Last night during our church instrumental rehearsal, I had the opportunity to speak to some of our soon-to-be high school Juniors about my education and career. While the purpose of our ministry is to use the talents we’ve been given to glorify God, the adult leaders in the group felt it was also important for us to make sure the youth could benefit from some of our life experiences as they prepare for college. We didn’t want to lecture them about the “old days” and we wanted it to be in a relaxed environment where they could ask questions.
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In the world of blogging, you never know how people will react to something you post. Blogging has allowed me to meet a lot of great people and this is no exception. When the Johnnie & Crystal Moutra won the show, I have to admit I was pretty happy for them. Not only did they look like a good couple, the played the game the way it should have been played and earned the respect of everyone on the show. Even better, they were from my hometown, Missouri City, TX (the place where dreams come true), so you know I had to show them some love. Well, the post got picked up by some other sites and became pretty popular. Fans of the Moutras from all over the world left comments, one being from Johnnie’s mom. I contacted her and she put me in contact with Johnnie (thanks Momma Moutra).

I want to thank Johnnie and Crystal for taking the time to answer the questions. I’m hoping this won’t be the last you all get to hear from them on this blog. Also thanks to the folks at ABC for getting us set up. Season 2 of Here Come the Newlyweds will air Mondays on ABC at 9pm Central. I just watched the second episode last night and like season 1 will make for a night of good TV.

When my wife and I got married, everyone called us honeymooners for at least the first five years. How has life changed since the finale of “Here Come the Newlyweds? What have you all been up to?

We purchased our own home on the eve of Christmas. Lol, we moved out my mamas house, and moved not even 2 minutes down the street from my mamas. Other than that, we’re still working at the school (My parents own a private school, Bearrington School in Stafford Tx)……Crystal’s a great teacher (Pre-K 3)…….the children in her class are already reading! and speaking their numbers en espanol. I (John-John) am still the same ol’ silly, handsome, joke tellin’ self….I’ll never change.

According to the ABC website, the show was “all about relationships, the differences between men and women, and the universal issues that every couple must face”. Crystal, what did you learn about Johnnie during the show? Johnnie, same question.

Crystal – That he still didn’t know me! Before the show I used to ask him all the to go shopping for clothes with me…..now we’re on national TV and he gets all the sizes wrong.
Johnnie – Women take too long… I could drop Crystal off at the mall in Houston, drive to Galveston, use the restroom for about 30 – 45 minutes ( #2), drive back, get gas, go back to the mall, and she’d still be trying on clothes…..I’m starting to wonder if she knows her own sizes.

During the final episode of the show, what was going through your mind before hearing the results?
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Chuck D will be hosting a new series of shows called, Freedom Songs: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement next month on PBS. The documentary explores the history of the civil rights movement through the songs of artists like Aretha Franklin, Sly and the Family Stone, and many more.

If you’d like to get involved and ask Chuck D a question, read the email I received announcing the show:

As someone who blogs about black history and culture, I thought this may be of interest to you and your readers. I hope that you will pass this information along.

I am writing to let you know that PBS Engage is featuring hip hop artist and civil rights activist, Chuck D, as part of the ongoing PBS Engage Asking… series.”

The series features a PBS celebrity or insider and asks visitors to send in questions to be answered the following week. The blog series has been very successful and we are excited to have Chuck D as our feature this week.

This is a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about Chuck D’s prolific career as a musician, his work on Freedom Songs: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement airing next month on PBS, and how music has influenced the civil rights movement.

Please visit the link and post your comments and questions here:  http://www.pbs.org/engage/blog/ask-chuck-d

You can also visit PBS Engage at www.pbs.org/engage and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pbsengage

For local TV view times visit the PBS Engage website.

I was a fan of the Speed Racer cartoon and recently have become a fan of the movie. I heard it didn’t make much money, but the story line while cheesy at times really made me think. Speed Racer as a little boy dreamed about becoming a race car driving and being as good as his older brother Rex. Rex who Speed idolized, was killed in a race and Speed used everything his brother taught him to become the greatest racer ever.

It’s funny because I remember having posters of planes on my wall, yet I never really pursued flying because someone told me you can’t fly in the military if you wear glasses. Whether you liked the movie or not, there’s a message in it for all of us to heed. Those dreams and goals you have should never be overlooked and never let anyone keep you from doing something you love to do. I’ve been blessed to find other passions in life and I make sure I use my talents and abilities to help make this world a better place. People can and will try to stand in your way, but that’s when you set your eyes on the prize and push through them.

If you haven’t seen the movie, check it out. You might like it.

I found out about Dallas South Blog via Google while searching for more information about Tavis Smiley’s visit to the Dallas area. I started reading the articles and was hooked on the very well-written, informative posts about the southern sector of Dallas. Due the fact that South Dallas had a large African-American population, the blog became my source of information for what was going on in the community.

Over the last couple of years, Dallas South Blog has grown into a popular online destination for those looking for stimulating political/social dialoug on a local and national level. This growth is largely due to the efforts of blogger Shawn Williams. But with growth, comes new oppotunities to take what you do to a higher level. This is where Dallas South News comes into play.

The Dallas South News will be a nonprofit organization utilizing technology, journalistic principles, and social media to empower and inform diverse communities.  It will provide news coverage in the areas of local politics, education, health, housing, as well as commentary on state and national politics. As with all nonrpofit organizations, help is needed to keep it running and there are three things you can do to get involved.

So, now that I’ve captured your attention, click here to learn more about how you can participate in the Dallas South News endeavor.

This will be the headlines in the next couple of weeks because Oprah is giving out coupons for a free two piece of grilled chicken, two individual sides and a biscuit at participating Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. Kudos to KFC on this deal because we know anything Oprah advertises sells out fast. This will definitely make the Chick-fil-A cows job a lot easier.

Just know this is a limited time deal only. The coupon is available for printing from 9am CDT 5/5/09 to 9:59pm CDT 5/6/09. You are limited to 4 downloads of coupon and it is redeemable at participating KFC locations in the U.S. from 5/5/09 to 5/19/09, excluding 5/10/09. Guess I know what my lunch will be for the next couple of days. Here’s the link.

Thanks O!

Okay, I was up late last night working and happened to be watching the Colbert Report. This clip had me ROFL because it made so much sense. The original intent of the non-partisan TEA parties were to protest the excessive spending of both political parties. But it seems the Republicans took the cause on their own shoulders to remind everyone they are the party of lower taxes.

My question is, how many people who attended were really there to protest government spending? Government spending has been out of control for the past seven years, so why is everyone in a tizzy about it now? I’ve been saying for a long time, that future generations are going to have to pay for the choices made buy our government. You can only keep taxes low for a while. They have to go up at some point. Don’t they? You can’t fight the war on terror, fix the economy, fix the health care crisis and improve education without spending a little cash.

I think I’ve just found my favorite online tech addiction. I’ve seen the commercial for Hulu before, but I never thought about checking it out until a friend of mine introduced me to it. Hulu is an online video service that offers hit TV shows, movies and clips at Hulu.com and other online destination sites – all for free, anytime in the U.S. Hulu brings together a large selection of videos from more than 130 content providers, including FOX, NBC Universal, MGM, Sony Pictures Television, Warner Bros. and more. Users can choose from more than 1000 current primetime TV hits such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Alf, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Ghostbusters, The Karate Kid, and clips from Saturday Night Live, Friends and other popular TV shows and movies.

During full length episodes, you have to watch a 30 second commercial, but it’s really not that big of a deal for what you get. It really is just one more way to get your fix of television. With faster Internet speeds we are going to see more companies like this popping up. Hulu seems to have a good network of television stations which will allow them to have better shows than some other companies I’ve seen attempt this. Check out the listing of full episodes, clips and movies they offer. Here’s the commercial that aired during the Superbowl.

I like music and I enjoy hearing a good rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. If you saw the Superbowl last night, you know what I’m talking about. Even though it was lip-synched, Jennifer Hudson SANG that song last night and it lived up to my expectations. The Star Spangled Banner is easy to mess up and I’m sure it can be nerve wrecking with people are hanging on your every word. I was one of the three who played the melody on trumpet in high school on game nights, so it holds a special place in my heart. The song speaks of the American flag which is a symbol of freedom, bravery and perseverance in a country when compared to others is still in its infant stages.

I actually have three different versions on my mp3 player:

• Sandi Patty (don’t laugh, her version is the real deal) – Studio Recording
• Whitney Houston – Superbowl XXV
• Beyonce – Superbowl XXXVIII

Jennifer will definitely be added as soon as I can get a copy off Rhapsody. I heard someone on the radio say she probably had Bin Laden in corner of a cave crying. She’s gone through a lot and I was praying she could keep it together. What a song to do as her first public performance. Why did she get cut from American Idol again? I’m not sure how long it will be posted, so if you didn’t see it, here it is.

Which version of the song is your favorite?

First the banking system, then the auto industry, now college football. I was looking through the active bills at govtrack.us and found H. Res. 68. On January 16th, Rep. Neil Abercrombie [D-HI] introduced a resolution in the House which supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

What’s even more interesting is that this is a bi-partisan effort with a Democrat and two Republicans listed as co-sponsors. While I doubt this resolution will make it past the committee, it was funny to read because we all know President Obama supports the playoff system. And I agree! Let the teams battle it out and fight their way to a National Championship. That way, we won’t have to hear teams (and fans) whine and complain when they don’t make it. Check out some of the wording in the resolution:

Whereas the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I A) is currently the only major college sport without an NCAA championship: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) rejects the BCS system as an illegal restraint of trade that violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act;

(2) demands the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division investigate and bring appropriate action to have the BCS system declared illegal and require a playoff to determine a national champion; and

(3) supports the establishment of an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Championship playoff system in the interest of fairness and to bring parity to all NCAA teams.

So the question remains, what will Congress take over next?

Read the full text of this resolution