I am almost halfway to my $1,500 goal in fundraising for the DNC Convention. As many of you know, Dallas South was selected by the Democratic National Committee as a credentialed blogger for the historic event in Denver this Summer. I am raising funds to help purchase equipment needed to cover the event as well as for travel expenses. Please take a moment to click on the Chip In widget above and make a secure donation to this effort via Pay Pal. If for some reason you are unable to do so and would still like to contribute, send me an email to shawn@dallassouthblog.com. God Bless! Shawn

Washington, DC – (Thursday, June 19, 2008) – On Thursday, June 19, 2008, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson met with 75 South Oak Cliif High School students and their administrators on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The students are in town touring universities and gaining insight on applying for and attending college.   "It was a great pleasure to meet these exceptionally bright students in our nation's capitol. These young people are the future of our country and I came away from our meeting today even more optimistic about the future of our great nation," said Congresswoman Johnson. She stressed to the students the importance of a strong high school education as a foundation for success. Congresswoman Johnson told the students, “While it’s not the easiest choice to as a young person, putting your education first, studying hard, and receiving good grades is the best decision you can make for yourself.” The Congressman welcomes student groups from all over the 30th Congressional District to visit Washington, D.C. Her office can assist schools with scheduling tours for various attractions including the Capitol ...

The loss of a young life is never easy. We can all sympathize or empathize with a mother or a father whose child has lost their life. No one wakes up in the morning thinking that by the time they go to bed, their 7 year old will no longer be with them. Scott Goldstein's DMN story here. Channel 11 here. As the news reported tonight, a tragic accident occurred in our neighborhood today. The life of a young boy who I knew very well was cut short late this afternoon. On Friday evening he was playing in my yard as my mom watched, and came over looking to play with my son on yesterday. I had to tell him my youngster was out of town. I'll never forget his exclaimed look upon hearing that his friend would be gone for a week. It was so cute that I shared his reaction with my wife this morning. Not in a million years would I have imagined that would be my last time seeing him. The name of the boy has not been released and I won't release it here. He and my son were very close, and ...

See the links below to check out who some other bloggers selected for Old School Friday this week. Electronic Village Funky Finga Productions Mrs Grapevine Quick Cassandra Danielle Lisa C Chocl8t DP Kreative Talk MarvalusOne Regina LaShonda AJ Sharon Dee SJP sHaE-sHae songs in the key of life Hagar's Daughter There...Already 

The theme for Old School Friday is Philadelphia Soul. Again, this was an easy choice for me. The Real Thing and Ms. Jill Scott is it. My wife and I saw her in concert earlier this year. She was awesome. I only wish I could have found some video of Only You from The Real Thing Album. I'm not going to be able to make the Essence Festival this year, but if Jill and Mary J. were scheduled for the same night I would have found a way. Enjoy!!!

Make sure to check out some other opinions on best guitar solos this Old School Friday. - Electronic Village - Fresh And Fab - - Ms Grapevine -Quick -Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle - iriegal -Hagar's Daughter - Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Dallassouth - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - Vivrant Thing -AJ ...

Make sure to tune in to NPR's News and Notes today where I will participate in the Bloggers Roundtable. Today we are looking to discuss the NAACP's new president, a recently passed concealed gun law in Georgia, a California father's push against illegal immigrants in gangs.  News and Notes airs in Dallas on 90.1 at 9 pm.

by Wilton Hollins  There was time in its history when Dallas was known as a ‘Can Do’ city.  In other words, there were no dreams too big or tasks too major that the city of Dallas could not overcome. The mere fact that Dallas exists was due to this can do spirit.  There were no natural resources, major waterways, aesthetic beauty, or any of those entities that cause cities to sprout and grow into major tier one cities.  The soil is shifty and the heat is suicidal in the summer, but despite negatives Dallas has grown into a major thriving metropolis.  The Greater Dallas Metropolitan area can now boast at being the fourth largest metro area in the nation; recently surpassing San Francisco/ San Jose.  This growth can only be attributed to the will of the citizens of Dallas.  But can Dallas be greater?  Can Dallas truly be the “shining star” of Texas? Many have argued that our city has lost its Can Do spirit and replaced it with a Won’t Do spirit.  It has become bogged in racial strife, exclusionary backroom politics and a lack of vision.  Does Dallas fully maximize and capitalize on the talents of all its citizens?  I’m afraid ...

Thanks to Eddie Griffin for this gold from CBS News.

"Every time I say this, it's a guaranteed applause line," he said. "You can drop me in the middle of Idaho where there's not a Democrat in 200 miles and an elk would applaud me on that." Fmr. President Bill Clinton I ran across the preceding comments made by Mr. Clinton at Ben Smith's blog on the Politico. He was campaigning in Indiana referring to his wife getting rid of "No Child Left Behind." "What's wrong with what he said?" you might ask. Maybe the fact that Idaho Democrats are working hard to make a comeback in their state. It's easy to say that kind of stuff when trying to win an election with four states, but these days Democrats are hoping to have a chance in a state like Idaho. Idaho Dems are none to happy with Clinton's remarks.