Urban Onramps

It appears that it’s not true:

A clear example is a 2001 Justice Policy Institute report stating the number of Black men in prison (791,600) was higher than the number of Black men in college (603,000). However, the study was reported by media outlets without a key stat. The number of college-age (18-24) African-American men attending college was higher than the number of incarcerated men from the same age group. The Justice Policy study included incarcerated men ages (18-55), which provided a larger sample group. In using the larger sample group, the data showed more Black men in prison than in college.

According to the Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education and the Department of Justice: Bureau of Justice statistics — In 2000, there were more than 469,000 African-American college-age (18-24) men enrolled in college, while 114,400 college-age men were in prison.

I found this information by following a series of links from this Washington Post article: A Filmmaker’s Attempt To Peel Off the Labels: “What Black Men Think” Tackles Stereotypes

Here’s the Amazon link for the guy’s movie: What Black Men Think

The more accurate ratio, by the way, looks to be 4:1 for Black men ages 18-24 in college versus Black men ages 18-24 in prison.

“Illegal immigrants living in states and cities that have adopted strict immigration policies are packing up and moving back to their home countries or to neighboring states.“

This site will spit out a fundraising thermometer graphic that contains the amounts/data that you input. I just made the graphic below for use in the next Harambee newsletter.

The target amount for our 2007-08 Harambee Prep School Scholarship Drive is $175,000. Over the course of this school we need this amount in designated scholarship gifts to meet our budget. As of September 20 we have received $27,500 toward the drive. We need $147,500 to meet the goal. One full scholarship is $7,000. Gifts in any and all amounts are appreciated. Give now. Questions? Email me

I’ll answer.

Promise.

my skype handle is rodolphocarrasco

at least, i think it is

You go away for a few days and weeks and come back to this analysis of our nation’s future: Andrew Sullivan: “And so elite conservatives are falling over themselves to embrace a new Queen Hillary, with an empire reaching across Mesopotamia, a recently deposed court just waiting to return to the salons of DC, a consort happy to be co-president for another four years, and a back-channel to the other royal family.”

The Examiner:

“It’s different being a candidate and being the president,” Bush said in an Oval Office interview. “No matter who the president is, no matter what party, when they sit here in the Oval Office and seriously consider the effect of a vacuum being created in the Middle East, particularly one trying to be created by al Qaeda, they will then begin to understand the need to continue to support the young democracy.”

What were the cops supposed to do?

I was standing in a long line at the bank. I called a nearby restaurant and said, “Yeah, boss, I want a BLT. I’ll be there in ten minutes,” then hung up. I put my phone away and looked up. Everyone in line was staring at me.

PCMAG Review: Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch (Core 2 Duo T7700):

The one thing holding me back from giving the Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch (Core 2 Duo T7700) an Editors’ Choice is the lack of less-expensive configuration options. What you do get for your money are the fastest components on earth, with the new Intel Centrino Duo platform and an impressive screen resolution. It’s the type of desktop replacement (or thin-and-light laptop) that current MacBook owners, as well as would-be Apple converts, will drool over, whether or not they can afford it.

Man, am I glad I found this: The Official Gmail Blog. What I really need is The Official Google Calendar Blog. What are the chances that they have that?

UPDATE: Well, there is this: Google Calendar Help Group. I hope it’s what I need…

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this:

“The thing that intrigued me the most,” says [lead character Jimmy] Smits, “was that you had a Latino family that American audiences have not seen very much of — affluent. And at the same time, character-wise, you have my character that has chinks in the armor. He’s in that family, but not of that family, his biological roots are a source of conflict, and that opens him character-wise for a lot of different possibilities.”

And, Smits adds, “the turns the pilot makes — it takes a dark turn — that’s not something I’ve really been playing in the past. Yet the show is ultimately upscale and aspirational.”

The show is “Cane” on CBS, Tuesdays at 10pm starting Sept. 25.

I started the day by playing “This is Radio Clash” by The Clash as I dressed my daughter Micah. The song played on my Powerbook. I cranked it up as loud as it would go, which doesn’t match a real stereo system, but was loud nonetheless. My son Samuel began break-dancing. Micah went and joined him. This past week has been - what? A time warp of sorts. Ever since I got back from Asia I’ve just been totally whacked out. My sleep rhythms, man, have been way way WAY off. I was sick a bit, then not sick, then sick again. I’ve kept myself quarantined from my own family. My wife is pregnant, that creates a bit of drama, but really it’s a great joy cuz, I don’t know, I just feel happy. Today I was one of the drivers for the Harambee Prep School trip to the LA County Fair - yes! Can you say deep fat fried pickles? And I’m not sure what’s up, but I’ve been reading a bunch of books lately. It’s been a while since I’ve just read books. As you may know, I really dig 1491 by Charles Mann. I marked the heck out of the book as I read it. I’m ready to re-read my notes.

Today I found myself thinking, “The Indians were terra-forming the Amazon when the Spaniards arrived and messed everything up. How would our world be different if they’d never come?” One of the best things about this book is where I read it. I have no idea how it happened, but on my Cathay Pacific flight back from Hong Kong to LA I sat in business class, and in the second floor of the 747 business class section. The morning of the flight I asked the folks at the counter if I could get an upgrade from my coach seat. I already knew the answer - no. That’s what the American Airlines and Cathay Pacific web sites say, that you can’t just upgrade on a codeshare (Cathay) flight like you can on an American flight. I was totally shocked to get my seat change. Then it turned out to be a lie-flat seat (well, almost). When I arrived 14 hours later, my body was not aching like it was on the outbound flight. They kept bringing food. There were eleventy bazillion TV channels, including one that had lots of soccer. I watched 300 (again) and read 1491. Once home, I turned my attention to Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky.

I’m a few pages in, it’s not all that stimulating yet. But I’ve actually become captivated by a book that came in the mail today. First, a confession - a self-serving, ego-driven, somewhat shameful confession. I’m geeked by this book, which is one I’ve awaited for quite awhile. But what got me today was that the book came via FedEx AND it’s an uncorrected galley proof. The book ain’t due out until mid-October, so not too many people who have these. The book is Mongrels, Bastards, Orphans and Vagabonds: Mexican Immigration and the Future of Race in America by Gregory Rodriguez

Between Ruben Navarrette, Jr. and Gregory Rodriguez you have two of the best Latino socio-political minds in the country. These guys make me wonder what I’ve been doing with my life. I just finished the first chapter, which is titled “the birth of a people” and is a well-detailed chapter covering race mixing during and following the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s. Prepare to hear the term “mestizo” used more often in our national discourse. More books: I’m due with my book manuscript in a few months and I must say that I’ve got to get cracking. In the meanwhile, I’m going to change the title and cover of my study guide, I’ll let you know when I’m done with that.

And now it’s midnight. I’m just going to make myself go to sleep. Even if I have to just lay there for two hours, I’m not going to get up…

Austin Bay, reflecting on the testimony of Gen. Petraeus:

Ike Skelton’s comment when GEN Petraeus’ microphone failed to work is something of a metaphor both for Washington and Baghdad: “Are we fixed yet?”

That mike failure — as incidental as it was, and as easily solved as it was– is a useful reminder. General Murphy is always at work. If it can go wrong it will. Murphy’s Law affects everything but it rules warfare. War is the effort where everything goes wrong — Clausewitz’ concept of friction recognizes this. It’s why perseverance and will are the traits of victors.

Heavy. That doesn’t just go for war. I would say that describes urban ministry with the most needy and/or toughest. ht instapundit

There is about to be a lot of action related to youth violence and related issues:

• Pasadena City Press Release: PRESENTATION ON VIOLENCE, GANG ACTIVITY AND YOUTH PROGRAMS SCHEDULED FOR PASADENA CITY COUNCIL MEETING
• Pasadena Now: Councilmember Robinson Announces Major Initiative to Counter Gang and Race Related Violence

We’ve had a number of shootings and killings since December. Most of the victims are young and Black or Latino. The most recent occurred about three weeks ago a few blocks from me, at a location I pass everytime I go to McDonalds.

MSN:

The MacBook Pro outperformed the rest of the notebooks we tested, all of which claim Windows as their primary–nay, their only–operating system. We loaded Windows Vista Home Premium on the Apple notebook, and it snagged a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88. In games it achieved a blazing frame rate of 141 frames per second in Far Cry (with antialiasing turned off).