The North Lawndale Employment Network and The Monroe Foundation is holding a Know Your Credit Score Workshop at 1:00 p.m. today. Contact Stacey Woods at (773) 638-1820 to reserve your space. The event will be held at 3726 W. Flournoy.
Merry Christmas From Shorty
Image: http://www.hdwallpapersarena.com/
Shorty’s People of the Year: The Robber Dudes that Got Away…For Now
Time Magazine named President Barack Obama as Person of the Year. So, here are Shorty’s People of the Year.
Kenneth Conley and Joseph “Jose” Banks
Your eyes are not deceiving you. The two escaped convicts, Kenneth Conley and Joseph “Jose” Banks are officially my People of the Year.
You have to admit that their actions are very admirable because not many people would have the gall to even think about getting away, let alone attempting to do it. But they did and got away! And we know that officers and everyone else who has heard this story are still scratching their heads on how it was done.
Following are the reasons they qualify to be my People of the Year.
Four Reasons Why Kenneth Conley and Joseph “Jose” Banks Are My People of the Year:
- They escaped from a federal pen. That was nearly impossible until they did it.
- They were downtown Chicago, one of the busiest areas of the city even when it’s not rush hour, and no one saw them.
- They got away. Now, this was pure genius. While some details are known, the true story will make a great movie.
- They have been gone for over 24 hours. This is amazing in itself. Honestly, this seems like a scene from Without a Trace. If officials have evidence, they are not reporting it.
Their consequences are going to be severe because they have embarrassed federal officials. And the longer they stay away, the worse their punishment is going to be.
However, I am in total awe of their audacity to attempt and succeed at escaping from prison. I’m intrigued by this for two reasons. First, they set a goal and did not stop until they achieved it – until they get caught. Do you know how many people have been planning to do stuff for years and still haven’t done it? Second, anytime you can outsmart the police, I am truly your greatest fan. I’m a chicken and wouldn’t do it myself, but kudos to those who do.
Above are the four reasons why Kenneth Conley and Joseph “Jose” Banks are my People of the Year. Who is your person of the year?
Image: AP
School Shooting Aftermath: Focus on Mental Health & Prayer In Schools
The whole world has been impacted by the massacre in the small town in Connecticut. That was a tragedy that no one could have seen coming. While the incident has sparked conversation about gun control, there are a few other issues that need to be addressed.
Mental Health
There are a lot of people walking suffering from depression and other mental health issues. Some of them have been diagnosed; others have not. If you are not a trained professional or if you do not interact with these people, you will never know the extent of their illnesses. AND, our great mayor has closed many mental health facilities, so unless someone acts a certain way, we would never really know the extent of the danger we are in at any given time.
Prayer in Schools
While this could have happened at any school, I think prayer should be allowed in schools. I know there are religious differences that have to be considered; however, they should be allowed to practice their rituals as long as it does not disrupt class time.
Would prayer in school had stopped this incident? Probably not. However, it has a greater impact than we know.
There are so many other discussions that have arisen as a result of this ungodly shooting. These are two I wanted to address in this post.
Let’s Hear From You
How did this tragedy affect you?
What are your thoughts on gun control? Do you think assault weapons should be banned? Or, should all guns be banned?
What do you think about guns on deadly Chicago streets?
Images: blog.unmc.edu / gci.org
“Frame My Future” Scholarship Contest 2013 Open to U.S. College Students
Students need to create an original entry piece that shares what they want to achieve in their personal and professional life after college. They should follow the theme: This is how I “Frame My Future.”
They have to complete an online application and submit their entry as a .JPG or .PNG format and must be fully viewable and/or readable online. Some examples entry piece ideas can be a: photograph, collage, poem, drawing, painting, graphic design, short typed essay, scrapbook style page or anything you can create within one image.
Five “success-driven” students will be awarded $1,000 scholarships. One of these five students (Grand Prize Winner) will also earn a matching $1,000 donation for their 2013-2014 attended college or university! This donation goes to the school’s general scholarship endowment fund, on behalf of the Grand Prize Winner. All 24 Finalists (5 Scholarship Winners and remaining 19 Finalists) will also receive a commemorative “Frame My Future” frame featuring their entry.
Visit “Frame My Future” Scholarship Contest Page to apply and to get more details about the contest. March 5, 2013 is the last day to enter.