Greetings Family,
(Contact Information At The Bottom Of The Page)

It's your friendly neighborhood "Digital Drummer" again...smile

Once again the Republican party has demonstrated that it is the party of the rich

Last week Representative Charlie Rangel, (Dem of New York) sponsored House Bill H.R. 1586. The Bill, essentially will impose a 90 percent tax on bonuses given to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at AIG and other companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money.

Immediately, conservative leaders came out in force against it. From talking heads Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity, to party leaders Michael Steele, and John Boehner, all proclaimed their outrage and indignation. Their justification ranged from the government violating the sanctity of private contracts, to (can you believe this) the Bill only tax's 90%...not 100%

On the March 17 edition of his syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity stated: Whether you like the AIG bonuses or not, think about this: They're going to make a law, and they're going to tax every single penny of it, virtually all of it. In other words, we're going to just steal their money. And they're not going to be able to do a darn thing about it, because we're the government, and if we decide we can confiscate all of their wealth, we're gonna do it."

On the March 18 edition of his Fox News show, Glen Beck said, that he doesn't "like the idea of failed businesses paying bonuses, but what I really, really don't like here is the idea that we are willing to give in to mob rule, and that's what this is." He added: "I mean, the only thing they haven't said is, 'Bring out the monster.' It's mob rule. They are attempting to void legally binding contracts."

Rush Limbaugh has went so far as to accuse the Obama administration of "Ginning up" the whole AIG bonus issue...ain't that what the Bush administration did in justifying the war in Iraq?

The bottom line is that House Bill H.R. 1586 passed 328-93...with over half of the house republicans voting against it.

The Senate will be taking up their own version of the bonus tax in the next couple of weeks, and already Sen. Jon Kyl, (the Republicans' vote counter) has blocked Democratic efforts to put the Senate version of the tax bill on a fast track to congressional approval.

The thing that gets me is that conservatives have no problem violating a union contract, but will fight like hell to defend big business. The truth of the matter is the Republican party has become the party of NO! It makes no sense, other then to protect the corporate lobbyist that have a vested interest in the Republican party. To continue to support the rich....over the best interests of the general public.

Remember we must Share The Knowledge….To Share The Dollars.

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Greetings Family,
(Contact Information At The Bottom Of The Page)
 
It's your friendly neighborhood "Digital Drummer" again...smile

With the current popularity of social networking sites....this sounds like a good idea.

The thing that jumps out in their Press Release (http://www.browardschools.com/press/release.asp?press_id=875) is the absence of text messaging

Excellent example of Web 2.0 technology....cross-platform, multi-device, rich media, application

Remember we must Share The Knowledge....To Share The Dollars.

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Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!
 
Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk
 
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Twitter As A District Communication Tool
By Christopher Dawson for ZDnet
http://education.zdnet.com/?p=2215&tag=nl.e019

Broward County Public Schools announced Tuesday that they would be using Twitter to quickly disseminate information to parents, students, and staff. While automated calling systems and school/district websites are fine ways to get information out, this strikes me as a particularly useful application for the microblogging site.

According to their press release,

Twitter supplements the District's current communications vehicles, which include Parent Link phone messages, E-mails, the District's Web site (www.browardschools.com), BECON-TV and the parent newsletter.

Their Twitter feed can be found at twitter.com/browardschools, and already contains links to a new attendance policy, links to school board meeting broadcasts, etc. Because Twitter is so easy to update, it makes for a much more convenient platform than traditional websites, although it's also easy to embed a Twitter feed in a website, further increasing it's utility and reach. Similarly, multiple people could be given access to the account, making it simple for principals, secretaries, or other administrators to add to the information stream.

Parents who always wish to stay informed can follow the school via Twitter updates to their cell phone or simply watch the feed through any number of tools. I've had a lot of people question the utility of Twitter in schools and while I have a long ways to go to convince them that it's a great classroom tool, this seems like a no-brainer, adding an extra level of communication and transparency for the district and the community at large.

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This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends
 
We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.
 
For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;
 
Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo.com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftware.com
www.myspace.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/freshfaces2u
 
To subscribe to our opt-in mailing list simply send an email to; The_City_Lights_Reporter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com( on Myspace go to http://blog.myspace.com/jimneusom)

Fight Foreclosure: Make ‘Em Produce The Note!
http://www.consumer warningnetwork. com/2008/ 06/19/produce- the-note- how-to/

Using the “produce the note” strategy is something all homeowners facing foreclosure can do. If you believe you’ve been treated unfairly, fight back. We have created templates for a legal request, a letter to your lender and a motion to compel to help you through the process.  Read the step by step “how to” under the videos.

Special note:  In some states, a lender can foreclose on your home without going to court.  These are called non-judicial foreclosure states.  You can still use the “Produce the Note” strategy in these states, but it takes a few more steps on your part.

WHO OWNS THE NOTE?
Your goal is to make certain the institution suing you is, in fact, the owner of the note (see steps to follow below). There is only one original note for your mortgage that has your signature on it. This is the document that proves you owe the debt.

During the lending boom, most mortgages were flipped and sold to another lender or servicer or sliced up and sold to investors as securitized packages on Wall Street. In the rush to turn these over as fast as possible to make the most money, many of the new lenders did not get the proper paperwork to show they own the note and mortgage. This is the key to the produce the note strategy. Now, many lenders are moving to foreclose on homeowners, resulting in part from problems they created, and don’t have the proper paperwork to prove they have a right to foreclose.

THE HARM
If you don’t challenge your lender, the court will simply allow the foreclosure to proceed. It’s important to hold lenders accountable for their carelessness. This is the biggest asset in your life. It’s just a piece of paper to them, and one they likely either lost or destroyed.

When you get a copy of the foreclosure suit, many lenders now automatically include a count to re-establish the note. It often reads like this: “…the Mortgage note has either been lost or destroyed and the Plaintiff is unable to state the manner in which this occurred.” In other words, they are admitting they don’t have the note that proves they have a right to foreclose.
If the lender is allowed to proceed without that proof, there is a possibility another institution, which may have bought your note along the way, will also try to collect the same debt from you again.

A Tennessee borrower recently had precisely that happen to her. Her lender, Ameriquest, foreclosed on her in July of 2007. About three months later, another bank sent her a default notice for the mortgage on the house she just lost. She called to find out what was going on. After being transferred from place to place and left on hold for lengthy periods of time, no one could explain what happened. They said they would get back to her, but never did. Now, she faces the risk of having her credit continually damaged for a debt she no longer owes.

FIGHT FOR FAIRNESS
This process is not intended to help you get your house for free. The primary goal is to delay the foreclosure and put pressure on the lender to negotiate. Despite all the hype about lenders wanting to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, most borrowers know that’s not the reality.

Too many homeowners have experienced lender resistance to their efforts to work out a payment structure to keep them in their homes. Many lenders bear responsibility for these defaults, because they put borrowers into unfair loans using deceptive, hard-sell practices and then made the problem worse with predatory servicing.

Most homeowners just want these lenders to give them reasonable terms on their mortgages, many of which were predatory to begin with. With the help of judges who see through these predatory practices, lenders will feel the pressure to work with borrowers to keep them in their homes.

Don’t forget lenders made incredible amounts of money by using irresponsible practices to issue and service these loans. That greed led to the foreclosure crisis we’re in today. Allowing lenders to continue foreclosing on home after home, destroying our neighborhoods and our economy hurts us all. So, make it hard for your lender to take your home.

Make ‘em produce the note!

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Need some great ideas for corporate or personal gift-giving?
 
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(http://www.cityligh tssoftware. com)
 
and see some of the most unique afrocentric gifts available online!
 
We Deliver ONLINE - Direct To Your Desktop for just $14.95
 
Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!
 
Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk
 
If you have any problems with purchasing online contact me direct at sales@citylightssof tware.com or call (213) 944-4176
 
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This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends
 
We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.
 
For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;
 
Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo. com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftw are.com
www.myspace. com/jimneusom
www.myspace. com/freshfaces2u
 
To subscribe to our opt-in mailing list simply send an email to; The_City_Lights_ Reporter- subscribe@ yahoogroups. com( on Myspace go to http://blog. myspace.com/ jimneusom)

Greetings Family
(Contact Information At The Bottom Of The Page)
 
It's your friendly neighborhood "Digital Drummer" again...smile
 
For those that missed the Technology-In-Business Seminar, yesterday….I’m sorry for ya…smile
 
Beyond the fact that they had a real time demonstration of what could be done with Broadband technology…beyond the dynamic speakers..beyond the contacts (not to mention $100 they gave away)…It was truly an empowering and uplifting time for all.
 
I’m posting this review up today, because even if you’re not in California, the programs and initiatives they were talking about, more in likely exist in your community or state.  With the new Obama administration putting Billions into upgrading and modernizing IT infrastructure....we've got to spread the knowledge. Like one of the participants said, we can't take advantage of what, we don't know about.
 
For example, Mr. Agustina Urginna, of the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) talked about how CETF is investing millions into the Los Angeles community....Today, Right Now, As We Speak!!! 
 
CETF provides leadership and grant funds statewide to minimize the Digital Divide by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband and other advanced communication services to unserved and underserved communities. (see  www.cetfund.org)
 
CETF's is on a mission to ensure that California is a global leader in the availability and use of Broadband technology by levering $60 million in seed funding, to achieve an impact of about $250 million.  What do they mean by leveraging?  By partnering with municipalities, non-profits, and community groups (think BDPA, Black Engineers, Kappa's, CDC's, etc.), CEFT hopes to gain a four-fold return on their grant funding.
 
CEFT programs, like the Southeast Cities Technology Collaborative, will help approximately 3,200 LA residents close the Digital Divide with Broadband Internet access and education. CETF and the City of Vernon have presented grant awards of $476,000 and $301,000 respectively to the three-year initiative, providing refurbished computers, and training in support of community and educational groups.
 
Another enlightening speaker was Mrs. Selma Taylor, Executive Director of California Resources & Training (CARAT).  She discussed how the CETF Small Business Initiative Project was developing solid economic data to identify and assist low and moderate income small business owners in utilizing and benefiting from Broadband technology. CETF and CARAT is currently doing a statewide small business broadband survey to quantify and highlight the unmet needs of the small business community. They raffled off $100 to those that completed a CETF survey.
 
California Assembly Member Curren Price Jr., Chairman of the California State Assembly, Select Committee on Procurement, talked about his efforts to ensure small businesses and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) are able to apply for, and gain government contracts. Especially in light of the unprecedented $43 Billion authorized by the four infrastructure bonds and Proposition 84.
 
Michael Falkow, CIO and Acting Assistant City Administrator for the City of Inglewood, reiterated and validated, Assemblymen Price's talk on creating a transparent and accessible procurement process that would expand opportunities for small and minority owned business in the City of Inglewood.
 
Revlyn Williams, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Technology Committee for a Better 51st Assembly District, handed out a leaflet listing the contact info for Procurement offices of the different cities, university and school districts in the 51st Assembly District…invaluable info for small business that want to get on vendor lists.
 
Bryan Franklin, founder and CEO of 1iMall.com was in the audience....networking and informing people about Project First Job (www.projectfirstjob.com), paying students to STAY in school.  He and Eric Sloan of Computer Works of California (www.computerworksca.com) talked about how they could integrate 1iMall into Manchester One's community WiFi network.
 
All in all it was a great afternoon of community interaction and networking. If you weren’t there...you missed out.

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Need some great ideas for corporate or personal gift-giving?
 
Then go to City Lights Software
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and see some of the most unique afrocentric gifts available online!
 
We Deliver ONLINE - Direct To Your Desktop for just $14.95
 
Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!
 
Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk
 
If you have any problems with purchasing online contact me direct at sales@citylightssoftware.com or call (213) 944-4176
 
***************************************************
This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends
 
We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.
 
For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;
 
Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo.com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftware.com
www.myspace.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/freshfaces2u
 
To subscribe to our opt-in mailing list simply send an email to; The_City_Lights_Reporter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com( on Myspace go to http://blog.myspace.com/jimneusom)

Greetings Family,
(Contact Information At The Bottom Of The Page)
 
It's your friendly neighborhood "Digital Drummer" again...smile

How sad it is that every year during Black History Month we hear the same old names. Year after year, the educational, social and now corporate establishment promote the same five figures in Black history; Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Benjamin Banneker. But what about the prominent brothers and sisters that are still walking among us???

Why must we wait till they are in the grave to honor and commemorate the contributions of Blacks, who have helped to make this society the greatest on earth. I know, I know, Blacks in America have no culture of their own ...... That's A Lie!!!

We are the originators and innovators of the best of American culture. Chose a field, medicine, entertainment, technology, fashion, or any other field and you will find a Black name at the top of the list of inventors or contributors. So I ask you again, why we do not hear their names during this time of year?

How many of our music crazed youth know that Harry Bellefonte was the first recording artist to ever sell a million records (that's right Ever). Can anyone name the Black engineer at NASA that wrote the original software that later evolved into the 3D graphics that make video games so life like?

Colin Powell may not have been the first Black general but he has left an undeniable mark on our military and government that cannot be ignored. We complain about a lack of Black leadership but how many know that the head of AOL/Time Warner is a black man. Oh, lets not start talking about leaders like Min. Louis Farrakhan or Rev. Fred KC Price and their ongoing effect on the practice of religion in America.

So I ask you ...... How many living Black Legends can you name? How many prominent Black women can you point out to your daughter as an example of Black history in the making? How many day to day products, do your children use without thinking that a Black hand had a major part in its creation?

I Challenge This Group To Name More Then Five .......

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Need some great ideas for corporate or personal gift-giving?
 
Then go to City Lights Software
(http://www.cityligh tssoftware. com)
 
and see some of the most unique afrocentric gifts available online!
 
We Deliver ONLINE - Direct To Your Desktop for just $14.95
 
Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!
 
Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk
 
If you have any problems with purchasing online contact me direct at sales@citylightssof tware.com or call (213) 944-4176
 
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ***
This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends
 
We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.
 
For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;
 
Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo. com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftw are.com
www.myspace. com/jimneusom
www.myspace. com/freshfaces2u
 
To subscribe to our opt-in mailing list simply send an email to; The_City_Lights_ Reporter- subscribe@ yahoogroups. com( on Myspace go to http://blog. myspace.com/ jimneusom)

Young Women’s Political Leadership Program:
July 15-19, 2009 Washington, DC
Application deadline: February 16, 2009
http://www.runningstartonline.org/leadership-program/index.php

The Young Women’s Political Leadership Program encourages high school girls to channel their leadership into politics. Running Start is hosting our second annual program this July to train high school girls in political leadership skills and to plant the seed that they should run for office. Fifty girls chosen for their leadership potential from around the country will come to Washington, DC for this exciting program. The girls are chosen from public, charter and private schools and we pride ourselves on recruiting a diverse group of young women to attend our program. The program is entirely free of charge, and travel scholarships are available.

The program, which takes place at American University over 4 days and 3 nights, allows the participants to meet extraordinary women leaders of diverse backgrounds and to learn about the importance of having more women in political leadership and of running for office themselves. They learn by doing through the highly interactive sessions. By the end of the summer retreat, they will have gained confidence in their own leadership abilities, and be ready to bring their leadership to their schools and communities. The girls learn about political leadership by working with inspirational women leaders, including Congresswomen and other elected officials and leaders in business, media and the law.

The program trains the girls in important skills necessary for political leadership including:

•  Public Speaking and Presentation: Students will learn how to structure a speech and adjust to an audience, as well as learning and practicing the importance of posture, tone and answering post-speech questions.

•  Advocacy: Students will learn the art of persuasive speaking and will practice basic debate and advocacy.

•  Persuasive Writing: Students will learn critical thinking skills that correlate to the kinds of applications necessary in advocacy and politics. The girls will examine campaign materials, floor speeches, as well as grammatical and literary tactics that are often incorporated into successful persuasive writing.

•  Campaigning: As a culmination of the program, the students will create a campaign for themselves tying in the aspects learned from the workshops throughout the leadership program, and they will give campaign speeches to the class and their parents.

Our goal is to create political leadership programs for high school girls across the US, so that young women can learn the value of political participation and the importance of their leadership in this area.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2008 TITLE SPONSOR WAL-MART FOR MAKING THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE!

• Apply to the 2009 program in Washington, DC http://www.runningstartonline.org/leadership-program/application.php

• Bring this retreat to your community http://www.runningstartonline.org/leadership-program/city-request.php

***************(Advertisement)*********************
 
Need some great ideas for corporate or personal gift-giving?
 
Then go to City Lights Software
(http://www.citylightssoftware.com)
 
and see some of the most unique afrocentric gifts available online!
 
We Deliver ONLINE - Direct To Your Desktop for just $14.95
 
Please take the time to purchase one our afrocentric screen savers TODAY!
 
Don't Just Talk the Talk...Let Your Dollars Walk the Walk
 
If you have any problems with purchasing online contact me direct at sales@citylightssoftware.com or call (213) 944-4176
 
***************************************************
This Online Journal was brought to you by InterServe Networks. Feel Free To Forward To Your Network Of Online Friends
 
We Practice Responsible E-Commerce Marketing and Privacy Policies. We do not indulge in or encourage Spamming. We never send unsolicited emails. You are receiving this message as part of our opt-in subscriber mailing list or you are a member of an affiliated newsgroup.
 
For comments or suggestions please contact us at the following;
 
Jim Neusom (jneusom@yahoo.com)
Executive Director/Publisher
InterServe Networks/City Lights Software, Inc.
www.citylightssoftware.com
www.freshfaces2u.com
www.myspace.com/jimneusom
www.myspace.com/freshfaces2u
 
To subscribe to our opt-in mailing list simply send an email to; The_City_Lights_Reporter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com( on Myspace go to http://blog.myspace.com/jimneusom)