Through our eyes

Originally posted at Justin’s Random Thoughts

The ACLU is making an inquiry over an assembly at a local high school:

West Brook High School administrators on Wednesday defended a black-male-only mentoring session that has prompted a recent inquiry by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The March 29 program, dubbed the “Big 3 Conference,” was an invitation-only event for the school’s more than 800 African-American males in the ninth, 10th and 11th grades.

The sessions were divided by grade-level and addressed issues such as education, test scores, crime, family and gangs.

[...]

“I think it’s really problematic on its face,” [ACLU Foundation of Texas legal director Lisa Graybill] said by phone Wednesday. “Targeting a specific ethnicity for a program I find extremely worrisome.”

[...]

“On what basis is the conclusion being drawn that black people need some kind of special intervention and to what end is that intervention tailored?” Graybill said.

I’m a West Brook alum (Class of 2003) and I can recall a couple of instances where students were pulled for targeted assemblies, which are listed after the jump:

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Originally posted at Justin’s Random Thoughts

I finally had it with the hockey team.

A couple weeks back I bought a playoff ticket package.

On Monday I went to the office to pick it up and was told that parking wasn’t included with the packages this year.

I was like “WHAT?“

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I posted earlier about the Simply Vera line presented at Kohl’s. It’s a cheapier version of her rather high-priced line. The first collection was pretty dull, sweaters and awkward fitting tops. Vera Wang is extremely into the idea of layering and the collection showed it, but the new collection is rather cute, so go check it out. There are even accessories!

This is *NOT* a Pay Per Post or ReviewMe.com ad. I’m doing it of my own free will in part because I don’t believe in blogging about something when wads of cold, hard cash are involved.

I’ve been messing around with Hulu for a while, watching a couple things here and there.

For those that don’t know, Hulu is a service that provides ad-supported, on-demand video of movies and TV shows.

Last night I got looking at the movies section and saw Red Dragon on the list. I’ve been wanting to see that, so I decided to watch it.

Since it’s an R-rated movie, I had to register first. Registration was painless, a one page form asking pretty standard questions. It’s a kinda stupid hoop to have to jump through considering they don’t verify your age, but I didn’t mind. The only question I didn’t care for was the household income question, but you have the option to not say.

Once I hit submit, I went and started up the movie. It launches in a very nice-looking flash player similar to how YouTube works, but with MUCH better quality video. Not TV quality, but still quite good for an Internet stream. The site offers the ability to view any of their videos in a resizable pop-up window, which is quite handy for watching and getting other things done at the same time.

Of course, with the free movie you have to endure something. What you endure is an occasional commercial. You only get one ad per break, and the ad is never longer than thirty seconds. The ads are spaced out about the same way as if you were watching the movie on basic cable.

All in all, I’m quite happy with Hulu and I’ll be visiting again.

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Let me introduce y’all to my Twitter friend TweetJeebus.

Just look at this exchange I had the other day (in chronological order):

TweetJeebus Arrived at the resort in Herzliya, but they have totally hosed our reservations. No room at the inn. It all seems so familiar. 21 minutes ago from web

fatelvis04 @TweetJeebus Maybe you’ll get some “wise men” to give you free stuff! 17 minutes ago from twhirl in reply to TweetJeebus

TweetJeebus @fatelvis04 Mom is still upset over the gold, frankincense and myrrh. “All that way and forgot the diapers! And they call themselves wise?” 4 minutes ago from Web in reply to fatelvis04

I’m probably laughing myself straight to hell for this…

Originally posted at Justin’s Random Thoughts

… for the NCAA Division I Basketball South Regional in Houston.

It’ll be Memphis, Texas, Stanford and Michigan State.

If you haven’t heard, I’ve got tickets to the regional just six rows off the court.

So, here are my predictions:

Friday:

6:27 PM CDT tip: (3) Stanford vs. (2) Texas - Texas.

Approx. 8:57 CDT tip: (5) Michigan St. vs. (1) Memphis - Memphis

Sunday:

Time TBD: (2) Texas vs. (1) Memphis - Texas

You might wonder why I pick Texas. For the record, I am NOT a Longhorns fan; so it’s not a homer pick. With the regional being in Houston, it might as well be a home game for the ‘Horns. That’s a huge advantage in the NCAA’s.

Originally posted at Justin’s Random Thoughts

Simply put, you can’t blame this mess solely one side.

Jefferson County is to blame because the county doesn’t seem to be terribly willing to accept the fact that it’s going to lose money on Ford Park no matter what the county does. That’s just the nature of maintaining a venue like that. Places like that are like parks. You don’t have them to make money; you have them to improve quality of life for the area’s residents and the economic impact that a facility like that generates.

But it is my belief that the team shares a lot of blame, too. If they were really enthusiastic about being back after this year, they would have picked up the option written into the lease (PDF) in section 3.b (page 4 of the PDF) by September 30th. They didn’t.

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Hey everyone. Just thought I would stop by and tell you that one of the greatest TV shows has finally made it on DVD: ”Greek,” an original ABC Family show based on the “Greek life” at college. I absolutely love this show and recommend it to all teenagers and even adults. Unlike “Laguna Beach” and “The Real World,” “Greek” has a little more taste without all the cursing and blurred nudity. On top of that, “Greek” doesn’t claim to be “reality TV,” which makes it all the more enjoyable. You can pick up a copy of season one at Best Buy for about 20 bucks! If you’re looking for something good to watch, make sure you tune in to ABC Family at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, 2008. It’ll be the kickoff of a brand new season you will not want to miss.  

     Recently, a close race in the Democratic primary forced forgotten little Beaumont onto the political radar of candidates and their spouses.

     On February 20, I stood in a rainy downtown parking lot to get a glimpse of former President Bill Clinton. With nothing to do but watch a sniper who in turn watched us, I joined my friends in a chorus of “Bill Nye the science guy- Bill!, Bill!, Bill!, Bill!” He finally arrived and was greeted more like a rock star than a politician.

     When Michelle Obama visited soon after, I sat in the Jefferson Theatre and feared for my life when the women behind me did not get free signs. I hadn’t really known anything about Michelle Obama, but she was a very good speaker. My only criticism of her speech is that it only highlighted the problems of the country and failed to mention her husband’s solutions for them.

     I unfortunately missed Barack Obama’s appearance, but I did make my television debut behind Hillary Clinton on all three local stations. It was a very exciting month, made even more exciting, because I would actually be able to vote. Despite that milestone, I considered skipping the primary just because I couldn’t decide whom to vote for. Then it hit me. I realized that this was one of the few times when my vote might actually matter. With the democratic race so close, Beaumont had power.

     I voted, but decided that if I couldn’t make it home from college to vote in the general election, it wouldn’t be a big deal. I’d hate to spread the notion of teen apathy, so let me just say that I do care about outcome of the election. I just feel like my vote won’t really make any difference. No matter which way I vote, Texas will go to the Republican candidate like it always does.

     On the other hand, I always hear people say that if someone doesn’t vote, the citizen has no right to complain, and I would hate to lose that privilege.

Got this email from the Wildcatters:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:  QUINCY BIRD
PHONE:  (409) 951-5504
qbird@wildcattershockey.com

WILDCATTERS INSTRUCTED TO VACATE FORD ARENA

BEAUMONT, TX– The Texas Wildcatters were told Wednesday afternoon by Jefferson County to vacate their offices and players’ facilities in Ford Arena within 30 days from the completion of the 2008 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. The County has indicated it would refuse to honor the terms of the Wildcatters license agreement permitting play for five full hockey seasons.

More of the email after the jump:

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… I have won a hot dog-eating contest.

When I walked into the hockey game, a couple of the guys from the front office tried to recruit me to enter the contest, which they planned on holding during the first intermission.

When I was told that the winner got an Anton Khudobin stick signed by the entire team, I decided to give it a try. After all, I couldn’t be more humiliated than that time I did sumo hockey, right?

I figured I’d probably eat about three and say I’m done.

So I go down there and see the competition. I’m the smallest of the three guys. Right about then I’m thinking, “There’s no way I’m winning this thing.”

We come out and as we’re just about to start, we get a curveball thrown at us by bringing out the team’s equipment manager to participate.

Then we got the rules … as many as you can eat in three minutes.

I started out kind of slow, but as I got going I picked up the pace, noticing that water did help a lot in getting the bread to go down. I finished the three minutes tied with another guy for first with four five and 3/4 dogs eaten.

So we go to a one-minute overtime. I’m thinking “Oh f***, not more!”

When they start us up, I picked up one and the other guy had one in each hand and started. I figured I was screwed right then. But right about the time I finished the first one, I saw he was about halfway through his two so I knew I still had a chance. I picked up my pace a little on the second dog and finished it with a few seconds left just about the same time the other guy did.

I quickly grabbed a third hot dog and took a bite right before the horn went off, squeezing out the contest by that one bite and taking home the stick and bragging rights.

I must have looked pretty rough during the second period, as one of the ladies near me almost flagged down the team doc to take a look at me, but I was fine.

Well, besides feeling like I needed a nap.

(Corrected because now that I think about it, I ate one more than I said I did the first round)

Originally posted at Justin’s Random Thoughts

So I was surfing youtube.com the other day and I came across this video produced by will.i.am who, most of you know, is from The Black Eyed Peas. Although I’m not that into politics I absolutely loved this video and the message it sends. I hope you will too!

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics … they will only grow louder and more dissonant. … We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea –

Yes. We. Can.

Well, not really but tomorrow around 8:30 a.m. West Brook High is planning on having a practice bus evacuation. Although this is not the first practice, this will be the first time in which the entire school will supposedly load up on a ton of big yellow buses and learn proper evacuating routine. The first time we had a practice run like this we split up the school into two days: half on Monday and half on Tuesda. But now it’s all or nothing! I’m not looking foward to the whole fiasco but at least I’ll be out of class!

While the Ugg boot trend has held strong for a few years, I myself have refused to put the shoe on my foot. I honestly don’t think it’s cute, but after standing in the rainy, cold weather today I found myself envious of a girl nearby with the furry boots. My flats were not doing much to keep my feet warm. So, though I still find no need to spend my $100 on the boots, I will longer speak of my hatred for them. Just don’t go out in the furry ones that make you look like you’re half abominable snowman, please.

Checklist of fashion must-haves this winter:

The perfect coat - I love this one with the ruffle from Urban Outfitters, as well as this one from Anthropologie.

A beret - I love berets; they are so Parisian and look great on girls with long hair. I recently purchesed this pink one from Urban Outfitters, but the knit kind are cute too.

A cute long-sleeved top - The new line for Target is Erin Fetherston and this black and white bow top is adorable (and affordable).

The flat boot - When I was in Paris two years ago, everyone was wearing flat boots, but the trend has just reached America. (And I’m not talking Ugg Boots.) Wear them over your jeans or with tights.

Tights - the best place to get cute tights is Target but Urban Outfitters has a good selection as well. Remember to go a size up because they are what the name implies - tight!

So we’ve all heard the rumor of a giant waiting list for any Hermes bag, but what’s the truth? I went into the Houston Hermes store in search of answers. How many people are on this list? How does it work? etc. etc. Well, it turns out, the buyer ready to set down a few thousand dollars chooses everything from size to leather to color of the bag, writes all of this information down on a sheet with her Name Address and Phone Number and when said bag enters her local store, she is called and can claim her bag. Well, apparently, the list is kept hush hush — as well as its contents. The very nice salesman I spoke with said that employees  aren’t even allowed to talk about their bags over the phone.

So hush hush, I probably wasn’t even supposed to tell you.

In the October issue of Vogue magazine, writer Joyce Maynard was featured. The article intrigued me because it was about an author who wrote a memoir looking back - the catch is she was looking back on her life at only 18. (She wrote an article first; that turned into a book she wrote by age 19.) The article can be found here. The memoir ”Looking Back” is really intriguing about her life growing up in the Sixties; it covers events such as Beatlemania and those wonderful sitcom television shows (Andy Griffith and “I Love Lucy” ring a bell?). I had to buy it offline because the memoir is a nightmare to find in stores. (It could be out of print.) Anyway, invest - you’ll love it.

2006 PT Cruiser:

Ain’t she a beaut? And no, I’m not talking about my brother’s Matrix parked behind it.

She’s a quirky little car, but I’m liking her.

Here are some of the things that have thrown me so far:

• The button for the automatic transmission shifter is on top instead of on the side.
• The door handles have a button on them to open the door; they don’t pull out to open like my brother’s Matrix and my grandmother’s Corolla. You have no idea how many times I’ve pulled on the things.
• Closing the hood. I’m used to easing hoods down all the way and pushing down a little to close ‘em. On this one, the manual says you have to lower it to about eight inches up and then drop it. Trust me, the other way doesn’t work. I spent ten minutes in the driveway like an idiot trying.
• The cup holders. The big cup holder for the driver is way bigger than the one the Alero had. I used to be able to put the straw in the cup holder and then put the cup from McDonald’s (or wherever) in and they’d both stay. Well, I tried that and the straw fell between the center console and the driver’s seat, so I had to fish it out.
• No cruise control. Not a big deal, just an accessory that wasn’t on this one.
• The headlights don’t turn on automatically when it’s dark. This is the first car I’ve ever driven that didn’t do that. There may be a way to turn that on, but I haven’t looked through the manual to see yet.

Of course, those’ll come in time.

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Really.

I found out from the insurance company today that my car’s being totaled. Apparently replacing Alero’s airbags is a really expensive proposition.

Since that’s the case, I’m looking for a new one. My grandmother’s going to help me get one before I get the insurance check and just have me sign it over once I get the check.

When I bought my Alero back in ‘05 it was simple. I had no real idea what I wanted; I just showed up at the dealership, told ‘em I wanted a car with good gas mileage, and they showed me a few cars.

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This is *NOT* a Pay Per Post or ReviewMe.com ad. I’m doing it of my own free will in part because I don’t believe in blogging about something when wads of cold, hard cash are involved.

I tried Amazon MP3 two nights ago.

For those that haven’t heard, that’s Amazon.com’s new DRM-free music download service. The prices vary, but you can download a song for less than a dollar or an album for (on average) $7.99 and download it as a crystal-clear 256kbps mp3 file (or set thereof, if you download an album).

The significance of the songs being DRM-free is that you can take the file and burn it to a CD, copy it, put it on mp3 players. Anything. You could even put it on file-sharing services. BUT DON’T or we’ll likely lose this wonderful tool we’ve got.

Now, I’m one of those holdouts who still prefers buying CDs to downloading my music off the Web. In fact, before this, the closest I’d ever come to buying music online was ordering a CD off Amazon. So needless to say, I was new to this …

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	Reveille VII and Mascot Corporal Pierce Hunter (source)

Really, just don’t go there:

Texas Tech has banned the sale of a T-shirt bearing the likeness of Michael Vick hanging the dog mascot of rival Texas A&M.

The red and black shirts, with text that says “VICK ‘EM” on the front in an apparent reference to the Aggies’ slogan “Gig ‘em,” was created by a Tech student who was trying to sell them before Saturday’s game in Lubbock.

The back of the shirt shows a football player wearing the No. 7 Vick jersey, holding a rope with an image of the mascot Reveille at the end of a noose.

First off, let’s ignore the fact that I’m an A&M fan here, because it truly is irrelevant.

This idea is just sickening. There’s no words I can think of to describe just how horrible this is.

Needless to say, anything having to do with animal cruelty sets me off. I mean, just look at my three little angels. Anybody who’s convicted of animal cruelty should be thrown in a hole under the jail and then have that hole filled with concrete, if you ask me.

And someone who jokes around about something like this doesn’t deserve much better.

But what else would you expect from a bunch of drunken frat boys?

Crossposted to Justin’s Random Thoughts

Apparently some death row inmates are concerned about the way they’re going to die:

The Supreme Court today agreed to consider the constitutionality of lethal injections in a case that could affect the way inmates are executed around the country.

The high court will hear a challenge from two inmates on death row in Kentucky — Ralph Baze and Thomas Clyde Bowling Jr. — who sued Kentucky in 2004, claiming lethal injection amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

[...]

Baze and Bowling say the procedure inflicts unnecessary pain and suffering on the inmate.

Unnecessary pain and suffering, huh? Funny how that’s a concern to you now that it’s YOUR turn to die.

I’m sure Baze was concerned about Powell County Sheriff Steve Bennett and Deputy Arthur Briscoe’s pain and suffering when he shot them to death. And I’m also sure that Bowling was concerend about the pain and suffering of Edward and Tina Earley when they were shot and killed. And I’m SURE he was concerned about their two-year-old son whom he also shot.

I say let ‘em suffer.

Crossposted to Justin’s Random Thoughts

The newest Go International Designer at Target is Alice Temperley and I’ve already made a few purchases (and plan to make more). The items are adorable. Black and white with hints of blues and pinks.

My Personal Favorites

I just saw an interview pertaining to the new movie “Into the Wild” starring Emile Hirsch. It’s based on a book of the same name by Jon Krakauer and I can’t wait to pick it up. The book follows the true story of a young man who backpacked around America in an attempt to find himself. After traveling the daunting wilderness of Alaska, the boy was found emaciated and dead in an abandoned bus which he had converted into his own home. The movie opens nationwide in October and was adapted and directed by Sean Penn.

NOAA
Humberto on radar. (Click to enlarge)

For reasons beyond my control (besides the hurricane at my door), I’m having trouble sleeping tonight, so I thought I’d add a late-night post since we haven’t lost power.

About 12:45 AM, I got the news on the web that Humberto had been upgraded to a category one hurricane with winds of 80 MPH. The NHC later reported that it came onshore just east of High Island about 2:00 AM with 85 MPH winds. It’s looking like the strongest winds, which would be a bit weaker before they got here anyway, will pass just a few miles to my southeast.

Up until a couple hours ago, we’d just been getting light drizzle, but the rain is starting to pick up now, along with the winds. We shouldn’t have the worst of our winds for another three to four hours.

Since I dug out my tripod, I thought I’d try setting up out on the porch and taking a few pictures with long exposures.

The end of my street through a telephoto lens at 1:39 AM.

I’m really not sure why I decided to take those pictures; I just thought they’d look cool, honestly. I’ll post a few more pictures later, if just because I loved how green they made our yard look.

There are scattered reports of power outages in the area, so I’m gonna wrap this up now so I can get it up if we lose our lights.

See y’all on the flip side.

Crossposted to Justin’s Random Thoughts

Update 9/14/2007 12:45 AM:

I’ve got a fairly in-depth post about Humberto with pictures posted over at my blog. It’s really not written for a local audience, so I’m just linking to it over here.