Hasta La Gadget!

It’s no secret that the field of law oftentimes seems too conservative, too rigid, to truly bring about the changes that reformers and criminal justice advocates would like to see.

The very nature of the legal system requires that you follow a strict set of rules simply to get into court in the first place. Once there, you must navigate a second system, meeting rigorous standards and getting past a series of gatekeeping mechanisms that allows for the entry of some evidence while other evidence is kept out. If you successfully navigate this second system, the fate of you or whatever issue you are fighting for is often left in the hands of a jury that may or may not clearly understand the gravity of the issue.

This system of gatekeeping can be good or bad depending on which side of the issue you are on. Undeniably, though, it oftentimes leaves those of us fighting for civil rights disillusioned. Recent DOJ decisions in the Michael Brown case as well as in the George Zimmerman case are prime examples. Even Attorney General Eric Holder has acknowledged this, saying in part that he thinks that “some serious consideration needs to be given to the standard of proof that has to be met before federal involvement is appropriate.”

This kind of realization forces attorneys like myself, who went to law school for the sole purpose of impacting issues affecting my community, to question whether or not law is the adequate avenue to levy change, and if not, what is.

I strongly believe that the law has in the past been a powerful tool to fight injustice. Today, though, I feel that we need to figure out more innovative ways to bring about change.

Civil rights 2.0 requires us to think of ways to utilize technology to bring about the change we want to see.

I am attempting to do just that.

A year ago, I participated in the Oakland Hackathon for Black Male Achievement, pitching an idea that I think could change the landscape for criminal justice reform. That idea was 2econd Impression.

2econd Impression is a web/mobile platform designed to make the job search for individuals with criminal records more productive and efficient by mapping employers who are proactively working to hire individuals with criminal records. It simultaneously allows social-justice-minded individuals in the community to identify these businesses and patronize them.

Frustration with over-incarceration today is at an all-time high, such that we are finally seeing bipartisan support for reform. Van Jones’ #Cut50 initiative, which aims to cut the prison population by 50 percent over the next 10 years, just led a huge summit attended by change-makers spanning the political divide. A number of cities and states have passed “Ban the Box” initiatives, prohibiting employers from requiring job applicants to check a box on their applications indicating whether or not they have a criminal record.

Both of these initiatives are vitally important. However, they also leave some stones unturned. Employers, for example, still have the ability to require background checks before they hire. So while banning the box is effective at the front end, there remains a gap that needs to be addressed before the ultimate goal of increasing employment opportunities for those with records can be fully realized. Cutting the prison population by 50 percent is an urgent need and a noble effort, but what happens when the remaining 50 percent are released from prison and can’t get jobs?

It is estimated that approximately 6 out of 10 ex-inmates return to prison because they can’t find employment. This reality leads to an estimated $57 to $65 billion in lost economic output annually.

The time for creative, innovative, and multi-faceted solutions is now. The promise of a second impression is to simplify the job search for people with records and to leverage consumer power to either support progressive employers or put pressure on employers who fail to adopt more progressive hiring policies.

It puts the power in the hands of the people, as it should be.

We have recently launched a Kickstarter to speed up development.

In solidarity,
Brandon

You can sign up for updates here.
You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

My Dear Ex-Friend,

This is likely a letter that you have never in a million years expected to see. We haven’t been friends in so many years that you probably thought I had never thought about you anymore. Clearly, based on the fact that I’m even writing this letter, that’s not true — with you or any of my ex-friends, ex-boyfriends or even past “enemies”. In our relationships, we all leave marks on one another. Whether they are good or bad, we still remember those marks to some degree either consciously or unconsciously.

As for the two of us, it seems that we left plenty of bad marks on each other during the few years that we were friends back during our school days. Competitive. Critical. Putting each other down. Calling each other names. Whenever we were together there always seemed to be this flavor of always wanting to “one up” the other for some reason. It was like the movie Mean Girls in real life. There wasn’t a whole lot of support going on in our “friendship,” unfortunately.

After a few years, I decided I was going to save myself all the stress and emotional upset and cut you off. We spoke for a few times after this. Though, ideally, I would’ve loved our visits to be enjoyable, they never really were. There was still this sense of “I have this better than you” in our interaction.

The last time I spoke with you was a few years ago. When I saw that competitive energy still lingering — over 10 years later — I told myself that I did not want to find myself caught up in these types of interactions with you ever again. So when I saw you a few months ago in a store that I was planning on going into, I purposefully avoided. We had caused one another enough distress during our friendship. To see each other and converse once again would only keep this almost kind of passive battle going. It’s been long enough — it had to be extinguished.

Now just a few days ago, I came across a Facebook post that spoke about you through a mutual friend of ours. This post was written by your current husband, where he expressed his immense love, appreciation, respect, and admiration for you. As I read this post, my heart warmed and I smiled. I want to let you know, without any slightest sense of jealousy or a need to force myself to say this, that I am so incredibly happy for you. I am overjoyed that you have found someone who loves you and that your dream of having a family have come true. I am so happy that you are in a relationship filled with so much love and that you the two of you are able to share that with your children and potential future children.

Even though we are no longer friends or speaking to each other, it brings me a sense of peace to know that you are in a good place in your life. Some people come into our lives to love and support us for a long time. Others are meant to only stay a short while, touch our hearts and then leave. Others are meant to teach us what we don’t want in our lives so that we can then be open for better things to come along. Even though you were one that I was meant to let go of, please know that I do care and wish you the best in life — and I always will.

Much love,
Jennifer

Jennifer is a self and relationship coach and teacher and the founder of jennifertwardowski.com. She helps women worldwide create fulfilling relationships with both themselves and others so they can live happy and joyful lives. Click here for her Free Self and Relationship Healing Meditation and weekly blog updates. To learn about how you can work with her, click here.

Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

CAMPBELLTON, New Brunswick (AP) — Canadian police have charged a man with criminal negligence causing death after two young brothers were asphyxiated by a python.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the charge against Jean-Claude Savoie on Tuesday.

Four-year-old Noah Barthe and his 6-year-old brother, Connor, were found dead on Aug. 5, 2013, after an African rock python escaped its enclosure inside Savoie’s apartment in Campbellton, New Brunswick, where the boys were staying for a sleepover.

Police said at the time that the 45-kilogram (100-pound) snake escaped a glass tank through a vent and slithered through a ventilation pipe. Its weight caused the pipe to collapse, and it fell into the living room where the boys were sleeping. Autopsies concluded that the boys died from asphyxiation.

Five years ago, Google CEO Eric Schmidt proclaimed that laptops would become disposable. We’re nearly there. Starting today, you can buy a new Chromebook for just $150—the cheapest price ever. And this spring, there’s a $250 Chromebook coming that looks pretty incredible.

Read more…

When you need something, you likely don’t realize it until you go to use it. Your laundry detergent might be dangerously low, or maybe the battery drawer is empty. Kids run out of diapers all the time! When you run out of stuff, you probably run to Amazon to order more. For you, Amazon now has what they call ‘Dash Buttons’, … Continue reading