It's a girl!

So, if you haven't figured out by now what I'm having...IT'S A GIRL!!! I cannot tell you how happy I am! Everything has been pink since I've found out, lol! We found out about our little angel on last Thursday and I've been smiling ever since. I mean, don't get me wrong I'd be smiling if it were a boy too (maybe not as hard, but I'd still be smiling!); but I have always wanted a girl and now I'm getting one! At the ultrasound Ms. Nala couldn't keep still! I mean she was standing on her head, turning flips, and the whole time her face was pressed into her chest (that did not look comfortable and I didn't even know it was possible, lol)! Everything looked great...except we couldn't see her face (to check out her nasal bone) or her heart because she wouldn't lift her head up. We'll check it out next time when we go for our checkup with the doctor.

This past weekend we went home to show my parents the ultrasound pictures. My Dad of course is happy and Mama is over the moon. Daddy orginially thought it was a boy. When we told him (in the doctor's office, right after the "verdict" came in) it was a girl, his first words were "tell them to put their glasses on because they obviously didn't see that extra skin on the other side." I just about fell out laughing when he said that! But he was still in 7th heaven.

So, yeah we went home to show my parents the pics and to tell my grandmother she was going to have a great-granddaughter. We also decided to do some baby registry stuff. OMG, it took us about 2-3 hours in Babies-R-Us to do the registry! My mom was in charge of the little scanner wand, and she went pink crazy! It was fun, but then my back started hurting amd Shaddean's feet started aching so we had to call it a day.

We're going to go register at Target and Wally World too (that'll be this weekend). I'm just so excited to be having a girl! I've got decorating ideas and future mother-daughter trip ideas running through my head. I can't wait until she's born!

We're going to start out classical music listening today (we bought the headphones for my belly last night!), and Shaddean and I are going to start reading to her so she can recognize our voices. Although, she should already know mine by now! ;)

Pregnant!!!

So, the hubby and I are expecting a little one in mid February! Exciting right? Yes and no. Yes: I love kids and I'm excited about having my own. No: I'm tired, nauseous, and cranky. I just started my 2nd trimester and I've already thrown up twice. In my first trimester, I only threw up once. I'm more tired now than when I was in the first trimester. My clothes no longer fit, but I am losing weight. I have a headache almost every day, I'm too scared to eat in case I throw up, and no matter how early I go to sleep, I'm always tired. And not just oh I need a nap tired, I'm talking about I could go to sleep at noon and not wake up until 6 at night tired. Matter of fact, there are some days, I'll come home from work with the intention to take an hour nap and not wake up until the next day! Oh and did I mention, I'm constantly having to use the bathroom? It's like 7-8 times a day and in the middle of the night. I'm gassy, and I stay hungry (although the nausea prevents me from eating much).

Don't get me wrong however, I'm still super excited about the baby. I'm almost 4 months and I can't wait to find out what we're having. I've already started baby shopping in my head on what I want to get. I have the travel system all picked out, plus I've narrowed the crib down to 3 choices. I've already scoped out girls and boys baby clothes to see what I would want to dress my child in, and I've already got my list prepared on what I need for my baby registry. Excited much? Yes! Everyday, even when I'm going through hell, I think about when I'll finally be able to hold my little one. Will it look like me? My husband? Both of us? Our parents or siblings? Will they be tall or will they take after my Dad's side and be short? Will they play sports? Or will my daughter be (ugh!) a prissy girl? Will my son be more nerdy geek or athletic? Or will they be both? I'm hoping for both, there's nothing like a smart athlete! Will I be a good mom? Will Shaddean be a good dad? And then...Will the grandparents make our lives hell by spoiling the kid rotten?

I've already picked out the names (let's be real, I've had names picked out for YEARS!!!). Godparents have already been decided on, and I've already decided on where I want to dedicate my baby (at none other than Mt. Rose!). I stay on the internet looking at nursery room motifs to get an idea of how I want my baby's room decorated. I like pink and purple for a little princess and blues and greens for my little man. I love going to ultrasound appointments because I always experience such joy at seeing my baby on the monitor. The first two times we saw it, it couldn't be still! It was just moving its little arms and legs. This last time, it was in chill mode--literally! With one arm behind its head, and with its legs crossed at the ankles; my little angel was chilling! It was too cute!

I can't wait for February, but it seems like February can wait for me. I swear time is creeping by at a snail's pace! February please hurry! Besides the fact that I'd love to be free of these pesky symptoms, I cannot wait to meet the little one who resides within me! And it'll be a joy to see my hubby's face when he finally holds the baby. AND I can't wait to place my little one in my parents arms and say, "This is your new grand______"

Oh! And did I mention my brother and his wife are expecting their first child? And that their baby is due in February as well? And that we're practically due at the same time? And no, it wasn't planned. These little ones are our parents first grandchildren. So it's double the blessing for our family!

Immigration

While in class on my break I was reading this article on aol about illegal immigrants entering by way of the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana to California. I'm no racist, so when I say this, don't take it the wrong way...I think that if you can't get here the legal way, then don't get here the illegal way. This goes for Hispanics, people from the Caribbean, Africans, Europeans, Asians, basically people from all walks of life. I don't care who you are, do it the right way. I'm all for helping out others, but I am not all for helping out others who get here illegally.

Bottom line is this: you are a criminal. No, you didn't kill anyone or steal...but you did break the law. You did come illegally. Illegal immigrants come over and are able to get all kinds of benefits, that I cannot get. I'm talking credit cards, credit, homes, cars, etc...meanwhile, some, if not most, don't pay their hospital bills and are on welfare. Then, when they do get work, do they pour their money back in to the US? No! They send it to relatives in Mexico. I understand you're trying ot help your family, but you're here illegally, taking advantage of our government, getting welfare, and to top it off, YOU'RE NOT EVEN HELPING THE ECONOMY!!!

I've talked to some of my Hispanic students and they say, "But, Coach. You don't understand how hard it is in Mexico. We need to come over here. It's rough over there." My response is always this: "My best friends are both not natural American citizens. Lidya is from Ethiopia, and moved to Sudan when she was 6 months. You may have heard of the genocide that's going on over there. I'd say she and her family definitely had it rough. But she still came here the legal way. Matter of fact her grandmother died, and it was only after her death that she was accepted into the States. My other best friend is from the Virgin Islands, and while there is no particular sort of violence or hardship going on, she could have taken the easy route and come here illegally. Instead her parents went through the proper channels. I'm sympathetic to what you are saying, but that does not mean that coming into the States illegally is right."

All I'm saying is that if you want to live here, do it the right way. Plus, not to sound completely like a moron or an insensitive jerk...there is way too much violence and crime currently in Mexico for people to just be coming over here illegally. In this article, they stated that not only are the people coming illegally; but that they are bringing drugs as well. That's one more thing the US does not need: drugs.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again...come correct or don't come at all. Either get here the right way or stay behind in Mexico.

Oh! and another pet peeve...when you get here, learn English! It annoys me immensely when foreigners come to the US (not just Hispanics) and they do not learn English. I do not appreciate the fact that some people have been here for years and do not bother to learn the language. It's annoying to me when I have to have a conference with a parent and they can't speak English. They have to rely on their child to translate. It's annoying because sometimes there just isn't a better way of putting words in a simpler term. It's hard to see the 7 or 8 year old struggle to find a way translate what I am saying. Then, the child keeps asking me to define what I mean...learn English! I also think that it is unfair the way that we have things in Spanish as well as English. If we can't make accommodations for all languages, then we don't need to make accommodations for Spanish speaking people.

And stop creating these little villages. Little Italy, Little Mexico, Chinatown, etc. Trying to recreate what you had back home. I understand that you want to hold onto your customs and traditions, and I applaud that. However, I don't applaud you setting up companies and businesses and only hiring your race. Yet, you can apply to jobs within corporate America. We have affirmative action, but I don't see other races working in say, a Mexican or Asian restaurant. If you can't hire us, then don't try to work in corporate America.

I know I may come across as ignorant or just plain wrong in your opinion. But this is my blog and I am entitled to what I feel. I just hate it when people come here illegally, reap all kinds of benefits, set up businesses and won't hire people not of their race, and then turn around and send the profits outside of the US (effectively not contributing to the US economy).

I'm not asking you to renounce your culture, but I am asking you to contribute to the job market and to the economy...and GET HERE THE LEGAL WAY!!!!

Re-writing History to Better Suit Your Needs

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/16/texas-schools-rewrites-us-history

Check out the above link to see how people are trying to re-write history!

Upon reading this, my first thought was: Why are we trying to re-write history? They want to include "lessons promoting God and guns"? Take out Thomas Jefferson? Justify the anti-witch hunt that happened in the 50s by Senator Joseph McCarthy? What? You mean historians weren't brought in to validate some of these things before deciding to put them in the curriculum? Nooooooo! Get outta here! Religion and virtue contributed to the growth of the American Colonies? Wow! And this whole time, I thought that the growth of the American Colonies was achieved because of slavery and stealing land from the Native Americans...doesn't sound too religious and virtuous to me! The income tax should be abolished because it contradicts the Bible? "One curriculum amendment describes the civil rights movement as creating 'unrealistic expectations of equal outcomes' among minorities." Since when did equality become an unrealistic expectation?! George Wallace (former 60s governor of Alabama) and MLK were standing up for the same things? What?

How dumb do you think people are? Didn't they suffer religious persecution in England? And isn't that why they came across the "pond"? To escape religious persecution and to practice their beliefs? So why are we trying to do the same thing? I'm a Christian, but I do believe that people should not have God forced on them. They want to teach how the Ten Commandments influenced our laws and the Constitution, but you want to omit the father of the Constitution?

What kind of crap is this? This isn't an education! This is a brainwashing. America was not founded on Christian principles or on the Ten Commandments...I clearly recall some stealing and killing being involved in "securing" America for England...I clearly recall some adultery being involved between the masters raping their female slaves...I clearly recall cruelty being involved...where does this fit in with America obeying the Commandments? Oh! That's right, America was founded on these principles, America just didn't bother to follow them. So we're now going to try to teach kids to say one thing and do another...because that's how we should bring up our future leaders!

If you rewrite history, you cannot learn from the past mistakes. If you try to take out the "uncomfortable" bits of history then who are you protecting? I'll tell you, you're protecting your own guilty conscience. You're not protecting the students. History is about facts, not about figments of the imagination. For these people to try to write a history curriculum and not collaborate with historians is absolutely bogus. If they can do that, then I should be able to re-write science and math. I think I'll say that 2+2=22. Or that we all come from eggs (we were hatched!) Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

What irritates me the most is that they are trying to re-write how minorities were unfairly treated in the past. THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT ON THE BACKS AND AT THE EXPENSE OF MINORITIES!!! YOU CAN'T TRY TO RE-WRITE OUR CONTRIBUTIONS!!! YOU CAN'T TRY TO SAY THAT AMERICA WAS ONE BIG HIPPIE FREE LOVING COUNTRY RIGHT FROM ITS INCEPTION! IT WASN'T AND NO AMOUNT OF WISHING WILL CHANGE THAT. Part of the great thing about history is that you're supposed to learn from it, so that you will not repeat those mistakes, re-writing the mistakes and the bad is not learning from it.

As an African American, the very fact that people are trying to re-write our history is upsetting. First of all white ancestors stole our ancestors from Africa and effectively wiped us away from our culture and our history and made us slaves...now you're trying to wipe away another part of the history that your ancestors forced on us. African Americans are trying to establish our history and you're trying to take it away.

Let me ask you this question: do people honestly think that by trying to re-write history that the truth will not eventually come out? Will it make people feel better to break one of the Commandments that they are trying to make the school acknowledge-lying. At the end of the day if you re-write history to suit your own specific purposes you are doing nothing but lying. And as any Christian knows, a lie is a lie..no matter how, white, blue, big or small it is...at the end of the day it's a lie. AN exaggeration is a lie, omitting things is a lie of omission. People let's stop the lies...let's tell history the way it happened...not the Disneyland version of Kumbaya and good will to all.

Can you be a Christian and be in a BGLO?

As I was looking up information on my sorority, I came across a series of websites that talked about renouncing their BGLO affiliations due to their relationship with Christ. I was taken aback...not because they renounced their BGLO affiliation; but because they honestly believed that they could not remain Christians and Greek. Their reasoning is this: you pledge to honor your sorority/fraternity; help out your fellow sorors/frats in their times of need; and you pledge to "pledge your heart, mind, and soul". At first I was like, yes you do pledge these things; but as I began to look at it, I still could not see why they would make a distinction between being Christian and Greek...to me there was no comparison. I am Greek, but first and foremost I am a Christian. I pledge to honor GOD before any and everything else, but that does not mean I do not love my sorority. I'm positive that when our founders made the pledge, they were not trying to place the sorority above God. I'm also positive that you can remain a Christian while participating in a BGLO.

BGLOs do a lot for the community. Through leadership and service (to all mankind! can you tell what sorority I'm in?!) we do good works; and doesn't God want us to do good works? We worship together (there are plenty of times we all attend church service together). I don't believe that there is one soror who places the sorority above God. I know plenty of sorors (myself included) who are devoted Christians; and not only are they devoted, they are also workers in the church! So how can you say that they are not honoring and putting God first?

For instance, BJ (intials for my soror and fellow church member) teaches Sunday School to the little kids, she sang in the choir, speaks at different Women's Annual conferences, helps with the youth department as a matron, was an active member of the Young Adult Organization (until it disbanded), is an active member in the Mission Department, and to top it all off , BJ will do anything that is asked of her in the church. She's a very dedicated Christian who is constantly witnessing to others about the goodness of the Lord. She's also a dedicated member of our BGLO. She assisted with the pageant, she's active and at most community service events, she even read a poem that she made just for our BGLO at our 1oo year celebration in D.C. (you should know what sorority we belong to by now!). But if you were to ask her what she puts first God or AKA; I can honestly say, she'll choose GOD every single time. This doesn't mean that she doesn't love AKA or that she isn't dedicated...it's just saying that there is no comparison between the two. Ask any Christian that also happens to be an AKA, who/what they would choose and I can tell you that they'll say GOD every time.

Take myself for instance. I sing in the choir at church, I'm a youth matron, I'm active in Mission, I was president of the Young Adult Organization, I assisted the secretary of our church, and I taught Sunday School. I'm also dedicated to AKA. When asked to help, I help. I would help a fellow soror in a minute; but then again I would help anybody if I could, soror or not.

The problem is that people are letting their BGLO define them instead of them defining their BGLO. What I mean by this is that, AKA does not define me. It is a part of me, yes; but it is not all of me. GOD defines who I am, period, point blank. None of this means that I am not dedicated to my sorority; all it means is that there is more to me than AKA. I choose GOD every time. I help make the sorority, the sorority doesn't make me.

I almost feel as if the people who are saying that they are renouncing their BGLOs are too ashamed of some of the past behaviors they may have done in the "name" of the BGLO...but remember this...everyone has a choice; and if you choose to do things that are not Christian like, you can't blame it on the organization...you must blame yourself. If you think that your BGLO made you do something that was un-Godly, then I want you to remember this...you had a choice, and YOU chose not to do the right thing.

But guess what? God is good and He's merciful. Repent, and remember that you are a child of God; and don't do the behavior that you were so ashamed of. There are plenty of people out there who are Christian and Greek. I don't think not being in a BGLO is a requirement for being a Christian. I believe that the requirement is to believe in the Trinity, believe that God sent His only Son to die for our sins, to believe that he died on a Friday and rose on the following Sunday. I believe that in order to be a Christian you have to love the Lord; I don't believe that I am a non-Christian because I am in a BGLO.

AT the end of the day, you have to know that your faith and your relationship with God comes first. If you question that, or if you put the BGLO before God; then yes, you need to have a reality check.

A Letter to Congress

Dear Congress,
Please stop fighting like little two year olds over who's right, bigger, and better. No one cares about what you think and feel. We only want to have the economy set to rights. We cannot get this accomplished if all you do is fight, call names, mud sling, whine, complain, and then quit. Do you realize that there is just as much attention paid to all of your private scandals as there is to what's going on with our economy? Do you realize that the more corrupt you are the less we the people trust you? We elected you to sort out the governement and make life a little easier for us, yet you can't even get your own life together. Between the sex tapes, extra-marital affairs, children born to your mistresses, cronyism, bribes, prostitution, sexual harrasment, and bathroom stall incidents; our government is going to hell and back.

I'm only one person, but I'm tired of hearing, reading, and seeing your numerous scandals and your private life splashed all over the news. I see more scandal than I do laws being made. How can I trust you to help run the country when you're screwing up your own life? When I voted to place you in office, I did so thinking you were the moral, upstanding citizen that your numerous campaign gambits and publicity stunts said that you were. I didn't realize that underneath the fake tan, expensive clothes and jewelry, the Ivy League education, the smooth talking, and the trophy wife that you were at heart a sexual deviant who is more corrupt than Suharto (former Indonesian military dictator accused of massive corruption and human rights abuse). I didn't realize that the money that I painstankingly saved to advance your campaign was being used to grease your pockets and make life better for you.

You all are acting like a bunch of spoiled two year olds and nothing is getting done! The media is blaming the President, but guess what? I'm placing the blame squarely on your shoulders. What have you done except argue? What have you done except disrespect and denounce the man who is in charge of running our country? So what if you don't like him, at this point I don't much like you! Yet, you're in office and I have to put up with you. Stop sitting on your behinds, collecting checks; yet doing nothing to earn the money that you are given. Start making some laws for crying out loud! Fix the healthcare system, fix Social Security, fix the illegal immigrant problems that we are having, fix the unemployment rates, fix the housing industry, hell, do the job we elected you to do! If I wanted to see people arguing, getting nowhere, and causing scandals, I'd watch the soap operas!

I'm tired of all the posturing and empty promises. President Obama has supplied you with bills, yet you don't pass them. I understand that you don't agree with what he proposed, but that doesn't mean that you're way of handling the problem (sitting on your butt and doing nothing) is going to actually get anything accomplished. Come up with a counter offer, compromise; it's called give and take. Just like when you teach your children to get along and compromise, you need to practice what I assume you are preaching. Stop mudslinging and start working together. I don't care about democratic and republican right now, and neither should you. You should be focused on our economy and how to improve it instead of focusing on being re-elected or setting yourself up to run for President in 2012. Because while you're focusing on re-election or seeking a higher office, life is still going on and we're still living with this jacked up economy, healthcare system, education system, Social Security system, and the other problems we're currently facing. I'm not going to elect someone into office or re-elect someone into office, if all I see on their resume is: rejected or voted against this bill. I want to see this: rejected this bill, but helped come up with and passed an alternative solution to the problem. Anybody can so no, but it takes an extraordinary person to say no and then find a solution that makes most happy (because we all know you can't make everyone happy).

Please for the good of our country get your act together. And if you're not in office (having recently quit) and you're talking trash, shut up! I'm going to ask you: What have you done lately but quit, talk crap and not come up with solutions. I'm a results kind of woman, I want to see you put your words into actions that benefit all of America. It's easy to trash talk when you're not the one having to make decisions because ultimately it doesn't rest on your head if everything goes wrong. Especially don't talk crap if you're private life doesn't match up with the ideals that you preach about. No one is perfect, but it seems to me that the ones who are in office and are supposed to set the example are doing a piss poor job of that.

Stop going on tours and stirring up trouble; you're doing nothing but making an already bad situation worse. If you have to go on tours, how about you ask the public what they want and what they need? How about you stop talking trash about your opponent and do some work? Stop having expensive 2 hour lunches, stop falling asleep during sessions, stop rolling your eyes, and mouthing negative things during confrences, and start working. Stop wasting my hard earned tax money on doing nothing. You're getting richer doing absolutely nothing, meanwhile I'm up to my ears in debt teaching tomorrow's leaders and trying survive in this jungle we call the American economy.

This is my S.O.S.; my call for help. I'm pleading with you to get it together! Americans cannot afford the dissension and the separation that your bickering is casuing our country. We are no longer united, we're becoming divided because our leaders are separating and dividing us. Individuality and uniqueness is one thing, stubborness and trying to make others look bad is another. We're trying to follow our leaders, but you all leading us astray. GET IT TOGETHER CONGRESS!!!

An extremely pissed off American Citizen,
Alicia Harding (Aaron)

My Thoughts...

Have you ever wondered what the heck is going on in your life today? Well, although today isn't one of those days for me, I am wondering what the heck is going on around me. Let's see, I work in a school that does not even acknowledge Black History Month (I've ranted about this all month long), we had 7 inches of snow, Shaddean and I need friends nearer to our own age in Nacogdoches, and I'm growing extremely bored in East Texas!

First off, I work in a school where Black History Month is not even acknowledged. I mean, there are no Black History facts read over the morning announcements; and when I ask my students what are they learning about Black History, they reply, "nothing". How is this even possible in the 21st century?! I've emailed my boss (the principal) about this, asking her to please announce Black History facts (instead of the normal boring facts that are announced every day) in the morning and I even gave her like 5 websites that she could get facts from...she still hasn't responded or acknowledged my email. The kids say that their teachers say they are going to have a Black History Program at the end of the month, but they haven't learned or went over anything pertaining to this program. Apparently, this is the norm for this school. And I ask myself, "would I truly send my kids to a school where they can't even learn about their own history?" My response: a resounding HELL NO!

I asked my coworker (the previously mentioned one) and his respeonse was, "I think that should be studied in social studies. It takes too much time out of my lesson to teach that." He's a math teacher. My response, "It's not my job to teach TAKS vocabulary, but I do it any way. I'm a college prep teacher, my kids are supposed to be learning about jobs and college. It's the core teacher's jobs to teach TAKS. Besides, it won't take more than a minute or two to read off one Black History fact a day!" He then responds, "Well, what about white history, when should we learn about that?" My reply, "We learn wbout white history every day!"

Am I asking for too much? I mean honestly, I believe that kids should know about all cultures. I believe that if there is even one kid of a different race, we should be teaching about their history too so that we can better understand our fellow neighbors/students. History in school is so one sided! Ugh, the positive thing about working in the schools is that whenever I have kids I now know what I'm looking for in a school and what I'm not looking for.

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WE GOT 7 INCHES OF SNOW!!! That was freaking awesome! I was off for three blissful days, and I made my very first snowman! My husband and I made mini snowmen too! We made snowballs (no snowball fighting, playing in the cold is enough for me, no need to actually get snow on my bare skin!) and took pictures...it was sooo much fun! It was like a white winter wonderland. It stayed around for two days and then melted, but boy! what a nice two days!

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My husband and I seriously need some friends (in Nacogdoches) closer to our age. We do nothing out here (there is nothing to do!). We don't even know many people. The people we do know are our co-workers, and we can't envision spending time outside of work with them because we have nothing in common! Boredom is really beginning to set in. We go to work , we go home, we eat, and then we sleep. Occasionally, we get out and go to Lufkin, and once we went to Longview; but other than that there is absolutely nothing to do out here! No mall, no good movie theater, no skating rink, no shopping centers, hell there isn't even a Target! Just nothing! Oh there's cold weather (if you know me you know this isn't good).

Our neighbors constantly throw their little college parties complete with loud noise (which we've had to call the cops out for) and beer bottles strewn all over the walkway of the apartment complex. Plus, their company takes all of the good parking spots leaving us to park in the back. The new people downstairs are smokers and think nothing of leaving their nasty cigarette butts all over the ground. Now, I'm by no means Ms. Clean America, and I don't care about a few butts; however, this is more than a few butts. We're talking at least 50 butts all over the ground in one area! I don't want to see that as I walk up the stairs. Disgusting! I hate cancer sticks!

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On the good news front!

My husband's best friend's wife (yeah I know, lol!) and I didn't exactly get off on the right foot. I mean when we first met, we were cool; but some things happened on both ends that needless to say caused a lot of drama (plus some things that I don't think she knows that I know). We were not each other's fans that for sure. However, once my hubby and I weathered our storms, I began to make a concentrated effort to make nice and be friends with her (I don't say names in order to respect people's privacy).

I felt that it could be pretty uncomfortable for my husband and his best friend if their wives couldn't stand each other, and I felt it would place them in a tough spot having to defend their spouses. Plus, I'm a grown woman and so is she; and grudges are something that are for kids. We're two mature ladies who should be able to put aside past differences and move on, right? So, I sent a peace offering email to work some of the diffiult akwardness out.

It was slow going, but eventually I was able to feel, if not like BFFs then at least not like mortal enemies. Still, when the birth of their first child (a beautiful little girl) came the day before our wedding, I still didn't feel as though all was okay. They named my husband the godfather and he's an honaray uncle. I didn't feel like an honrary aunt however. It was weird. I was like they'll call my hubby Uncle So and So and I would just be Ms. Alicia.

I never felt like I was part of that circle of friendship (my hubby's best friend's wife is also really good friends with my hubby). It was...weird. Well, they're preggers again (another little girl) and I decided to crochet a baby blanket for the newest edition (yeah that's a whole 'nother story). I facebooked the wife and told her about it, plus I asked how everything was going and what not. Well, her reply was not what I expected. It was very warm and responsive. I mean we weren't at each other's throat or anything, but I kinda expected a short reply that just had facts and no other stuff. It was long and very warm, plus she said that no matter how long it took for the blanket to be finished that the baby would be proud (I think that was the word) to have a blanket made by her aunty Alicia. Finally, I felt a connection to her and her family! For the first time, I actually felt like an aunty. It was a great feeling. She then went on to tell me how she was doing and how the latest edition was doing (well, inside the womb that is).

Anywho, I finally felt as though we were on the road to being friends. It was a good feeling. Well, my class is coming in and I gotta get off my butt and do my thang!

Alicia

Racism , Cynicism, or Conspiracy Theory?

SO, here I am talking to a coworker of mine, and amazingly quite a few of our conversations stem around race. (My coworker is a white male). Now, I don't mind because in this day and age it's rare to have an honest conversation about race with someone of another race. Plus he asks really thought provoking questions that make me think, and I give him honest answers and respond with questions of my own. Anywho, we were talking about enrollment at SFA and how the percentage of white students has dropped in recent years. Now, I don't go to SFA and quite frankly I could care less about SFA; but what he said was interesting. Here goes snippets of our conversation:

Him: Enrollment of white students at SFA has dropped because all of the minority students are getting the grants and scholarships. Minorities are basically going to school for free, and white students are having to pay full price. That's why they're building all of these things on campus- to entice more [white] students to come. I don't think it's fair that minorities get most of the scholarships. I have a4.0 GPA and I applied for a scholarship as a black male who had a 2.9 GPA, and he received the scholarship. I think that's a bunch of bull. That's why SFA is going to crap.

Me: Well, first we can't blame minority students because they don't make the decision as to who gets what scholarship and who doesn't. Second, you need to look at your financial aid department who is handing out the scholarships and see what's going on. ALl the students are doing is filling out the application and praying they get the money.

Him: Well, I was told that the president of SFA [a Mexican Man] said that white people were going to become the minority on campus and that the minorities would become the majority. I don't think that's right.

Me: Well, that's still racism it's just directed at whites this time around. Maybe people need to look into getting a new president. People are only going ot do what their boss tells them to do and if he sasy give more scholarships to minorities that's what they're going to do. Plus college is like a business. The more minorities a school has the more funding they get. So of course they're going to want their minority numbers up in order to receive government money.

Him: Well, I have a question. What's wrong with having Predominately White Schools? We have Historically Black Colleges and no one says those schools are discriminating or racist; but if we have a PWS [Predominately White School] then that school is racist and discriminating. What's up with that?

Me: Well, first anyone can apply for entrance to HBCUs and cannot be denied based on race. I know people who are white and go to HBCUs. Second, a lot of colleges are PWS, I went to one. SO I don't think it's a problem, until racial discrimination starts.
(Later in the day, I realized that I should have said: HBCUs were started because Blacks had a hard time gaining entrance into college, so we started our own)

SO anywho, I got to thinking: Do we see racism or reverse racism in everything? IS it really racism? Or is it just jealousy? Or is it just things are changing and we don't want that change? Is it cynicism? Or is it conspiracy theory?

I think it's a combination of all of that. Whether people choose to bury their heads in the sand and proclaim that racism doesn't exist, it doesn't change the fact that it does exist. BUT not everything is racism. Sometimes it's just the better person got the whatever [promotion, spot, job, etc]. If you're a black male with a bachelors degree going up against a white male with a masters and he gets the job, that's not necessarily racism- he does have more education than you. But if it's reversed and you [black male] have the masters and the white male has a bachelors, then it could be construed as racism.

However, in the interest of the school with the declining white population, that just may be a conspiracy theory. Considering the same coworker told me that Nacogdoches public schools are becoming majority black because [white] parents are taking their childrent o private schools because of the influx of Katrina kids entering the school system. Supposedly education has gone down to accomodate these Katrina kids and [white] parents aren't pleased about that. Well, now that has a bunch of potentially racist propaganda in that statement! Let's break it down:
Katrina kids come [mostly black], [white] parents take their children out of the schools. The reason: education is going downhill. Well, that's like saying the [black] kids are dumber than the [white] kids, so I'm going to pull my [white] child out of that school. Or it's saying [black] kids receive a lower level/quality of education than [white] kids- at which point "who's fault is that?" comes up. Or it could be construed as too many [black] kids are at this school and I need to pull my [white] kids from the school system and go broke (coworker said some of these parents cannot afford provate schools, but they send their kids anyway) sending them to a school I can scarecly afford.

Is all of this racism? Is this just one big conspiracy theory? Or are people like my coworker just a cynic who believes in conspiracy theories? So much to think about, ya know? It wouldn't be this complicated if people were just honest instead of politically correct. How about, "I took my hcild out of this school becuase too many black kids are there"? Or "I don't go to SFA because they are starting to have more minorities than white students"? If we were just honest no one would have to wonder and second guess other's actions and words, and we as a country and as a people can move forward and address these issues. SO long as we continue to hide behind politically correct vernacular we will never fight the war on racism. Everyone will continue to put their head in the sand and believe that racism doesn't exists or that racism is not a major issue in our world today.

Politics again!

So, President Obama gave a State of the Union Address last night. I must admit, I didn't watch. Not because I didn't want to, but I got busy with household duties and it slipped my mind. So, to make up for my slip, I decided to google and find the articles on the speech. Needless to say, that all of them were biased. Articles were either written from a Democratic standpoint or a Republican standpoint, no one was unbiased (which is why when I get home, I will youtube the SOTU).

It was a perfect representation of our government: biased. Government needs to stop acting like babies, and work together to figure out asome solutions to the problems that our country is facing. It's like: Dems give a solution, Rep. shoot down the solution. Arguments, mudlsinging, and name calling ensue and nothing gets accomplished. SO, what are you in office for? You're there to make decisions right? SO MAKE SOME SOLUTIONS! If you don't agree then give me something to counter the solution on the table.

I'm just basically tired of all the crap that is going on in the political arena. People are thinking about who will be running in 2012 and are trying to set themselves up to run instead of thinking about how the government is going to make it to 2012. Stop being selfish and work today. No matter what party you associate yourself with, what you do right now will affect how people vote on you in the future. If all you do is shoot down bills and offer no solutions, all you've shown the people is that you know how to say no and that you dont know how to solve problems. Telling me there is a problem is not the same as solving it. Hell, I can tell people there are problems, that doesn't mean I should be in office; that just means I can state the obvious.

Bottom line: Congress, get it together. Work together and stop thinking about your party. At the end of the day, I do't care if you're a Democrat, Republican, Independent, etc...all I care about is this: What are you doing to help our country? What solutions to the problems we are facing have you come up with?

Last words that politicians need to think on: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem! Which part are you?

Really?! : Jennifer Aniston Copies Angelina's Dress, Brad Cuddling (PHOTOS)#slide_image

Jennifer Aniston Copies Angelina's Dress, Brad Cuddling (PHOTOS)#slide_image

Must be an extremely slow news day, if this is reported! The only similarities in this are:
-the slit is thigh high
-they're wearing a dress
-the dress is made out of cloth and has seems
-they're both females
-they're posing with males
-they both have their hair down

Other than that....this is a dumb article. Personally, I think Jen Aniston looked better, healthier, and had a better man on her arm (sorry Gerard Butler looks better than Brad Pitt and his facial hair).

But thus brings to mind: WHY WONT THE MEDIA STOP COMPARING JEN ANISTON AND ANGELINA JOLIE? Why won't they let sleeping dogs lie? I mean it's been about 5 years already! Move on! Clearly the parties involved have moved on. Everytime Jen breaks it off with a guy it's because she's still in love with Brad Pitt, and anytime Brangelina is having "problems" (which are more than likely nothing more than fabrications) it's because or connected to Jen Aniston. Hey media! Give the unrequitted love angle a break! Leave Jen outta Brangelina and Brangelina outta Jen. This is becoming ridiculous. The should just name it: Brangelifer or Jenradina or Angibranifer or some other ridiculous moniker because apparently it's a law that these people cannot be mentioned without mentioning all three people.

politics

So, I'm riding in the car with one of my coworkers on the way to work, and we began to talk about politics. I said that I don't think people are letting Obama prove himself becasue they expect fast action to fix an economy (and country) that in my opinion has been plahued since at least the sixties. He asked me: "Well, what has Obama done so far?" I told him that I like the fact that Obama has tried to fix the healthcare in the States. His reply was, "My mom is in the healthcare industry and she said that his plan is cray because it will make people like us (teachers, etc) have to pay double what we are currently paying in order for the plan to work." It go tme thinking. You know I'm all for Obama (besides the fact that he was tons better than McCain, I think he can actually change America if not a lot then at least a little), but I began to ask myself what has Obama done?

I went to google and typed in, "What has President Obama accomplished so far?" Hmmm....it was not very complimentary. One site said that he, "accomplished two things: Jack and Squat", others said that he's done nothing but, "impose deadlines that are not being met. Congress is not scared of President Obama and his ultimatums and deadlines." I began to ask myself, "did unemployment go down?" I looked it up: too complicated for me to understand. Where is a nice and simple graph when you need one? They had one, but it stopped in 2008 and clearly Obama wasn't president then. So, I asked myself, "what exactly is his healthcare reform bill?" I looked that up, but it was a bunch of jargon that I could not understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm a very intelligent person, but I spend most of my days teaching kids, so it's not like I exactly have a chance to take a refresher course in: "What in the world does this legal mumbo jumbo mean".

I realized that I am like plenty other Americans; I don't understand crap about what's going on in our economy! I don't know what these bills mean, and I am just relying on the people I've elected to know what's best for me and everyone else in America. But isn't that wrong? I mean I'm not saying that I want to go out and tackle every single problem in America. I am saying, that I should at least be informed in language and terms I can understand about the issues that face our country. You know if I come across a text in a language that I don't know (like Spanish), I can always copy the text, go to freetranslation.com and paste the text in a box click a button and viola! that text is turned into plain English. Why isn't there a site I can go to where I can type in this legal, political mumbo jumbo and click English and it's translated into plain terms that everyone can understand? Part of Americans' problems stem that we don't understand the issues until they've been voted on and either put into place or shot down.

What about the people like me who don't have cable television and don't receive local news channels (although tomorrow I will have cable, yay me!)? Or who don't have the radio and rarely ever see the newspaper. I have to rely on the internet at work to connect to AOL to find out what's going on. Then the issue of which websites will report the facts and not their opinions. I feel lost in this new political arena. I'm 26, young and interested in politics and what's going on in our world, but I don't enderstand half the crap that's being said. Think about all the other people out there like me: interested in what's going on, but without the means to find out and understand what is actually going on. Or people who don't even have a computer (I at least have that at work 5 days a week). It's mind boggling, how many people can become informed and powerful if they just knew what was happeneing!

I know for me these are things I think need to be addressed in this country: healthcare (obviosuly) that doesn't overtax lower and middle classes (will explain about upper class in a minute); education (effective education and can teachers get a raise, we work HARD!!!); our economy (why are we giving bailouts to companies and not to the people? Doesn't it stand to reason if the people get the money, most of that money will in turn be given to these companies who need the bail out? We all need transportation, homes, and a good bank); all these wars (ummmm....America has enough issues without jumping in to help other countries who only want our help, not NEED our help. I'm all for helping others, but only those who NEED our help, not want our help. There is a difference between needs and wants; if you don't know, ask your mom or better yet ask mine, she'll be happy to explain!); unemployment (clearly, there needs to be a change, and unemployment should be surveyed. Is it that you can't find a job or is it that you're picky about what job you take? Could you have a job at McDonald's even though you have a doctorate? I mean get a job where you can until something in your field opens up!); student loans (ummm...companies like Sallie Mae are raping students in college and fresh out of college; interest rates are ridiculous; and the harassing phone calls are a bit too much. They also have no patience or understanding, but that's a rant for another day.); banks/credit card companies (these companies are just making money off of ridiculous interest rates, and pther dumb fees.); and credit (can we redo the whole credit score system?). These are just a few that I am interested in seeing a change in.

About upper class people, they make a good bit of money and they are entitled to that money, but if you're making 10 million a year, and thae government wants a million, please don't complain about your taxes. You can afford to give that and live on the other 9 million. Try living on about $50,000 a year and the government takes about $5,000 of your money. Oh and you have a family of four. $45,000 sounds like a lot in numbers, but wait until you factor in BASIC bills, uh uh $45,000 ain't gonna cut it! So don't whine when you still have millions or even hundreds of thousands to live on. Come to me when you start living pay check to pay check and can barely put food on your table and gas in your car; then maybe we can talk. Although in truth if you're having problems managing that much money, give it to me and I'll manage it for you!

Well, I was a little long winded, but I really had some things that I felt needed to be said. Oh! And if you know of anything that President Obama has done for our country (besides show that a Black man can be elected President) please please please let me know (along with providing the sources where I can confirm what he's done!).

Alicia

CocoPerez: Jennifer Aniston Likes Her Legs And Wants You To Know It

CocoPerez: Jennifer Aniston Likes Her Legs And Wants You To Know It

OK, I'll be the first to admit, I LOVE reading Perez Hilton's blog. He's funny and when I'm at work and the kiddies are working my last nerve a good laugh is a MUST! But come on! It's no secret that he has his favorites (Lady GaGa, Brangelina, Rhianna just to name a few), but seriously he picks on certain people way too much. Take Jennifer Aniston. He calls her Maniston. I've never read anything in his blogs that she's done that is wrong/controversial, yet he always picks fun at her. From her dating life to her hanging out with friends, he stays on her case.

So, when I saw what she wore to the Golden Globes, I just knew for sure that he would talk about how fabulous she looked (and trust girlfriend looked AMAZING!!!); but he goes on to say, "Jennifer Aniston showed a LOT of leg last night at the Golden Globes, wearing a black Valentino gown with a very, very high slit. Jeez, Jenn, you look good, but come on. Aren't we getting a little desperate old for this?" What the hell? She lloked AMAZING!!! Who cares how old she is? I mean if she has the body why not? So basically he's saying you look good, but you're too old for this? So what does he want her to wear, a moomoo? Should she go out on the red carpet dressed like Susan Sarandon or Meryl Streep (both of whom get slaughtered in the press about their fashion choices)? Goodness, she looks AMAZING! Why criticize?

SO the question I guess is: What is the correct age to stop dressing sexy? I mean Mariah Carey had a plunging neckline and he said nothing. Halle Berry had a plunging neckline and he said nothing. Jennifer Aniston shows a leg and it's like POW! She's too old? Really?

Then he gets on her hair. I'm of the school if it aint broke dont fix it. Her hair was fine. She's known for her hair. She's also known for her red carpet style. She does black dress to a tee and the few times she's strayed from it, she's still looked awesome, but she always looks best in the black dress. Her hair is ALWAYS down, and it ALWAYS looks fabulous. She looked fabulous last night (with the exception of the shoes, strappy was right, but strappy across her toes looked kinda uncomfortable).

Bottom line: Perez, leave Aniston alone! She's done nothing! I mean he picks on Chris Brown like there is no tomorrow, and I understand (I may not agree, but I do understand); but she's not done anything. Well, that's my celebrity rant for today....although I do agree with Perez's assessment of Mo'Nique...baby girl needs to shave those legs! I'm all for going natural, but not that natural!

Going natural

My roots :-

Roots :-

My curls!

When I do the twists and curls

Me with the tracks when I get lazy

Sooooo... I made the conscious decision to go natural. It started out as just something to do, to see if I could do it. It then turned into I want to see what my natural hair is like. I haven't had a perm since August and if you know me I get perms every 5-6 weeks like clockwork. It's now January and I am about five months into my going natural "phase"...I'm going absolutely crazy! LOL! I mean I'm so used to being able to style my relaxed hair, and now I'm dealing with two different textures: nappy and straight.

So far I'm managing to keep my hair decent. For the days when I don't feel like struggling with it on a daily basis, I flat iron it and put tracks in. I know I know I know! The horror! Why go natural only to put tracks in? Well, I put them in to save myself time in the mornings when I have to dash off to work. Besides it keeps me out of my hair for at least a week, and that's a week more that I'm natural and not relaxed! On the other days, I twist the front and have the back in curls (using rod rollers) or I just wear the curls.

It's a struggle. especially when I have to wash my hair. After it's washed, trying to do something with my hair that makes it presentable and professional (to my standards) is difficult because I have high standards and I dont like to go anywhere with my hair a mess. For so long, I've permed and wrapped and styled my hair, now I have to think of new things to stop getting bored with the same old same old. One of my biggest struggles so far is trying to find the right hair products to use to prevent breakage.

Next time I wash it, I'll post pictures of what it looks like wet. Maybe someone will tell me exactly what my natural hair could be like.