updates!

i updated the blogroll. to get more recent updates on me and my life ... follow me!

entertainment wins again!

according to cnn.com duke ellington beat out abolitionist frederick douglass and astronomer benjamin banneker for the new quarter distributed by the u.s. mint. read story here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/24/duke.ellington.coin/index.html

when will african americans be celebrated for more than just entertainment?

really now?

from cnn.com

article 1:
riots erupt in oakland after slain father laid to rest: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/08/BART.shooting/index.html

article 2:
racism is still tolerated: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/07/racism.study/index.html

a quick iphone rant

the iphone does not support multimedia messages, and it's really starting to tick me off. whenever someone sends me a photo or a video, i get a text message with an obscure message id and password that i have to input after navigating through the browser. and because the iphone does not have a copy/paste function i have to memorize the id and password (which is hard to do because it's obscure), write it down, or wait till i get to a computer.

for two freakin days now www.viewmymessage.com/2 has told me that my id and password are incorrect. i have double and triple checked. i'm putting in the right information. att is just weak cheese!

argh!

setting the stage

rosa sat so martin could walk...

martin walked so obama could run...

obama is running so our children can fly!

don't be a sap. go vote!

my 2008 grant

back in 2004 i posted 50 things about myself. then, i updated it in 2007. then, i had some major life changes. so, here goes my 2008 grant.

1. i'm still a christian

2. i'm 29 years young — and noone lets me forget it

3. i'm african-american

4. i'm an adjunct lecturer

5. i work for an electronic component distributor

6. i'm currently dating one of the most awesome guys ever

7. i'm an overachiever

8. i have only one sibling - a younger sister

9. i have only one niece - and she spells her name with a y too

10. my grandfather knew little richard before he was little richard

11. i've lived in germany on two separate occasions

12. i've visited the leaning tower of pisa

13. i've visited euro disney

14. i've visited disney world three times

15. i have never been on a roller coaster

16. i have arthritis

17. i wear contacts

18. i've never worn braces

19. i have tmj that was triggered by a chiropractor's visit

20. i don't believe in chiropractors

21. i overcame p.c.o.s.

22. the only times i've been to las vegas are for work-related events

23. i wear a little make-up now; i need the enhancement

24. i might be a workaholic

25. i like to write and edit resumes ... i'm launching a new web business soon

26. i like to sing out loud now - as you get older you start to care less about what people think

27. i have a pomeranian

28. i recently learned that i like to dance

29. i believe most people are prejudiced (not racist)

30. according to myers-briggs, i am an ENFJ

31. i like to shop, but i hate to spend money

32. i love salsa

33. i love ice cream

34. my favorite color is now pink

35. i'm not crafty

36. but i am creative

37. my high school and college are less than 5 miles apart from one another

38. i make my check marks backwards

39. i tend to overanalyze things

40. i like dramas, comedies and love stories

41. i like to play card games

42. my all-time favorite movie is the green mile with michael clark duncan and tom hanks

43. i believe communication solves most problems

44. lou diamond phillips studied at my college

45. during birth i caused my mother's leg to become paralyzed temporarily

46. in elementary school, my teachers wanted me to skip a grade, but my mom refused to allow it

47. i have a master's degree

48. i love the warm weather, which is why i live in texas

49. my favorite dish to cook is baked chicken and rice because it doesn't really require much "cooking"

50. my new life motto is: make new plans

don't believe the hype

obama might be leading, but you still need to get out and vote. no one can afford to stay home on nov. 4th. in fact, go vote early if you can!

don't be tense

a few months ago another african american woman joined the marketing department at my company. since day one, it has been very difficult for our boss (older white male) to look her in her eyes when he communicates with her or give her any direction as to what he expects of her. so, in the midst of a rant the other day, i think i have finally figured out what the issue is. as time progresses, it has become more difficult for white males to see african american females as their equals, or even competent, in the workplace. i think it has become increasingly difficult for our boss to accept the fact that there are now two highly educated african american women who know what they are doing and could, quite simply, run circles around him. times are changing and we are coming into our own. and as he gets older and looks back, he just can't reconcile the fact that we are who we are. it's a simple case of cognitive dissonance. we're young. we're black. and we're women. we should not know more about our industry than he does. he can't synthesize.

but, he better believe. because we are young. we are black. we are women. and we are the real deal.

apple is losing a fan

if you read my blog, you know that i purchased the first generation iphone when it was hundreds of dollars. at the time i purchased it, i purchased a leather incase case to protect it. several months after having it, my little 7 pound bundle of joy decides to chew it up. whatever, i buy a cheaper silicon case to replace it.

yeah, the silicon stretches with time so that the iphone display doesn't work properly because the sensors for the display inactivation settings get all jacked up due to the stretchy silicon. so, i'm like, fine. i'll purchase another $35 leather case. this is after the release of the new, cheap, faster, better 3g iphone. i go to best buy - can't find any cases. i go to radio shack - can't find any cases. go to the brand new apple store in ftw - can't find any cases!

oh yeah, the apple store isn't stocking any first generation iphone accessories. nice. first apple sticks it to us by dropping the price on their phones and providing better technology to boot, and now they won't even support the $500 and $600 product after one year. bastards!!!!

hey apple - word of mouth marketing can be extremely effective.

one tough day

yesterday was the first day of my class. it was doomed from the beginning. i had meetings all day at the full-time gig. before i left i logged on to the university's website to get the latest attendance roster. i am looking at 44 students; however, when i downloaded the file i have 55 science students. so, i have to create the roster by typing in the correct 44 names by hand. i manage to get it done.

i get to the school and make ample copies of the syllabus. ok, things are looking up.

i get to class. my stool is gone. i teach a three-hour class. the stool is mandatory. (i teach in a class with stadium seating.) the desk is gone. i need the desk to set-up my laptop. so, i go "borrow" one from another classroom. i manage to simulate my set up.

i plug my laptop into the projector. no show. try the laptop settings. no show. try the projector input settings. no show. call classroom support services. someone is coming to my rescue in about 15 minutes.

in the meanwhile, i start class with my icebreaker activity. the guy from classroom support services shows up and adjusts the projector settings so that my presentation shows. ok, things are looking up.

i continue with class introduction. i start to introduce myself. the fire alarm goes off. we all must evacuate the building. long story short, there was a chemical spill at an adjacent building. i ask my students to come back to the classroom and get the syllabus so we can all go home. what a bust. it can't get any worse.

oh. yes. it. can. i walk out to the parking lot defeated. i get to the trunk of my car and click the remote. no go. click it again. no go. walk around to the driver's side door and click it a third time. no go. oh my goodness! my remote battery has died and i can't get in without the alarm going off. wait a minute. i don't park with my tires crooked.

yep, wrong car. my car was two rows up in the same spot. same make, same model, wrong row.

after the day i had, i was a little afraid to drive home for fear that i'd get into a car accident. i hope to manage better next week!