Going Home

I have to admit that I've never been one to take pictures or video footage at funerals. I don't handle death very well at all, and for me, personally, I don't want memories from a day like that. But on Saturday (October 31), I attended the funeral of my great grandmother. At the end of the service, it would have been almost impossible to count the number of cell phones, cameras, and video cameras that emerged from purses and pockets all around that church. I had never seen this, and it was just absolutely...cool.

It's a little hard to tell what's going on in the video once the gentlemen reach the front of the sanctuary, but I loved the way they saluted Pe-Poppy at the end (around 2:55). He's my grandfather, for people who don't know. He was the officiator of his mother's funeral. That takes strength, my friends.

After the funeral, she was taken to the cemetery by horse and carriage, where a dove was released by her daughter, my great aunt.

Another tid bit of information:
When told of the plans for the horse and carriage, someone asked my mother, "What did she do?" Well, what many people don't realize is that she was the wife of my great grandfather, the late Dr. C.J. Johnson (1913 - 1990). You'll have no problem finding his music by Googling him or searching on YouTube, but finding more information about him and his life is a little more difficult.
Another link I found with a "mini bio"

Who Are You?

This is me on October 23 at a party at a good friend's house. You wouldn't think I was at a party from the way I'm dressed, but this is my alter ego.

Here is a snippet of the email that went out to the guests prior to the party, which helped me determine what my alter ego is:

An alter ego is a second self, a part of a person's personality which is in marked contrast with his or her regular personality. When someone behaves differently in different situations, he or she is sometimes said to have an alter ego. In fact, the adjustment of one's behavior to meet social norms and expectations could be considered a social adaptation...

My IRA would be a lot more heavily stocked if I had just a penny for every time someone has said something to me along these lines:

"You talk like a white girl."
"You're so proper."
"Where do you go to school?" (Please be sure to read that with a negative connotation.)
"There's no way you grew up in College Park."
"Oh! I forgot. You went to Landmark...(or Oglethorpe)."
"You wouldn't know anything about that."
"I see you were the only chocolate chip in the bunch once again."
"Are you sure you're Black?"

And this is what helped me determine what my alter ego is.

I dressed down...way down. I shed the pieces of myself for which I get teased. There are many situations in which I feel it necessary to do this in order to avoid criticism. I don't always alter my physical appearance, but my diction does change, I try to use more slang, I try to "be down", just to avoid the criticism that I've always gotten since I was little...from people I barely know, to family members even!

That evening was absolutely amazing! Having so many women (about 17) in one place who were so willing to be so incredibly open and honest was very refreshing. I could have cried. Most of the women there were mothers, since it was a "Sister Circle" for a Mocha Moms chapter (I had to include the picture of the t-shirt just because it's so cute! ALMOST makes me want a baby. ☺)

I'm so glad Lillian included me in this get-together, even though I'm not a mom. I was forced to really dig deep and analyze this part of me that I had never really given a lot of thought to.

More Coverage

Well, 11Alive News returned to our old neighborhood this evening for a live feed, and it was the top story for this evening's 6:00 broadcast! I am very impressed with the in-depth coverage, and am anxious to see where this leads...

Our Voices Have Been Heard

As a follow-up to my post, Ready, RESET, Go..., I'm posting the story that aired on 11Alive News last night and this morning. OUR story.

Our neighbors are the ones who prompted our decision to move at the end of June, and I can't thank them enough for it. We all moved around the same time, and they have continued to experience problems with their home (in our former neighborhood) since they moved out!! Finally, Mike had enough, and did what we had all been talking about doing for months. He took action and called a local news station, in an effort to get the attention of city officials (and the public). Thanks, Mike!

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Aside from Facebook and Twitter, I have yet to officially say anything since June 25, the day the news of Michael Jackson's death shocked so many people. One would think, from looking at my blog posts since then, that I was unaffected...and one would would be hugely mistaken.

I like to take pride in the fact that I gave Michael flowers before he died, so to speak. Last year, during my first year holding my position at work, I had the chance to pay tribute to Michael and incorporate his timeless music into several productions. I loved every minute of it! ☺ The video below (about 3 min., 30 sec.) shows clips from three broadcasts shown throughout the school (explanations below the video).

Students' faces are blurred for their protection.

1) Diversity Expo Week - March, 2009: I produced a short broadcast for each morning of that week, highlighting some aspect of diversity at the school. On this particular day, kindergarten students give a book review in front of the green screen (which explains why blurring their faces resulted in green "halos"- sorry). Posted here is the intro/outro of that broadcast.

2) Public Speaking - April, 2009: Two students took part in an after-school public speaking class. The focus of their final speeches (given in front of the school at an assembly) was how to "be extraordinary". The girl displays her smile, which is her extraordinary gift to people, while the boy exhibits his ability to make people laugh. There is no audio, other than the music. I was so excited about this particular project, because "Man in the Mirror" is my FAVORITE song, and I had been looking for a way to use it all year, so when the public speaking teacher suggested it for this project, I nearly screamed in my office! ☺

3) Earth Day Broadcast - April 22, 2009: I produced this 17-minute broadcast, and what's posted here is the intro/outro.

It's still hard to believe that Michael is actually gone. For days, I kept waiting for the big announcement that it was all a hoax, a publicity stunt for the upcoming tour, perhaps. I really wish people would let him rest in peace, but if I continue on that path, this post would be never-ending. I choose, instead, to focus on the positive, on the amazing gifts and extraordinary talent of this musical genius, whose impact will forever be unrivaled.

Michael would have been 51 years old today, and the some of the parties that are sure to take place today and throughout the night will, no doubt, be ones to speak of for years to come. This post is my tribute.

Some of my tweets following MJ's death:
June 25-1st one, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12

So What Do You Do?

As summer draws to a close, and teachers are starting to trickle back in, I'm wrapping up some fairly big projects. I can't tell you how many times, during the past year, I've been asked the question, "So what do you do?" Some ask because they truly have no idea, and they're so used to me being in the classroom. Many are still getting used to the fact that I am a year-round employee; I no longer get summers off (which, by the way, really is fine with me; I'm a much happier person during the summer now). Then there are some who ask the question with a negative connotation, assuming that I can't possibly have that much to do during the summer (or any other time, according to some). I can shake that off, though, because I was forewarned that people would think I do nothing but sit in my office and play with videos all day. But before I shake it off, I have to vent a little. Someone (at my job) actually said to me, about 2 weeks ago, "Your job is not as bad as mine." Seriously? Who says that? Ok. Done with that.

I have to shamefully admit that when this position was created 2 years ago, I also thought to myself, "There's a separate position for a webmaster? Are you kidding?" OK. Done. I admitted it.

To clarify, my position is "Webmaster & Production Studio". It's not easy to answer this question in the form of a nice, neat package. So I'm posting a screen shot of my task list for this summer:
You can't read it even if you click to enlarge it, but my primary reason for posting it is to give assurance to the people who ask with a negative connotation, that yes, I do indeed have quite a bit to do during the summer. This list does not include emails, which become tasks, but just never make it to the official task list.

Before I even write it, I know this list will not be comprehensive, but it will at least shed some light.

• Film, edit, and post (on the website) events
• Produce DVDs for major events
• Film, edit, produce special "promos" when needed. Here's one from this year (it's public on our site, so it's fine to link). The Annual Fund video was another huge project this year.
  
• Manage website users - create users, reset passwords, maintain directories, manage/control permission settings, etc.
• Upload/post videos, documents, forms, pictures, etc. when requested
• Receive online application and giving receipts and watch for duplicate submissions, in case I need to void transactions
• Maintain video/studio equipment (and calendar, for items available for check-out)
  
• Update/change main pictures on the website (flash, headers, etc.)
• Fix formatting issues for online weekly newsletter, if needed
  
• Update static content throughout website
• Change/alter/fix coding issues as they arise
• Create new forms and/or web pages (usually involving fairly complex code) when requested
• Submit requests to web developer when needed
• Design buttons (using Photoshop) for website

That should answer the question, for the most part. This summer, I also spent time creating a document in Excel, outlining summer tasks, so that next year, I'll have everything in one place. I spent quite a bit of time on it, so it gets its own space in this post as well.

Again, the goal is not for the whole thing to be read in detail. Just know that yes, I'm busy. Yes, my day does not usually end right at 4:00 (as a matter of fact, my contract does not specify hours). Yes, this year has been a learning experience, in terms of balancing work and my personal life (clearly, I'm still learning, since my tasks for work are in blue and my personal ones are in pink - in the first picture). Yes, I'm usually pretty stressed, tired, and high-strung.

But yes, I love what I do! ☺

Incredible

Most people know that I'm familiar with my share of crazy scams, but this one blew me away! The video is about 6 minutes and 25 seconds long, but it's worth watching. This would be very easy to fall victim to. It amazes me how "smart" people can be when it comes to stealing from others!

Man Steals People's Banking Information

Part of me wondered if this video gave people an idea for how to steal someone's identity, but the truth is, things like this have already been happening. I think it just helps to have our eyes re-opened every once in a while.