Sunday's Song

He called 9-1-1 for what?

BEDFORD, Ohio (AP) -– An Ohio man who argued with his grown son over a messy bedroom said he overreacted when he called 911. Andrew Mizsak called authorities after his 28-year-old son — who's a school board member in the Cleveland suburb of Bedford — threw a plate of food across the kitchen table and made a fist at him when told to clean his room.

The son, also named Andrew, lives in a room in his parents' basement. The father declined to press charges and told police he doesn't want to ruin his son's political career. The son, who also works as a political consultant, said he's lucky to be living in the house rent free. He also promises to keep his room clean.

1st Black NASA administrator, hopefully

President Obama announced on Saturday that he has selected Charles Bolden, 62, to lead NASA. Bolden, a former astronaut, if confirmed, will become NASA's first black administrator. Bolden has an extensive resume. He has been to space at least 4 times.

"Ego" - Beyonce Official Video

T.I says "wait"

Rapper T.I. is scheduled to turn himself in by noon one day after Memorial Day to serve a 366-day sentence in prison. He is now appealing to remain free until prision officials can find a prison closer to his home. There's no word on whether officials will honor his request.

Queen & Lil Rounds

This is the Queen at 39. I have to admit, she is looking fly. I'm rather impressed... former rapper, turned actress; now reppin as spokeswoman for Covergirl.

Dick Cheney... go away!

Yesterday, former Vice President Dick Cheney cordially attacked the president's position on closing Guantanamo Bay. He claims that the U.S. will be less safe if we decide to close the prison facility that houses those who are claimed to be a threat to our national security. He also doesn't believe that third-world countries would want to take over housing these inmates because they have not agreed to do so in the past. Perhaps other countries were not on board because the Bush Administration had few allies. President Obama's administration is now advocating world peace and bridging the gaps of those torn relationships that Dick Cheney and his colleagues were responsible for ripping apart.

I strongly believe that we have to uphold fair and equal justice - even to those who are considered an eminent threat. This is the only way we are going to retain our powerful and respected position in the world. Housing these inmates in a federal prison would be just as safe. President Obama credits that there has never been a breakout in one of these high maximum security prisons. Furthermore, intense and harsh interrogation is not only unethical, but it also tarnishes the reputation of this great nation and what she stands for. Several studies also conclude that these unlawful interrogations causes people to admit to crimes they never committed.

This will be an interesting development to see if the Democratic Party will support the POTUS efforts to close Guantanamo Bay.

First Lady Pic of the Week

Stunning strut!

5 Birmingham Police Officers Fired

Straight from the Associated Press...

(AP) Five Birmingham police officers were fired Wednesday for beating an unconscious suspect ejected from a car after a chase, an attack captured on a patrol car videotape that didn't surface publicly for a year.

Police Chief A.C. Roper said the officers, who were not identified, were seasoned veterans but acted in a "shameful" manner. The video shows police pursuing Anthony Warren's van on Jan. 23, 2008. One officer on foot was hurt when the van swerved through traffic. It overturned on a ramp, ejecting Warren, who lay motionless as officers ran toward him. The video shows them beating him with their fists, feet and a billy club.

Blacks Graduating College

Black students that have enrolled in higher education is creeping up to meeting all-time high numbers; however, the Department of Education shows that only 43% of black students who begins college graduate - compared to the 63% of white students.

In 2006, NCAA released figures of the schools with the highest black graduates in the nation:

Harvard University - 95%
Amherst College - 94%
Princeton University - 94%
Wellesley College - 94%
Williams College - 94%
Brown University - 92%
Yale University - 92%
Washington University - 91%
Stanford University - 90%

... the next question is - exactly how many black students are enrolled at the aforementioned schools? Also, it would be interesting to know the schools that had the lowest percentages...

Lunch discussion.

Jay Z demands a lot from the University of Arizona

If you want Jay Z to perform, be ready to dish out some good dough. He earned $750,000 to perform at the University of Arizona, recently. Here is what his staff requested that the university provide him (besides the $750,000)

-1 late model black Mayback 57 or 62 with tinted windows ($400,000 luxury vehicle)
-2 six packs of Sapporo beer in bottles
-1 750 milliliter bottles of Belvedere Vodka
-2 750 milliliter bottle of Patron Silver Tequila
-2 Bottles 2004 Sassicaia - Red, Italian Wine from Bolgheri Region
-2 Bottles Armand de Brignac Champagne aka "Ace of Spades" and ice buckets
-2 quarts each of orance and cranberry juice
-1 hot tea service
-8 glasses, wine glasses
-12 glass, champagne glasses
-1 martini shaker
-12 glass, shot glasses
-1 pack marlboro lights hard pack (box)
-1 package of lighters

-2 cases (48) of small bottles of Fiji water (24-cold/24-room temp)
-6 cans "Coca-Cola"
-6 cans Red Bull
-6 bottles of vitamin water in assorted flavors

Dressing Room:-hold 8 people
private acccess to a minimum of 1 shower, toilet, washing facilities, with hot and cold running water
-desired temperature is 72F
-Table and floor lamps rather than overhead lights
-1 large couch
-1 love seat
-2 matching end tables
-2 lamps
-6' banquet tables with tablecloths for catering
-4 standard folding chairs
-1 full length mirror
-1 rolling wardrobe rack
-1 humidifier
-1 microwave

top three tuesday

Boyfriend #2
Knock you down
Ice cream paint job

Two more:
Franky
Birthday sex

College Hill

So much for reality TV.

Apparently the ratings are slipping or something over at BET ‘cause there’s just a little bit too much Kyle-drama on this season of College Hill. Of course drama brings in viewers (that's why I tune in every Tuesday), but Kyle is just over the edge. With his "it's all about me" mentality and taking a minor situation and blowing it way out of proportion, he's definitely playing a character role… alter-ego Keisha. Almost as if he's trying to make a name post-College Hill.

Just this last show, he tripped out over somebody eating his ribs. This had to be like one of the stupidest episodes I've seen. Paul sold Kay out. Recalling from previous shows, he was the one who made it a point to bring up how "things are done in his hood" back home and how Allison shouldn't snitch. So yeah, it kinda confused me when he ratted her out.

Another one of Kyle's antics is when he told Allison that she helped commit a crime for watching someone eat his ribs. Ah... Then, there's more backbiting than anything. It seems like everyone is looking out for Kyle, when every argument on the show, he's some way involved. I really couldn't believe that Tiffany would show the letter that Allison wrote to Kay, which started out with "wifey". What’s that all about?

So I can't wait til tonight to see what's gonna happen. Is Paul and Kay gonna get together? Who will Kyle fight with? Just have to wait and see...

Oh, one more thing - did yall see when Kyle made Kay put his $10 in the microwave (the place where his ribs were "stolen" from)? lol too much Miss Kyle!

Ice Cream Paint Job

Franky

Notre Dame Controversy

President Dr. Obama, as he addressed the 2009 class of the University of Notre Dame, was interrupted 4 times by pro-life hecklers. President Obama accepted an honorary law degree and delivered the graduating commencement speech.

"These honorary degrees are hard to come by... so far, I'm only 1 of 2 as President," Obama said joking about not receiving an honorary degree from Arizona State University earlier this month. Instead, campus officials decided to have a scholarship named after him.

It amazes me that some felt that the President of the nation should have never been invited to the campus. His appearance was clouded by pro-life critics - who intentionally were arrested to make a point.

It is extremely disappointing to know that these students who worked hard for many years studying, only to have the biggest day of the end of their undergraduate days interrupted by people who wanted to inject politics into such a momentous occasion. While I agree that people who have strong beliefs should protest, but these protesters went too far.

I absolutely enjoyed watching Father Jenkins (my hero) handle the scene. He said that the community, public officials and students should use the opportunity of the POTUS coming to campus to "engage in responsible and reasonable dialogue". After all, this is what higher learning is all about. Some may side with pro-choice; others with pro-life - this is what makes us a melting pot of ideas.

President Obama said in his speech, "We are not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes."

Whether you agree or disagree with abortions and embryonic stem cell research, one thing that we can take away from this is what Father Jenkins said in his introduction of the President: President Obama is not someone who stops talking to those who differs with him.

Gratefulness

Yesterday, I took about an 8-hour sabbatical from life and her daily responsibilities; releasing me to rest and not think about the impending tasks that needs to be accomplished in the coming days. Thinking – it would be great to have a four day workweek and a three day weekend. I would like that! Having one to a day and a half to handle situations that cannot be resolved throughout the workday is challenging.

Right now, I am up and getting ready to head out to church. I am definitely reminded of God’s grace on a daily basis. Sometimes I get caught up in doing me; however, He quickly reminds me of His love when I am flaky and inconsistent. Getting caught up in wanting to have a successful career, continuing my education and overcoming insurmountable obstacles – usually brings me to my knees to give the honor to the Creator for shining on me.

Before I start a sermon ;), I need to head and shower. Church is in an hour. I'll leave you all with a YouTube video of Fantasia singing "Total Praise".



Have a great day, peeps!

*knockout*

what a life

Ahhh. Thank God for the weekend. Situations have been mounting, and I finally have time to take a break, relax and sort through some ambiguous opportunities. Life is so strange... seems like one day everything is all mapped out and the next, it'll leave you wondering if you need a backup plan to make it through. Honestly, these past few months have been extremely chaotic. Juggling work, school and friendships can be a tad bit demanding. So yeah - this weekend is well deserved!

So what's new with me? Currently, I'm trying to get some articles published on students matriculating through college with chronic illnesses; the challenges and struggles of the next generation. Researching the similarities and contrasting principles of this decade to previous ones is quite interesting, to say the least.

So relationships - ah, I didn't even know that word still existed. I'm slowly becoming a pessimist when it comes to finding a "ying to my yang". If I start elaborating on this, I'm afraid that I'll sound like an angry old man. So I'ma leave this one alone! :-) Nonetheless, I'm slowly starting to come around to this city. I'm having a sort of difficult time establishing solid friendships. This can be a task in itself.

Well, I am off to listen to some good ole Patti Labelle and catch up on my girl O.

*knockout*

Letter to NAACP on Cartoon Depiction

NAACP, I definitely stand behind you all on this issue. The cartoonist and the editorial staff made an extremely poor judgment to post such a racial insensitive. A publication such as this further divides America and opens the wound of racial degradations. This thoughtless act should not be tolerated, jokingly or not. It has been America's goal for some time for blacks and whites to rise above the hurtful separating times to become a beacon of hope for the next generation. Please America: we can do better; we want to reach a new tide of positive expectations.

Texas Giant

About two years ago, a friend and I decided on taking a last minute trip to an amusement park. He was surprised when I told him that I had never been on the Texas Giant. With much anticipation, our first course of action when we arrived was to get on the big high-rise. Waiting in line, I remember my heart was beating so hard that it could have jumped out at any moment. The thought of going up over 140 feet in the air, on wood, was scary. Therefore, I asked to sit closer to the back.

The relevance of this ride in comparison to life is that often times, we have slow ups -- the challenges or situations that we avoid because they appear minor but eventually blow up in the end. Then, there are the fast downs -- when obstacles appear to be stacked on top of the other and the only alternatives that seems hopeful are: to quit, give up everything and walk away, throw a self-tantrum or to quit. Then, the side-to-sides are the opportunities that looks promising one day and then all of a sudden, swift change occurs without adequate notice. Finally, the rollercoaster was rather bumpy with heavy shakes. Hmmm. Sounds similar to life, right?

This proved to be one of the most interesting rides because when I got off the Texas Giant, I had a massive headache; one that I had never experienced before. The odd part is that the headache lasted for only a few minutes. The small pain that I felt then equates to natural struggles that appear hopeless in the moment, but once surviving what seems insurmountable, the growth, laughter and simple experience makes life all the more enjoyable. Now I'm thinking... I just can't wait until opening day on February 28th, so that I can hop onto the Texas Giant and experience in 3 minutes what life sometimes feel like.

*knockout*

Will.i.am

This has to be the greatest song I've heard. Will.i.am did a fantastic job gathering these high-profile celebrities to produce such a song for the time. I am still getting goose bumps! See for yourself:

72,300 (and growing) *knockout*

If you have been following the weather, you will know that there is a little ice on the roadways here in Texas and a lot worse up north. Well, yesterday morning, I woke up around 7:15 and turned on the television to see if our university was closed for work. Expecting to get back in the bed, I went to our universities’ webpage and sure enough – nothing was cancelled. My immediate reaction was “Damn, every other school is out.” Then, I was quickly reminded of a headline that I watched on CNN the day prior that read “72,300 lost jobs in 1 day”. Then yesterday, I read that another 8,000 jobs were cut. Hundreds of thousands of people have no source of income. These thoughts alone forced me to quit the complaining and get ready for work. I even messed up trimming my mustache.

The situation of people losing their jobs is turning from a recession to a depression. Businesses from Texas Instrument, Target, Home Depot to Microsoft… just to name a cutting back as consumer confidence is slashed. The economy is failing at a fast pace, there’s a mortgage crisis, from Wall Street to Main Street… this is bad, y’all. Now, I’m listening to reporters say that the situations are going to become bleaker before the healing starts. There are already millions of workers without employment. This will create an uphill challenge for them to find work. I’m not an economist, but no source of income equates to less money being spent to stimulate the economy – which further increases the number of companies forced to lay people off and more homes foreclosed.

Let’s be prayerful for those who are just graduating college seeking employment and those who were laid off.

*knockout*

Pics from D.C.

Between Lionel and I, we took over 500 pictures. Most were of the crowds, the different bands and buildings. This is by far the most amazing trip that I have ever taken. There were people from all corners of the globe gathering in one city to witness the first African-American assume presidency of this great nation. I am truly convinced that under President Obama's administration, we will have a new level of service, we will reclaim our rightful standing in the world, and afford opportunities for advancement for all Americans. This is a new day, as President Obama often mentions. I am excited to be able to witness such an amazing "new day". *knockout*

blogs from the inauguration

these are blogs from the inauguration... unfortunately, i wasn't able to post them in real-time.


inauguration update (8:07 AM - 1/20/2009)
Been standing in the national mall for about 3 hours now. My hands are friggin freezing while typing this. My toes are so cold that they are starting to burn. There are huge jumbo trons setup all across the mall. Snippers are positioned atop of buildings. We are watching the replay of the concert. Folks are mad. The crowd is swelling. Hands hurt... will update when get on train. *knockout*

4:57 lane (4:57 AM - 1/20/2009)
So we are waiting to turn into the metro line. There are sooooooooo many cars in front of us. Mind you, it is 4:57 in the a-m. I can only imagine the congestion on the rail itself and the shoulder room only at the rail station. Lionel and I are listening to some good ole fashion gospel music. This car line is like mad crazy. I need me a venti white chocolate mocha with a tripple shot from Starbucks right about now! I'm trying to get adjusted to the mobile blogging. About to catch a few zzzzzz's while we wait in this long car line. *knockout*

4 o'clock (4:00 AM - 1/20/2009)
So, it's four o'clock. Literally. I'm laying on my back, listening to Roland Martin and Soledad O'Brien on CNN at a forum at Howard University. I am about to freshen up and be out the door by 4:15 to be on the metro rail... *knockout*

inauguration eve (11:00 PM - 1/19/2009)
i'm sitting here and it's midnight. in less than 4 hours, i'll be preparing to head to the national mall to witness president obama assume the duties of the highest office in the nation! the excitement here in dc is building by the second. i'm extremely exhausted from a long day. i'll start mobile blogging and will put up some pictures and videos from this trip as soon as i find the time.

oh, and if you were watching cnn today, you would have saw me "acting up" while soledad o'brien was interviewing dr. king's son!*knockout*

inauguration eve

i'm sitting here and it's midnight. in less than 4 hours, i'll be preparing to head to the national mall to witness president obama assume the duties of the highest office in the nation! the excitement here in dc is building by the second.

i'm extremely exhausted from a long day. i'll start mobile blogging and will put up some pictures and videos from this trip as soon as i find the time.

oh, and if you were watching cnn today, you would have saw me "acting up" while soledad o'brien was interviewing dr. king's son!

*knockout*

Coutdown to Change

This is almost surreal.

As I prepare to buy more wintery clothes for the inauguration to witness this historic moment in D.C., I am waiting for someone to awake me from this dream! Reading an article on CNN and watching the pictures of President-elect Obama step off the Air Force One aircraft, I almost cried. It is more than just PE Obama being a black man. His inspirational story of coming from a family whose father left him, grandmother struggled to raise him – using social services at one point and rising to earn a first-class education at Harvard; going on to become a representative, then senator and now the newly elected president of this nation… simply amazing.

I am counting down to change. We have only 13 more days!!!

Turnaround

Watching the playoff game between the Chargers and the Colts reminded me of how life can be. The Chargers started the season off with a meager 4-8 record. Tonight, with about thirty seconds on the clock, Nate Kaeding, kicked a field goal to tie the game and led them into overtime. The Chargers, facing a team with a quarterback who was named MVP for the third time and their very own running back Ladainian Thomson faced with groin injuries – who sat out the entire second half - they were all but counted out. They managed to surprise the Colts in the opening playoff game and came out on top. In this AFC playoff game, the Colts taught us all a life lesson: although we might be faced with an uphill journey with situations mounting; through hard work and perseverance we can make a dramatic turnaround.

*knockout*