Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Chicago parking meter rates go up next week - chicagotribune.com

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-chicago-parking-meter-rate-increase-1230,0,4444061.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+chicagotribune/news+(chicagotribune.com+-+Latest+news)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher (sent via Shareaholic)

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10 Industries That Will GAIN The Most Jobs In Next Decade

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/30/finding-a-job-10-industri_n_406409.html (sent via Shareaholic)

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Best ex-offender reentry practices

In Indianapolis: An ordinance crafted by Mayor Gregory Ballard’s administration and passed unanimously by the City/County council gives businesses consideration in their bidding on public contracts if the agree to hire qualified ex-offenders who are referred through a pre-employment system within the Mayor's office. There is a tracking system in place to match offenders to businesses and to track retention of these offenders for at least one year.

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What Health-Care Reform Will Mean for You - Newsweek.com

Link: http://www.newsweek.com/id/228630?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A newsweek%2FTopNews %28UPDATED - Newsweek Top Stories%29&utm_content=Google Feedfetcher (via shareaholic)

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 096-0656: Loans to qualified ex-offenders

Link: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=096-0656&GA=96 (via shareaholic)

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Three Pound Universe: New Illinois Laws include grants for groups helping exoffenders develop a business plan

FYI, new Illinois laws taking effect January 1, 2010 includes: “Ex-Offenders” Loan Program (HB 436/PA 96-0656): Allows DCEO to provide grants to organizations and entities that work with ex-offenders and their re-entry into society, who would then provide low-interest loans to qualified ex-offenders seeking to develop a business plan.“

Link: http://jethrobodine.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-illinois-laws.html (sent via Shareaholic)

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The Cash Committee: How Wall Street Wins On The Hill

We need reform now!

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/29/the-cash-committee-how-wa_n_402373.html (sent via Shareaholic)

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California Cuts Mammograms for Low-Income Women - Newsweek.com

Tuition increases, public employee furloughs, early prison releases, delayed vendor payments, and other service cuts are happening @ all levels of state and local government, in every states. It's still really ugly out there for most people, especially those who depend on government services or provide services to government

Link: http://www.newsweek.com/id/228563?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A newsweek%2FTopNews %28UPDATED - Newsweek Top Stories%29&utm_content=Google Feedfetcher (via shareaholic)

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Getting Naked Again: Book on Midlife Dating - Pat Wingert - Newsweek.com

Link: http://www.newsweek.com/id/228494?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+newsweek/TopNews+(UPDATED+-+Newsweek+Top+Stories)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher (sent via Shareaholic)

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Handling problems the Obama way - - POLITICO.com

Link: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/31021.html (sent via Shareaholic)

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Monday, December 28, 2009

THE FIX


This should be E-Mailed to the White House and all of your local politicians to show support for such a Great Solution.......We the people can force their hand on this one......Get involved........ LOL

   

The Fix

There recently was an article in the  St. Petersburg Fl. Times. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on:  "How Would You Fix the Economy?"
I think this guy nailed it!
_____

Dear Mr. President,

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy.  Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan":


There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.  Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire.  Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR.  Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes...

Mr. President, while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare. I'll bet both programs would be fixed pronto!

    If you think this would work, please forward to everyone you know.

    If not, please disregard.
 
 

 

 

 


I think this is a perfect solution…………………….

 

 


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An Open Letter To Chase About Their Big Charity Transparency Fail | Social Entrepreneurship | Change.org

Link: http://socialentrepreneurship.change.org/blog/view/an_open_letter_to_chase_about_their_big_charity_transparency_fail (via shareaholic)

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Donating talent, time to help nonprofits -- chicagotribune.com

"...Businesses often encourage employees to join a nonprofit board to gain management experience, she said. In addition, charity work helps a company's image.

In fact, reputation is the top driver of corporate citizenship, according to Boston College's Center for Corporate Citizenship, which surveyed 756 small, medium and large businesses this past summer.

About 38 percent of companies surveyed had cut back on philanthropy and corporate giving due partly to the recession. Small companies in particular reported a decreased emphasis on philanthropy, with 61 percent agreeing that corporate citizenship needs to be a priority, down from 69 percent in 2007, the report said..."


Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-mon-minding-literacy-1221-dec21,0,2812429.story (via shareaholic)

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Corporation for National and Community Service Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

The Corporation has released a Draft Notice of Funds Available (NOFA), and is soliciting public input through January 15, 2010.   The final NOFA is expected to be released in February of 2010.  Please click here (PDF) for more information about the Social Innovation Fund NOFA, and to provide your feedback.

Link: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica/innovation.asp (via shareaholic)

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Napolitano: Airline Security System 'Did Not Work'

The good news is the Obama administration was willing to correct a mistake, unlike the Bush 2 administration. The bad news is even smart administrations have a tendency to be defensive and say there is no problem first, before they examine, consult with the experts and then respond. 

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/28/napolitano-airline-securi_n_404730.html?igoogle=1 (sent via Shareaholic)

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Paul Krugman - The Big Zero - NYTimes.com

"Then there are the politicians. Even now, it’s hard to get Democrats, President Obama included, to deliver a full-throated critique of the practices that got us into the mess we’re in. And as for the Republicans: now that their policies of tax cuts and deregulation have led us into an economic quagmire, their prescription for recovery is — tax cuts and deregulation"

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/opinion/28krugman.html?_r=2 (sent via Shareaholic)

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

ROSS DOUTHAT, Op-Ed Columnist - The Obama Way - NYTimes.com

",,,[Obama] most resembles Ronald Reagan and Edward Kennedy. Both were highly ideological politicians who trained themselves to work within the system. Both preferred cutting deals to walking away from the negotiating table...The upside of this approach is obvious: It gets things done. Between the stimulus package, the pending health care bill and a new raft of financial regulations, Obama will soon be able to claim more major legislative accomplishments than any Democrat since Lyndon Johnson.

The downside, though, is that sometimes what gets done isn’t worth doing. The assumption that a compromised victory is better than no victory at all can produce phony achievements — like last week’s “global agreement” on climate change — and bloated, ugly legislation. And using cynical means to progressive ends (think of the pork-laden stimulus bill or the frantic vote-buying that preceded this week’s Senate health care votes) tends to confirm independent voters’ worst fears about liberal government: that it’s a racket rigged to benefit privileged insiders and a corrupt marketplace floated by our tax dollars.

At the same time, Obama doesn’t enjoy the kind of deep credibility with his base that both Reagan and Kennedy spent decades building. When Kennedy told liberals that a given compromise was the best they could get, they believed him. Whether the issue is health care or Afghanistan, Obama’s word doesn’t carry the same weight.

This leaves him walking a fine line. If Obama’s presidency succeeds, it will be a testament to what ideology tempered by institutionalism can accomplish. But his political approach leaves him in constant danger of losing center and left alike — of being dismissed by independents as another tax-and-spender, and disdained by liberals as a sellout."

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/opinion/26douthat.html (sent via Shareaholic)

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NYTimes.com: “The ‘Merry Christmas Coronary’ and ‘Happy New Year Heart Attack’ Phenomenon.”

Link: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/phys-ed-can-touching-your-toes-test-your-arteries/ (sent via Shareaholic)

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

News: New Approaches to Job Training - Inside Higher Ed

Link: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/18/wia (sent via Shareaholic)

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Community colleges may offer bachelor's degrees - ContraCostaTimes.com

Link: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14048431 (sent via Shareaholic)

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At-risk kids: Successful Harlem Children Zone a possible solution for Chicago -- chicagotribune.com

"On average, $5,000 a year is spent per child...about two-thirds of the money from private sources, such as foundations and donors who include many Wall Street financiers. The rest comes from state government."

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/chi-harlem-childrens-zone-dec27,0,4930521.story (sent via Shareaholic)

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Articles about $100 netbooks and 10-inch Asus Eee PC Netbook for $229.99 | The Cheapskate - CNET News

Link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10415629-58.html (sent via Shareaholic)

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Schools have trouble tapping stimulus funds - USATODAY.com

I was talking to my sister, a professor in North Carolina, about problems schools are having obtaining stimulus funds yesterday evening.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-12-23-school-bonds_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip (sent via Shareaholic)

After the federal stimulus passed in February, North Carolina school officials thought they had found a way to repair the 58-year-old gym and other crumbling school structures. The stimulus provided money for Qualified School Construction Bonds, which is intended to let school districts raise capital through interest-free bonds to fund construction.

The program also was expected to boost North Carolina's construction industry. Ben Matthews, director of school support for North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction, estimated it would create 11,000 jobs.

But the bond program has become entangled in financial and bureaucratic red tape. Only $2.3 billion of the $11 billion in bonds available this year have been sold as of last week, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

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'Obamanos!': One Year Into Obama's Presidency : NPR

Listening to Henrik Hertzberg, author of Obamanos: The Birth of a New Political Era on CSPAN has helped me resolve my New Years political resolution is going be to focus more on political reforms our political system needs rather than getting caught up in assessing whether I am inspired or disappointed in politicians. I am disappointed in the so-called health reform; but recognize it is a historical step forward that still requires work. My main interest in 2010 is engaging more of the disadvantaged and those left out of the American political and economic systems, in putting forth their own best solutions.

Excerpt from recent NPR Hertzberg interview:

"Rick, when do people who supported Obama, liked Obama, when do they go from hope to disappointment? How long do you have to be in office for that transformation to happen?

Mr. HERTZBERG: Well, judging from the way a lot of people are reacting already, I guess one year would be about the right quantity of time. I don't think they should go from hope to disappointment in that way. I think that it reflects some of the weirdnesses of our political system, that people do end up disappointed in a performance which I think has been, on balance, a very fine performance by Obama as president."

Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120093233 (sent via Shareaholic)

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Facing Ali (2009)

For the holidays, I'm checking out some great sports videos and movies. Yesterday, I saw Invictus and started watching "Dhani Tackles the Globe" . Today, I saw this great documentary, which featured Ali's opponents. It was better than listening to commentators hearing the real experts talk about boxing.


A beautiful, honest film, 24 December 2009
10/10

Author: jimbob12404 from Accord, NY

I wasn't sure what to expect with this film. I had not heard anything about it and when I was able to get a copy I figured it would be a puff piece, but it is much much more than that. Interviews with several opponents of Muhammad Ali reveal a lot about both the interviewees themselves, and their lives, and their almost unanimous love for Ali. Footage of each fighter's bouts with Ali is plentiful and exciting, and watching it will make you cry when you realize how much he has lost over the years. Something else that will make you cry is what one of his greatest opponents--I won't say who it is---cries openly for Ali and calls him "a great guy...and I hope he gets to live the way we all live...he's earned it." This film just knocked "Tyson" out of the top spot in my best sports documentaries of the year list.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1419318/ (via shareaholic)

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Giving big thanks for the gift of life and music; hoping you have a prosperous 2010- Fast car -Tracy Chapman

Link: (via shareaholic)

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Once-homeless man 'rescued' from streets isn't there yet :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Businessman meets homeless man, set up a Web site -- www.savetroy.com -- and started e-mailing people he knew, asking them to help him help Troy.


http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1958307,troy-mccullough-homeless-122509.article (via shareaholic)

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Colbert Dishes On Bush, Glenn Beck, and MSNBC - James Warren

Link: http://correspondents.theatlantic.com/james_warren/2009/12/a_special_colbert_report_a_comic_and_chums_offer_a_post-mortem_on_a_famous_washington_dinner_suggest.php (via shareaholic)

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Inflated Expectations: Crowd-Sourcing Comes of Age in the DARPA Network Challenge: Scientific American

Team members deluged their friends with Facebook invitations and encouraged those friends to invite their friends.

 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=darpa-network-challenge-results (via shareaholic)

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Once homeless, woman finds future in nursing -- chicagotribune.com

School coordinator Angela Anselm said a survey of a previous class showed everyone found jobs.

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-homelesstohopeful,0,7590004,full.story (via shareaholic)

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Invictus is highly recommended

I saw Invictus tonight. What a great movie, what great acting, and what a great story.

Link: http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/william-ernest-henley/invictus/ (via shareaholic)

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Gabrielle Lyon: Can You Tell Me How to Get To Science Street?

Thoughts from leader of innovative partnership with her husband to increase minority scientists and mathematicians,... "I applaud the Obama administration's ambitious goal of helping young people experience the wonder and discovery of science first hand. Elmo should help inspire our youngest children to have fun with science in their everyday lives. But we need more than media efforts, special days and competitions to transform science as usual. For young people like Carla to have a chance to contribute to the knowledge economy we need an inclusive, expansive and collaborative approach to science education that puts kids least likely to get involved with science at the center of comprehensive strategies..."

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabrielle-lyon/can-you-tell-me-how-to-ge_b_400568.html (via shareaholic)

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Obama 'Absolutely' Will Help Merge Health Care Bills (VIDEO)

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/23/obama-health-care-merge-senate-house_n_402682.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Obama's Falling Poll Ratings: Why He Has To Worry - TIME

Link: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1948679,00.html?xid=rss-politics-huffpo (via shareaholic)

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Black in the Age of Obama - NYTimes.com

[H]ow to air anxiety without further arming Obama’s enemies?


Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/opinion/05blow.html (via shareaholic)

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Outside-the-box award goes to students of the Southland :: The SouthtownStar :: Editorials

Link: http://www.southtownstar.com/news/opinion/editorials/1947156,122009editkids.article (sent via shareaholic)

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Nation's Largest Nurses Organization: Health Care Bill Cedes Too Much To Insurance Industry

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/nations-largest-nurses-or_n_400765.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Dem Strategy Memo Says The 'Good News' Is That Democrats Haven't Done Enough On Health Care Reform

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/dem-strategy-memo-says-th_n_400544.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Merry Xmas

Link: http://www.glenn.tapley.us/MC.swf (via shareaholic)

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The 25 Funniest Sketches Of The 2000s (VIDEO)

Happy holidays, laugh your ass off!

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/funniest-sketches-decade_n_398850.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Drew Westen: Leadership, Obama Style, and the Looming Losses in 2010: Pretty Speeches, Compromised Values, and the Quest for the Lowest Common Denominator

I hope this isn't true: "...the president has accomplished the remarkable feat of both demoralizing the base and completely turning off voters in the center."

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-westen/leadership-obama-style-an_b_398813.html (via shareaholic)

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New Programs Aim to Lure Young Into Digital Jobs - NYTimes.com

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/technology/21nerds.html?em (via shareaholic)

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Political Memo - For Detroit Council, New Faces May Offer a New Chance - NYTimes.com

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/us/22detroit.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (via shareaholic)

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Monday, December 21, 2009

Seeing Public Subsidy (Not Public Option) Investors Flock to Health Insurers

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/21/seeing-public-subsidy-not_n_399733.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Naomi Klein: For Obama, No Opportunity Too Big to Blow

"If Barack Obama had come to Copenhagen with a transformative and inspiring commitment to getting the U.S. economy off fossil fuels, all the other major emitters would have stepped up." This is starting to be a regular refrain, PBO.


 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-klein/for-obama-no-opportunity_b_399414.html (via shareaholic)

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Op-Ed Columnist - A Dangerous Dysfunction - NYTimes.com

"...Bush-era Democrats weren’t nearly as determined to frustrate the majority party, at any cost, as Obama-era Republicans..."


Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/opinion/21krugman.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman&igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

The political world's winners and losers in health-care reform - washingtonpost.com

Key number in 2010 elections is President's job approval ratings. Under 50% has lead to significant seat changes, in most midterm elections. PBO currently @ 50%.

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122002431.html (sent via shareaholic)

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Brain Power - Studying Young Minds, and How to Teach Them - Series - NYTimes.com

The teaching of basic academic skills, until now largely the realm of tradition and guesswork, is giving way to approaches based on cognitive science.


Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/health/research/21brain.html (via shareaholic)

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Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read - Tim Donaghy - Deadspin

Link: http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read?skyline=true&s=x (via shareaholic)

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Why I Still Believe In This Bill | The New Republic

"...As weak as it is in numerous areas, the Senate bill contains three vital reforms.  First, it creates a new framework, the “exchange,” through which people who lack secure workplace coverage can obtain the same kind of group health insurance that workers in large companies take for granted.  Second, it makes available hundreds of billions in federal help to allow people to buy coverage through the exchanges and through an expanded Medicaid program. Third, it places new regulations on private insurers that, if properly enforced, will reduce insurers’ ability to discriminate against the sick and to undermine the health security of Americans..."


Link: http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/why-i-still-believe-bill (via shareaholic)

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Race on the big screen -- latimes.com

Link: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-sharkeyessay20-2009dec20,0,7951873.story (via shareaholic)

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Book Review - 'Sweet Thunder - The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson,' by Wil Haygood - Review - NYTimes.com

"...At the peak of his success, in the 1940s and ’50s, Robinson epitomized the tough grace and style and confidence of an entire generation...."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/books/review/Hamill-t.html?ref=todayspaper (via shareaholic)

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Op-Ed Columnist - Tiger Woods, Person of the Year - NYTimes.com

"...Though the American left and right don’t agree on much, they are both now coalescing around the suspicion that Obama’s brilliant presidential campaign was as hollow as Tiger’s public image — a marketing scam designed to camouflage either his covert anti-American radicalism (as the right sees it) or spineless timidity (as the left sees it). The truth may well be neither, but after a decade of being spun silly, Americans can’t be blamed for being cynical about any leader trying to sell anything..."

: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/opinion/20rich.html?pagewanted=2&em (via shareaholic)

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How health lobbyists influenced reform bill - chicagotribune.com

How the game is played.


Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-health-lobbyists_bddec20,0,5453763,print.story?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Daily Kos: Will The Real Barack Obama Please Stand Up ?

Link: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/19/816630/-Will-The-Real-Barack-Obama-Please-Stand-Up- (via shareaholic)

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News Analysis - Obama, Denied Full Victory on 2 Issues, Takes Validation - NYTimes.com

"Mr. Obama has put a high value on process and keeping things moving, recognizing that history generally does not remember the to and fro, only the big sweep of presidential accomplishments."


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?ref=todayspaper (via shareaholic)

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Saturday, December 19, 2009

How health lobbyists influenced reform bill -- chicagotribune.com

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-health-lobbyists_bddec20,0,4862599.story (sent via shareaholic)

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Mark Hyman, MD: Diabetes & Obesity: Why Conventional Medicine Makes Things Worse

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/the-diabesity-epidemic-pa_b_389423.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Interview with Dave Bing: Can Detroit Be Saved? - WSJ.com

Mr. Bing is brimming with other ideas to make Detroit more livable. One challenge he faces is how to successfully downsize. "We have a city that still has a footprint from when we had almost two million people. In the 2010 census, we'll be lucky if we've got half of that population with the same footprint and infrastructure."...He has a clear prescription of how to bring the middle class back: "I think public safety is number one. A productive school system is number two. Because without either one of those being effective and efficient, you can forget everything else."


Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581650636077732.html (via shareaholic)

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Boola Boola, Boola Boola - Yale Says Yes, 4 Times - NYTimes.com

Wow!

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/education/19yale.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (via shareaholic)

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

How President Obama Can Take Back His Presidency -- New York Magazine

"After 300-plus days in office, the president remains, for many of his supporters, a worryingly indistinct figure. One whose pragmatic sensibility is crystal clear but bedrock convictions are still blurry. And whose White House has proved less than fully adept at the marriage of politics and policy, preferring all too often to fall back on their boss’s charm and dazzle to advance the ball upfield."

 http://nymag.com/news/politics/62377/ (sent via shareaholic)


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Nation's Largest Union: Change Health Care Bill Or Else

"President Obama must remember his own words from the campaign. His call of 'Yes We Can' was not just to us, not just to the millions of people who voted for him, but to himself. We all stood shoulder to shoulder with the President during his hard fought campaign. And, we will continue to stand with him but he must fight for the reform we all know is possible," Stern wrote.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/seiu-urges-changes-in-sen_n_395411.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Chicago-based Nation of Islam wrongly targeted :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State

"This is an ongoing pattern of the U.S. intelligence agency," said Conrad Worrill, director of Northeastern Illinois University's Center for Inner City Studies.

"The government has been conducting intelligence on the Nation of Islam since the 1930s into the '40s, and throughout its history has been subject to surveillance, and as it related to the black movement of the 1960s, was specifically a part of the government counter-intelligence program of J. Edgar Hoover."


Link: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1944678,chicago-nation-of-islam-targeted-121709.article (via shareaholic)

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Democrats' Blues Grow Deeper in New Poll - WSJ.com

Being President is tough. Be tough, President Obama.


Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126100346902694549.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop (via shareaholic)

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GOP lawmaker seeks documents on Obama healthcare deals - TheHill.com

President Obama you need your base to help you against stupidity like this. Lead.

Link: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/72679-gop-lawmaker-seeks-documents-on-obama-deals-with-healthcare-groups (via shareaholic)

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SEIU Urges Changes In Senate Health Care Bill, Calls Out Obama

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/seiu-urges-changes-in-sen_n_395411.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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6 ways to help bring downtown Jacksonville back to life | Jacksonville.com

Link: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-12-17/story/6_ways_to_help_bring_downtown_jacksonville_back_to_life (via shareaholic)

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The New York Times does some real — and maybe really damaging — reporting on Tiger Woods National Sports Journalism Center

I don't care about Tiger's women but performance enhancing drugs would be a much harder problem to ignore since his attraction is as the decades best athlete.

Link: http://sportsjournalism.org/sports-media-news/the-new-york-times-does-some-real-and-maybe-really-damaging-reporting-on-tiger-woods/ (via shareaholic)

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Universal Health Care? We Keep the Candy, But You Can Have the Wrapper. No. Wait. Give Us the Wrapper Too. | Black Agenda Report

Bruce Dixon has been a longtime Barack Obama observer.

Link: http://www.blackagendareport.com/?q=content/universal-health-care-we-keep-candy-you-can-have-wrapper-no-wait-give-us-wrapper-too (via shareaholic)

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Olbermann: Ruined Senate bill unsupportable - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com

Mr. President, you are leader of the free world. Lead.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34455168/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olbermann (via shareaholic)

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Jobs Bill Squeaks Through Despite Dem Defections

People fear Speaker Pelosi and like President Obama. Fear is better than love in politics, Mr. President.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/house-jobs-bill_n_395107.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Detroit's Unemployment Rate Is Nearly 50%, According to the Detroit News

President Obama, we need your help and letting Congress do it aint enough. If you want a second term.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/detroits-unemployment-rat_n_394559.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Expanded Health Care Coverage? Rumors Are Greatly Exaggerated, Unless Paying Fines Is Now 'Health Care'

Is President Obama is looking to be a one-termer so he can go back to selling books? The White House is fully on board with selling this nonsense as some sort of impossible-to-pass-up opportunity for America.

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/16/expanded-health-care-cove_n_394775.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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When football 'experts' talk, 'scrooten' their take on things -- chicagotribune.com

"[Lovie Smith] getting the verbal bejesus kicked out of him, even though he'd sure get a lot smarter if he had a running back, some wide receivers, entire offensive and defensive lines, linebackers and safeties."

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-16-dec16,0,2820416.column (via shareaholic)

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The two faces of O - NYPOST.com

Huh? Where is the change we can believe in?


 http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_two_faces_of_oTswtJpCjQusQCFCMdiluJ (via shareaholic)

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Rep. Capuano Tells Fellow Dems: 'You're Screwed'

"Voters less interested in tax credits than they were in direct money for jobs."

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/rep-capuano-tells-fellow_n_392685.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Leonard Shapiro - Golf media had little inkling about Woods's off-course behavior - washingtonpost.com

"How ironic. After consistently deciding to avoid taking a stand on so many issues of the day, Woods has finally found a cause worth fighting for: his own right to privacy..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/14/AR2009121401836.html?hpid=topnews# (via shareaholic)

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

YouTube - Mike Ditka and Snoop Dogg Sunday Night Countdown commercial

This always makes me laugh and reminds me of how hip hop sensibilities have penetrated the commercial main stream. Hope they make a longer version

(via shareaholic)

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Why Small Businesses and Restaurants Are Seeing Greater ROI Using Social Media - Twine Interactive Raleigh NC

Why your business should set up a FaceBook Fanpage, a Wordpress blog or a Twitter account  http://www.twineinteractive.com/blog/details/why_small_business_and_restaurants_are_seeing_greater_roi_using_social_medi/ (via shareaholic)

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The Real Story of 'Invictus' | Newsweek International | Newsweek.com

"... A deft look at what a difference inspirational leadership can make, even in a nation with such a seemingly intractable past..."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/226323?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A newsweek%2FTopNews %28UPDATED - Newsweek Top Stories%29&utm_content=Google Feedfetcher (via shareaholic)

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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

YouTube - African Development Initiative

Link: (via shareaholic)

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 12:51 PM, Justin Walker White
  <jwwhite@fas.harvard.edu <mailto:jwwhite@fas.harvard.edu>> wrote:

      Hey Family,
      So I just finished my final project for a film class I am
      taking. The class is called African and American Studies 158:
      Making Media Across Cultures. Basically, we have been studying
      how to use social media and viral videos to promote development
      and public service initiatives both domestically and
      internationally.
      For my final project, I have been woking with Darryl Finkton,
      who recently became a Rhodes Scholar (click here
      <http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/11/rhodes-scholars-named/>
      for article), on enhancing his website for the African
      Development Initiative, which is an umbrella group of
      development projects in Africa that he oversees.
      Anyway, below is a link to the flagship video for the website
      that we made. It took us about 6 hours of filming and 15 hours
      of editing just to get the 4-minute video down pat. We get
      graded on how many views we get and how well we can spread it
      around using a variety of social media, so please take a look
      and send it around to /everyone/ you know! Also, please let me
      know what you think!

      LINK HERE:

      I will be home in about ten days. Love you!

      Justin

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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tiger Woods's Wife, Elin: An Angry White Woman | Newsweek Life | Newsweek.com

From my perspective this may be only beneficial result of the Tiger Wood mess: Getting rid of the mad black woman stereotype

 http://www.newsweek.com/id/226245?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+newsweek/TopNews+(UPDATED+-+Newsweek+Top+Stories)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher (sent via shareaholic)

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Social Enterprise Angels - Social Investing in Action:Contest for social enterprises

Anybody know whether there is anything like this organization or competition to fund social enterprises in Chicago?: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/228164--translating-well-in-competition (via shareaholic)

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Goldman Sachs Launches 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative

Goldman Sachs will invest $300 million through a combination of lending and philanthropic support to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The investment will increase the amount of growth capital available to small businesses in underserved communities and expand the capacity of the CDFIs to deliver enhanced technical assistance to small businesses

 http://www2.goldmansachs.com/our-firm/press/press-releases/current/10-k-business.html (via shareaholic)

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Monday, December 7, 2009

Tupac Makes Vatican MySpace Playlist (AUDIO)

Years after I gave her son a Tupac Shakur album my ex-girlfriend told me she hated it because of all the foul language. Changes, the song on Vatican list has no bad language. Even though I am a R&B, Jazz and Blues guy Tupac was the rapper who opened my ears to this music and I most appreciated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/06/tupac-makes-vatican-myspa_n_381928.html (via shareaholic)

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Tony Dungy: Lack Of Black College Coaches 'Disgraceful'

After the 2006 season, Dungy recommended then-Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin for the head coaching position at a BCS school. Tomlin didn't get an interview. A month later, the Steelers hired him as their head coach, and within two years he led them to a Super Bowl win.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/06/tony-dungy-lack-of-black-_n_382087.html (via shareaholic)

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Sunday, December 6, 2009

Obama Silent On Public Option In Speech To Senators

Lots of thoughtful comments attached to this article. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/06/obama-silent-on-public-op_n_381847.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Brian Banks has shared a Huffington Post article with you

Brian Banks has shared a Huffington Post article with you:
Obama Silent On Public Option In Speech To Senators

They also included a personal note:
I agree with one of the comments that says, "...Obama needs to tend to the faithful a little more and the beltway, a little less."

- sent by Brian Banks

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David Brooks - The Harlem Miracle - NYTimes.com

Yes, we can educate our kids. Checkout 60 Minutes story and David Brooks column about success of Harlem Children Zone. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5890448n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/opinion/08brooks.html (sent via shareaholic)

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ComingSoon.net: Movie Trailers, New Movies, Upcoming Movies, 2009 Movies, Films, DVDs, TV, Videos, Clips

2 news movies I am looking forward to seeing this X-mas Invictus and The Blind Side show black people as more than boys in the hood. What is John Singleton doing by the way? Also looking forward to The Princess and the Frog which also features one of Disney's first major black characters. It is important for all kids to see positive black role models on the big screen. Arguably, part of President Obama's appeal to youth is due to Bill Cosby's appeal as Dr. Huxtable. Which raises a question, what up with TV? Other than cable where are major, nee lead black characters?

Link: http://www.comingsoon.net/ (sent via shareaholic)

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'Muslim President' Hates Charlie Brown: Tenn. Mayor - Obama's West Point speech forced postponement of Christmas special

The craziness of birthers, teabaggers, extreme right-wingers, etc is encouraging even more nuttiness and is a very visible sign of how the continuing decline of American education is really our biggest danger. We need to find a way to make college affordable, provide preschool and tutoring/mentoring; and to improve k-12 education for all, if we want to globally compete economically,  and to maintain the democratic ideals that make our system of governance great.  Unfortunately, many of our leaders, despite being well educated themselves, choose to cater to the crazies rather than rejecting the stupidity.


http://www.newser.com/story/75479/muslim-president-hates-charlie-brown-tenn-mayor.html?utm_source=addthis&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=story

shared via http://addthis.com

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SNL Tiger Sketch a Bit Sketchy - Host Blake Lively not awful, Rihanna scores with 'Shy Ronnie'

While I agree domestic violence is not a laughing matter, especially on a show featuring Rihanna, I thought this was funny even though I am a Tiger fan.

http://www.newser.com/story/75529/snl-tiger-sketch-a-bit-sketchy.html?utm_source=addthis&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=story

shared via http://addthis.com

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Op-Ed Columnist - May It All Come True - NYTimes.com

Americans and Afghans share a common frustration with their leaders, many of whom seem "...dysfunctional and massively corrupt — focused more on extracting revenues for private gain than on governing..." I say ENOUGH 

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/opinion/06friedman.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (sent via shareaholic)

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Saturday, December 5, 2009

Zakaria: Obama the Realist | Newsweek Politics | Newsweek.com

"It is now clear that Obama is attempting something quite ambitious—to reorient American foreign policy to-ward something less extravagant and adversarial."


http://www.newsweek.com/id/225824?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A newsweek%2FTopNews %28UPDATED - Newsweek Top Stories%29&utm_content=Google Feedfetcher (via shareaholic)

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In Defense Of Desiree Rogers: Axelrod Says Social Secretary Is Getting Bum Rap

Enough with the stupid and fake issues, "...she serves at the pleasure of the President and First Lady and THEY know they didn't hire her to provide security."

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/05/in-defense-of-desiree-rog_n_381294.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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Shakira on Importance of Early-Childhood Education | Newsweek International | Newsweek.com

An Example of Real Leadership, by one of the world's stars

 http://www.newsweek.com/id/225652?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A newsweek%2FTopNews %28UPDATED - Newsweek Top Stories%29&utm_content=Google Feedfetcher (via shareaholic)

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Obama Says Recovery Efforts Come Before Deficit Reduction

"Obama said he believes that the best way to reduce the deficit is through economic growth"

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Tiger's real crime? Not playing the media's game - Jason Whitlock

Whitlock is right, "This is all a bad joke. This whole affair highlights why the mainstream media have lost the public's trust. We don't deserve it. We're controlled by hidden agendas."

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No Increase in Brain Tumors Seen From Cell Phones -- HealthDay

Whew: http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633702 (via shareaholic)

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Elizabeth Warren: America Without a Middle Class

Families today spend less than they did a generation ago on food, clothing, furniture, appliances, and other flexible purchases -- but it hasn't been enough to save them. Today's families have spent all their income, have spent all their savings, and have gone into debt to pay for college, to cover serious medical problems, and just to stay afloat a little while longer.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-warren/america-without-a-middle_b_377829.html?igoogle=1 (via shareaholic)

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5 Worst Cities in America for Urban Youth, Beyond The Bricks - Educational Crisis for Black Boys, Our Children Are at War and Are Losing Badly

bsplogo

These are the worst cities in America for urban youth.  How did they get that way and who is doing anything to change them? And why hasn't President Obama responded to this crisis in America?
 
 
The 5 Worst Cities In America
for Urban Youth
 
By R.L. Donovan / November 10th, 2009
 
In its commitment to calling attention to the Obama Administration's continued neglect of urban America, ScoopDaily has compiled a list of the 5 worst cities for urban youth.  Particular attention is paid to high-school graduation rates, infant mortality rates, unemployment rates, juvenile justice incarceration, and the amount of jobs created in relation to funds received by the Recovery Act.
 
5. Cleveland, OH
With a high school graduation rate of 34%, the city of Cleveland has among the lowest graduation rates in the country-this according to the America's Promise Alliance. In the most recent annual report filed by Cleveland's Juvenile Division of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, a total of 11,254 "Delinquency and Unruly" cases were filed.  African-American youth made up 64% of individual offenders, the highest of any minority group.  Moreover, the city's unemployment rate stands at 8.3%.  After typing in Cleveland's zip code of 44101 at Recovery.gov, over $27,000,000 in Recovery Act funds has been received, with zero jobs created to show for it.
 
4. Baltimore, MD
At 41%, Baltimore's high school graduation rate lands it on the list of Cities in Crisis compiled by America's Promise Alliance.  According to the State of Maryland's recent annual report of Juvenile Services, African-American youth made up more than 43% of those placed in Juvenile Detention Facilities, 47% of Out-Of-Home Placements, and 80% of those placed in Shelter Care Programs, the highest of any group.  Among  Baltimore's recent data on Maternal and Infant Health, African-American infants had the highest mortality rate (15.5 per 1000 live births) of any group. Currently the city's unemployment rate stands at 7.6%. Recovery.gov shows that over $113,000,000 in funds have been dispersed for Baltimore's zip code of 21202; some 202 jobs have been created for this area.
 
3. Atlanta, GA
At 44%, the City of Atlanta also boasts one of the nation's lowest graduation rates, landing it in the same pool of Cities in Crisis.  The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice reports that for Atlanta's Fulton County, African-American youth made up over 93% of total intake for unique youth served for criminal offenses; over 92% of admissions for criminal offenses; over 92% of releases for criminal offenses committed; over 96% of the average daily population for criminal offenses; and over 95% of child care days served for criminal defenses.  This past summer, The Atlanta Department of Police's Gang Unit has identified some 50 youth gangs in the city, notwithstanding the surrounding suburbs-this according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  The city's unemployment rate stands at 10.5%, more than the nation's current employment rate of 10.2%.  According to Recovery.gov, the Atlanta zip code of 30354 has received over $42,000,000 in funds, but only 30 jobs have been created.
 
2. Detroit, MI
The motor city presents a dismal high school graduation rate of 38% according to America's Promise Alliance; it too is struggling with the same educational challenges as Atlanta, Baltimore, and Cleveland.  According to the most recent executive summary of juvenile statistics published by the Michigan Department of Human Services, Detroit's Wayne County is at the top of the list of counties identified for targeted intervention due to a high juvenile crime arrest rate over a period of 5 years, and a high prevalence of arrests in the most recent year of documented juvenile justice data.  Statewide, African-American youth comprise almost 50% of arrested juveniles.  Detroit is also known to be one of the most violent cities, rated as the nation's murder capital by Forbes.  The FBI reports 17,428 instances of violent crime out of a population of 905,783, in their most recent published data on U.S. Crime. Michigan Higher Education Land Policy Consortium reports that Detroit has an infant mortality rate of 15.4 per 1000 live births.  The city's unemployment rate stands at a staggering 17.3%.  For Detroit's zipcode of 48201, more than $20,000,000 in Recovery Act funds has been received, with only 67 jobs having been created.
 
1. Chicago, IL
With the highest graduation rate of the 5, Chicago still barely manages to graduate more than half of its Urban District students with a high school graduation rate of 55.7%-this according to the special analytic report on high school graduation published by America's Promise Alliance.  According to the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority's most recent annual report, almost 300,000 youth live in poverty in Chicago's Cook County. Over 26,000 crimes against youth have been reported.  Over 31,000 youth in Cook County have been arrested for criminal offenses; and of those arrested, 72% were African-American youth, the highest of any minority group.  Chicago's struggle with youth violence has received national attention over the past year.  In the previous academic school year, 36 Chicago-area students have been killed, with the recent death of 16-year old Derrion Albert receiving the most national attention.  According to the most recent data on Infant Mortality by the Cook County Department of Public Health, African-Americans have a mortality rate of 14.7 per 1000 births, also the highest of any racial group.  Chicago's unemployment rate stands at 10%. For Chicago's zipcode of 60603, more than $800,000,000 in Recovery Act funds has been received, with a dismal 19 jobs created.
 
************************************************************
 
Please click here to tell President Obama that you are not happy with the lack of support from the White House on the issues of urban youth in America and ask him to work with The Black Star Project to fix these problems.
Beyond the Bricks Broadcasts America's Education Crisis for Black Boys
 
The Association of Black Foundation Executives features Shawn Dove from Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement 
Guest Columnist

Black Star Logo

 
By Shawn Dove
 
Campaign Manager for the Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement

While attending the recent Schott Foundation for Public Education's Opportunity To Learn Summit one of the speakers asserted that responding to the education crisis of Black boys in America is the civil rights challenge of today's generation. And while a complex web of inequities and disparities exist that force Black boys and men to the bottom of almost every success indicator in America, it's not hard to agree that the deplorable educational outcomes are at the heart of the systemic problem preventing Black boys from realizing their full potential in American society.

The current education crisis is like a slow drip Katrina; the likes of a category 5 hurricane that steadily erodes not only the schooling conditions of Black boys, but too many low-income students of every gender and all races attending under-resourced schools across the country. Yet, the slow-drip Katrina metaphor does not come with constant CNN clips of Black male students standing on school rooftops across America holding up signs that read "please save me," reminiscent of the TV news images of Hurricane Katrina victims.

Consequently, education advocates are more and more becoming masters of their own media, broadcasting the opportunities and achievement gaps within the public education system for Black boys - sounding an alarm and shining the light on the educational slow drip Katrina that, in its totality, presents a perfect storm for fueling the school-to-prison pipeline.

The Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement was conceived to help improve the life outcomes of Black men and boys, with the premise that if America transforms the structural opportunities and outcomes of its most marginalized individuals it will improve the life outcomes of all its citizens. Two of the core goals of the Campaign are to integrate strategic communications across its three foundational grantmaking areas of Education, Family and Work to promote positive frames and messages about Black men and boys and to ensure that Black boys have the opportunity to excel academically, to prepare for college, and to learn skills essential to earning a living wage.

The Campaign is committed to cultivating philanthropic partners and making strategic investments in organizations to achieve these goals, so it made sense for us to support the recent Newark, New Jersey and New York City premieres and panel discussions of the film Beyond the Bricks. A 30-minute documentary produced by Koen & Washington Media, Bricks explores solutions to the poor academic performance and low graduation rates of school-aged Black males in the United States. The film follows two students from Newark, New Jersey, as they struggle against the school system to improve their educational circumstances, and includes interviews with educators, researchers, administrators, elected officials and activists who offer their ideas for solutions to the crisis facing Black boys.

Bricks illuminate a web of issues such as zero tolerance push out policies; school violence; absent fathers and the lack of innovative classroom engagement strategies that fuel America's school-to-prison pipeline. In addition to portraying the problems, Bricks also uplifts the solutions and the policy advocacy levers that help the two strikingly bright young men featured in the film to get back on track with pursuing their education goals.

But the real power and beauty of new films like Beyond the Bricks and Bring Your A Game, the 21st Century Foundation's cinematic clarion call to adolescent Black males to focus more on educational achievement as the pathway to adult success, is their potential to be catalysts for community mobilization, advocacy action campaigns and policy change conversations. For example, during a recent trip to Chicago, Phillip Thomas, senior program officer for the Chicago Community Trust, excitedly shared with me how A Game was being used as an organizing and advocacy tool in several Chicago neighborhoods.

Judging from the capacity crowd attendance for the Bricks viewings, the documentary is another welcomed media tool that can fuel education reform. It is critical that philanthropy continues to support arts and culture, media and technology that stimulate social change. Films like Beyond the Bricks are created with a vision beyond the viewing. The lasting impact and catalyst for change Bricks brings to its audience emerges after the closing credits when the action steps are made to stop America's slow-drip Katrina.

___________________________________________________________________
 
About ABFE
 
The Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) holds the distinction of being the first of the Council on Foundations 38 Affinity Groups.  We were established in 1971, and since then the organization has grown into an independent membership organization that counts among its members the most influential staff, trustees and donors of grantmaking institutions that promote effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities.
 
For nearly four decades ABFE has been a trailblazer for championing the interests of Black communities within the philanthropic sector. While we celebrate this history and influence, we also recognize that Black communities and the philanthropic leaders who serve those communities still face institutional and structural barriers that often hinder efforts to leverage philanthropy's powerful tools for positive, enduring social change.

Today, along with our members and supporters across the country we continue the urgent work that advances our mission in the field of philanthropy. 
 
What is ABFE's mission?
ABFE's mission is to promote effective and responsive philanthropy in Black communities.
 
What is ABFE's philosophy?
Our members and supporters, by way of the work they do and the role they play in philanthropy, are catalyst for advancing philanthropic practices that build on a tradition of self-help, empowerment and excellence to solve the challenges faced in Black communities.  
 
How Does ABFE Meet Its Goals?
To meet our goals and objectives, ABFE focuses on the following approaches:
  • We create professional training programs and initiatives, such as our Connecting Leaders Fellows program, to develop leadership and talent. 
  • We support the sharing of Best Practices for Supporting Diverse and Inclusive Leadership. 
  • We convene and sponsor high-engagement learning opportunities for active members.
  • We prepare and distribute a series of annual briefing papers that identify priority issues in Black communities and make recommendations for strategic philanthropic investments to address those issues.
  • We strengthen our collaborations with key affinity groups, regional Black philanthropic networks, and nonprofit organizations to leverage our collective institutional influence, effectiveness, and impact in Black communities.

The War Between Black Children and the World in Which They Live

This war that our children are fighting against each other in the schools they attend, and against the communities in which they live, started for them in their homes. It can only be stopped in their homes.
 
COMMENTARY:
 
The War Between Black Children and the World in Which They Live
 
by Phillip Jackson, first published in 2005 
 
Many Black children and students are socially and emotionally out of control and are choosing violence and aggression as a way to solve problems in the world in which they live. They swear, fight, vandalize, challenge authority and exhibit other overly-aggressive behaviors.  Too many of these children have little respect for authority and no fear of consequences for their actions.

 
They do not fear or respect clergy, teachers, their parents or even the police nor will they listen to well-meaning adults or respond to positive guidance. In some schools in the United States, the daily classroom environment is a war zone with the possibility of crippling, and sometimes deadly, violence amongst the children themselves and the world in which they live.
 
In Chicago, a study by the Advancement Project entitled "Education on Lockdown: The Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track" reports that in the public school system of more than 400,000 students, 29,700 students were suspended in the 2002-2003 school year and possibly up to 3,000 students were expelled in the 2003-2004 school year. But both of these figures pale in comparison to a reported 8,539 youths arrested in 2003. These arrests included about seventy 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds; hundreds of pre-teens; and thousands of 14- to 16-year olds. While Black students constitute 50% of the student enrollment, they comprised 76% of the suspensions, 78% of the expulsions and 77% of those arrested, mostly young Black males.

Black Star Logo

When children and students are not cooperative, self-managed and self-disciplined, they cannot effectively learn. Teachers are being asked to be social workers, disciplinarians and police officers as well as teachers. With this expectation, there is no way that they can be successful in any of these roles, especially that of teacher! In many schools, the school day is spent on containment rather than enlightenment. It is no coincidence that the student populations with the highest suspension, expulsion and arrest rates have the lowest reading, math and writing scores, and lowest graduation rates.

School districts across the country are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on security that should be spent on education enhancements. Calling the police, hopefully a last resort, is not an effective way to manage students who misbehave. Police officers are not trained as social workers or disciplinarians. They are trained in crowd control and in pre-incarceration tactics and operations.

Black Star Logo
The solution to the problem of violence among Black children does not lie predominantly with schools, police or jails. This problem cannot be solved by government or social service agencies by themselves. This war that our children are fighting against each other in the schools they attend, and against the communities in which they live, started for them in their homes. It can only be stopped in their homes. While educators, society and government all have a role, it must be acknowledged that the parents, families and communities of these youths hold the key to stopping violence in our schools and communities. 

Parents, families and communities must establish a new culture with new standards and new expectations that allow and encourage Black students to succeed in mainstream American society without violence and physical aggression. A national infrastructure must be created to manage the resources, programs, ideas and people who can solve this problem. Programs and good intentions cannot fix this problem. The solution needs to be comprehensive, systemic, well-conceived, well-funded and well-executed.  

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The best school safety solutions start in the homes and the communities of the children. The best disciplinarian for a child is the cultural framework of mutual respect and self-discipline taught to children at a young age by their parents and the community in which they live. The best mentors for children are loving, nurturing and caring parents.  Black boys and girls need to be to be in the presence of strong, positive Black men and women if they are to follow a similar path in life. If your school or community is not utilizing these kinds of solutions to eliminate violence and improve academic performance, it has become a disservice to the children and the community it is suppose to serve and part of the overall problem of violence among our youth. 

Phillip Jackson is executive director of the Chicago-based Black Star Project. For information, call 773-285-9600, email blackstar1000@ameritech.net or visit our www.blackstarproject.org.

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Please click here to tell President Obama that you are not happy with the lack of support from the White House on the issues of urban youth in America and ask him to work with The Black Star Project to fix these problems. 

34.5 percent of young African American men are unemployed

  
 
Blacks hit hard by economy's punch
 
34.5 percent of young African American men are unemployed
 
By V. Dion Haynes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
 
These days, 24-year-old Delonta Spriggs spends much of his time cooped up in his mother's one-bedroom apartment in Southwest Washington, the TV blaring soap operas hour after hour, trying to stay out of the streets and out of trouble, held captive by the economy. As a young black man, Spriggs belongs to a group that has been hit much harder than any other by unemployment.
 
Joblessness for 16-to-24-year-old black men has reached Great Depression proportions -- 34.5 percent in October, more than three times the rate for the general U.S. population. And last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment in the District, home to many young black men, rose to 11.9 percent from 11.4 percent, even as it stayed relatively stable in Virginia and Maryland.
 
His work history, Spriggs says, has consisted of dead-end jobs. About a year ago, he lost his job moving office furniture, and he hasn't been able to find steady work since. This summer he completed a construction apprenticeship program, he says, seeking a career so he could avoid repeating the mistake of selling drugs to support his 3-year-old daughter. So far the most the training program has yielded was a temporary flagger job that lasted a few days.
"I think we're labeled for not wanting to do nothing -- knuckleheads or hardheads," said Spriggs, whose first name is pronounced Dee-lon-tay. "But all of us ain't bad."
 
Construction, manufacturing and retail experienced the most severe job losses in this down economy, losses that are disproportionately affecting men and young people who populated those sectors. That is especially playing out in the District, where unemployment has risen despite the abundance of jobs in the federal government.
 
Traditionally the last hired and first fired, workers in Spriggs's age group have taken the brunt of the difficult economy, with cost-conscious employers wiping out the very apprenticeship, internship and on-the-job-training programs that for generations gave young people a leg up in the work world or a second chance when they made mistakes. Moreover, this generation is being elbowed out of entry-level positions by older, more experienced job seekers on the unemployment rolls who willingly trade down just to put food on the table.
 
The jobless rate for young black men and women is 30.5 percent. For young blacks -- who experts say are more likely to grow up in impoverished racially isolated neighborhoods, attend subpar public schools and experience discrimination -- race statistically appears to be a bigger factor in their unemployment than age, income or even education. Lower-income white teens were more likely to find work than upper-income black teens, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, and even blacks who graduate from college suffer from joblessness at twice the rate of their white peers.
 
Young black women have an unemployment rate of 26.5 percent, while the rate for all 16-to-24-year-old women is 15.4 percent.
 
Victoria Kirby, 22, has been among that number. In the summer of 2008, a D.C. publishing company where Kirby was interning offered her a job that would start upon her graduation in May 2009 from Howard University. But the company withdrew the offer in the fall of 2008 when the economy collapsed.
 
Kirby said she applied for administrative jobs on Capitol Hill but was told she was overqualified. She sought a teaching position in the D.C. public schools through the Teach for America program but said she was rejected because of a flood of four times the usual number of applicants.
 
Finally, she went back to school, enrolling in a master's of public policy program at Howard. "I decided to stay in school two more years and wait out the recession," Kirby said.
 
On a tightrope
 
The Obama administration is on a tightrope, balancing the desire to spend billions more dollars to create jobs without adding to the $1.4 trillion national deficit. Yet some policy experts say more attention needs to be paid to the intractable problems of underemployed workers -- those who like Spriggs may lack a high school diploma, a steady work history, job-readiness skills or a squeaky-clean background.
 
"Increased involvement in the underground economy, criminal activity, increased poverty, homelessness and teen pregnancy are the things I worry about if we continue to see more years of high unemployment," said Algernon Austin, a sociologist and director of the race, ethnicity and economy program at the Economic Policy Institute, which studies issues involving low- and middle-income wage earners.
 
Earlier this month, District officials said they will use $3.9 million in federal stimulus funds to provide 19 weeks of on-the-job training to 500 18-to-24-year-olds. But even those who receive training often don't get jobs.
 
"I thought after I finished the [training] program, I'd be working. I only had three jobs with the union and only one of them was longer than a week," Spriggs, a tall slender man wearing a black Nationals cap, said one afternoon while sitting at the table in the living room/dining room in his mother's apartment. "It has you wanting to go out and find other ways to make money. . . . [Lack of jobs is why] people go out hustling and doing what they can to get by."
 
"Give me a chance to show that I can work. Just give me a chance," added Spriggs, who is on probation for drug possession. "I don't want to think negative. I know the economy is slow. You got to crawl before you walk. I got to be patient. My biggest problem [which prompted the effort to sell drugs] is not being patient."
 
The economy's seismic shift has been an equal-opportunity offender, hurting various racial and ethnic groups, economic classes, ages, and white- and blue-collar job categories. Nevertheless, 16-to-24-year-olds face heavier losses, with a 19.1 percent unemployment rate, about nine points higher than the national average for the general population.
 
Their rate of employment in October was 44.9 percent, the lowest level in 61 years of record keeping, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment for men in their 20s and early 30s is at its lowest level since the Great Depression, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies.
 
Troubling consequences
 
Unemployment among young people is particularly troubling, economists say, because the consequences can be long-lasting. This might be the first generation that does not keep up with its parents' standard of living. Jobless teens are more likely to be jobless twenty-somethings. Once forced onto the sidelines, they likely will not catch up financially for many years. That is the case even for young people of all ethnic groups who graduate from college. 
 
Lisa B. Kahn, an economics professor at Yale University who studied graduates during recessions in the 1980s, determined that the young workers hired during a down economy generally start off with lower wages than they otherwise would have and don't recover for at least a decade.
 
"In your first job, you're accumulating skills on how to do the job, learning by doing and getting training. If you graduate in a recession, you're in a [lesser] job, wasting your time," she said. "Once you switch into the job you should be in, you don't have the skills for that job."
 
Some studies examining how employers review black and white job applicants suggest that discrimination may be at play.
 
"Black men were less likely to receive a call back or job offer than equally qualified white men," said Devah Pager, a sociology professor at Princeton University, referring to her studies a few years ago of white and black male job applicants in their 20s in Milwaukee and New York. "Black men with a clean record fare no better than white men just released from prison." 
 

The Black Star Project's Fathers Club
Invites Fathers and their Children (and Mothers) to See Women's College Basketball at Its Best!!! 
Calling All Fathers, Stepfathers, Foster Fathers, Grandfathers, Godfathers, Uncles, Brothers and Male Caregivers!
 
Join
The Black Star Project's
Fathers Club

To see
 

 
versus

            Black Star Logo           
 
 
The University of Illinois Chicago Flames versus the Dayton Flyers Women Basketball Game
Monday, November 30, 2009

7:00 pm 
at
The Chicago Pavilion
525 S. Racine Street
(500 south and 1200 west)
 Chicago, Illinois
Free Admission!!! 

This is a fantastic opportunity to bond with
your children and to see two of the top women's college basketball teams in America.
 
Men and women of all races, ethnicities and faith backgrounds may and should attend this event with their children.
 
If you would like to attend, please RSVP with Bruce at The Black Star Project at (773)285-9600 by 3:00 pm on Monday, November 30, 2009 and please also call him for more information about the Fathers Club. 
 

Please pick up your tickets at 6:15 pm at the Pavilion

Join The Black Star Project's Fathers Club at the Chicago Children's Museum on Saturday, December 12, 2009

Join The Black Star Project's Fathers Club for our pre-holiday outing at the Chicago Children's Museum.  Admission is FREE to fathers and their children (and  mothers and their children). 

The Black Star Project's Fathers Club
The Chicago Children's Museum
Saturday December 12, 2009.
From 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
700 East Grand Avenue at Navy Pier
Chicago, Illinois
 
 
Please call Bruce at the Black Star Project, 773.285.9600, to RSVP your tickets.  Tickets are limited, so call ASAP.  Transportaiton can be provided in some instances. Please inquire. 
 
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Special Exhibits:



   
Open through March 1
Where can you build a snow fort, throw snowballs, dress up a snowman, and ice skate inside? Chicago Children's Museum, of course! Snow Much Fun-CCM's much-loved winter celebration-features more frosty fun and cool inspiration than ever this year!


 
 
 
 
 
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Open through January 3
Are you ready for the ultimate fort-building experience? Chicago Children's Museum has everything you need to make a cool and cozy space that's all your own. You can't build these forts at home!


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The Black Star Project | 3473 South King Drive, Box 464 | Chicago | IL | 60616

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