Remember what Mahatma Gandhi said.

I'm not a proponent of fowarding e-mails around. I'm more one who talks about something I've read to see if others have too, and if not, I'll foward the link then.

Today a got an email via the IGRAB listserve that was a link to a story from ESPN.com. Of course, being a sentimental sap, this story really moved me.

Personally, it reminds me of why I try to be a better person. Yet it shows me how far we have come as humans.

As an aside, here's an example of how far we still need to go. Under the auspices of the Diversity Alliance, Penn launched the Diversity Alliance Speaker Series which is designed to expose the Penn community to the rich and varied accomplishments of its graduates through inviting alumni representing one or more of the Diversity Alliance member organizations to speak about their areas of professional expertise and their personal experiences.

A reply that the Diversity Alliance got from a metro-Philadelphian just charmed me.

I think Penn should devote more time and attention to traditional Western values and culture and less to this "diversity" nonsense.

Signed , listing his three Penn degrees in years 1959, 1963, 1965

Sure, I'd like to see Honkey Studies myself, maybe a minor in Cracker Studies or Haole Studies. But, seriously folks, most of colleagate traditions from schools that aren't historically black collleges or universities are permeated from straight white men. Just show up on campus, BAM, White Studies!

So back to my originally string, please read The brilliant life of Anthony Castro by LZ Granderson. It's stories like these that reaffirms my trust in my motto taken from Leon Uris's Redemption:

[I learned that a]ll men have a measure of cowardice in them. I learned that love of one's mates can overcome your fears. I learned that every survivor of this horror must try to live a good life because he lives for many men.

Congrats, Uncle Frank!

My uncle recently retired from the Camden Police Department and the story made a nice piece in the Courier Post (the local Camden and Camden County newspaper.) It's a brief update, but I wanted to share the news story with you.

Better Late Then Pregnant

So by the start of week 5, I finished week 4 of my gym routine: shoulders, legs and arms. I should be able to do all of week 5 this week.

Now, I'm adding some core training into the mix. So on my days-off, I'll just wake up to do some ab excerises. I googled core exercises and this good link from the Mayo Clinic came up.

I've noticed that I'm pushing myself more. I'll add 5 or 10 more pounds to each set, and I can barely do it, but the amount that almost killed me last week is now the weight I use for my second to last set. Though I can't say I see any changes, but I'm not looking for the hard. Some others have said they've noticed a change, so I hope it's happening and I'm just ignorant of it.

Regardless, I'm glad that I was able to jump back on the bandwagon. This week with my mom's surgery really threw off my schedule. (And I'm glad to report that mom's been cutting down her pain medication rather rapidly.)

I really need this [class]//Please, God, I need this [class]!

So, I've gone to my first class in about 10 years. The class is a writen seminar and the teacher seems to have a wonderful following.

It was really exciting to be in an learning environment again. Now, will I get in? I'm not enrolled in the Masters in Liberal Arts, yet. So I'm not a priority for getting into the class, but I don't know how low on the pecking order I am. So I have a wish and a pray... and it left me signing modified A Chorus Line.

I have to work the rest of the week to find out if I'm in. If not, I'm going to see what else the teacher is teaching this semester and fit into that in lieu of this memoir class.

Vivat Academia.

Memoirs of a Gay-shah

I am seriously working on taking a class this sememster. I have filled out the first round of paperwork, and now I'm trying to get permission to take English 435 - Writing and Remembering: a Memoir Workshop.

According to the online class description:

This workshop will help both new and experienced writers explore the elements that go into creating an effective memoir - the storytelling that allows writers to recreate for their readers the events that helped them shape their inner lives and sense of self. Through exercises and assignments, students will tap into their memories and imagination and learn how not only to validate the stories and the themes of their own lives, but how to write vividly about them. We will focus on details, pace and tone, as well as on revision and on the ethics of how to write "truth" when it may have an impact other people's lives. We will also mine a deeper understanding of the craft by reading from a wide range of writers, including Joan Didion, Maxine Hong Kingston, Barbara Kingsolver, John Edgar Wideman, William Zinsser, Tobias Wolfe, James Baldwin and Jamaica Kincaid. In addition to in-class writing, students will be asked to maintain writing journals, participate in workshop discussions and peer review, and write and revise work on a weekly basis.

So don't be surprised if I vet my writing on my blog, or if I use my blog for the journal writing. Regardless, I plan to use my blog to flush out my writing tasks -- either as a medium to work on them or as a place for me to comment on my program. Also, stay tuned because my application essays might show up on my blog for public consumption.

Let it Blog, Let it Blog, Let it Blog

It's so difficult to return to work and actually work today. So I've been deleting the spam in my work inbox, responding to those legitamite e-mails and reading my friends' and family's blogs -- one blog at a time.

Today on South Philly Dad, I learned that my friend Jeff sends Christmas cards to Ed Rendell, Dolly Parton and Bill Clinton. Also, while pondering his unborn child's future accent, I learned that I am spot on for Philadelphia accent.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. If you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Inland North
The South
The Northeast
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The West
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Angry Little Tank has his year in review. Since I was around for one or two of the events in his life, it was nice to reminisce.

Blankbaby has always been consistant in provide almost daily content on the web. Some of the recent highlights include the International Smokeless Barbeque for my brother's birthday -- that was some GOOD eats, albeit you cook the food yourself -- and Blankbaby's mention of having "a few glasses of champagne and [feeling] alright. :)" Oh, Blankbaby, I was there and you had more than a few glasses of the bubbly. I was proud.

My brother revamped AARRGGHH!! using some new programming platform. I sometimes wish I knew IT to English. I also learned five things I didn't know about him. I knew three of them. Also I discovered that I was tagged and was supposed to do the same. Tomorrow is another day.

A Woman on the Verge confessed that an upcoming review of 2006 will soon be on her blog and hopefully trademarked as the CWV Year In Review. I'm on pins and needles waiting!

My other personally-read blogs are in need of updating. It's so exciting to be back at work.

(P.S. I didn't go to the gym this morning. I'm planning on doing that tonight.)

Happy New Year 2007

Well, I didn't live up to my goal of 100 posts for 2006, but I tried. Is that what resolutions are all about? Working on being better?

Quickly, I wanted to get my first post of 2007 up on 1/1/07. I have had good 2006 and my blog has really helped me improve.

So, it's back to the gym tomorrow. (I've hit the gym 3x a week for the last two weeks and I'm working on some muscle groups in 8 week cycles. That keeps me there.) Here's two drinking 8 glasses of water. I will be working on my book ideas, and I'm signing up for a class working toward the MLA.

Happy New Year and here's to a year's worth of learning more about yourself and liking it.