I’m going to catch so much flak for this, but here goes.  With all this back-to-school coverage I’ve been doing this week, I’ve been thinking about my elementary, middle and high school years. So with solicited help from my mom and brother I got a hold of these pictures of me back in the day.  Mom has always been great about keeping things like this around.  This is a collage she made of all my school pictures. I went to the same school for 10 years, so notice the array of uniforms and many hair style changes.  OK the criticizing may now commence.

So, today I was reading about a 16 year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina who is, like many kids his age, addicted to video games.  But he’s developed a strong passion for one game in particular, “Guitar Hero.”  I must say, it’s a pretty enthralling video game. The first time I picked up that guitar I didn’t put it down for three hours max.  

Apparently, this kid is so addicted to the game that his parents let him quit school so he can concentrate on becoming a professional guitar hero.  They decided to go along with his bright idea as long as their son goes to tutoring. Now, there are very few people who make their living playing video games competitively. In his amateur career he’s won gift certificates, gaming equipment and chicken sandwiches, but does he really have a future in the gaming industry?

I know people always say do what you love, but are this kids parents empowering him for greatness or setting him up for failure? Hmm, maybe I’ll become a professional coach potato. Mom, what do you think?

AP News reported today that a 27-year-old Egyptian woman gave birth to septuplets early this morning.  That’s SEVEN BABIES all at one time.  Doctors said the the babies weigh between 3.2 and 6.17 pounds.  The babies are in good condition, and the mother had to have a C-section to get them all out. This is apparently a very rare pregnancy, someting the doctor said he had never seen in 33 years as a doctor. AP reports the mom already has three daughters and took fertility drugs to have a son.  Turns out she would have six extra- four boys and three girls. Mom carried the little ones for eight months.  I just don’t think I could have done it. I’m struggling with the idea of even having one.

Finding one of her students making faces at others on the playground, Ms. Smith stopped to gently discipline the child.

Smiling sweetly, the Sunday School teacher said, “Bobby, when I was a child, I was told if I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that.”

Bobby looked up and replied, “Well, Ms Smith, you can’t say you weren’t warned.”

Caddo Parish is awaiting the arrival of 42 teachers from the Philippines. They’ll fill empty spaces in English, Math and Science classes. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know how well students will deal with learning English from a non-native speaker. I think they’ll be great for the math and science classes, but it’s hard enough for some people born in the country to speak their own language. I guess maybe they have a better technical training and can teach kids better grammar. I’m just saying…

Dr. Gerald Dawkins, Caddo Parish Superintendent

Caddo Parish will welcome a new school Superintendent. After months of searching, the Caddo Parish School Board chose Dr. Gerald Dawkins as their new leader. He hasn’t spoken much about what his goals are for the future of Caddo Schools, but he’ll get to work tomorrow and hopefully generate some ideas.

What are some things you would like see Dr. Dawkins work on when he gets into the office Monday?

Does having a new Superintendent give students, teachers and parents a chance at a new start?

In case you haven’t heard, school starts back up in a little more than a week in some districts.  I’m sitting here thinking about some of my best first-day-of-school memories.

The one memory that stands out in my mind is when I was starting maybe the second grade.  Mom braided my hair all nice and pretty the night before the first day.  I had one big braid on either side.  She wrapped it nice and neat and I went off to sleep anticipating the big day.

Seems pretty funny now that I think back on it, but definitely a story I always remember.  Is there anything that sticks in your mind about the early years?

It’s funny the things you can find on the internet. This blog was suggested by my producer Jabari Prewitt today.  It’s a list of useless U.S. laws. Some of them are pretty funny and also could come in handy if you find yourself in violation.

Louisiana

1. It is considered “simple assault” to bite someone in New Orleans; it is “aggravated assault” if the biter has false teeth.
2. It is against the law to gargle in public.
3. In New Orleans, fire trucks are required by law to stop at all red lights.

Arkansas

1. In Fayetteville, it is illegal to kill “any living creature.”
2. School teachers who bob their hair may forfeit their pay raises.

Texas

1. The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home.
2. A recently passed anticrime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed.
3. It is illegal to milk another person’s cow.
4. In Houston, it is illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday.
5. In LeFors, it is illegal to take more than three swallows of beer while standing.
6. In Mesquite, it is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.
7. Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space. The first to exercise this right to vote while in orbit was astronaut David Wolf, who cast his vote for Houston mayor via e-mail from the Russian space station Mir in November 1997.

Other Random Laws

1. It’s illegal in Alabama to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church.
2. In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry ice cream in your back pocket.
3. In Hartford, Connecticut, you may not, under any circumstances, cross the street walking on your hands.
4. Women in Florida may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as can the salon owner.
5. Snoring is prohibited in Massachusetts unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked. It is also illegal to go to bed without first having a full bath.
6. In Athens, Greece, a driver’s license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either “unbathed” or “poorly dressed”.
7. Every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.
8. In Lehigh, Nebraska it’s against the law to sell donut holes.

Today I was at the Bossier Boys and Girls club with my photographer Rod White.  We were getting some footage of kids eating lunch for a story I did today about school lunch programs.

The man who’s runs the program introduces us to the kids, telling them we’re from KTBS 3 news.  They all yell and wave and get excited like kids typically do when cameras are around. Then as we head out the door to leave, one of the kids yells out “HEY SHE’S CUTE!” Mind you this kid had to be 10 or 11 years old.

Now, I’ve always had trouble taking compliments.  I mean how do you respond?

A. Smile and say “thank you”

B. Say “I know” and laugh it off

C. Just turn your nose up at the complimenter and walk away like you never heard it

I typically prefer option A. Either way, for me it was even harder taking that compliment from a 10 year old boy. So, for him I chose to go with option C and walked out the door like I  didn’t hear a thing.  Rod said it wasn’t very nice of me, but I mean, come on what would you have done?

AKA's March for Change

Last week members of my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., ended a weeklong centennial celebration by marching to the Capitol. Some 30,000 AKA’s, pink and green clad, marched for change to call attention to the need for better education, health care and employment, particularly for African Americans.

Alpha Kappa Alpha has more than 200,000 members worldwide.  It is the nation’s oldest African American sorority and was founded at Howard University in 1908.  Many AKAs stay involved with the sorority long after college, contributing their time to local and national projects.

My question is, do you think large organizations like this have the power to shed light on problems in education, health care or whatever the issue, to the point that it can evoke change in America?  Can these women, or any other large organization encourage others to pay attention and stand up to change the world we live in?