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Monday, December 29, 2008

i got a new baby




so, i got a new toy the other day...a christmas git really, from my mother...my digital cameras always die when i buy them, so i figure this one from her, ill try to keep alive for awhile... anywho, my mom bought a camera from this camera store she loves (she says she goes there because you get 100 free prints, even though nobody has ever actually gone in to redeem these prints). after snapping a couple pics on christmas, i decided that i didn't really like the pentax, so we went to the store to exchange...after about fifteen minutes of the girl trying to say that there woudl be no difference with another camera (i was upset that the auto flash wouldn't work in low light, thus causing my pictures to be fuzzy and a little dark), we found a camera (see pic above) that i decided would work. that said, im super excited to snap pics. i already took a couple of the daisies i brought home for my mom from whole foods(they were a peace offering, sort of a way to appease her since i didn't get home till late on christmas eve night). im excited about my babes...i think ill name her betsey...i dont know why i feel the need to start naming my objects...maybe its that maternal need for a child thing kicking in...scary...

maybe i've been partying too much

P!nk "Sober" Music Video

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

happy merry christmas eve!


so, because i'm at work, and have nothing better to do...furthermore, because no one else is at work, because apparently they all have something else to do...i am going to do a post. this is my first chrismas eve away from home, and honestly, im not very happy about it. i wanted to be at my parents house sleeping in, and enjoying playing with all those darn dogs, and talking to my family, and hanging out with my friends...i miss my girls so much...we had a blast when they came up to visit. people have been calling me all week, trying to figure out where i'm at, so we can hang out...i've become almost robotic in answering :im still in chicago. i have work. ill be there wednesday.bye. i don't even want to talk about it.

there's the cutest little girl in the office, wishing everyone a "happy christmas". it makes me miss being at home and being around kids. they make everyone so much happier...overall, i guess im just feeling a bit nostalgic today, so on that note:


me and my little brother...takes me back to a simpler time

Saturday, December 20, 2008

resolved

so, i've been thinking a lot about the things that i want to accomplish in the new year. these have to do with the things i want to learn, goals i want to accomplish,and the person i want to become...i've never really been a big new years resolution person, so i don't know if i would call this that...i think of it more as a list of things i want to pursue


  1. learn how to network more effectively, which is going to require that i let go of my shyness

  2. end relationships with people who aren't furthering my growth. i've noticed that i have a lot of negative people around me, and i don't like it at all

  3. start living a more healthy lifestyle...sure i look healthy, but in actuality, i don't eat well or exercise nearly enough

  4. take dance classes...i used to really enjoy modern when i took it, but for some reason i've fallen off.

  5. become more active in delta. i think had i still been in undergrad it would've been much easier. alumnae chapter is so big, it's easy to get lost in all the people

  6. do more service...i used to be so active in community service, and now i've let that go. i think i figured that delta would provide me with enough opportunities to do service, but im seeing that isn't really true

  7. expand my social contacts. i have my group of friends, and im content with the people that i hang out with. i wonder what would happen if i opened that up a bit

  8. travel. im planning trips to houston, new york, and possibly dc for this year...london for next year...wish i had more time off so i could do more



that's all i got for now...there are a few more things,but maybe ill get to those later

Thursday, December 18, 2008

thursday

recently, i've been finding random corrine bailey ray songs that i really like, but hadn't ever heard. This odd because i consider myself a serious fan of her music...most recent fav song


anywho, i stood myself up for my self date the other night...i was supposed to go to the oriental institute, but there was way too much snow. sometimes i wonder why i live here. i know i can't figure out why people ever settled in this cuty...it's way too cold...and it snows way too much. but whatevs, maybe saturday it'll work out better, and i'll find somewhere else to go.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

hump day thoughts

nothing really to share today.
-working on new year's eve plans...since when did my life become all about partying? i miss nye with the fam, and i wish i could go down there for that holiday
-our next door neighbor knows way too much about our schedules and whether we are home or not...this makes me really nervous. he knocked on the door this morning because the garage door was open, and wouldn't stop knocking until someone answered (our assumption is that he knew someone was still home)
-movie night with the roomies tonight with the bootleg dvd that one of the janitors from work gave me. i'm going to miss them when i leave
-got to work early today with hopes of leaving early. we'll see if that works out.
-my best friends are coming into town this weekend. im excited to see them, but a little worried about how it'll be because we haven't all hung out together in a long time.i'm not sure how the group dynamics will play out.

Monday, December 8, 2008

smash into you

of course my day would never be complete without a bit of youtube-ing...so, i found this cover of one of the songs from "i am". i randomly appreciate acoustic music.



btw,

i think one of the janitors is trying to get me to do his plumbing school homework...it was like, one minute he was offering to do a complimentary vacuuming of my area (sidenote:it's not complimentary, you are getting paid!). the next minute he's asking if i can google some stuff about bathtubs. i said sure, if i have time, but clearly, after all the time i waste aimlessly browsing the internet, i really have no time for doing his homework. i really can't believe he would ask me such a thing. i dont know him like that

in other news,

i think i'm catching a cold, so i'm drinking lots of tea, and going to bed as soon as i get home. glad i didn't set my self-date for tonight

Friday, December 5, 2008

fridays news

i think i've found an apartment. i can't wait til i can move in. i miss my puppy so much. he'll finally be able to come up an live with me. it's close to the lake, which is nice, but it means bitter cold and little parking...you would think that once the temperature got to a certain point, the amount of cold wouldn't matter, but you would be wrong...the lake effect is serious. anyway, im excited to move in, and probably will do so by the week before christmas...im pushing for living room furniture as a gift from my parents...hopefully everything will work out

btw, two more people introduced themselves to me today, one person asked me where the chief of staff was, as if i were his secretary, then asked me for advice with her phone, and never introduced herself to me, two random security gaurds were rude to me (we're having a job fair and they hired some random people to make sure everything went smoothly). i feel like if you are here, looking for a part time job with the cta, the last thing you need is someone being rude to you...but hey, maybe that's just my opinion. one janitor gave me some cajun rice (super tasty), and one girl told me i look "good" in green, aftermaking a random comment about my crimson and cream deask decor...i still have no clue what her name is...but i appreciate the sisterly jokes.


and now...back to work

Thursday, December 4, 2008

date night

so, i've decided to begin taking myself on weekly "dates" just to get out of the house and have some alone time...next week, im participating in the u of c alumni book club, so tonights day will be to go pick up the book from the library, and find a cafe somewhere to sit and get some reading done...haven't decided where yet though

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

its official

so, yesterday was my official welcoming at the office. they sent out an email to the entire staff letting them know that yes, she has arrived. it had a little blurb abotut me that was based off of my resume.while i was reading it, i couldn't help but think that this blurb actually said little about me...but whatever.

since the e-mail went out, people have been treating me a little different. people started introducing themselves to me...even though i've been here since july, and very few people found that necessary prior to yesterday. one lady introduced herself to me today in the bathroom, even though she works on my floor, and i see her at least once a day. one guy won't quit calling me rookie, and asking me to do things for him (low key, i feel like im being hazed by him). several other people have decided that they must now start treating me with a little more respect. it's all really interesting, because my qualifications haven't changed, and i've been in the office everyday for about a month, and before that i was here often enough for people to decide to treat me well. i guess its just human nature.

Monday, December 1, 2008

recession

It's official: Recession since Dec. '07
The National Bureau of Economic Research declares what most Americans already knew: the downturn has been going on for some time.



NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday that the U.S. has been in a recession since December 2007, making official what most Americans have already believed about the state of the economy .

The NBER is a private group of leading economists charged with dating the start and end of economic downturns. It typically takes a long time after the start of a recession to declare its start because of the need to look at final readings of various economic measures.

The NBER said that the deterioration in the labor market throughout 2008 was one key reason why it decided to state that the recession began last year.

Employers have trimmed payrolls by 1.2 million jobs in the first 10 months of this year. On Friday, economists are predicting the government will report a loss of another 325,000 jobs for November.

The NBER also looks at real personal income, industrial production as well as wholesale and retail sales. All those measures reached a peak between November 2007 and June 2008, the NBER said.

In addition, the NBER also considers the gross domestic product, which is the reading most typically associated with a recession in the general public.

Many people erroneously believe that a recession is defined by two consecutive quarters of economic activity declining. That has yet to take place during this recession.

This downturn longer than most
The NBER did not give any reasons or causes of the recession. But it is widely accepted that the housing downturn, which started in 2006, is a primary cause of the broader economic malaise.

The fall of housing prices from peak levels reached earlier this decade cut deeply into home building and home purchases. This also caused a sharp rise in mortgage foreclosures, which in turn resulted in losses of hundreds of billions of dollars among the nation's leading banks and a tightening of credit.

The current recession is one of the longest downturns since the Great Depression of the 1930's.

The last two recessions (1990-1991 and 2001) lasted eight months each, and only two of the 10 previous post-Depression downturns lasted as long as a full year, according to the NBER.

In a statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto said that even though the recession is now official, it is more important to focus on the steps being taken to fix the economy.

"The most important things we can do for the economy right now are to return the financial and credit markets to normal, and to continue to make progress in housing, and that's where we'll continue to focus," he said. "Addressing these areas will do the most right now to return the economy to growth and job creation."

President-elect Obama's transition team did not have an immediate comment on the recession announcement. But other top Democrats said this is further proof of the need for another economic stimulus package, which Obama has advocated.

"With rising costs of living, rising unemployment, record foreclosures and depleted savings, we must do more to help families make ends meet," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a statement. "With the cooperation of our Republican colleagues, we intend to send a plan to the White House as soon as possible following President-elect Obama's inauguration next month."

How long will it go?
Nonetheless, several economists said the real concern is that there is no end in sight for the downturn.

Some suggested that the best case scenario for the economy is that it would reach bottom in the second quarter of 2009. And even if that happens, that would still make this recession the longest since the Great Depression.

Rich Yamarone, director of economic research at Argus Research, said the only good news for the economy is that some of the steps already taken by the government earlier this year could start to spur growth soon. For example, he said interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, which started in September 2007, "should be working their magic any day now."

In February, Congress passed a $170 billion tax rebate meant to stimulate the economy. But that only boosted GDP during the second quarter.

The financial market and credit crisis worsened during this summer, prompting Congress, the Treasury Department and the Fed to pump trillions of dollars into the economy through a variety of programs, including a $700 billion bailout of banks and Wall Street firms and hundreds of billions of lending by the Fed to major companies and lenders.

But Lakshman Achuthan, managing director of Economic Cycle Research Institute, said that at this point, the only solution for the recession is time.

"All the hand waving and real cash that policymakers are throwing at the problem won't change the fact we're stuck in this nasty recession," he said. "The ultimate cure of a recession is letting it run its course."

Achuthan's research firm tracks weekly leading economic indicators that are supposed to signal a change in direction for the economy four or five months ahead of time. Those indicators are continuing to fall at a record pace.

Still, he said he's not worried about the current recession turning into a depression, as many Americans fear.

"Even with indicators in a tailspin, this still is only a very severe recession," he said. "There's lots of gloom, but we don't see doom."

First Published: December 1, 2008: 12:26 PM ET

monday work stuff

so, the illinois senate passed a bill a few weeks ago that would raise the legal age at which a perosn can be tried as an adult for a misdemeanor from 17 to 18...makes sense to me...you can't vote, smoke, or even get a tattoo until you're 18. clearly these laws are based onthe idea that you can't make a rational and reasonable decision until that age...anyway, i'm working on an article for the job about the issue, clearly Rod B. needs to sign this bill into law...illinois senate bill 2275 if you're interested. anyway, in my research, i found an interesting video concerning the effects of raising the juvenile age in drug offenses, and it's effects on youth. it also highlights a pretty neat program called youthbuild.

Monday, November 24, 2008

i am my mother's daughter

today was the president's secretary's birthday. in celebration, my coworkers did a surprise birthday thing for her. it's actually going on right now, but clearly, instead of socializing, i'm sitting at my desk, writing a blog post. why? because i am my mother's daughter. my mother is the essence of anti-social behavior. she doesn't like small talk, nor is she overly friendly with strangers. somehow this has rubbed off onto me. it leaves me being awkward and really shy. the awkwardness is something that i've learned to own over the past couple of years. people from my alma mater are proud of their awkward cahracter, and embrace it as a key personality trait. the shy part is a hard one. most people don't know and don't believe that i am shy. when i say i am, people laugh...there's an awkward pause...then they ask me if i'm serious. yess, i am. i don't know where it comes from, but i have a difficult time talking to strangers and people who i don't know well. this made the birthday celebration quite uneventful for me. i stood there, not really talking to anyone around me, participated in the singing of the birthday song...laughed at the jokes told my the president...then came back to my desk. i didn't socialize, like the rest of the people around the office. i feel a little bad about it, because i feel like i should be making an effort to get to know my coworkers...maybe tomorrow at our thanksgiving celebration, i'll get to know a few people.

btw, they played the "black" birthday song (the stevie wonder version)...makes me love my workplace, because it really is unapologetically black

Sunday, November 23, 2008

all i really want is a cup of tea and a good book.

yet another weekend has gone by, way too quickly. i enjoyed it, but somehow missed out on the main goal of a weekend, relaxation. i went out every night, and had tons of fun...thursday we went to an event at this restaurant in the south loop...attire: jeans and a tee. loved hanging out with my roomie and my bff...crazy because there was this random photographer guy, who kept wanting us to do the impromptu "photo shoots", so that we could buy these mediocre photos from him. lindsey bought one...i didn't. now im a little worried that i may be on some website somewhere...

friday, my chapter had a talent show and a party. it was interesting. i got to see my pledge mom. i realized how much i enjoy hanging out with my line sisters(in moderation.lol) i miss them. from that night...
Photobucket
they know i love taking pictures...one of these days i'm gonna change my pose.lol.

Photobucket
with my "quad". she works way to much nowadays, so we never hang out, but this was cool.

last night was so much fun...went out with lindsey and D. we did a house party then a club. it was cool because everything was free, and it was exciting. did a new look, but i don't have any pictures of the outfit. i liked it a lot, then my necklace broke...darn forever 21! anywho, i got one pic from somebody's camera phone with my ship phai.
Photobucket

today, after recuperating, i did some reading for work...pretty soon, i will know a ridiculous amount about teacher residency programs and their ability to improve school quality. tonight, dinner with the pledge family, then going to see the james bond movie.

out of this entire weekend, i realize that i never got to sit and enjoy a cup of tea...i feel like this is a necessity for every weekend...oh well, maybe next week

Friday, November 21, 2008

tgif

so, my ship sends me these e-mails all the time talking about her experiences at work. i used to work in the same office with her, so i usually know to whom she's referring when she talks about the lady who pees on the bathroom floor when she's mad, or the guy with the random stalker, as well as the random 47th street occurrences. These could include anything from a police chase, a naked hype, or random bums "campaigning" for Obama. BTW, my most recent 47th street experience involves me going into a harolds, noting that it smelled NOTHING like chicken, and seeing a roach crawling on the menu before I quickly walked out of the door, disgusted, and feeling a little dirtier than when i went in.
Anywho, because my ship is out of town, and therefore cannot send me an amusing e-mail, I am going to do a special TGIF post for her.

Monday the HR lady called me to be sure that she had my correct extension because she was going to update the staff directory, which basically meant adding my name, since I'm the most recent hire. Tuesday, she sent out the newly updated directory. Wednesday she e-mailed me saying I would be moved to a new office by Friday. Thursday three or four different people came up to let me know I was going to be moved and to make sure that I wouldn't be confused when I came in today. Today, I came in to see my old desk exactly as it was. A secretary talked to the maintenance people, who came up ten minutes later. They said, I wasn't being moved to an office, just to a different desk. They proceeded to pick up my desk, and move it, replacing it with a new desk. Leaving my computer in the same spot. The secretary informed them that they needed to switch the desks back, and that they only were supposed to move my stuff to the new desk. (My job operates on this gentleman/lady system. women have to let the men do everything basically. I think it's a southern thing) Anywho, they do all this work, then my computer is still in my old spot. I call IT, and send them an e-mail asking them to come move my computer.Apparently they couldn't do that without me filling out some random form, so I emailed this guy who works in IT, asked him to come up, and he did...no forms or anything...now, i have more space, a new desk, a key that works, and i even got him to switch out my keyboard to a new ergonomic one. Now, my phone extension is different. The IT guy didn't know whether or not switching the actual phone would make a difference, so I now have a completely different extension, so I have to email the HR lady and ask her to redo the staff directory with my new extension...now i realize why people get annoyed with bureaucracy, because honestly, i would rather should send out an email and say change my extension to....it's not like half these people know who i am, and at least another fourth of them have no interest in contacting me at all. whatever. thank god its friday at least


also, i had la cantina for lunch..this tilapia dish. it was amazing...and now i think i have the itis.

scared of lonely

so, for the past few days, i've been listening to a lot of beyonce, as has the rest of the free world...but this song...wow.



maybe because i can understand where she's coming from on this one, i just can't seem to stop playing it.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

cool kids...the delivery man

OK. So I finished exactly one task. Then I read an e-mail from my ship, who clearly isn't focused cause she's leaving for sunny fun in atlanta in a few hours. then, i did my usual music finding,and decided that i kinda like this cool kids song...now, i'm going to get back to work...i promise.



todays randomness

i woke up today wondering what the day would bring. my thoughts thus far...i haven't finished my to-do list,that i need to complete...i haven't called my father yet to wish him happy birthday...my mom called and asked me to basically do a small report for her,as if i'm not at work...i think i found an apartment, and i hope the guy will hold it for me till mid-december...im really tired, even though i went to bed early...i had an interesting prayer this morning...the daily news clips that my job sends out over the listhost were extremely depressing...im ready to see my family, so im excited for thanksgiving...i want to go to the inauguration, so i need to talk to my aunt about staying at her house...im looking forward to the weekend, and thus am starting my weekend tonight.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

my mind right now

i want to go see ruined at the goodman
i need to find an apartment quickly because i miss my puppy.
i enjoyed a conversation this morning about the benefits and drawbacks of mixed income housing in chicago.
it made me realize how much i miss having intelligent conversations with inquisitive people about things that really matter.
i am about to take more responsibility on at work, because i can.
i really really want some harold's...is this ok, now that obama says he eats it?
my robin thicke pandora station is really amazing me right now.
i still cannot quite figure out dress code in my office...why are people wearing jeans?
i enjoyed real houswives of atlanta last night.
i really want these pumps that beyonce was wearing, that i then saw on real housewives of atlanta last night.
i will probably post something with a little more substance later today.
i need to get some work done right now.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

annoyed a bit

so. i work. i'm actually a professional. i have a degree...in economics....from the university of chicago. usually, i'm not one to be uppity, or think im elite in any way, but...what does a black woman need to do in order for people to take her seriously...honestly, some black men need to get it together.

a. no, i do not appreciate the lewd comments..."ooh, girl, you look so sexy today" is NOT a compliment. if you think i look nice, and you say that, i will not be upset, as long as you are respectful

b. just because you are a black man with a degree/job/car/401K, does not mean that i will automatically be interested in you. i have a degree/job/car/401K. I do not need yours. Thank you.

c. if i tell you that i would rather not talk to you, please let it go. do not try to convince me that it's a good idea for us to hang out after i've said no. it's not a good look.

d. i am a lady. realize and remember that always.

this really was not meant to be a male bashing post. i love black men. hey, my dad and my brother are both great black men. seriously though, as a woman, i need for some to just do better.

Monday, November 17, 2008

heartless huh?


Heartless from kwest on Vimeo.


maybe...
women seem to naturally be the more sensitive and caring of the two sexes, so what would make a woman change into what kanye is saying here...im just sayin...

Friday, November 14, 2008

lupe

Thursday, November 6, 2008

fall

fall is here chicago. embrace it.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

chi town excitement

it's like there's something different in the air today. people are smiling...my people are happy to have this chance. at every single one of my morning stops before work, people were talking about the election. proud to vote, maybe even for the first time...even the random bums outside mcdonalds on 47th and cottage were shouting obama 08. complete change from the usual excitement of that corner.

at work, people are quietly working, but it's obvious that everyone is anxious, scared to proclaim that we will have a black president tomorrow, whose favorite pizza, by the way, is Italian Fiesta :) they showed him voting this morning in my old neighborhood, and i thought of the significance of this thing, this revolution, that has been happening. we have seen a black man, a black family, with a strong husband, wife, and gorgeous children, showcased all over the media. what a change from the usual...outside of the statistics...wow.

i'm not sure what i'm going to do tonight for the results. theres a big rally downtown, but i want to avoid the crowds. my sorority is doing a party, but i want to be with my other friends. i can't decide if it would be better to go out, and start celebrating, or stay home and stay calm. if he doesn't win, i'm not only afraid of what will happen to the country as a whole, but what will be the attitude of my people. i don't want people to get discouraged, because if he doesn't win, we'll have an even bigger reason to get, and stay involved.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

reflections

it's almost another year, and i wonder how to express how i'm feeling today. this is definitely not where i thought i'd be, and perhaps that is my fault...but in all honesty, i think the blame lies on my inability to control what goes on around me, and the desir to please everyone...i'm entering 22, and i think part of the problem is that over the past few years, i dropped any formal goals that i had already set for myself. i didn't know where i wanted to be right now in terms of my career, education, or love, i only knew that i wanted to be alive...and happy. clearly, im here, but my happiness is definitely questionable.i think it's more of a facade than anything else. over the past year, i lost someone in the worst possible way...pushing him further and further away, until he couldn't take it anymore, because i thought it would make me happy, or at least less miserable.i don't know if this situation is better or worse.i just couldn't livemy life by defining myself on the terms of someone else.i had to learn to be me, and see if i could do anything on my own..i worked hard at trying to please my father, ending up without a clear focus in terms of what i'm doing each day.ultimately, he decided not to care anymore, because im not living his way. he has decided not to deal with me. certain situations in my life have led me to having certain feelings about my worth. when important people seemed to only value certain things about me, i started to value only those things as well...im trying to get away from that. in the past year, i joined an organization, which changed the way people perceived me. this is not fair, because ultimately they mistake my own flaws for those of my organization, or as a result of me joining that organization. my true qualities,interests, and loves they ignore, because all that matters to most anymore is the surface. it's almost like i've worked so hard all my life to become jessica, and now, im not even that anymore.but now i'm starting to realize that really, what matters is that i am becoming me, living without restraints put on me by everyone else.in reflection i feel like my past year was one of tremendous growth. i had some serious struggles, both internally, and externally. i made very big mistakes, and had some successes. this was a year of decisions and disappointments. i think that my 21st year is one that i will never forget, because it changed me so much, and broke so many of my connections and old habits that held me back for so long

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

remember...

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

lipstick on a pig

haiku

fall comes too swiftly
tears fall for a seasons end
who will love me now

Thursday, September 4, 2008

boycott

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Boycott goes from threat to reality
by Wendell Hutson


The threat of a Chicago Public Schools boycott became a reality Tuesday when nearly 1,000 Chicago students showed up on the campus of New Trier High School in north suburban Northfield to register for classes.

Linda Yonke, superintendent for the District 203 school, said 800 elementary and 150 high school CPS students were registered.

It's unlikely, though, that any CPS students will be allowed to attend the north shore school due to a state law, said New Trier School District President James Koch.

“According to state law, if you do not live in a school's district, you are not eligible to attend,” he said.

However, state law does allow students living outside New Trier's district to attend if their parents are willing to pay the $17,000 annual tuition, according to Koch.

“We have had students in the past pay tuition to attend New Trier, but we currently do not have any now,” Koch added.

There are 4,000 students at New Trier, and while 12 percent are minorities, only 1 percent is Black, according to Yonke.

“We are here today to send a message to the governor that he needs to keep his promise and better fund public schools,” said state Sen. James Meeks, D-15th, who organized the boycott. “A child's education should not be based on where they live. This method of school funding is nothing more than a system of apartheid.”

He called on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to make good on a 2006 campaign promise to invest $10 billion in education.

Gov. Blagojevich did not return calls by Defender press time.

Meeks, who is also pastor of Salem Baptist Church, said that 70 percent of school funding comes from property taxes. As a result, he said, CPS spends $10,000 per student while New Trier spends $17,000 per student.

Many parents accompanied their children to New Trier via yellow school buses provided by boycott organizers.

Shannon Lewis, 41, whose daughter is a senior at Wendell Phillips High School on the South Side, was one of those parents.

Boycott supporters included a host of clergymen, community and education activists, and concerned residents like Sharon Pough, 47.

Pough does not have any children in CPS but drove to New Trier anyway.

“It's important for the kids to see that adults care and that there are possibilities beyond their reach,” she said.

The students who skipped school in the city Tuesday had little impact on attendance. The official first day of school attendance won't be confirmed until later this week but Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, estimated first day attendance at around 99.7 percent.

“Attendance was very strong. Parents wanted their kids in school,” Duncan said. “I never thought a boycott was a way to address this issue (of school funding).”

Last school year, first day attendance at CPS was 92.8 percent, according to Michael Vaughn, press secretary for CPS.

Boycott organizers said students would begin holding classes Wednesday at various downtown office building lobbies. They include the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St.; Cook County Building, City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St.; Aon Center, 200 E. Randolph St.; Chicago Board of Trade, 141 W. Washington St.; and J.P. Morgan Chase, 150. Michigan Ave.

Meeks said William Daley, Midwest regional director, private wealth group for J.P. Morgan Chase, looks forward to students coming to the Chase building.

“He (William Daley) said he would make bankers available to teach students about financial responsibilities,” Meeks said at a news conference outside his church, 752 E. 114th St.

Daley is the older brother of Mayor Richard M. Daley and reportedly is considering a run for governor in 2010.

Wendell Hutson can be reached via e-mail at whutson@chicagodefender.com.

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My view on the boycott: Good idea. Someone had to do something. In the past few weeks,I've been thinking very seriously about this issue. My mother works in education, and over the years, I have seen her struggle to get the basics, like textbooks, in the schools that she has taught in. One year, she went so far as to ask for textbooks from my the school I was attending that they were throwing out for one of the other teachers in her building. I realize that when students don't attend school, the district loses money; however, something must be done in these situations to call attention to a problem that is very real. Some people argue that schools districts receive enough money, but it is misused. If this is the case, then someone needs to be hired, to come in and appropriate the money efficiently. In any case, the ultimate effects of the entire issue lie on the students. I feel that they should be able to boycott if they wish. The consumers of any other service are able to take their business elsewhere if they do not receive quality service. Students must suffer through insufficient educational systems regardless of the quality of the educational system in their district. So I say...congratulations Senator Meeks...btw, I think he got a meeting with the Governor to speak about the funding issue.

Monday, August 25, 2008

packing

i hate packing!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

feeling like...

Friday, August 22, 2008

Eternal Optimist

And I have decided that in order to live, I must release all negativities from my life. My survival depends on my eternal optimism. I am now making promises to myself, knowing that certain prophecies shall be fulfilled, and claiming all that I want and need. Without a doubt, hard work must back up this renewed optimism. i am learning to be who I was once more...love.

Friday, August 8, 2008

hometown identity crisis





i'm headed back to my homtown today, and i always have mixed feelings about going back...i love my family, but i don't really like it there...all the thoughts that popped up in my head about going back, made me think about how i really have a sort of identity crisis about my hometown...what do i mean? well, here's a typical conversation about where i'm from:
Person: Where are you from?
Me: Southern Illinois.
Person: Oh, like Urbana? or like Carbondale?
Me: Neither...well, I'm from Belleville, which is like a suburb of STL

Person: But it's in Illinois?
Me: Yeah
Person: Oh, so like E St. Louis?
Me: Well, kinda...i guess. That's where my family is from
Person: Oh, yeah, I know some people from there too. They went to East Side
Me: Well, I'm really not from there...I lived in Belleville

Then, I spend the rest of the conversation trying to explain my hometown, and why it's not completely lame...frustration

Thursday, August 7, 2008

travel






people always ask if I could go anywhere in the world, where would i go...top 3: Greece, London, and Southern Egypt/Sudan...reasoning...Greece is beautiful...London seems exciting and would keep up with the way I like to live...Southern Egypt/Sudan holds so much history for anyone with African ancestry...imagine being in the same place as the ancient nubian and kush empires. Strong blacks, before they had the misfortune of being overcome by outsiders. I think it would be amazing...as a matter of fact, i think i'm going to plan a trip to the museum very soon to pretend like im there

Thursday, July 31, 2008

hurt

truth....drop a T and look at it in reverse
-lupe.this is real