U.N.I.T.Y.

Today Hillary and Barack made a joint appearance in the lovely happy go lucky town of Unity. A city chosen for it's name and the emotions it was supposed to make the rest of the country have and experience the feelings of euphoria needed to light a fire for the upcoming election.

You know the media had a feeding frenzy worse than a zookeeper trying to feed a pack of pork chops to 5 hungry lions that haven't eaten in 4 days... Here come the body language experts...
They nitpicked every little move and every little breath. CNN actually posted a description about Obama- "Arm Up=Wall" because they observed Obama in this picture with his arm up/between he and Hillary while they were on the plane to the Wizard of Oz place in Unity, New Hampshire. They implied that the arm up meant Barack had some kind of subliminal message of distrust towards Pantsuit. I saw the picture and listened to the comments and I was like DUH! Would YOU trust Hillary after all her F*ckery??? I mean Dayum. The Hill and Bill connection CAN'T just be openly embraced by the Obama camp just yet! In the back of his mind, Obama knows what's up... Keep your enemies close and keep your hand on their back so you can slap them the Heyl off the stage when they get beside themselves! I just don't trust it. All of a sudden everything is supposed to be Hunky Dory for the sake of unifying the party?? No waayyyy... there is something up somebody's sleeve... I don't know when and I don't know how but in the words of Keith Sweat, Sumthin sumthin just a'iiiiinnnttt right! She's shown her true colors before and we all know a leopard does not change her spots. Or shall we say, a witch is true to thine own self...

Keep your eyes open Barack...

Black Men Boycott R. Kelly

Hey, Hey folks! I can finally breathe! I just finished two presentations on how I manage technology in my classroom for a Technology Conference that is here this week. My boss "volunteered" my services which is how I got caught up doing this in the first place. I do consider it an honor, however, it's still stressful and intimidating to prepare and present to folks you've never met.
This is my summer vacation but I'm busier now than when I was on a 8-5 regular schedule!

On to the basis for my post today... Maybe I'm late on this one but better late than neva! I'm curious as to how you feel about the online petition going around boycotting The Urinator, oops!, I mean R. Kelly. I read the letter to Concerned African Americans and I read through a few of the signatures and comments...
Well...
I for one applaud the black man for putting his foot down and sticking up for us. We are the mother of civilization, a Queen to behold and the backbone of our race. We were born to walk with our men, not separate in this journey of life. I believe that just as I believe R. Kels was GUILTY of his crime. I do believe he deserved SOME kind of punishment but to me, the TRIAL itself was a mockery and was tainted several times over so it was predictable that he would be free in the end...
Introduce the petition
Well...
Sometimes, I think we (meaning us women) can get in the way of our own sake. *Here come the daggers...*
This petition was started by a man for men to speak up and have their say about one of the few times one of ours was let go when he should've gotten something MORE than the slap on the wrist he received. I read through a few pages of signatures, not all 1,261 (at the time I logged on) and there was signature after signature of women with their comments. That's all well and good but hey, I want to see 1,261 MEN stand up for me and my virtue... It's selfish, I know but it's my blog... (Just kidding) Seriously though, we women can be so impatient at times when all we have to do is sit back and give our guys some support from the side every once in a while. Heck, if we want to be heard that bad, we could start a Black Women Against the Exploitation of Black Women Petition...

Well that's just my two cents worth. Sometimes the smallest of things bother the heck out of me. Some of my co-workers say I have a Type A personality...

Until next time... say something positive or give a word of encouragement to a young lady you see or know... Part of our future depends on them.

Addition to the post. This is how R. Kelley got a not guilty verdict... Haaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

I'm baaaccckkkkk....

Many thanks to my peeps for checking on me. My peeps that never leave a comment that is... One of these days, I'll actually hear from you on the blog instead of in my email :-) I've been away on a mini-vacation with a couple of my Sorors. We went to Pittsburgh to attend a wedding. As we prepared for takeoff out of Charlotte this is what we saw...

Now, I'm not the biggest sports junkie in the world but I just happen to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan... I made the request of my traveling companions to be sure we drove by Heinz Field to get a picture of the Steelers home field before we left.

Needless to say, I did not have to make that request because this is where my soror had her wedding reception...





How could I have expected anything less! My soror and her new hubby are Steelers fans and of course, that had to be part of the celebration. Words cannot express my excitement to be in such a beautiful city AND home of the Steelers! Industrial cities are drastically different from where I live. Buildings take up an entire city block and they have REAL skyscrapers...
The temperature was perfect and consistently 10 degrees below the sweltering southern heat. For a brief moment, I was able to forget about lots of stuff on my plate here at the homestead and enjoy this beautiful getaway! Now I kinda know how sports fans feel about the passion and love they have for teams they actually follow and root for on the daily.
I just may become a REAL sports fan yet...
More to come later. I just wanted to get this out there so people would know I'm still alive and have bloggin on my mind!

Toxic Relationships

"When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch."
Your development, and in some cases your healing, can only take place when you walk with the right people!
Remember the story of the scorpion that asked a frog to carry him across the river because he could not swim? How do I know you will not sting me? the frog asked. If I do, we'll both drown, he replied. So the scorpion hopped on. Half way across the river the scorpion stung him. As they were drowning the frog said, 'You promised you wouldn't. Why did you sting me? The scorpion replied, I cannot help it, it's my nature to sting.
Learn to recognize toxic relationships and walk away from them before they take you down with them. A toxic relationship is like a body part with gangrene; if you do not amputate, the infection will spread. Unless you have the courage to cut off what will not heal, you will end up losing much more.
You cannot partner successfully with someone who does not share your goals. When you feel passionately about something but they do not, it is like trying to dance the fox trot with someone who only wants to waltz. You picked the wrong dance partner. Do not get tied up with someone who does not share your God-given purpose.
Some issues can be corrected through teaching and leadership,but you cannot teach somebody to care. And if they do not care, they will infect your environment, ruin your productivity and break your rhythm with constant complaints.
So ask God, Who belongs in my life?

This was so on time and just what I needed to read at the right moment in my day. All too often us "single sistas" get caught up with the wrong man for the wrong reason . Many times, this guy is just a leech, moocher, jerk, busta, table scraps, well, you get the point. Why hang onto 'em?? When I was younger, I kept a guy around just because it gave me someone to call, it was nice to just have SOMEBODY to talk to, you know-ahhhh!!, or just to have the illusion of being in love. Fulfill that dream of a wedding, white picket fence and two point five children :-) It also gave me a real answer to that age old question, are you seeing anyone? Ugh!
Now that I'm older, I guess I have less patience, I'm not as vulnerable as I used to be and quite frankly, I value my peace and quiet. Those of you that have been here before know I recently had a scorpion in my life. I found out things about him that let me know it's not in his nature to do right by me. I didn't fuss, cuss, or beat the helloutta him. I just cold turkey dipped and said we weren't compatible and left it at that. Sorry, but at least I didn't wait until some special occasion like a birthday or something!

Now I have no answer for that stupid question but I'd rather be alone and at peace than with someone in a toxic relationship.

To my friend that's out there reading this post, I'm writing this for you too, girl! Keep ya head up! The one is out there and you'll KNOW it when the time is right... Then me and you know who won't have to carry picket signs at your wedding!

Your thoughts??

Spying

Good folks, this article recently ran in my local newspaper:

Councilmembers reported strange computer behavior
By Ben Szobody
STAFF WRITER

County Councilman Joe Dill said Thursday that his county-issued laptop computer began operating sluggishly after Councilman Tony Trout put files on it during a County Council meeting, and that county IT staff subsequently found a computer worm on the machine.

Dill is among three council members who say their computers have been acting strangely and who have turned them over to be checked by the FBI. Council members say they are unsure whether their problems are related.

Dill said he was sitting in a council meeting when Trout said, "I’ve got something here I need to put on your machine."

"I said, ‘OK, here,’ " Dill said, adding that Trout put icons on his screen that linked to council rules and other folders. After the computer slowed to a crawl, he said the county staff found a worm and had to remove it.

Trout could not be reached for comment.

Councilwoman Judy Gilstrap said she uses four computers, but that for a long time Trout didn’t include her on frequent e-mails to county officials. Recently, she started receiving them again.

"Unfortunately, I opened those e-mails," Gilstrap said, adding that her machines have been giving her trouble.

Councilman Fred Payne said Thursday he primarily uses his home computer to access his county account, and that his wife told him earlier this week that it stopped working, and wouldn’t let her log on.

Council members Butch Kirven, Xanthene Norris, Lottie Gibson, Willis Meadows, Cort Flint, Jim Burns and Bob Taylor said Thursday they’ve seen no signs of trouble on their machines. Sid Cates could not be reached.

"I wouldn’t care, I ain’t got nothing on my computer that can’t be public information," Gibson said.



Subsequent articles have uncovered spyware secretly installed on one particular county councilman's computer that bypassed GOVERNMENT firewalls and anti-virus software. The County Council Chairman responsible was referred to in the paper as having the following stance:
"Trout declined to comment to the local newspaper but told WYFF-TV that he accessed information from Kernell’s computer and sent it to the state Attorney General’s Office. Trout told the station that the access was legal because Kernell is his employee."

Here's my reaction *mouth drops, speechless; looking for the April Fool's link"
I really, really can't believe that this kind of thing goes on in MY hometown. This is some Enemy of the State shyt for ya. In this case, I'm getting cheated because Will Smith is not the main character.
What is God's name would give someone the unmitigated GALL to secretly install spyware on someone Else's computer? This spyware recorded key strokes (to gain access to passwords as the user typed it in) and gave access to download information from one computer to another! Yes, I'm aware that COMPANIES reserve the right to access all employee work computers but in this case, the company (our city gubment that is) did not act to access an employee computer, an INDIVIDUAL did. Rather you had probable cause to monitor or not, there is a right and a wrong way to gain access to information. The spyware was installed in such a way that it sent emails to other council members that accessed their work accounts from work and home so yep, you guessed it, people's home computers were compromised as well!
This man clearly crossed the line. Clearly. He had been advised by lawyers to decline comments but he has complained that this news broke on the eve of elections when voters would be persuaded by this story to vote for someone else. Duh!

Whether this was politically motivated or not, wrong is wrong. There is an IT department set up for this very kind of thing. Also, if you're the boss, you should've handled any concerns of your employee in your yearly review. It is above and beyond your duties to personally spy on another individual. That kind of stuff should be handled at the discretion of a committee so you'll have several opinions, several level headed people and BACKUP when shyt hits the fan!! He could've been given admin rights to all computers as an alternative to this. But then again, he didn't have admin rights for a reason...
Now this man is facing all of litigation and heat ALONE which is what he deserves for trying to be James Bond. He should've taken a lesson from Sean Connery, even the real BOND had folks helping him. He didn't get all of his gadgets on his own!

Whatcha think?????



Until next time... Don't use clue words like George Bush, secret spy, conspiracy theory, and secret intelligence while on the phone. You may get a knock on the door from Jason Bourne coming to save you from the enemy...

Lessons from Love and Basketball

Folks, today I watched an age old favorite movie from back in the day. Love and Basketball. Now there's one of those classic movies that never gets old! Great cast, AWESOME soundtrack, and a stellar cast! Of course, U gotta give Sanaa her props because she played the hell outta her role, Omar was quite a looker but his dad, Whew! Q's daddy was the eye candy here.

I digress.

As I sat watching this for the 30th time, I realized the lessons that could be taken from this movie:

1. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you can't bring it even in the company of all males
Young Monica entered the movie by whoopin some young male azz just cause they ASSUMED that she couldn't handle her own on the court! She had game. She brought it and made no apologies for her skills. She paid for it by gaining a battle scar from a male temper tantrum but hey, that comes with the territory!

2. Forgive the opposite sex for the error of their ways. It's ok to give them a second chance if they appear to have potential
Monica forgave Q after he reluctantly apologized for his (Mis)ASSUMPTION of her skills. They even had a decent convo about sports stats. A great friendship was created because they had something in common and they were both genuinely good kids. That's the great thing about being a kid. You have fewer inhibitions than adults. It's easier to create lasting friendships when you're a kid...

3. Be ye a lady
My man Q wanted to be Monica's boyfriend. Even though he was just a kid, he knew a good woman. Of course, back in the day, you had to seal that kind of deal with a KISS. Monica, smart young lady that she was, said the kiss could not take place in public. Way To go girl! Don't air your bizness in the street. Take it to a private place! I gotta give it to Q though. He counted down to make sure he got his 5 seconds in!!

4. If your hubby comes home from a 4 day bizness trip and says he needs to go back out for a meeting, HECK YEAH hire a Private Investigator!
Q's dad was a tall dark piece of chocolate. He put his family in a nice neighborhood and a more than comfortable house. But he was a ladies man. Tippin out all all hours of the night. What good is that chocolate if u ain't getting none and he's supposed to be your man? I'm sorry, my piece of mind (not to mention my health) is worth more than that. Snooping is wrong. I agree. BUT, if I find damaging evidence, then so be it. At least I'll be freeeeeeee of yo lyin azz.....

5. Momma makes sacrifices too
Monica's mom appeared a little intimidated by her hubby. She was "susie home maker" in Monica's eyes. I can't say I totally disagree with Mom's stance on that one. Hey, we all have career dreams. Today's woman has it all. Career, children, pays the bills. Everything. However, if you CAN afford to stay at home while your children are young and impressionable, I'm not going to look down on you for that. They had young African American children clearly surrounded by folks that did not look like them. I don't blame Mom's for being there, showing them a complete family unit, and taking care of hubby. (Ok, well, I have a little problem with being THAT SUBMISSIVE to your man but I know she was working in the best interest of her family for that time) Remember, I said this was a lesson so I still have learning to take from it...

6. Sometimes the Hot Hunks get their ego checked
Boris Kodjo.
Whew, I'm back... As fine and experienced as he was, he still had a hard time making conversation at a simple senior prom aannnddd, he went home alone (or at least without Monica) at the end of the night. Just goes to show you, compatibility is key when selecting your love interest...


7. Your 1st should be with someone you KNOW, TRUST and LOVE
Ahhh! You watched the movie, you remember the scene. What a tender moment.
enuff said about that.

8. Get your education no matter what
Don't be a hard head and not do the right thing just cause you mad at your daddy. Q learned that lesson the hard way because he was blinded by anger over his dad's infidelities. I'm not saying education is the ONE answer for everything and NO it won't open ALL doors for you but you'll have a better chance on cracking the window with an education than trying to get along without it...

9. Be passionate about your chosen craft
Monica LOVED basketball. She had Spalding Dreams! Haaaaa! Sometimes her passion got her in trouble but nobody could take away the fact that she knew BASKETBALL!
That's the lesson I try to get my students to understand. When you decide on what you want to do in life (and hopefully, you'll choose something you ENJOY) by all means, go all out to understand the ins and outs, EVERYTHING! Nothing worth having is easily gotten and you must work to be at the top of your field!

10. If it's something worth having and giving up everything else for, go Double or Nothing
You remember the scene in the backyard two weeks before Q's wedding. That's what I'm talking 'bout!! Don't make a huge mistake just to save face. Follow your HEART!

Umm Hmmm. Lessons from Love and Basketball.
Gotta Love it. I can't wait to see the lessons you come up with!


I hope that all the DAD'S out there have a GREAT weekend! Until next time... Relax and watch a good "Back in the Day" movie. It'll put a smile on your face!

Ramifications

Good people. If you've been here before, you know what is at the top of my "mad list"

GAS PRICES.

Deez prices are so high and I'm mad as hell. I was listening to Michael Baisden this afternoon and some of the family was venting about what high gas prices would lead to.

Ramifications

People were calling in with all kinds of sad stories and what choices they would have or not have if the prices continued the way they are.

Some folks are pumping and driving... I saw one such case on my very own HBCU networking site... I still can't believe she actually posted that...
One truck driver said their fuel is already above $5/gallon and the company was having to cut back. He's a single dad with no options without a job. He said crime DOES pay and that's how he was going to make ends meet.
Some folks calling up Ray Ray n them to get in on the next drug deal to make some extra cash.
People around my parts have actually started riding a bicycle for short errands.

All I could do was shake my head in shame because if we don't see the end of the tunnel and SOON, Imma be right up there with the rest of the folks!

But on the real folks, my mom had an undetected stroke two years ago in her frontal lobe. This affects her personality and behavior. She also has Akinetic Parkinson's which affects her movement. What this means for me is that she must have a sitter during the day while I go to work because she either freezes in one spot for a loooong time unable to move or she will make an irrational decision that will affect her safety. Her sitter was hired to get her bathed, dressed and OUT of the house because all my mom would do is lay in the bed all day long and get bed sores. She gets a disability check. Our great gubment graciously sends $1600 a month to my mom. The retirement check doesn't cover the rest either. Her sitters for the weekends and weekdays easily cost $2000. Remember, they are there to get her out of the house. My mom loves to get out of the house. Her sitters have told me about times when she would just want to ride through different neighborhoods for 30-40 minutes. That and she LOVES going to SONIC erryday to get a Strawberry slush with Cherries. She's still an intellectual person underneath the medical problems. She likes seeing what's in our community asking a bunch of trivia questions about what she's seen. It breaks my HEART to have to tell her that she simply CANNOT go out like she used to because we can't afford the gas for her car and mine. U finished the math problem from earlier right?? U figured out it takes my check and hers to keep this household afloat... above and beyond the sitters and gas, we still gotta eat and stay cool too...

It is simply not FAIR!! And THOSE people will not do anything about it because it does not affect them!! I wonder, how far will some people have to go just to LIVE and how many people have NO OPTIONS and will resort to WHATEVER so they can hold their head up and say they took care of their families NO MATTER WHAT??

Thanks for letting me vent! Until next time... Say a prayer for our nation. We need it...

Black People and N*gg*s

Hmmm, when was my last post? Tuesday? Well. I'm trying to get better at keeping a regular schedule... Anyway, as I told my buddy, school is officially out and I'm freeeee... (ok, only for a week. Summer school's in session on the 16th) but hey, it's all good cause I'm sleeping erry day next week past 8am! I got a voicemail from the busta I thought I'd gotten rid of... ummmm, sorry dude, I ummm, I have a headache! :-)

It is HHHOOOOTTTT here in the dirty south and this heat is unforgiving. I'm a science teacher so experiments are my thing. This was so cliche but guess what me and my kids did last week?? Fried an egg on the sidewalk. It actually worked!!

My poor baby...

doesn't even like to go out anymore. She tinkles then ruuuunnnnsss back to the door to come inside... It's so funny to watch her sitting on the floor eating ICE. All you see is a 70pound furball hovering over an ice bucket crunching for 10-15 minutes. That is sooooo unlike a CHOW...

Someone sent me an email and asked when was I going to post a picture of myself. I call this "My eyes are watching you"...

Ok, forgive me, I'm not a poet, but I'll keep working on it. I will EVOLVE into a lyrical mistress one day!

Speaking of email, here's one I received recently. I've never really been into the "N" word. As a matter of fact, I hate it with a passion but I am open enough to understand the difference in behavior of our people. In the words of our "where are they now?" brotha Arsenio Hall...These are things to make you go hmmmm... After I read this email, my question to the author was, how can we reach out to our unenlightened people to help them see it's so easy to tear down what our proud ancestors hard worked hard to build?? I digress, that's another blog topic...

The Difference...
Contrary to what many may think, there is a difference between Black people and n*gg*s...

Black people spend thousands of dollars on higher education and see the value of owning real estate.
N*gg*s spend thousands of dollars on ''getting high" and are concerned only with keepin' it real..

When Black people have children, they try to get better paying jobs to make sure they can support their child...
When n*gg*s have children, they change jobs to avoid paying child support.

When Black people have children, they invest in college plans, piano lessons and braces...
When n*gg*s have children they invest in designer clothes, platinum jewelry and mini-Air Jordans

Black people watch out for their neighbors and understand the importance of strong neighborhoods...
N*gg*s watch their neighbors, and look for an opportunity to take advantage of their weaknesses.

Black people appreciate the sacrifices made for them by, their families to help them get ahead in life...
N*gg*s will sacrifice their Families and steal from them in order to get their next high.

Black people appreciate expensive jewelry designer clothes and nice cars but realize that they don't make the person....
N*gg*s define themselves by their designer clothes platinum jewelry and nice cars.

Black people will know the people at their local bank branch by first name...
N*ggas will know the people at the neighborhood Check Cashers and liquor store by first name.

Black people see hard working brothers and sisters with legitimate jobs as potential mates...
N*gg*s won't even look at you if you're not a Hustler, Baller or a Bad Ass B**ch.

Black people will work hard to be innovative or to build something out of nothing.
N*gg*s will work hard at getting something for nothing.

Black people work hard all week and then go out on the
weekend to relax and chill at the few Black night spots we have...
N*gg*s relax and chill all week and then go out on the weekends and work hard to mess up the few Black night spots we have.

In the words of Chris Rock, "I love Black people... but I can't stand n*gg*s!!
Do you know the difference and which one are you ?? ? !

Until next time... go easy on the errands. Gas is expensive ya know...

I wonder...

Hey all,
I've been away for a minute dealing with last minute things for the END of school. Tomorrow is the FINAL day for our students!! I can breathe without the constant hover of lesson plans and deadlines!

Now I can finally concentrate on this new obsession of mine... BLOGGING!! I can't begin to tell you how many blogs I have visited just trying to get the hang of the whole thing. I've been enlightened to say the least. There's a lot of talent out there and most of it comes from my people! *sticking chest out* This is a strange but eye opening experience for me because I'm normally not a talkative person but I am constantly thinking and analyzing everything.
Today, instead of my usual rant and rave blog, I'm going to make this a shortie and post some of my I wonders...

I Wonder...

Why did this young lady think she could wear this dress to the prom? Why not spend the money to fix her hair instead?
One funny thing though, they told her she wasn't wearing any underwear and then handcuffed her to get her out of the building. Why? She obviously could not hide any weapons in that dress!



Why gas just hit $4.05/gallon and the government only gives us a measly $600 to stimulate their economy! It's damn ridiculous I tell ya!

Why my last man was such a busta. That fling lasted 4 months and I was OWT! It was a long distance relationship (Big no, no from now on...) and the more I got to know him, the cornier he seemed. How could he not know he was a busta?? Good riddance bruh. I'm back on the market...

There's a crackhead that lives 6 blocks down from me, she got a man and now she's pregnant! Why do the ones with the most dire of situations get the blessings?

I wonder if Michael Jacko has to remove the artificial tip on his nose before going to sleep so he won't lose it in the bed?

Did OJ do it? aannndddd... WHY did he write a book called "If I Did It" for the 10 year anniversary of Anna Nicole's death?

What is the ONE biggest blockbuster black movie of all time?

Who shot Tupac?


Until next time... Be good to each other...Muah!!