Monthly Archives: February 2009

Happy Old School Friday: When I Was in 10th Grade (1990)

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HAPPY OLD SCHOOL FRIDAY!!!

Man what a treasure trove of great songs to choose from, so excuse me for breaking the rules and posting an extra song. Whip Appeal, Poison, Hold On. I really wanted to go with Ice Cube’s “Once Upon a Time in Projects” but not sure Dallas South is ready for that one.

This list is probably a mix of 10th & 11th grade, but I think it works. So let’s get rolling

Welcome to the Terrordome

With all of the great songs that Public Enemy produced on Fear of a Black Planet: Can’t Truss It, Fear of a Black Planet, Fight the Power (voted the #1 hip hop song ever by VH1), Welcome to the Terrordome has always been my favorite. I remember we used this as our run out song our junior year in basketball. The video was disabled but who needs visuals with these raw lyrics and this ridiculous beat.

Deee Lite – Groove is in the Heart

Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, and Q-Tip all chip in on this joint. This is one of those songs that people with all types of musical tastes could agree on.

Janet Jackson – Come Back to Me

Janet….what else can you say?

Bonita Applebum – A Tribe Called Quest

People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest, what an absolute classic with tracks like “I Left My Wallet in El Sugundo” and “Can I Kick It?” And Q-Tip is till making great music.

I started out a little down today, but thanks to Old School Friday I’m straight. Check out these other great Old School Friday participants.

QUICK Interviews Shawn P.

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Thanks to Geoff Johnston for hitting me up on Facebook and requesting a Q&A for this week’s Quick. I also had a fun photo shoot with Jason Janik, tough I liked the photo on the Quick homepage better than the one in the paper. Make sure to pick up a copy if you out and about in Dallas this week.

Click here to read the entire interview.

Here are a few of the questions Geoff threw at me:

Q: One of the great things about Dallas South is that the comment sections never seem to devolve into exchanges of bitter snark or juvenile name-calling. How do you manage that?

Williams:

I think that’s because I try not to sink to the level of juvenile name-calling myself. Even when I get mad at folks I don’t agree with, I respect their right to have the wrong opinion. I think the Dallas South family follows suit.

Q: When do you see noticeable spikes in Dallas South traffic?

Williams:

During the presidential campaign, there were huge spikes during every primary or debate night. Since November, the traffic has been pretty steady. Is it 2010 yet? I can’t wait for Kay Bailey vs. Ricky P.Q: Why do bloggers insist on killing print media?

Williams:

Is print media having some sort of problem? I hadn’t noticed.Q: Do you enjoy killing print media?

Williams:

I don’t enjoy it at all. I still like going out to the driveway, picking up my paper every morning. I like it even better when I have an article published. … I’m going to need counseling after this.Q: Personal question: Why do you want to kill print media so bad?

Williams:

Maim print media … maybe. Injure print media … perhaps. Kill print media … no way.

All about Williams

Gig: Freelance writer and social media consultant

Nickname: Pocket Man/Spider Man

Skill I wish I had: Nunchaku skills and/or bow hunting skills

TV show I can’t turn off: Lost

Guilty pleasures: Facebook

Song I wish I had written: “My Life” byMary J. Blige

Thanks to Jason, Geoff, and Quick. It was a fun time.

Life After Breast Cancer

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Here’s a guest post submitted by Living Beyond Breast Cancer in conjunction with the 9th Annual Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer Conference to be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas February 27-March 1.


By Living Beyond Breast Cancer

“You have breast cancer.” These four words can change your life forever, forcing you to face many complex medical, psychosocial, emotional, legal and financial challenges. But you are not in this alone. Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is dedicated to assisting you, whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, are years beyond or are living with advanced (metastatic) disease. We are also here for your family members, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers to provide breast cancer information and support.


As a national education and support organization, our goal is to improve your quality of life and help you take an active role in your ongoing recovery or management of the disease, regardless of educational background, social support or financial means. We offer free programs and services, including our toll-free Survivors’ Helpline (888-753-5222) and website, www.lbbc.org, which features information to bring you comfort, empower you to ask questions and enable you to make sound choices about healthcare that will help you manage a breast cancer diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.

LBBC has a web portal specifically for African American women, which includes updates on breast cancer news and clinical trials. The site also offers information about LBBC’s free publications, such as Getting Connected: African-Americans Living Beyond Breast Cancer, an educational resource augmented with compelling and personal anecdotes.

Beyond its national presence, LBBC has a strong connection to the Dallas area, as it will host its 9th Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer on Feb. 27-March 1 at the Hilton Anatole. An expected 800 young breast cancer survivors, caregivers and medical professionals from around the world will get the latest information on breast cancer in pre-menopausal women from some of the nation’s top experts.

The three-day event, presented by Living Beyond Breast Cancer and the Young Survival Coalition, is the only international educational conference dedicated to the needs of young breast cancer survivors. Last year, 760 people came from 44 states and 10 countries. Participants may choose from more than 25 workshops on topics including medical updates for early and advanced breast cancer, fertility, sexuality, genetic testing, side effect management, living long term with a history of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, breast reconstruction, environmental issues, advocacy and caregiving.

To register, or for more information, visit the Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer website or call Living Beyond Breast Cancer at (610) 645-4567. Walk-in registrations are welcome.

CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

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Washington, DC – (February 24, 2009) Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson made the following statement about President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress this evening:

“Tonight, President Obama outlined the challenges our country faces and laid out a bold, comprehensive plan to address them.  He demonstrated that he understands the full extent of what we are facing, but that he is optimistic, because he knows Americans are hard-working and resilient.  We have risen to the challenge many times in the past, and we will rise to the challenge again.

“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was the first step in bringing genuine change to our country.  It will save or create 3.5 million jobs and give 95 percent of working Americans the fastest tax cut in history.  This week, in collaboration with the Obama administration, we will begin work on the nation’s budget.  The steps we are taking will not help Americans in the short term and put the U.S. economy on a path to growth for generations to come.

“In the coming months, I will work hard with the White House and with my colleagues, on behalf of my constituents, many of whom are experiencing the ramifications of the recession in their lives.  We will rebuild and recover together.”

DALLAS RANKED FOURTH MOST CONGESTED CITY IN THE NATION ACCORDING TO NATIONAL REPORT

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Dallas’ Traffic Ranking Increased Since 2007

What: The second annual INRIX National Traffic Scorecard released by INRIX, the leading provider of real-time traffic information for many popular GPS devices, auto brands and mobile phones, found Dallas to be the 4th most congested market in the country in 2008, increasing in the rankings from last year when it was ranked at #5.

The city’s Travel Time Index (TTI) dropped 2.4%, but not enough to keep it from moving up and becoming the 4th most traffic congested city in the nation. Coincidentally, Dallas also holds the 4th highest population rank in the country, which is just one of the many factors leading to its high traffic ranking.

Further analysis by INRIX showed that Northbound on the Loop 820 at HWY 26/GRAPEVINE HWY/EXIT 22 was the worst bottleneck for the city and Fridays between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. was the worst time for commuting.

The Top 10 Most Congested Cities:

  1. Los Angeles, CA
  2. New York, NY
  3. Chicago, IL
  4. Dallas, TX
  5. Washington, DC
  6. Houston, TX
  7. San Francisco, CA
  8. Boston, MA
  9. Seattle, WA
  10. Minneapolis-St.Paul, MN

Further info: Drivers can find out more information at http://scorecard.inrix.com and you can see our video at http://youtube.com/inrixtraffic

The Obamas’ Fitness Routines

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BY JASON JOHNSON

President Barack Obama was named one of the 20 Heroes of Health & Fitness by Men’s Health magazine in November 2008, along with other notables such as Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. Our President is included in a pretty impressive company of athletes.

His passion for basketball is no secret, and you’ve probably seen YouTube videos of his basketball prowess on the court. I must admit: He’s got some game.

Obama rocked a nice lil’ mini fro back in his days in Hawaii. Hitting free throws, a nice crossover like Iverson in his prime. And watching footage of his recent 5 on 5 pick up games, you can tell our President gets after it.

Banging around under the basket like Dwight Howard, his colleagues have said, “He plays like he leads politically….he’s quietly confident and quietly competitive.”

First lady Michelle Obama is also quite the fitness fanatic. At age 44, and the mother of two beautiful girls, she is committed and devoted to her own fitness routine. In previous public appearances on “The View” and “60 Minutes” Mrs. Obama was not afraid to show off her arms. Many women are self-conscious of wearing anything sleeveless, but not Michelle.

She was quoted as saying, “I find the time to exercise.” She works out 3 times a week for 90 minute sessions. The First Lady prefers cross-training sessions.

In addition to playing 5 on 5 basketball, President Obama told Men’s Health magazine he usually works out 6 times a week for 45 minutes. He likes to alternate days of cardio and weight training. Even during his 21-month long campaign, he found time to exercise.

Obama works out first thing in the morning. He says, “my workouts have to come before my day starts.” The President went on to say, “the main reason I do it is to just clear my head and relieve me of stress. My blood pressure is pretty low and I tend to be a healthy eater.”

In the article, some of Obama’s favorite snack food choices included: Planters Trail Mix, Met-Rx chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and Black Forest Berry Honest Tea.

One thing is certain; the couple currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave set a great health & fitness example for all Americans. Everyone is busy, but who could be busier than the President and First Lady?

You have to find the time to exercise. You have to make it a priority. You make time for that which you value.

Stay healthy,

Jason M. Johnson, CPT

JMJ Fitness

www.jmjfitness.com

Week One Weight Loss Update From Kristin

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Kristin, my co-host on the Shawn P. Williams Now Blog Talk show is sharing her weight loss journey with the Dallas South Family. She is working with Dallas South contributor and JMJ Fitness proprietor Jason Johnson on a 6-week program. Today, Kristin tells us about her first week following Jason’s prescribed eating and exercise routine.

kristin-food

BY KRISTIN

Day One was terrible I swear I had several Loony Tunes moment. You know, the ones where the character visualizes the person talking to them turns into nice little plump drumsticks. However Day One was a success, even though there were many temptations.

Jason provided me with a list of short term and long term goals that I should keep handy and in a visible place. As the week progressed the eating routine became easy to adjust to. The weekend presented an entirely different kind of challenge.

Weekends are go-go time and it was much harder to stick to the eating schedule. Adjustments will have to be made for next weekend so that I find time to fit in all six meals.

kristin-food-2

The workout routines were fine though I thought they were a bit on the light side. Jason assures me the intensity will increase week by week.

I do have great news to report: I saved 50 Bucks this week alone by brown bagging snacks and lunch. As far as scale weight, I weighed early morning and according to the scale I lost the two pounds later that day the same scales said I had gained three pounds go figure.

I think for the first two weeks it’s going to be hard for me to have an accurate scale weight which can be discouraging. But I am going to drive through and keep at it. Week 1 down 5 more to go.

“Dumb Nigger” printed on Journey’s customer receipt in Kansas City suburb

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I had one of my friends give me this info about a story that apparently appeared on NBC Dateline recently.  This action occurred last October but is apparently just coming to that national scene.  Here’s the report from KMBC-TV in Kansas City last year:

KMBC’s Marcus Moore reported that Keith Slater, 22, bought a pair of shoes from a store called Journeys. Slater later returned them after finding a cheaper pair at another store. Slater did get his money back, but it was what was printed on the receipt that he and his family found disturbing.

“That makes me upset. I don’t want to look at that (receipt,) that makes me so upset. Why would you say that?” said a woman who was shown the receipt.

The receipt, which shows “Cust: Dumb” and then the n-word, is what Slater received after returning a pair of shoes to Journeys at Oak Park Mall.

“When he showed me that receipt, I could not believe it,” said Slater’s mother, Linda. “He couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it. None of us got any sleep just thinking about it.”

The above video from Tonya TKO lists all of the ways you can get in contact with Journey’s to let them know your displeasure.  I haven’t had enough time to dig to see if there has been any resolution to this situation, but this is information we need to know as people continue to tell us that there are no race problems in America or in our towns.  And this case is institutional in nature.

I’ll try to dig more but leave comments here if you know more than I do right now.