I Heart Obama

Nope. Not Barack.

I’m talking about Michelle Obama.

She’s awesome. What I admire most is her ability – and determination – to balance her family and her career.

There are times when I struggle with how I want life to be. Do I want to be a devoted mother, with my family being the focus? Or do I want to put this $50,000+ degree in print journalism to use and accomplish all my career related goals? For some reason, in my mind, there’s no way the two can be meshed together.

Michelle Obama is an example of those two lives meshed. The Obama’s two daughters are her focus but she’s also a successful lawyer and executive.

Alone she’s interesting, but coupled with her husband, the Obamas display a type of love and partnership in their marriage that some – like me, the product of a single-parent household – find it hard to believe exists anymore.

The two have made it no secret that Michelle Obama was hesitant to support another campaign. She questioned how it would be run and how it would affect her family. Only after she got answers she was satisfied with, did she give the OK her husband was waiting on. Now, not only has she given her OK, she’s proved to be his biggest fan and supporter. She is even taking a hiatus from her job as V.P. for Community and External Affairs at University of Chicago Hospitals to participate on the campaign trail.

I’ve read dozens of articles about her and what she’s doing (Check out Newsweek’s package) but what sealed the deal for me was listening to her talk about her husband. Her conversational manner was disarming and when she spoke, the mix of adoration for her husband and being able to intelligently speak about his platforms was entertaining, informative and refreshing. She wasn’t too soft or too harsh. To me, she was real.

Loved it. I could go on and on, but I won't. (You're welcome.)

My boyfriend once bought up the point that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also pretty awesome. While I give Rice her props, Michelle Obama is more real to me. Not to downplay Rice’s accomplishments, but it’s truly the successful balance of home and work lives that gives Obama the edge, in my book.

Decide for yourself and let me know what you think. Here’s part of an interview she did for CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Un-historic passion

Once again slightly piggybacking on the topic before me, I watched the movie Across the Universe over the weekend. In the opening few minutes, it shows some 1960s riot scenes. I said aloud, "People in our generation don't really riot." Then my friend said, "There's not as much to be passionate about -- not like there was in the '60s."

I realize that people do occasionally riot and protest and strike these days, but definitely not as often as what we saw in the news in the '60s. I agree with Adam that we still need to honor our individual and our collective historic past and learn from it. But is our generation passionless? Are we "Generation, Huh?" or "Generation Who Cares?" Look at how we sometimes get hyped up but then don't follow through -- look at our attempts to "Rock the Vote."

So -- what are you passionate about? What do you think about our generation? Are we passionate or far less than those who came before us?

A little bit of all of our history

PBS produced a really interesting series called "African American Lives 2" for black history month. I haven't actually been able to watch it on television, but I have caught up some through the Web site. You can read a little about the lives and genealogy of some famously successful blacks as well as others who didn't know they had much African ancestry.

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. leads research into the lineage of Morgan Freeman, Tom Joyner and Maya Angelou, among others. He shares his discoveries with each one, and they find out something they didn't know about themselves.

But the best part is that it happens on camera. You can see snippets from the videos. My favorite part about this is seeing raw, unscripted emotion from people whose public images are the stuff of pop culture legend.

Aside from the fact that one of these gets quite a lot of coverage on this blog, the interviews with Tina Turner and Chris Rock are my favorites for one reason: We get to see them cry. That's right. Chris Rock, the smart-mouthed joker, and Tina Turner, the picture of a rock 'n' roll survivor, shed tears.

Turner finds out an ancestor sold land for a price far below its value in Tennessee to build a school for black students -- one she later attended. And Rock learns, among other things, that one of his relatives, who was a freed slave, signed up to be a solider for the Union during the Civil War.

These examples are reminders of how important the past is to the present. Emotional reactions alone show that. It certainly makes me want to pin down more about my families' not-so-distant past, especially when it comes to sacrifices my grandparents and their parents made.

We haven't talked much on this blog this year about black history month, but this series is a good reminder that this is American history. I haven't done great research into my genealogy, but I am fairly certain I don't have black roots. But I am still proud when I hear stories like these. This nation was built on the shoulders of many great people whose stories deserve to be told.

So listen and share.

Dinosaur times

I just realized that work can be done without the help (or interruption) of e-mail and the Internet.

We were without both early on Monday. At first, I was infuriated. I was expecting several e-mails and I knew I had to send out a bunch of electronic messages. I also expected to call a bunch of people--but how could I look them up without searching for numbers on the World Wide Web?

Since we couldn't work, the least we could do was party in the newsroom, right? Wrong.

Then I noticed Maggie Martin, a 43-year Times veteran, typing away on her computer.

I wondered what she could be doing. And by this time, a bunch of us were flipping out about the lack of technology in our room. One frustrated editor discovered a way to send instant, electronic messages through the system we use to write our stories. Our executive editor announced that we would find a work-around for posting online updates (of course we would).

Apparently, Maggie heard the commotion and she said, "You can still write your stories, Ashley. I'm typing my column and I don't need the Internet for that."

Oh, that's right...I could type up some notes for a story and type the stories for which I already obtained all the information needed. And there is a thing called a phone book--I could look up necessary numbers that way. And for those e-mails, I could just call people for the information I needed.

I was astounded by all the work I learned to complete without my editor, PR representatives, sources and friends constantly sending me messages. It was easy for me to work without the temptation of breaking to search the web for latest celebrity gossip. I actually got a LOT done.

Us Generation Y-ers are used to technology. In fact, we crave it (at least I do). When we are without it, we often find ourselves lost and frustrated--like I was on Monday. But I guess that's the difference between the awesome and amazing Maggie Martins of the world and me.

What do you think?

More text message tips

I could hardly watch the Democratic presidential debate earlier tonight for all the texting and phone calling I was making and receiving throughout the whole thing.

But it did remind me of this interesting story I recently ran across about text messaging privacy, written in light of the controversy surrounding Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his chief of staff Christine Beatty.

Of course, I’ve already talked about that on here. However, this story gave some interesting, useful information that even I wasn’t aware of.

Like the fact that basically anyone out there can easily intercept your text messages using an inexpensive radio kit or even creating their own similar devise.

As for the tips, they gave some of the no-brainers, like “Don’t ever text personal information such as your PIN number, password or banking info to anyone.” (Gee, you think?)

But, then there were some tips that were new to me, like this one: “Those concerned about privacy can send anonymous text messages with services like AnonTxt.com.”

Anyway, you can check out all the tips for yourself. Or do you even care? Is text messaging privacy something you ever think about?

Catch the eclipse?

It was a little overcast tonight, but if you were patient the clouds would blow by in time for you to catch a glimpse of the lunar eclipse.

To my naked eye it looked white with a shadow creeping over. But my camera gave it a reddish tent, which was a lot cooler.

Here is an example of my somewhat lame attempts at catching it in a photo. I don’t have a tripod and was trying to hold my breath and prop my elbows on top of my car. I also tried to use a long exposure. You can see I moved a little bit with that second moon sort of forming on the right side.

Plus I was standing, say, 240,000 miles away from the object in view.

Did anyone get a good view or shots of the moon?

Did you ponder Presidents Day?

Yesterday was Presidents Day. I worked, but most of my friends, especially those who are military, were off from work.

Now that we're all back into work, did anyone actually dwell on the meaning of Presidents Day? Whether you worked or you were off having fun, what did you do to celebrate the occasion? Did you think -- at all -- about the current president or past presidents?

Speaking of presidents, I saw this (Former President Bush endorses McCain) on TV this weekend. I'm pretty sure we all know where former President Clinton stands on the campaign trail. What do you think of former presidents giving their political endorsement? Does it say, or weigh, any more than other organizations who endorse a candidate?

Or do we even care what anyone else thinks of the candidates?

When you fall, get back up and try again

Want a fun way to exercise, a lesson in determination and a reminder of how old you are?
I have two words for you.
Hot. Wheels.

Co-workers Tarah Holland, Nishia Livingston, Ashley Northington and I headed to Hot Wheels skating rink in Bossier City in search of something new to do Saturday afternoon.

What we got was a good workout, some good laughs and some believe a few bruises.

It had been years since most of us dared to get out on the hardwood on four wheels…and it showed.

I’m not sure if I ever stood completely up, always bracing myself for a fall and Ashley spent quite a bit of time looking up from the floor.

I will say Nishia was a pro, skating around the rink clapping and dancing and I never saw Tarah hit the floor (not to say it didn't happen).

In the end we may have spent more time sitting on the bench than skating on the floor, but it was there that the dozens of kids in the rink – on their skates and on their butts – reminded me of a valuable lesson.

When you fall, get back up and try again.

Those kids out there didn’t have a care in the world. They didn’t care if they collided with another kid or got tripped by someone else’s skate. They simply laughed it off and got right back up.

We were too consumed by the fear of falling (and possibly hurting ourselves) and too busy trying to look like pros.

Those kids were just busy having a good time.

Be it skating, a task at work or a personal goal, one fall shouldn’t stop us from completing what we set out to do.

In my search of new things to do, this had to have been the most fun. I highly recommend it.

Next up: bowling and kite flying.

Take two of these and keep it moving...

I basically spent Valentine’s Day in misery suffering from what I later found out was bronchitis.
At least, that’s what the doctor said it was. And I should accept that coming from a licensed medical professional. I realize that.

But it’s the way he arrived at this diagnosis that's got me scratching my head. In fact, I’m still scratching my head about several doctors’ visits I’ve had in the last year or two.
With each visit, lately I’m feeling more and more like I’m going through a drive-thru window at a fast food restaurant more than I am seeking medical attention, check ups or whatever.

First, let me clarify: This is in no way an attack on the medical community at all because Lord knows we need them. They work as hard as, if not harder, than many other professionals out here.

And really, maybe it’s my fault for watching too much “Grey’s Anatomy” or “ER” through the years, but I coulda sworn a standard doctor’s visit entailed some level of warmth, hospitality and at LEAST a question-and-answer period.
(For the sake of anonymity, I’m not going to name the place or anything like that.)

But my recent experience all started when I tried really hard to go to my primary doctor just to find out what the heck was going on with me.
Unfortunately, that office was completely booked with patients, probably suffering with the same thing I have or the flu or whatever other “heebie jeebie” out there, because God knows it’s all going around everywhere.

So I was put on a waiting list, but I didn’t want to take a chance on not getting to a doctor before the day’s end, so I went to another facility that handles this kinda stuff.
After waiting forever just to see the doctor, when I got in there he basically listened to my heartbeat, looked down my throat with the light thingy and promptly diagnosed me with bronchitis.

I was amazed. I coulda sworn I thought they would have had to take some blood, swab my tongue, take some DNA or something before arriving to a conclusion like that.
My eyes widened, reflecting my shock and he mistook it for alarm: “Don’t worry, it’s pretty common this time of year. I will have the nurse bring you the information for your prescription. Thank you and have a nice day,” he said.

This entire process took all of 5 minutes and I tried as hard as I could to ask as many questions as I could quickly think of in that brief time frame, but by the time he completed that sentence, his hand was on the knob and he was on his way out.
So I finally managed a “Wow, that was pretty quick!” And he smiled and said “Yes.” And that was that. He was outta there, while my mouth hung open with “But, but...”

And I’m still scratching my head trying to figure this whole thing out.
I know in these hard times of lay-offs, strenuous work hours, cutbacks and everything else that, just like journalism and many other industries, even healthcare has to struggle to keep afloat, but is this really what I should expect now when it comes to a doctor’s visit? Is this the norm or did I just pick the wrong time of day or place to go?

My medical peeps, will you help me out on this one?

Oh yeah, Happy Valentine's Day.

You love birds and or relationship haters should feel free to chime right in. What did you get? Did you spend the day alone (like 8 of our 17 poll responders say they did)? Or were you sitting at your desk blogging?

Let's talk blackberries/BlackBerries

What do you think when you hear or read the word blackberry?

I had a funny realization this week when I got an e-mail with the word blackberry in the subject line.

A press release from the LSU AgCenter said there would be a lunch talk about Blackberries. I thought it was timely considering the service outage this week.

But it wasn’t a BlackBerry you plug into the electrical socket. It was the blackberries you pull off a vine.

I may seem a little dumb for not putting that together immediately. I know the AgCenter focuses on, well, agriculture. (I was in 4-H from fifth-12th grades.) But when you’re glancing at your inbox you have to process a lot of information quickly. Read. Save. Delete. (Especially when you get an e-mail every day saying you’re reaching the maximum storage space Outlook allows.)

Still, it’s funny the images some words paint in our mind because of the way we use them now. My BlackBerry Curve has cost me plenty of money, so I can blame that mental slip on that. But four or five years ago, I probably would’ve thought about juicy, reddish berries growing on the side of a country road.

Here are some other words that name something different today than they did years ago: Mouse, diva, gay.

Who’s got more examples like those? (Yes, this post is definitely a writer/geek/nerd post.)

The pressure starts now

Today, after getting my picture taken for an upcoming project, I heard our calendar assistant calling my name.

“Ashley, Ashley, Ashley! Who loves you? Who loves you?” She motioned towards a green and brown box from Pro Flowers.

I smiled. I told her, without even opening up the box, that they are from my father.

“No they aren’t,” someone else in the newsroom said.

Before I knew it, I opened my box in front of a very captivated audience. Roses. And just as I thought, they were from my daddy.

Everyone else looks in the box. Ooos and ahhs followed.

“Who are they from?”

“My Daddy,” I replied.

Gasp!

That’s right. My Daddy sent me flowers. Not some love interest. Not some man pretending to like me. And not myself pretending that my "boyfriend" has sent me a special treat.

I didn’t think my audience was quite as captivated as they would have been if I’d told them they were from a boyfriend.

Tomorrow there will be more audiences crowded around unsuspecting (or suspecting) co-workers as they open their flower boxes or they get their teddy bears and chocolates.

There will be more ooohhhs and aaahhhss. And it won’t stop there. There will be questions of what the fellow worker will do for the holiday and who, exactly, is the gift from. The questions, of course, will be answered with a smile and details of what’s to come for the night.

And there will be no time to generate a true, private and personal reaction to the gift. Not really. Instead, time will be spent answering questions.

Friday will be even worse. Last year, I didn’t have the nerve to tell my co-workers I’d spent the evening arguing over dinner and helping my male friend pick out a flat screen television at Best Buy. It wasn’t romantic enough.

As much as I love Feb. 14 for being the official day to let another person know how much you care for them, I hate was it does to us. We get crazy. We start acting like we live on the set of some romantic movie. And when our loved ones don't get us the gifts we think we deserve, we get mad.

The day is not about caring, it's about the show--the stories we tell people, especially our coworkers.

There are the girls (and I call us girls because that's what we start acting like), like me, who grin and endure it. We answer the questions in detail. And we sometimes gather with others to see what another has been gifted.

There are other girls, too. Obnoxious girls. They flaunt their gifts and practically shout their Valentine’s Day plans for the entire world to hear. The girls like me only smile at their ridiculousness.

Then there are the bitter girls. These are the girls who are normally happy, but get depressed around Feb. 14. Any sign of love or happiness near V-Day makes them want to upchuck.

Christ.

I’m not doing it this year. I will not participate in the craziness. I will avoid the show. It’s too much pressure.

I will celebrate my singleness with friends.

And I’m going to try very hard not to wish I was stuck in some romantic movie scene.

Pack, move, clean, unpack. Ugh!

Last night, I took an evening off from moving. I just finished moving out of an apartment and into a house for rent Saturday. I disagreed with some of my apartment's rules (for example, they wrote me up twice for letting my cats outside without being on a leash), and I also wanted a little more home-like feel in my living space.

In the midst of this moving adventure and hearing snow stories from home -- the University of Idaho and nearby Washington State University closed Jan. 31 for the weather for the first time since 1990! -- I am reminded of an interesting moving story.

In December 2003, my nearly ex-husband and I got a 24’ U-Haul stuck in the snow on the UI campus after the attendant at the U-Haul store told us that we didn’t need chains for the truck and they didn’t have studded tires available for it either but that “it’s heavy enough that you won’t get it stuck.” We proved him wrong. It got stuck when the bumper got caught up on a pile of snow. AND, the truck couldn’t get traction because the snow had melted for a little while, then refrozen to create ice on top of packed snow. Oh -- and on top of THAT, we were moving boxes into our Married Student Housing apartment in -20 degree weather!

Anyway, now, I’m in the process of unpacking. UGH! Do you have any helpful hints to help me keep my sanity? Do you have any interesting moving stories? What roommate nightmares do you dare share?

To be or not to be...happy

During my early-morning news reading, I came across a story on CNN.com featuring an Oprah re-run about happiness (which will air today).

"Are you happy --really?" the headline reads.

It certainly got me thinking.

A guest on the show, psychologist Dr. Robert Holden has dedicated his life to studying happiness. He is the founder of the Happiness Project in England and also is the author of 10 best-selling books, including "Happiness Now!"

Dr. Holden said those looking for happiness often don't realize they already have it, the article states. He recalled a conversation that he had with a spiritual teacher some time ago.

"'You have to understand that the pursuit of happiness is a mistake,'" said the teacher, Holden recalled. “'It's like, you don't chase happiness out there. You learn that you're happy inside you, and then you go running.'"

That made me think a little bit more. So much so that my cynicism broke just enough to let it make some sense.

We often find ourselves in absorbing situations – whether short-term or whether they threaten to swallow us whole, but some of us seem to lose sight of the fact that, though the situation may be difficult, it hasn’t entirely altered our complete "inner spirit."

When I used to think about the more than 1,000 miles that separate me from my family, I believed that I was anything, but happy. But now, I’m coming to realize that when 4:30 p.m. rolls around each day, I get the first of two or three phone calls from my older sister. A few hours later, I call my mom to ask her about her day or she calls me to ask me about mine.

Rather than sadness, those times are undoubtedly when I smile the most and laugh the hardest. Yes, it’s also when I miss my family the most, but at the same time, I realize I’m actually happy – I just miss them.

I’ve frequently confused missing my family with unhappiness. Yes, it still sounds a little weird to me, but it does make sense – for me anyway.

From now on, I’m going to try to do a better job of differentiating between the two.

If you’re unsure of your happiness, try this Happiness Quiz on Oprah.com and don't forget to share your thoughts here.

Duets make Grammys great

Did ya'll watch the Grammys tonight?

I thought it was pretty good, especially as far as the performances were concerned.

Beyonce and Tina Turner.

Fergie and John Legend.

Alicia Keys and John Mayer.
Kanye West.

My favorite had to be Beyonce and Tina Turner performing Proud Mary. I enjoyed watching Tina prove that she still has it as she shook, spun and sang next to Beyonce, who is at least 40 years her junior. (I know one of my fellow bloggers could second my admiration of the performance.)

Kanye was a close second with an OK performance of Stronger but a heartfelt performance of Hey Mama that reminded those that may have forgotten how close the rapper and his mother were and that he's still grieving. Sunday's performance marked exactly three months since her death.

Like some others, I haven't been a fan of award shows the past few years but the Grammys didn't dissapoint.

Did anyone else enjoy the show? And did you think the right artists walked away with awards?

Heather Ledger: A death to ponder

There obviously has been a healthy love of pop culture among some of my fellow bloggers, and I'm honestly surprised I'm the first one to touch on the death of Heath Ledger.

Sadly a New York City medical examiner report confirmed some suspcions this week: He died from an overdose of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine.

I happen to occasionally tune in to "The View" with my grandmother. Shortly after Ledger's Jan. 22 death the co-hosts were speculating on whether or not drugs contributed. Even though it was not clear then, I think Elisabeth Hasselbeck made a great point. She said the media seem to focus on female stars who appear to be in trouble with drugs or otherwise. Among those are Louisiana's own Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, the Olsen twins, etc...

But either the Heath Ledgers and Colin Farrells of stardom aren't partying enough to make photographers notice, or we only care when it looks like a formerly good girl is being unladylike. That to me reeks of a double standard.

And I hate that the very industry I work for seems to keep it going. Giving media consumers what they need versus what they want can mean finding a difficult balance. I'd be a tough one to convince that anyone needs as much star power as some of us put out there. But since we do, I feel like there should be some sense of responsibility to portray the state of things accurately.

So you consumers of all things paparazzi, do you think coverage of the partiers is fair? And what do media practitioners owe you?

(Photo courtesy of The Associated Press.)

Dallas, the city of....love?

I’m going to try really, REALLY hard not to talk about the election since we’ve been talking about it all week on here, even if it is the only thing my friends have basically been talking about all week…(Is it just my friends and me, or was Super Duper Tuesday as exciting as…well…the Super Bowl?!)

Anyway, I know we’ve talked about shacking on here before but I ran across this story and thought it was worth sharing since they're talking about our age group and all.

Forbes magazine basically did a survey on the best cities for couples ages 20 to 34...unmarried, cohabiting couples, that is. (Apparently, cohabitating couples are a growing demographic among folks ages 20 to 34.)

And get this, Dallas topped the list. Who knew? Three other Texas cities landed in the top 10 as well – Houston, Austin and San Antonio…

Meanwhile, places like Cleveland, Ohio; Providence, Rhode Island and even Miami, Fla. hovered at the bottom of the list.

Now, in all fairness to our great city of Shreveport *coughs* they only selected the country’s largest 40 metropolitan areas for this study. Otherwise, I’m sure we woulda made the cut *coughs again.*

But anyway, what do you y’all think? Could the city of luuuuuuuuuvvvv really be right next door? I’ve never actually thought about it like that...Do you agree with their list? Do you know of some places they didn't include?

Get Tested

Get tested.

As of September, nearly 1,250 persons in Northwest Louisiana were living with HIV or AIDS. About 68 percent of those cases were blacks, while 30 percent were white and 2 percent were of other races. Nearly three-quarters of those people were male.

Wow.

Tomorrow is National Black AIDS Awareness Day and it's so important to know your status.

I know I've talked about this before, but I think this is something we all can do--regardless of our race.

Here are some local happenings for the day:

* The Brotherhood Task Force of Northwest Louisiana will hold a candelight vigil for anyone affected by HIV or AIDS from 6-6:45 p.m. at its office at 838 Hope St. in Shreveport.

* The Task Force and the Philadelphia Center of Shreveport will put on a Runway Ball at Central Station, 1025 Marshall St. in Shreveport, Thursday night. The task force will offer HIV testing, and both organizations will provide prevention information.

*The Louisiana Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS and Substance Abuse program, will hold an open house from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and a Girls' Nite Out from 7 p.m.-8 P.M. at 1545 Line Ave., Suite 222, in Shreveport. The open house will allow people to get information about the project's prevention and referral services, while the girls' night out event will provide substance abuse and HIV prevention.

I'm going to get tested.

Will you join me?

Answer 10 Questions; Pick a President!

While I was driving to work this morning, I was thinking of my blog topic. I had been thinking of posting about my impact on the world, brought about by the Super Bowl and others in the national spotlight. Then, I thought about blogging about moving and how much it sucks. But when I came across a Web site, I just had to piggyback on Tarah's voting blog.

So, how lazy are Americans today, when it comes to voting? Are young voters any more or less lazy? I found this, emailed by a coworker:

"You might find this interesting -- answer 10 questions at http://www.votechooser.com/ and find out
which presidential candidate is most similar to you!"

What? Seriously? Are we that lazy?

But, I have to admit, this site does help if you haven't paid any attention to where candidates stand. You can see which of your political stances match where the candidates stand. Before this morning, I couldn't have told you who I would vote for, if I wished to share. Plus, even if you disagree -- i.e., I agree with only five answers of any of the candidates -- you can see which issues you would be willing to compromise on and on which ones you'd rather hold your ground.

Now, I wouldn't recommend basing your vote on what this web site says. I would suggest you be a little more responsible than that by checking to make sure the candidate you like most from this site really does line up with the issues you choose. ("Trust, but verify.")

So -- what do you think? How lazy do you think that Americans are today, when it comes to voting? Are young voters any more or less lazy? Is it good to have these Web sites out there to do the legwork for you? Or is it a downfall of how lazy we have become that some people could actually rely on a questionnaire to choose our next president?

By the way -- don't forget to go vote today (or Saturday for us Louisiana folks!) After all, you've already done the hard work of 'researching' the candidates, right?

That rockin’ young vote

Early primaries and caucuses have come and gone and nationwide political attention has now shifted to Super Tuesday.

Twenty-two states will hold primaries tomorrow and candidates are heavy into their final push for support. There are 1,023 delegates up for grabs for the Republicans and 1,681 delegates up for grabs for the Democrats.

The talk this election year about young voters and the impact that they have started early-on in 2007 — and rightfully so. The importance of presidential elections and the issues that face the country and the world are, now more than ever, of great importance to all voters.

According to the Youth Vote Coalition, 51.6 percent of people age 18-30 are registered to vote. In the 2004 presidential election, turnout among voters age 18-29 jumped nine percentage points, or 4.3 million voters, over 2000, according to Young Voter Strategies.

We know what many of the national hot-button issues are, but as a newcomer to the area, I want to know what issues are of importance to young voters in the Shreveport-Bossier area - both national and local issues?

What matters most to you and why?

Trying something new

No, I’m not into hockey. I can’t even really say that I’m into any sport. But for some reason I’ve been wanting to go to a Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs game.

I guess with the bar and club scene getting old and the allergy I have to actually playing a sport, I’ve been looking for some new things to do.

I briefly mentioned my curiosity about the local team and the hockey game experience to the boyfriend so he got us some tickets for Saturday’s game.

Being the girl that I am I wondered what to wear, if it would be too cold and if I’d be able to keep up with the game.

Yea, none of that mattered.

I won’t say I’m a hockey fan now, but I really did enjoy the experience.

I liked throwing the plastic mudbugs on the ice the two times the team scored and I enjoyed my wimpy attempts at landing a puck on a tiny, circular mat in the middle of the rink during halftime.

The chants and screams of hatred from true hockey fans really amused me and made me wish I could get that passionate about any team.

(Shouts out to Eric Benbrooks whose enthusiasm and heckling kept me laughing through the entire game. Lol.)

Next up: A Battlewings game.

Before you sex text...

Look, I’m not here to judge anyone and what they do in their personal lives, as long as it’s legal.
I mean, if extramarital affairs is your thing, hey, do you. (Just don’t even think about trying it with me!)

But, in this world of high technology, let the case of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick be lesson to all of us cell phone users:

If you’re gonna cheat and attempt to keep it on the down low, think before you text (Or at least use code words, for goodness sake!) because you never know when those sneaky, sexy text messages you thought were just between you and your er.. umm… cohort (or any text message for that matter) will come back to haunt you.

Through the years...

Last week, I gathered with many other fabulous women of all ages at Jayne Marie’s to celebrate the centennial anniversary of our sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I pledged at Dillard University.(Yes, that's me nearly 10 years ago in the pic below.) Those days were filled with hard work, lifelong friendships and lots of fun.

And when you can stick around for 100 years, it’s just cause to celebrate, especially when it’s the first and oldest sorority founded for black women.
So, let me take a moment to send out a few birthday wishes to my lovely sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority: Happy 100 years. Happy 70 years to the Dillard University chapter and happy 10 years to my line sisters. Skee-wee my sorors.

Peace, poverty and beautification projects

I don't mean to be cynical but I have to ask this question: when did Martin Luther King, Jr. become the poster child for cleaning up the parks and streets of Shreveport?

On the day the nation has chosen to honor the slain civil rights leader, many of the city's happenings were beautification projects. That's a good thing, but why do we need to wait until MLK Day to do a mass, city-wide cleaning project? Couldn't we have done this on Friday? Or even next Thursday? Why today?

I suppose he'd like for Shreveport to be beautiful.

I get King being associated with non-violence and justice. Or education and prayer. And eliminating poverty for all.

But picking up trash?

I'm thinking that may be a stretch.

I found this story today and I think it's interesting.

Tell us what you think.

Don't forget the dream...

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone. It's been 45 years since this famous speech, but the hope of King's dream still lives on...

Sadly, even 45 years later, that dream still isn't fully realized. The irony of one particular event today especially hits home.

Thoughts anyone?

Presidents and Books

Presidential elections are pretty serious business.

And so is checking out a library book from the Shreve Memorial Library system, apparently.

Since many of the new Times' staffers are Shreveport transplants, we have to go through the trouble of getting new licenses, library cards, voter registration cards and other life necessities.

Last week my co-worker Velda Hunter and I went to register to vote in Caddo parish. We were out in five minutes--maybe less. All we needed was a form of picture identification and some proof that we actually lived in the parish: a checkbook, recent bill or updated drivers license would do.

I suggested we walk to the downtown branch of Shreve Memorial Library to get new library cards. I figued it would be a snap.

I was wrong.

I needed identification and two other pieces of mail that said I lived in the parish. My Tennessee license and check stub and online bank statement were not enough, though they were at the registrar's office.

Come back when you have something mailed to your address, the woman at the desk told us.

We tried to protest. We said we had just come from registering to vote. We even said we loved to read books. Did we need to use the computer? We could have gotten a guest pass for that.

No! We don't need computers. Both of us have two computers for work and one in our homes. What we needed was a library card, but the woman was having none of it.

I can register to elect a new president but I can't check out a library book.

Gee whiz.

I guess kudos are in order to the lady in the library who followed the rules.

Til death do they part...

As much of a pop cult junkie as I am, even I’m really getting tired of all these dizzy, self-destructive Hollywood starlets hogging the spotlight and headlines in the midst of real news going on in the world, like, I don’t know, the upcoming presidential elections.

I mean, the way Britney Spears’ life has played out over the past couple of months, better yet, weeks, it’s pretty obvious that she’s on the Anna Nicole plan…

Well, it’s obvious enough to some folks so much so that I was shocked to hear about a web site that’s actually asking folks to bet on when her date with death would be. And it turns out there’s a prize if you guess the right date – a free PS3 player! They even let you leave "early condolences" for her.

I tried to browse the site a little bit, just to see if this was for real or some kinda sick joke, but the whole thing just creeped me out. Come to find out they also have such a site for Amy Winehouse who’s better known these days as half of the British version of Bobby and Whitney instead of the awesome songstress that she is (Ok, yes, I’m a fan…)

I mean that’s GOTTA be a wake up call when folks are counting down the days to your death.
Am I the only one who thinks this is sick, or are you placing your bets?

It's officially LSU day

Yes, we are still celebrating.

I went to New Orleans to watch the BCS National Championship game, but I didn't have a ticket. I never made it into the Superdome.

Some people, including several who love me, think I am crazy.

I made an effort during the season not to get too blog happy with what some call my LSU football-related shenanigans. But I don't really consider it nonsense.

Some friends and family members couldn't understand why I would drive for hours late at night to make it to Baton Rouge or through the night to Alabama for an away game. One night I went without sleep. Another I slept in a tent in a mall parking lot. Then there was an apartment floor. The most comfortable spot probably was my pal's recliner in exotic Jackson, Miss. Of course, I had to startle said pal awake at 3 or 4 a.m., since he thought I wasn't coming when the arrival didn't happen at a decent hour.

I jogged with a buddy up a winding Tiger Stadium ramp to make it to my nosebleed seat for the Arkansas game in time to hear a player and close family friend recognized on senior day. Fortunately the defensive end was near near the bottom of the alphabetical list of honorees. Between coughs in the chilly November air (since my cross country runner buddy overestimated my fitness), I shouted with glee when they called out the name Zehyoue.

Tuesday I had to make a bleary-eyed, six-hour drive from New Orleans to Shreveport to make it back to work after the big win. But even though the dang BCS didn't shower favor upon me me in the form of a reporter's golden ticket -- the press pass -- Monday night was proof that all my fanatical effort was worth it.

Some fellow Tiger fans and I joked Monday that the BCS National Championship should mean a statewide holiday. (Who was really working anyway?) Yes, it is only a game. But only being a game is what makes it magic. Magic enough to spill onto Poydras and down Carondolet to Mother Clucker's wings where I watched the game, and up to Shreveport and everywhere between.

In a state that is last on a lot of bad lists, where crime is a major problem and children can't finish school, a little magic goes a long way. We are No. 1 at something.

Even converted Tech graduates like my dad can appreciate it. LSU football unites. We may not be able to agree on who the next president should be or what makes good foreign policy. We can't get New Orleans rebuilt or I-49 north finished fast enough. (And by we, I'm not just talking about father and son here.)

When the Tigers play, we all act like a family. Being national champions was enough for Gov. Blanco to declare today as LSU Day. Here's part of her prepared statement:

"They have faced adversity, doubt and criticism from their foes, but their talent and tenacity have proven without question that they are the best team in the country. I encourage fans to join me in celebrating LSU Day by wearing purple and gold to show their pride in our Fighting Tigers!"

So let's band together... and point at people from Ohio and make them feel like they're last in line.

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves

Ahhh, the start of a new year. Everyone’s excited about things to come. Some are happy to leave 2007 behind.

In the spirit of all that is new, I think this would be a good time to welcome some new folks who have started to stop by, read posts and vote in the weekly polls. Welcome, and we hope you enjoy your time here!

I also think this may be the time to introduce ourselves to those newcomers and reintroduce ourselves to those that have been with us from the beginning.

From our very first post:

Basically we’re a bunch of 20- and 30-somethings who happen to be journalists at The Times, living in the Shreveport-Bossier City area.
You’ve probably seen us out and about, or talked to us, and, if we’re lucky, you might have even read at least one of our stories.
Well, what you may not know about us is that we’re a very opinionated bunch with a wide range of ideas, beliefs and perceptions of the world around us.And more times than not, we’re very vocal about those opinions and views among each other.
In fact, our discussions have played out a many of times over everything from newsroom chats to lunch and dinner debates. But at the end of the day, we’re just normal folks like everyone else, trying to figure out our way through this maze called life.
So we’ve decided to open up and share those experiences, thoughts, observations and perceptions with you all.

We talk about a little bit of everything on here. From the serious to the silly, from the controversial to the crazy, we comment on it all. It’s a mix of news from our personal lives and news from local, national and global levels.

And to clear up a point that seems to get confused in a lot of the comments left on posts: there is a difference between blogging and reporting. Think of blog posts as opinion pieces and news reports as unbiased presentations of what happened. We blog here, we don’t report.

Basically, if we’re thinking it or experiencing it, we’re blogging about it. Everything we write is personal to us, making this a place of personal thought, reflection and plain old fashion sharing.

Not everything is meant to be news and what we write here, you most likely won’t find in the pages of our employer. And that’s the point.

Like all situations in life, we realize we can’t please everybody all of the time. But we hope you’re finding something you like that brings you back and we enjoy the dialogue generated from some posts. But a little understanding on each of our parts goes a long way, I think.

So, Happy New Year, welcome, welcome back, and it’s a pleasure to meet you!

Link222 bloggers

Which presidential candidate would you drink a beer with?

I was just surfing the net for some news on the Iowa caucuses when I came across a Washington Post column on a cute Web site asking folks which presidential candidate they'd rather sit down and drink a beer with.

Whodoyouwanttohaveabeerwith.com is a hosted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association and, so far, has Barack Obama ahead of the 15 other candidates with 22 percent.

Ron Paul is the next best beer drinking pal with 15 percent.

So, which hopeful would you choose and why?

Moving on

Since I moved to Louisiana, several interesting things have happened to me.

My mail kept getting returned to the sender because my apartment complex didn't put a lock on my mailbox for a month after I'd moved in.

The deposit check and application fee I spent $16.53 to overnight to my new landlords never made it there.

Half of the towels I owned were stolen from my complex's laundry facility after I walked back to my apartment to get a coke.

My neighbor leaves me love letters on my car.

Another neighbor leaves chicken bones on the walkway we share with two other tenents.

And I'm not allowed to sit in my computer chair on the patio. I'm told computer chairs are not acceptable patio furniture.

Friday marks the end of all that confusion. I plan to start the new year with a new apartment.

What are your plans for 2008?

For Christmas, some happy stories

Since we journalists are known for spreading doom and gloom, I thought MSNBC's list of 10 happy stories was kind of cool.

As one of the reporters who helps put out arguably some of the most negative stories (I usually write about crime), I can see the value of lighter fare. So check out the lists, where you will read about twin moms giving birth to children on the same day, a stolen wallet turning up decades later and a man waking from a coma after 19 years.

Merry Christmas... and will it all be sad tomorrow?

Reality television

Is there no limit to what they’ll put on T.V.?

I will admit, I’m a reality television fan. But this morning I turned on the television to find that R&B singer Mario has a documentary on MTV called, “I Won’t Love You to Death: The Story of Mario and His Mom,” and was a little disappointed.

Apparently, Mario lets the cameras roll as he confronts his mom about her heroin addiction, checks her into rehab and works to keep her sober.

I mean, I watch a little bit of everything in the unscripted genre nowadays. America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway and even I Love New York (yes, I’m ashamed), but I was sad to see Mario pimping out this very personal situation.

I then started wondering how this show came about. Did someone from Mario’s camp call MTV and pitch the idea? Or did someone with MTV hear of Mario’s troubles and pitch the idea to him?

Let's imagine someone decides to hold an intervention for you. Not only is overwhelming that these people that know and love you are begging you to get help and change your ways but SURPRISE!...sitting next to your crying, pleading loved one is an unknown man holding a camera, preparing to broadcast your pain and embarrassment to the entire world.

Some could say that all reality shows exploit someone – the weak, the sick, the unintelligent – but I really felt like Mario’s situation was one that should have been handled privately.

With all of the reality shows these days, I keep wondering what they’ll air next.

I almost feel like there's no such thing as reality television anymore because these participants are becoming more and more like actors, playing the roles established by some of the original shows - i.e. the mean girl, the smart girl/guy, the extra religious girl/guy.

Do ya’ll think reality television has gotten out of hand or is it just a sign of what viewers want to see?

(And so I don’t feel so ashamed, what are some of your favorite reality shows? Or better yet, what are some of the more ridiculous ones you’ve seen?)

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

“Passing the Cheer”

So, I got a free cup of Joe, today. Really. The guy in the vehicle in front of me at Starbuck’s paid for my drink, and the lady at the window told me she “I guess they’re doing some sort of thing.”

Some sort of thing? Maybe it’s called “Passing the Cheer,” like the cup sleeve says. I remember this happened on Oprah once, but this had never happened to me before this morning.

So I handed my debit card out the window to her and told her I’d like to pay for the next order. She said “the next order is two drinks” and she told me what they were and that the total came to $5 and some change.

Her supervisor or another coworker, over her shoulder, told her just to offer for someone to pay for one drink rather than the full order behind them.

“That’s how it stops, usually,” she said. “One person behind someone will have 8 orders of coffee and the person doesn’t want to buy that many drinks.”

Okay. That makes sense. Depending on my sensations of holiday joy and giving, I may or may not want to pay for 8 other people’s cups of coffee.

Then I got selfish. I thought, "what if someone doesn’t have somebody behind in line? Like the last guy at the end of the line?" I guess he would get a free cup of Joe but not have anyone else to buy for. Well, I guess it's then his choice as to how he chooses to further, “Pass the cheer.”

So, ‘tis the season for giving, even among strangers in line at the local Starbuck’s drive-through.

Notable quotables for 2007

I didn't pick 'em, but I have to say Mr. Shapiro did a right nice job. Following are some of the most mocked, banned, hilarious and telling comments from this year.

The 10 most memorable quotes of 2007, according to Fred R. Shapiro, editor of the Yale Book of Quotations:

1. "Don't tase me, bro." — Andrew Meyer, a senior at the University of Florida, while being hauled away by campus police during a speech by Sen. John Kerry.

I've heard this one called out at ball games, parties and bars as a joke, and it's been seriously discussed in our newsroom and in personal phone calls with my friends throughout the country.

2. "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us." — Lauren Upton, South Carolina contestant in the Miss Teen USA contest, when asked why one-fifth of Americans cannot find the U.S on a map.

You can't help but feel sorry for her.

3. "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country." — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking at Columbia University in New York.

This is shocking and believable all at once.

4. "That's some nappy-headed hos there." — radio personality Don Imus, referring to the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

An oft-blogged quote on this blog. He's back at work now.

5. "I don't recall." — former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' repeated response to congressional questions about the firing of U.S. attorneys.

Haven't we heard this from accused criminals in local courts?

6. "There's only three things he (Rudolph Giuliani) mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11." — Sen. Joseph Biden, speaking during a debate for Democratic presidential candidates.

Dang. That's funny and hurtful at the same time.


7. "I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating." — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, referring to Vice President Dick Cheney.

BURN!

8. "(I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom." — Sen. Larry Craig, explaining why his foot touched the foot of an undercover police officer in an airport men's room.

Dirty mental image. No matter what was really going on.

9. "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man." — Sen. Joseph Biden referring to rival Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

Biden makes the list twice? We'll see if no publicity is bad publicity.


10. "I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history." — Former President Jimmy Carter, referring to the Bush administration.

Strong stuff.

Anybody got some quotations that didn't make the cut?


(This list comes courtesy of the Associated Press and Reuters.)

Reducing hunger, building vocabulary

It's the week before Christmas, when charities are sending out more requests for help and you probably don't feel like working. Alleviate both issues with this website freerice.com.

I heard about it on NPR this morning and I've already killed a few too many minutes doing "research." (The highest level I've made it to so far is 41 out of 50.) The website is set up as a vocabulary quiz. For every question you get right, they donate 20 grains of rice to a UN World Food Program. Have fun.

Ode to John Legend, Verse 1

There’s no better way to make a holiday Scrooge-ette, i.e. me, smile during the holiday season like a concert performance by John Legend.

Most folks who know me know of my endless love for John Legend. When he first hit the mainstream music scene in 2005, that’s all I talked about, that’s all I was listening to. Period. I mean his CD “Get Lifted” stayed in my CD player for a solid year and six months. Even my editors and co-workers witnessed it because I had him on my computer screen wallpaper for just about a year as well. I was in love, and not so much with his aesthetic good looks, but with his artistry.

Before the hating and “clownation” begins, I must give this disclaimer: NO, I’m NOT a groupie. I just think John Legend’s music and his voice are like a beautiful breath of a fresh air that makes me swoon like I’m a teenager or something…(Ok, maybe that sounds slightly groupie-ish…)
I’ve had the pleasure of inhaling that cool breeze in person at two previous live shows (I even met him once! But that’s for another post…) And I got a chance to inhale it again last night when I saw his performance on TV One, in which he also introduced his new label Home School Records.

And just when I thought my love was dying for the man (I mean, is it me, or did he just kinda fade off the scene after his last album, “Once Again”?) I watched this show last night "Get Together with John Legend" and fell in love all over again.

Thanks to a text message from my friend and columnist Monica Carter Tagore, I tuned in just in time to catch him in action. And then, of course, I instantly text messaged all of my fellow friends who are John Legend fans.

It was pretty interesting, especially when he introduced a new artist who happens to be his little brother Vaughn Anthony. (Their vocal similarity is almost eery.)

Anyway, I should stop here before my friends, particularly my hating guy friends, clown me yet again for my latest ode to Johnny boy. However, if you’re a John Legend aficionado and you missed this show, catch it again Thursday at 9 p.m. CST on TV One. It’s a cool pre-holiday treat.

It takes a connection

Sometimes it seems like human brainwaves connect in ways I just never expected.

This week Ashley and I am some other Times staffers are volunteering at Shreveport’s Cherokee Park Elementary with the Junior Achievement organization. Each grade level learns something about free enterprise.

I am teaching fourth graders. The first day I was really concerned that having these students get a grip on revenues, expenses and capital resources might be kind of tough. But after today, I feel a lot better.

We were talking about economies, and the word interdependence came up. When I asked the class to define the word, I got blank stares. So I asked if anyone knew what independence meant.

“It’s what those guys signed.” One student said. I was happy the young man knew a little about the Declaration of Independence, but recognizing a word is not quite understanding.

Then I hear a little singing on another side of the room. The teacher, who stays in the room to help with any disciplinary needs, laughed and asked if I heard the song. I said no and asked the girl to sing it louder.

And she did: “I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T. Do you know what that mean? She got her own house. She got her own car…”

I couldn’t let her sing alone, so I leaned and rocked a little bit to uncontrollable laughter. (I didn't join in on the vocals, however.)

The song is “Indepdent” by Webbie featuring Lil Boosie & Lil Phat.



All the lyrics are not necessarily appropriate for fourth graders to sing in class. But at that moment I was just so happy that there was a connection. Fourth graders throughout the room started saying independent means standing alone. Not needing anyone. And from there, we moved on to interdependence’s opposite meaning and how many businesses need each other to thrive.

I couldn’t have planned that if I tried. And if I had, I don’t think it would’ve worked out as well. We got some good laughs, but more importantly, we had an understanding today in Ms. Thomas’ room.

Like the rest of us, Taylor was a victim

On the last night of his life, NFL star Sean Taylor settled in for a night of sleep in his suburban Miami home with his longtime girlfriend and his 18-month-old daughter.


Does that sound like someone who had it coming? Does that seem like a particularly wild night for a so-called thug? I would imagine not, because nearly all of us do the same thing, with some slight variations.


None of us are promised anything, even something as simple as taking another unaided breath in the morning.


It seems that some of us have forgotten that. I'll link to this column by FOXsports.com's Jason Whitlock as proof. I'm only picking on J-Dub this time because his piece generated the most conversation in our newsroom Thursday.


Now don't get me wrong: I have lots of respect for Whitlock, a second-wave pioneer in sports journalism and one of the most provocative media voices in the nation today. If, at the end of my career, I had a tenth of his juice in the news industry, I'd be certifiably big-headed (some folks may already believe this).


But to use Taylor's death as an example of some sort of epidemic, the so-called "black-on-black crime" problem, is another example of shallow analysis, anti-intellectualism and beating the same old drum.


The simple fact is that people usually commit crimes against the people closest to them and for a number of socioeconomic reasons too complicated to get into here, many neighborhoods wind up racially segregated. So, black people often kill black people in the way that white people often kill white people and brown people often kill brown people - but when has anyone ever heard the term "white-on-white crime"?


I would never minimize the problem of crime and its terrible effects on mostly poor and brown folks, but that's got little to nothing to do with why Taylor is dead today.


Another tired tactic is blaming hip-hop for many of the ills of society. Whitlock refers to this mythical "Black KKK," demonizing an entire, diverse and pioneering culture for yet another senseless death. It's a pretty large leap to connect those sort of dots - what does Talib Kweli or Wordsworth or Kanye have to do with a murder that Miami-Dade police have thus far considered to be a random tragedy? If Whitlock doesn't have rap music on his iPod, that's his prerogative. I get it, he doesn't like hip hop. But don't lie to folks by telling them Soulja Boy had something to do with Taylor's death when, as far as I know, Tony Soprano gets off the hook.

In the end, we're all vulnerable, weak, exposed human beings. Taylor indeed had a few rodeos with the legal system in the past but when he settled in for a night of sleep with his family Sunday night, he was like the rest of us. A potential victim.

And music has nothing to do with that.

It starts at home

I’m not a big football fan, but the news of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor’s murder shocked and saddened me.

After reading about 24-year-old Taylor’s death yesterday and the toddler he left behind, I read today about the death of LaTora Wiley,16, and the 25-year-old man accused in her death.

The seemingly senseless taking of lives is insane and seems to be getting out of control, especially with the younger sector of the population.

What can be done to stop all of these murders of people not even old enough to fulfill the dreams they’re still in the process of dreaming about?

I think most of us look to our elected officials and law enforcement, but I think the solution may lie on a much more local and manageable level.

It starts at home, with the family. I really feel that instead of hollering about the mayor or the police department’s handling of crime, families of young offenders should be held responsible. They can get to their children way before the police do, way before they even pick up that gun, knife, baseball bat, or whatever their weapon of choice is.

I know there are exceptions. There is no sure-fire way that will keep kids from attacking/killing each other in every case. In some instances there may be parents that do all they can to raise moral, law abiding kids but things happen anyway.

From there, it goes to the community. If you’ve got the time, patience and resources, why not volunteer with underprivileged or troubled youth in the city. I know sometimes it seems far fetched to think that we can make a difference, maybe change the path of another human being, but it’s been done. I mean, look at it this way, being a mentor to someone who doesn’t have it at home could save someone else's life – be it the potential offender or victim.

Before I start getting all of the negative feedback and folks start to think I’m crazy, let me just say I’m not saying that my suggestions are going to heal the world, make it a better place. It’s just one part of a solution that will need everybody’s input.

And while some people shake their head, mumbling, “That’ll never work,” I challenge you to spend more time coming up with helpful ideas than shooting everyone else’s ideas down.

I know what I’m saying is nothing new. There are volunteers and parents out there everyday doing exactly what I’m talking about. Much gratitude to those people for spending their time doing work many of us don’t even think about doing.

OK, I'll step down off my soapbox now, but would like to hear your thoughts.

Is a recession on the horizon?

I'm worried.

I feel like every time I open a newspaper or Web page the country's financial health is examined. And for good reason I suppose.

From CNNMoney.com:

"After years of living happily beyond their means, Americans are finally facing financial reality. A persistent rise in energy prices will mean bigger heating bills this winter and heftier tabs at the gas pump. Job growth is slowing and wage gains have been anemic. House prices are sliding, diminishing the value of the asset that's the biggest factor in Americans' personal wealth. Even the stock market, which has been resilient for so long in the face of eroding consumer sentiment, has begun pulling back amid signs of deep distress in the financial sector."
(Read the full story here.)

Man, doom and gloom, huh?

I'm trying to figure out what I need to do. I've adjusted my attitude and don't even get alarmed anymore when gas prices creep toward $3. However, I DO get mad every time I go to buy a gallon of milk and it costs more than that gallon of gas.
The price of living has, and continues, to skyrocket.

I'm reading more and more stuff about a possible recession (though that threat always seems to be in the air) and I'm wondering what's about to happen. How hard will times get? What has to happen - initiated by either consumers or producers - to make things better? Is the country's financial situation the consumer's fault? Is the media just making too much of this?

What do you guys think? What does the future look like in your minds?

The real reason to be thankful, 2007 edition

Every year has its twists, turns, peaks and lows, but it’s always important to give thanks through it all. Even for the little things.
So, us Link222’ers are back again with our reasons to be thankful this year. Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful to be home visiting my mother and to have a job
-Melinda

I’m thankful my birthday is the day after Thanksgiving instead of the day of this year. Now, I don’t have to compete for attention with family gatherings and turkey. Wait. There is an LSU game, and everyone will be shopping. Just a few more years until it’s on a Monday or a Tuesday, I guess.
-Adam

I am thankful for recipes. They can really save your life (if you don’t burn down your home using them) when you’re hundreds of miles away from a good grandma-cooked Thanksgiving meal.
-Ashley

I’m thankful for my family and friends. I wish I could say I’m thankful to spend the holiday with them, but I can’t, because I’ll be here working so that ya’ll will have something to read Friday.
I’m also thankful that this weather has kept up with my procrastination in buying a new coat.
-Janelle

I'm thankful for life, family, friends, good food and the good cooks in my family who refuse to let me test my "gourmet" skills. I'm also thankful for the advent of modern technology including mp3 players, smartphones and the computer - they change lives!
-Donecia

I’m grateful for people who believe in second chances, Vince Young, Houston and Internet cowards like dirtwater, dr. duke and Big Jonah for reminding us all that idiocy, shallow analysis and virulent racism are still alive and well…
-Joel

I'm just saying...

I’m sure many of you heard about the march on Washington Friday. In case you missed it, people from all over the country led by Al Sharpton marched around the Justice Department to demand more enforcement of hate crime laws.

The march was largely fueled by anger of the lack of federal intervention in the case of the noose-hanging incident in Jena and other recent noose-hanging incidents across the country.
I know we’re all not going to agree on the case of the Jena Six or its surrounding events, clearly. That’s not even up for debate specifically in this post.

And I know some folks across racial lines are going to always refer to people like Rev. Al Sharpton as troublemakers. (Just remember, Martin Luther King Jr. was commonly referred to as a troublemaker too back during the civil rights movement… Just something to think about.)

But if the federal government can deem it urgent and necessary to intervene on behalf of dogs (i.e. the Michael Vick dog abuse case) and baseball (i.e. the steroid case with Barry Bonds) can’t we at least agree that more federal action should be taken against a hate crime that symbolizes decades of gruesome, brutal, unjust murders committed throughout this country against a race of people?

If you still think leaving nooses around is just a harmless, kiddie prank, check this CNN special out. Or, better yet, watch it whenever it airs again and let me know what you thought.

First Christmas card of the year

I just got it in the mail today. I suppose it's technically a season's greetings card rather than a Christmas card. But guess who it's from?

That's right, our friends down at Chimp Haven. The card unfolds into a calendar, and the newsletter part is modeled after the kind I get from extended family every year. There's an update on Baby Tracy, the mystery that captured national attention earlier this year. There are cute stories about chimpanzee's favorite toys and socialization.

I have to say it was pretty cute. All my more advanced primate friends really are going to have a lot to live up to.

R.I.P Dr. Donda West...

Many Kanye West fans, and even those who aren't fans, know how close he is to his mama. He made it known in every way from bringing her as his date to the Grammy's, making her his manager and penning an entire song about her, "Hey Mama," on his sophomore album "Late Registration." So, running across this news is particularly shocking and you can't help but wonder if Kanye, his life or his music will ever be the same. R.I.P. Dr. Donda West.

Protect yourself

Predators beware.

Fellow Times staffer Stephanie Netherton and I took a women's self-defense class and we're ready to use our moves.

(Umm...excuse the cheesy picture, but we're pretty proud of ourselves.)

Shreveport Police Department has something good going with this class that they offer for free. It's about two hours long and you learn basic blocks and manuevers that help you get away from any potential attacker.

I will admit, I was a little disappointed when the instructor told us his goal wasn't to teach us how to fight a man. Apparently, a woman has less than a 1 percent chance at winning a that fight. But the instructor did equip us with some pretty nifty moves that would enable us to both hurt the attacker and get away.

We also heard some good tips, that we've all heard before, but it's good to hear again as a refresher:

Leave lights on outside and inside your house when you're going to get home after dark.

Lock your door as soon as you walk in the house.

Don't always follow the same routine. Sometimes take a different route home, etc. just incase

someone is following you in preparation for an attack.

To learn the rest, you'll have to go to the class. But ladies, it's worth it.

And this class is great for any age, race or class. There were teenage girls there as well as older ladies that wanted to protect themselves. One woman was taking the class after being mugged recently.

The next class is from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Dec. 12 at the training academy on Greenwood Road. Call 318-673-7170 to register.

Also, check out Stephanie's blog for her take on the class.

He said something new -- that young folks can appreciate

Last time I wrote something about Cedric Glover I said he didn't say anything I hadn't heard. (This was at young professionals
gathering.) The next time I saw him was a press conference, and he was kind enough to point out he read the blog. He did so by asking if I'd heard anything new when he spoke to the group of reporters.

I don't think I gave him too hard of a time with the last post -- or he to me. But in case you missed it, the mayor of Shreveport undoubtedly said something new to most of us Wednesday during his State of the City speech. And I think it's something that people our age around these parts should be excited to hear.

His office is working with LSU-S to create a cyberspace research center that would work with and feed off of and into the Air Force Cyber Command Center, should it become a permanent fixture here.

That sounds like incredible news to me for the local economy. Anytime you have jobs that require advanced degrees, it moves your city and region onto a different tier when professionals look for a place to move. It's exciting to think Shreveport-Bossier City could one day be an industry center like some of the cities my friends are moving to: Dallas, Austin, Nashville and Charlotte.

And when you've got a booming economy, it seems to be a boon for the kind of culture you can buy -- a win-win situation. To me, that sounds like the kind of place young professionals want to live: where they can’t meet others like them. A place where others can appreciate what they brought back home from a college that may have been far away. A place where new people want to go, not just where you fall back if you can’t find a job right out of school.

I hope these strides spoke from podiums will have teeth – i.e. funding. And I hope it bites convincingly enough to make the Air Force keep Cyber Command here.

Thanks for saying something new, Mr. Mayor. Touché.

Striiiike

If you’re a TV junkie like me, you’re watching this WGA writer’s strike pretty closely. For some reason, I’m so fascinated by it on several levels. First of all, as a journalist, it’s interesting to see my fellow "writer brethren" take a stand for what they believe is right and owed to them.

Then, as someone whose DVR includes a daily mix of talk shows, soap operas, sitcoms and prime time dramas, it’s interesting to see how this strike could affect the continuity of my some of my favorite shows.

(In a side note, some of you may have read in Alexandry Kent's story that the strike won't affect local productions.)

Anyway, for my fellow TV junkies out there, here's a neat look at how the strike is affecting/may affect some of your TV viewing.

He's baaack...

Just when I thought Halloween was over, I was scrolling through the headlines and ran across this...

Ok, ok, just kidding! (Well, the news is real though.)

But come on, are you really surprised? Happy? Ecstatic? Irritated? Thoughts anyone?