Coretta Scott King 1927-2006

Outside of saying that the death of Coretta Scott King was sad news to wake up to, and that she in my mind helped exemplify what loyalty and fidelity to one's life partner is about I can really say no more. We will of course mourn her loss and be saddened by it, but we must be gladdened by the knowlegde of all that she was able to do for us as the first lady of the Civil Rights movement.

Below was one of the most articulate and poignant pieces of writing I've been privy to all day and in a long time, so check it out!

http://jameil.blogspot.com/

Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt

Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Baltimore native and former CBS News Foreign Correspondent Tom Fenton. After autographing my copy of his book "Bad News", Fenton encouraged me to continue to hold onto my dream of becoming a television news correspondent. He told me to take a foreign language, and learn about the history of the world. He said that I as an African American man had a good shot of maybe one day reporting from overseas. Some of my former teachers, and some of my friends have insisted that if I ever do achieve my dream, to think twice about going overseas. So when I heard about ABC's Bob Woodruff and his colleague Doug Vogt, I thought what if we were to fast forward 10 years. What if I ever had to report from a war zone?

As an aspiring journalist and a certifiable "news junkie" I have carefully watched the last several weeks of ABC's World News Tonight, as Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas took over as the lead anchors for one of America's oldest broadcast networks. It's a job which some consider glamorous, luxurious even, but it's also a job which requires a great amount of work. The journalists who we see on screen, and those who work behind the scenes are nothing if they don't desire to report accurately important news stories from around the nation, and around the world. The job of the anchor, is to quite literally be an anchor, and hold us steady as the news they report is sometimes enough to quite literally rock our worlds. I think Tom Brokaw said it best when he said of his time spent in the anchor chair, "I am simply the most conspicuous part of a large, thoroughly dedicated and professional staff that extends from just behind these cameras, across this country and around the world, in too many instances, in places of grave danger and personal hardship."

I respect so much the sacrifice made by Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt. I respect the tremendous amount of dedication, their desire to get the story right, and the discipline they showed through constantly striving to uphold the ideals espoused by Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, and the other journalists who have worked to maintain the relevance of broadcast news.

Below is an article that Lee Woodruff, Bob's wife wrote about her husband's work, when he was still a foreign correspondent:
http://www4.colgate.edu/scene/may2002/lee_woodruff.html

My thoughts and prayers are with Bob Woodruff, Doug Vogt, their families, the men and women of ABC News, and my fellow members of the journalistic community. I hope you'll join me in praying for them too.

A Question I've Been Asking Myself

Currently Listening
So HighBy JohnLegend ft. Lauryn Hill

What Happened to Our Stewards?

What is happening to our societal institutions? What ever happened to us being stewards of those things which were vital to the African-American community? What happened to the sense of ownership? What happened to our sense of cultural pride? What happened to preserving the history which exists? What happened to unity? What happened to the sustained and constant empowerment of our community? Stories like this make me wonder, where has the leadership gone?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060129/ap_en_mu/harlem_boys_choir

And then too there's the debate over the King Center.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-01-16-voa42.cfm

We've got to get it together. We've got to keep it moving!-CNEL

Wise Words

Sunday-To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. -Elbert Hubbard

Monday-Regret for wasted time is more wasted time. -Mason Cooley

Tuesday-The secret of greatness is simple: do better work than any other man in your field - and keep on doing it. -Wilfred A. Peterson

Wednesday-Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy. -Norman Vincent Peale

Thursday-Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world. -Helen Keller

Friday-What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose. -Andre Agassi

Saturday-Life is a long lesson in humility. -James M. Barrie

So what is the love experience?

So what is the love experience?

He said it best:

Welcome to the Love Experience
A deep and tender, inevitable feeling of affection towards a person.
Such as a rising kinship, recognizing attractive qualities, or a sense of undeniable oneness.
So I propose a question to you: Are you feeling loved today?

-The Voice Intro by Raheem DeVaughn

Well me, naw not yet, I'm not quite feeling loved today :-( lol, I'm still waiting LoL.

So here goes:

Yesterday at work I was sitting on a bench with one of my coworkers as we supervised, the little Rugrats, and so she turned to me and asked,

"So Chris (I shoulda said the name's Christopher HaHa), I have a question for you. Why do guys lie?"
I wanted to say why the hell are you asking me? I don't lie, I may omit, choose not to tell, but I don't lie, well on most days. LoL, just kidding, I put all my business on front street via my blogs so no need to lie. But anyways it didn't take me long to come up with the answer. In fact it took me two seconds.

"Guys lie because they think they know what you want, they want to live up to the ideal. They want to give you what they think you're searching for."

It's that simple, if you eliminate the mixed signals, if you have open lines of communication, if you set fair standards, then there will be no problem. If you demand of him something which is hardly attainable, then you will get less than what you deserve. If a guy doesn't feel like he can give you what you're searching for, and he really really wants to be with you, he'll do whatever it takes to keep you thinking that he's going to eventually give you what you're searching for.

Next,
Next question please.......

So Whose the Daddy?

Currently ListeningGet Lifted
By John Legend
So High

I just found out that my ex-girlfriend is two months pregnant. NO NOT BY ME. We've been broken up for a while now, every since I was still a freshman. I am now halfway done my sophomore year in college. Our relationship didn't last very long, but I pursued her off and on for five years, and finally she said, "Yes." Given the brevity of our relationship I'm not quite sure if she dated me out of pity, if she was just bored, or if she was getting tired of me asking. A lot of people ask me if she was my first love. Even my mother wanted to ask that question, but she didn't dare do it. See the thing is my mother really liked my ex. She often said that she would become her daughter in law. Well sorry to disappoint my mom, but I don't quite think that will be happening. But as I thought about it, and reflected on it, I realized that when my cousin my ex's best friend told me she was pregnant my heart almost stopped. Should I care? Should I have felt a twinge of jealousy ( I know that was dumb)? A twinge of regret? A twinge of frustration? I wonder did I leave a vice untouched? But the fact is now that I think about it. Now that the immediate hurt and pain is gone, I think now she may have been my first love. No I was not in love, I don't believe in that notion. I believe rather that we grow to love people because love can start, it can stop, or it can keep going.

It had to be love that had me saying:
"Just wanted to say even though I give you the blues, your voice is music to my soul, your laugh like a beautiful song written only for me, and your smile like Michaelangelo's paintings a work of art. You have me at your fingertips, I admit it I'm whipped. I love you, goodnight."

Either it was love or I am a big punk.

"You are the first person I think about when I wake up. You are the last person I think about before I go to sleep. 'U inspire me to be better. U challenge me for the better.'-DC3 143, Goodnight"

You know it's love when you quoting DC3.


Oh lord, who thought of allowing you to archive text messages. HaHa who ever knew I'd be so doggone sentimental. HaHa I even saved the texts she sent to dump me. This stuff is classic if I ever write an autobiography, that joint will be hilarious.

I'm so happy it's almost Friday, then I can breathe. It's so sad going from week to week of the new semester makes me feel like I'm holding my breathe.
Enjoy your day or night, and thanks for stopping by.
-CNEL

I Finally Get to Have Some Wine JK JK Cause I Am A Minor

Hello All,

So I just got word that I got accepted for the internship/fellowship program in Italy. Yeah, the one I've been talking about since November. Okay, I kind of knew I would be accepted for the program. I had been in consultations with the big wigs for weeks now, but I still had to turn in my app, which I turned in today. Then to get the official notification also today was a definite blessing, a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I'm really psyched, because lord willing it'll be my first trip abroad. The thing is now I have to come up with airfare for a round trip ticket. Not to mention money for the food I will need to survive while I'm over there. The airfare itself can be expensive anywhere from $800 to $1,800. So CNEL is taking donations, if you want to help a brother out. Hit me up and I am so serious. This is not a game, I'm all about following my dreams, even if it involves going to another country.

That's all for now.

TTYL,
Christopher aka CNEL

I'm Going to Texas or Not

Talking to my mentee allows me to keep my sanity, cause young Mr. Winder is crazy.

"It's decided I'm going down south after this is over, after college is over, it's too many nice girls I'm missing out on down south."-Me

"You want you a nice southern girl who cooks biscuts from scratch."- TWIN

"It's decided I'm going to Texas, when this is over, when college is over. My friend lives down there, my aunt's in Houston."- Me

"Hold on now, you don't need to be going to Texas, Bush is about to be out of office, Texas is about to be a haven for terrorists." -TWIN

"What?"-Me

"Hello Mr. President in case you tapping our phones. I mean I know Chris is a little radical and all....."-TWIN

This week's quotes come from lessons I've learned through internships, and other exposure to the media and media personalities as I continue on my journey towards beginning a successful career.

Sunday- "This is the land of opportunity....you have a better chance of getting it right here than anywhere else. Give yourself a chance by being prepared." - former WJLA News Anchor Paul Berry

Monday- "There is no set course to do anything. There are easier ways, and there are harder ways." - WMAR Investigative Reporter Tisha Thompson

Tuesday- "Personalities decide if and how you are able to tell a story." -WMAR Photographer Bill Fink

Wednesday-"In this business you become public property." - WMAR Producer Donna Williams Knutson

Thursday- "I want to urge you if you do become a journalist to uphold the high standards which are so necessary to maintaining the integrity of the craft."- former CNN Anchor Judy Woodruff in an e-mail to moi

Friday- "Open up your mind before you open up your mouth."-Something I Jotted Down Years Ago While Watching TV

Saturday- "Listening is a skill."- Someone's Facebook Profile

These Online Sites

There's Facebook
There's MySpace
There's Xanga
There's Friendster
There's Hi5
There's Tagged

and now there's Yahoo 360

and not mention blogger.com LoL

The question is this: Do these sites allow you to truly connect with people? or Are these sites for networking, and perusing when those moments of supreme boredom hit? or Are they just foder for potential stalkers?

But you can check a brotha out at 360.yahoo.com/stormyc14 if you're curious LoL.

Till tomorrow,
CNEL

Semester 4 Is Off and Running

So I've now made it through my first classes of the semester.

Philosophy was my only class Tuesday, but I was late because I was making a speech at my elementary school.
Theology seems like it will be interesting.
Communications: News Writing (Comm major here) seems like it'll be interesting, and productive I hope.
Communications: Art of Argument is threatening to potentially kick my natural black bleep, my teacher is a very intelligent woman and even though she's a small, and admittedly nice lady she's still very threatening, and a tough grader, someone says she's the grammar queen.
Sociology should be interesting we'll be looking at American Society.

Below is my speech from yesterday, which gave me the late start to my semester.

Good morning to Mrs. Powell, and to the other administrators, to the faculty, to the staff, and to the students of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School. And to any other guests assembled here today I say good morning to you as well. It is indeed an honor and a privilege for me to be here with you today to remember and to honor the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to also recognize those students who are today being inducted into the Gifted and Talented program. It amazes me that nearly nine years has passed since I graduated from this school, and that means nearly eleven years has passed since I myself became a part of the Gifted and Talented program. It freaked me out the other day, when it dawned on me that if my mother is getting older, then so am I. It seems like just yesterday when I walked these halls, when I loved coming to this very library, and when I was a member of the safety patrol. My cousin who is an alumna remarked the other day that she isn’t quite sure it was a good idea for Mrs. Graham and Mr. Spedden to make me a member of the safety patrol, she says that the power may have gone to my head. I don’t think that the power went to my head, but I believe that instead I took my responsibility seriously. Even then I realized that it was up to me to take my academics seriously, and to take my position as a member of the school community very seriously.

Now that I am a college student I make an effort to come back and visit here as often as possible. This is where after all I began my educational journey, a journey which is nearing its completion. Just a few days ago I arrived back on the campus of Loyola College for what will in just a few hours begin the second half of my sophomore year in college. Part of me is happy that I have another semester under my belt, part of me is excited to begin my new classes, and part of me is nervous about what lies ahead. The further along I go, the more I realize that in just a few short years I will be an adult, and that I will be on my own. I will go from a world of schoolwork made easy by the fun times I share with my friends, to a world where I have to work for a living, where I have to pay bills, and where I might very well be responsible for a family. Then I realized that the very fact that I attend such a great school that I can look forward to a good job, and other opportunities, that being able to dream big dreams well it is a luxury that not everyone has. The ability to dream big dreams is something that I could very well be without, had it not been for men like the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and women like the late Rosa Parks. Without the actions of those who came before, my life, your life, all our lives would be so very different. Putting things into perspective makes me grateful for even my toughest of days.

As I watched coverage of the M.L.K. Day ceremonies all across the country yesterday, as I read articles, and participated in discussions about Dr. King’s legacy I did a lot of reflecting. People are now beginning to say that Dr. King may have done some things in his personal life that he shouldn’t have. They are saying quite frankly that he was human, and that he made mistakes, but who among us hasn’t. Who here hasn’t made a mistake? No matter what is said or revealed about Dr. King in the days, weeks, and years to come, no one can take away his dream. No one can say that the man didn’t dream a big dream. No one can say he didn’t try to make his dream a reality. Dr. King is said by many to be among the greatest leaders of our time. He considered himself a "drum major for justice." Anyone who has ever seen a parade, who has ever seen a marching band knows all about the things that a drum major does, they know that a drum major is the person who leads all the others. A drum major is the one who leads the way. It is with that in mind that I read from Dr. King’s speech entitled "The Drum Major Instinct," it is actually a sermon, a sermon which was delivered at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on February 4, 1968, exactly two months before Dr. King was killed.

And he transformed the situation by giving a new definition of greatness. And you know how he said it? He said, "Now brethren, I can't give you greatness. And really, I can't make you first." This is what Jesus said to James and John. "You must earn it. True greatness comes not by favoritism, but by fitness. And the right hand and the left are not mine to give, they belong to those who are prepared." (Amen)

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That's a new definition of greatness.
And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, (Everybody) because everybody can serve. (Amen) You don't have to have a college degree to serve. (All right) You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. (Amen) You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant.

It is with that, that I say to everyone sitting in this room that it is our responsibility to live up to the dream of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is our responsibility to treat people with respect because after all it is how we want to be treated. It is our responsibility to work each day to become better people, to make this a better school, and to make our communities better communities. We can all be drum majors, we can all lead the way, and we can all be great.
To the boys and girls who will now be a part of GATE or Gifted and Talented, I again say congratulations. I am proud of you, your teachers are proud of you, and your families are proud of all of you. Continue to work hard, to have fun, and to be good people.

I thank you all so very much for listening, and I wish you all a great rest of your day, and an even greater week ahead.
Thank You.

Meditation on MLK Jr.

I spent much of the day taking it all in, listening, reading, and watching what people had to say about the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Here is some food for thought offered by one Mr. Sam Rocha at http://debaterelatepontificate.blogspot.com/

Today I'd like to write something that in my mind is more productive than offering odes to MLK Jr. - give a candid and honest insight into my own autoethnography.Well the day off from school is nice, but while I reflect on the significance of the day's memorial, I realize that in many ways Matin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated as a historical landmark solution to the problem of racism. To many this day signifies a comemoration of the way "things were," and while the U.S. may not be perfect - it has mostly reformed itself and is the "land of the free."The civil rights movement created social change that was significant, but the allusion that the "Dream" of 1967 is a dream fullfilled is a drunken delusion. Drunk with"patriotism" in which critique of social/political conditions is considered "unfaithful" citizenship. Drunk with the historical delusion that less than 50 years is a credible amount of time to realistically consider the cultural revolution started in the 60's finished.What Sam had to say to me was very interesting and thought provoking.

And in other news here is this week's person of the week:Some of the students displaced by Hurricane Katrina,when the hurricane whipped through the Gulf Coast region last late summer used last week to get back to the business of learning, I decided to recognize someone who epitomizes what will hopefully be possible for many of the students who are returning to school in New Orleans and beyond. This week's person of the week is Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, the first African American to head a ivy league institution.

Here's a blurb about Dr. Simmons...
She is an African- American educator and the first Black president of Brown University. From Grapeland,Texas, her education includes a BA in romance languages, Dillard University, and an MA,Ph.D. in romance languages from Harvard. She was one of 12 siblings in a sharecropper' family. Vernell Lillie, her high school drama teacher, inspired her. Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University in New Orleans. A junior-year stint at Wellesley College helped her discover what she really wanted to do was be a professor."I saw what women's colleges can do for women, especially in developing self-esteem and in preparing them for careers in nontraditional fields." She got her first academic job as an assistant professor at the University of New Orleans and went onto hold a range of administrative posts, including provost of Spelman and associate dean of the graduate school atthe University of Southern California. Simmons then spent a dozen years at Princeton in various roles. As director of Princeton's African-American Studies Program, she brought an elite circle ofAfrican-American intellectuals to the New Jersey campus, including Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and philosopher Dr. Cornel West.

Reference:Jet Magazine
Johnson Publishing
820 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60605

Dr. King's Legacy

Seventy-seven years ago yesterday, Michael Luther King, Jr. was born to a schoolteacher and a minister in Atlanta, Georgia. He was later renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. and would go on to become one of the most dynamic leaders in American history. King earned degrees from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, and Boston University in Massachusetts. In the mid 1950's he followed in his father's footsteps and accepted a call to the ministry. It was at this time that he also headed the call of the people, and began leading what would become the American Civil Rights Movement. During the next fourteen years the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. was at the forefront of boycotts, rallies, marches, and demonstrations designed to bring attention to the injustices which plagued the nation. We all know much of what I just said, we all know about his standing beside the late Rosa Parks during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, about his marching in Birmingham and Selma for voter rights, about his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", about his famous "I Have a Dream Speech" at the Lincoln Memorial, and about his winning the Nobel Peace Prize. His legacy however was much more than that in addition to being a civil rights leader, King was a preacher, a teacher, a husband, and a father. It is imperative that we learn about the totality of his legacy, the totality of his dream, and the totality of his life as a person.

Now seventy-seven years a new book is about to surface which supposedly has allegations of alleged infidelity on the part of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The book was authored by the parent of an alum of my high school alma mater, and he is someone who I've had the pleasure of seeing speak before he is the renowned author Taylor Branch. You can read more about the controversy at the link below.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/15/mlk.legacy.ap/index.html

But whether the allegations are true or not, they cannot diminish the good work that was done by Dr. King. I always remember the words of Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, someone who grew up in the south during a time when racism, and discrimination made life miserable. Dr. Hrabowski said, " A person can be imperfect and still do great things." What the story also highlights is a debate about who should oversee The King Center, the site which also is home to the remains of Dr. King. Some believe that the federal government would do a better job maintaining the center, and others believe the King Center would be better off run by a private organization. As I read the article, and I later watched a report on CNN, it struck me that we should all play a part in maintaining Dr. King's legacy. We have all benefitted from the change over time which has ensured that the countries live up to its full potential, and be a nation which truly believes in equity and justice for men, women, and children of different backgrounds.

So endeavor to learn more about the man, honor his legacy, remember his dream, and to keep his dream alive.

For more information on the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. click below:
http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
http://www.thekingcenter.org/

Good Day,
-Christopher aka CNEL

Wise Words

Wise Words

Sunday-"Each person must live their life as a model for others." -Rosa Parks, Activist and Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.A.

Monday- "I am, was, and always will be a catalyst for change. " -Shirley Chisolm, first African American woman to become a member of the U.S. Congress

Tuesday-"There's a thin line between to laugh with and to laugh at."-Richard Pryor, Comedian

Wednesday-"Struggle is strengthening. Battling with evil gives us the power to battle evil even more. "-Ossie Davis, Actor and Playwright

Thursday-"I'm a big believer in the fact that life is about preparation, preparation, preparation. "-Johnnie L. Cochran, Attorney

Friday-"To succeed, one must be creative and persistent."-John H. Johnson, Publisher, Businessman, founder of Ebony and Jet Magazines

Saturday-"Something which we think is impossible now is not impossible in another decade."- Constance Baker Motley, first African American woman to become a federal judge

Bonus Quote: "All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other."- August Wilson, playwright

Less than 24 hours of break left

I've been so busy the last few days
1) Organized a meet and greet for black alums at the old high school
2) Had a lunch date with an old friend
3) Worked, watching other people's children
4) Started working on a speech I have to give next week........

But as the week progressed I realized that I am getting old and it's really weird and evidence of this is as follows:

1) I forget when I've talked to people and what I've said to them
2) I try to arrange my mass transit commute around the kids in the city getting out of school, I hate being on a bus with a bunch of noisy kids
3) I complain about paying taxes
4) I always want to speak to someone's manager
5) I am tempted to tell someone that their service was not up to par, with how much I paid for the service and or the food

Less than 24 hours till I'm back at LoCo for semester 4. It's very weird being nearly halfway done college, very weird.

A Day in the Life

So today I had a doctor’s appointment at 9:15am, after which time I went to the downtown library to check my e-mail and check to see if any interesting people and or authors would be making appearances there. Then I walked to the “World Famous Lexington Market” where I picked up an early lunch from a greasy spoon. After that I decided to take a ride uptown on the subway since I had mad time to kill before work. Then I headed to LoCo where I’ve spent more time in the college’s library during the past week in a half than I have in my first year and a half in undergrad. Yeah, I’ll work on outdoing myself once the second semester begins. On the ride to LoCo I heard what has been a standard announcement on mass transit buses for a while now:
“The MTA urges all passengers to be extra vigilant and on alert. Please take your personal items and trash with you when you leave the bus. Be aware of any unattended packages such as bags, backpacks, or briefcases. If you see any suspicious items please notify the bus operator immediately.”

Every time I hear the pronouncement part of me wants to laugh, partly because trash is almost always left behind. Partly because I see more sketchy people riding the bus and or subways than I see sketchy packages. I am so tempted to laugh, but then I realize that our security is no laughing matter. A few months back two of the tunnels which run through Baltimore were closed because of potential terror threats. A little too often suicide bombings target civilians in the Middle East, and we’re now learning that what happens there really does affect our every day life.

Also, on the bus today there was this fine bus driver. I mean she was fine. Hmm but then I thought to myself 1) she’s older than me 2) she probably doesn’t want to date someone who has to ride the bus 3) she probably got a man. Then I woke up from my dream.

Work today was kind of funny. I was the escort today, which means I walk the students to and from their lessons, and or tutoring. That part of my day was uneventful, but sitting and chitchatting with students is always funny. So today my boss brought her newborn by the job.
Student 1 (Caucasian): “They said Ms. S had a baby and I thought the baby would be black.”
Student 2 (African American): “The baby is mixed, look at the ears and you can tell.”
They then engaged in a debate about the baby’s ethnicity.
Student 1: “Ms. C is Ms. S’s husband white?.......How do you know?”
Student 2 leaves
Student 1 runs after her.
Student 1: “Ms. S’s husband is white, Ms. C just said she’s met him before.”

I was stuck on the ear thing, because that is an old wives tale. If you’ve never heard it, the tale goes that whether a baby is African-American and was light at birth, or whether the baby is mixed, if you look at their ears you will be able to see what color the baby will eventually end up.

My gig kind of makes me like Bill Cosby when he hosts, “Kids Say the Darnedest Things”
A kid makes some comment about depression.
The counselor asks him what depression is, I warn him not to because this kid is really intelligent, and gives sophisticated and articulate messages, so much so that he comes off as a bit obnoxious and quite possibly nerdy.
Counselor: He talks too much.
Counselor: He reads too many books.
Counselor: No, I don’t (read too many books) I’m exposed to things, and I’m influenced.
(And note I don’t disparage my students, all comments made to this young boy are made in good fun, and he’s quick to offer a witty response.)

After that I was no more good, but then he said this in response to another comment by one of my co-workers.

“If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all. In which case my brother would be a mute.”

New Feature: Person of the Week

Hello there,

CNEL here and starting this week my blog will have a new feature. In addition to Wise Words, we'll also have a person of the week. The person of the week is going to be a person: a celeb, an everyday person, someone who I believe is doing something noteworthy and someone I feel should be acknowledged. It may be a person of the past, a person of the present, or a person of the future, so stay tuned.

This week's Person of the Week: Michelle Singletary
Michelle's a columnist for The Washington Post, and a "personal finance guru"
She's from my hometown of Baltimore
She graduated from Western High School, and what may be the only remaining all girls public high school in the country, certainly one of the best known
She graduated from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University

Find out more here: http://www.michellesingletary.com/about2.htm

Why I feel Michelle needs to be acknowledged: She's made it her personal mission to help people be fiscally fit and make sound financial decisions, something that I believe along with education will help people achieve personal freedom and liberty.

I heard about Michelle and her "The Color of Money" column a few years back, but it wasn't until I saw the debut of her new show on TV One "Singletary Says" and also saw the behind the scenes look at her life last week that I really knew much about her.

Here's a synopsis of the first "Singletary Says" and some knowledge I took away from Michelle.

Michelle encouraged viewers to adopt a simple and sensible view of money. She said,
"You can't have a dollar without a penny."

&

"Most people nickel and dime themselves into debt."

On "Singletary Says", Michelle works with individuals, couples, and families to help them get their money right.

Maria, Howard student
took out $12,000 in loans
she brought a car for between $2,500 -$3,000 ? in cash
but car has is about wearing a boot because of $1,000 in parking tickets
she smokes
she drinks coffee
she likes to shop, especially for shoes

she wants to finance her undergraduate education
she wants to finance her law school education
she wants to pay off her parking tickets

Michelle's Money Mantra
"Sweat the Small Stuff"
"Enough is Enough"

Michelle wants her to not shop for a month
Michelle wants her to kick the caffeine and nicotine habits
Michelle wants her to open a savings account and save and make smart decisions

She paid off her parking tickets, cut the coffee addiction in half, and is working to quit smoking

Cecily, employed and single mom son Amori
used 401 K to finance move to a job
living paycheck to paycheck

she wants to own a home
she wants to have a college fund for herself and her son
she wants to have savings

Michelle's Money Mantras
"Sweat the Small Stuff"
"Priorities lead to Prosperity"

Michelle wants her to have a budget to understand why she's spending $6 more a day than she has and over $120 every month
Michelle wants her to have an emergency fund
Michelle wants her to pursue child support for her son

She's putting her plan into action

Big ups to Michelle Singletary, for helping people to get fiscally fit. I'm taking notes too, better to start off with a plan, then to have to make one out of desperation.

Check her out:
$ingletary $ays
on
TV One
Wednesday's at 8:30pm

or
Read her column
"The Color of Money"
in
The Washington Post or on their website

Have a great week.

-CNEL

Wise Words Returns

Sunday-If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you,"that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

Monday-We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Tuesday-Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Wednesday-The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.~Jane Addams

Thursday-Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God. ~Leon Bloy

Friday-We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. ~Anne Frank

Saturday-Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient.~Aristotle

B-More Careful Part 4 of 4

B-More Careful Part 4 of 4

“God comes for us all, promising nothing more in life except one day you will die. There’s no promises for success, no promises for wealth, no promises for happiness, love or health. The only thing for certain in life, is death. It’s what you do in between life and death that counts.”

&

“I don’t wish death on nobody, but death is part of life. We’re all born to die.”

When I read the first passage in Shannon Holmes’s “B-More Careful” my mind harkened back to a radio commentary done by Tavis Smiley a few years ago. In the commentary for Tom Joyner’s morning show, Tavis meditated on the loss of life, and the symbolism of tomb stones. Tavis talked about The Date of Creation, the Date of Transition, and the dash in the middle. He talked about how in a lot of cases that dash in between stood for decades and decades of a life lived. And then Tavis said something I carry with me as I live my life he said, “You can live for a cause or you can live just because.” I resolve to live my life and to lead a life which is full of purpose and full of meaning. It never ceases to amaze me when I meet perfect strangers and they say to me things like, “Don’t let anyone steal your dreams” or they encourage me to “Fulfill my purpose and my destiny.” When I hear words like those from people who don’t know me, I know that people see how bright my future is, and it’s not blinding them yet. :-)

The more I think about it, the more I realize that death is a natural part of life. I’m hopeful that when my life is over I will have achieved my dreams, I will have inspired dreams, and that I will have secured a legacy which helped better the lives of others. We may all be born to die, but we were also all born alive so we might as well live, learn, and love. That’s that good stuff.

B-More Careful 3 of 4

“No one can pick their family only their friends.”

&

“It was (is) a man’s nature to stray.”

&

“Sometimes habits don’t die.”

In times like these when it’s the holidays or whenever I have an extended break from school I tend to spend a lot of time with my family. Spending time with my family is one of those things which can be both a blessing and a curse. Our families are essential to our development as people. They instill in us morals and values, and give us a sense of self, a sense of who we are as people. My family is no different they have allowed me to discover who I am, and what things are important to me. And then there is the converse situation where they remind me that I am almost grown, and they have me plotting an escape LoL. I love them, most of them anyway, LoL, but sometimes I’m like ummm are we related? But then I think to myself as I was reminded recently, “No one can pick their family only their friends.” I have to remember that God gave me my family for a reason, he wanted me to be a certain person, and to fulfill a certain destiny.

Now the next statement I came across made me laugh, but maybe it should have made me cry. I don’t agree with the dire statement about the nature of a man. It’s not always a man’s nature to stray. I think that it’s part of human nature to be loyal, not always to the best of things and the best of people, but loyal anyhow. Now since this quote dealt with issues of fidelity, particularly in regards to romantic relationships. I thought I’d give my take, my dollars worth, because I’m too good to give two cents worth. And ya’ll know this LoL. I was watching something the other day, and some woman was going out of her way to keep her man. And so someone said to her, “If you have to work that hard to keep him it’s not worth it.” Really I think at the end of the day people have to be more trusting. If you find yourself in a relationship you have to do as much as you can to help a person reach their full potential, as little as possible to hurt that person, and be as loving, as loyal, and as trusting as you can possibly be.

The last words which talk about old habits, I don’t necessarily care for, but they do have a certain bit of truth within them. As we go through life we develop into people who are extremely comfortable with ourselves, our way of life, and how and why we do things. Sometimes these habits make us successful, and sometimes these habits make us unsuccessful. “Sometimes habits don’t die,” but if they are bad habits we should work our best to make them die, and make them die fast.

B-More Careful Part 2 of 4

“What's done in the dark will eventually come to light.”
and
“Always remember a lying man is half a man and a half man ain’t no man at all.”

Now you know sometimes you read things, you hear things or you see things, and you don't know how to take them. You can either take them to be an inspiration, sage advice, or maybe even prophesying. So when I read the above two lines I was a little taken aback.

"What's done in the dark will eventually come to light."

That just reminded me of the need to be authentic, honest, honorable, truthful, forthcoming, respectful, and respectable. It's kind of naive to think that engaging in any sort of lies and deceit won't come back to hurt you. To some degree we are all actors, and the world a stage, but our stories need to be honest.

"Always remember a lying man is half a man and a half man ain't no man at all."

It's sometimes easier to tell a lie than to tell a truth. But a lying person becomes to some degree less of a person, because a lying person isn't being real.

Aww, more food for thought.

B-More Careful Part 1 of 4

Geez, you go "away" for a couple of days, decide to get some much needed rest, take a few naps, decide not to answer the phone, and you'd think it was the end of the world. "Christopher Ezekiel.....good to know you're still amongst the land of the living." Guess this tells me so people need to know my every move. Okay that is taken under advisement.

So over the Christmas holiday I was able to read three books all of which I intend to blog about in one form or another in the coming days. So I read "B-more Careful" by Shannon Holmes, "True to the Game" by Teri Woods, and "The Coldest Winter Ever" by Sista Souljah. Maybe reading books which are so closely related is why the first two are blurring together though one took place in Baltimore, and the other in Philadelphia. "The Coldest Winter" is centered in and around New York, and is to me the most distinct of the three stories.

But this blog is about the "words of wisdom" taken from "B-more Careful".

"Looks are God given, so be thankful! Praise is man given so be humble. And conceit is self given, be careful."

and

"Nothing in life was ever given...but life itself."

These two pearls coupled together have been things I've meditated upon over the course of the last week.

It's so important to prioritize and remember what's important in life. Over the holiday season it's so easy to obsess over things and material possessions and not take stock of the other things which are important in life. It's so important to know who we are, who we aren't, to be humble, and to be thankful for the life we are so fortunate enough to have. It's been said before that we only get one chance at life here on this Earth, and that if we do it right one shot is all we need.

Putting things into perspective has encouraged me to be a little more careful about how I live my life.

New Year, New Beginnings, and New Additions for Some

So I forgot to mention for all you fans/fanatics what my New Year's resolution is for 2006 and it is as follows:

I resolve to to live life more purposefully and meaningfully.

I will of course expand on the resolution in the coming days, but in adhering to my resolution I hope to improve every facet of my life. I for one know that I am a work in progress, perfection is an ideal, it is not a reality as far as my eye can see. I just resolve to live better, to do better, and to get better.

And one of the things I believe gives our lives more purpose and meaning is sharing joy, not just taking joy in what we are able to do, say, or accomplish, but also to take joy in the good that happens to others.

I was so elated to read about the engagement of my friend's sister, because Ambra is good peoples, but also because Ambra is the first blog I was ever exposed to, I am a fan, and she's an inspiration. So check out this insightful young woman, her blog is fiya:

http://www.nykola.com/archives/000725.html

We'll talk soon.

-CNEL

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, I'm back after some vaca. HaHa yeah I was gone for nine days. I was chillaxin at my granddad's, reading, sleeping, eating, reflecting, and house sitting, but I'm back. Some good stuff, some reflections, and meditations to come soon. But hope your 2006 is full of promise and prosperity.
-CNEL