Jedi mind tricks...

So 2009 is almost 2 weeks old, people are still saying happy new yr. (that should last just a few more days)resolutions have been made (for some already broken) and as for me not much has changed. To put it bluntly, I feel exactly the same. Same job, same 8:48am train, same cravings for sweets, same argument w/my husband. Same, Same, Same!! While I think the whole idea of new yr. - new you is somewhat overrated, I do admit to needing a little shift in my routine. I think the real challenge is finding something sustainable that might become a part of my routine, a new part. Something that causes everything else to take a step forward or a step back. I am officially soliciting suggestions, examples, advice, words of wisdom, whatever you want to call it. I would love to hear how the new yr. has inspired you or how you plan to sustain a new idea, activity or action.

6 days to history...

This may be preaching to the converted, but I thought I'd post anyway. It may be too late to register, but there is still time to vote. Please vote.

In one week...

This speech was delivered today.

Dear Ashley Todd...

I'm not sure what aspects of your situation upset me more, that you crafted such a ridiculos story about being attacked (robbed & sexually assulted) and having the letter "B" carved into your face or the fact that it became a national news story before it was fully investigated and determined to be a hoax. You are actually unimpressive, I mean the mere fact that you carved the "B" into your face backwards, tells me that despite your college education your intellect is in question. Thank God, the Assitant Chief of police in Pittsburg, Maurita Bryant (a sister) saw the holes in your story from the very begining and is calling you on the carpet for wasting the time and energy of the police department. I read that the chapter of the campus republicans, where you are a member started to distance themselves from you as soon as the story was reported. Even they knew you were full of it.

Actually, I do know what bothers me most and that is the willingness of far too many people in this country to accuse black men of heinous crimes and the willingness of far too many people in this country to beleive them. Too many people wanted your story to be true, they don't really care about tax plans, health care and war, they care about maintaining some sort of mythical race based status quo. Obviously, fear and desperation drove your plan, the fear that in a week a black man might actually be president of this country. The truth of the matter is that whether or not he wins, this country is forever changed because of what he has accomplished. He has shown us all what is possible, clearly even you got that message. Brace yourself girl, the times they are a changin' and if not him there will be others.

Still kickin' it old school...

My last post about going to college in the 80's was missing music so I just wanted to remind folks of how dope the music was then.



Who didn't get a hair cut like this.



Everybody say Oh la, Oh la, Aye...Check out the shoulder pads in their jackets.



I'll end with this last video, maybe this one needs to be released again.

Days gone by...

This weekend I went back to my undergraduate school for homecoming and the 25th anniversary of the campus chapter of Mr. MR's fraternity (He's a Kappa) . Honestly, I was a little ambivalent about going and I wasn't sure why. SPOILER ALERT!! It has been 19 years since I left college and I guess I was unsure of how I was going to feel smack dab back in the middle of a place that had a role in shaping the person that I think I am today. I also think it had something to do with feeling "older". When I think about the yrs. I spent there I think of myself as I was then, but returning means I have to create a new vision of myself in that environment and that vision is not 19 anymore. I also think I wanted to hold on to that feeling of the campus and the community "belonging" to me, I didn't want to see it as a visitor. I took a 16 yr. old family friend with me and trying to show her around, proved that I was as much a visitor as she was. I can't tell you how many times I said, "that building wasn't here when I was a student" or "This is a brand new space" or better yet "I can't remember blah, blah, blah... Let's just call the experience sobering. What I did realize with fondness is that I loved that time of my life, all of it, the school, the experiences, the friends, the ups and downs-the whole thing. After talking to many of the people there I also realized that being in college in the 80's rocked. The music was good, we had the best of hip hop, reggae and r&b. We had great dances, remember the wop, charlie brown and the prep. Our hair was did with high top fades, slopes, zig-zag parts and asymmetrical cuts. We had shoulder pads, Reebok's, shell toes, Le Tigre and Izod. We had The Cosby Show and A Different World. We fought for divestment from South Africa and Mandela's freedom. We achieved in spite of Reaganomics and the growing conservative movement. It was an amazing period to grow into adulthood and I'm thankful for those times and I miss how they made me feel. I'm good with who I am and how I've turned out, but it was good to go back for a few days. Love to all my 80's peeps!!!

Worst nightmare...

Yesterday, at work I became one of those people, you know the ones who hit the send button on an email and send it to one or more people who shouldn't be getting it. Before yesterday I was one of those other people, you know the ones who couldn't believe that someone could be so careless or stupid to not pay attention to the people listed in the address box. In my work I have a little bit (a very little bit) of contact with politicians and other government folks, so yesterday I was copied on this letter from a colleague who was contacting someone in the governor's office. Well, I promptly replied to the sender and my other colleagues who were included in the communication with a few thank you's and a smart mouth comment. What I missed was that the governor's office guy was a part of the recipient group. Luckily, I didn't say anything to horrible or embarrassing, but I was nonetheless still mortified. As soon as I hit the send button I realized what I had done and I freaked! I tried to retract the email, I tried to delete the email, I called our help desk (that's a misnomer BTW because they were no help). About 5 minutes later I got a second email from the original sender letting me know what I had done. Dude I was well aware. Damn! Damn! Damn! I couldn't believe I had done that. I eventually pulled myself together and got over it a few hours and one coconut chocolate macaroon later. Moral of the story-be kind to those people, you never when you might become one of them.