Amazing Day: Awarded the Stephen J. Trachtenberg Scholarship for the George Washington University

Today was an amazing day for me. At lunch today, Moo Ho Bae and I were awarded the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship, equaling a full ride to the George Washington University. The surprise ceremony was definitely a highlight for me, not only in the day, but in a lifetime and to get the opportunity to go the one of the nation's top universities fee of charge is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Am I settled on GW yet? That decision will come within the next week or so.

Read the article attached here.

GO COLONIALS!

Social Media Addiction: There's a Cure

I think all of us can admit that using social media can be quite addicting sometimes. When something good happens, when something bad happens, when you hear your favorite song, see a good movie, read a good news article, got a new job, lose an old job, get a significant other or lose that significant other, we run to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. to share our news. And because something like this (or something less significant) happens to us everyday, we spend a significant amount of our lives changing statuses and tweeting and messaging. Furthermore, because this happens to our friends hundreds of times a day, we spend an even larger time checking their statuses and tweets and messages.

Before we know it, we have spent hours on Facebook and Twitter, not doing homework, laundry, grocery shopping, calling family members, reading, cooking, exercising or anything that we should have. For most of us, it is not necessarily our intent to waste our entire lives on these social networking sites. Most of the time, it starts as a very innocent break in between assignments or a way to relax after a long day or an honest attempt to get in touch with a friend and before we know it, it's half past 1am and you are writing a blog post for Advanced Computer Applications that you probably should have done hours ago.

The article we were assigned to read for our computer apps class gave some very helpful tips on how to kick the habit of obsessive use of social networking. I thought all of them were very helpful. They definitely take practice and a lot of commitment, but they are definitely manageable. To put the main idea of the article plainly: prioritize your time and do other things with your life.

I can personally say that whether for business or entertainment, I spend an excruciating amount of time on social networking sites. This enables procrastination, doesn't help me get a lot of work done and is distracting at times. The article mentioned above has very helpful suggestions on how to kick the habit of habitual social networking, but I was also interested in the forced restraints that were suggested at the bottom of this article we read in class the other day, such as programs you can install on your computer that blocks whatever sites you want for a pre-determined amount of time, which you cannot take back once its activated. I will definitely try the more voluntary regiments first and then move to more drastic measures if these don't work.

I suggest that everyone in my same predicament try these methods (voluntarily or involuntarily) so that we can all free ourselves from this "obsession and addiction" to social media, because it wastes too much time.

A Week Without Facebook = A Week Without Air

Earlier this week in Advanced Computer Applications class, we were challenged to log off of Facebook and to not log back on for 7 days. For everyone who uses Facebook, we know that is 7 days without status updates, pokes, inbox messages, quizzes, chats and everything that we spend hours doing every day.

Starting out, I thought it would be pretty easy. A week without Facebook would fly by and I would be back on Sunday evening without even missing it. Then, the next day, I got a letter telling me I got accepted to Elon University. Well, there was no way I could go seven days without telling my 1,100 friends on Facebook, right? So, I did. Disappointed in myself, I logged off again...until the next day, when I had to check on Facebook on the time and date of an event I had to go to. I logged off again, pledging to still do seven days without Facebook. But every day since that day, I have always found a legitimate reason to log onto Facebook, if just for 5 minutes.

It is a source of entertainment, networking and organization and it is especially difficult to lose a tool like this for one week. I will try again at some point, but it always seems that the need to communicate and network is always there. We ALL will kick the addiction at some point, but we have to take it ONE day at a time (not seven).

Hard to Believe

I am starting a new series here on The Batch' Blog called Hard to Believe, a blog series that will mention certain things I think are quite unbelievable in politics, on the internet, in the community, on television, etc. On March 13, 2011, this is what I believe is Hard to Believe.

Law and Order SVU: It's a Sunday, so I spent a considerable amount of time on the couch watching television (a break from the "keep going" mantra of Monday through Saturday). For the past 4 or 5 hours, I have been watching a Law and Order SVU marathon on the USA Network. I must admit, that episode after episode, I just have a hard time believing some of the plots of the episodes. From a 7 year old drug smuggler who accidentally shot one of his friends in daycare while trying to escape the grasp of his drug pimp to a former cop turned neighborhood watch captain who goes around the neighborhood murdering sex offenders, the plots just seem ridiculous. Now, don't get me wrong, I am very fond of Law and Order SVU, I just do not think I would go to work as a detective for the New York Police Department and be confronted with these outrageous cases. It's one thing to write plots that captivate your audience, but at least make them remotely believable.

ANC8C: I know I have already blogged about the decorum of monthly meetings of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C, but I think it's very hard to believe how bad it is until you actually go and witness, just as I did on March 2. The monotony of the meeting was comforting early on, as attendees complained about the irresponsibility of Pepco in the wake of the snow storms and planning for the return of the Martin Luther King Parade this April. Then comes the talk about the finances of the ANC and all "heck" breaks loose. Between one commissioner asking another to "sit down and shut up" and another angrily banging her fist and yelling "sit yo' $!? down", we can say the meeting heated up a little. So, you say to me "that is very hard to believe that elected government officials would act in such a way, especially in a public meeting". Well, you just have to go yourself.

Second Semester, Senior Year: If someone comes to you in the last half of their senior year and says "Well, it's all down-hill from here. I'm living on easy street", you should tell them it is very hard to believe. The last semester of Senior year is one of the most stressful, busy, time-consuming semesters of anyone's entire educational career. By the 3rd week of the 3rd quarter, College Acceptance letters are still weeks away, extra-curriculars are gearing up, projects are getting heavy, you have to apply for scholarships, AP exams are right around the corner, Final exams right after, Senior dues are....due, letters on report cards mean more than ever before and every day moves by a little slower. Second semester, senior year: UNbelievable.

That's what's hard to believe.

Brownish-Gray: The Color of Dysfunction in Washington?

Two shades of Brown mixed with Gray: that seems to be the color of dysfunction in Washington, D.C. politics in the first 2 months of a new administration. I have to say, it is not a very attractive color and a lot of people are not too fond of having to see it painted all over the Wilson Building now-a-days: from the dais of the Council to the 6th Floor, closed-off, "office with a view" of our 7th Mayor, Vincent C. Gray.

The new administration wasted no time mixing up the dysfunction and it is very shocking, especially in an administration that preached more transparency, honesty, accountability, responsibility and everything that doesn't rhyme with "Fenty".

Now, "cronyism" and "quid quo pro's" are words circulating around the Wilson Building and around the city, even 2 months since "the root of all evil" packed up his cubicle in the bullpen. How did we get this nasty shade of dysfunction in Washington? Just mix two shades of Brown and Gray.

Brown: So, the first shade of Brown we will discuss is Sulaimon. Unless you have been under a rock for the past few weeks, we all know Sulaimon Brown as the former Mayoral Candidate who advocated more Gray during his campaign in 2010 than he did for himself. In fact, one of the most memorable quotes of this terrible candidacy for Mayor is "you can vote for Brown or you can vote for Gray; Just don't vote for Fenty". So why is this important months afterward? Well, it just so happens that this former Fenty-basher got a job in the administration, that paid close to $100,000 a year.

However, he was fired from this job about a week later, when the Washington City Paper published an article revealing criminal charges on Sulaimon Brown, including stalking a 13-year old girl. That is when the allegations of corruption broke wide open and this shade of brown began to smear the new government.

Brown made allegations that during his 2010 Campaign, he was paid handsomely by Gray Campaign to stay in the race and continue to bash then-incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty. In return, he said he was also promised a job for him and his brother in the new administration. Now Mayor Gray, of course, denies these claims. So do numerous other upper-level Mayoral staff (who were, at the time, upper-level Gray for Mayor campaign staff).

However, the evidence is close to air-tight and it will be pretty hard for Mayor Gray to deny a quid pro quo (even though he already has). Brown has also alleged later that Gray fixed the September 2010 Primary election, but thats for another day....

Brown: The next shade of Brown is of course Kwame. I think we all know very well the fascination that our Chairman of the Council has with Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV's). We all know the infamous "Kwamemobile (a fully loaded Cadillac Escalade)" that the triumphant Councilmember has touted both in his 2008 and 2010 campaigns. And just because the Kwamemobile couldn't make it to the Wilson Building, that doesn't mean he shouldn't ride is style, right?

That is why weeks after the Chairman-Elect was elected in November, he ordered city officials to get him an all black (inside and out), fully-loaded Lincoln Naviagtor with a DVD player, power moon roof and polished aluminum wheels. Also, he wanted it ready and parked outside the Wilson on the day of his inauguration- January 2nd.

When the first one arrived, it just so happened to have a gray interior, not the black interior per Brown's request. Brown requested he have the one with the black interior sent to him. And it was: it was driven from Coldwater, Michigan to Washington at a cost of $1,500. However, there's another issue. The car with the gray interior cannot be returned until October, so the city taxpayers are footing the bill for both leases on both SUV's- both at $1,900 a month. And all while (get ready for this) the city is in a $400 Million budget shortfall.

The Chairman says that if he had known his request would be so pricey, he never would have ordered it. I'm sure he is even sorrier now, since Councilman Tommy Wells called for an investigation into the purchase, while a report says that the purchase may be illegal. The Chairman has returned the vehicle to the DC Department of Public Works while the Attorney General negotiates a cancellation of the lease.

So what is Kwame Brown riding around in now, you ask? The Batch' Blog spotted the Chairman right after Councilman Barry's State of the Ward Address being whisked away in an army green mail truck, similar to what he was pushing during his first campaign for Council in 2004.

Gray: Of course, we could not forget the last shade that makes this color most undesirable for the people of Washington: Gray. Mayor Vince Gray, at least according to the Washington Post, has had a bad start as Mayor of the Nation's Capital City. Though the jury (and possibly a federal judge) is still out on his relations with Sulaimon Brown, it is no secret that a lot of Gray's friends are getting the city's top jobs and it is very obvious they are getting paid a lot more than they are supposed to. In fact, many of the children of Gray's upper-level campaign staff have landed jobs in the new administration.

Many people are asking "What's Wrong with Vince Gray?". Mary Cheh, one of Vince Gray's most avid supporters, and his former Council colleague from Ward 3 calls the large amount of scandal coming out of the Mayor's office now-a-days "kind of depressing".

Let's also not exclude the Mayor from this whole SUV scandal either. Along with the two (now, unused) SUV's ordered by the Chairman's office, the Metropolitan Police Department order a "fully loaded" Lincoln Naviagtor for the Mayor and a Lincoln Town Car for his security team, at a cost of $1,941 and $1,785 a month respectively. The only difference is that there is no sign those will be going back any time soon.

This new District government has a long way to go in securing the public trust and getting city politics back on track.

"Keep Your Enemies Closer": Congress Becoming its Neighbor's Biggest Enemy

Since the Republican Majority took over in the House of Representatives this January, the United States Congress has created a closer relationship with its neighbors to the north (and south, east and west): The residents of the District of Columbia.

However, its not as great as it sounds. From education, Congresswoman Norton's vote in the Committee of the Whole, needle exchange and even "reproductive health services" (a.k.a abortions), Congress is taking the helm in D.C., to the dismay of residents and the city government.

The Batch' Blog's Top 3 DC-Congressional Mishaps in 2011 (thus far).

1. Congresswoman Norton's Vote in the Committee of the Whole: Just days in the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives, it was decided that the vote Norton was given in the Committee of the Whole (a term that refers to the times when the House serves as a committee to decide on certain legislation) would be stripped away. This vote also gave Norton the authority to vote on taxing and spending bills (as long as it was not a deciding vote). Despite efforts by DC Vote, Norton and newly inaugurated Mayor, Vincent Gray, a party line vote of 225-188 sealed the deal. Just days into a change of power both in the House and in D.C. Government, the relationship was beginning to sour.
2. Restriction of Abortion Funding for Low-Income Families: Now, whether you agree with abortions or not is not important in this case. Because, when the Republican majority in the House of Representatives takes measures to restrict what the District Government can do with its OWN money, that is the issue. Just like citizens took action to get Norton's Committee of the Whole vote re-instated (unsuccessfully), citizens took to the streets to stop this blatant attempt at legislating the lives of District residents. Not just any street, however: Speaker of the House John Boehner's Street. More specifically, his FRONT DOOR! Though the display was a step up from other demonstrations and got major media attention, Congress still is seizing control of DC-earned money. Crazy.
3. School Choice: No, Speaker Boehner and the Republicans are not trying to take away school choice, but give DC students more of a choice. Can you believe that!? He is trying to re-instate the DC Opportunity Scholarship, a program that gave DC low-income students vouchers to go to private schools. The Democratic Congress cut it out a few years ago. Though I support the Opportunity Scholarship and the success it has provided for DC students and though Parents support its return, who the heck is John Boehner to go over D.C. Government's head and take this into his own hands. Congress even told the District Government that funding for public schools will be cut if there are not provisions to return the scholarship program.

Congress is becoming a dictatorial force in the District of Columbia and it's time to end it.

ANC 8C: Under-serving the Community

My friend over at Congress Heights on the Rise has already taken up this topic for years now, so I am obscenely late to the party, but I think its worth mentioning one more time:

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C is under-serving the community

I am a lifelong resident of SMD 8C-04 and recently got into investigating what was going on in my ANC, because in the 18 years I have been a resident and the over 45 years that my family have been residents, the quiet, African American middle class neighborhood that Congress Heights used to be has been on a steady decline.

Even though the neighborhood is reaping the benefits of new development and a new birth in retail and affordable housing in recent years, not much credit can go to the ANC. I am a big "bulletpoints and outline" kind of guy, so I want to outline some of the issues I have recognized with ANC8C.

Finances: It is no secret and a public disgrace that the DC Auditor's office did a review of the reports filed by the ANC and found that the commission was not properly or efficiently spending the yearly allotments and pledged to withhold over $20,000 from the ANC until it cleaned up its act.

In fact, the only expense that the ANC has made in nearly a decade has been to a dilapidated and shady ANC office above a barbershop on Martin Luther King Avenue, at a cost of $900 a month. For $900, it is definitely a very large and potentially useful space. However, a recent tour of the office has showed that paint is peeling, the bathrooms don't function, windows don't open and not even the phones work inside. The ANC does not even hold its monthly meetings there- it has been moved to a free space down the street for at least the past two years. To be so underused and run-down, it is not worth the $900 it is rented for.

Think about that: if that is the only expense, that means that ANC, in almost a decade, has not allotted money for grants to the community that are supposed to be used for community improvement! Not even supplies for the ANC have been purchased! But, at least we have that psychedelic shack we call an office, right?

The ANC also does not hire employees to deal with community issues, that would be helpful to residents and give some people a steady job, even though money can be set aside for that!

At a recent ANC meeting, one of the commissioners commented that money has not been spent because the ANC has never been able to reach a quorum in order to vote on expenditures. It just so happens that there was a clear quorum at the meeting she was speaking at and if there was no quorum to spend money, who authorized the monthly payments of rent at "Boo Radley's house"!

Link: ANC 8C's FY 2009 Report

Financially, ANC8C is under-serving the community.

Meetings: It is really appalling and unacceptable that ANC8C, over the past few years, have canceled and postponed meetings without proper public notice, leaving people outside waiting for canceled meetings to begin or rescheduled meetings lacking proper attendance by the public.

I am not sure what the reasons for these numerous reschedulings and cancellations are, but if it is necessary, the ANC needs to a do a much better job of notifying the public (but of course, the ANC has not set aside money to print fliers or set aside the time to make phone calls or emails).

Another issue, which was also mentioned in the Auditor's report (linked above), is that there is a major problem with chronic absenteeism by commissioners at ANC 8C monthly meetings, which is detrimental to the commission conducting proper business. If a quorum is not reached, business cannot be conducted. Commissioners need to be at meetings. That is what they were elected to do!

And let's not mention the terrible decorum that some commissioners have in meetings. There is rarely a meeting (if ever), where deliberation does not turn into a session of petty bickering or yelling matches. If commissioners cannot be civil, they should given their walking papers in November 2012.

When it comes to meetings, ANC 8C is under-serving the community.

Community Engagement: Though this pretty much covered in our previous sections, the community engagement of many of the commissioners in ANC 8C is terrible. As a personal example, I have emailed my new ANC commissioner in 8C04, Lloyd Logan, at least twice in the past month and have not gotten a response yet.

But as a unit, there is much to be desired from our ANC in 8C. The ANC office is locked, not used, has no phone and is broken down. Many commissioners do not have office hours and have not created any apparent means to keep in touch with constituency.

When it comes to community engagement, ANC 8C is under-serving the community.

In A Nutshell: ANC 8C is failing the community and it is time for a change. More soon...