Do you feel limited because you're a woman? Karyn Pettigrew and Erika Gilchrist show us how women can exercise their power in career choices, education, and self-esteem. What do you want to accomplish?

The middle school teacher is the most disrespected professional in education. We ask them to be able to deal with students who are leaving childhood, but aren't yet young adults. We ask them to be specialists in their area of teaching and to experts on the perils of puberty, jealousy, self-esteem, and name-calling.

Now we ask them to gain an endorsement in their subject area for 6th,7th and 8th grade. Shouldn't a "major" detail like this have taken place while in their teacher education programs? Are middle school teachers the "fall-back" teachers who were undecided about elementary or high school?

According to NCLB, you must be certified, with a bachelor's degree, teaching in the area of your major. Don't tell me we have social studies majors teaching science! I would be insulted and in mourning for our students.

I am saddened by the tragedy in Aurora. Four people were killed including a 1 year old patient, an EMT, a nurse, and the pilot. Helicopters are incredible vehicles that save lives everyday, but occasionally, tragedy strikes.

My condolences to the families.

Photo: Jane - PhotoBucket.com

I am being robbed, by a parking stub and ticket. Chicago, I used to love you but...parking charges are damaging our relationship. Just to get a bite to eat, I'm charged $25 and taxes on top of the parking fees - you're killin' a brother.

I hear that your mayor is having a wicked shortful in the budget and that people are being asked to stay home for a few days: a sabbatical without pay. Chicago, you're trying too hard to be like New York, L.A., and Pheonix. Taxes, tolls, carpools, fees, excise, surcharge, meters, and a mayor who can't balance a budget.

Lay some people off, get a full day's work from everyone, and we'll see that a city can operate without raising fees. I'm fed up Chicago. I'll visit you in my flying saucer, it doesn't have a windshield wiper blade for you to leave a ticket and I can just hover on top of the parking garage and pay nothing.

Photo: Carpool Kenny (2008)

Carpool Kenny is about to see a spike in his revenue if the State of Illinois introduces the dreaded carpool lane. I'm not havin' it. The lane of choice shouldn't be dependent upon the number of passengers in the car. You can't charge a toll on my car and then charge me extra because I am the only person in the car. Nonesense! I'll get an air pump, inflate Kenny, and take my chances. If the cops pull me over, I'll say - at least Kenny had his seatbelt administered. He loves talk radio and when someone wants a ride, I can say, "sorry, no room." Taxes and tolls are high enough - and you want to charge me for not carpooling? The state should buy a flying car for me or pay for my broadband so I can work from home.

Who's your choice for Congress? See the 6th Congressional District Ads:

Peter Roskam and Jill Morgenthaler.

I'll have both candidates on tonight's Garrard McClendon Live.

Are you all trained up for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon? Director Carey Pinkowski joins me on Garrard McClendon Live. Call me woth your thoughts on whether human beings should run distances this far. Is this inhumane?

Was Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech -- too good? Was she stumping for Obama or campaigning for 2012? I did like the speech...her metaphors and stories were memorable, especially the Harriet Tubman story, the slogans, and the Twin Cities remark about Bush and McCain. What were your thoughts on Hillary at the DNC?

The after-parties in Denver are going to be obscene...all of those democrats in one city for a whole week. Howard Dean, Alexi Giannoulis, Emil Jones, Jr., Jesse Jackson , Jr., and Michelle Obama are headlining tonight. Will you be watching? Is Obama your presidential candidate?

If you live in Illinois, you know the name: Roland Burris. The CEO of Burris & Lebed Consulting, Burris served as Comptroller and Attorney General of the State of Illinois. Hear his views on Obama/McCain and Vice Presidential candidates tonight on Garrard McClendon Live. Questions for Mr. Burris? Please ask by calling 630-575-TALK at 6:30 p.m. or post a comment below.

I'm the sheriff and I'm throwing myself in jail. With sagging clothes and those Godforsaken red plastic slippers, Sheriff Mark Curran assumes the humiliation of an offender But he can go home anytime he wants. Will he really get a taste of what living conditions are really like? Will he eat the same food? Did they clean the cells this week so that the sheriff would say, "The conditions are great for me."

Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma) has written a new book on relationships and she will be on Garrard McClendon Live tonight! Please tune in at 6:30 p.m. on CLTV. If you have a question for Ms. Stanis. Please call early. Phone lines will be jammed. What was your favorite Good Times episode? Post it on our blog. Bern Nadette's (Thelma's) website is http://www.thelmaofgoodtimes.com . Her new book is called Situations 101:Relationships / The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Tune in tonight on GML!

Post an entry by clicking COMMENTS below. 

Finally, city government decides to do the right thing: embracing fiscal responsibility.

Layoffs are never pleasant, especially for those who receive the dreaded pink slip, but $420 million is a monumental sum that can potentially be an asset to the city, its workers, and property owners. In the event of a massive layoff, care must be taken not to release people who may be crucial for city services, but the layoff must be done with expedience, so that morale doesn't place workers in "deer-headlight" syndrome.

These layoffs can also guage the excess in the city and its needs. Municipal employment has too many extremes - either you're working hard all day, or taking several coffee and smoke breaks to kill the time. This layoff may be a blessing in disguise.

The punch line - "Go to school, but don't go to school." What?

Aldermen say go to school, but the preachers say don't go. If I'm a parent with a child in CPS, what should I do? What will you do?

As the Bud Billiken Parade ends, the Parade of Reverend begins. From what I understand, there are over 75 ministers in line to launch the  historical first day of school boycott. Will they do it - for real? Or is this just a threat to get Arne Duncan and Gov. Blagojevich at the table?

I must admit folks, Rev. and Sen. Meeks is getting more convincing every day. And he's gaining momentum with a nationally recognized minister. Post comments now.

All eyes on Meeks!  Meeks and Drastic Measures May WorkHe is getting plenty of media coverage especially in light of the downtown rally bringing more cameras and microphones out than earlier events. Rev. Acree, a guest on Garrard McClendon Live, stated that nobody else is offering any better solutions for equalizing the funding playing field. The website, www.SaveOurSchoolsNow.com , is truning up the heat on this issue by telling parents to keep their children out of school on the first day and beyond, until an equitable solution manifests. Could this be likened to the bus boycotts of the South? Instead of Little Rock Nine needing troops to enter a school, Meeks is saying, "stay away on the first day."

Gov with a Speed Gun
I've seen it all. Blagojevich holding a press conference on the expressway. He pledges to put up cameras so aggressive, that if you're photographed over the speed limit, you will be ticketed. Everybody is going to break the law, at least until the tickets start arriving in the mail. I won't admit to driving above the speed limit, but I will say that I keep up with the traffic.

Has Ebony Magazine dedicated too much coverage to the Obamas? They have put the Camelot couple on the cover several times which can be interpreted as newsworthy, political patronage, or smart art direction. The Obamas can sell magazines, especially in an internet content-driven reading environment.

Erin Andrews! Get out! or Come on in...Should female reporters be allowed to report in "ManSpace"? Yes, yes, and yes. Erin Andrews is a great reporter at ESPN and banning her from a story just because she wears a skirt above the knees isn't fair. She's an intelligent woman who happens to look nice, and typical chauvinists are labelling her the siren of sports. What do you think about women reporting in mens' locker rooms or the inverse?

Splitting with your spouse can be painful. But what could be worse? Alimony, child support, mortgage splitting, selling your home, and paying for the entire divorce process. If youget a divorce, who gets the house? What if you want to sell it? How can you buy out your soon-to-be-ex-partner without enough to pay the mortgage? Who lives in the house? Should one person get an apartment? Who pays the mortgage?

Divorces are one of life's many tragedies that keep some people from realizing their best. You get married to this wonderful human being and in a few years, you can't stand that son-of-a-mortgage.

In Gold Digger, Mr. West says, "we want pre-nupt, we want pre-nupt - yeah."  You know people don't think about finances when they get married. Look at the money they waste on the wedding. Any one for arranged marriages?

What should you do if you have a mortgage and a spouse that wants out? 

Is he real or a processed politician? Can Obama lead our country out of this madness? Can he repair the damage of George DubYah? Very articulate, handsome, young, Harvard trained, superior organizer, constitutional lawyer...notwithstanding...

Can he lead the United States of America? I know he can.

What do you think?

Also, there's been a lot of talk about the concert held before Obama's major speech in Berlin earlier this month. Does it matter that a concert occured and was responsible for at least some of the people who attended Obama's speech?

Check out this clip from the show:

Remember the movie "Face Off" with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage? Magnetic boots on a lock-down. I think we need those...clearly a humane technology for offender control.

Well it seems that the mansion at 26th and California needs those boots because the Cook County Jail has failed to do the following:

"Protect prisoners from being harmed by inmates and staff, and

Provide adequate medical, mental health, fire prevention, and sanitation.

In March 2007, The jail had 35 inmate fights with 46 weapons being confiscated," according to Mike Robinson at the AP.

Stay out of trouble and stay your but out of Cook County Jail. The terrible living conditions are worse than the incarceration. Call the show tonight and join the discussion. 630-575-TALK.

Imagine a world where every missing child gets equal media coverage. Sorry to say, it doesn't happen. If you are considered attractive, white, or middle to upper class...you will probably get a headline, an elaborate search team, neighborhood look-out, and media coverage on several television stations.

But if you are considered less attractive, lower class, from the wrong neighborhood, or Black or Hispanic... you won't see a search team, or media coverage outside of a day.

I don't want to believe this, but there is a reason why I know the names of Lisa Stebic, Natalee Holloway, and Stacy Peterson. These missing persons have been on television almost every day. And they should be; they're human beings, They have websites. They have TV cameras all in the neighborhood.

Yasmin Acree, Kenneth Sanders, Lovace Simmons, Nathaniel Holt aren't household names...I had to go to the Chicago Police Department's Missing Persons page to find them. I don't have their names memorized and neither do you - because there is no coverage about them.

So it goes, the nightly news is a respecter of persons. Those considered attractive and middle class - COVERAGE. Those with no money and darker skin...eh, the back of a milk carton will do. 

Post a comment.

Kudos to Mary Mitchell for keeping all of us aware.

This is a photo of Yasmin Acree. 

Hello CLTV viewers. My name is Garrard McClendon and I am delighted to join CLTV to host an exciting interactive experience called "Garrard McClendon Live."

I am asking you to be a participant in a television show that will challenge, engage, and entertain you daily. The show will air weeknights at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and it can only be seen on CLTV. While watching the show, you will be able to interact with the show by phone, email, or blog. This gives you the opportunity to voice your opinion in a Talk-TV format.

Controversial topics, Chicagoland guests, and your interaction will make the show your gateway for expression. Tune in weeknights for Garrard McClendon Live!  It all begins Monday, July 14th - only on CLTV.