Desk Mini-Workout
If you have a job that requires you to be sitting most of the time, it’s important to find some way to take an exercise break when you can. I found this video and thought it would be good to try when I don’t get a chance to go out and walk during lunch. Just know that if you are in a cubicle, people will look at you crazy. And be careful if you have a chair with rollers on it. I’d hate to see a comment about you rolling out in the aisle when attempting to do these exercises.
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 07/25/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Business, Health, Obama, Politics, Society & Culture
The President discusses a key factor that has been considered in the development of the health insurance reform proposals that are being considered: the impact of reform on small business. Visit the website at whitehouse.gov to comment on the White House Council of Economic Advisers report on the subject in conjunction with this address.
Shooting on TSU’s Campus
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Entertainment & Sports, Society & Culture
Why can’t we just all get along? I’m sure you’ve heard by now on the national news that there was a shooting at a community-sponsored event yesterday on the campus of Texas Southern University. I think what bothers me the most is that I thought from the media coverage that it was a school-sponsored event gone bad. The college has already had issues with it’s reputation, so an event such as this cannot help in any way. I grew up on the campus of Texas Southern. My dad spent most of his career working in the Law School, so I hate to see news like this come out of good school. This is why I felt the need to blog some of the information I’ve gathered.
The event was on Trae Day, a day awarded to Trae Da Truth by the mayor of Houston, Bill White, and Council Member Peter Brown, in honor of his outstanding work within the community. The day was to feature various hip-hop artists and pass out school supplies to kids within the community. Families were encouraged to attend and prominent members of the community were invited. In a statement from TSU’s President, John M. Rudley, some additional information was shared via their website:
Dear Texas Southern University students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends:
You may have heard that an incident occurred on the edge of the Texas Southern University campus Wednesday night, which is currently being investigated by the Houston Police Department. According to detectives, six individuals attending a community-hosted event on the campus were shot in what is believed to be the result of an earlier altercation that took place last week between individuals from the Fresno and Missouri City area, which are 20+ miles southwest of Texas Southern. The injured were taken to area hospitals where their injuries were deemed serious but not life-threatening. A TSU student was among the injured. He was wounded in the leg and was released to his home from the hospital. All the other individuals wounded in the incident are from Missouri City.Though this appears to be an isolated incident that unfortunately grew from an occurrence 20 miles away from the campus, it has a direct impact on our university and may raise some concerns on the part of our students and their parents, as well as faculty and staff. We want to assure our University community and the students and parents who are about to become part of Texas Southern University that we are working diligently to strengthen our campus security and enhance the safety of everyone attending classes or visiting our campus.
During the past year, we have made the following improvements to our security systems:* increased lighting across the campus, both the interior and the perimeter areas
* increased video surveillance cameras across campus, including new sites around the perimeter of the university
* increased police presence and patrols during peak hours
* increased foot patrols across the campus
* added bicycle patrols
* provided continuous inspection of the emergency call boxes to ensure functionality
* provided escort services for students, faculty, staff and visitors
* increased building access security measures
* increased specialized training for all police officers, including criminal investigation training, and training for police leadership through the FBI National Academy.The Department of Public Safety at TSU will continue to assist Houston Police in their investigation of the incident.
Wednesday’s incident occurred just after the completion of a community event developed and hosted by private citizens and community organizations that included the distribution of school supplies and other community-based resources.
Texas Southern University is proud to serve as a venue to important community events, particularly those benefitting our students and academic programs. Nonetheless, a moratorium is being placed on all outside groups requesting use of Texas Southern facilities while we undergo a complete review of our policies and requirements for use of our facilities and campus.We absolutely believe that the Texas Southern campus remains safe and that this is an isolated tragic incident. We are committed to ensuring the safety of all members of our community and will continue to identify ways that we can increase the security of our campus.
Sincerely,John M. Rudley, President
In my opinion, it’s an event that was meant for good, gone bad. I can’t comment on any of the featured artists because I haven’t even heard of most of them. The main purpose of this post was to share this statement with the readers of this blog. There are two sides to every story. As a blogger, when I’m able, I just want to see both sides get attention.
Here are some additional links that I’ve found regarding the incident:
- Trae Day Slide Show
- Coverage on 97.9 The Box website
- Statement regarding the incident from Low Down Family Entertainment (see comments)
President Obama on What Black America Needs
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Education, Obama, Society & Culture
Before his speech with the NAACP centennial convention in New York City, President Obama spoke before another audience of African-American reporters aboard Air Force One. It was the President’s first meeting with African-American media with some of the topics covering racial disparities, health care and education. From what I could tell from the article, the meeting seemed to go well. But I wonder how satisfied the reporters were with his answers.
From the very beginning of the elections, I’ve said that a win from Obama does not mean we have overcome. There are a lot more issues facing the black community and we shouldn’t rely on President Obama to fix them all. The solution to the problems in our community is reading this post. It’s me, you and everyone else who cares about the general welfare of those in need. I’ll be the first to say it’s a hard thing to do because my life is already full of things I have to do for my own family. But even if I can sacrifice a couple of hours a month, that time can make a difference in someone’s life. It doesn’t have to be a grand all out gesture. Helping others is addictive. Once you get started, it is a hard habit to quit.
Here’s the article from CNN “President Obama on What Black America Needs”.
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 07/18/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Family, Health, Obama, Politics, Society & Culture
The President calls on Congress to seize this opportunity – one that may not come again for decades – and finally pass health care reform: “It’s about every family unable to keep up with soaring out of pocket costs and premiums rising three times faster than wages. Every worker afraid of losing health insurance if they lose their job, or change jobs. Everyone who’s worried that they may not be able to get insurance or change insurance if someone in their family has a pre-existing condition…”
What the President Has Signed Into Law – March/June 2009
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Education, Family, Our Rights, Personal Finance
Okay, I dropped the ball on my monthly posts of the bills passed by the White House. But I’m back and here’s what happened from March to June. The purpose for this post is to inform you of the new laws and acts enacted by Congress and President Obama. With the advent of the Internet it’s gotten easier to watch every step our government takes. And President Obama is making some nice moves to make what they do more transparent to the American people. We elect them, so we need to make sure they are doing their job. The laws I list are posted at govtrack.us, which is a nice site for checking laws in any stage their in. As always feel free to leave any additional comments.
On Mar 20, 2009, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
H.R. 1541: Small Business Act Temporary Extension. To provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes.
On Mar 30, 2009, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
H.R. 146, Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. An act to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
On Apr 21, 2009, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
H.R. 1388: Serve America Act. A bill entitled “The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.”
On May 20, 2009, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
S. 386: Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act (FERA). An Act to improve enforcement of mortgage fraud, securities and commodities fraud, financial institution fraud, and other frauds related to Federal assistance and relief programs, for the recovery of funds lost to these frauds, and for other purposes. From the White House
S. 896: Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. A bill to prevent mortgage foreclosures and enhance mortgage credit availability. From the White House
On May 22, 2009, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
S. 454: Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act. A bill to improve the organization and procedures of the Department of Defense for the acquisition of major weapon systems, and for other purposes.
H.R. 627: Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009. To amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end consumer credit plan, and for other purposes. From the White House
On June 22, 2009, the President signed the following bill(s) into law:
H.R. 1256: Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. To protect the public health by providing the Food and Drug Administration with certain authority to regulate tobacco products, to amend title 5, United States Code, to make certain modifications in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Civil Service Retirement System, and the Federal Employees’ Retirement System, and for other purposes.
Houston-based WALIPP Academy Needs Your Help
Filed under: Blog Entries, Business, Community, Education, Family, Society & Culture
WALIPP-TSU Preparatory Academy is a unique HISD Charter School founded by the William A. Lawson Institute for Peace and Prosperity, WALIPP. It was conceived by Mrs. Audrey Lawson, and was founded to meet the critical academic and social development needs of inner-city youth. Targeting middle school males, the Academy is an authentic (real-world) learning community. It uses a creative academic and experiential curriculum to build student success and to develop the total person.
WALIPP recently learned that there is a charter that has been returned to the State Board of Education for award. We are competing with the seven other schools that were left in the ‘pool’ after the November 2008 Committee and full Board meetings. You already know how much we want to receive this award.
1) Will you make a phone call to the key players in this decision – and send a letter of support? The group that is responsible for recommending our name to the full Board of Education is the Committee on School Initiatives, listed below:
- Bob Craig, Chair (College Station)
- Mavis Knight, Vice Chair (Dallas)
- MaryHelen Berlanga (Corpus Christi)
- Pat Hardy (Fort Worth)
- Don McLeroy (College Station)
2) Your call of support can be directed to the Texas Education Agency, office of Charter Schools, (512) 463-9575. Each call is an opportunity to ‘voice your support’ for WALIPP. Share the number with others and continue to make calls on our behalf this week and next.
3) Since time is of the essence, we don’t want you to mail a letter of support this time. The committee doesn’t publish the individual email addresses of its members, but all of them can be reached through sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us. I am attaching the contents of a note you may want to use. Will you please share a copy of your letter with us by email or by fax (numbers, below)?
Dear Committee Members:
I am a supporter of WALIPP-TSU Preparatory Academy, in part because of the work they are doing and in part because of the work I know they will do if you award them with the State Charter.
Nothing is more critical than the successful matriculation of our students. WALIPP-TSU has made tremendous progress in giving its students academic and social support. These are important because the Title I children they serve need to have their learning girded by more than just a classroom. They need a community that mirrors excellence in achievement.
On the campus of Texas Southern University, this school is doing all that it can to make a difference in these children’s lives. I have seen the impact on young men who started without a vision but with WALIPP-TSU’s guidance are now eagerly advancing toward their college careers. They are more than just graduates – they are our future.
This is the kind of transformation that the State Board of Education should want for all our kids. Please provide your vote of support for the WALIPP-TSU charter in the July meeting.
4) We will be taking a number of supporters to Austin for the State Board meeting this Thursday, July 16th. The Committee meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm and it is the physical presence of supporters that may help to demonstrate how important WALIPP-TSU is in our community. CAN YOU JOIN US? We will feed you and give you lots of encouragement – but we definitely want to give WALIPP-TSU every possible chance to be successful in our application to become a state charter. Call our office at (713) 741-3600 and tell us you are willing to ride to Austin…
Thank you for what you already are doing – please give us a call (all the numbers are below) or bounce this note back to let us know that you are willing to join us next Thursday in our MARCH TO AUSTIN!
THE DATE FOR OUR TRIP IS THURSDAY, JULY 16 AND WE’LL PROVIDE THE TRANSPORTATION AND FOOD! PLEASE COME WITH US – WE NEED YOU TO BE PRESENT IN THE ROOM AS WE SEEK THE STATE CHARTER AWARD!
Here Come The Newlywed Season 2 Winners…
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Relationships
Last year, I blogged about the winners of Here Come The Newlywed Season 1 and was shocked at how fast the post gained popularity. The post even led to me getting an actual interview with last year’s winners, Johnnie and Crystal Moutra. So it was only fitting that I write a post on this year’s couple. The final couples were Marlo & Mark Corliss from Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts and Makayla & Kenny McMorris from Omaha, Nebraska.
I honestly feel each couple on the show learned something new about their spouses. Before the final decision was made, both husbands gave a heart-felt speech about what they’d learned in the house about their wife. Both husbands gave great speeches, but in the end it was the Corlisses that ended up winning over $400,000. That’s a nice chunk of change for a newlywed couple and it’ll definitely allow them to get started on the right track financially. I thought all of the couples this year were great and it’s good to see a show about marriage, relationships and getting to know the one you’ve married be the focus of a reality television show. This is only the beginning for all the couples. I wish them all the best and thanks again ABC for another great season.
President Obama’s Weekly Address – 07/11/09
Filed under: Blog Entries, Business, Community, Obama, Personal Finance, Politics
I missed posting the last address, but you can find it here. This week’s address deals with jobs and the Recovery Act. The President explains how the Recovery Act helped end our economic free fall, and how his agenda is helping to set a new foundation for our economy. From health reform, to energy, to creating the jobs of the future, the President’s proposals will make our economy stronger for both the current generations and our children, all in a way that will get our deficits under control.
Twitter Beats Mainstream Media on Death of Steve McNair
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Society & Culture, Technology, Twitter
I always get nervous when I see news like this come across a social networking site before news confirms it because you never know if it’s true. This has been a tough couple of months for a lot of celebrity families who have lost love ones and this is not the first time that I found out about it via Twitter.
I first saw a tweet by @AroundHarlem (twitter.com/AroundHarlem) and thought it may have been someone else because I hadn’t seen it on the news yet. But just like the Michael Jackson passing, the news started reporting after it moved through the Internet. It’s amazing how fast news travels today, which is why we have to be careful to decipher between rumor and fact. But most of the people I follow are good at making sure the right information is posted. It wasn’t until I noticed an update in Wikipedia that I decided to post on his passing. I’m sure if you start googling it now, you’ll find a lot out there.
I remember when Steve came to the Houston Oilers. I was exited because we REALLY needed a quarterback, but they wouldn’t let him play. I was upset about it, but the Oilers left for Tennessee and I had to get over it. Along with Warren Moon, I consider him to be one of my favorite quarterbacks and pray the best for those survived by him. It’s sad to hear this kind of news, but it reminds us how precious life really is.
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