The Great Debaters

I am not sure why, but it seems as if I always watch movies or TV shows way after it is first broadcast. I am a member of Blockbuster Online, so every so often [depending on when I mail a movie back] I get a new movie. In May, I received 'The Great Debaters'. Because of my lack of free time and my enormous time spent at work, I never had time to sit and actually watch the movie. Since I received the movie in May, my mom seen the movie like 4 times, with her last time being my first time watching it. Since I was always asked by her if I seen the movie and taunted when I responded 'no', I made it my point to see it. About a week ago was my first time seeing the movie. Needless to say, I loved it. It was well worth the two hours plastered in front of the TV.

My favorite lyrics of the movie was quoted when Denzel was in the canoe boat and all of his debaters was by the river side with walnuts in their mouths. They proclaimed "Who is the judge? The judge is God. Why? Because he decides whether I win or lose, not my opponent. Who is your opponent? He doesn't exist. Why does he not exist? Because he is just a mere dissenting voice to the truth I speak."

Those words have so much power behind them. This world is full of false-judgers. Those who would rather look through a window instead of a mirror. In my opinion, most of the crime, self-hatred, and evil-tasks are done as a result of judgers. Youths nowadays feel as if they have to keep up with their peers. They feel as if the voice of their peers is the deciding voice. That quote represents truth. It says no matter what you do or try to do or even hope to do, God is the answer. God is the only one who says what you do is right or wrong. Only God can make that decision because only God is real. It also states that ones' opponent is the opposite of which they speak, stated simply a state of mind.

Great Debaters teaches truth, sacrifice, history, and love to all those that watches it. It depicts what is hidden from most movies that tries to exhibit the past. In most movies, African Americans are represented as lower class, uneducated, and law-breakers. In this movie, the intelligence that was hidden came to light. It depicted the trails and tribulations that African American went through as well as showing the meaning of true legacy.

All African American youth should see this movie. It shows that the true, the proud, and those that persevere always conquer. It didn't matter what obstacle was placed in their way, those on the Wiley debate team saw it, conquered it, and kept going for their goal.

"Anything can put you down, but only you can keep you down"

The world is full of obstacles and no one is exempt from them, but the true test is how that obstacle is treated.

Google MAPS!!

I just ran across something and I HAD to share. Me and my boyfriend [don't get any crazy ideas we are also getting married] are currently looking for a house. And every one knows about this current house market, ecomony, etc so we just want to get it right. Anyways.. There is this website called www.goscoutshomes.com. On there you simply type in your preferences [num of bedrooms/bathrooms, fireplace, approx sq ft, etc] and then they show you a long list of all the houses that fit your criteria in the house market within your specified search limit. Well, like on all sites, they show you a 'few' pictures of the houses. Some only show you the inside, some shows just the back yard or front yard, and some have this tiny picture of the front of the house.

Because of the fair supply of pics, a semi-interested home buyer will have to hop in their cars, spend $25 on gas [just to go most likely around the block], arrive to the house, then ride home filled with mixed emotions cause the house or even the neighborhood was way under par and the drive and gas it took to get there was a complete waste. Or to some house buyers worst nightmare, they see a picture of a house online that they loved and rush to their cars as if to be united with the home of their dreams. BUT instead they are placed face-to-housefront with something that looks nothing like their picture and again is forced to go home with mixed emotions..

WELL, TO ALL HOME BUYERS:: I have a solution..... GOOGLE MAPS.. With the addition of the street view feature, you can now see the actual house WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR HOUSE. You are not dreaming so please stop pinching yourself and you can also stop trying to adjust your computer screen cause you read it correctly. With Google Maps, you can actually see the front of the house and as an added bonus you can even check out a few neighbors [I can't speak for everyone, but neighbors will make or break my buy]..

All you have to do is type in the address you got from your home search engine. And then VIOLA!!! a dialog box will open showing you a current picture of the house. Then if you click on that picture, you can scroll down the street to check out the side of the house and the other neighbors.

But the trip part is, Google Maps street view pictures are updated constantly. You have no worries of seeing a picture from the 1990s cause from my research, Google Maps was updated sometime in April 2008.

So consider your prayers answered. Now you can save on gas and the potential embarassment of arriving to a house in which the picture was way off base.

Try out Google Maps [ http://maps.google.com ].. I guarantee you will love it. After you try it out, let me know how you like it..

Peace..

For all College Students

This is in response to http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/yoon/499/back-to-school-what-you-dont-need/

Ok... I agree with the non-printer. I graduated in engineering and at my school the engineers had 4 labs just for them where they could print an unlimited amount [well until it ran out of paper or ink for the day] for free. And also included in my school general fees was money for printing so each year each student paid $36 for printing which amounted to 3,600 pages of printing. I never had a printer in my dorm so I did quite well without it.

As for the iPod, there are other alternatives. I brought a mp3 player for only $30.

As for the TV, I THINK NOT!! Sure there are other alternatives, but I never tried the TV cards so I am not completely sure how they work. But if you stick your TV on top of your desk [the place where usually nothing else ever goes] or even your closet, then you will do fine. Space problem solved.

As for the Mac.. Umm... I never had one [mostly because of the price] but I am not going to knock them cause I heard that they are really good..

Now for the main controversial issue... BOOKS!! Sure you can rent general subject books from the library [english, math, etc] but once you get in your major the library is out of the question. I remember someone told me about the library thing once in my sophomore year and I spent every week going to the library to find my book checked out and hearing that the library attendant didn't know when the book would be back. So, basically, I would not suggest the library. www.half.com is through Amazon. You can buy textbooks really cheap from there. Sometimes there are also new editions on there. But please, please, please.. BUY TEXTBOOKS!!! I still look to my books as references and I graduated 2 years ago. Plus, at most schools before graduating all students have to take a department comprehensive exam. That exam includes question within a particular major that extends back to freshman year. So unless you have your books to look back on, that comprehensive exam will be a beast..

Racism in South Africa

Clip taken from Yahoo! News

The riots that broke out in South Africa in protest of racial abuse on Feb 27th, almost 16 years to the day that Nelson Mandela walked free from prison, have revealed just how distant the former president's dream of a Rainbow Nation remains from reality. The protests came in response to a video distributed on the Internet showing four white university students abusing black campus service staff by forcing them to perform a series of degrading acts, including eating food mixed with urine.

The video itself appears to have been posted as a twisted protest by racist students against plans to integrate university dorms. The video ended with an on screen message, also in Afrikaans, which translates as: "That, in the end, is what we think of integration."

Tensions have been simmering on campus over an integration policy introduced in 2008 that aims to make black and white students mix more in university hostels. At present, according to a university policy document, "on the main campus, in effect we have 'two campuses - one white and one black - separated in the classrooms and the residences." Riots erupted over the issue the week of the 27th, and on that day police used a stun grenade to disperse a mixed crowd of black and white students and staff who held a combined protest against racism on the campus.

A BLACK President -----

Well, well, well.. Here I am again after just a long hiatus, but it doesn't matter how long it takes for me to get back all that matters is that I'm back.... So.... I'm back!!!..

Anyways.. Searching the internet have become one of my beloved hobbies... From news to culture to gossip to entertainment.. I make it a purpose while at work to check out a few sites. Well, during my recent web browsing, I ran across a couple of polls and articles talking about America and the potential future Black president. One question that always pops up is 'Is America Ready for a Black President?'

My question is what makes a Black president different from a president? Why must the color of one's skin be mentioned during a political election?

Well, I have to get ready for work cause looking at the time, I will be late AGAIN... but I will discuss this in more detail later.. I just wanted to throw it out there....