Sit your five-dollar a$$ down before I make change

I need to sit down. And hibernate. The busy season is upon us. This Saturday is dumb packed with stuff going on, and here's yet another one. One of my students was involved in creating one of the films that will be in this screening. How Fly.




"TAKE A SEAT"

The ICA FAST FORWARD Teen Video Program

2006 Spring Screening
Saturday, May 6th, 2006
4:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Institute of Contemporary Art
955 Boylston Street
Boston MA 02115

Free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

Please join us on May 6th for our final screening at the Boylston Street location before we move to the waterfront. The program of teen-produced work includes the premiere of SAVING D'LIGHT, a comedy that follows two teens into the world of scientology (), a documentary on the lure of trading card games, and many other thought-provoking and creative pieces.

Refreshments will follow the screening.

For more information, contact Fast Forward at: (617) 927-6629 or fastforward AT icaboston.org

Reservations are recommended for the 7:00 PM screening. To reserve seats, please call 617-927-6629. On the voicemail, leave your first and last name and the number of seats you would like. Tickets will be held at the door.
NOTE: All reserved tickets not claimed by 6:50 will be released.

What is your greatest weakness?

That was one of a host of questions asked repeatedly tonight. I, along with three other folks, served on the interview committee for the National Black College Alliance. We were tasked/asked to interview all of the students interested in participating in the summer program. Some were new recruits, while others had been around for over a year, and others had only gone on the Black College Tour, but had not been very involved otherwise.

We had to run through a gamut of questions (the same ones) for each student and then assess them one scale of 1-5 on how we felt they repped. A 1 means that you are not ready; 2 needs improvement, 3 is average, 4 is good, and 5 is excellent. It's pretty straightforward, but the variety of personalities is acutely evident and on full blast consistently.

But I only thought to write about this tonight because of the greater meaning behind the stregth/weakness questions. Aside from giving many of their ears the first taste of that question, it also reveals a lot about self-esteem and character development. Some kids are shy, but are still quick to note what they could improve or what they think they bring to the table. Some can go blank on you while thinking of something to say. Some will be hard-pressed to think of a stregth and others will be unsure of any existing weakness without an air of cockiness. Some things just don't cross your mind to be thinking about, ya know?

So I wonder...I like mixing up my reserved side with my outgoing side and letting them two-step with each other at times, while I comfortably worry about just living and not about crazy interview questions such as these. But on the reals, I'm trying to recall the traits and qualities that I have uttered in response to those two questions. Everything can be a learning opportunity. The strength is something we can look to for affirmation that we got it going on...because some youth (and adults) don't believe they do. And the weakness can become a goal; something which can be worked on and improved upon for the betterment of self. What's your greatest stregth? weakness?

Boston Wireless Community Forum

The City of Boston has formed a Wireless Task Force to develop a plan for a citywide wireless network. The task force is organizing a WiFi and Internet Community Forum (*.pdf) on Saturday, May 6^th at Wentworth Institute of Technology. The event will feature speakers, workshops, and display booths to help educate the public and local businesses about the effort, create an atmosphere for feedback and discussion, and demonstrate unique uses of broadband Internet access. It is a free event and should attract over 200 techies and non-techies from throughout the Boston area.

TechBoston has been asked to sponsor and participate by bringing tech-savvy students to attend and work the event. So we'll be there in full force repping for the at-risk, urban youth whose names get thrown around so frequently at events of this magnitude. Hopefully, we'll wow 'em with our wit, poise, tech aptitudes, and positove attitudes. Plus, a crew of them will be using AlphaSmarts to take notes throughout the day. We're about to do the training in an hour (crossing fingers). The notes taken by us will be incorporated into a formal report that the Wireless Task Force is going to present Mayor Menino in July.

Date:
Saturday, May 6, 2006

Location:
Watson Hall, Wentworth Institute, 550 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115

Directions:
To Wentworth: http://www.wit.edu/pop_directions.html
Watson Hall is Building # 5 on this campus map: http://www.wit.edu/pop_campusmap.html
Note: Although the official address is Huntington Avenue, it is easier to get to the building from Parker Street.

Time:
The event is from 8:30 AM - 12 PM, but we'll be there from 7:30 AM - 1 PM in the background playing our positions.

Online Registration:
If you'd like to attend the forum, you can register for the event at the following site:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/wireless/WirelessForumRegistration.asp

It's unexplanatory how I gets wicked, but it's mandatory that I kick it

So some wack site caused my browser to wimp out on me last night and I ended losing my post, so in a quick re-cap...

If you already an entrepreneur or have some things in mind, then this page of the 10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the Newly Self-Employed should be an enjoyable read. I don't normally like blogging lists and tags and the sort, but when an article is broken down in such a manner, I tend to warm up to it as long as the first few items and background hold my attention. And this one definitely holds its own. Speaking of lists, I did, however, find this listography site to be intriguing. But I'm kinda tired of signing up and registering for new accounts and profiles everywhere I turn. The Net really needs a single sign-on feature.

But what I need to do is get my shT together. I've slacking on my macking and need to step it up. So instead of waiting until New Year's to think of some witty resolutions, I'll just retrace some prior ones, do a status check, and plan in earnest to make good on them. As a matter of fact, I even ran across this ill, simple site that is devoted to the many murals that dot the Los Angeles landscape. Definitely giving me ideas...