Virtual Learning

I've come to realize that there is no real theme to my blog and I am fine with that. I can live with it. So, in between doing work for the same client last week trying to resolve their corrupted XML dictionary file, we are also working to craft some laptop leasing recommendations as well. They are a mostly Dell shop, but I'm thinking Toshiba or IBM is the way to go. I would have said HP/Compaq, but my own Compaq laptop experience begs to differ. In hindsight, buying that warranty would have come in handy, but oh well. I think I found a way to fix the broken outlet power pin by having this company in BK do it. Speaking of problems; the Memory Stick for a Sony CyberShot camera that I used to take at least 100 pictures at our recent NSBE-Northeastern celebration is on the fritz and I cannot seem to download the images. I am very heated right now. Any computer forensics experts out there?

In other news, doing more and more extracurricular reading and hope to incorporate it more into my daily routine. I've been learning about Bob Maynard and Earl Caldwell, 2 Black journalists from back in the day that did a lot of good. Very interesting and engaging writers indeed. I also have to remember to ask my man DJ Roc if he live sin either Rochester's 3rd or 7th wards; and see what his reaction is. Speaking of Rochester, there's this guy (Malik Evans) around my age who is on the local School Board that I need to link up with. That brother is doing his thing. Also, Roland Fryer, a rising economist is also doing his thing at Harvard. We hope to catch up with one another around town one day when his schedule dies down, because if I am busy, then he is booked. Say word.

I'm still up in the air between Illinois vs UNC. I like Felton & May, but Brown & Williams are no joke.

Daylight Savings Didn't Save Us

So the week went well; but very tiring. I copped a haircut at Serious Styles (low-cut caesar) and swung by a birthday party for some friends. Saturday was a relaxed day and now I am amped to see Illinois and North Carolina play on Monday night. That should be a seriously good game. Other than that, l'il man's 2nd birthday is today so that is the biggets thing right now. No party this year because he's still clueless. Last year, there really weren't any other kids there. My man L came by with some Heinekens and felt bad becuase he didn' know it was a party for a 1-year-old. Oh well.

Some of the crew played in the NSBE basketball tournament this morning. It was trhown by the student chapters at Northeastern and Wentworth. I organized the team at the last-minute and that was very evident. Not to mention that is started at 9am and the whole Daylight Savings Time messed up my sleep this morning. J-Rock, Tooey, Conrad, Alow, JoeO, and I did what we could. We were holding our own through halftime, but then fatigue caught up with us. The funniest part of the game had to be when JoeO caught a bad one to his grill and motioned to ALow to come in and sub for him. ALow simply shook his head in resistance. Pure comedy. The 2nd half was a different study. They started pressing real hard and caught a few bangers. But we still got ours in. It's not like we got embarassed off the court. The still respected our game at least. Mess around and have my real squad around and we will crack skulls. And the worst of it is that four of our ringers showed up at the end. JoeO's 2 brothers came through with 70 seconds left (they had to go to church); and my man Jamil showed up withs his cousin after the game ended. Go figure. Thanks, guys. It's all love. So with one game on our belt, we're all going to head out to Wellesley this evening and get some sweat equity in. Hopefully, everyone will show up and we don't get cracked by suburbanites as well.

Miscellaneuous Topics

So I’ve been reading up on a wide variety of topics today. One on hand, the whole school violence issue in light of the shooting at Red Lake raised some very poignant questions. But the one that blew me away was very simplistic. Ken Trump of National School Safety and Security Services summed it best by stating, “School safety professionals are competing against decreased school safety budgets and an increased competition for time --- and they are losing on both accounts. The question is not whether Red Lake or other shootings are a wake-up call. The real question is whether we will hit the snooze button and go back to sleep.” Now if that didn’t hit the nail on the head, then you are sleeping.

Another current topic is educational achievement. I have come to realize more clearly that I have been fortunate for many things, my educational experiences included. A great article entitled, Black Parent Tackle a Gap, brought to light some interesting programs, but I still find it troubling that public schools are not a viable option. I have been asked several times when will I sign up my l’il guy for METCO, but I continue to politely refuse. Maybe I’m too stubborn or maybe I am justified. Only time will tell.

Lastly, I’m having a hard time figuring out what I plan to do this weekend. Should I stay in? Should I play ball and work out at the gym? Should I go to First Fridays tonight? And if so, which First Friday; the one at the Park Plaza or the one at the Airport Hilton? Or I could hit up the Old School Concert and swing happy birthday to some friends. I think I’ll just rest up and wait anxiously for the Final Four to jump off. I think I’m rooting for individual players as opposed to teams.

Denver ain't bad

So basically we went out to Denver and didn't really fix the problem, but came away with a deeper understanding of the full suite of technology issues that exist. Apparently, some people didn't realize that having SharePoint 2001 in 2005 is not the ideal arrangement. So hopefully we'll be able to work through their headaches to find a solution. Denver is a pretty fly city, although the weather seems to be more unstable than Boston. It seemed very urban, with the ruggedness of the mountains and wilderness not too far away. I'd remiss if I didn't give a shout out to NSBE Love. My homegirl Candace from UC Boulder came through and scooped me up and took me on a brief tour of downtown Denver. Much appreciated.