The images on TV looked like a scene in the movies, Walking Dead or The Day After Tomorrow.
Thousands of people stranded in traffic for hours trying to make it home. Thousands of them would leave their cars on along the highway and WALK home in 20 degree weather.
Over 1000 of students were stranded at SCHOOL. Their buses could not pick them up from school nor could their parents.
The culprit???
Two and a half inches of snow
This was the scene in Atlanta on Tuesday.
WHAT HAPPENED???
A snow storm that swept through the deep south dumped snow on the ATL. I knew it was coming. Apparently, the government officials and the mayor of Atlanta, Karim Reed, didn't know it. We had been warned that we would be getting snow as early as last week. At one point last weekend, the prediction was that the snow would come to the areas far south of the city of Atlanta. Cities like Macon and Columbus would be hit with 4 inches of snow. The path of the snow storm changed on Monday and we were notified that metro Atlanta would get 1-2 inches. I learned this on MONDAY. I guess the governor, Nathan Deal, missed the memo, too. On Tuesday morning, schools were open. So were businesses and the government. I checked my weather app on my phone. It clearly said that the snow would start at 11am. I was cool because I was already at home. The kids were at school. My wife was already at work downtown. I looked out my window at 10 am. No snow. Did it at 11 am. No sign of snow. At noon I decided to step out of the crib. I walked outside and I see that the snow is coming down in buckets. Minutes later, I get a call from my son Kameron. He's at his middle school and he wants me to pick him up. I told him that I'd be there in 10 mins. I found it strange that the school was releasing kids. On my way to pick him up, I get an email from our school district office notifying parents that they can pick up their kids because they will be letting them out early. I thought to myself "did these fool NOT know that it was going to snow?"
Deion and Brandon caught the school bus home and everybody is home by 3 pm including my wife who left work at noon. I scoop up Skyler and everybody is safe at the crib. At this time, I'm still perplexed as to why people are having to scramble to get home. I looked outside and I knew that at some point the roads were going to get bad. It was rush hour. The temperature was about 25. The snow that had fallen was going to turn to ice on the roads that had not been treated. As it turns out, many of the major highways and interstates weren't.
I watched the news just like the rest of the world and saw the damage caused by this storm. Two inches of snow turned to ice and crippled the NINTH LARGEST CITY in the United States. People were stuck on the highways for 10 plus hours. No help. Can you imagine being in your car for 12 hours with no food or water? Can you imagine being stranded with nobody to help you? We're not talking about a Third World country. This is Atlanta, Ga! Can you imagine being told "we can't bring your child home and we'll take care of them at the school." Ohhh helllllllll no! I'd ride a bike to go pick up my kids if I had to.
Through the struggle, there were people who stepped up. I am always encouraged at what we can be as a society in the moments of tragedy. People don't tend to see colors or social status. From the guy who helped deliver a baby on the side of I-285 to people like my former teammate, Palmer. He brought snacks to a school bus that was stranded in his neighborhood then allowed them to spend the night in his home instead of on a cold bus. That's what you call "stepping up to the plate." You have to be thankful for people like that who were a blessing to others.
THE FALLOUT
The governor, government officials, the mayor, and the metro school districts failed...miserably. They failed everybody in this city. They weren't prepared. Piss poor planning. You can't be open for business then try to send everybody home at 1:30. By then, you've got snow on the ground and it's a mad dash. The governor and the mayor made matters worse when they got on tv and tried to DEFEND the fact that they messed up. The mayor blamed the governor. The governor blamed the National Weather Service. C'mon son. Don't piss on us then tell us that it's raining. It was a bad PR move. They were trying to make Atlanta not look bad. Too late fellas. There are 6 million people in metro Atlanta but we can't get it right. They both talked about how it wasn't as bad as the ice storm in 2011. I think it was worse. We didn't have people stuck in cars and kids stuck in schools back then. Nevertheless, you can't point fingers. Step up and say..."Hey, I messed up." The mayor believes that Atlanta can host a Super Bowl once the new football stadium is built. Huh? This year's Super Bowl is on Sunday. Can you imagine how it would have been if the Super Bowl was HERE and this happened?
Over the past few days, I've seen alot of people being critical of Atlanta for "not being able to handle 2 inches of snow". In defense of Atlanta, this is not New York, Boston, Philly or Chicago. There are NO snow plows in this city. They treat the roads with salt and sand. That's it. Secondly, the roads turned to ice. I don't care who you are or where you're from...you can't drive on ice. I can drive in the snow. As many of you know, I worked in Minneapolis four years ago. I would work there during the week and fly home to Atlanta on the weekends. I had never driven in snow until I got there. I learned quickly. You could have 18 inches of snow on the ground in Minneapolis and the streets would be clear. Schools and businesses were open. Not only does the city have snow plows but you have tens of thousands of citizens who have snow removal equipment. We don't have that here. So...I will defend Atlanta in that aspect. You can't remove snow if you have nothing to remove it with. And there's no need to put millions of dollars into equipment that you may use every 4 or 5 yrs. But I won't defend Governor Deal or Mayor Reed. They dropped the ball at the 5 yard line. I think the "northerners" who find humor in southerners not being able to "handle snow" should take a moment and think...how would you feel if you or someone you loved was stranded and you couldn't get to them.
Memo to Deal and Reed...today is January 31st. We've probably got another 3 weeks of "winter" left. What are you gonna do the next time that there is a possibility of snow???
Check out the 12 RADIO SHOW. The 12 RADIO SHOW is the most innovative and interactive show on Blog Talk Radio. Tune in tonight at 9pm EST as the host, 12kyle, informs and entertains! Don't just listen to the show...be a part of the show and participate in the interactive chat room...or call in to speak with 12kyle and his co-hosts.
This week's guests...the fellas from Dead End Hip Hop (www.deadendhiphop.com). You don't want to miss this show. The Dead End Hip Hop Crew...Modest Media, Myke C Town, Feefo, Beezy, & Kbinge...will be on the air talking about hip hop. Call in and speak with them. Join us!
You can listen online (www.blogtalkradio.com/12kyle) or via phone (347)215-7162. Press #1 if you want to speak to the host.
Follow the show on twitter: @12RadioShow. Also follow the host 12kyle on twitter: @12kyle
Four years ago, I planted a seed in the ground.
I had no idea if the seed would grow nor how much it would grow.
Today, I stand proud as I look at what that seed has become.
It is the FOUR year anniversary of the 12 Radio Show. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't plan for the show to last this long. All I had was a few goals but I have achieved them all and more. The 12 Radio Show has been a true labor of love.
I want to thank everybody who has taken a few moments of their time to listen. Over 135,000 listens in a four year period. I couldn't have done it without you.
After doing the show for a year, I realized that it would help the show if I had on different co-hosts each week. That proved to be one of the best decisions that I've ever made. I want to thank everybody who has given me their time and talents to co-host this show. I am grateful to you all. You have helped make this show what it is. There are too many of you to thank but you know who you are!
Join us tonight as we celebrate the show's 4 Year Anniversary!!! The first show that we did was on hip hop and we will talk about it again tonight. Old school hip hop all night long.
The show will be co-hosted by Rashan Jamal and eclectik
Don't miss it!!!
9pm-11pm EST
(347)215-7162
www.blogtalkradio.com/12kyle
I found this story on the NY Post. A sad story of how people are failing the children on a day to day basis...
This principal runs a school of “no.”
Students at PS 106 in Far Rockaway, Queens, have gotten no math or reading and writing books for the rigorous Common Core curriculum, whistleblowers say.
The 234 kids get no gym or art classes. Instead, they watch movies every day.
“The kids have seen more movies than Siskel and Ebert,” a source said.
The school nurse has no office equipped with a sink, refrigerator or cot.
The library is a mess: “Nothing’s in order,” said a source. “It’s a junk room.”
No substitutes are hired when a teacher is absent — students are divvied up among other classes.
A classroom that includes learning-disabled kids doesn’t have the required special-ed co-teacher.
About 40 kindergartners have no room in the three-story brick building. They sit all day in dilapidated trailers that reek of “animal urine,” a parent said; rats and squirrels noisily scamper in the walls and ceiling.
And the principal — Marcella Sills, who joined PS 106 nine years ago — is a frequent no-show, sources say.
Sills did not come to school last Monday. On Tuesday, she showed up at 3:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, The Post found her at home in Westbury, LI, all day before emerging at 2:50 p.m. — school dismissal time. Wearing a fur coat, she took her BMW for a spin.
She showed up at school Thursday, but not Friday.
When Sills, 48, does go to work, it’s rarely before 11 a.m. — and often hours later, say sources familiar with her schedule.
“She strolls in whenever she wants,” one said.
The school hasn’t had a payroll secretary in years.
A Department of Education spokesman said Sills was required to report her absences and tardiness to District 27 Superintendent Michelle Lloyd-Bey but would not say whether Sills did so last week.
Lloyd-Bey did not return a call. Sills hung up on a reporter.
When she is out, an assistant principal is left in charge. Yet Sills, who gets a $128,207 salary, also pockets overtime pay — $2,900 for 83 hours in 2011, the latest available records show.
“This school is a complete s- -thole, but nobody in a position of power comes to investigate. No one cares,” a community member said.
PS 106 families hope their cries for attention bring newly installed Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña to the rescue, saying they can’t recall any prior DOE leader visiting the remote school.
She would find it sinking, they say.
The isolated building sits a block and a half from the beach, surrounded by vacant, weed-choked lots, the road behind it strewn with trash bags and broken TVs.
The floods of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 wrecked a hangar-like annex, called the Early Childhood Academy, which housed pre-K, kindergarten and first and second grades. It has not been repaired.
Two kindergarten classes moved into “temporary classroom units” in the yard. The other children moved into the main building, forcing some classes to squeeze into small offices and storage rooms. The pre-K class sits in the auditorium, but has to move to the cafeteria during the movies.
Kids in several grades said that last week they watched “Fat Albert,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “Monsters, Inc.,” but did not relish the downtime.
“I like gym. I like to draw,” said Charm Russell, 10, who added her peers are too restless and bored to watch the screen. “They’re always making noise, and there’s nothing entertaining going on. No art, no gym, no music class.”
More alarming, the teachers have gotten no curricula since Sandy. Last February, the DOE announced several new options, including “Go Math” for grades K-5, and “ReadyGen” or the state Education Department’s “Core Knowledge” for English language arts. The books cover the Common Core standards, skills that kids should master at each level.
But five months into the school year, PS 106 classes still don’t have the books or teacher’s guides.
“They have no reading program, no math program,” a source said, adding Sills blames outside administrators for not sending materials.
Teachers muddle through by printing out worksheets they find online, buying their own copy paper.
The DOE gave no explanation for the missing curricula but said it’s “working with the school to provide students with physical education.”
A spokesman denied the trailers are rat-infested.
Staffers won’t speak up or even file a grievance with their union because Sills will retaliate, a source said.
Parents wonder if higher-ups know what’s going on.
“Why don’t they get on them? I don’t understand that,” said Michael Moore, father of a second-grader.
Another father, Roland Legions, added. “They’re not doing right by the kids.”
One mom said she couldn’t get a meeting with Sills to discuss concerns. Another said Sills is “just not professional.”
“She should be here,” the mom said. “How is she going to run the school if she’s not here?”
PS 106 is allocated $2.9 million to serve a low-income population with 98 percent of its students eligible for free lunches. As a Title 1 school, it gets extra federal funds, but community members say they’ve never seen a budget tracking the income and spending.
Check out the 12 RADIO SHOW. The 12 RADIO SHOW is the most innovative and interactive show on Blog Talk Radio. Tune in tonight at 9pm EST as the host, 12kyle, informs and entertains! Don't just listen to the show...be a part of the show and participate in the interactive chat room...or call in to speak with 12kyle and his co-hosts.
TOPIC - Women vs Men (Episode 850) co-hosted by CryssRenee.
You don't want to miss this show! We'll talk about our similarities and differences in a comical yet informative way.
You can listen online (www.blogtalkradio.com/12kyle) or via phone (347)215-7162. Press #1 if you want to speak to the host. You can also send tweets if you want to have your questions answered or comments to @12kyle
Follow the show on twitter: @12RadioShow. Also follow the host 12kyle on twitter: @12kyle
good piece from business insider...
Some people find mornings filled with optimism, while others would just as soon stay in bed until the clock passes the noon hour.
For most, however, the workday beckons and the morning is a mad rush to get everyone ready and out the door. By the time you reach the office, you've probably already dealt with the stress of family, weather, traffic and other distractions. Unless everything goes perfectly, you'll carry all that stress into your office and share it throughout the day with your employees and colleagues.
Fear not, it is possible to get the day started right, no matter what comes your way. Try one of these tips each day of the week or combine them. Either way, you'll start out on your terms and be prepared to make it a great day.
1. Plan the night before.
Why start your day unorganized? If you organize your to-do-list, breakfast menu and your clothes the night before, you'll wake up feeling in control and relaxed. Taking 20 minutes to lay out everything can save you a 30-minute fashion crisis or search for the car keys. With a little efficiency, you'll save the frustration and scrambling, leaving you ready to tackle more important issues.
2. Try 15 minutes of meditation.
Some might be afraid that a meditation session early in the morning could just put you back to sleep. But genuine meditation actually stimulates the brain in a deep and thoughtful way. It allows you to clear distractions from your mind and purge negative energy. Center yourself with thoughtful introspection or prayer and be open to the positive energy the world brings your way.
3. Begin with inspirational reading.
Part of my morning ritual easily allows for reading first thing. Many read the news, which can be a sad way to start the day. Buy a few books that are uplifting, inspiring, or even humorous for your first brain stimulus. This will give you positive, fun thoughts to keep you energized throughout the day.
4. Open your eyes to fresh flowers.
If the first thing you see when you wake up is a dingy wall or barren winter yard, you can certainly improve those critical few minutes with a pleasing splash of color. Research suggests that exposure to bright colors in the early morning raises your spirits and energy. So pick up a pleasant bouquet every few days and set it right in your view.
5. Trade coffee for green tea.
Coffee is a great stimulant, but sometimes it can over-stimulate and the acid can make your stomach uncomfortable. Try a soothing cup of green tea to start instead. You'll still get the caffeine you crave (just a bit less), plus healthy antioxidants. It's cheaper and healthier than a double caramel mochaccino, too. You can still get the java mid-morning if you want it, but you may find you don't even need it since the crash won't be as severe.
6. Do some yoga.
Exercise is a great stimulant to wake you up, and make you feel good. It's good for the body and pumping those endorphins makes your mind happy and alert. Cardio is great, but for the whole body approach, add a little yoga into your routine. You'll control your breath, stretch your muscles and generate energy. Your body and mind will be one and ready to conquer the world.
7. Schedule a hopeful appointment.
I never feel more energized getting out of bed than when I have an important meeting about an exciting opportunity. The prospect of a fun and productive encounter
Happy New Year!!!
Oh...
wait...
I'm a few days late.
Oh well...
Let me be the last person to wish you a happy and prosperous new year! 2014 will be a year of change. Embrace it. Don't run from it. Often in life, change gets us out of our personal comfort zones and that ultimately makes us better people!
Where have I been? I've been chillin in the cut like iodine.
LOL. Seriously, I've been around. I just haven't blogged that much. But I will blog more often. I'm glad that you take a moment to stop and read what I have to say.
I appreciate it. Happy New Year!
Let's go!
