I heard the replay of the program and read his words too.
There is no way that he could logically say that he was mischaracterized unless he has a long lost twin brother named Michael Brown who recently resigned from the FEMA directorship.
Although he gave a slight disclaimer to the statement, he proceeded to say that the black abortion of babies would indeed lower the crime rate.
The statement took away the cake he was trying to have and eat too.
The irony of it all which is no surprise is the opinions of those who primarily the Republican Party thought were the "safe" appointees of past administrations as well as the current political party overall.
Time has given these people enough rope that they are hanging themselves with as a way to get rid of the rope;)
The broadcast has not been replayed to indicate whether the words were spontaneous or planned.
The president always seems to create self-inflicted wounds on his leadership when he speaks "off the cuff".
So to know how people really feel, ask them when they put away their speeches and words that were prepared for the moment that they really do not believe anyway it seems.
Bennett contradicted and negated his own attempt at a disclaimer if there was one indeed.
Maybe he owes somebody some money;)
It's sad, but we all know that there are people who will pick up his comments and run with them to our community's harm.
But to look behind the curtain, Bennett did not create the essence of his words.
His words came from one of two books that I have that talk about how little things mean so much and how things and issues that seem unrelated really are.
One author is Malcolm Gladwell who I met briefly when he was doing a book signing here in Atlanta.
Being that his mother was of color, I doubted that it was Gladwell directly.
But another book entitled Freakonomics could have been used by Bennett to form his opinion. Freakonomics was written a two-man team and one is an economist that is relatively young.
Bennett needs (or I hope so) to reveal his sources or reference material so the true source can be disputed.
Bennett has discredited himself regardless.
I still cannot get out of my mind Strom Thurmond's questioning of either Clarence Thomas or Anita Hill years ago as if they were children on a playground with something to the effect "You're not going to do it again, are you?"
The excuse of being drunk, drugged, and other conspiracy theories are not going to get such spoken and recorded words off the hook;))
It is like the ghosts of deceased plantation owners and Willie Lynch are being channeled for the world to hear:)
Bennett made these comments because he is within the majority population and made the statement regarding the minority population is why the statements hit so hard.
It was a verbal "kick them while they are down" mentality expressed.
If he had said something like a political columnist made about Chief Justice Rehnquist after Rehnquist's death (about how terrible Rehnquist was a Supreme Court justice), then who knows what the results would have been with Bennett's stature as a former cabinet member.
The White House is distancing themselves from Bennett for this reason alone especially that Bennett was a part of President Reagan's cabinet.
One cannot help but think about the cliche' "Birds of a feather flock together" when thinking about the statements and who said them.
One of the authors of the book "Freakonomics" is saying the same thing in their blog about Bennett's comments.
Bennett was the Education Secretary under Reagan and the drug czar under the first President Bush I read recently. Since his history goes back to the White House in the 80s, the statements become a little more powerful and more absurd in that context.
It is being reported that the White House is saying that the comments were "not appropriate" versus "not true", so the unraveling continues.
I have not finished reading Freakonomics yet.
I have done a little research and discovered that the book does argue that abortion has caused the crime rate to go down, but it does not specify race (yet from my research).
So Bennett is guilty for looking at the results of the judicial system versus the causes of crime as well.
As I discovered that it was indeed Freakonomics that Bennett was referencing, I found this link:
http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=freakonomics%2C+bennett%2C+abortion&btnG=Search+Blogs
Now the author(s) of the book are tasting a little backlash themselves and are taking Bennett to task on their blog.
Friday, September 30, 2005
William Bennett on Abortions, Blacks, and Freakonomics
Thursday, September 29, 2005
False Accusations to Silence Voices Must Be A New Trend
On a mailing list that I am a member to discuss black gospel music, a Christian sister today sent a message that referenced a website that accuses various pastors and ministers of being gay because of their sermons against homosexuality.
This is a very twisted approach to silence voices from speaking against sin and eventually a whole host of things against the kingdom of God.
What the accusers of these ministers fail to acknowledge is that sin is sin is sin is sin.
The accusers exclude the other sermons of the ministers to focus on whatever their sin category might be.
Although this tactic might work both ways, the accusers clearly have an agenda that they are trying to promote by attacking these ministers.
I am against gay marriage, murder, bureaucracy and everything else that attempts to exalt itself against the kingdom of God. Does that make me gay, a murderer, and a bureaucrat?
Does that put me on the same side of the lack of morals and sins that I am fighting and speaking against?
This is stupid and yes indeed, a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
It would be a better strategy to call me a hypocrite, but I cannot really tell whether the accusations are sincere or just a way to throw mud and hope that something sticks or trips of the accused into falling elsewhere.
The websites are written by Jasmyne Cannick and Keith Boykin. Google their names within quotation marks if you want to visit their websites.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
BET's Comedy Awards 2005
I saw probably the majority of the 2 hours long BET's Comedy Awards (which will reair multiple times before the end of the year) last night while waiting for Nip/Tuck to air on FX.
After seeing several skits featured throughout the program, I wondered if there was really any room for comedian Paul Mooney to go overboard somehow as reported by EURweb.
Mooney would have to have gone through the low roof like a giant in a hobbit's house.
Otherwise without hearing his words, my guess is that Mooney was a little too high-brow for the room that was feasting on the comedy that stayed off-road.
Three skits that really did not need to be aired on BET included:
1. an unborn rapper named Embryo that was rapping within the womb. Embryo was computer animated and his anatomy was digitally "masked" but you know that it was not for the live audience;
2. a dying boy laying in a hospital bed and there was a Make A Wish gift extended to him by Kenya Moore. When the boy was told that he could have whatever he wanted, he said that he really wanted to feel her breasts (another word was used instead) for 30 seconds; and
3. there was some segment that was based on American Idol that a participant was called a "video ho".
All three skits were probably par for the course of BET, but I cannot really see how a network could have a segment where someone was called a "video ho" and not anticipate any repercussions.
But if BET really knows its audience and felt that it was okay and the people that should have felt disrespected are not actually, then where is the self-respect?
I know think that the NAACP, Urban League, and other organizations built upon defending our rights and images might need to fight a stronger internal battle for our culture because clearly an internal war is being lost.
On the flipside, it was good to see that former Martin star (Gina) Tisha Campbell Martin was extremely happy to see Martin Lawrence receive an award as an icon of comedy. Her husband Duane Martin still seemed a little reserved to say the least.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Remembering John H. Johnson
If I ever have had a moment of thinking "I just gotta blog about this", I have just had one today.
Less than 30 minutes ago, I was in a nearby grocery store to pick up an item that my wife Wyteria called me about. I was returning from voting on a county referendum about a sales tax increase.
While I was in the grocery store, I saw one of my business heroes on the cover of the magazine he started on the same date that I started my first business shortly after graduating college.
I am speaking about no other than publisher and entrepreneur John H. Johnson who started his first business with $500 gift from his mother who took out a loan against her furniture. My mother provided start-up capital of $200 which has become TNL Communications Corporation (now known as The Next Mint).
I saw Mr. Johnson on the cover of Ebony magazine and knew that he passed this summer. But I was not prepared for what happened next at the checkout counter.
The cashier mentioned the sticker that Georgia voters are given upon casting their ballot electronically. Then another grocery store employee placed everything within a plastic bag and a should-have-been-unmentionable-in-this-day-and-age proceeded from her mouth.
Both women were African-American before I forget.
The statement by the lady who was old enough to be either my mother or an aunt said "I still don't know who John H. Johnson is".
My jaw broke the foundation of the building.
I mentioned that he published Ebony magazine that she had just bagged for me and it did not ring any bells for no one was home.
When I mentioned that he published Jet magazine, she then recognized what I was talking about.
The cashier mentioned that Mr. Johnson started his business with a $50,000 loan and even her jaw dropped when I told her that it was only $500 and the rest of the story involving his mother.
Here I am living in self-deception and denial to think that the internet is truly a wonderful gift from God and here we have another African-American who was clueless about one of the greatest entrepreneurs America has ever been exposed to and had as a citizen.
No matter how many issues Mr. Johnson published before his passing, the issue that I purchased has been claimed to be the very first one where he appeared on the cover.
But I do imagine that if he had been a fashion designer and manufacturer of clothes, sneakers, or music label president, his name would have been unforgettable.
How can one slip through society and not know one who has been a force in preserving and chronicling Black history? Where are the values that could allow one to keep such an integral product off their radar screens?
I have been a student of communications from my elementary school days when my first cousin Mike along with another cousin had our own pretend radio station WEFUNK and played records nonstop along with doing a news broadcast, keeping a record chart similar to Billboard magazine, and other stuff related to broadcasting.
Never would I have imagined unless I saw it like I did today that someone like Mr. Johnson could not be recognized by any and every African-American much less an American citizen.
I did not hear an accent like that of an immigrant, the lady gave me no indication that she did not have a high school diploma or GED, and in no way I could imagine that there are people living so far below the poverty level or current events knowledge level without knowing who John H. Johnson was.
I mean in our family and it still exists in a few homes but I won't call any names, there are still Ebony magazines laying around on coffee tables and anywhere you would expect a telephone book, newspaper, or anything a child could bring home from school.
Needless to say, I am still floored.
I did not make the homegoing celebration (funeral) of Mr. Johnson, but today's event makes me misty-eyed more than you can imagine.
It tells me that February has plenty of work to do in regards to being Black History Month. The 28 days have not reached enough people and the 29th day continues to operate in vain if someone or some family could allow their descendants to move out or remain home without knowing who Mr. Johnson was and still is to our culture.
I know that I have plenty of work to do.
It was Mr. Johnson that taught me by example that telecommunications would be the industry where real wealth could be obtained and virtually every other celebrity since the founding of the Johnson Publishing Company has proved him to be correct especially within America.
I did have the pleasure of working directly with the Johnson Publishing Company as I persuaded the Florence Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. to seek the hosting of the Ebony Fashion Fair in Florence, SC and I was the first committee chairman of the event in 1990 before moving to Atlanta.
I was a scholarship recipient of my Aunt Lauretha's former sorority who originally sponsored the Ebony Fashion Fair in Florence, SC.
I still remember attending my first fashion show in Florence, SC in the 70s. So yes I do know Mr. Johnson directly and indirectly from my youth.
To Mr. Johnson's family and everyone else who has inspired by him, we cannot allow another individual or family to not know Mr. Johnson and what he means to us still.
I would like to see his face printed on t-shirts and any other media that would increase his awareness to people not inclined to read especially.
We cannot allow people to forget or not know who such true celebrities are because if he does not appear on their radar screens, then every other Black celebrity is truly going to be an exception and not the rule.
We owe it to Mr. Johnson, we owe it to ourselves and we especially owe it to each other.
Thank you Mr. Johnson for telling us that there is a better way indeed.
May God bless and keep your soul and I look forward to meeting you in heaven one day.
Peace!
Thursday, September 15, 2005
I Am A Believer, But I Knew This Before This Test!
You are a Believer |
 You believe in God and your chosen religion. Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu.. Your convictions are strong and unwavering. You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone. |
Pizza Test
| Everything Pizza |
 Diverse and adaptable You enjoy the full buffet of life It's hard to you play favorites with friends... or flavors There's very little that you dislike! |
My Brain's Pattern (Courtesy of Blogthings)
I have been tested and I agree with the results. Now go get tested yourself!
| Your Brain's Pattern |
 Your brain is always looking for the connections in life. You always amaze your friends by figuring out things first. You're also good at connecting people - and often play match maker. You see the world in fluid, flexible terms. Nothing is black or white. |
Chuck E. Cheese Brought Out The Gambler In Me!
Today my family and I celebrated the birth of our firstborn child Rachel. Rachel is so sweet and brings a lot of warmth and joy to our house. She loves to sing and has a very strong, creative, visual artistic side. Her artwork has been featured within Northside Hospital where my wife Wyteria works.
This afternoon while visiting and celebrating Rachel's fifth birthday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant and I have uploaded most of the photos taken during the day.
With the pizza package that we bought, we received what seemed like a ton of tokens for the various games. All of the games were the usual fare of most indoor amusement parks and entertainment centers.
The games were supposed to give tickets for winning which would be later redeemed at a prize counter just like a county fair.
But as we discovered, most of the games did not give any tickets at all.
Later I saw a young girl holding up what looked like a long rope of tickets after having won several at some game we could not recognize.
When the opportunity arose shortly thereafter, I found my way to the same game and learned that the game was very similar to something you would expect either on the television show "The Price Is Right" or a casino I imagine.
I have never been to Las Vegas, Biloxi, Atlantic City, or any other travel destination known for gambling I must add. The only time I have ever stepped foot inside a casino was in 1997 in Detroit and I had a camcorder in my hands, so I was not allowed to enter.
But Chuck E. tapped a latent nerve or hidden talent that I never knew about;)
The game had lights and would give the number of tickets that was selected in a rising Roulette-style light pole.
All you had to do was to get a sense of when to hit the stop button. Needless to say, I got that sense very quickly and early within my occupation of the game.
After winning only 3 tickets on the first try, I proceeded to win 5, 7, or 9 tickets consistently whenever I was taking my time in playing the game. Whenever I rushed, I would win only 1 ticket since the number 1 appeared right after the number 9.
The lost ground from the games that did not give out any tickets was more than made up on this game. But this game was going largely unnoticed by the children and other adults within the arcade and game area.
I had a big cup in my hands and I was feeling something coming over me like a tropical depression gaining strength over warm waters. If this is what your brain feels like to be on drugs, then I better endure the pain;)
Like Jim Carrey said in "The Mask", "I WAS SMOKIN'!!!"
We later redeemed the tickets and had over 160 points after having a very slow start. We had tokens left over for our next trip to Chuck E. Cheese's.
But already I saw that I better refrain from getting too involved in such a place, because in order to make my girls happy, Daddy might bet the farm to win the prizes that could have been bought at any dollar store for less than was spent to obtain tokens;)
But the ride itself did feel priceless!
Would it not be tragic to be both a minister and a member addict within Gamblers Anonymous for getting too turned on and out at Chuck E. Cheese's?
What would Jesus do and say?
LOL Chuck E. Cheese, I think I better stick with the video games that involve driving race cars at high speeds. At least I will not be inclined to try to take those skills onto a race track or I-285 here in Atlanta;D)
When you're 5, it is time to give up Sponge Bob or Dora birthday cakes, and move up to Minnie Mouse!
Posted by Picasa
Rachel's Pre-K class playing Simon Says with Rachel giving the commands on her birthday!
Posted by Picasa
Here is a happy and smiling Rachel after having a birthday celebration with her Pre-K class!
Posted by Picasa
A successful blowing out of the birthday candle means that your wish will come true!
Posted by Picasa
Rachel's 5th Birthday is today! Here she is trying and doing her best not to smile for some reason and focusing her attention on her birthday candle.
Posted by Picasa
Ex-FEMA Director Brown Bites Back Like Freddy & Jason!
Wired is reporting from the New York Times that Ex-FEMA Director Michael Brown is not taking his lumps to himself about his resignation or possibly being forced to resign.
Brown is pointing his fingers at the state officials within Louisiana, but he has really stated that he told Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and White House chief of staff Andrew Card to let the White House know that Louisiana officials was not essentially picking up the ball that was in their court.
This means to me that Brown sent the problem uphill and now staffers at the White House are saying that while they remember the calls, they do not remember hearing any urgency within Brown's voice.
Therefore, the White House was thinking that it was business as usual and Brown is essentially saying what else do you want to me to say or how do you want me to say it?
Bottom line, anyone who is an expert at bureaucracy knows that it is never proper to really raise your voice.
So at what point does a response or raising one's voice become warranted?
I'm looking forward to watching tonight's apology and other words from the President. It is really sad that the US Senate has rejected a proposal for a federal commission to study the problem out of fear of political fallout.
But what they clearly overlooked is the fact that in this case political fallout is a horse that has already left the barn. So locking the doors now keeps the issue in the open versus containing the problem.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
I Just Fell In Love with RSS Feeds & XML All Over Again!!!
Today I started checking out the various RSS feed reading software in greater detail as well as various websites such as Del.icio.us and Technorati.
But with the Google's new feature announced today to search blogs and its accompanying RSS feeds from the results, you can obtain content and information from a ton of websites without having to go to each one and logging in if any website requires user registration.
I did notice that there is more than one link to visit the Google Blog Search website and the link given above is easier to use than the Blog Search found on Blogger's website even though Google owns Blogger and both websites return the same information.
The Google Blog Search just returns the results in a format similar to any Google search result and more results are found on a single page.
The best new observation today is that it is going to become a de facto requirement to have a RSS feed using XML if the website is going to be recognized as being worthwhile within the new Web 2.0 era.
There is no way to get around this requirement either. Either create or obtain the capability to add RSS feeds to your website or risk losing visitors and especially repeat visitors to your website.
Another mind blowing tool found today is that it is also no longer a requirement to be able to do any heavy lifting or heavy programming in order to incorporate RSS feeds or XML into a website.
Just locate or create a search query FROM ANY WEBSITE that returns any search results within a RSS feed that you want and you can create both a RSS feed and the necessary Javascript code at the same time to place INFORMATION FROM ANOTHER WEBSITE into your own website.
This feature alone will create opportunities for people to visit a website over and over again.
The only thing that I have yet to locate in a format that I like is the ability to create and add tags to websites that I would normally bookmark or create a favorite for as well as having the ability to tag a webpage on demand.
I had one extension added to Firefox that did the job, but I removed it while trying to eliminate an error message that has been popping up everytime Firefox is started lately. Since the error message still appears since it was removed, I may reinstall it.
But as a result of these findings, I know that it will be virtually impossible to look at websites and the internet itself in the same way ever again.
My tagged websites are located here.
Sec. Chertoff, Why Were You Running With Scissors?
Knight Ridder newspapers have recently printed a story that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was in control of the federal government's emergency response versus FEMA Chief Michael Brown.
Not that Brown did not deserve to be fired but as I mentioned before, Chertoff does not need to get too comfortable now that Brown has been disposed of.
The Art of Bureaucracy (a book that I should write but would get too sick in the process) states that Chertoff should blame Brown for as much damage that Chertoff now has to fix as much as humans will believe.
But the subtle self-deception that accompanies such actions includes statements that will boomerang to reveal that Chertoff either knew information in advance that directly reveals his own missteps that contributed to a delayed response or that Chertoff indirectly contributed to a delay by not acting when it was within his power to do so.
The two horns of the bull states that if one does not get you, then the other one will.
Since everyone clearly knows that W will not resign over a huge act of literally sleeping on the job (as Newsweek has reported) that lead to deaths on domestic soil this time around versus foreign soil, the next head that has required the sharpening of the guillotine has to be Chertoff's.
Let's now see Chertoff becoming extremely visible away from Washington in order to get sent home just as Brown was.
The sweep is clearly going on the federal level before it will undoubtedly begin at the state level. The states will have to have commission hearings before they take action I believe.
Monday, September 12, 2005
FEMA Chief Falls On His Sword or Was He Pushed?
As a tombstone could easily predict because I sure saw it coming, The former head of FEMA Michael Brown turned in his resignation today after getting sent back to the dugout on Friday.
W had him benched Mafia style by having Homeland Security Michael Chertoff pull the trigger on Michael Brown versus doing it himself.
But Chertoff need not get too comfortable since he needs to get the Soprano "let's go for a ride" treatment himself after having the bald headed audacity to say that there was no scenario for a Katrina-like impact on New Orleans.
The simple now want to say that there was a scenario for a hurricane to hit New Orleans or for the levees to break but not both to occur at the same time.
Anyone who opens their lips or documents their stupidity on paper or electronically should be fired at the press conference versus behind closed doors.
I have been either listening to or watching footage from the major networks and other media sources that have been compiled on a website entitled Crooks and Liars. To hear the insanity come from the mouths of supposedly grown up adults is both stunning, gut-wrenching sickening, and grounds for treason in their hearts and minds of any American who knows anything about American history.
I just started using a few websites and online tools to create tags within the past month I believe. The amount of tags created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has clearly struck a sensitive nerve within me, but I already knew that leadership has a been a favorite interest of mine for many years and incompetent leadership and bureaucracy is a pet peeve that has been in my family for generations on my father's side I know and remember for sure.
My father served in the Korean War and I remember nights at the dinner table or during the news hearing him either go off or become livid at the presence of incompetence and/or bureaucracy witnessed at work or on the news.
Knowing my uncles, I know that my father was not the only one who felt this way:D)
At recent family gatherings, hearing the tales of the fights of the sons within my father's family (my father and uncles alike--as a team or against each other) are legendary like The Lord of The Rings;D)
But unfortunately, bureaucracy and incompetence has been stealing elections as if cameras and microphones and the internet were never invented;)
I did recently learn that the governor of Louisiana is indeed a Democrat as well as one of the US Senators (female) who was defending the federal government. Yesterday or this past weekend they went on the attack to get the heat off themselves. I guess they read my blog on the political aftermath of the storm;)
The Louisiana US Senator Mary Landrieu has supposedly threatened W. This is not a threat from me, but if I hear anyone else grandstanding and going through a roll call to open their statement or respond during a press conference with a protocol best reserved for peacetime, I am going to send them both my doctor's bill and a bill for the dry cleaning or disaster recovery that is going to take place within my home or car after hearing their bureaucratic bile.
Then I will think about offering them a ride myself;) Can you hear me now?
But let us not forget the statement of the year: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job"!!!
eBay Buys Skype: When Money Burns Your Pocket
Well ebay has signed up to buy Skype for between $2.6 to $4.1 billion dollars.
The CEO for Skype is 33 years old I believe. Can you say blessed? I'm happy for him and his descendants.
Yes, I still hate the deal because it is even more clearer how ebay is going to integrate Skype to the detriment of its customers but not without showing the same customers that they really do not need ebay , PayPal, or Skype unless they want to work with them.
ebay plans on charging buyers and sellers to communicate to each other via conversations conducted online computer to computer.
This simple strategy is really stupid since e-mail conversations are sufficient.
But the new game is to charge sellers (for Skype inquiries leading to potential sales) who buy advertising from ebay just like from Google (with its keywords format) but within a Yellow Pages style format instead. It is called pay-per-call versus pay-per-click.
So they are really selling leads now that essentially have been free on ebay if potential customers made contact with the sellers.
All of this tells me that ebay knows that its past strategy is really game over within North America at a minimum.
What ebay really wants the capability to do is to charge for e-mail;) This would solve their problem better than buying Skype will.
Immediately tonight I changed my Skype profile to not use any information that has been used with ebay or PayPal.
Since I already have been using Gizmo Project and its free capability to make even international calls computer to computer. So who needs Skype?
I know that Gizmo Project is going on the block to be sold and I think that Microsoft may have an inroad to make a purchase.
ebay likes the network effect or the "piling on" effect as I call it. After the innovators and early adopters choose a product or service, the rest of society suddenly jumps on the bandwagon because the feature suddenly gets a new round of media coverage. Most have said that the fax technology increased in value with each purchase of another fax machine. But Skype has been free essentially until this deal goes through.
Only the current uninformed masses have the capability to make the network or piling on effect happen though and not ebay . This deal is like buying the golden egg versus the goose that lays the golden eggs.
So ebay goes out and buys Skype for this golden egg capability.
What ebay or some other creative company really needs to do in order to get a new mega round of customers is to start buying and/or becoming an outsource provider of solid, professional, customer service for major corporations.
Oops, but in order to provide customer service to other companies---you have to have decent customer service for yourself. ebay has failed within this category shortly after it went public and clearly after it bought PayPal. PayPal has not been the same after it was acquired by ebay .
The customer service component of businesses worldwide is still lacking and forces customers to spend time and money to get the great service that they originally thought they were buying.
But the buck does not stop there. With the growing visibility of RSS and Atom feeds, XML, and RSS readers, all buyers and sellers are immediately empowered to conduct business on their own terms regardless of what websites have acted as clearinghouses before.
Even PayPal is not really needed as a payment processing method either. There are companies that will allow individuals to create merchant accounts just as easily as businesses have opened merchant accounts in the past. To even reduce potential losses due to fraud, there are many other payment options available that will keep your information as secure as the major companies are offering or better.
So the only people that will use the current brand name services are those who are most susceptible to believe everything that they see advertised. If you are easily programmed, then these companies are more than willing to reduce the load on your wallet or purse;)
There is a segment of ebay sellers who will lose deeply if past history provides any indication within the short to intermediate term of the post Skype acquisition.
ebay sellers who are either new to selling online, minorities, introverted, and/or without great real-time communications skills will see their sales suffer if the expectation of being fully able to contact sellers overwhelmingly increases.
Not that minorities have poor communication skills by any means, but racism will undoubtedly become a part of transactions as a characteristic ebay has not taken into consideration in its purchase of Skype.
As one old internet cliche' goes, "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog" as one cartoon featured a canine using a desktop computer.
The willingness to conduct business without racism has been a clear plus of the internet and online commerce but this ebay -Skype deal is going to push the internet into a realm that will not benefit anyone.
I can see a reverse-integration to self-segregation on the part of minority communities though. Many people will then use Skype to create relationships and conduct business without ebay even more. So ebay really has bought the gun, bullets, drugs, and alcohol to commit suicide on its own terms. Can you hear me now?
I have been working myself to create a solution to enable people to conduct business at a faster pace than previously imagined. The only hurdle that we have recently faced is to create a solution to assist within the Hurricane Katrina aftermath.
We have finally found a particular niche that we have seen unfilled. We have really sought to not reinvent the wheel as found elsewhere and now believe that we will have something publicly available to really make a difference.
But to the companies with money burning your pockets, just check out Quantum Concierge because it is going to make the eBay-Skype deal look like a newbie buyer who suddenly finds out that there are more options for people than previously imagined.
I do not know if Quantum Concierge can be sold at a discount as Skype or to an eager buyer like eBay yet though;) If it does, then after getting some therapy and making several huge donations and contributions, we will take on any and all comers like eBay head on;)
eBay
Skype
gizmo
paypal
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
FEMA's Chief Smoking Gun
Oh well, FEMA Chief has been noticeably absent and not available from recent media requests.
If he goes down into the same rabbit hole as VP Cheney, he might as well submit his resignation after tonight's news that he waited until after the storm hit to take action and told other agencies on the local levels to stand down and not travel to the impacted areas reaches the airwaves tomorrow.
There appears to be an internal memo documenting his actions.
Hurricane Katrina
Politics
W to Mama Bush: Hang Up The Phone!!!
Does anybody remember having telephone conversations back in the day and having someone pick up the phone and start dialing or hearing some other sound?
Well, former First Lady Barbara Bush has picked up the phone and evidently she forgot her daily medication I hope.
"Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them," Mrs. Bush told American Public Media's "Marketplace" program.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, we realized that some people were indeed "modernized" one or two generations, but did they have to experience near death and absolute loss to get in the right line?
The not-so-subtle sincerity of such comments really make you wonder if somebody fell asleep in a room that was just painted without proper ventilation.
When the President told the head of FEMA "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job", I wondered if he was talking about the FEMA director in terms of getting coffee or opening a door or something;)
Clearly he was not talking about FEMA's shuffling of papers and photo ops of the president while a national disaster was unfolding.
But still these events happened after Air Force One dropped to a low altitude in order for the President to observe the damage.
No wonder such empathy is running rampant.
With such comments being thrown around, why not send several buses of "refugees" to stand and pass the coffin of Chief Justice Rehnquist lying in state?
Maybe somebody will "get it" then.
Until then, does anybody have any buttons from the 80s that said "Just Say No To Drugs"?
Even the White House Chief of Staff McClellan made me wonder if somebody is spiking the red Kool-Aid with Ecstasy or Crystal Meth. But no, these are supposedly LOVE drugs.
barbara bush
New Orleans Should Have Been At The Top of Many Priority Lists
The immediate demographic shift of New Orleans (NO) is going to be understandable while the working class that will occupy the city is the wild card that all of us will have to witness over time.
I have been wondering the hows and whys of Texas getting so deeply involved, but it is further inevitable that a new form of post-Katrina corruption will be discovered in Texas and other places by people receiving funds without providing any assistance whatsoever.
I have always wanted to visit the glamorous NO that no longer exists, but something always interfered and kept us away.
I now wonder about the Essence Music Festival, the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International Convention, Sugar Bowl, and a host of other annual events that filled NO.
What event could now compel people to return to NO from all over the world?
My wife and I were talking about how surreal and unbelievable it would be to attend an event held at either the Superdome or the Convention Center.
To us, it would be the same as attending a sports event at Ground Zero in NYC.
I did hear a report about the instability of the Superdome and it may be torn down as a result of the storm first and then the deaths that occurred there.
In terms of the snipers, try this rationale on for size whether it was right or wrong (I do believe it was wrong).
If they had lived, the snipers would undoubtedly claim that due to the lack of food, water, shelter, and other life necessities, that they had to do something in order to bring attention to the areas that had the greatest need and were most overlooked previously.
This is basically the same rationale as Osama Bin Laden's.
But on the other hand, the same NO snipers would have been able to claim that they were continuously programmed to violence by the media, movies, rap music, and other programming and content that they filled their hours with.
The same dead horse would have been beat in terms of gangsta rap.
But who can really blame the chickens for coming home to roost?
NO was clearly ignored for decades if not centuries.
After it was no longer used as a port for human cargo and the end of the Civil War, the decline of NO has been not just an invisible hand writing on a wall, but the spray painting, wall papering, and mural artistry of neglect by the entire US.
The only redeeming factor that has been traditionally given to NO has its ability and asset as an entertainment and party center.
Take away the party factor, and the traditional value of NO evaporates.
But why a major port city in terms of the energy (and clear cut importance to national security) has been overlooked blows my mind.
NO should have been at the top of the priority list for no other reason than its existence of being a main point for the distribution of oil, gas, and other cargo moving in and out of the area.
Harden Not Your Hearts In This Season or Else!
Regardless of your beliefs, political affiliations, and all other preferences you may have, all of us need to realize that there is something going on within and around the world that man has no control over to the naked eye.
But those of us who have faith know where our source and supply exists are never mistaken to know that God is moving in ways that are no longer mysterious.
The destruction of everything that has been exalted against God has already begun. Every institution must go through the fire to be purified and tested to see if it is of God. Anything of God will pass the test while anything less will be destroyed.
The WORLD Trade Center was destroyed and now the SUPERbowl is being talked about as being torn down in the aftermath of the storm Hurricane Katrina and the delay in aid assistance.
The dots are definitely connected and already are in plain view for the baby Christian even to see.
The nonbeliever who is either refusing to acknowledge God or accept the sovereignty of God is acting to their own detriment. God is demanding that the hearts of mankind are returned and reconciled to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ.
I was wondering when God was talking to me earlier this year and gave me the title of my next book which is "Every Seed Needs Water" and I found the link where I shared it online:
http://roneysmith.blogspot.com/2005/05/my-next-book-is-on-horizon.html
God has already planted something and still is planting something that we need to catch a greater vision of through the Holy Spirit. The large amounts of water are being used by God to water His Seed for the Harvest that can be only reaped to the glory of God.
The tracks are already there and although we know the end result, we are still dependent of the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us day by day.
God has already been talking to anyone with ears to hear, now let's see how many respond accordingly.
To the naked eye man has no control. But to the spiritual eye, the control that mankind has is to submit and obey the will and Word of God.
The nonbeliever who refuses to believe, submit, and obey is hardening his or her heart and challenging God to provide a stronger demonstration of God's power and might.
We already know that California is going to be one of the locations of upcoming disaster. Whether we believe or not, all will see the Golden Gate Bridge and other landmarks severely weakened and destroyed along with the lives of many.
My hope is that as many who can be saved spiritually are indeed reached in time as well as those that can be rescued to see another day will seize the opportunity to give their lives, souls, minds, and hearts to God.
Do not worry about terrorists who seek to destroy your body, be more concerned with the One who can destroy your soul.
Exodus 7 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
17 Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
One critical thing to remember is that many of the disasters as well as miracles and blessings that shall be witnessed will take place near large bodies of water. Water plays an extremely important role literally and figuratively in the days that God is turning the hearts of man back to Himself.
Here is a message entitled "Get Your Party Started Right!!!" that was sent on the last day of January 2004 and it still rings true today.
Copyright 2004 Pastor Roney Smith. All Rights Reserved.
We Are Committed To Boldly Loving You Unconditionally in the Name of Jesus
Christ! (tm)
2004 Year Infection 31 January 31, 2004
Continue to receive The Year Infection by subscribing to Online Christian
Soldiers by sending a blank e-mail to:
Ochristiansoldiers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Yesterday's Seed Is Today's Fruit:
Do not allow yourself to fall in a groove and settle down and allow the
enemy to come in and make you feel any less than the more than a conqueror
you are.
Today's Seed:
Get Your Party Started Right!!!
2 Corinthians 10:6-7 states:
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your
obedience is fulfilled.
7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to
himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as
he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
In staying alert, we become more in tune with our own limitations and
frequent need for rest.
The next step is then to make the necessary adjustment from the right
foundation.
We have already witnessed through the guidance of the Holy Spirit the areas
that need improvement.
Now that our focus and attention has increased to specific areas, we are now
able to move under the unction of the Holy Spirit to make constructive
change in our lives.
The changes do not have to be perfect according to our own eyesight, but
they have to be in the same spirit that guided Christ.
This means no ego trips, no selfish motives, no looking out for number one
only, no conditional love, no moments of "scratch my back and I will scratch
yours", and anything else that is not within the spirit of true love.
When God is in control, all needs are met without the selfish thought
process.
We have to move in step and according to what God has stated for one and
all.
The limitations of single eyesight does not comprehend the full realm that
we are operating within.
This is why teamwork is so important.
Teamwork allows the entire field of competition to be surveyed in real time.
The 360 degree perspective gives the advance opinion and perspective that
does not short change one area to the benefit of another.
The major point is to remember that we all will cross the finish line
regardless of who crosses first.
Without holding on to the belief of total and complete dominion, the kingdom
is already divided against us.
Move according to the Will of God for each other and yourself at the same
time to the glory of God!
The first step has to be from the right foundation, intentions, and motives
in order for the battle to be won from the beginning and not just the end!
Be blessed!!!
Saturday, September 03, 2005
What Do You Mean You Did Not Know About The Script?
The amounts of mass programming being conducted around the world would produce its own hurricane if the truth were known.
As a minister, I am always reminded that the First Commandment is "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me". The other supposedly Nine Commandments are actually to explain and support the First Commandment. Keep the First Commandment and you will automatically keep the other 9 as well as the 5 commandments not restated after Moses destroyed the other tablet after seeing the behavior of the children of Israel.
God is in on the act because He knows how important attention is to mankind. God created the system.
As NBC network held a telethon to raise money last night on NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC, Kanye West went away from the script.
I have to give a lot of respect to Kanye for having the courage to do so regardless of what was said and its being right or wrong. There are too many others who are not questioning the existence of scripts and cowardly fall in step with the current program even if certain death and destruction are undoubtedly evident.
I noticed this morning that when CNN's Soledad O'Brien asked a favorite radio personality of mine Tom Joyner about Kanye's comments, Tom was mentally looking for a neutral corner as if the "big a** check" (as huge checks, donations, grants, and contributions are called whenever Tom is raising money for HBCUs and students through his foundation) he received from Radio One had not either been cashed yet or the funds not been verified as good yet.
I also remember a suspicious, flag-waving program held by America's first black female billionaire and the modern era version of Madame CJ Walker one afternoon prior to the start of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom to launch the war in Iraq.
If these actions are the requirements to break free from poverty and lift others up out of the mire of living beneath their potential, then just as Tavis Smiley and Tom Joyner will say "I ain't mad at cha"!!!
Just let us know if and when the script is in effect or do not hold Armstrong Williams in too much disgust when he is not the only only one being given a script to read from right or wrong.
Just let a brother know where the applications are being taken and what are the passwords needed in order to obtain a script (and its corresponding compensation especially) to be read;)
There is no better way to obtain that Krispy Kreme coating and glaze for your eyes than being a paid actor to read from a script written just for you to deliver.
Here is my new sign for the day: WILL READ SCRIPT FOR FOOD!!!
The Heads of Lemmings Shall Roll Without Mercy
Earlier this morning I had a conversation that pointed me to look in a direction regarding the news of Hurricane Katrina that I knew of but had not fully considered.
I know that there has been a steroid-induced frenzy of power, sign-me-up-to-join-the-club-and-bandwagon, and take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-mom's-apple-pie, and let's-roll-with-W since at least 2 presidential elections have been stolen back to back with the consent of the Supreme Court and even a few Democratic presidential candidates, but the times are about to get as complex and ugly and irresistible as if the television shows "The Sopranos", "Oz", "American Idol", and "Survivor" were about to get rolled up into one, brand new reality show and with a political twist thrown in for good measure.
Mark Burnett only wishes that he could bottle these ingredients. Watergate, White Water, and previous assasination commissions were the part of the Polaroid pictures torn off and discarded for what is about to come.
The irony for many is that there is going to an internal sacrificial lamb among those who have been onboard and with the program for some time.
In order to keep the submarine from sinking, a few good soldiers will either have to fall on their swords and take one for the team or experience the misery of being isolated and eaten by their own kind. All of this will occur within the Republican Party.
Right now and going forward, the Republican Party will escalate further into crisis mode in order to protect itself and the appearance of American Democracy on its watch.
The governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama will become the fall guys and their positions are greatly self-induced. Forget about the campaigning and work that you have done to deliver your electoral college votes as a red state and just remember that blood is thicker than water.
The residents of Florida have been the beneficiaries of the family ties of its governor to the White House even if Gov. Jeb Bush does not want to eventually run for president.
But these other governors of southern states have been foolish to believe that they will have the same level of protection for their incompetence, lack of vision, and failure to lift their citizens out of post-Civil War poverty.
It is going to take decades before a president is elected from a non-southern state or one that does not come from the midwest after that (as Ohio has proven that it will step up more in the future).
The mindset of thinking that we know how to control our own (in terms of people, the poor, minorities, and political opponents) have produced generational poverty, misery, and the lack of capitalization on crystal clear global opportunties for all versus a small minority.
The White House is going to produce its own Downing Street memos to get the political heat off its own back and the 3 governors will not have any recourse to push the buck back to the White House and then futilely attempt to send blame toward the local levels.
For the slow-to-understand, the bottom line is this: the 3 governors either did not ask for help or refused it when the federal government offered it prior to the storm. The federal delays then were produced as a result directly from the lack of state leadership versus (or in addition to) the federal leadership.
Whatever their (state) rationale was probably can be contributed to my most previous post.
Each state does not have enough US congressional representatives to go to bat for them. Each congressional representative will undoubtedly seek to protect the image of the federal government by default and to the letter.
One observation about the media is that the White House correspondents are already in the back pockets of the White House in order to keep their seats and presidential access aboard Air Force One.
Expect them to ask questions that will set up the federal officials to easily make the state officials to look bad and worse before it is all over.
The political machine is still running and Karl Rove will have governors for breakfast.
Just when they thought it was safe to be on the team will the governors get shanked for life and history.
Their legacies will be that their own team built, judged, and distributed the cases against them.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Incredible Comments on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight Program
This evening I heard the most incredible statement or thinking aloud by business journalist Lou Dobbs regarding the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the growing comments about the slow response of federal aid.
Dobbs questioned the lack of criticism by the Congressional Black Caucus, NAACP, and other predominantly minority organizations on the black leadership and power structure in New Orleans.
He basically wondered why there are no fingers being pointed at the black mayor and other black leaders involved.
Mr. Dobbs, within the past 18 years of respecting your opinions and reporting, I am amazed that you willingly disconnected the dots through your verbalized questions.
There are no corresponding municipal departments (of any popularity and significance) nationwide to FEMA, Homeland Security, and other federal departments for any event that impacted citizens across interstate lines.
If the hurricane affected the residents of any city or state only, then the leader of the affected entity still would have the responsibility of notifying the larger levels of government about their problems and need for assistance.
If a single administration could be held responsible, then responsibility and negligence would have to be attributed as well to the administrations and policies enacted by the state and federal government levels before, during, and after primary responsibility is put upon the shoulders of an administration.
I survived Hurricane Hugo in SC. I remember the warm words spoken about Charleston, SC mayor Joseph Riley back then. But I also remember that he sounded the same trumpet of the need for help and his calling of the federal government on the carpet about the lack of assistance is what many remember him for.
The questions that are needed now are what plans, logic, and rationale justified the delays in responding to the impacted areas, what corrections can be made immediately, and what checks and balances can be put in place to prevent the same from reoccurring.
As an American citizen and person who has typically voted for Democrats, I foolishly might hope that such failures of leadership are confined to Republican administrations if at all. But unfortunately, I know that bureaucracy is a growing club and mindset and has members across any political affiliations.
The posturing of the Mississippi and Louisiana governors and the heads of FEMA and Homeland Security have been sickening.
The solution is to immediately swarm the problems with temporary aid (to equally preserve and rescue life) and balance the long-term assistance with breakthrough solutions to address the critical structural problems that threaten American citizens through natural and man-made disasters.
This disaster and the slow response reflects upon the lack of leadership and political opinions and doctrines based and held upon the concepts of economics and poverty first, geographical location second (the response would have been faster anywhere else than the US southern states--the poverty belt), and race third and finally.
Address American economics and poverty, geographical balance, and race and the vast majority of American problems can be eliminated very quickly.
Fortunately and equally unfortunately for all American citizens, our foreign antagonists have only considered our economic center of gravity for their focus to attack.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath Is Going To Reveal The Lack of Compassion for The Poor Before It Gets Better
Unfortunately, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is rapidly decaying into a greater human tragedy than most would ever imagine. New Orleans especially was poverty filled and stricken decades before the storm ever hit.
The massive poverty continues throughout the rest of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The storm just revealed the lack of investment in human capital that was tolerated under the disguise of the gambling, tourism, and other low paying industries.
Now that the wealthy have been able to self-evacuate themselves and leave the truly poor behind, the rush to get aid and assistance to the poor is only an after-thought until it begins to jeopardize the pride and show of force that our country loves to portray internationally.
The agencies responsible for rendering aid are now putting tough talk into their soundbites and press interviews. The blaming the victim mentality will unfortunately provide the justification for the rough treatment, manhandling, and physical brutality that will accompany the mindset "the others left, so why did you decide to stay behind and cause trouble and make people think twice about attending future Mardi Gras?"
I just hope that the poor within California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado are paying attention as well as the rest of America when our respective regions eventual turn in the barber's chair comes.
May God help us all.
