Someday is Today

I grew up in the south, in Memphis to be exact.  I was there in the sixties.  I participated in many non-violent protest and marches.    My mother took me and my friends along with her to many meetings at Mason Temple.  My friends and I stood outside in the vestibule when Dr. King gave his famous and final “Mountain Top” speech (since we were children we had to give our seats to grown folks.)  One common thread with all the marches, protests, and meetings was singing the song “We Shall Overcome”.  It became our mantra. 

When I saw this video, it literally made me cry.  I did not ever think that almost 50 years later our children would still be facing racism.   So it really angers me when people assume that saying “Black Lives Matter” indicates that I am anti-police.  That is a bunch of crap.    

There are good people in the world, black, brown, yellow and white and we appreciate all of the good police officers in our country who really do serve and protect.  But, let’s be real – all people are not good people.  Some people are plain mean, racist, and evil.

Here is an analogy that may help you understand why I say “Black Lives Matter”

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence states:

All men are born equally free and independent and have certain inherent natural rights of which they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; among which are the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

• In 1776 – Everyone is free – ALL LIVES MATTER  (well, except for BLACK LIVES)
• It was 107 years later in 1883 that the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves

 BLACK LIVES weren’t included in the ALL LIVES.  They should have been, but they were not.  This is all we are trying to say now.  Of course ALL LIVES should matter, but unfortunately we as Black people are still trying to make people understand that we are a part of that “ALL”.   

We shall overcome….someday. 

Betsy hits 100,000 Miles!

Every car I have owned has been named Betsy.   It is a tradition started by my step-dad, Walter “Buck” Thomas, after my parents bought me my first car in 1973.  It was an Orange and Black Chevrolet Nova.  I will never forget that day.  My mom kept sending me outside to do get stuff.  About the third time, I finally noticed a car sitting in the driveway with a BIG RED BOW on top.  Lord, I almost lost my mind.  It was the best graduation gift ever!  I ran in the house hugged everyone, got the keys and took off.  I picked up my friend Debra then headed over to Wanda’s house and picked her up. We rode around until the tank was on empty.  It wasn't until later I got back home that someone pointed out I had on house shoes!

My step-dad taught me how to take care of a car.  He told me I should change my oil every 3,000 miles, he would say “Don’t forget to change Betsy’s oil”.   He bought me a tire pressure gauge, and I can still hear him saying… “Pam check your tires, Betsy’s back left tire needs some air”.   I loved that car.  She was the first Betsy of many.

My next car came during my Charlie’s-Angels-Farrah-Fawcett phase.  I had the hairdo, so I needed the car -  it was a Mercury Cougar (Check out this old Mercury Cougar Commercial).   Next, I had an old raggedy Fiat (or as they use to say “Fix It Again Tony”), then a 1980 Toyota Corolla (with no air condition) which was OK until I moved from Oakland to Houston.  In 1985, when my son was old enough to voice that he was HOT(!!!) I traded in the Toyota for a Chevrolet Nova with air (that was a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota); a 1989 Toyota Mini Van; a 1999 Mercury Villager (that is still running, my mom has it); and finally my 2003 Lincoln Aviator.

I purchase my last Betsy in December 2002 from Texas City Lincoln Mercury, which was then owned by my good friends Don L and Wanda Wolfe.  It was the first Aviator sold from their lot, and my darling nephew Courtney was able to get the sales commission.

This Betsy has served me well. 

I was so excited when her odometer turned over to 100,000 miles that I pulled over to take a picture.  Next month she will be eleven years old and she hasn't skipped a beat.    Sometimes I just think I am ready for a new car, and Betsy has to remind me how wonderful it has been not to have had a car note for the past 7 years, and I quickly come to my senses.

Is there a new Betsy in my future?  Probably.  But in the meantime I am thankful that I have a dependable means of transportation. 

Happy 100,000 miles Betsy, you have been a faithful companion.

Movie Watch

This week I rented two movies on DVD from Redbox.

A Good Day To Die Hard

The first one was “A Good Day to Die Hard”. OMG, it was horrible!  I really liked the first Die Hard Movie, and I typically like Bruce Willis (love him in Red) but this movie sucked big time.  My husband, who normally loves movies where things go BOOM, did not like this move either.  However, he did enjoy giving me a “play by play” of all the Russian sites that he had visited when he was there.

I give this movie 1 stiletto reluctantly, because I can’t get that 1 ½ hour back.

The Host

The other movie I watched was “The Host”.  I had every good intention of going to see this movie at the theater because I really enjoyed reading the book.  I was pleasantly surprised  what a great adaptation this movie was to the book.  Although there were some subtle changes, the movie stayed true to the story-line.  If you loved the book, I think you’ll enjoy the movie.  If you didn't read the book, I am not sure if it will be as enjoyable to you.

I give this movie 5 stilettos, I only regret that I didn't see it on the big screen.

Do the Khaki Pants…..

I think that the person who invented khaki pants should be shot.  Well maybe not shot, but they  should have some severe punishment for their crime against humanity.  No one but celebrities look good in khaki pants, however it seems that everyone owns at least one pair.

My husband has a couple pairs of these dreaded pants, but I blame that on NASA.  As a rule all NASA Engineers seemed to wear khaki pants with their NASA polo shirts as an unofficial uniform (except for on Fridays, when of course they wear Hawaiian shirts).   On any day if you were to walk the Johnson Space Center campus you would see at least a hundred pair of khaki pants.  

Well, now I am working in downtown Houston , so my expectations are higher.  However, this morning when I was sitting on the bus, I saw at least 10 guys get on the bus with khaki pants - they were not cute.   When did khaki become the new black?  

On a personal mission I went in search for some cute khaki pants.  Here is what I found….


Theses pants should be shown on an episode of "What Not to Wear" or better yet "Fashion Police," for they are not too cute.

However, doing my Google search for Khakis, I found this adorable video.  It made me smile;  I bet you will smile too!

Do the Khaki Pants!

One Shoe Can Change Your Life

"One shoe can change your life." - Cinderella

I finally realized that I truly have a shoe addiction when I was packing for a weekend trip and noticed that I had an entire suitcase dedicated to shoes.  To make matters worse, when I was in search for a pair of gold shoes to pack, I realized that I had 12 pairs of gold shoes. 

Who am I, Cinderella?  No normal woman needs 12 pairs of gold shoes!  (Black shoes, yes.  Gold shoes… not so much).  This led me to look at other shoes I owned of the metallic variety.  I only have 4 pair of silver shoes and 3 pair of bronze shoes, which of course is normal.  But I cannot even count the number the black shoes I own.  There is a pair of shoes hiding somewhere in every room of my house.  I leave them around like Hansel and Gretel left bread crumbs, just in case I need to find my way to my shoe closet.  

This is not a new addiction.  I have always felt that there should be a one-on-one correspondence between one shoes and outfits.  You buy a red suit, you need some red shoes.  You buy a black dress, you need some black shoes.  You buy a black evening gown - you need another pair of black shoes, and so on.   This addiction started when I was in the crib, I never cared for those darn footies, I had my eye on a pair of shiny black patent leather shoes!

Honestly, I do not know how many pairs of shoes I own.   I stop counting them years ago.  My husband asked me is there ever a point when I will have enough shoes.  Hell-to-the-no!  I don't think so!
 

I have shoes hanging on racks, stuffed in shoe wheels (like those Oprah had on her show); stored in clear plastic shoe boxes (extending the entire length of my closet, 5 boxes deep); on the closet floor; in a clothes hamper; and hiding in the attic and garage (they are afraid I am going to sale them on eBay).  Of course there are also shoes in my desk drawer at work (one never knows when there may be a shoe emergency) and a couple of pairs in my car.

I am not a shoe snob.   I will buy shoes anywhere:  department stores, thrift stores, garage sales, online, I have even purchased shoes at Walgreens.  Once I went to the Nutcracker's Christmas Market with my friends Deon and Wanda.   When we loaded up the car, Deon and Wanda had Christmas decorations.  Pam had a pair of gold-rhinestone-studded cowboy boots.  (Oops, my gold shoe count has gone up again).  I don't discriminate, I will buy any brand from anywhere (except those dog-ass ugly SAS or Birkenstock shoes that my friend Karan use to buy, rest her soul.)   

So, what shoes are my favorites? Well I am glad you asked!

• For style, I have two pairs of Manolo Blahnik (I think these should be put on a pedestal as their rightful place in my home.)  My friend Nina gave me a pair of Manolos once and they were too large.  I tried everything to make them fit, pads, tissue, but no luck.  I think I slept with them under my pillow before I finally mailed them back to her.
• For every day,   I have a gazillion pairs on Stewart Wiseman, Nine West, BCBG, and Ann Klein shoes which are reasonably priced shoes and cute at the same time.
• For comfort, I have four pair of Fit Flops (which I feel are the most comfortable shoes on earth); 4 pair of Born, three pair of NAYA shoes and a pair of Cole Hahn Nike Air (like walking on a cloud!)
• For gold (yes, gold gets its own category), my favorites are a pair of Michael Kors that I found brand-new-with-tags at one of my favorite thrift stores (Shelley, it's the one by the railroad tracks.)

So, what shoes are on my wish list?  That would be a pair of Jimmy Choos - Ump, Ump, Ump.  I don't own any yet, but I sit around anxiously waiting for my friend Nina to discover a pair of her's that are too little for her or Syndey (and this needs to happen soon before I have to compete with Kai too.)

They say that confession is good for the soul, so I do feel better now that I have born my "sole" (get it) to you.

Now that you know my secret, I want you to know that I am not alone - my mother (Marian), and friends Nina, Deon, Shelley, Jan and Jetola are shoe-aholics also. (And … Mama, you and Nina both have purse issues too!)  

United we stand!  Divided we shop - for shoes!

 

 

5 Stilettos! - The 7" Kindle Fire HD

When I last wrote I had just ordered a Kindle Fire HD 8.9".  I had owned an original Kindle but got rid of it when I purchased my Motorola Xoom tablet. I wanted something smaller and lighter to carry in my purse for my daily commute to and from the concrete jungle.

Don't get me wrong, the Motorola Xoom is an excellent tablet, but it is not that feminine.  I mean it is a real geek's tablet, and unfortunately designed with a man in mine.  Not for us Diva-type geeks.   I did get a real cute cover though (Tuff-luv Eco-nique natural Hemp Brown, which unfortunately they don't make any more).

 (Jump at the Sun: Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

Well I kinda' feel like Goldilocks because it was ...

Too Big

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" was nearly as big as my tablet!  And weighted nearly as much!

The next one was ...

Too Small

So, I ordered a 6" Kindle Paperwhite (one of my co-workers Paul had one and it looked pretty cool).   This one is just a reader, no bells and whistles. Which works OK in addition to a tablet, but certainly is not a replacement.  It fits great in my purse, but I made the mistake of getting the one with the advertisements.  Bad decision. It kept freezing up on the ad pages, and I had to reboot to get them off the page.  So back it went.  That was several months ago.  So if you decide to get this one, I recommend that you don't get the one with the special offers.  They are not that special.

Finally one that is ...

Just Right

Last week I decided to use some of my credit card reward points to try it again.  This time I got the 7" Kindle Fire HD, and I love it!  It is the perfect size, it lets me read my books AND listen to my audio books.  It is much lighter than my tablet and fits nicely in my purse.  I purchased a really cute case by Ionic that has a Bluetooth keyboard.  It makes it a little heavier, but still not as heavy as my table.  But I have a option to remove it from the case if I like.

I give the 7" Kindle Fire HD my highest rating !

The Art of Tablet Wars

Now Back to the world of high tech...

This week Amazon.com announced a series of new Kindles which includes the new  Kindle Fire HD 8.9", Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 32 GB  ($499) and WiFi Only ($299).  I almost lost my mind when I saw that they were going to offer 4G for $49.99 for a full year!

What a deal!  What a bargain!  I ordered one right away... then wait... oh heck, I didn't read the fine print.  The 4G only includes 250 MB of data each month.  WTF?  Are you kidding me?

My next move... canceled the order, might as well get the WiFi version and save $200.00.

In my opinion, (of which I have many) if Amazon wants to be the forerunner in the Tablet Wars, they need to have an unlimited data plan.  Like the Whispernet they offered with their original Kindle.  This would change the game of Tablets as we know it.  Of course all of the other big guns would have to follow suit, and we would live in the land of happy unlimited data forever more.

I currently own a Motorola Xoom, and pay $10.00 a month to have it added on my Share plan at Verizon.  My contract on it is up next month, and I am pulling it off the wireless plan too.  My phone is now a hotspot, so I don't need my tablet to be connected.  If I want to use it, I will use my phone's connectivity.  Thus saving myself $120.00 a year.

I am getting tired of the wireless companies (and cable companies) bleeding us dry.  They are "nickle-and-diming" us for every little thing.  In the end, the company that gives us a flat rate (not a mystery rate) is going to win this tablet war.

So Amazon.com, I am giving you the benefit of my worldly wisdom.  You should consider this your marching orders.  In the words of Jean-Luc Picard... Make it so.

I Speak Your Name

When I was young, it seemed to be a rare occasion for a friend to pass away.  Of course old people died, that was what they were supposed to do.  But people my age… not so much.  I lost my great grand-mother at the age of 5, my maternal grandmother at the age of 9, and my grandfather at the age of 10.  Strange thing is that I remember each one’s passing.  I remember how sad my mother was, and I remember not fully understanding I would not see them again.

When I was in junior high, the unthinkable happened, one of my friends died.  I still am not sure exactly what happened, but I remember her being in the hospital, and the next thing I remember is going to her funeral.  Her name was Thea Jones.  A few years later, I went to go visit my friend Jeanie, and there was a black wreath on the door.  Her name was Jeanette Fisher, and she had passed from complications of Sickle Cell.  We had been friends our whole childhood, and I never even knew she had the trait.

On to college, the passing of my friends Rodney, who we called “Bay Shay”, the night before he died, he and his best friend Andre came to visit Paulette (my roommate) and I.  We were in college, and considered them our little brothers.  They were so excited because they were seniors in high school, and it wouldn’t be long before their graduation.  We fed them, and stayed up all night talking about nothing and everything.  We literally had to put them out!  The next day Rodney and Andre went to play basketball and Rodney passed out.  He had a heart attack, he was 17 years old.  I will never forget it, I will never forget the call.

I only had one friend I knew that was born the same day and the same year as me.  His name was John Gunn.   He was 6’ 9”, and a center for the Memphis State basketball team.  John came down with what we thought was a cold, and it turned out to be a rare disease called Stevens - Johnson syndrome.  John died on December 21, 1976.  I couldn’t believe it.  He was not only my friend, but my exact same age.  We were too young to die.

Years went by, and eventually, my aunts and uncles began to pass away.   My mom’s oldest sister Geraldine (who we called Sister) was the first.  Her dying wasn’t a surprise to me because she smoked a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes (with no filter) each day.  So I wasn’t in shock, but she was the first of that generation.

 

In 1986, the same week as the Space Shuttle disaster, my only brother was killed.  The world as I knew it changed.  How could my baby brother be dead?  I just could not wrap my head around this.  He had a one year old daughter, and a 1 week old son.  He was only 23 years old.  His death, devastated my mother, and it took 20 years before she was the same person I knew growing up. Since then I have lost all of my aunts and uncles, my god parents, my mother-in-law, father-in-law, a nephew, my father, and many friends.

In 2010, I lost one of my best friends Karan.  My world was forever changed again. 

This week, I lost another friend Patti.  The circle of life continues. 

My ancestors believe if you speak the names of the dead, they will never truly die.  They will live on forever…

Flora, Almetta, Edgar, Sadie, Eugene, Cora, John W., Thea, Jeannie, Rodney, John G., Sister, Terry, Cathy, Met, Lucille, Pap, Nan, Frazier, Tootum,  Corbin, Ruth, Mallory, Stanley, Wendell, David, Reginald, Connie, Ethel,  Bernice, Georgetta, Tracey, Karan, Maeon, Arnita, Carrie Mae, Joe Jr., Reevis, Reesha, Reaumel, Coochie, Jan, and Patti.

 

I speak your name, I speak your name.


09/12/12 Update:

Since I posted this post, I have had many e-mails and phone calls from loved ones telling me their stories of lost and grief, and lending me their shoulders to cry on.  How blessed and I to be surrounded by this love.  And as my friend Debra reminded me how blessed are we to be able to speak the name of Jesus, the one that died for us.  God bless you all, and thank you for being my friend.

Farewell Ray Bradbury

As you may have noticed, I don't blog much anymore.   There is so much information being disbursed with so many different mediums, it is really hard to have anything important to say.  But I felt that noting the life and contributions of one of the fathers of Science Fiction was definitely worth a blog post.  

Known for Sci Fi, Mr. Bradbury did not consider himself a Sci Fi author, he thought of his work as Fantasy.  Even if you don't remember reading a book or short story by Mr. Bradbury (Something Wicked this Way Comes," "Dandelion Wine," "The Illustrated Man," "The Martian Chronicles" and, of course, his most memorable  work, "Fahrenheit 451"), chances are you have seen influences of his work in television and film.

Thanks for making my world a more interesting place.  May your soul soar through the stars to the ends of the universe.

Rest In Peace

Ray Douglas Bradbury 

(August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012)

Video: Tracee Ellis Ross Has Style, and So Does Her New Character

Going Digital

I have been buying Music CDs since they came into existence.  I remember when I had to finally give up my cassettes and get a CD Player and try to repurchase every album that I had on CD, it was expensive.  Well here I am again, standing at that same threshold.  But this time it is deciding if I am ready to go completely digital with my music collection.

In recent years, I have been buying MP3s via amazon.com, but understand I still have a gazillion of CDs.  Yep, I was a member of the BMG music club, and I was a really good customer.  So right now, I am sitting on my patio with a truckload of CDs ripping them to my PC in an honest attempt to go digital.  This is not as expensive as going from Albums to CDs, but it sure is time consuming.  I have been sitting out here for a few hours, and I have not even put a dent in these piles.

I really wish they had a machine that I could drop all of these CDs into, and digital music would come out.   You know, like those machines at the bank that you put all of your change in to.

So, I know what I will be doing this weekend.  Hope yours is great!

Tablet Blues

With all of the hoopla about the $99.00 HP Touchpad, I realized that overall; I am just not a tablet fan.  This could be considered another installment of my “woes of an early adopter” saga, but really I just don’t get it. 

I owned a first generation Kindle, and was soooooooooo excited about the possibilities but overall, I wasn’t thrilled with the digital reader experience.  I decided to sit back and wait on some other alternatives, and boy did they come running.  I have friends with different readers, but other than the thrill of instant access, I haven’t been swayed to buy another one.

Thus comes the tablet... 

I started looking into Tablet PCs, and when the Xoom was announce at CES 2011 back in January, it instantly moved to the top of my wish list.  As soon as they became available I purchased on (via Verizon) with a 5 GB data plan.  Overall, I like the performance of the Xoom, but most of the features/apps that I use were already available on my Droid. 

Now don’t get it twisted, it is sexy as hell, but I still much rather be on my desktop rocking my two humongous monitors.   Also, to me it is very heavy (aka not real girly).  But since I “had” to have one, I am please with my choice.  And… after searching high and low, I finally found the cutest Xoom cover by Tuff-Luv (it was the third case I purchased, but I love this one!)

So overall, I am waiting for the tablet phenomenal to grow on me.  I finally broke down and loaded a game, Angry Birds, and I must admit I do like it (but don’t tell anyone!)

Of course, had I been able to snatch up one of those $99.00 HPs I would have done so, in a New York minute!  It is much like a shoe sale, you just can’t walk away empty handed.

End of an Era.... Wheel Stop

Well, the fat lady has sung.  After more than 30 years, the Space Shuttle Program is over.  Although we have known for several years this day was coming, it is still very surreal.   I have dedicated 27 years of my career to the Space Shuttle Program, and it has allowed me to do some wonderful things.

I met my husband at NASA, as well as some great friends.  It is so sad to see so many of my friends and coworkers leave, but most have landed on their feet and are doing great things.

On Monday, when I go to work it will not be business as usual.  It will be the beginning of Transition and Retirement of the Shuttle, as we work to closeout the contract.  No more last minute frenzy trying to get things fixed, waived, or signed so we could make a launch schedule.  Boy am I going to miss that!

My NASA Career

Although the majority of my career has been in Multimedia Space Flight Training, I have worn many hats at NASA.  I started as a programmer in the Flight Software Department, then a Systems Analyst in the Payload Manifesting area, next I was a Payload Development Engineer, on to Lead Instructional Design Specialist for Space Flight Training, and now a Configuration Management Analyst.  So yes, I am a rocket scientist :-)

Here are a few pictures from the last two decades.  Now in the words of my mother, "it is time to move on."

Jerry Lawson, creator of cartridge-based video game consoles, dies at 70

By Christopher Trout (Engadget)

 

Gerald "Jerry" Lawson, the man who invented the video game cartridge, died Saturday morning of a heart attack at a Mountain View, California hospital at the age of 70. His brainchild, the Fairchild Channel F Video Game System, more commonly referred to as the Channel F, came out just one year before Atari's cartridge-based console, the VCS, opening the floodgates of modern gaming. His earliest foray into consumer electronics began early on, but it wasn't until he joined Fairchild in 1970 that he really made his mark on the tech industry. During that time, he became the only black member of the infamous Homebrew Computer Club that counted Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as members. He was honored at this year's GDC for his monumental contribution to modern gaming.

Enjoying My New Xoom!

I have had my Xoom for about a week now, and I am finally getting the hang of it.  The hardest part so far is this darn touch screen.  I guess I am a keyboard person.  Overall I think I like it a lot, however accessories have been hard to find.  To be continued...

Velocity Micro Cruz Reader and Cruz Tablet T301 Comparison

Android - Honeycomb

Hot Dog! I want one of these!!! CES 2011: Motorola Xoom

Happy New Year!

This high-tech girl has been off the blog for a little while!  But I am happy to share that it was for a great reason!!!  I graduated with a Masters in Digital Media Studies from the University of Houston - Clear Lake on December 18th!

So, I am back on the blog after a well-deserved break.

What did Santa bring me for Christmas?   While there were no new tech toys for me, but I did get a fabulous pair of shoes and a purse from Nine West.  

I did however purchase tech-toys for my family!   Got my hubby a new Phillips Blu-ray player and my first born a HP Pocket Drive.


I also got my fabulous mother a refurbished Dell Laptop from Overstock.com.  (Can't wait to see her use it :-)

I am getting my 2011 Wish List together by checking out the newest tech at this year's CES.  I somehow see a tablet PC in my not to distant future.


The holidays were quiet, and the New Year looks bright!  I wish each of you a very healthy and happy New Year.  Live Long and Prosper!

See you on the blog!

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