may be the option for you. All the services are supervised by a licensed instructor and you may just find someone who is really good. Some of these schools offer nails, facials, and massages too. So, if you want a spa get-away, seek out a cosmetology school.

As it relates to clothing, buy classic, quality pieces that will last for quite some time. Now is also a good time to find upscale resale shops or thrift stores to buy clothes. If you go to affluent areas (where many people are not feeling the pinch), you may be able to snag some nice stuff at a fraction of the cost. I am not a big fan of Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and other stores like that (they're usually too cluttered and junky)but some people can find some great deals/steals at these stores.

Also, invest in some good shoes that will last. My daughter and one of her friends always sing "Payless shoes ain't got no grip, you gone fall and bust yo' lip." Now, if Payless is your store, then more power to you. Nevertheless, if you get a few pair of good shoes, you can have them repaired instead of throwing them away to buy new ones. Sure, they may cost more upfront, but in the end, it will help. If you purchase shoes and clothes on the off season, you can find better deals. (The down side to this is if you gain/lose weight, the clothes may not fit when it's time to wear them.)

Also, take care of your physical health. If you are laid off and without health insurance, most states have a local Board of Health where the services are free or low cost. You may also be able to go to dental schools to get your teeth cleaned. Some people may be able to get braces if that service is offered. I am not sure if you can get your teeth whitened, but I'd say look into it. You never know what options are available until you look into it.

As it relates to exercise, check your local park district or YMCA. Some of these places may offer classes for a nominal fee. I know in Chicago, some of the park districts have the same equipment as a lot of the big name health clubs and the fees are not as steep. I was looking into working out at one facility and I think it was $30 for 3 or 4 months. I know some of these health clubs charge that much on a monthly basis.

When it comes down to eating right, make it work for you. Try to brown bag it to work/school. I know it may seem like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised how much money you will save. If you place of employment provides free or reduced lunch, take advantage of it when possible. Even if you eat in the cafeteria at work and have to pay, it may save you at least $3 a day. Another lunch saving tip is to buy a reusable water bottle and freeze it at night. If you want purified water, buy a filter to attach to your faucet. I think you can find these for $30. That will prove to cheaper than buying bottled water.

I know some of these things may seem a bit redundant, but in order to keep it chic in 2009, these tips are essential. Make sure you are taking care of the outer shell as well as the inside. Also, make sure you nuture relationships that are nuturing to you. Go where you are celebrated and not tolerated! Happy New Year!

Let the search begin.

2008-12-29T13:15:00.009-06:00

I am in the process of looking for a place. I am probably not going to really get focused on the search until the spring of next year. I have been looking on line to see what options are available and to know what's out there. The way it looks is some of these houses will still be on the market when I get ready to buy. I am debating on if I should buy a condo (which is more than likely new developments) or if I should get existing property. Some of the properties are the same price, but I have to see which has better amenities.

I like this house. There are six (6) bedrooms, one full bath and 2 half baths. I think I may be able to get a grant from the bungalow association (They preserve historic bungalows in Chicago). I am also trying to get money from the City of Chicago and the Board of Education.

This house is in the historic Chatham neighborhood. My daughter is not too keen on the home and neither am I. I think I like the neighborhood more than the house, but that's not a reason to buy a house.

This is a commercial building that I could use for income property. I think there are four units in the building. I know this was abandoned mid the rehab process. I am not too keen on the area, but I'll have to do a drive by to check it out. I am not too sure if I want to be a landlord.

I am not going to make a hasty decision. I know I'll get a good deal. All of the properties here are around the same price. I am definitely going to pray and ask God to show me the place for me.

Now that Christmas has come and gone...

2008-12-26T10:43:00.005-06:00

This time of year can be a joyous one if you have people you love around you and you want to share it with them. I am so glad that Christmas has come and gone, you just don't know. I do think Christmas is so overrated and that is due to the media. People run out and get into debt buying gifts for one day. People use this time to volunteer as soup kitchens and shelters. Why don't people do this stuff all year? I don't know, maybe it's because during the Christmas time, we feel guilty. Now, explain this to me: How do you feel guilty about people who are less fortunate and then turn around and spend money you don't have on people you probably don't give a rat's patootie about? Talk about foolishness.

I want to offer some suggestions for people to consider doing consistently: Find a family that is less fortunate than you and adopt them. This year I got a 'Letter to Santa' from the post office and it was truly wonderful to see the expression on a stranger's face when I delivered items to them. Think about this: Many of us have our own personal Christmas every day. Most of the stuff we buy is not needed.

My next suggestion is volunteer at least once a month if possible. I think we get so consumed with our own personal lives, we forget about others until the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. I think many of us are rearing a bunch of selfish little brats who think of no one but themselves. Oh, but how can we expect our children to do something different if we haven't shown them. A little less selfishness and more selflessness.

The final suggestion I have is, learn how to purge. I know many of my friends have clothes and shoes they never/rarely wear. Get rid of that stuff. I am constantly checking my closet for things I can get rid of. I am not talking about the garbage you don't want, get rid of some of that good stuff. I read or heard somewhere that you should get rid of your "favorite" or "best" items. Once you do this, you will receive something better and an abundance of it.

My prayer for the New Year is that people learn how to become a better giver.

Tag!

2008-12-17T08:37:00.005-06:00

I was tagged by ShopGirlChicago Here's what you're supposed to do:
1. Link to your tagger and list the rules
2. List 7 random facts about yourself
3. Tag 7 people (make sure you check back and see what they say)
4. If you're tagged, play along and pass it on!

Here are my 7 facts:

1. I HATE going out with cheap people.
2. I am working on fulfilling my destiny.
3. I can be brutally honest.
4. I am not the most affectionate person.
5. I love shoes.
6. I collect fans.
7. I like nice ink pens.

Here's my tag list:

Shopgirlchicago

United States of Anthony

Keeping up with the Huxtables

Semi-Hipster Homeowner

Superfantasticgirl

Nails by Patrice

Atromito

Update to the men situation

2008-12-12T09:05:00.003-06:00

Alright, I have been neglectful when it comes to the updates on men who have called themselves interested in dating me. For those of you who have been living under a rock the past few days, the Governor of Illinois (affectionately known as G-Rod) was arrested a few days ago and since then, Illinos has been on the map. Well, I decided I am going to take a cue from him and use monikers for people as I blog. So, instead of me saying "I'm going to call this person Joe", they will now be referred to as "Person of Interest (PoI)" and a number will follow.

So, "Person of Interest #1" is someone who claim(s)/(ed)to have an interest in me but felt pressured (not sure from who. I think it was his family. He made a choice that didn't have a direct affect on me, but it made me question his parenting and decision making skills. I think part of his decision had to do with him being selfish and possibly being irresponsible. I actually like(d) him. (It's probably closer to past tense now.) Age: Mid-40's Marital Status: Never married Offspring: 1 Family: I met them and there seems to be a mutual liking (hence the pressure).

UPDATE #1: I spoke with him last night and he put his sexy voice on (that's what he called it)but to me it sounded more like I was expecting someone else. I initiated the phone call to let him know how my classes were on yesterday. (He sent me a text message a week ago asking me about my day and I told him about one of my classes that has been giving me the flux since the beginning of school.) I saw him on Tuesday because he stopped by for something unrelated to me. He was checking me out because he told me my hair was still looking good even though it was almost time for me to get it done.

"Person of Interest #2" is someone who has been around for some time and there has always been chemistry between us, but the timing is always off. We have been good friends and always have each others back. I like him but I don't think the romantic feelings are still there. If they are, there are some other issues I have with him. Age: Mid 40's Marital Status: Divorced Offspring: 1 Family: I met one brother. Mom has heard about me, never met.

UPDATE #2: I spoke with him Thursday morning to tell him about my steppin class. (He was supposed to teach me.) I just called to rub it in his face about him not fulfilling his end of the bargain.

"Person of Interest #3" is someone who I met a few years ago. Seems to be nice, but has some issues with offspring. A little bit too clingy for me. Thinks we should have fallen in love, gotten married and had a baby and called it Nate (if it was a boy). Age: Mid 40's Marital Status: I don't believe he has been married, but he did shack-up with someone Offspring: 2 Family: Never met them and I don't plan on meeting them.

UPDATE #3: I spoke with him the day after Thanksgiving and he told me how one (if not both) of his daughters held a party when he was at work and their friends cleaned him out. I always told him he needed to spend more time with them when he's off, but what do I know? I'm just the 800 lb gorilla in the room. We also had a conversation about how I don't feel like I should have to tell an adult male who thinks he is a man how he should treat a lady. I told him that most men are not ready for a lady like me (same thing I told Person of Interest #1)

"Person of Interest #4" is someone I met a few months ago. I can tell this person is interested but there a few reasons why I wouldn't consider dating him. One is he has a small child (smaller than I'm willing to be bothered with).The other reason is, I think the best way to put it is there will be a conflict of interest. Age: Mid 30's Marital Status: Unknown Offspring: 1 small child Family: Never discussed this

UPDATE: I enjoy talking to this person and he seems nice. He would probably be a good catch if I was willing to deal with a small child. It wouldn't work because of the conflict of interest.(No, he did not date anyone I know.)

"Person of Interest #5" is someone I've known for a few years. We've gone out a few times and that's pretty much the extent of it. He is nice, but ALWAYS has to be right or a know-it-all. He will do whatever I ask, but I can't stand his know it all attitude. Age: Early-Mid 40's? Marital Status: Divorced Offspring: 1 known (I think there may be more) Family: N/A

UPDATE: I went out to lunch with this individual a few weeks ago and I now realize why I wouldn't consider dating him seriously.

Now, I don't talk to all of this people on a regular basis. They call in spurts. I may only talk to one of them consistently. What baffles me is how they make these absurd assumptions that I want them. I may have felt that way at one point, but for the most part that chapter of my life is closed.

What in blueblazin is wrong with these students?

2008-12-06T09:37:00.002-06:00

When people go to school to become a teacher, the majority of the stuff taught does not prepare you for the classroom. Yesterday, I gave my students an open book test on Huck Finn. I had been telling them to make sure they read if they hadn't already done so. Now, a lot of my students claim they would pass an open book test if given one. I kept telling them they wouldn't because they would spend the majority of their time looking for the answers because they didn't read. Now, I watched many of them and they had just started reading yesterday. It was quite comical to me because some of them think they can outsmart the teacher.

My third period class has 20 boys and 10 girls. About 8 of the students are special education students. There is supposed to be a provider in there everyday for them, but sometimes I don't see one. I now sometimes the special education teachers say they are in meetings with parents, but I'm not too sure about that and I don't think it is legal to not come in the class. Anyway, my issue is with the regular education students. There are about 7 or 8 of the boys who like to act out and feed off each others negativity. Yesterday and the day before I had to step out of my element and meet them on their level. I don't like to do that, but it seems like that is the only way to really get their attention. I should have mentioned that this tomfoolery has been going on since the 2nd or 3rd week of school. I've calld homes and the situation hasn't improved.

One of the boys called himself trying to insinuate that he could be with my daughter in a sexual manner. My friend who teaches at a different school said I should have written him up. I told her, I don't operate like that. I said some less than stellar things about him and his momma. For those of you who don't know, that's the ultimate no-no when it comes to Black students. All of the other kids in the class were like "Whoa, she went hard" which means I really got him good.

After this class, I went to the programmer to let him know how difficult this class is and something has to be done. I never have had to do this and this is the first and last time I will have to do it. I wrote down the students' name and what they do. The principal went around and found all of them and spoke to them personally. They said the work is too hard and they didn't know how to write a paper. I never knew this because the act a plum fool in class. She also told them if she hears anything negative from any of their teacher's they are out of the school.

I am so grateful the principal supported me on this issue. When I was speaking with my other friends who teach, they express the same sentiments as I. They had to step out of their element with some of their students as well. I guess it is in the air. I am wondering why/how some of these students can act foolish all of the time. It's like they are never serious about anything. It is my prayer that they get it together real soon.

Restricted

2008-11-30T19:42:00.005-06:00

Today my daughter and I went to a few open houses. I got an e-mail from the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) housing office. There were two developers who are selling some of their properties at an auction. I am not financially prepared to make this purchase as of now, but I wanted to see what was available. There are a certain number of properties that the developer will sell regardless of price. Now, I know some of you may say that's great. I thought so also, but my concern is people who don't need the property may get it.

For those of you who don't know, people who work for the Chicago Board of Education and other City offices, are required to live in the city. Now, I know some people who scheme and lie about this, but I don't want to take that risk. Believe it or not, people have lost their jobs for living outside of the city. Nonetheless, I actually like living in the city and working for CPS. What I don't like is the price of "affordable" housing. I don't know about many people, but my salary does not allow me to afford this "affordable" housing. I think the City of Chicago and the Board of Education should work closely with these developers and management companies to offer better deals just for city employees. My sister lives in Virginia and her county offers educators (I think military as well) discounts on everything. Now, why can't/doesn't Chicago offer a program like this? I think certain apartment complexes in Virginia set aside a certain number of apartments for educators. I don't think the educators are required to put up a security deposit (if so, it's discounted).

Maybe I am asking too much, but I want to purchase a townhouse/home/condo for my daughter and I. I don't want to spend my entire paycheck on housing. I also want to live in a decent area. Am I asking too much?

How may times do I have to tell you to STOP calling me?!

2008-11-23T08:00:00.005-06:00

Here's the deal: This guy I'll call Joe (he, he) keeps calling me. Now he and I dated (at least I thought so until he said differently)for about 3-4 years. He was always very evasive about some things. I have learned in my lifetime that sometimes it's better to sit back, shut up and watch how things unfold. Well, about four years ago, we stopped all communication with each other. Frankly, I was tired of him and his inability to show me how much of a priority I was to him. Well, just recently I saw him and his family at church (I guess it's his wife and son) and since then he's been calling me. Now, I had to ask him where did all this renewed interest come from because it wasn't like we were in a relationship or anything. Now when I reminded him of that he got all beasty (crazy) and was like what are you talking about. I don't think people realize that words can be very powerful and hurtful and sometimes we don't realize the foolish things that may have come out of our mouths because we have matured or been humbled. Anyway, he was upset that I reminded him of this comment. I mean come on, how can you go out with an individual for some years and spend time together, but not call it a relationship? What was it?

Anyway, I keep telling him that nothing is going to happen, there are no romantic feelings on my behalf and even if there were some, Joe made his decision a few years ago and I accepted it. He chose to be with someone else and I respected it because he could give me the things I desired. Why would I want to entangle myself in that kind of tomfoolery? I just don't get men sometimes. When they have a situation that may not be the perfect, they go elsewhere looking for something better. Then once the wool is removed from their eyes, they want to come crawling back. That's just plain ol' craziness. What is really comical to me is it seems like Joe had realized that he probably made a decision that wasn't the best and now he is regretting it.

To the fellas, when you have a woman who is into you and "you're just not that into her" don't come calling her years later thinking that you can have her back. For the most part when a woman is finished with a man, that's it. If that relationship is dead, she isn't going to resurrect it.

Beautiful Black

2008-11-17T12:49:00.003-06:00

I purposely waited to blog about President-Elect Obama. I believe he is going to make some changes; however I want to caution many people to remember that he is a man. I think a lot of Black people are looking for him to be their savior.

In order for change to take place, we must be willing to work towards it. This means we must get up out of our comfort zone and make some things happen. It is my prayer that this change inspires many Black males to be a father and not just a sperm donor or a part-time/no-time fixture in their child's life. It is also my desire that the Black family becomes united again. There was a time when momma and daddy were at home rearing their children. Now it's momma or grandma going it alone.

I also hope that the Obama's will bring back the style that Blacks used to have. If you look at pictures from the 50's and 60's (maybe the 70's) when Black people went places they were so sharp they had to walk sideways so they wouldn't cut you. What happened to those days? I remember when people used to dress up for weddings, funerals, church, and other events. It is a rare thing to see people dressing for anything. I am wondering how we became so lax? Why do people go to work looking like they are going fishing? Why do young girls think it is acceptable to come outside with a rag tied around their head? Don't they realize they are perpetuating the stereotypes about Blacks when they continue to do these things?

I know First Lady in waiting Obama is going to bring that class back to the American women. I hope they aren't at the pond fishing and they miss it.

Addendum to the stupid things men say and do

2008-11-10T13:36:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I went to church. My sister and daughter was with me. I saw this guy I used to date there with his family. My sister didn't think the child was his but my daughter and I thought so. I had seen him a few weeks ago but he had come late and left early so I did have an opportunity to speak with him. Well, after I had seen him, I sent him a text message saying so but he didn't reply until Thursday of that week. He wanted to let me know how much of an influence I had on his life. During this conversation I told him I had seen him at church and he told me he was a member there. We got to talking and I explained to him how I had been visiting different churches. He told me if I wanted company give him a call the night before. Now, I am wondering how is he going to go to church with me and he has a family.

Well, I think he and this woman had on wedding rings. I couldn't really tell, but it looked like it. I was wondering if it was real. (He was the one who got me the cheesy gift for Christmas and cheapened it even more by trying to pass it off as something it was not.) Now that I think about it, this occurred about 4 years ago and shortly thereafter I stopped seeing him. This child looks like he is about that age. Hmm.... Maybe that is why he got the cheesy gift, to get rid of me to be with the other woman. Does he really think I'm that stupid?

I don't know why men can't or won't be honest with women. It tickles me when they say stupid stuff like "I didn't know how to tell you" or "I didn't want to hurt your feelings". Well, jackdonkey, when you don't say anything you make the situation worse. I also think men must understand that women don't have these fragile ego's like them. We might be hurt and disappointed, but we are resilient and we will bounce back. A lot of the times we are way too good for them and we have enhanced their lives more than they have enhanced ours.

Ladies, we should be thanking these guys when they relieve us of our headache. We should have an obituary, sympathy card and thank you note ready to send to them when it's over. We need the obituary to let them know that this relationship is dead and there is not possibility of it ever being restored. The sympathy card is to get him through his time of bereavement. The thank you note is to thank him for killing the relationship so the person God has for you can come into your life.

Ethnic Notions is more than a notion.

2008-11-01T15:19:00.001-05:00

I rented a movie from the library titled "Ethnic Notions" to use with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I didn't watch the video prior to showing my students. I had planned on doing it, but I went knitting on Wednesday evening.

Today we finished watching the video and it was very powerful for some of the students. The documentary traces the history of the stereotypes of Blacks in America. Many of my students did not understand how these images of mammy, sambo, uncle and others came about. They also did not know/understand why Blacks were portrayed with very dark skin (i.e. the minstrel shows), as aggressive brutes, and in a savage manner. We had an opportunity to discuss the video and some of the students got it while others seemed totally lost.

I had to explain to them how some of the stereotypes projected in this video are still perpetuated by Blacks and they think it is entertaining. I gave them a few examples of show that they could relate to that perpetuated some stereotypes about Blacks. One of the shows was "The Wayans Brothers" with the two youngest brothers, Shawn and Marlon. I believe Marlon is the youngest brother and he was portrayed as an aloof young man. A few of the students didn't understand how that perpetuated a stereotype and I had to let them know that it supports the theory that all Black men are stupid.

I also told them about "The Parkers" which portrayed Nikki Parker as this highly sexual being chasing after a man. I also explained that this stereotype is still projected when they watch music videos. I also told the students that when they come to school fighting, they confirm the stereotype that Blacks (especially men) have this strength and they don't know how to articulate themselves so they result to fighting.

The last thing I let them know was that the image/perception of children was that they were unkempt. Their hair wasn't combed and they didn't have on any clothes when they left the house. Now, most of the students wear clothes to school, but they don't always comb their hair. I also explained to them that if someone knows nothing about them or Blacks and have been exposed to the images on the televison, they will believe what the idiot box (i.e. television) has shown them. If the students continue to perpetuate these images, the perception will never change.

The last thing I am going to mention about stereotypes is in my freshman class, we were looking at this website about advertising. There was a quiz about tv and reality. One of the questions asked something about how many times does and actual police officer fire his gun in the line of duty. I think the options were once a week, month, year, or none of the above. The answer was none of the above. Police officers actually rarely use their guns in the line of duty. This new student says" That's not true, they must not go to Black neighborhoods, they use thier guns all the time if you run away." I had to explain to him that that is a stereotype that he has believed.

I am not sure if my sophomore students really understood "Ethnic Notions", but I hope it resonates with some of them. I think the reason many of them didn't really get it was they have been inundated with these stereotypes for so long, they don't know anything else.

Author tags:

The stupid things that men say (and do)

2008-10-28T20:55:00.003-05:00

I was speaking to a friend today and he and I talk on a regular basis. We have this joke that he is my FB (fake boyfriend). Well, a couple of months ago he purchased a new luxury vehicle. We always share our good and bad times, so I told him to stop by so I can see it. Today, I teased him about how he hasn't taken me for a ride in this new car and he said when he had come by, I was on my way out with my FB. That sparked my latest rant.

I was telling him how I have men interested (so they say) in dating me, but they are not ready for me. I know from other men I have dated (that realized after the fact) what type of woman I am and my worth. Well, I proceeded to rant about how men think because you are a single woman and they are a single man, you automatically want to get married (to them). I had to tell him that I think it is nice that these men think highly of themselves, but who said I wanted to marry them? Now, don't get me wrong, I would like to get married one day, but I want it to be for keeps. I am not going to marry any ole' body who comes along. My friend politely told me that [maybe] my standards are higher than most women and [maybe] I intimidate these men.

I don't know if my standards are high but I think after you reach a certain age, you should be a man of your word. (The same goes for ladies.) I think after you reach a certain point in your life, the foolishness should stop. I don't feel like I should have to tell a man that I like to go out every once in a while. I also don't feel like I should have to tell a man that I like to smell flowers while I am breathing. I also don't think I should have to fight to get a man's time. I should not have to tell him everything that I like to do. I think he should take the time to figure it out if he is truly interested. I think these are things that he should know and understand. I also don't believe I should settle for second best. I work to provide a life for my daughter and myself. I am trying to get some things going for me so I don't necessarily have to work hard my entire life and I don't have a lot of time for stress.

Just the past few weeks, I have gotten calls from guys I haven't spoken to in months/years. One guy told me how he didn't realize how much I had helped him to become the person he is today until after I stopped talking to him. This was the same dude who got me a less than stellar gift for Christmas. If it is the thought that counts, he was truly thoughtless. I told him thank you for allowing me to hear this while I am alive (you do know most people don't share these thing until someone dies)and he really made my day. (I think he did that because I sent him a text message[that he claims he didn't get] after I had seen him and his family[some girl and a child] at church that Sunday.)

Another guy called me and he is too busy trying to get me in his bed he can't clean his house. Now, don't get me wrong, everything I own doesn't have a place, but I don't have crap all over the place (you moved into over a year ago) and call myself tyring to have company. I don't mind a little paper, but when there is paper where furniture should be, something is wrong. Also, when your dishes haven't been washed in over a week and you have a dishwasher, you living nasty.

Then, I had one guy to act a fool because we were supposed to get together and he called to cancel/reschedule at the last minute. Now, I am flexible, but don't act like I don't have a life. He got mad because I had plans for later and he pulled a "B" move and didn't answer my calls. Then he said "He was feeling pressured". I am not sure how when he cancelled on me.

(This happened a while ago, but I had to throw it in.) I also had this one guy try to pretend like he was something he was not. He was trying to be a baller and a shot caller. He invited me out and told me my daughter could come. We rode out to Schaumburg with him and we got something to eat on the way back. Now prior to this, he was trying to act like he had it going on. So I decided we would go to Shaw's Crab House because that and Pompeii's were the only places I noticed. Well, he ordered some gumbo and was picking at it with his fork, only eating the shrimp out of it. He kept on saying to us to get what we wanted, so my daughter (who knows little about being modest) ordered calamari for an appetizer, her entree was shrimp and scallops and we shared a creme brulee for desert. My silly daughter told me that when the check arrived, the guy eyes got real huge. She did wait until a few weeks later to tell me. I laughed so hard. My daughter asked me if I had spoken to him lately and when I told her no, that is when she shared his facial expression with me. She also told me that she probably busted his wallet and he shouldn't have told her to order whatever she wanted.

Now, I say all of this because I had to get this rant off my chest. I like to go out and I also like to feel appreciated every once in a while. I don't think I should have to tell a man who is supposed to be grown these things. I think he should try to get to know me to see what I like. The guy who gave me the cheesy gift, obviously didn't know me that well. We had dated for a few years (at least I thought) and he still got me something that was not me. I wonder why guys do things like that? This guys would always call me and I would be in one of my favorite stores, Target. Logic says that he should have gotten a gift card to that store, but he didn't. I also had a guy to buy me some products from Bath and Body Works. Now he got a fragrance that is not my favorite and a product that I don't use. Now, I did appreciate that gift more than I did the other gift. I just think that gifts are personal and if you don't really know a person in that manner, gift cards or cash is always good.

My Breast are Fine

2008-10-13T15:28:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to update everyone on my lastest appointment. My breast are fine. I had an ultrasound today and they look good. I have to go back in 6 months, but I feel a whole lot better. I will keep you all updated.

Same-sex unions affects everyone.

2008-10-12T19:46:00.005-05:00

Today, I went to visit a church in the South Suburbs. This church is located in Tinley Park, IL. During the service, there was a video clip about Proposition 8. This is designed to protect the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. Now, this post is not about who should and should not be allowed to marry, but it is about the video clip. In this clip, there was a couple in MA (I believe) whose 5 year old son (kindergarten) was given a book about same sex unions. The parents were concerned that the public school distributed this information to their child without their notification. Long story short, the school said since same-sex marriage was legal in the state, they did not have to tell the parents about it and they were free to discuss this issue at any time with any public school age child.

Now, you are probably wondering what does this have to do with me. Well, this issue is a topic in which both presidential candidates have spoken out about in their campaigns. Now, the concern is also with your local legislators. It is important to know how they stand on this topic. I am not in favor of anyone in the school teaching my child about same-sex marriages and homosexual relationships. It is my understanding that the book (I can't remember the title) is already in Illinois schools.

This video clip taught me something I didn't know. If same-sex unions are legalized, educators may be forced to teach this in their classes whether they agree with it or not. I am not sure if I am comfortable with this being forced upon small children at such an impressionable age. Now, what people do in their homes is their business; nevertheless, I just don't know if I want someone teaching my child about homosexual relationships and they probably don't understand male/female relationships.

I hope people will take think about this as they cast their votes.

Is there hope for the future?

2008-10-07T19:16:00.006-05:00

I pose this question because another young high school student was shot and killed on the bus this past Sunday. She was not the intended target, but nonetheless her life is lost. This young girl attended the same high school as Blair Holt (who was killed on the bus last spring). I wonder what is really going on in the Black community? It is so sad that many of the young children I teach will probably die before they reach the age of 25.

A few weeks ago, I was speaking with the inclusion teacher in one of my classes and we were trying to figure out what is going on with the students and why they are so apathetic. One of things we discovered was for many of the students we teach, high school is as good as it gets. There will be no college graduations, wedding showers, weddings, house warming parties and things of that nature. There may be a baby shower, but it won't be a grand event. We also realized that many of them won't accomplish much in life because of the people around them. I want to believe that they will overcome, but it is hard when you are fighting with generations of a poverty stricken mentality. Never before in my life have I encountered a group of people who don't see anything wrong with being poor and receiving government handouts. When I was growing up, we were poor and wore hand-me-downs (from a neighbor). My parents didn't receive government assistance (I don't know if they didn't qualify of if it was an issue of pride). We were what you would consider the working poor, nevertheless, we overcame and wanted to succeed.

A lot of my students don't see anything wrong with public assistance and are quite proud to say they receive it. I don't want people to get the wrong impression, I am not against people receiving government assistance; however I am against people becoming dependent upon these services. I think the system is partly to blame for this. When people are in school trying to better themselves, they usually don't qualify for assistance. Now, if it is supposed to "assist" people in a time of need, why can't they get this help? It seems like it is designed to create dependency. As a result, a lot of people and their families remain on public assistance for years with no hope/intention of ending this dependency.

What also bothers me about this is oftentimes people who do not earn a lot of money qualify for various grants and financial aid if they want to go to college and many of them don't take advantage of these programs because of the negative people around them or for lack of ambition. I knew a girl who was receiving public assistance and she enrolled in cosmetology school. Public Aid paid for her school (in full) and purchased the books and materials she needed (curling irons, blow dryers and other hair care items). Why did she drop out of the program? Maybe it was the people around her discouraging her or just laziness? I don't know. I don't get it; if the people around you will talk about you if you do well and if you don't do well, so what's the harm? I say if they are going to talk, let it be for something good.

I want to believe that my students will be successful, but I am having a difficult time buying into this philosophy when they don't do any work or come prepared. I think America has dumbed down education to the point of no return. At the beginning of each school year, I have my students to write down their goals for the year. Most, if not all of my students said the same things: (1) get to school on time, (2) pass all of their classes, and (3) stay out of trouble. Now, maybe I am crazy, but those seem like things you should be doing. I guess if no one is checking behind them, then what the hey! I know for some of them these may actually be a difficult thing to accomplish, but when 95-97% of my students told me this, I am beginning to think that these are home issues. what happened to a student wanting to make the honor roll or be the best in his/her class? Maybe it is because coonery and buffoonery still exist and many of my students have bought into the theory that fools get paid.

I guess it comes down to a few things: (1) America is the blame for this lack luster attitude and social dependency. I think many students don't see anything wrong with Section 8 housing, free lunch, food stamps and/or medical cards when they are wearing the latest designer shoes and clothes, have big screen televisions, and cable or satellite television service. Oh, I forgot to mention they have the latest cell phones and IPOD's. It baffles me that students have all of these items and no dictionary, books or computer in the home. Where are the priorities? When will parents begin to re-focus their priorities and get children the things they need? I also want them to start parenting their children.

Many of my students don't have a clue about things that happen outside their communities. They don't think these things affect them. Well, they can and probably do. I have tried to encourage my students to pay attention to the presidential campaign because in four years, they will be eligible to vote for the next president. If they are not aware of some of the issues taking place now, they won't be aware in four years. They need to know what candidate is going to fight for the poor and which will say to hell with them because they are a burden to society.

I try to be optimistic, but I am having a difficult time seeing the glass as half full. I know it is not all of the student's fault, but when will the parent's accept responsibility? I saw my parents working a job where there was not room for advancement and I didn't want that type of life. I also believe my community environment played a significant role in this as well.

I have often voiced my concerns about the lack luster attitude parents and students have as it relates to students and the educational system. I have noticed that most of my students who don't see anything wrong with receiving these government "benefits" (that's what they think they are), maybe it should be tied/linked to their attendance and performance. I think if the government told parents that their government checks were based upon their child's attendance and performance in school, maybe their attitude and actions will change. I know it may sound extreme, but think about this, when you are late for work, sometimes you get docked for this. Now, if a person paycheck is docked for coming late, why shouldn't these government checks get docked?

To scoop or not to scoop?

2008-09-19T10:59:00.005-05:00

I've noticed in recent days a number of people walking their dogs with no pooper scooper or bag in sight. I've actually seen some people walk away after their canine has pooped and left the treat in someones grass or on the sidewalk. Now, I had a pooch and we had to put him down a few years ago. I always carried a bag and a piece of newspaper for when he would poop. After a while, I had gotten so good where as I would set the paper down and he would poop on the paper. All I had to do was roll it up and put it in the bag.

I don't understand why people want to leave their dog's feces lying around. I think this is rude and inconsiderate on all who do this. I don't know if this occurs in all neighborhoods, but I know I am tired of seeing it in mine. I wish I was able to give people a ticket for leaving these things behind. Maybe I should pick up their dogs poop and put it on their doorstep. I don't know what the answer is and maybe you can help me out. What should/could be done to make others more mindful of leaving their dogs "treats" for others to step in and take home with them?

Dream Big.

2008-09-14T08:42:00.006-05:00

I've been back to work for two weeks now and so far it's been pretty good. I have one section of freshmen and 4 sections of sophomores. I really like the sophomore curriculum because everything we do is related to the American Dream and is it attainable for all. Last year when I taught this unit, I really had a good time with the students. many of them got into what they desire and how their parents and other family members are the ones who might prevent them for accomplishing them. When it comes to my students, I am brutally honest with them. I let them know that no one owes them anything and they need to learn how to work hard for what they want. If they desire to attend college, they need to start investigating things about the school they want to attend. They should know what the required ACT score is for admissions.

This past week, my students were to read an article in their workbooks and answer some opinion based questions about the article. What I have come to realize is many elementary school teachers focus so much on what the book says instead of teaching students to become independent thinkers. I am having a difficult time with getting them to think for themselves. Many of them did not answer any of the questions because they were concerned with getting the question wrong. I keep stressing to them that there is no way they can get something wrong when it asks what do you think.

I also gave an assignment that required the students to write down their goals for this school year (personal and/or academic) and their expectations for the class. Many of them had the same goals: come to school/class on time, pass all of their classes and stay out of trouble. Now, I know you are probably thinking like me, they should already be doing these things, right, wrong! You'd be surprised to know that many students miss so much school and no one is checking up on them. I have students in my class that have missed a week and we've been in for two weeks.

Throughout this school year, we are going to work on a dream book. All students are required to have a scrapbook or binder to hold all of their contents. It is my desire that my students learn to dream big. Many of them have been in classes and schools where the expectations have been lowered. A lot of my students complained when I posted the grading scale for them. I modified it a little from the Chicago Public School (CPS) suggested scale. For the CPS scale I think 75 and below is an "F". I changed mine to be 70 and below. I had to explain to them that when/if they go to college and they have had a grading scale where 90-100 is an "A", they are not going to be able to compete with other students where their grading scale was 95-100 is an "A". If my students earned all 90's, they truly earned a "B". I also told them to expect more from themselves. They can earn these grades if they do the work. Many of them refuse to do the work because they have had low expectations their entire lives. Some of their teachers truly don't expect them to make it and their parents definitely don't believe it. When they encounter a teacher who does expect them to do more, they think that teacher is being hard on them.

I am trying to get them to Dream Big! I want them to have higher expectations for their lives. I also want them to be realistic in their goals. I think the biggest challenge is many of these students come from low income/poverty stricken families and in those type of communities, progress is often shunned. When you want to do better, the community looks down on you because "you think you are better than them", but as soon as you make it, they will have their hands out looking for you to save them. Many of my students want to be professional athletes and rap artists, but they are not doing anything now to get there. They don't realize that they should be on the school sports team (no matter how lame they think the team is) in order to get noticed. A lot of them want to be in the limelight because they watch television and it appears like the people in the limelight have it all. I keep trying to tell them that these people need managers, attorneys, and producers. Those people get paid and oftentimes it's before the artist gets paid. All they see is the person who they believe is "getting paid". It is sad, but so true.

This brings me to another issue. This past Thursday in the Chicago Tribune, there was an article about paying students for getting good grades. An 'A' is $50, 'B' is $35 and 'C' is $20. The students will get 1/2 of the money upfront and the rest when they graduate. They are eligible to get this every quarter, but if they receive an 'F' they can't get any money. I have an issue with this because I think it undermines everything I am trying to teach my students. I want them to know that their reward comes when they don't have to work a minimum wage job. How can I get them to understand this when people want to pay them for earning good grades? In my opinion it is similar to giving teachers money for "merit" pay. I think when money is involved, it can cause some to do some unscrupulous things.

It baffles me to think that education has gotten to this point. I know when I was in school, I got good grades because my parents expected me to do so, not because I thought I would get some money for it. I know what it is like to grow up without having. We wore hand-me-downs and received commodities (government food). We didn't buy name brand foods all the time. I know what it is like to be without. I don't know if my parents didn't qualify for food stamps, but I know we didn't get them. I qualified for free lunch. I know exactly what my students are experiencing, however I think the biggest difference is my parents worked jobs. They expected us to get a job when we were old enough and maintain decent grades. My sisters and I did it and I think we are better people for doing so.

Our experiences taught us how to get an education to better ourselves. It is nothing against our parents because they did a wonderful job in rearing us. They also did what they felt necessary for us. What they did do is instill in us a good work ethic and the desire to go to college. I am still in the process of dreaming big. When I look at my current situation, I often say "this can't be as good as it gets." I am always trying to figure out a way to set higher goals and accomplish them. I think this dream book activity is going to be a great thing for all. I hope my students really take the time to put their all into it. I really want them to Dream Big.

Bright lights and plenty of food! Cha-ching.

2008-09-07T17:45:00.007-05:00

This past Friday, I took a trip (my first one) to a local casino across the border. I had to drop something off at my friends house and we went to the dinner buffet at the casino. Now for those of you who don't know me, I am not a gambler. I prefer to spend my money on constant things like shoes, clothes, dinner, etc. Well, I must admit, the food is good. I am now a believer when the "saints" say they go for the food. I know some of them eat and play the slots, but the food is worth the trip.

When we arrived at the casino, it was around 5p. As we walked through the casino, I looked around and saw many people who looked like they had just gotten off work. It didn't seem like these people were leaving corporate jobs. I also saw many seniors. Some of these seniors were in wheel chairs, had oxygen tanks and other debilitating conditions. Now, I got to thinking, you are sick and in a wheel chair and you are at the casino playing the slot machines.

This visit got me to wondering, how many people in this casino have lost their homes due to foreclosure or are in the process of losing their homes? I know many of these people probably have past due bills. It really saddens me to see these poor people (and I mean poor) throwing money away. I know a lot of these individuals probably just got paid and took their entire paychecks to the boat. It looked like some of these people were/are living paycheck to poor check. I am confident many of them probably took the shuttle bus there. You do know that a lot of these casino's send buses to nursing homes and designated bus stops to pick up patrons. I know they used to charge a fee (maybe $5) but I'm sure if you don't have it they'll let you go through.

My friend won a few dollars and after that occurred, there was a lady who sitting at the machine to the left and she got right on that same machine trying to win some money. I guess these people don't know that these machines are designed for the house to win. I remember watching one of the news shows some years ago (20/20 or Dateline) and there was a man suing a particular casino for his gambling addiction. When it came down to it, it was discovered that the agency that was supposed to monitor the makers of the slot machines was working together to rig the machines. If a machine was supposed to pay out 1:10,000, they might fix it where it was 1:100,000. Towards the end of the segment, the host made a comment about this flawed system and posed the following question: If this is taking place in the gaming industry, what other industries are affected by this? I guess one will never know.

My hope and prayer it that these people wake up and smell the cocoa beans before it's too late and they are sitting on the curbside.

Chicago's School Boycott

2008-09-02T18:35:00.004-05:00

There have been a lot of discussions about the plan to boycott school today. It was started by Rev. Senator James Meeks. This boycott is to draw attention to the inadequacies in school funding in Illinois and other areas. I understand the purpose of the boycott, but I have to question the timing/motives. For those of you who don't know, Chicago teachers and other city employess must live in the city. I don't have a problem with that at all, but there are many educators who live in the city, work for the school system but they send their children to private schools. Now, I know it is probably a bit much to ask people to send their children to a public school, but my question is this: How can you expect others to buy into a school system when the educators who have been hired to educate our children don't send their children to these schools? Now should I no longer have faith in this system? If the 'teachers' don't send their children to these schools, why should others? It makes me question the teachers heart. Maybe this system is good enough to pay your bills, but not good enough to educate thier children. Isn't that like an oxymoron?

Another issue raised is how many of the legislators don't send their children to public schools. Once again, I ask, how can you ask others to support a system when the lawmakers, the same ones you have elected don't support public education? A few years ago, I was watching a news program with a legislator(I think he's was from Georgia)who had moved into a different district and there was a stipulation that stated all students must attend the neighborhood school. This neighborhood school was a poor perfoming school. Well, the local school board decided to make an exception for this man and his family and allow his children to attend a "better" school. This legislator said no. If the school board says his children has to attend the local school, then that's where they will go. I could not believe it. Someone with a position of power and chose not to abuse it.

The final thought I have on this issue it this, Rev. Senator James Meeks children are not in public school and have never been in public school. One of the representatives (Mary Flowers) who supports this boycott, sent her daughter to school. Now, I ask again, how can we ask others to buy into a system when the people organizing this boycott don't?

Critics believe children should not be involved/used for political gain. Nonetheless, how can you invoke a change if children are not involved? The last time I checked my history books, the Little Rock Nine were teens when they integrated Central High. Now, I also ask this question, how do we prepare our children to fight for a cause if they are never shown what to do or given an opportunity to do so? If I am not mistaken, when those students had a sit in at the Woolworth counter, they were college students.

Many of the school officials and legislators were pushing for the students to go to school, well let me tell you, I had a good number to show up, unprepared! When I asked them, they said "they didn't know they were going to need pen and paper to do work." Excuse me, but what is the point in coming to school if you are not prepared to do any work? So, all of this hoopla about going to school was a bunch of hogwash if you ask me, but who's asking.

Overall, there were students and their parents who did participate in this boycott. I applaud them for it, but my question is this: What happens after the boycott?

Did Barack rock the house?

2008-08-29T09:31:00.007-05:00

This is the first time that many Americans, Black or white have followed an election in depth as they have these past 19 months. Who would have thought that the time would come when a Black man would be nominated as the Democratic Presidential Candidate. August 28, 2008, is a day that I, like many other Americans will never forget. This date will be kept in my memory bank with other significant dates such as my birthday, my daughter's birthday, the day my grandmother died and the day I put my dog to sleep. You might have some dates that are important to you as well. August 28, 1963 is also a date that was monumental. It was the day that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.gave what is probably his most famous speech. When Dr. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, it is possible that he knew this day would come. I have heard his speech many times and I think some of the lines we all remember are the lines in which he wants his children to be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. I think last night, Dr. King and others who have transitioned on were looking down on this momentous event. Words can't express the way that I feel. Now when my students and other children of color express their desire to become the president, I can actually believe that this is attainable.

I also want to pay homage to Hillary Clinton. I think she was very successful in her bid to become president. I think the primary election has shown girls all around the world that the sky is the limit. Throughout the primary election, I realized that this was something I had never witnessed and I was glad to be a part of history. At first, I didn't really care who won because it would have been monumental either way, but now I can honestly say I am glad that Barack Obama won. I think this nomination has shown the progress Americans have made, but I think it is also a reminder to let Black people know that our fight is just beginning. I think this election will get nastier as time goes on, but I want Black Americans to realize that we've only just begun. We need to keep Mr. Obama and his family covered in our prayers on a daily basis. There are still some people who do not like him because of the color of his skin.

As it relates to the qualifications of becoming president, last time I checked there were only 3 requirements: (1) the candidate must be at least 35 years of age (2) a natural born United States citizen and (3) a permanent resident of the United States for the past 14 years. So when all of these people keep saying he is not qualified, is hogwash. How many presidents were truly qualified when they took office? How does one become qualified? George Bush was in his first term when September 11 occurred. Was he qualified to handle that? Three years ago to this day, when Hurricane Katrina happened, President Bush was not qualified to handle that. Now, will someone please tell me, how does one get qualified to handle these types of situations?

Allow me to share a little bit of history with you courtesy of my good friend Ronn Jonze, fellow alum of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.:

1. When white people wanted to build a nation what did they do?

What did they do?
They went to Africa and enslaved Blacks to turn the
country into an agricultural powerhouse.

2. White folk wanted to make Washington D.C. A great city. What did they do?
They used a Black to design the city and Black labor to
build it.

3.White folk wanted to explore the western USA .
What did they do?
Lewis and Clark took a Black slave with them to negotiate
with the Indians.

4.White folk wanted to end the Civil War.
What did they do?
They freed the slaves who helped win the war.

5.White folk wanted to take San Juan Hill. What did they do?
Teddy rushed up the hill, got in trouble, and was rescued
by Blacks who took the hill.

6. White folk wanted to take the middle and western USA from the Indians.

What did they do?
They sent the Buffalo soldiers to protect the settlers
and to fight the Indians.

7. White folk wanted to raise cattle in the mid west.
What did they do?
They hired cowboys to do it (Yes, most cowboys were Black.)

8. White folk wanted to explore the North Pole.
What did they do?
Adm. Perry took a Black guide along to get him there. The guide reached the pole before Perry.

9 White folk wanted to make the USA armed forces better.
What did they do?
Truman integrated the military.

10. White folk wanted to improve college and pro sports and
make more money doing so.

What did they do?
They integrated sports and built larger stadiums and
arenas and tougher golf courses.

Now, White folk want a new president to straighten out
the Bush mess.

WHAT WILL THEY DO, BASED ON HISTORY????

WHITE FOLKS AIN'T STUPID.

Is this truly a recession?

2008-08-26T21:03:00.006-05:00

In the past few months, many people have been saying the country is in a recession. I wanted to know what truly defines a recession and if the United States is in one. According to www.investorwords.com a recession is a period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in GDP for two or more consecutive quarters. I didn't know if this had occured, so I thought, let me check and see what others have said about this topic. I went to Wikipedia and this is what I discovered:

"A recession is a contraction phase of the business cycle. In the USA, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defines it more broadly as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales."[1] Newspapers often quote the rule of thumb that a recession occurs when real gross domestic product (GDP) growth is negative for two or more consecutive quarters. However, not only is this a flawed measure that fails to register several official (NBER defined) US recessions, the quotation has been taken out of context from a 1974 New York Times article that listed a number of rules of thumb, the rest of which have been ignored [2]. A sustained recession may become a depression."

Now having read that, I still didn't know if we were in a recession. One of the main reasons for this is many experts often don't agree upon an universal definition of what a recession truly is. If you asked some economist about a recession and depression, some of them may be confused or give very different answers. Based upon the first definition I provided, it is very difficult to actually determine when this "recession" began or ends.

According to the second definition, the NBER uses various factors to determine if the country is in a recession. These factors include wholesale retail sales, employment, real income and industrial production. Sidebar: What is fake income? The NBER also considers when business activity has reached its peak and starts to fall until the time when business activity bottoms out. When business activity starts to peak again it's called an expansionary period. According to this concept/definition, the average recession lasts a year.

After reading that, I can now see how the "experts" can/will disagree on what a recession truly is. I'm leaning more towards the experts who believe a recession is close to a depression. I don't think we have truly entered a recession. I believe some indicators will be the inability to do some of the most basic things that might be taken for granted. For example, maybe you would shop at a huge super/discount store and buy household items in bulk, when you are unable to purchase a large quantity of necessities and you have to cut back, we are in a recession. I beg to differ that the United States is in a recession because so many people spent a lot of money to see the movie Dark Knight. How can the economy be in a recession when this movie was in the number one spot for weeks?

I guess it goes back to the amount of disposable income one has to spend and if one person has $100 in disposable income and another has $1000, the person with the $1000 might not think things are bad.

Is chivalry dead?

2008-08-20T16:55:00.002-05:00

Is chivalry dead? I have heard this topic debated and I don't think there has ever been a definitive answer. I found this "Code of Chivalry" courtesy of http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/chivalry.html Please tell me if you think chivalry is dead or if some of this stuff is non-existent.

The Art of Courtly Love
From The Art of Courtly Love by Andreas Capellanus
Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.
He who is not jealous cannot love.
No one can be bound by a double love.
It is well known that love is always increasing or decreasing.
That which a lover takes against the will of his beloved has no relish.
Boys do not love until they reach the age of maturity.
When one lover dies, a widowhood of two years is required of the survivor.
No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons.
No one can love unless he is propelled by the persuasion of love.
Love is always a stranger in the home of avarice.
It is not proper to love any woman whom one would be ashamed to seek to marry.
A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved.
When made public love rarely endures.
The easy attainment of love makes it of little value: difficulty of attainment makes it prized.
Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved.
When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved his heart palpitates.
A new love puts an old one to flight.
Good character alone makes any man worthy of love.
If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.
A man in love is always apprehensive.
Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.
Jealousy increases when one suspects his beloved.
He whom the thought of love vexes eats and sleeps very little.
Every act of a lover ends in the thought of his beloved.
A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved.
Love can deny nothing to love.
A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved.
A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved.
A man who is vexed by too much passion usually does not love.
A true lover is constantly and without intermission possessed by the thought of his beloved.
Nothing forbids one woman being loved by two men or one man by two women.

What happened to television?

2008-08-17T20:03:00.012-05:00

Growing up, my grandmother used to call the television the "idiot box." It wasn't until I got older that I understood why she referred to it as that. If she called it the idiot box then, what should we call it now?

I want to take you back down memory lane. On our first stop, we are going to go visit Mike and Carol and their six children. For those of you who don't know who they are shame on you. The Brady Bunch was the family everyone watched. (At least my friends and I watched the reruns.) I don't ever recall anything really bad happening to them. Sure they had some minor mishaps, but nothing major.

The next stop on this ride is with that racist Archie. You got it, I am talking about All in the Family. It is unbelievable that this shows first telecast was January 12, 1971 and the last one was January 25, 1992. I know, I couldn't believe it either. When I have seen epsiodes of it as I got older, I was baffled as to how he remained on the air for so long. Nevertheless, many of us watched because there were not many shows that had Black actors/actresses in them (i.e. George and Weezy).

We are going to stay on the East Coast and visit the Drummond Family. Over all, I enjoyed Different Strokes and I don't have too many bad things to say about it. It is unfortunate that many of the shows stars had/have substance abuse issues. I loved it when Arnold was being bulled by "The Gooch." I thought that was hilarious. This is one of the few classic shows that I thought was pretty good.

The next stop on our trip is one of my all time favorite sitcoms. I am not sure if I like the family because the show was set in Chicago or what. This family of 5 live in the housing projects and was always struggling to make ends meet. (Maybe this is what made the show a little bit more enjoyable.) I am talking about "Good Times" with Florida, James, J.J, Thelma and Michael. I really like Michael because he was always trying to uplift his family and show them a different perspective on a situation. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Willona and Bookman. I thought Willona was very beautiful and she was always very stylish. I remember when Penny came on board. She was just so darn cute and lovable. It was so sad that her mom was physically abusing her. I think that is one of the first shows I remember seeing an issue such as that being portrayed. This family struggled and when they thought they finally was going to make it James had died. Many Black people cried because it felt like they lost someone close to them. Isn't it amazing how you could connect with a television show and never met any of the actors.

My final stop is with the Huxtable Family. This family was a middle/upper middle class family who realized the value of an education. I have often heard many younger Blacks who grew up without a father figure in their lives refer to the good doctor as their television dad. It was truly refreshing to see a family with educated parents stressing the importance of education and had the means to help their children get it. I also like the fact that the grandparents (Anna and Russell)played an important part in their children and grandchildren lives. I think The Cosby Show showed America that Black people can/will/are successful. When the spinoff show "A Different World" began, it really did a wonderful job of highlighting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). This is and will probably be one of my favorite shows for a long time. I haven't gotten all of the seasons on dvd (hint, hint) but I'm working on it.

I know there are many other wonderful and not so wonderful shows I may have missed. I only selected a few to show how television evolved. I didn't have a rhyme or reason to how the shows were selected, I just picked them. If you have some favorite or not so favorite shows, please share them. My purpose in this post was to see if there are any current shows that may stack up to these shows. I really can't say there are, but I could be wrong. For those of you with children, what television shows do you watch with your child and really enjoy them? I've been trying to think of some, but I'm stumped. Everything I think of is not child friendly. Somebody help a sista out!

How smart are you?

2008-08-14T14:00:00.001-05:00

I received this quiz and I thought I'd share it with you all. Please take it and let me know how you scored.

Educate or else pt. 2

2008-08-07T23:42:00.004-05:00

Ok, I am not sure if many of you have heard this but the Rev. Senator James Meeks and Rev. Ira Acree along with other Chicago area ministers are calling for Chicago Public School (CPS) students to stay home from school on the first day of school (September 2). The reasoning behind this is the deplorable condition of many CPS schools. He is wondering why some school districts in Illinois get more money to spend per student than others. Some school districts receive $18,000 oer student whereas some get 1/2 of that. Well, of course there are many critics to this, but I ask if no one is trying to invoke a change, when will they? Are we supposed to sit here and wait for someone to do something?

Now, having said that, I was watching Oprah today and there was a show about the state of the public school system in America. (I know the show was a rerun, but the information is still relevant.) There were two young guys from the D.C. area who were disgusted with the condition of their school. They took pictures and somehow Anderson Cooper did a special and the school was featured on it. Now this school was about 15 minutes from the Capitol Building and looked wonderful on the outside. When you got to the inside of the school, it was horrible. Shortly after that show, the school district approved money to make repairs to the school.

Now back to this school boycott, why is it that people want children in schools that aren't working? Also, why send the child to school and they aren't going to do their best? I know people believe children learn at various rates (I don't argue with that), but how can a child learn if they don't bring materials to and from school? I don't get it. All of these school officials and some of the politicians are fighting for these children to go to school, but make it a place that is inviting for the children.

Allow me to paint a picture for you, you need to use the restroom (really bad) and you go to and their is no toilet tissue, what do you do? Or, there is toilet tissue but you don't have any soap or hot water to wash your hands. Can you imagine the fecal matter you are now carrying around? Or let's just assume the toilet tissue, soap and hot water works but the restroom is disgusting. There are feces on the toilet (that seems like it's been there for a while) and tissue/paper all over the floor. Do you still want to go to this school?

Ok, we are out of the restrooms and we are now entering the classroom. There might be new desks or some that are decent. If you don't have any decent desk, be glad you have enough for everyone to sit in. As soon as you enter the classroom, your teacher has to assist with clearing the hall. This may take up to 5 minutes. Once this is accomplished, it's going to take another 5 minutes to ge the class under control. Once the class is under control, you might have to figure out how to regulate the temperature in the class. It may be too hot/cold. If it is too hot, their is not an air conditioner to turn on to cool off the room. If it is too cold, you can't adjust the heat. Now how are you supposed to work under those conditions?

Let's just assume that the temperature is just fine in the classroom and the desks are brand new and shiny, however, there is a problem with rodents and roaches. I mean the roaches and mice come out like they are trying to learn something. Maybe the teachers should teach to the roaches and mice, they're always there.

I think America has misplaced values. We pay athletes millions of dollars and many of them are uneducated. If we are taught in school that education is the way to go and it will pay off in the end, how true is this for all? I mean, why would a child want to go to school to better him/herself and they can live off a pipe dream of becoming an athlete of musician. If we reall want children to buy into this education dream, we have to make it better for all. We can't keep separating schools based upon the haves and have-nots. I think children in urban and rural areas suffer the most when it comes to education.

I also think educators need to be paid a fair sarting wage. I think the minimum starting pay should be at least $75K. Now, I know some people may not agree, but allow me to pick up my brush again: Remember when I told you about the restrooms, rodents, etc.? Most often than not, the educator has to or chooses to provide these things for their students. God forbid if there is a female educator, because she will provide personal products for the young ladies. Sometimes these young girls don't have the means to get these items or they don't keep any in their lockers.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the cafeteria. Most of the time the food is not worth eating. It is not quality, wholesome food. The fruit/veggies leaves much to be desired. If you want a salad, it's iceberg lettuce, a cucumber and tomato. I know many teachers often bring snack for their students because the food in the cafeteria is not good or they have run out of food. So when you find and educator who says he/she is not compensated fairly, they aren't lying. I mean in what other profession do you know of that employees have to provide the majority/all of their materials/supplies to get their job done? I mean, most offices provide ink pens, staplers, computers, printers, ink, fax machines and things of that nature to perform the necessary task.

I guess America is too busy trying to fight battles that doesn't concern US and we can't even take care of our own. The sad reality to all of this is, the majority of the people who make the decisions regarding school funding either don't have children in school, their children are in private schools, or they don't have children. It is time for America to place a value on education and not entertainment.

Race does matter.

2008-08-06T19:37:00.002-05:00

I was approached by a friend (Amy Fuji) to write this post (for Open Salon) and I am really not sure how to approach this subject. It stemmed from a reply I wrote on Neilpaul’s topic “Black versus White, or Why I’m lucky to be White.” Amy suggested I write about my experiences as a Black woman in a white world and she would write about being a white woman working in a predominately Black environment. I strongly urge you to read her counterpoint and leave messages for both of us.

I am an educated Black single mother who lives on the South Side of Chicago. If you check the stats, by all means, I should not have a college degree. I should have at least two additional children (by two different men), living in some type of housing development and receiving public aid. Oh, I should have dropped out of high school a long time ago. Well, the reality is this, when I had my daughter, I had completed high school and two years of college. I left the hospital on my 21st Birthday. Some people will say that I beat the odds, but some days I am not too sure.
I am in the process of looking for a home and I often wonder will I be able to achieve my American dream. What most white people don’t realize is, my dream is slightly different from their’s. I am not looking for a white picket fence with 2.5 children (how do you get .5 children, one will never know) and a dog or cat. That is not my dream. My dream is to be able to purchase a nice, affordable home in a decent neighborhood. I would like to get married one day, but the sad reality is many Black men are reluctant to take this step for a variety of reasons. Some of them are fear; fear of failure, fear of commitment, and fear of what their friends will say. Then there are some guys who are afraid of marrying a woman who has an education and earns more than he does. You do know there are more Black men in prison than enrolled in college, so the likelihood of me marrying an educated Black man is slim.

I am a strong proponent and supporter of higher education and just because I want my daughter to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) does not mean that I am racist. I know the world is not completely Black. I’m sorry, but I am reminded of that on a daily basis, whether it is directly or indirectly. I think a lot of white people mistake me wanting to be around people who look like me as being unrealistic but it's not. Well, let me tell you this, I know the world is not completely Black and this is not why I am an advocate for HBCU’s. I think the media does a good job of portraying Blacks in a negative light and I think it is important to young children to see otherwise. You do know it was illegal for Black people to get an education and this is how HBCU’s came about. Shame on me for wanting to support these institutions of higher learning, because someone thought enough of future generations to start a school. When many white people sit around the dinner table and discuss their children’s future, I wonder how many of them mention institutions such as Howard University, Hampton University, or Clark-Atlanta University. I also believe that if a lot of white people won't send their children to the public school with my child, why should I pay for her to go to school with them?
I don’t think many white people understand what it’s truly like to be a minority. Oftentimes, I feel like the man in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. This unnamed character walks around and is socially invisible to others. See, if you have never experienced something like this, you will never know how it feels. Even if you think you’ve experienced it, imagine if you had to live your entire life feeling invisible. It is not a good feeling and there’s nothing you can do about it. There are times when I am with my white counterparts and they are discussing people/things that I know nothing about or is not relevant to me.

Now as it relates to careers, I have seen countless qualified Black people passed over for promotions and given some lame excuse for it such as"we don't promote within" or "you are over qualified for this position/program." I get tired of people discounting affirmative action and other programs designed to give minorities a chance. Don't mistake my point, I am not suggesting that people be promoted based soley on race, but I do think that there should be some type of opportunity given to qualified minorities. If my personal experiences hadn’t shown me otherwise, maybe I would say eliminate it. When Michelle Obama made the statement about this being the first time in her adult life she was proud to be an American, many white people got mad. Well let me tell you why I understood Mrs. Obama’s plight. Many Black people have to work extra hard to prove ourselves to others. When I turn on the news and read about white police officers being acquitted for killing Black people, why should I be proud of that? When I know I am not welcomed in certain neighborhoods in 2008, why should I be proud of that? How about the many times I have been shopping in a predominately white mall and I am followed around like I am a criminal? Or, the sales clerk ignores me completely? Should I be proud of that? Dr. King had a dream that one day his children would be judged by the content of their character and not by skin color, but how often does that really occur? I get tired of people saying race doesn't matter, but it does. If it didn't matter, people wouldn't say "race doesn't matter."

What do Black people have?

2008-08-02T21:32:00.005-05:00

Today I was talking to my sister and she asked me when did this hair salon become a braid shop. I told her that it has been there for a while. That one question sparked another discussion about the number of braid shops that have come into the community. Then we got to thinking about the number of other minorities who have come in to the community and gotten a lock down on every industry.

The Asians (Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese) have come in and taken over the nail industry. There used to be a time where Black nail technicians worked in the beauty shop alongside the barbers and hairstylists. Now, trying to find a Black nail technician is a rare thing. (Trust me I know.) I know why this is becoming increasingly difficult. Black nail technicians can not and will not compete with the Asian nail shops. First, that isn't their competition. The Asian nail shops are competing with each other. Think about this, if there are nail shops within a few blocks of each other, they will try to out do each other to get you in their chair. Also, we want to look good, but we are not willing to pay the price. Many of my friends who still service clients have a few clients who see the quality of the work they receive, but still feel like they should be paying less.

The next industry is the beauty supply stores. Many of them are owned and operated by Asians also. They have changed the way we do hair in the Black community. Now many of the hair care companies for Black people are owned by foreigners. It is really baffling to me how people with a different hair texture than mine can really tell me about my hair and provide products for it. I am not saying it is impossible, it's just crazy.

Now, I like a greasy spoon every once in a while. There is nothing like a Gyros with a little extra sauce or Italian beef dipped with hot peppers. Every time I enter one of these establishments, the person behind the counter is foreign. Some (if not most) are Arab or Pakistani. The Middle Easterners also have most of the gas stations on lock down. I can't find too many gas stations owned by anyone else.

Of course, the Africans and Jamaicans are holding down the braid shops. Everytime I turn around, there is a braid shop on every corner.

I am always amazed how the foreigners are allowed to open businesses and so many of them when many Black people get laughed out the bank door before entering. I am not knocking anyone's hustle, but let's get real here. If this is the land of opportunity, everyone should have a chance to prosper.

The caucasians have investments, sports teams, media, and just about every other outlet you can think of. They hold the majority of the nation's wealth. Any outlet you can think of and it is probably dominated by caucasians.

Now to answer my question "What do Black people have?" Well, I'll tell you what we have. We have the street corners, prisons, and dropout rate on lock down. When it comes to other races, we rank top in those areas. We also have a higher number of fatherless children and the highest infant mortality rate. We also have the crime on lockdown (see that's how we got the prison
s on lock down). Then you also have to consider that fact that Black women are contracting HIV/AIDS at a higher rate that any other ethnicity. We also have the economic spending on lockdown. Black people hold 2% of the nation's wealth but spend 98% back into the economy. So, think about this: for every $100 Black people receive, $98 goes back into the economy and $2 is kept. This is why you will have a Black people living in the housing projects or subsidized housing and there is a HUGE big screen television in the house. You can afford to have that, but won't work to become self-sufficient.

There are so many other areas that we have on lockdown, I don't have enough time to address them all. The last one I will mention is self-hatred. Some of this self-hatred as well as other issues is not the fault of Black people. It stems from that "Plantation Baggage" that is still plaguing us. You do know that lighter Black were allowed in the house and they were treated a little bit better than the darker Blacks. The lighter Blacks were a result of ol' massa raping the Black women. This treatment started the division between Blacks. Lighter Blacks have and sometimes continue to receive preferential treatment over darker skin Blacks. As I write this, I think about how the media believes "Halle Berry" is so beautiful. Well, is it because she has features that resemble white/European features. What about Angela Bassett, Sanaa Lathan, Gabrielle Union, Nia Long, or Regina King?

I hope one day Black people will wake up and realize that in order for us to become successful, we have to unite for the common good. We won't support one another for anything because we are afraid that someone else will advance before us and that can't happen. We also need to learn how to love self. I think a lot of the issues facing our community comes from slavery. I know some people will say, we need to stop focusing on slavery, but it is a part of history that can't be erased. When the slaves were on the auction block, the men were separated from their families. I think that was the beginning of the fatherless child. It continued on when Black women started receiving public aid, that further perpetuated this situation. If you remember the movie "Claudine", the mom was reluctant to get married because that had an affect on the amount of aid she would receive. As a result many Black men would live there but when the aid workers came around they would leave. Eventually they would take up with another woman and father more children and the cycle would continue.

Ok, I digressed. I really pray that Black people will realize what is going on with our race. The downside to this is the people who need to hear these things are never in the right arena to hear them. Even if they are, they really don't know how to work towards changing.

Educate or else

2008-07-28T11:32:00.004-05:00

I am truly disgusted with the education system in America, particularly in Chicago, Illinois. The majority of the schools are underfunded and no one seems to care. Illinois ranks 49th out of the 50 states as it relates to school funding. What is really interesting is this, the legislators aren't really concerned. The Rev. Senator James Meeks (Illinois) just made an announcement on Fox News Chicago about the first day of school. He is calling on parents to keep their children out of school and board buses to go to these affluent suburbs like Winnetka and enroll in schools there. The whole point is not to discourage or take away from these schools, but it is to tell the legislators that it is time out for this inadequate funding. One of the schools New Trier just received approval from the state to rebuild its school and this will cost about $1 billion. Oh, the other discrepancy is New Trier spends about $18,000 per student and most Chicago Public Schools (CPS)receive 1/2 or less of that per student. The average ACT score at New Trier is 27 and in CPS it is 13.

I can't really imagine legislators thinking that there is nothing wrong with this picture. I read an article in one of the newspapers about a week ago and it was talking about the legislators voting themselves a raise. Let's get real here, you want a raise for what? Is America really serious? If our legislators don't do anything soon, I think the situation will get worse. Right now, Black males have a 1 in 4 chance of going to jail, whereas white males have a 1 in 23 chance. Prisons are bulit based upon the reading scores of minority males (specifically Black and Spanish speaking) in the 3rd grade. What this basically says is "Read or go to jail." I know in Illinois, most prisons spend a minimum of $20,000 to house a prisoner for a year. Will someone please tell me why Illinois will spend at least $12,000 more to keep a child locked up with no possible chance of truly being rehabilitated (if that was the case there wouldn't be so many repeat offenders)? America needs to wake up and smell the cocoa beans. When you have children living in deplorable situations and the possibility of them changing their situation seems hopeless, why should they want to go to school? When the most successful person in their neighborhood is the local drug dealer or pimp, why should they go to school? The street life is has more to offer than the classroom.

I wish the legislators and administrators would come into my classroom unannounced. I want them to see the horrible desks in my room. I want them to hear the things I have to hear on a daily basis. I want them to go into the restrooms that are lacking toilet tissue and working hot water. Can you talk about the germs/feces that the students are spreading around. I couldn't imagine wanting to do work when I look at the facility.If the facility is run down, what message are we sending to our students? I try to make the room as aesthetically pleasing as I can, but sometimes it is difficult. I make signs of positive quotes by famous/notable people to try and encourage my students. Sometimes they read them and most times they don't.

Now, I'm no rocket scientist but it looks like something is wrong with this picture. It seems like Illinois is living in 1958 and not 2008. I can't believe this is happening. Shoot, who am I fooling, I can believe it. Everyday when I go to work, I am reminded of the inadequacies in education. It is crazy. I get tired of people placing the blame on the teachers. WAKE UP CALL: I am only as good as the resources available to me. Just imagine if we were having a relay race and the person who finished first won $1000. The race isn't fair if you have running shoes and I don't. I feel like that is how many of the public schools in Chicago and other urban areas are. Now on most days, I really like teaching; however it is difficult for me to want to stay in a profession that is not taken seriously. I think it is unfair to punish the students because of the decisions their parents may have made.

This past school year our focus was on the American Dream and is it attainable for all. Everything we read pertained to people either coming to America or already living in America trying to make their lives better. Some of the books read were "A Raisin in the Sun", "The Jungle", and excerpts from "Fast Food Nation." We also read a number of articles relating to this topic. One article read was written by Gregory Mantsios and it is titled "Class in America: Myths and Realities." This article discusses how the economic opportunities afforded to one varies by class. The writer gives an example of three young people who all start out with similar dreams for their lives but their socieoeconomic status dictates their future. Most of my students didn't know that the economic class they are born into pretty much is an indicator of their future. The three people showcased had very different opportunites afforded to them because of their parents socieoeconomic status. It is unfortunate that this is the harsh reality.

This article also discussed how poor white people have better opportunites than poor Blacks or Spanish speaking children. A good number of poor whites live in middle-class areas and are able to reap the benefits of a middle-class lifestyle. As it relates to people of color, they often don't have those same opportunities afforded to them. I had a client who once told me that her sister was able to receive public assistance and she was able to complete school and eventually get off of it. I know for a fact when a lot of Black people try to get or keep public assistance while in school, they are often denied. This tells me that the system is designed to set minorities up for failure.

I know some of you may be wondering what does this have to do with the school funding situation. It has a lot. If the legislators and administrators would put the student's best interest first, some of this tomfoolery will end. The truth of the matter is this: All students will not go to college (for whatever reasons). We need to stop fooling ourselves. The administrators keep cutting fundamental vocational programs with the false pretense that all kids will go to college and graduate. The current graduation rate for CPS students is for every 100 students going to college, only 6 will graduate and out of the six, only 3 will be Black males. We will need painters, carpenters, plumbers, hairstylists, mechanics and other trades that are being eliminated from many of the vocational programs. The fashion program was just closed. Now let me ask you this: Don't you wear clothing on most days? I know you wear them at least 4-5 days out of the week (depending on your work week). If you choose not to wear them, that is a choice, but when you leave your house you have them on.

Another issue I have with the government is they offer programs for white teachers to come and teach in the inner city for 3-5 years and in exchange they will either repay/forgive most of your student loans. Now you might think this sounds like a good program, but the downside to this is many inner city schools lose teachers almost every year. Oftentimes these teachers are planning their escape before they get into the school. In my opinion, this is just another way to hold poor students back. I am not suggesting that all the teachers that take advantage of these programs are not the best, but a good number of them are. Some of them don't really teach and they participate in social promotion (just passing kids) because they don't believe in these kids. The ones who do care often get burned out because of poor administration.

For those of you who wonder how teachers become bad, just go into any of these schools and observe what is going on. There isn't a whole lot of instruction, just a whole lot of frustration. It comes from every angle. The students come to school carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. They might be on the verge of getting put out, maybe someone is touching them inappropriately at home, most of them come to school hungry. There are a myriad of more issues these children face and no one really know how to address it. The teachers are frustrated because they are trying to teach a class and there are so many distractons. The administratuon wants teachers to do so much paperwork. If you are at a school like mine, you will come to know what's important. I do have a few books for all teachers to read and if you have a heart for children, they will truly change your way of thinking/teaching. The first book is "The Failures of Integration: How race and class are undermining the American Dream" by Sheryll Cashin. The second book is "Black Students, Middle Class Teachers" by Jawanza Kunjufu. Last, but certainly not least, "Keeping Black Boys out of Special Education" by Jawanza Kunjufu.

Although I recommend these books for educators, anyone should read them if they are truly concerned with the way the education system is headed. Even if you don't have children/grandchildren in school or if your children go to private school, you still pay taxes and a small percent of your taxes go to fund schools. For those of you who don't think this has no bearing on you, it does. If it doesn't have an affect on you now, it will later.

Wal-Mart, the good, the bad, the ugly!

2008-07-24T11:22:00.005-05:00

My friend SuperFantasticGirl kept telling me that Wal-Mart was the devil. I finally watched the documentary about it(Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price) and she was absolutely right. Wal-Mart comes into small towns and ruins what people have worked years for to maintain. They are against unions (so all union employees should not patronize them) because they don't always follow the labor laws. This documentary follows Americans who has first hand knowledge about what this company is doing. I am just going to touch on a few issues here.

Public assistance: Many of the employess who work for the Waltons received public aid. Now if this is such a great company to work for (you know that feed us that bullshigedy on their commercials) then pay me a fair wage. I know they have the money to do so. Drive by a Wal-Mart on a Saturday morning and you'll see the lot is full of cars. Better yet, go by on the 1st of the month and see how packed the place is. The following is an excerpt taken from a Wal-Mart internal memo:

"We also have a significant number of Associates and their children who receive health insurance through public-assistance programs. Five percent of our Associates are on Medicaid compared to an average for national employers of 4 percent. Twenty-seven percent of Associates' children are on such programs, compared to a national average of 22 percent (Exhibit 5). In total, 46 percent of Associates' children are either on Medicaid or are uninsured." Source: Wal-Mart Internal Memo [PDF File], via New York Times

Is Wal-Mart actually proud that their employess receive public-assistance? Sound like it to me.

My second point is full-time status. Full-time employees work 34 hours per week (this change occurred in 2002 to prevent employees from getting health care). This is 6 hours per week less than most other businesses. Wal-Mart's plan is to keep as many employees as they can in a part-time status. If you go to http://www.wikipedia.com/ and enter Wal-Mart, you will get a lot of information there, such as "In 2002, Wal-Mart increased the waiting period for enrollment eligibility from 90 days to 6 months for full-time employees. Part-time employees must wait 2 years before they may enroll in the plan, and they may not purchase coverage for their spouses or children. The definition of part-time was changed from 28 hours or less per week to less than 34 hours per week." The change was not done to benefit more full-time employees, but to discourage more employees from being eligible for Wal-Mart's healthcare plan. Those of use who have worked other places know that 90 days is a long time to wait for health coverage. Now these underpaid employees have to an additional 90 days. It's crazy.

My last rant is unpaid wages. You heard it right, they are not paying their empolyees like they should. Let's get real here: I work a 34 hour work week at $9.68 an hour (the average wage) and you won't pay me for overtime. At the end of the year, I got $17, 114 annual salary. I am still poor. The federal poverty level for a family of four is $17,650.

Wal-Mart gets tax breaks from most of the cities they set up shop in. I could go on, but I don't have the energy. I strongly urge you to watch this documentary and judge for yourself. I hope America wakes up and see Wal-Mart for who they really are.

to sag or not to sag?

2008-07-22T11:13:00.006-05:00

I received an e-mail the other day explaining the origin of SAGGIN or NIGGAS (the reverse). For those of you who are unaware, this is a so called fad; however what many young people don't know and understand is how it came about. First, we need to go way back to slavery. (I know you are probably thinking "Why do Black people always have to talk about slavery? Well, the truth of the matter is, most ills facing America stemmed from slavery, AND it's a part of history that we can't change, so deal with it!) Anyway, the slave owners were trying to find additional ways to demoralize/dehumanize slaves so they would not allow them to were belts. (Yes, Black people did have morals at one point).

The next way this was perpetuated was from prison. Many prisons didn't allow prisoners to wear belts because they could use it to committ suicide. It is also a way for other prisoners to know that an inmate is "spoken for." I guess many young people don't realize this fad is not cute. It is truly sad that young Black boys have a 1/4 chance of going to prison. White males have a 1/23 chance. What is wrong with that picture?

In Lynwood, Illinois, they are issuing $25 tickets for people who sag their pants. I found this chart I posted and in Detroit, it looks like there are various levels of saggin. I think the fines for Detroit could go up to $500 and the offender can spend 93 days in jail. It is a misdemeanor, but come on, let's get real here: Is this the only issue plaguing the African American community? Let's talk about the number of foreclosures, and how about the number of Black males who are constantly going back into a prison system that is supposed to "rehabilitate them." What about the number of African American children that can't read/write/perform math on grade level? Are these not relevant issues? I mean, let's get real here: I teach high school and Lord knows I hate seeing drawers and things of that nature, nonetheless, if this is the only concern of police departments, then they need to send some of their officers to other high crime areas.

I found this picture on line and I believe the Deputy Mayor in Dallas is trying to encourage everyone to pull their pants up. There is even a local rapper Dooney 'Da Priest" is getting in on it as well. He has produced a song and a video to encourage young men to change this behavior.

Hopefully young Black men (and older ones) will get rid of this slavery/prison look and start looking like the young intelligent Black men they are. Also, maybe they municipalities will find other ways to utelize their resources.

Gentrification

2008-07-18T07:51:00.004-05:00

It is summertime in Chicago and the natives are restless. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past say 2-3 years, Chicago has torn down many of its housing projects and calls itself gentrifying neighborhoods. When you get a chance, you should check this out http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/22/73-gentrification/. Let me explain to you what gentrification is. According to www.pbs.org/pov/pov2003/flagwars/special_gentrification.html

Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture. In layman terms: let's get rid of the poor and bring in the rich.

Well, since this gentrification has occurred, there has been an increasing number of shootings throughtout the city. We got a new police chief (Jody Weiss) who worked with the FBI before coming to Chicago. He made a number of changes within the police department and many people are trying to blame him and the changes for the increase in violence. Now, I am not an expert on violence, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Prior to Mr. Weiss coming to Chicago, a good number of drug dealers and gang members were confined to one general area. Most of them were living in the housing projects. When the violence occurred, it was in a specific area and sometimes it would be newsworthy, and sometimes it would not. Now, that the housing projects are gone, the rebel rousers are scattered about. This is making it difficult for people to know what is going on in various communities.

Also, where are the parents? I say this all the time because when things go wrong, we (Americans) like to find someone else to blame. Instead of finding out who the real culprit is, we shift the blame on someone else. It's easier to do so. There was an incident with a young child (about 8) who was shot sitting in the car with his parents. The intended target was the stepdad/dad/boyfriend (not sure what he was, but he was linked romantically to the mom). Mr. Weiss made a comment about the man being the intended target and if parents weren't involved in criminal activity, maybe this child wouldn't have gotten shot. People were outraged and wanted him to apologize. He didn't. I was cheering on the sidelines. I am glad someone is not afraid to say what is right. It's about time we stop pretending like all of these people shooting and getting shot are not in a gang. Let's wake up and smell the cocoa beans. If everyone is not in a gang and is a good kid, then there would be no violence.

It baffles me when people get on the news trying to blame others for what the good ol mayor did. Maybe if the city didn't call temselves "getting rid of the riff-raff" (which is also code for minorities), maybe some of these issues wouldn't be happening. I am witnessing what gentrification is doing to a neighborhood. I work in an area called Bronzeville. According to Wikipedia, The name itself was first used in 1930, by James J. Gentry, a local theatre editor for the Chicago Bee publication. It refers to the skin color of African-Americans, predominant in that area at that time. It is also more accurate, because the skin tone of African-Americans is more brown than black. It has become common usage throughout the decades. http://www.iit.edu/~bronzeville-stories/history.html Well, Bronzeville is now looking like Vanillaville. Many of the residents in this area will lose their homes they have lived in for years because the property taxes will skyrocket. What the hey, it's all in the name of making the city a better place. For whom?

Cute things I can buy if I ever get paid

2008-07-17T10:53:00.005-05:00

Jesse Jackson take 2

2008-07-17T09:35:00.001-05:00

All I have to say is Dummy, No Class.

Things have not changed

2008-07-15T10:37:00.002-05:00

I just read the article by Mary Mitchell in the July 15, 2008 Chicago Sun-Times. it talks about how 7 students who integrated Mount Greenwood Elementary School 40 yrs ago returned to take a picture. The were greeted by a mob of at least 5000 and a swastika on one of the school doors. One of the ladies was too frightened to get out of her car. It is so disturbing to know that 40 yrs later Chicago is still as racist as it was 40 yrs ago. I read this quote from Ken Kunz " That was Chicago in the 60's--a racist, backward place with someone named Daley as mayor. Today, however, Chicago is a ...uh...it's a racist, backward place with someone named Daley as mayor!"

Amen! Where do I send my offering?

RAT & Roach GIRL

2008-07-14T12:39:00.002-05:00

My second class had to tell my tutor that there was a roach on the desk where she was sitting. I was sooooo embarrassed, but she said she had already seen it when she was going over the lesson with them.

I am at work sitting in the classroom and guess what happens, mimi comes out. Thank God the kids had left, but it was still nasty. I teased my co-worker last week because it was visiting her classroom. I guess it just came on over to my room. Hopefully, it will leave tonight. Ugh, so gross. This is why I keep telling the kids they shouldn't eat all over the building.

Super Size Me... after midnight

2008-07-14T12:36:00.002-05:00

McDonald's is offering value meals for $3.99, but it's only after midnight. Go figure. I don't know if it's all of the meals or only a few.

The search is still on

2008-07-11T21:01:00.001-05:00

I am still looking to move. I haven't have much success. I will probably have to purchase a place. Keep me in your thhoughts and prayers.

Jesse Jackson should have been the Bama of the Week!

2008-07-11T12:13:00.003-05:00

Alright, for those of you who don't know it, Jesse Jackson really put that foot in his mouth. Talk about self-sabotage. That comment he made regarding Barack Obama speaking down to Black people. I'm sorry, but someone needs to tell these dead beat parents to start parenting and stop blaming others for their short comings. The time is long overdue for the people in the Black community to start addressing the issues that are plaguing us. Really, who are we looking for to save us? Surely it isn't Jesse or Brother Al. We need to learn how to save ourselves. I think Mr. Obama made a valid point during his speech on Father's Day. He is just saying what other have been too afraid to say.

I was in the car listening to the Doug Banks and Dee-Dee show. They were asking their listeners how they felt about the comment and if they felt like the Black community sweeps its issues under the rug. Most of the callers agreed that we like to keep our issues on the hush, hush and kind of pretend like it doesn't exist. I think that is the biggest issue. How in the devil can Jesse Jackson open his mouth and get upset with anyone? I mean him and Brother Al are always riding the coat tails of others. It is time for Black America to wake up and smell the cocoa beans. We need to try and rectify these issues. What has happened to the village? Where did they go? Why is grandma, her kids and grandkids all hanging out together?

The reality is this: Parents are not parenting anymore. They are too busy hanging out and trying to get their groove on. Children don't respect themselves because their parents don't respect themselves. I am not sure what has happened to the Black community. When have we become so cold and calloused? We don't care about anything except foolishness like who is wearing the latest gym shoes and other tomfoolery that means nothing at the end of the day.

As you might now, I am teaching the Freshman Connection program at my school. One of the outcomes of the program is to have the students create a guide to action. They are supposed to find an issue that affects their community. It may be a local, or global issue. Many of the students in one of the classes could not participate in a class discussion about some of the topics. Some of the kids couldn't answer some basic question and laughed about it. Do they not know that Black folks need to be informed on issues that have a direct affect on them? It is my prayer that they get it together before it's too late.

Anyway, I digress, back to the Bama of the week, Jesse Jackson. It's time for Jesse to sit down and allow someone who can connect with the American people to reach them. I am not sure who told Jesse Jackson he was the voice of the people, I know he is not my voice. Mr. Jackson is living in a glass house and is throwing some huge boulders. He should really sit back and find something else to occupy his time.

Loreal HIP

2008-07-08T11:36:00.002-05:00

I purchased some of that Loreal HIP eye shadow. It is not as deep as I thought. I try all types of make-up products and I wasn't too impressed. It was ok.

I didn't get this shade, I got some copper/gold color.

Au Naturale

2008-07-08T11:32:00.002-05:00

I have been wearing my natural nail for almost 2 months now. I am suffering bad. I am not used to having my own nails. I am trying to see how my natural nail will grow. I am so tempted to go home and put that AXXIUM Gel back on them. I am trying to be strong, but I don't know. I sure do miss my enhancements.

Freshman Connection

2008-07-08T11:26:00.002-05:00

I am working this program with the incoming freshmen. The program is designed to give students an introduction to high school and an opportunity to meet new friends. Many of them are so immature. I think they must still believe they are in elementary school.

The students are also supposed to find a cause and develop a plan of action. I am trying to figure out if I should give them some suggested topics or allow them to chose their own. I'm really leaning towards the suggested topics.

Taste take 2

2008-07-05T21:51:00.001-05:00

I went to the Taste of Chicago again. I realized something: the food selection is not that great. I think if you go a few years, you will try everything there. It would be nice to have a little variety there.

Stevie Wonder at the Taste of Chicago

2008-07-01T12:18:00.002-05:00

Saturday, I went to the Taste of Chicago with my BFF. We saw Stevie Wonder (not up close, it was too crowded) and he did pretty good. He was on for two (2), yep 2 hours (with the exception of the 5 minute break when Jesse Jackson spoke about something). His second hour was better than the first (in my opinion). I should have gone on Friday to see Chaka Kahn and Angie Stone. Tonight Joss Stone will be there. I will miss it.

It's been a while.

2008-07-01T11:58:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I was without my work laptop and my daughter and sister has banned me from using the one at home. (I can use it, but my time is limited.) I am back in the swing of things.

I have been looking for a place to move and I am having a difficult time. People don't always call you back. I feel like they might not need my money.

I want to recommend to everyone the Sunday Brunch Buffet @ Shaw's Crab House 21 E. Hubbard. I went on Father's Day and had a good time. The regular buffet will not begin until September of this year, so you'll have to wait to get that good food.

Summer is almost here!!!

2008-06-18T12:27:00.001-05:00

Alright, summer is almost officially here. I am so ready for it. I am still looking for a place to move and I am trying to start school in August. I couldn't start earlier because I was working this credit recovery program that I haven't gotten paid for yet. I am hoping that money will come in soon so I can do what I need to do.

Self-Sabbatoge

2008-06-09T13:57:00.002-05:00

Shop Girl told me don't self-sabbatoge. I am not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a weekend!

2008-06-09T13:33:00.002-05:00

My weekend was jammed packed with activities. Friday night I went to a play "A Devil in God's House." It was at the Chicago Center for Performing Arts. One of my high school alums knew the person who wrote it and produced it. It was good.

Saturday, Nia took her dance pictures (next time I'll do her make up). Then I went to a girl's night out party. It was a blast. I got a few items there.

Sunday, I worked a Spa Party. It was okay. There wasn't a big turn out like expected. I am not sure if it's the economy or if people are just being cheap.

Soccer starts this week. I have to go and get the soccer schedules before the game. I also need to get shingards for Nia.

There aren't many kids here today. This should be the week we do the shop tournament games and fashion show, etc.

Dress

2008-06-03T09:16:00.002-05:00

I don't remember if I posted this, but I thought it was cute.

More shoes.

2008-06-03T09:11:00.002-05:00

I'm soooo feeling these. Once again, courtesy of www.cutesygirl.com

Shoes, shoes and more shoes.

2008-06-03T09:09:00.000-05:00

These are cute. Courtesy of www.cutesygirl.com

These are cute

2008-06-03T08:38:00.002-05:00

I like these magnets. You can check them out on http://www.mymimipie.com/

Place I really like.

2008-05-27T16:49:00.002-05:00

I really like this building. It is about $200 more than I wanted to pay. I really have to crunch the numbers to see if it's worth it. The amenities are: laundry rm, fitness center, harwood floors (yippee!), cable ready, high speed Internet, extra storage, ceiling fans (does this mean no air?), walk-in closets.

Model apartment

2008-05-27T16:40:00.004-05:00

This is a model apartment. Is seems nice, but I have to wait and see how the entire apartment looks. I'm not too keen on carpet, but most building have it. The amenities are good here: a/c, washer/dryer in unit, controlled access, walk-in closets, extra storage, dishwasher, fridge.

Apartment search

2008-05-27T16:37:00.002-05:00

I like this building and the model apartment. I am wondering if this building has mixed income housing. I think it does. I am trying to see if I can post the model picture here.

What a weekend!!

2008-05-27T13:40:00.002-05:00

Alright, this past weekend was full of events. Friday, I took my daughter to the orthodonist and then we went to eat. We went to this greasy spoon restaurant called Nicky's Grill on 103rd and Western. It was good. I was eating in the place with Nia and I had to get some napkins. I decided to get some off this empty table. This man sitting near me says"You could have gotten some from here (referring to his table)" I replied"It's okay, I didn't want to reach over you." He tells me "Someone who looks as pretty as you, I don't mind at all." I wanted to puke. I was thinking "Do you have mirrors in your house?" Obviously he doesn't.

Saturday morning, I had my usual hair appointment. I left to take Barbara (a friend) to go get her car from the carwash (around 85th and Ashland). I decided to get my SUV washed as well. They did a great job. As I am waiting for her, this huge man with keloids on both sides of his face (looking like a beard) says" Are you reay for the weekend?" Me: "As ready as I'll be." Him:" Are you married?" Me: "Not yet, I'm waiting on him." Him:"Can I give you me number to call when he mess up, 'cause I know he will." Me:" That wouldn't be nice and what type of woman would that make me if I call you when he does something wrong?" Then again, I think to myself "Another home without mirrors!!!" It's like get real booger. Then I also thought I need to find my decoy rings. I have some rings that look like engagement/wedding rings I need to wear for these boogers.

Saturday afternoon/early evening I went to a baby shower. I saw many alums from Whitney Young. It was great. I also had a dinner date that evening. We went to Exposure, it's a tapas restuarant. It was really good. I had creme brulee for dessert. It had some type of brownie on the bottom. The brownie was too chocolatey(is that such a word) for me. Nonetheless, it was great food and company. I especially enjoyed the company. We tried the ceviche (it was shrimp that night), shrimp and asparagus tempura, scallops and mashed potatoes, lamb chops and I forgot the other dish. It was really good.

Sunday afternoon, I went to my aunts for dinner. We had a good time and played a game called "Last word" It's so much fun. The object is to get the last word in before the timer sounds. The timer is at random intervals so you never know when it will sound. There are subject cards and letter cards. Everyone takes a subject card and one person turns over the letter card. Everyone is supposed to think of something in his/her category that begins with the letter on the card. The first person who can think of word for his or her category and puts their card face up on the game board should start the timer. Everyone else should begin to think of things related to the topic face up on the board (Oh, the person must announce the category as the card is placed on the game board). The last person to correctly say a term associated with the subject wins that round and advances one space. It is a lot of fun.

Yesterday, I made my famous turkey burgers. They were great. I invited a few people over to share. It was Scenecia, Nia, Bill, Torrie, Rhonda, Mom, Dad, Nia and me. We had a great time. We played Last Word again and a few people (I won't mention any names) were trying to cheat. Overall, I had a great time and a full weekend. I need another day off.

Addendum to I just realized this...

2008-05-23T14:02:00.003-05:00

Why do people insist on popping gum in public places? Everytime I hear someone doing it, I think about Flo from Mel's diner. I'm sure we all remember her" Kiss my grits." I just don't get it.

Another thing, I can't stand it when a student swears to the high heaven that he/she is going to go to college and can't even write a 5-paragraph essay. What has America done to her children? Fooled them for one thing.

Crossroads Trading

2008-05-23T13:17:00.003-05:00

My friend Shopgirl would really appreciate this. I heard about this place, but really had forgotten about it. It is called Crossroads Trading. There are three locations in the Chicago area (I am going to the one on Milwaukee Ave.). They will buy your gently worn clothing right there on the spot. It is not like a consignment shop where you have to wait for the item to sell. I did not remember the website, but I'm sure if you go to www.google.com you can find them.

Happy Shopping

International Beauty Show

2008-05-23T10:59:00.001-05:00

I am trying to go to Las Vegas for the Internation Beauty Show (Formerly Las Vegas Hair and Nail Conference). It is June 28-30. I am working the last week of June, so I have to figure it out. If I go, I'll probably take the red eye home that Sunday night. It might not be practical because I am moving and need to keep as money in my pocket for that.

Let the search begin

2008-05-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

I have been on the hunt for a place to live. I am not buying yet (I haven't saved enough $$$). I have been looking in the Bronzeville, Kenwood area. I've checked rent.com and based on some of the pictures, the places seem nice. I'm going to try and look at places next week or when school is over. I'm excited.

I just realized this (not really)

2008-05-23T10:51:00.002-05:00

Today is the sports awards ceremony at school. The kids are supposed to dress up. Most of the boys look like they are vying for "Pimp of the Year" and many of the girls look like they are vying for "Video Vixen of the Year." The girls don't know how to walk in heels because they have never worn them. Some of the girls shoes are too big, too small, or just plain tacky. I know they are doing the best they can, but this is what happens when your examples come from BET, VH1, and MTV.

These are sexy too

2008-05-23T09:45:00.003-05:00

Alright, I've been neglecting you guys and it's not intentional. I am so feeling these shoes.

I saw them on http://www.jchereebridal.com/

Calgon Please take me away

2008-05-19T14:26:00.002-05:00

I am in my 9th period inclusion class. They are driving me nuts!!!

My weekend

2008-05-19T11:34:00.002-05:00

This weekend, I went to Haunted Trails with the girls. We had a good time. Spent way too much, but nontheless, it was fun. We will return there in a few weeks. Hopefully my Credit Recovery money will be coming soon. It has really gotten me in a pickle.

Laziness

2008-05-16T08:56:00.002-05:00

I can't stand a lazy, sluggard. I have this one student who is extremely lazy. It is ridiculous. Everytime an assignment is given, the student wants to know how many points is the assignment worth. Never, what will I learn from this, but what is the point value. This student did not complete to an essay which was part of the requirement to be considered for the National Honor Society. It was too much to do (this is what the student said). I guess being in such an organization is not important enough to complete the assignment. (Oh, this student always tells me that college is definitely in the future.)

My High School Alumni Website

2008-05-09T13:16:00.001-05:00

I've been on Ning. My high school alumni website is up and running and it is soooooooooo addictive.

Stimulate me!!!

2008-05-08T15:25:00.002-05:00

I meant to tell all that the stimulus works. I was stimulated the other day!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-07T11:17:00.002-05:00

I like these shoes. I know Amy will say they aren't sensible, but I still like them.

Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-07T09:18:00.002-05:00

I went to what was my favorite Mexican restaurant (Arturo's). It was very crowded. Our server left without closing out the check and it was chaos after that. It seemed like they did not have enough people staffed during the dinner hour. Bill almost lost it. We had to ask for carry out containers a few times. Everything was much better when we walked across the street to Margies Candies. It was the best. The girls enjoyed the ice cream so much they almost licked the bowl clean. :)

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-03T20:48:00.001-05:00

The Last Dance!!!

2008-05-02T22:18:00.002-05:00

Today was the last day I serviced my clients. I am on my journey to my new endeavor. It was bitter sweet because most of my clients have been with me for some years now; however, I have to do this. I want to have options for my future if I decide education is not when I should be. I am a bit nervous about starting something new, but it is a good feeling. It's probably excitement more so than anything else.