Okay, so I'm a bit late in purchasing this album, but I received a Target gift card from my Secret Santa at work and thought that I should buy the album instead of just listening to it on Rhapsody. I think Adele has a gorgeous voice. She's able to write songs that speak to how real women actually feel when going through the stages of love, relationships, etc without all the bells and whistles of more popular singers in the States.
Her version of Bob Dylan's "Make you feel my love" is, in my opinion, better than his own. Chasing Pavements always brings a tear to my eye, and I know that everyone would love to find her "Daydreamer." Anyone from a large, diverse city can appreciate "Hometown," and as much as Baltimore frustrates me this song reminds me that it made me who I am today; I'll always love it and strive to make it better.
I usually don't review albums, atleast formally, but this one get's an A++! Thank's Rell for "puttin' me on..."
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Currently, I have no comprehensive words for this story about the woman pictured above -- LaVena Johnson, a young woman killed and allegedly raped while serving in Iraq. I'm going to do some digging on this and see what I can find. Please read Love's article at:
General Walker may have been seen as an alarmist, but he was prophetic nonetheless. Numbers stories can be a bit boring if presented as research papers, and they are difficult to report. They require more research resources, and are usually reported by reporters who cost top dollar. For newspapers, and other print news sources, compromising quality due to cost is a very real and immediate concern.
However, according to Kovach and Rosenstiel, "The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing," (p 17, 2001), not necessarily entertaining or fun. Additionally, they list nine elements of journalism, the first being journalism's obligation to the truth, the second is its loyalty to citizens. Today many newspapers' first loyalty seems to be to advertisers. (Currently Baltimore's only daily paper, The Baltimore Sun, recently changed its layout to look more like a magazine with full page ads sometimes in two full spreads back-to-back.)
But then again, with a readership turning to free news sources like the internet, and even newspapers promoting free content on their web sites one must ask, "Where are the funds going to come from?" It seems as if newspapers and newspaper publishers are folding on a weekly basis. Baltimore's The Examiner, Colorado's oldest newspaper, Rocky Mountain News, have both permanently stopped the presses recently. Even some entertainment print media sources are struggling, like Playboy. Reading the short collection of headlines below from NPR.org makes you think that the world in print media will either be forced to rework its business model or go extinct!
"San Francisco May Lose Its Main Paper " by David Folkenflik. March 1, 2009. "The owner of the San Francisco Chronicle says if it can't reduce expenses dramatically soon, it will close or sell the newspaper. Hearst Corp. has made it clear that the cost-cutting will require a significant number of layoffs at Northern California's largest newspaper." http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101133208
However, from what I've read or seen so far, there are two business models that may work for print news sources looking to maintain a sustainable bottom-line without risking the quality or reputation of their product--the news. One is Time Magazine, which has switched its weekly print focus to news analysis instead of breaking news stories.
Another would be to take a trip in a time machine to a time when local newspapers' major focus was on local news. I would imagine that sticking to local news and sources would be less costly in the long run and require the news organization to rebuild intimate relationships with its consumers, sources, and local businesses. Commenting on an NPR news story about the folding of Rocky Mountain News, Dale Hobson, web manager for NCPR 89.5FM in Canton, N.Y., ponders this:
Wile newspaper revenue is badly down, I wonder how many of these papers would be in fatal trouble absent the huge debt load many carry from being sold back and forth to media giants who leveraged their value into the stratosphere in the course of scaling up. Had they remained small, focused independent companies, the economic downturn would still have caused widespread layoffs, but would it have caused the impending "extinction-level event" we seem to be moving toward? Friday, February 27, 2009 1:24:27 PM, "Final Edition for 'Rocky Mountain News'"
What changes have you guys seen, regarding the closure or expansion of print news in your metropolitan areas?
Reference: Kovach, Bill and Tom Rosensteil. The Elements of Journalism: What newspeople show know and the public should expect. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2001.
Being an active and donating listener of my local NPR news station, 88.1 WYPR-FM, I thought it would be interesting to see what NPR had to say about the media coverage of the presidential campaign. In many media course people discuss the role of the audience. Surprisingly, NPR put much of the bias accusations on the shoulders of the audience. In the two podcasts I listened to (News & Notes, 11/7/08 and Talk of the Nation, 11/12/2008), the media's bias, or at least the perception of that bias, was a product of what the audience wanted to hear, or how the audience listened/read the coverage of the campaign.
When discussing journalists' displays of emotion in response to the Democratic nomination of President Obama, Farai Chideya asks did those displays "breakdown the objectivity of journalism?" Kelly McBride, an ethic group leader at The Pointer Institute, a journalism training organizations, says that those displays were completely predictable given the historic value of the event. She reminds us that journalists indeed human; they cannot live outside of the society in which they report.
The two go on to discuss the sort of clarity between opinion and news in print media versus the sometimes mixed news-opinion nature of cable news programs. McBride's comments get interesting when she suggests that it may not be the news organizations that drive these differences, but the readers and viewers. She points to the fact that even though viewers may reply, when surveyed, that they want hard news, that when asked about the high ratings of cable new programs they the realness of the coverage and tend to watch (or read for that matter) news that shares their same biases. McBride goes on to say that the real questions concerning news transparency and bias should be "Is this work fair?" and "Is this work distanced enough; does this work serve the audience?" However, "distance" is relative: if you are a viewer who wants to connect with the story, maybe that distance would turn you away form a hard news broadcast.
A few days after this story aired, Neal Conan and the NPR Ombudsman, Alicia C. Shepard, discuss NPR's own charges of election bias, Shepard, like McBride, puts the weight of the bias on the listeners. However, Shepard makes it clear that the crux of the problem is actually listener's perception of a bias, and not necessarily a true bias on behalf of NPR programming. In her own small study, NPR notes that Shepard received "282 e-mails specifically accusing NPR of favoring Obama, and 252 emails accusing NPR of favoring McCain." They go on to note that out of NPR programming, there were 168 McCain-Palin stories and 146 Obama-Biden stories between August 1 and September 30. From just looking at these numbers, Shepard is right to conclude that NPR really wasn't unfair to either candidate.
Shepard says, and I would have to agree, that "We as human beings have strong core beliefs, so when we hear something opposed to that we react strongly," so it would be normal for someone to claim media bias when they disagree with something. Concerning NPR's perceived liberal bias, they bring up a 2005 UCLA study (Groseclose and Milyo, 2005), in which the authors conclude that despite "conservatives frequently list NPR as an egregious example of a liberal news outlet... by our estimate the outlet hardly differs from the average mainstream news outlet." However, they do conclude that the average news outlet has a "strong media bias." Specifically addressing the campaign, researchers at the Pew Research Center's support the conclusions form the UCLA study when they found that of the stories covering Obama, only 29% were negative, while 59% of McCain stories were negative (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2008).
Considering that both of these studies support the claim for a liberal media bias, I agree that NPR's coverage of the campaign was "only slightly left of center" (Neal, 2008). What I find most interesting, are Shepard's claims about an audience-created perception of bias. It would make sense that one is quick to claim unfairness or that a story lacks objectivity if that person disagrees with the conclusions or ideas presented in a story, simply because claiming bias is easier than arguing your case.
As an active listener, Shepard's and McBride's questions about an audience's role in producing biased media interests me. Now when I listen to my NPR podcasts and local WYPR programs, before I shout "Not fair!" I should look at the context of the story and then ask myself, as Shepard suggests, "Is it really biased, or do you just not like it?"
References:
Chideya, Farai. "Assessing Media Objectivity in Election 2008." News & Notes, November 7, 2008. NPR podcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96751048. Accessed 02/06/09.
Conan, Neal. "NPR Ombudsman On Charges Of Election Bias." Talk of the Nation, November 12, 2008. NPR podcast: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96751048. Accessed 02/06/09.
Groseclose Tim and Milyo, Jeffrey. "A Measure of Media Bias." The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, November 2005, vol. 120, no. 4, pp 1191-1237. University of California, Santa Barbara URL: http://www.polsci.ucsb.edu/faculty/glasgow/mediabias.pdf. Accessed 02/07/09.
Project for Excellence in Journalism. " Canvassing Campaign Media: An Analysis of Time, Tone and Topics." Pew Research Center, October 22, 2008. URL: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1001/campaign-media. Accessed 02/07/09.
Shepard, Alicia C. "When it Comes to Core Beliefs, Bias is Everywhere." NPR Ombudsman, November 3. 2008. NPR Blog/Column: http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/bias/. Accessed 02/06/09
I'm looking to supplement my minuscule income with some freelance copy editing. I have experience and knowledge of AP, AMA, and MLA styles. My educational background is in English and Communications; however, I am currently a medical publishing editor. If you have any medical papers/manuscripts, English papers, or if you just need a once over before you send off any professional documents, contact me (stephaniem.henderson@gmail.com). I can also send you a copy of my résumé and references upon request. I give deep discounts for students, especially those trying to get published.
This is the first poem I have written in over two years. It is the first I have ever written as a mother. The first I have ever written about my daughter.
Motherhood at Night
The sirens wake her they both cry out in the night. When a lullaby and coo is not enough I know the warmth of my breast will be.
When a lullaby and a coo is not enough we search for ourselves in the night. Our hair is loosed and so are our heads so we speak in tongues.
Our hair is loosed and so are our heads. She is both my growing Aya and my Gye Nyame, so I must be her Eban. Our bond is nuclear.
She proved God to me, I must be her Eban. For her, I must be both human and forever. I am her mother.
So I'm listening to my local NPR news station, WYPR 88.1 Baltimore, and I hear that Iran has launched its first satellite, OMID, which means hope in English (read about it here). As NPR reports, "The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit can also be used for launching warheads, although Iran says it has no plans to do so." But really, would Iran tell us if they were planning to use it to launch missiles? Would we tell the world if we were planning to launch missiles? Uh, NO!
Anyhow, I get to work and coworker B says, "You know Iran launched that satellite?"
Coworker D shouts back to him over the cubical divide, "Yeah, I know."
Coworker B responds, "I bet they're putting a monkey in space."
So, I have been hearing a lot about Blacks having “no more excuses,” because we now have a Black President. It has ranged from the innocent “now we have a role model,” as if we never had them before; to the thought that the “baby mama” culture has to end (I still haven’t met a single mother who wouldn’t prefer a partner, married or otherwise), or even the whacky idea that “OMG, now that Barack Obama is president, there is no more racism.” As you can see, these sorts of exclamations annoy me. I can totally see someone using Barack as a reason to get rid of affirmative action plans, or a reason to argue that there are no inherently “Black problems.” However, tonight is not about what I think! What do you guys think….
Are there any more
excuses?
P.S. If you attended the inauguration, feel free to describe your experience. This topic hit a few nerves, so if you want to read their full responses, email me!
READER COMMENTS
TheEyeOfHorus: The idea that there are no more excuses is completely ridiculous and appalling. I laugh every time I here all of that nonsense.
Black Role Models: They have always existed and will continue to exist beyond the time of Barack Hussein Obama (BHO). We can't help who people choose to make their role models, but we do have the power to control how we are presented or who we present to our children… And then again with the multitude media access and the internet, a 5-year-old kid can find 50 Cent faster than he can find Alfred Edmunds Jr…
"Baby Mama Culture”: ...This "culture" will never be subsided until the American Law system changes, social systems molded, institutions broken, and American culture itself learns to love and respect one another…
No More Racism?: Racism will forever exist until the constructions designed to keep them alive are eradicated or changed (I mentioned them in number 2.) …Had BHO been from the southside of Chicago, was all African-American/black/dark/descendant of slaves maybe too?, went to HowardUniversity… Racism is a social construction used for the control of the distribution of power… His focus is social and educational issues – let's learn to forget about racism and recognize social injustice.
THE WORST! No More Excuses (for black people): Social Injustice will always ensure that there will be room for excuses, and so will ignorance… Especially since Affirmative Action helps out white women more than anyone else.
BHO will not make change until the people in America can change themselves – if we want all of these things to become reality, we ourselves have to believe in it and then MAKE it a reality, and act like American citizens and attack every infrastructure that wants to keep these things alive to keep all of our people separated and obliterated.
Anonymous: First of all, let me start by saying how excited I am that Barack Obama is our new president! Yes he is a black man, but in addition to that I definitely think that this country needs change and new direction in its leadership. I mean we always tell children that they can be whatever they want if they try hard enough. Even though I have always had high aspirations, I knew that some things may be more difficult because of my race and how I am perceived. But now, when I tell my niece that she can be whatever she wants, even the President, she has a real world example of someone with brown skin like hers who made it… Just because Barack Obama made it… does not mean that there are no excuses. There will always be circumstances out of one's control that effect their situation and individual success… Though I wish it weren't true, everyone will not succeed. But even without direct success, each individual attempt collectively progresses us as a people… While there may be excuses for not succeeding, there are no excuses for not trying.
CEO: Many people are inspired by Barack Obama's election. Some people see it as an ending point. It's more of a starting point. As Americans, this means that America has come far enough to look past a man's race and more on qualifications for the job. Given that, his election also means that there is a "new" beginning for African-Americans. There is a renewed pride in the ability of our race; specifically, African-American men who have been previously viewed as ignorant thugs, drug addicts, entertainers, or athletes… There is a lot of responsibility that has been placed in our hands… Right now, being smart is cool; Barack Obama is responsible for that… seeing Barack Obama become President shows that Blacks (Black men) can succeed on an intellectual level.
Currently, I still feel that I am racially profiled and negatively stereotyped despite the fact that I am a college educated, kind, intelligent Black man [STEPH SIDENOTE:HE REALLY IS!]. But now, I have renewed hope that can and will change IF we … strive to improve as a community and individually and know that we can achieve…
One of my biggest concerns is that people will feel entitled because of the election and put forth less effort because they can always say "My President is Black". I truly hope that this concern will not come to fruition… Hopefully, one day there will not be a need for Affirmative Action or similiar programs. But that day does not appear to be soon. It might never come if we don't seize this opportunity to become better individuals and a better people. The road to success is not easy. It takes work. I hope enough of us take that road instead of the easy route, which is fraught which complacency and comfort with the status-quo. I hope you all join me in the journey down the road of success.
JT: This notion that Obama will teach all the Negroes to be respectable is driving me nuts! Recently, I tuned into some foolish conversation on facebook about how Obama was going to inspire little Negro children to finally close the achievement gap. Much of this infuriating conversation hinged upon whether Obama, the mythic great black hope, could get neglectful parents and their unruly little bastard children to shed their 'culture of underachievement?' What the fuck does any of that mean? Neither 'parental neglect' nor 'a culture of underachievement' substantively answer for the major disparities in education, known as the 'achievement gap.'
How can social scientists even statistically group 'unfit parents' or a cultural group of 'underachievers?' Much like trite, problematic, and racist notions of a supposed culture of poverty and the mythical black underclass with welfare queen and hypersexual baby daddy to boot, 'underachiever' and unfit parent (in this racialized sense) are not statistically substantive or significant categories. Who identifies themselves or can be identified as an underachiever? …
Notably, these racist discourses place the proverbial ball in black folks court, rather than calling for changes in American political, economic, and social structures. So, Obama can help to fix the problems that Black Americans face if he starts to reconstruct the institutions that constitute and recreate white supremacy, not by teaching us all how to be respectable… Black America is in turmoil, but it's not disconnected from white supremacy, capitalism, and heteropatriarchy.
Donda: To say that there are no more excuses is jumping the gun. Yes we have reached a milestone but as Steph pointed out, we have reached them before… Obama is a great inspiration indeed and he has made history in more ways then one, but he didn’t get there overnight; we cant expect everything to change overnight either. We have to always remember his hardwork along with the many other pioneers and start the change within ourselves! Your are still your biggest excuse for not getting ahead.
There is a world, where everything is made from words:
It's a PBS show that J loves. Characters and objects are actually made from the letters that spell them. So "Pig" is drawn from the letters P-I-G. When the characters start to "build-a-word" she rocks and sings. She even knows the theme music; when the show starts she'll crawl over toward the TV or sharply turn her head in that direction. If anyone knows where I can get cheap DVDs of this show, let me know!
Okay, so it's rare I use that kind of language, but this audio clip from Rush Limbaugh got me a bit pissed. I'm sorry your ratings are down Rush, and your relevancy is fading, but did you have to take it this far?
Sanchez is dead on to say that hoping the President of our country fails is equivalent to hoping the country fails! Okay, so he's conservative and doesn't believe the government should be involved with private business, etc. etc. However, I think that wishing failure on our country's leader, no matter who he happens to be, is just downright foolish and a bit childish. What do you guys think?
I'm on this mailing list for Babycenter.com, and just this morning I received the latest newsletter listing some of the top articles on the site. One of them was "Signs of a bad babysitter." Most of the things are obvious and usually jump right out at you, like "your baby isn't happy to see the sitter," or your sitter is reluctant to reveal what the daily schedule is like, or hesitant to allow you to drop in sometime during the day. When I read things like this I always have to take a moment to realize how blessed I am, because I have never had to deal with these problems. When I first went back to work full-time, I was able to find the best childcare provider in the world! Mrs. Pat is the owner of Little Blessings Daycare. I found her through the recommendation of friend, which happens to be one of the best ways to find a sitter. She was welcoming, warm, and reminded me of my own childcare provider growing up. She loved the fact that I would drop in every now and then if I got off work early, gave me advice on parenting and being a single mother, and really, truly, loved J. However, finances changed, and I was reluctant to let her go. I was ready to nearly get evicted before I let her go, because of the horror stories that exist due to malicious or just plain bad childcare providers.
Enter: MOM to the RESCUE!!!!
My mom stepped up to the plate, and has been J's childcare provider since she was about five months. I couldn't ask for a better situation. I know that my child is loved and well-provided for during her days at Gigi's. There are absolutely no worries about the "signs of a bad babysitter." She took good care of me, and she's taking great care of my daughter.
However, not all women are fortunate enough with the luck I had finding care for J. The best advice I could give would be to conduct interviews (if a provider does not want to grant you one, or only wants to do one over the phone...bad sign), and ask around at work and among your friends with small children.
Okay, so I love this song by this upcoming Baltimore artist, Skarr Akbar. It's called "Scholarship Chick." The song has a nice beat, it's encouraging, and has a positive message without being corny. It does get a little raunchy with references to "brains" etc. (which is also quite cliche), but overall I'm feeling this song. What about you?
On 2/6/09, He's Just Not that into You appears in theaters. Based on the bestselling relationship advice book by the same title, the movie and book give scenarios that demonstrate why a guy just might not be interested. The scenarios also show how women can sometimes be nearly oblivious to the fact that a guy might not be feeling her as seriously as she is feeling him. This may or may not have ever happened to you, but even if it hasn't, you could imagine how devastating it must be to realize that "You're just a friend," even if you are one of those, well, "beneficial" type of friends. My question to all of you is:
How do you know if a guy or girl is just not that into you?
My Comments: The point is if you really care. I think I can always tell if a guy is that into me, for many of the reasons explained below. In college, one could have a casual relationship and not really give a hoot, but now, for me at least, my perspective has done a complete 180. But of course, there's always that one person (mine was Freshman AKA 1st year for all those Wahoos/Cavaliers out there). I was really into this guy…really into him, but he was "brand new to the game" let's say, and I was just getting over my high school sweetheart. I think it was probably hard for both of us to read the signals. In a funny way though, we've started chatting a bit lately….and who knows…have we matured enough, experienced enough to know if we are that into each other now. I sure hope so. The thing is that now, as a mom, and as a woman wanting a serious, committed relationship, I'm just not all that available to play the silly games. I feel that a lot of women in these scenarios (in the book/movie) are playing games with themselves. They aren't that stupid, yet they find comfort in a sort of pseudo idea of love. It reminds me of "If a lie gonna get me through/I'd rather not know the truth," kind of thing (shout out to Jazmine Sullivan). But whatever. See everyone's comments below:
Reader Comments
(Late) EyeOfHorus:It is never simple. It is always plagued by the person's personality. I have played all roles of this question. From the guy being pursued to the guy who is pursuing, to the friend of the pursuer to the friend of the person being pursued – and my deduction has always come across that you wont honestly know – until later on. The later on point is when someone comes to that standstill position and asks "Ok WTF? Are we or aren't we?" Because within this time of game/wordplay you'll find a few moves to action, but words nor actions mean anything in this part of life simply because even when the person is into you they will usually question themselves while questioning the person whether they are even interested (or every run around question as to not run them off – or ruin the friendship they think they have with the person.) However, here are a few key things: 1) Attention: a. if they tend to pay attention to little things, like your convo to who is writing on your facebook wall, these people are always the first to think of if they are into you. b. if they desire your time. Nothing says Im into you than wanting time. A good test is to call them to see if you can spend time with them. If they pick up to talk with you with excitement, and they actually do their best to fit you into whatever schedule they have; or if the person calls and etc – then you got a winner 2) The conversation: it always becomes a thing to know who you are. The person is trying to see if they really are into you, so questions tend to come out or topics (beyond sex and religion) come up. Remember, they are questioning themselves and you, so be careful for your answers, and your questions. 3) Interaction: When you are around that person, remember that body language is still the most important part of conversations, as well as being able to read their motives. So when you are around them and having these conversations, as well when you are with them and around others – flirting, closeness, eye-contact, smiles, the elongation of hugs, the number of times they try to be around you in a crowd full of friends, and maintaining the respect, manners, and responsibility of giving you attention – these all come into play as ways to find out if that person is into you. Taking all of these in mind do please remember that these can prove true for someone who is simply keeping playing games, but even they are into you.
Msbutiful: I don't know the real answer to that, but what I do know is that if he's that into you, he will tell you – Simple as that. It's so easy to get excited at the prospect of a new fling-- that fresh chemistry, new booty, etc – that we tend to over indulge ourselves and inflate situations according to our mood. Such as, if we're happy, then he's definitely your new man, or in the case that he disappoints you, you think it must mean there's got to be more drama to the story (i.e., a baby mama/ another girl/ or something in the closet etc.), not that it could be that he's just not that into you… JUST STOP! Live in the moment and you may pick up more signals that keep you in reality. Everybody has the power to dictate their relationships, but it has to correspond with who you are in order to stay consistent. When a guy says that he doesn't want a relationship, believe it! If you're not having that, then don't get lovey-dovey—but if you do, don't be surprised when you get PLAYED!
Bebe: Let's see, one Red Flag that a guy is not that into you (thus giving you reason to pump your brakes a bit) is if you begin to realize that you are the one who always initiates any outings/dates; this goes for telephone conversations as well. So, if he is not making any efforts to see/talk to you, face it: he's just not into you! One way to find out for sure: cut back on asking him to go out and calling him, sit back, and observe.
Charles Edward Obama (CEO): Honestly, you can never tell for certain. From my experience as a guy, there have been many times when I thought a girl was into me and I was wrong. There have also been times where I thought a girl was not that into me but was wrong too. I think this comes from one main reason: I feel that in a world where each sex play "games" with one another to court one another instead of being "real" about feelings makes it difficult to know for certain. One of the main reasons for all of this is because people have a fear of rejection about putting him or herself out there and finding out the other person doesn't feel the same way. The positive out of being a bit vulnerable and opening up about your feelings is that at least you know. I know for me this is something that I'm working on too, but the world would be better off if more people were upfront about their feelings. So, girls, if you are interested in a guy, tell him upfront, this is the era of the independent woman.Women don't have to be courted anymore. Surprisingly, it is attractive when a girl actually does put themselves out there (if she does it tastefully). And guys, don't be scared to say that you're feeling a girl.
Evolving Brutha: There are several factors that can let you know whether the person you have interest in has those same feelings for you. Body language tells a lot, at least in my experience. I have found myself believing a girl liked me based on our conversations and her ability to confide in me. However, at times that can mean absolutely nothing; she could very well just want you to become a very close friend whom she can count on. I am not going to say nothing is wrong with that, but it can be discouraging at times. Other factors are, she NEVER initiates eye contact with you, conversation slowly starts to fall off (most likely because she can sense you are starting to like her more than she actually likes you), she starts to call you her big brother, and the last but not least, she talks about other guys to you!
Donda: If a guy is into you there is no guessing!! He will find some way to talk to you and get your attention; It should require little to no effort on your part (meaning just a smile from u will do; there are even guys who don't need u to notice or acknowledge them until they comes over to introduce themselves). When he wants u, whether y'all are long-time friends or just meeting each other, he will find a way to come around. If he is shy, he might have a more laid back approach but HE will STILL be the one who suggests hanging out (and HE will ask you for your number, you don't have to offer it). It really isn't rocket science. If women just pay attention to their intuition they will KNOW if a guy is feeling them just by looking into his eyes...you can't lie to yourself, you have that feeling deep down inside that lets you know if you are making excuses for him simply because you really like him. But remember, you can't make a man do anything--and that includes persuading him to see the light, the light that will make him "realize" he likes u...men r not that complicated! And yes, this is ALL from experience! :) Oh and listen to/pay attention to your girlfriends: if you are talking your friends' heads off about a guy and they act like they don't hear you or seem disinterested, it's because they are tired of you embarrassing yourself! They want to you stop wasting your time and precious energy on a guy that is just not that into you! ;) Your friends want the best guy for you because they love you and know you deserve the very best!
I'm watching Thank You Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the Whitehouseon HBO. This woman is going on my list of most valuable people (MVP). Although I no longer want to be a reporter, I still do admire the boldness it takes to be a good journalist and interviewer (keyword: good). Thomas's gumption to ask the hard questions, even during her early years when she was often the only woman at a white house press conference should inspire all news reporters. In a way, journalists are often our only way to KNOW what's going on.
One of Obama's goals is to make Washington more accessible, or again accessible, to all of us. I believe that his claim is genuine, and I would love to see him be a part of public forums and news conferences throughout his term as President. Still, I hope that we can take a little from Thomas, and always ask those hard questions.
I'm going to start a weekly post about things I read, heard about, experienced, etc., and allow YOU to comment. I will be sending these out to my closest friends, and anyone who starts to "Follow" the blog.
So, if you would like to share a Night.Cap with me, start following my blog or shoot me an email to get added to the list. I will send the Night.Caps out on Sunday, starting tonight, and they will be published sometime Monday.
Thanks for reading, I would love to share a Night.Cap with you....
(Photo Courtesy of BaltimoreSun.com) Although I couldn't make it down to Obama's speech downtown at the War Memorial Building Plaza, I did enjoy watching it with my family and sipping slowly on a cup of coffee and just discussing Obama's journey up to this point. I remember when Obama first started his campaign; my grandmother had so much doubt. However, I could always tell that she was pulling for him in her own way. You see, my grandmother's memory has begun to fade, and she short-term memory basically doesn't exist. However, my grandmother could always remember who Obama was when he appeared on television.
I would ask, "Mommas, who's running for president?" "Obama," she would answer. Or I would ask, "Mommas, who's that man on the television and what is he doing?" "Oh Steph you know that's Obama. He's trying to be president right?" she would answer.
Come election day this past fall, it was very difficult to even get her out the door. She didn't feel like it, she was tired, and blunty proclaimed "The Nigga ain't gonna win anyway," but again, I knew that she still held on to a small piece of hope for him; eventually she began to get dressed. I comed her hair as she held J, the youngest of her great-grandchildren, and asked her if she really thought he couldn't win. She only shrugged and tickled J's neck. My grandmother is not very emotional, so I wasn't expecting to get much out her. I wanted her to talk about how much the world has changed since the first time she voted. I wanted her to be as excited as I was about voting that day, to be as proud as I was.
Well, that day, this past fall, I shuttered her out the door and into my little Yaris and we drove down to the fire station so that she and my mother could vote. I had already stood in a line to vote for about 2.5 hours earlier that morning. However, in my grandmother's small community, we went right into the polling facility, I assisted my grandmother, and she voted. Although she never talked much about it, I remember going home later that day and called her sister, Aunt Marg (pronouced "Mawg"). She asked her if she had voted, and told her that she "Of course I voted for Obama!" That small exclamation was enough to let me know that she was indeed gitty as I was about the entire election. Later that evening, after he had won, I woke her and said "He won Mommas." "What? Who is this? Stephanie?" she asked. "Yes it's me." "Girl do you know how late it is?" "He won mommas; he won!" I shouted, probably too loudly. "Barack Obama, he's going to be the President." "What?" She whispered, and then there was a brief moment of silence. "Mommas?" "Oh my God," she said, and hung up the phone. I don't know what she did after that, and in my mind I picture her sitting on the edge of her bed, in a well-worn cotton night gown thinking. She may have turned on the news, or simply have laid back down and eventually fell asleep. The next day, I had to keep reminding her that he had won, but as soon as the news was "transferred" to her long-term memory she would always smile when his face flashed on that screen and say "He won, didn't he?" "Yes Mommas, he did. He's our next President." "He sure does have a pleasant face."
Thanks for stopping through Baltimore more President-elect Obama!!! Read more about Obama's historic Whistle-stop Tour at Cnn.com.
Okay...so this is what my Mom and I say to each other whenever we do something...well "fat." It's both loving, funny, and to others who aren't familiar with our special type of love, probably a bit sad. For example, I cooked dinner for the three of us (J would be the third person) a few nights ago; instead of having a taste for what I just slaved over, I sat down in front of the tube and proceeded to make love with a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream (my fav). "FAT ASS!" rang out from the dinner table, and all I did was hope that those wouldn't be J's first words. I smiled and continued to eat my ice cream. What did my Mom have for dessert that night? Well....B&J's Chunky Monkey (her fav). FAT ASS!!!
The point to all this is that our affection exclamation of "FAT ASS!" is all too true. Although I find a perverse comfort in my round tummy -- I jiggle it, and stroke it, and flash it at J to make her giggle; although thunder thighs have always been a symbol of my family's genetics; my FAT ASS has got to go!
I became a member of Bally Total Fitness club about two months ago, and I have gone there all of two times since then, including my visit last night. I know I need to loose weight, even if it's just to make it easier carrying a sleeping J up 4 flights of stairs every night when we go home. However, I didn't think that garnering the motivation to eat better and exercise more often would be like hunting flies with a bow and arrow. I've arranged two days a week for J's other grandmother, MiMi, to pick her up from my Mom's so that I can work out after work, and I'm going to try to fit a longer workout in on Sunday mornings. I'm eating a bit better, starting with small things, like less juice/soda and more water. I'm buying more fresh food, and I cook more at home (even if that is out of necessity to stick to a very defined, small budget).
Anyhoo, my goal is to loose 17 by J's first birthday in March, and 25 by a month later -- my birthday, in April. Think I can do it?
Any tips and words of encouragement are needed and appreciated. Also, if you want a gym partner and live near the Bally's on Route 40 in Baltimore (click on title of post), then let me know, because I could sure use the extra accountability.
Publishing and editorial professional seeking a position in a scholarly environment that would not only utilize her current skills, but enhance them through education and experience in communications, publishing, and print media.
SKILLS
Possesses a strong attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Builds and maintains efficient and clear communication
Ability to adhere to strict, proprietary publication style guidelines; knowledge and experience with AMA, Chicago, and AP styles
Over 5 years experience working with both PC and Macintosh platforms
Desktop Publishing Software: Adobe Creative Suite 3
General Office Software: Microsoft Office 2003 & 2007; database maintenance
EMPLOYMENT
Jul 2009–Present
Aug 2007–Feb 2008
Aug 2005–Aug 2007
Editorial Assistant
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Wolters Kluwer, Health),Baltimore, MD
Assist with the production management of medical journal, Neurosurgery: Proofread; prepare articles for production; manage issues by tracking articles and creating and managing issue summary spreadsheets; maintain and compose correspondence between authors, editorial office, and publisher; apply editorial and author corrections; create a variety of issue/journal reports.
Full-Time Teller
Branch Banking & Trust (BB&T), Charlottesville, VA
Conducted day-to-day banking transactions for clients at teller line; marketed and closed sales for retail bank products and services; maintained security communications among tellers.
Library Assistant
University of Virginia Library,Charlottesville, VA
Assisted circulation desk management at Clemons and Brown Science & Engineering libraries; organized and circulated books; conducted initial research inquiries for patrons.
Sept 2006–Dec 2006
Assistant to Director of Development
UVa Bayly Art Museum,Charlottesville, VA
Managed the development and director’s schedules; assisted office with daily clerical duties; implemented annual trustee meeting and development fundraising events with the help of office staff.
EDUCATION
BS Candidate: Communications
University of Maryland, UniversityCollege
Degree expected, Fall 2009
English
University of Virginia
August 2004–December 2007
Awards
·Batipps Memorial Literary Prize, 2006
·Thomas N. Ryan Scholarship, 2005
·Guinee Family Scholarship, Walter N. Ridley Scholar (UVa), 2004–2008
Okay, so I'm a bit late in purchasing this album, but I received a Target gift card from my Secret Santa at work and thought that I should buy the album instead of just listening to it on Rhapsody. I think Adele has a gorgeous voice. She's able to write songs that speak to how real women actually feel when going through the stages of love, relationships, etc without all the bells and whistles of more popular singers in the States.
Publication Production Management
Posts
