Yes, I'd like to Place a Call to the Underworld

As promised, yes I would like to make a call to the underworld please. Preferably collect. Today I had one of those days which I could actually justify being a republican at an HBCU. Shutter the thought but its the truth. I will try to avoid details for the simple fact that as we all know, a still tongue makes a happy life. See Episode One of The Prisoner, Arrival.
Today I got an email while at home sick. Prof. R. there are some students who wish to launch a grade appeal. OK grade appeal... for those who don't know, students actually have rights as well. They have a right to appeal any grade they receive, no matter how miniscule the matter may seem. Reading this laundry list of concerns, in the back of my mind I thinking ok, this guy, who obviously does not care for me, really has an agenda to remove me from my job. Call me paranoid, but it's just that sense I feel. He is a bit over zealous about pointing out my issues and rarely makes himself available for consultation or encouragement. Mind you I am speaking as nice as I can because I do realize that some family may be reading these posts. Anyway, on to my call to the underworld. Reading his diatribe, championing the cause of these students, I am like dude, why did they come to you and not me and why did it leave your office and go all the way to the vice president's office for academic affairs. That's putting your name beside the word stupid in crayon but we all have days like that right? The students in question scored new lows on their final exams and some cases ripped their research papers from the internet. Now here is where the republican part came in. Not too long ago our students exercised their rights to civil disobedience. There was a big class walkout on the day before reading day. Among their concerns are that they are not treated like students at a TWI (traditionally white institution). OK, so if we treat them like that, then guess what, 1/2 of the student population will be on academic suspension because they simply failed to come to class. Here is another instance, let's say we treat our students like UNCG. This means there is an inherent expectation that our students come to class, with books purchased and actually study. Some of our students actually will take their bookstore allowance and come to class G-ed up, in the words of Bruce Bridges at the Know Bookstore, some will spend 300 dollars to put something on their head as opposed to in it. Lastly, I'm going to say it, at the TWI if you get caught cheating, you are expelled and your academic career is over. At my institution, where we are paid the negro rate, we turn a blind eye to academic fraud. In the process the instructor is then prepared for flogging because he or she attempts to actually teach. In my honest opinion for what it's worth, this is when we are dealing with the White-Negro, the one who is a closet hypocrite. Its scary and for this reason, I would like to place a call to the underworld so that my White-Negro brothers and sisters who believe in living the little white lies can be successfully DROPed. DeProgramed and Restoration Of Pride. Where is the Drop Squad when you need them?

Notorious for 09

I just had to put that out because I liked how it sounds. Notorious for 09. Biding a farewell to 2008, I must say that last year was the largest amount of information posted for the year. Needless to say, it was an interesting year to say the least. I hate new years resolutions which is why I am making my traditional one, to abstain from them. I've come to understand one thing-- under promise and over-deliver. That way one can rarely over commit. There are some things however that will be a little different with the blog this year. One, more media. Now that youtube has become more user friendly with their embedded code I hope to provide more video posts in addition to other widgets so that my loyal band of readers will be inclined not just to read my posts/rants/fears etc, but also feel free to chill and even participate in the discourse. Two-I may be a little light on posts this year part due the one exception for resolutions I am making this year: GRADUATE! Now that I have passed my comprehensives and have a better grasp of my dissertation topic, the goal is to be in Ph.D. candidacy by April (aka ABD all but dead) and Dr. Russ by December of 09. Three, continue my journey into the magnified world of hegemonic legalized white supremacy. Again, for those who are newly initiated, borrowing from the words of Julius Ceaser, "I've come to bury whiteness, not praise it." That means the supremacist ideologies of racalized and classed hierarchies which have been cultured, politicalized, legalized and normalized the way people have been forced, better conditioned to look at the world. Our American Media System clearly be it print, interactive or digital represents the primary conduit for this latent conditioning, hence the devaluation of lives of color: Allow me to present this stunning example: The Hidden Race War of Katrina
courtesy of the Nation Institute