The Wrighter

Whitney is Still Every Woman… Always - by guest writer, LB Lacey

2012-02-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.”
- Steve Jobs

“What? She’s dead?”

That’s what I said when my mother rang my cell to deliver the news. It caught me off guard and made me feel strangely angry at my mother, the messenger for a moment. In the far back of my mind where I pushed it, the fear that Whitney might come to such an untimely fate had been with me for the past few years. I prayed for Whitney. I sent her cards expressing encouragement and support though I doubted she would actually ever get them. I wanted Whitney to make it against all odds; the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes. Many of us wanted Whitney to make it. Damn it!

“A moment in the soul can last…forever!” –Whitney Houston – Didn’t We Almost Have It All

I have always felt a unique connection to Whitney Houston. This connection is one that I have never felt for any other celebrity. I think it is because she was just a young Black girl coming up from a harsh city to build success from nothing. She went from poor to 100 million in what seemed like an instant. How could she fail to inspire? I identified with her so strongly that I planned to name my daughter either Whitney or Ashley when she was born. The only reason I chose Ashley over Whitney was because Whitney was just so Whitney. She owned the name. I wanted to give my daughter her own name to claim. Still, Whitney was and will always be Thee Gurl!

“I decided long ago never to walk in anyone's shadow if I fail; if I succeed at least I did as I believe.” –Whitney Houston – The Greatest Love of All

Whitney opened up a world of possibility to girls of my generation. She seemed to shine in a way that so many young Black girls only dreamt of shining. As her star rose higher and higher, I felt a small part of me was being allowed to rise with her. She allowed me to gaze into the essence of “potentiality”. The vicarious blessing I enjoyed was more than I could have ever expected.

“I’m every woman…It’s all in me... I can read your thoughts right now… Every one from A to Z!” –Whitney Houston – I’m Every Woman

Whitney truly was our own modern day “Every-Woman”. I even related to Whitney’s heartbreak. As I watched her struggles with Bobby Brown, I felt a sense of sisterhood with her. Here she was a beautiful, talented, successful woman and even that was not enough to secure marital bliss for her. All she wanted was to be loved. All we wanted was to be loved. Did it elude her? It seemed to me that it did. It eluded me too. If a man like Bobby Brown could not be satisfied with Whitney Houston, it made it somewhat easier to bear that my own piggish spouse at the time could not be satisfied with me.

“If she was a friend of mine and she ever asked me for advice -- which is hard to imagine -- I'd say, 'Dump the husband!'” –Whitney Houston

Recently Whitney was in Detroit filming Sparkle. She was perfectly cast for the role and if not for the tragic death of Aaliyah, it would have been filmed years ago. (http://youtu.be/dQhQgTyPdX4) I kicked myself for not making the time to try to get at least a role as an extra in that movie. Just to be on the same set that Whitney would have been an experience to be treasured for me. (Little did I know how much!) I actually love acting and the world of movie making too, but I seldom have time for all of that. Whitney would have been well worth the break from reality.

“I believe in miracles, love is a miracle…” –Whitney Houston – I Believe In You and Me

Of course what I really wanted to do was kick back and enjoy a moment of “coffee-talk” with Whitney in her trailer. (Crazy? I know!)I imagined our just kicking back and talking about how strange this world has become since we were teenagers. The music is so different. The young adults are utterly different beings than we used to be. I saw us laughing and trading war stories about the lecherous males each of us had managed to marry and how surprisingly better it was to be actually free of them. I wanted to thank her for recording ‘sho’ nuff jamms’ that helped me to sing and dance past my own heartbreak. Through good times and bad times Whitney was always there in my life singing like no one else ever could in the background.

“It's not right but it's okay… I'm gonna make it anyway… Pack your bags up and leave...And don't you dare come running back to me!” Whitney Houston – It’s Not Right But It’s Okay

I imagined Whitney and I having a real heart to heart. Whitney did not have many friends. I can understand that. Most people do not really know anything about authentic friendship, acceptance, or loyalty. I feel I could have been a true friend to Whitney. I wanted to ask her about the substance abuse issue and whether or not she was able to accept support and help with that. Did she even want help with that? I imagined ways of broaching the subject with her without making her feel insulted, angry or judged.

“I finally faced the fact that it isn't a crime not having friends. Being alone means you have fewer problems.” --Whitney Houston

Most people rip people apart. They judge. It’s their drug. It helps no one; only makes them feel superior or better about their own miserable lives. I wanted to help Whitney if I could. I wanted her to know that I feel that the people who judge her and try to humiliate her because she struggles with addiction are useless jack-asses. They have no idea what she has had to go through. Odds are that they or someone they care about struggles with alcohol and/or drugs too. Just this year the CDC named substance abuse as the number health problem among American youth. (http://www.theantidrug.com/pdfs/prescription_report.pdf)So, if anything perhaps Whitney has helped to bring this issue to light. Her pain has likely saved someone’s life. Judging her helps no one.

"Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States," says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase has been "driven by increased use of a class of prescription drugs called opioid analgesics." –Centers for Disease Control - http://www.riskandinsurance.com/story.jsp?storyId=533344978

“Nobody likes to be picked on. Nobody.” --Whitney Houston

So what are all the judgments and the jokes about? If anything Whitney has thrown a mirror up to the millions of glass houses in America. If we really want to get serious and save the lives of ourselves and the lives of our largely troubled children, perhaps we will stop judging and joking and start cleaning house; pun intended! Oh, the hypocrisy and scrutiny Whitney had to endure…as if she was personally hurting anyone besides herself and her own loved ones. While people are busy all up in someone else’s business, there own business often rots like high hell. So, yes; Whitney had problems. She had relationship problems, family problems, coping problems, substance abuse problems, career issues, etc. News Flash: Whitney Houston was a human being. What is it about celebrity that makes regular folks so crazy to dig into every aspect of someone’s life and business? Celebrities are just people. No one is perfect. We are all just trying to get through this thing called…LIFE. So, again, what are all the judgments and jokes about?

“I've read about myself and my husband and my family, to the point where they've called my parents, they've called my brothers, offering money to tell stories. They call friends of mine. I'd just like for them to just ... don't badger us. Don't scrutinize us. We have children and they have to live, too. It's not fair.” –Whitney Houston

I am not one to idolize celebrities. It just seems so silly to me. There are artists whom I really appreciate and whose work I thoroughly enjoy. Whitney has been one of these artists. Yet she became more to me through her vulnerability and humanity. When she triumphed, I experienced a sense of triumph with her. When Whitney began to falter, I felt a deep sense of pain with her. I recall seeing her infamous performance at a tribute show for Michael Jackson a few years ago. She looked so frail. People started talking and joking about her saying she was ‘looking like one who was going to die soon.’ I never found the humor in this. Though I have not been particularly enamored with so-called stars, I have been no more impressed with regular folks who place people on pedestals just to knock them down later. It is just something about human nature that often seems to enjoy watching lions rip our protagonists apart.

“Just as Christ was a superstar, you stupid star
They'll hail you then they'll nail you, no matter who you are
They'll make you now then take you down
And make you face it, if you slit the bag open and put your pinky in it, then taste it…” –Lauryn Hill – Superstar

Whitney Houston was a woman—a Black woman who rose to fame and success from little more than nothing. I admire her accomplishments and continue to be inspired by her. Her challenges serve as cautionary tales for many of us… if we allow them to be. I am sorry that Whitney had to die at so young an age. I am certain that her being was still quite full of beauty, potential and creativity that we shall now never be blessed enough to behold. Still, she has still given us all much more of herself than any human beings owes to show the world. I pray that she has found peace, comfort and protection in God, the Creator of us all. I pray for her daughter Bobbi Kristina and her mother Cissy Houston—her entire loving family who must now be in unspeakable pain. I thank my sister, Whitney for sharing her rare talents and that Voice from the heavens with the earth.
We ain’t deserve to hear that Voice…but it sho was good!

“God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there?” --Whitney Houston

They Don’t Know You’re Dyin Till You’re Dead
Dedicated to the Memory of Whitney Houston

I braved the stony streets of old Detroit
A quiet child who could not find her voice
I realize that I was seeking someone
Or something was seeking me
Whatever it was it seems I had no choice

They don’t know you’re dyin till you’re dead
They don’t feel you crying till you’ve bled
Sufferin & tryin
Smilin & denyin
They don’t care you’re dyin till you’re dead

I suffered each fool and liar as if God
From whom I sought approval and a nod
Actually he ain’t never gave me a thing
Just kisses while beating me
With Bible-belts, words & golden rods

They don’t know you’re dyin till you’re dead
They don’t feel you crying till you’ve bled
Sufferin & tryin
Smilin & denyin
They don’t care you’re dyin till you’re dead

I lived sometimes like life was just a movie
And all that nastiness had never happened to me
But reality’s always seein thru me
He’s stalkin me and can’t no one do me like she do me

They don’t know you’re dyin till you’re dead
They don’t feel you crying till you’ve bled
Sufferin & tryin
Smilin & denyin
They don’t care you’re dyin till you’re dead

I fell asleep to keep from waking up
I cut my throat to sing you songs of love
Now revelations hit me like cold bullets to the head
Let me live & just keep lovin you
You being you; I’ll never die enough

They don’t know you’re dyin till you’re dead
They don’t feel you crying till you’ve bled
Sufferin & tryin
Smilin & denyin
They don’t care you’re dyin till you’re dead

They don’t hear you’re lyin till you’re dead
They don’t hear one fuckin thing you’ve said
Struggling & slidin
Swallowing & hiding
They don’t care you’re dyin till you are dead

© eLLe BeaH (LB Lacey) 2012

Invisible Man? Not So Impossible!

2012-02-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend and I have this running joke about an “Invisible Man” action figure. It's a toy concept we concocted years ago featuring a very well designed box that stated all the wonderful things the “Invisible Man” could do. All the glorious adventures a person could take his/her toy on through the endless possibilities of their imagination. The box would be empty. Of course. The invisible man had to be really invisible.

Well dear reader, technology is far more advanced than the average Joe and Jane could imagine. The concept that has woven itself into the fantasies of fiction stories for decades is here. I’m not pulling your leg with an empty box punch line either. It was brought to my attention, just today, that military forces are using “Cloaking Technology” in current combat.

This is from MSNBC May 2006:

Unlike those tales of fictional invisibility, the real-life technologies usually have a catch. Nevertheless, limited forms of invisibility might be available to the military sooner than you think.

"We're very confident that at radar frequencies, these materials can be implemented on a time scale of 18 months or so," John Pendry of Imperial College London told MSNBC.com.

Pendry's research team is one of two groups whose results were posted Thursday on the journal Science's Web site in advance of print publication. The two papers lay out different theoretical methods for creating invisibility, not only for radar but potentially for optical wavelengths as well.

Still more teams are out there with ideas to make things invisible — using methods ranging from superlenses that cancel out the light from nearby objects to actual cloaks onto which video can be projected as a moving camouflage. The most exotic technologies involve "metamaterials," blends of polymers and tiny coils or wires that twist the paths of electromagnetic radiation.

This is from the Christian Science Monitor almost two weeks ago:

It may not be a cape of magical, silvery material, but it's still an invisibility cloak. A tube made of an insulating material striped with long, thin strips of copper makes objects within it invisible to microwaves. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin reported their cloaking chamber Jan. 25 in the New Journal of Physics.

Different lab groups have been trying to cloak objects from light waves and microwaves for years. Previous efforts rendered objects invisible along a plane, in two dimensions, by bending microwaves around the objects. Last year researchers demonstrated an invisibility cloak that worked in three dimensions, concealing a bump on a reflective surface.

This newest cloak makes three-dimensional objects invisible without using reflective surfaces or specialized microwave chambers. "We don't need mirrors, we don't need waveguides, we just built a cloak with a cover around an object," said Andrea Alù, an engineer at Texas-Austin who led the research.

If you’re still a non-believer, take a look at what you can even SEE on Youtube:

MONSTERS!!

2012-02-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

What I’ve realized is that we are all surrounded by a great number of people who are saddled with a lot of fear. It’s debilitating sometimes. Even I have to remind myself to plow through a force field of horror – frequently – whispering under my breath, “No fear.”

About a week ago I was invited to participate in a monster drawing contest (don’t laugh) but I had to pass with all that I had on my plate already… So today via email the winners of the contest were announced. I almost deleted it without opening it, but I gave in to curiosity and felt enlightened.

The winner of the contest was an artist by the name of LJ. Her drawing was titled, “Critical.” Commenting on her own work, she said:

“This guy, that critic that stares over your shoulder, worrying that you’ll make a mistake and – what if nobody likes it? What if it’s garbage? Hmmpf. He’s a big ugly monster and difficult to ignore.”

The second winner was an artist named Marie De Mars with her drawing titled, “Fear Monster.” She comments:

“[It comes from] the strangled feeling that always comes with fear. Drawing it out makes me think all I need is a pair of hedge clippers to deal with it!”

Even the creator of the contest, Cory Huff, was moved by the creations of the artists:

The most obvious thing that stands out to me is that all of the monsters were cartoons or cartoon-ish. They were in the vein of children’s books. The things that hold us back and manipulate our fears are often preying on the part of us that feels small, vulnerable, and innocent. How we deal with those fears is unique for each of us, but taking care of that scared little one is important.

I also learned that there are a lot of artists out there who have secret fears that they are unable to let out. One of the funniest things about drawing out your monster is that it helps you see that so much of what holds you back comes from within. Face your monster, and then put it down!

I’ll have to think about today…make sure I have my own monster on a leash. You might think about doing the same…

Don is Gone

2012-02-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

Confession: I used to be a Soul Train dancer.

So when I was driving into work on my early morning commute and heard on the radio that Don Cornelius, creator and former host of the dance show Soul Train had died, I was stunned. Cornelius had shot himself in an apparent suicide in his Sherman Oaks home about four this morning, around the same time I was trying to pull myself out of bed. He was 75 years old.

My first thought was that he must have been in a great deal of pain. Physical pain I mean. I thought, maybe he was suffering enormously from some debilitating condition that he’d rather end than go on living through. Though no report has yet surfaced about his exact bill of health, a report on MSNBC did state that Cornelius complained of “significant health issues” during 2009 divorce proceedings.

I never met Cornelius. I saw him on the set, but I never walked over to him and introduced myself, or tell him that I used to watch the show as a child like it was part of my religion. He’ll never know how my own family used to form “Soul Train lines” during family functions where music was blasting and cousins, aunts, uncles would progress down a path made by kin, shaking it and being silly. Having fun.

The reason I’d never went up to him was simple. Don Cornelius was the king of Soul Train. He was no longer hosting at that time, but he was always pacing the shadows, whispering (something important I assumed) into people’s ears. Leaning his tall frame over to hear some crew member say something to him. His presents reminded me that I was now a part of history. He was the icon attached to a show that influenced so many homes of African Americans. A legend. It seemed inappropriate to blather on about my excitement to dance on his set. I was sure he had heard it before, and my gushing would be washed in the sea of faces who had said the same things to him so many times over the years. So I said nothing. I danced. I took it all in. And after growing tired of how I was treated on the show, I walked away.

It is so tragic that Cornelius had to make such a decision in the sunset of his years. His presence and creation will forever be a small part in the foundation of many American lives. My hope is that he has found his love...peace...and soul.

Discussing "The Stolen Cloned Mammoth"

2012-01-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

Two days ago I read a short story by writer and hobbyist farmer, Shane Castle. The story was titled, “The Stolen Cloned Mammoth” and it’s the first story in the latest volume in the literary magazine, Indiana Review (vol. 33, No. 2).

In the story, Castle speaks like he’s talking to a friend at a bar. Initially, I felt it was a little too casual and abbreviated for the topic he was addressing, but then it grew on me. It started off:

“Anyway, these two biotech companies were racing to make some super-complicated genetic formula…”

In the first paragraph some scientist talks smack about a rival company on her Facebook page and is killed and to prevent all out war, a peace offering is made in the form of a cloned woolly mammoth. The things people think of right? Whether by accident or design it’s not clear if the gifted mammoth was indeed stolen or simply escaped.

Castle doesn’t just make this local news, it’s a global event as folks, as they do these days, hop on the internet and become amateur detectives. And then there were the commentators – who type random drivel or negative comments about a story until they turn and attack each other without a smear of logic.

If anyone has ever read six or seven of the anonymous comments posted under an online news article, they’d be able to plug into the realistic sounding minutia – the virtual chatter that Castle is able to conjure. I thought it was awesome because not only did the captured quibbling dig at the randomness and hostility anonymity allows, he also included TYPOS!

I was awestruck by Castle’s bravery to dare submit a short story to a lit mag with so many typos! It was genius – reminding me of the lack of proofing due to impatience, excitement, urgency and laziness. I’ve been guilty of this more than a few times.

Castle’s lead amateur basement detective calls the blogosphere to action as an angry and quickly aging mammoth runs wild across the US. He also happens to be the one who writes the most typos. In his attempt to illustrate his keen investigative skill, he claims to have found the wild woolly beast, when in reality his sites were on a sculpture near the La Brea Tar Pits outside a natural history museum that is torched a few days later.

It’s like the country has totally and completely lost its collective mind while the shot up mammoth seeks warm beach sands that relieve his aged joints and the sound of the waves lures him into a place without guns and screaming threads of nonsense.

If you’ve read “The Stolen Cloned Mammoth” (which I suspect most have not), please feel free to ramble below.

Is Craigslist Useful Anymore?

2012-01-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

For the last three weeks I’ve been hustling, like my name was Iceberg Slim, trying to sell a couple of paintings I’ve treasured since 2008.

“Night Buildings” and “Rintmaki.” Have you heard of them?

After I placed them both on Craigslist, I began to wonder if it’s even a useful site anymore. Of course back in 2008 I bought a sleeper sofa and loveseat from a seller on the site, but nothing I’ve put up in the past has ever sold.

Recently though, with the placement of the two paintings, what I’ve gotten are responses by at least 20 different (or same) scammers claiming to be interested; agreeing with the price; asking for my info so they can send their “shipper” with a certified check. So then I got hip.

“Still available?”

“Yes. I accept cash and Paypal payments.”

No response. . . except for one.

Most of the responders had gmail accounts (not sure why that’s the preferred email for these people) but one of them had a yahoo address and their response went something like this:

Thank you for the response, but I can’t purchase the art anymore anyway. My son got into an accident and crashed our car, so I have to pay for this instead. I’m also in a work from home business where I make $800 per week. It’s really easy, anyone could do it. If you’re interested, click on this link….

Sigh.

So how can you tell who is real and who is not? I can’t. Not until the second email exchange when they all offer a certified check and ask for my info and talk about their “shipper.”

My original paintings are usually not for sell, so this barrage of scamming has thrown me off. It’s been a disappointing but enlightening experience.

The paintings are still for sell, but today I’ll most likely delete my posts so the fake inquires can stop. So I can get some peace and get back to the art of running my business.

Just thought I’d give you a heads up.

Stop Piracy, Not Liberty - Says Google

2012-01-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

Today I had planned to write about passive aggressive behavior, but as I was trying to do a little online research, I kept smacking into roadblocks.

Oh sure, I heard that Wikipedia, BoingBoing and Reddit were going black today in protest of SOPA and PIPA – the two bills in front of Congress to address online piracy. What I didn’t know was how many other sites were joining the protest.

Googles catch phrase today is: Stop piracy, not liberty. Googles explanation of the bills:

1. SOPA and PIPA would censor the Web

The U.S. government could order the blocking of sites using methods similar to those employed by China. Among other things, search engines could be forced to delete entire websites from their search results. That’s why 41 human rights organizations and 110 prominent law professors have expressed grave concerns about the bills.

2. SOPA and PIPA would be job-killers because they would create a new era of uncertainty for American business

Law-abiding U.S. internet companies would have to monitor everything users link to or upload or face the risk of time-consuming litigation. That’s why AOL, EBay, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo and Zynga wrote a letter to Congress saying these bills “pose a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job-creation.” It’s also why 55 of America’s most successful venture capitalists expressed concern that PIPA “would stifle investment in Internet services, throttle innovation, and hurt American competitiveness”. More than 204 entrepreneurs told Congress that PIPA and SOPA would “hurt economic growth and chill innovation”.

3. SOPA and PIPA wouldn’t stop piracy

To make matters worse, SOPA and PIPA won’t even work. The censorship regulations written into these bills won’t shut down pirate sites. These sites will just change their addresses and continue their criminal activities, while law-abiding companies will suffer high penalties for breaches they can’t possibly control.
There are effective ways to combat foreign “rogue” websites dedicated to copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, while preserving the innovation and dynamism that have made the Internet such an important driver of American economic growth and job creation. Congress should consider alternatives like the OPEN Act, which takes targeted and focused steps to cut off the money supply from foreign pirate sites without making US companies censor the Web.

To join in the protest and sign a petition to prevent these two bills click here.
And good luck surfing the web today (although, I don’t believe in luck).

It's Your Year

2012-01-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New year to you! I haven’t heard an excessive amount of talk on resolutions coming into 2012, but maybe it’s because we’re focused on keeping things in perspective… employment… spending… the economy… the best move to protect our assets…

I don’t know, but I did see a man jogging one late afternoon in 80 degree January weather and I thought to myself, “he’s only out here to honor his resolution – there’s no way he should be out here running in this heat.”

Despite the heat, good for him for jogging down a path of self improvement. We should all sweat so profusely to snag our goals (well, not if we don’t have to).

I equate starting a new year to graduating from high school. The world seems fresh and new again and the possibilities are boundless. For those of you who share that glint of optimism, I want to give you one lead to help nudge you to jog across the finish line in this 80 degree economic weather.

If you are creating a name for yourself, starting a new company or revamping a book idea or an existing website, my friend Elle Beah is offering 50% off book and web content development to her next two clients in the month of January. I first handedly have seen her exceptional talent and innovative marketing ideas and have worked with her on several projects myself. She is professional, dedicated and highly inspirational. Email Elle for her regular rates sheet at: Luvliwords at aol dot com.

This is your year.

Stop! Consider Gold Before Another Trinket...

2011-12-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

This year, I spent a lot less money on Christmas gifts and a lot more on putting myself in a better position to prosper in 2012. Lately, I watch over my money like I gave natural birth to it, now that I bought a new money pit (a house). The goal is not to obsess, but to learn it, how it does and does not work so that college financing won’t be as burdensome on my daughter as it has been on me. We want better for our children don’t we?

I don’t usually forward information that I get from certain newsletters because I pay big money for it, and I respect the business model (most of the time), however, there are some very immediate pitfalls staring us in the face at the start of 2012 due to our no-compromise – I don’t-care-if-it-leaves-them-in-the-food-line-congress. In light of this I want all my family, friends and readers to be protected.

The fact of the matter is, most people won’t listen to most advise, even if it sounds good. It’s just human nature so I know better than to take it personal. People don’t take action until they are minutes, even seconds from total destruction. It’s unfortunate that we are this way. On the other hand, with all the clues on the page I might get through to a few who are watching the global pulse and realize the significance in clamping down on their wallets and placing their paws on a bit of ore for insurance against the tanking American dollar.

My Christmas gift to you is this short message from one of the newsletters I’m a paid subscriber of called The Growth Stock Wire, written by Jeff Clark. Take it in and think about it before you buy one more toy or sweater or ipod or blinking inflatable California Beach Lawn Santa…

The Most Compelling Reason to Own Gold
By Jeff Clark

Investors woke up yesterday morning to the news that the European Central Bank (ECB) had performed a "Bernanke." The ECB announced it was giving away free money to European banks through something it called Long Term Refinancing Operations (LTRO). Everyone else should call it Let The Ripoff Occur.

The operation is based on the principle that nobody wants to hear the ear-piercing screams of heroin addicts suffering through withdrawal, drowning out the soothing sound of Christmas carolers. So the ECB is providing more drugs to the European banks just ahead of the Christmas holiday.

Here's how it works…

The ECB is lending long-term money to European banks at 1% interest. Those banks can then pay down their existing short-term debt to the ECB. Or they can invest the money in longer-term European sovereign debt and collect 5%-plus. Or they can simply hang on to the funds and make their balance sheets look more attractive.

Under these conditions, it's no surprise the banks jumped at the chance to borrow money and did so to the tune of nearly $500 billion. After all, if you were offered a chance to refinance your mortgage at 1%, wouldn't you do it?

But the real question is… Where did the ECB get the money for these cheap, long-term loans?

The answer, dear reader, is from the same place our own Federal Reserve got its money for quantitative easing parts one and two. It printed it out of thin air.

I cannot imagine a more compelling reason to own gold right now.

Yes, the shiny yellow metal got clubbed last week. And yes, there may be a bit more downside. But with the ECB now borrowing the heroin-filled syringe of the Federal Open Market Committee, any dips in the price of gold are like early Christmas presents – unexpected and tremendously appreciated.

Banks pay 0.10% interest on savings deposits. The broad stock market is marking time, and will likely do so for a few more years. Long-term U.S. Treasury bonds pay 3% interest.

I can't imagine a more opportune time to buy gold. You should look at last week's weakness as a Christmas gift. Be thankful for it.

Merry Christmas,

Jeff Clark

End of the Year Cleaning: Taking out the Trash

2011-12-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

I won't try and fight it or deny it any longer. I'm busy. I'm owning it. And because I get up at 4am to get my daughter to school on time and I don't get home until well after dark, I don't muster the energy to write new articles as often as I used to. That is my December 13th confession.

Despite all this, there is no excuse for not passing on gems I stumble across. The article I'm reposting is from Bedros Keuilian, a fitness and business guru who recently wrote this article for Early to Rise. I found it inviting and very appropriate for this time of year. Enjoy.

Take the Trash Out of Your Life

By Bedros Keuilian

Each and every day your head is being filled with trash. It's happening to all of us. To some more than others. Let me explain...

I was recently talking to a program director for a major news network and the conversation turned to how news networks make their money. It's probably no surprise to you that they make their money by selling advertising. But their big problem is that they need lots of eyeballs to make the most money. So they figured out that "trash", as he called it, sells the most. By trash he means "news" that's scary, filled with gossip and fear. You know, gloom and doom news.

In fact he went on to say that years ago when they tested running feel good segments on the news, less people stuck around to watch. Crazy? Yes.

But, this does prove two things...

1. Society is twice as likely to act on pain (fear) then pleasure.

2. They are intentionality putting trash into your head because that makes them more money.

So while you can use the first fact above to make more money by changing your marketing, the second fact is pretty scary because that "trash" has an effection you.

It's actually been scientifically proven that your thoughts can be influenced by what you watch. Therefore, anything that enters into your conscious and subconscious mind can impact your beliefs. Since your thoughts affect your decisions and actions, that clearly shows you must be careful about how much 'trash' you allow into your mind.

This upcoming holiday season will give us a chance to spend time with loved ones (and our global readership will surely have similar experiences over the next six weeks). However, often our loved ones don't quite necessarily understand what we seek to accomplish in our lives and may even discourage our ambitions.

In most cases, our relatives mean well, and aren't trying to be negative, because they believe they are protecting us. But there are also some relatives who are just plain toxic to our goals in life.

Frankly, you can't change those you are related to, but when you get back into the office next week, take some time to analyze your professional relationships. Are your surrounding yourself with the right types of people?

Fortunately, I have something that helps me keep my thoughts clean and clear all the time. And you can use it too to protect your mindset.

If you feel that sometimes you're stuck in a bad place and want to change your thought patterns to those of the super successful then consider these changes in how you think: •Eradicate the words "try" and "can't" from your vocabulary
•Cut out negative people and energy vampires from your life
•Eliminate fear, greed, hate, and scarcity from your mindset
•Surround yourself with positive people who you want to be like

Use the list above to shift your thought patterns to a success mindset.

But never forget this. The harsh truth is that YOU need to take responsibility for your failures, successes, and lack of action. That is the number one reason people never get what they want – No personal responsibility. And with that they don't take action and 12 months go by and at best they're in the same place in life that they were last year... only older.

Don't let that happen to you. Change your mindset today and take out the trash.

STUPID BANK!

2011-10-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

I’m not with Bank of America but I’ve been shopping around for another bank. As I‘ve been listening to NPR, I’m learning that many of us have. We may not have sleeping bags out on Liberty Square, but there are other ways to let your dissatisfaction be known with the policies and culture of many big banks.

Like many I’ve been scrambling trying to secure my finances as much as possible because with all of the economic uncertainty, it’s hard to get a grasp on the next financial step. Should you invest in Treasury Bonds? Stock? Gold? Solar Energy? Place cash in a shoe box and bury it in your back yard?

I’m a subscriber to a couple of financial newsletters to help me navigate through this mess. Not that any of these people have all the answers, but thinking about these things, for me, is like cracking a window and putting my nose to the crack so that I don’t die from smoke inhalation.

These times are important and historic for us all, so I wanted to share this article by David Eifrig about an alternative to “Big Bank Consumer Abuse.” May it inspire you to DO SOMETHING. I’ve reposted the article below.

The Simplest, Easiest Way to Turn Your Back on Big Banks
By Dr. David Eifrig, editor, Retirement Millionaire
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Sallie Krawcheck is getting paid over $5 million soon… for getting fired.

Joe Price is also making millions… for getting fired.

Sallie and Joe are executives who just got fired from Bank of America. They are set to collect over $10 million as part of their severance packages. Meanwhile, Bank of America is going to charge customers $5 a month to use their debit cards. It's also laying off thousands upon thousands of workers.

It's a crazy situation. The big banks took billions in taxpayer-funded bailouts… And now, they're paying fired employees millions and millions of dollars.

Sallie and Joe are two of the latest targets of the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters. But you don't have to go to Wall Street to protest Bank of America and its paid-for friends in Washington D.C. You can opt out of the system with a simple move I've been telling people to make for years now…

Move your money to a credit union.

You've probably heard of a credit union. But if you're like most folks I've talked with, you figure there's no real difference between them and a big, name-brand bank… at least not to you, the small, private account holder. But they are different. And at times like this, the benefits of joining a credit union are important.

Very simply, credit unions are nonprofit companies that act as local community banks. And guess what? The rates credit unions offer are spectacular. I get 1.25% on my simple checking account and 1.25% on my basic savings account.

And the nice part is, Wall Street doesn't have access to my money anymore. You see, the credit union turns around and loans my money to other members. Rather than investing in insider shell games, like mortgage-backed securities, the credit union's bread and butter is car, boat, and housing loans that charge 5%-8%.

That's how they make money to pay their employees and rent. They borrow from depositors at 2% and get 5%-8% from their lending. Unlike Wall Street, the board members meet locally in a credit union conference room, not on some island resort, spending the shareholders money. Even better, the board members are usually volunteers. Is this sounding good or what?

Are there any risks? Not really. Your money is as safe as – if not safer than – it is in the larger commercial banks. Just like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which is supposed to insure your deposits in a commercial bank, credit unions have the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). This fund is backed by the "full faith and credit of the United States government," too. Just like commercial banks, each individual is insured up to $250,000.

The only catch is, to join a credit union you have to – by law – have some sort of affiliation with the group that sponsors it. For some credit unions, you have to work for particular employers. But in other cases, you need only be a resident of a particular state. For example, if you live in Florida or California, you can join any number of credit unions. And several pay more than seven times as much as the big banks for your checking and savings business.

My dad was a state employee in North Carolina, which qualified me to join. To find out more about joining a credit union and research if you're eligible to join one, go to www.findacreditunion.com.

The way I see it, by banking with a local credit union, I'm giving my capital to local people and businesses, instead of the huge Wall Street firms that steal my taxes, pay their cronies big fat bonuses and severance packages.

Wall Street bailouts were supposed to revive the economy by producing money in the form of loans to all sectors and industries. Of course, we know that was a load of bull. Instead, the big money-center banks hoarded those dollars and used them to plug holes in their balance sheets.

But putting your money with local credit unions will help stimulate your local economy in the way banks should operate. These institutions don't keep plush offices or send their board members on luxury vacations. They exist solely to turn deposits into small business loans, home mortgages, and car loans.

If you take your money away from Wall Street and keep it local, you'll support small business ventures near you. I don't know about you, but I don't want to pay for any more golf trips, big bonuses, or million-dollar office decorations.

Together, let's stop the fraud of Wall Street and support our local community banks and credit unions.

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

"The Ko" - A Solo Project - Available Soon

2011-10-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Six years ago, I began working on a spoken word project with two other poets and a musician. Oh this project was supposed to be enlightening, empowering, enchanting… and a bunch of other words starting with e-. It was supposed to be a work that addressed the mind, body and soul. It was a labor of love and I was so excited to be working with such talented people.

It started off great. Kind of. One of the poets had a bit of an attitude towards me. And it wasn’t me simply imagining it. The other saw it too. But I hadn’t wronged her, so I wasn’t too concerned with it.

In the beginning I was so wonderful, the music was phenomenal, the poems were interesting (for the most part) and we were building a marketing plan that would’ve given us real visibility. But piece by piece it all began to fall apart. One of the poets started veering off from the concept of the CD…remember that poet who didn’t like me? She also had words for me and the other, for discussing the project outside of conference calls which put a wedge between us all. We lived in different states.

The moment we began discussing the marketing plans with the musician, he freaked out, and couldn’t quite ever articulate what the problem he was having with the plan. It was like he started speaking another language none of us understood. It was amazing. I started to feel really bad about this – responsible even, because I was the one who’d brought him in on the project. Things were getting really rough, but me and the other poet were determined to just get though the minutia and just finish the darn thing…. Until… I told the musician I had a boyfriend. Dropped. Just like that. The musician announced he no longer wanted to work with the rest of the group (but was still willing to work with me on a solo project).

We tried to find other musicians to work with us. The music was far more inferior than the music we had gotten from the first musician. One of the poets decided to take over the project and decided she didn’t want our influence any more. She just wanted it finished without anymore road blocks.

It turned into a whole other beast. Talk about veering away from the concept. The poet-in-charge turned the project into an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign and incorporated every version of every track we had available with quotes from prominent female figures about… well I don’t know…. stuff.

It took years, but it’s out there somewhere floating around – a free copy of a body of work that had intended to be something great – enlightening, empowering, enchanting… I had decided upon the completion of this project, that I wouldn’t collaborate in that capacity again, with no control over how the project grows up.

Currently, I’m working on a spoken word project and the goal is to have it completed by the end of the year. The title of the project is called “The Ko” and it will incorporate spoken word, song and music. It’s unlike any project I’ve ever put out before, and it is totally and completely a vertical integration of my talent. It’s a bit terrifying at times and exhilarating at others, but overall I’m ready to polish it up and lay out there.

Keep it Simple

2011-10-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

In the eighth grade, my math teacher instructed us to “work smarter, not harder.” That was his mantra, and since then, I’ve been forgetting that mantra, then remembering, then forgetting it again. When I give advice I use it to help others propel themselves forward, but then promptly abandon the idea when I should be applying it to my own life. I’m human. Things tend to pop up that remind me of what I should be doing. How I should be functioning. Remembering is often energizing – because it gives me hope that life has the potential to improve exponentially.

I’m often a whirl wind, scrounging to find time to eat and breathe with my schedule. My mission is to conquer the world. A megalomaniac… I know. My progress, to my dismay, has been crawling. But I march on to my own drum as I tweak my plans and tasks slightly to attempt to nudge my productivity. But it doesn’t work. You know why? Because there are times when I’m so overwhelmed that I abandon my plans and do only what is absolutely necessary as everything else starts to look like a tidal wave. Eventually I snap out of it, but it’s a cycle. An inefficient one.

Today I came across an article about simplifying your life by Ryan Murdoch who writes for ETR. The concept is a familiar one, encouraging readers to streamline their lives so that they are able to do more by doing less. Sound familiar? It hit me that this article is one of those “reminders” that pop up, seemingly, out of nowhere as a guide – a call above the wind – to help us remember what it is we need to do to get ahead. Something tells me that you could benefit from this article too. I’ve reposted it below.

How to Simplify Your Life

By Ryan Murdoch

In order to bring new things into your life, you must first let other things go.

But why is it so many of us focus on adding more or doing more when we’re trying to reach a new goal?

We want it all at once, but instead of progress we end up with a mess of results that mirrors the random plan we’ve concocted. I’ll give you an example from my own life.

Back in my martial art days I felt I had to maintain every skill set I’d ever learned – simultaneously. My teacher might be working with me on a few specific throws, but at home I’d be practicing those throws AND some striking work AND some stick work AND some knife work... AND let’s not forget falls. Oh, AND conditioning. AND more. Yeah, I actually tried to do all that each and every day.

Know what happened? Nothing much.

But when I stopped to focus on the lesson at hand, I discovered that the next time stick training came around, I had actually gotten better. Not just a little better, either. Things I’d struggled with were no longer obstacles. And the throwing work gave me new insights that I could apply to the stick.

There was a limit to how fast I could move – but there was no limit to how much I could shave away. I got faster not by building speed, but by shaving away those tiny movements that had nothing to do with my goal. I got faster by removing things rather than adding.

And the same lesson applies to the rest of our lives.

If you’re familiar with business books you’ve probably read that 80 percent of your achievements come from 20 percent of your efforts. What if you started focusing nearly all your efforts on those specific things? Could you imagine the results?

In order to do that you must first simplify your life.

Do you want to bring abundance into your life? You first have to let go. That means throwing out the junk that’s cluttering up your closets, your garage, your office or spare room. All those things you haven’t looked at for years. They weigh you down. Give them away or donate them to the Goodwill, where those same items might enrich someone else’s life. You don’t need them anymore.

Do you want to bring vibrant new relationships into your life? You first have to let go of those relationships that are no longer serving you. Those people whose phone calls you dodge because you really don’t enjoy talking to them. Those relationships that are entirely one way – the energy vampires who monopolize your time and drain you. Think about all those people you spend time with out of a sheer sense of obligation or guilt. Don’t judge them. Just let them go and move on.

There’s nothing callous in this. You’ve simply grown in different directions, and you honor that person by allowing them to move on. Spend time instead with people who excite you and who encourage you to grow in new directions. If your life is too crowded, you’ll never have a chance to let new people in.

Do you want to replace unhealthy habits with practices that promote your life? Don’t just slap a bunch of new ideas onto what you’re currently doing. Let those old habits go. That often means taking the time to closely examine your beliefs and decide why you started doing those things in the first place. It isn’t easy, but it works.

Do you want to reach new heights in your job or profession? Let go of all those tasks you do only because you feel you have to. Delegate them to someone else. Let go of all those tasks you absolutely hate – you’re probably not very good at them anyway. Release those things so you can focus on the tasks you are truly great at. THAT is where you bring something unique to the world.

Clean the clutter out of your life, remove the superfluous, and like a sculptor carve away absolutely everything that doesn’t match the ideal vision in your head. When you do, new opportunities you never imagined will rush in to fill that space.

Make some quiet time this evening and take out a notebook and pen. I want you to write half a page on the following questions: What is the ideal simple, good life for you? How would your life be simpler? How would your ideal simple life be different from the life you have now?

Examine each aspect of your life, consciously and deliberately. And begin removing those non-essential elements so you can focus on the things that truly matter to you.

The Fed: Monitoring the "Influencers"

2011-09-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

I received some new information about plans the Federal Reserve have for the American people. I didn't like it. I don't think you will either, so I've decided to repost a portion of an article from shtfplan.com. Please read and consider it carefully. I'm not sure what plan of action to take with this, so help me think of one.

Federal Reserve Seeks Real-Time Monitoring of Social Networks, Bloggers, Forums, and “Influencers”
By Mac Slavo

If you believe Ben Bernanke and his merry band of money printers don’t care about what you think, then consider the latest product development proposal from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. According to RFP (Request for Proposal) 6994, the Fed intends to build a real-time monitoring solution capable of mining and aggregating data across social networks like Facebook and Twitter, alternative news web sites and blogs, video sharing web sites, and mainstream media outlets.

Not only do they care about what you think, they want to know exactly who you are, what language you speak, who you’re talking to, where you’re getting your information, who you are sharing it with, and what your sentiment and emotional state is in reference to that specific moment.

According to portions of the RFP, the Fed intends to collect, aggregate and analyze data, as well as to us this information to direct their own actions and responses. By identifying “crisis” points with the new listening platform, the Fed will be able to specifically target information being put out by news web sites and even individual users (in forums or comments) and then respond to that information in kind by either contacting “key bloggers” and “influencers,” or simply ramping up their public relations machine to either discredit the message, or simply rewrite the message through the spread of news releases to major internet distribution channels and heavily trafficked social networks.

The Federal Reserve’s Criteria for its Sentiment Analysis And Social Media Monitoring Solution are described, in part, below:

Description: Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“FRBNY”) is extending to suppliers an invitation to participate in anSentiment Analysis And Social Media Monitoring Solution RFP bid process. The intent is to establish a fair andequitable partnership with a market leader who will who gather data from various social media outlets and news sources and provide applicable reporting to FRBNY. This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) was created in an effort tosupport FRBNY’s Social Media Listening Platforms initiative.

…

I. Introduction

Social media platforms are changing the way organizations are communicating to the public Conversations are happening all the time and everywhere.

There is need for the Communications Group to be timely and proactively aware of the reactions and opinions expressed by the general public as it relates to the Federal Reserve and its actions on a variety of subjects.

II. Social Listening Platforms

Social media listening platforms are solutions that gather data from various social media outlets and news sources. They monitor billions of conversations and generate text analytics based on predefined criteria. They can also determine the sentiment of a speaker or writer with respect to some topic or document.

The information gathered can guide the organizations public relations group in assessing the effectiveness of communication strategies.

Here are some of the services it can offer:
■Track reach and spread of your messages and press releases
■Handle crisis situations
■Continuously monitor conversations
■Identify and reach out to key bloggers and influencers
■Spot emerging trends, discussions themes and topics

A. Geographic scope of social media sites

The solution must support content coming from different countries and geographical regions. It should also support multiple languages.

B. Content and Data Types

The solution must be able to gather data from the primary social media platforms –Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Forums and YouTube. It should also be able to aggregate data from various media outlets such as: CNN, WSJ, Factiva etc.

C. Reports and Metrics

The solution must provide real-time monitoring of relevant conversations. It should provide sentiment analysis (positive, negative or neutral) around key conversational topics.

It must be able to provide summaries or high level overviews of a specific set of topics. It should have a configurable dashboard that can easily be accessed by internal analysts or management. The dashboard must support customization by user or group access.

The solution should provide an alerting mechanism that automatically sends out reports or notifications based a predefined trigger.

D. FRBNY Technology Integration

The solution must be able to integrate with existing FRBNY technologies such as: Google Search appliance, Lotus notes suite and web trends.It must have support for single sign on or windows integrated authentication.

Sourced Via Zero Hedge and Scribd

What’s important to note is that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York does not intend to build a completely new platform. Their intention is to establish a relationship with an existing market leader – likely one of the information mining and gathering platforms already in existence, such as a large search engine – with whom they can then integrate their systems.

The Approach of 9/11

2011-09-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

This year the media has been pushing, more aggressively, the remembrance of terrible acts of 9/11. The difference this year is that it’s the 10th anniversary; however, looking at what laws, regulations and rulings that have transpired since 9/11 we can also do a bit of grieving for many of our freedoms as well.

Do I sound cynical? I don’t mean to, although, the re-signing of the Patriot Act by our president, has put a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s okay that my family can’t meet me at the gate when I get off the plane (although I do miss that freedom greatly), and it’s a pain that security makes me take off my pumps and makes me stand barefoot on the filthy floor at the airport. What I can’t stand though is the lack of transparency on the part of our government.

Today I was listening to the good folks on NPR as they covered a segment on how the changes in government agencies with regards to sharing information have allowed them to retain the same practices of staying the same. Confusing? Agencies such as the CIA have long been known to abuse the practice of classifying information, from the sensitive to the trivial, as classified or “Top Secret.” That classified information is even hands-off to other government agencies, who might actually be able to use it.

After 9/11, as reported on NPR, flood gates of information sharing were open and many times CIA agents were not rewarded, but punished for sharing with outside agencies for fear the information would get into the wrong hands. This has led to the halt again.

According to a former agent, information is also sometimes classified to cover up mistakes that have been made. So here lies the hole government agencies are able to escape through. There can be no accountability on spending or on conduct if an agency is allowed to deem all things classified, and the American public is allowed to remain in the dark, which leads the American public to draw their own conclusions when answers from the government stop making sense.

As 9/11 approaches and the media focuses on the victims and the heros and their loved ones, we should also review the explanation out government has given us, keeping in mind it’s reputation for hiding the truth. Below is an excerpt from an article posted on ProjectCensored.org, titled, “Unanswered Questions of 9/11: 911 Prewarnings, Building 7 Collapse, Flight 77 and the Pentagon, Israeli Involvement, United Airlines Put-options, War games, Atta and the $100,000, 9/11 Terrorists Still Alive.” Some of the things you read in the article, you may not agree with, but before dismissing the information, dig around yourself, at least a little bit, and make up your own mind based upon what you find.

A threshold concept facing Americans is the possibility that the 9/11 Commission Report was on many levels a cover-up for the failure of the US government to prevent the tragedy. Deeper past the threshold is the idea that the report failed to address sources of assistance to the terrorists. Investigations into this area might have led to a conclusion that elements of various governments — including our own — not only knew about the attacks in advance, but may have helped facilitate their implementation. The idea that someone in the Government of the United States may have contributed support to such a horrific attack is inconceivable to many. It is a threshold concept that is so frightening that it brings up a state of mind akin to complete unbelievably.

Philosophy/Religion professor David Ray Griffin has recently published his findings on the omissions and distortions of the 9/11 Commission report. Griffin notes that the 9/11 Commission failed to discuss most of the evidence that seems to contradict the official story about 9/11— for example, the report by Attorney David Schippers that states that some FBI agents who contracted him had information about attacks several weeks prior to 9/11, along with evidence that several of the alleged hijackers are still alive. Griffin’s book brings into question the completeness and authenticity of the 9/11 Commission’s work. Griffin questions why extensive advanced warnings from several countries were not acted upon by the administration, how a major institutional investor knew to buy put-options on American and United Airlines before the attack, and how an inexperienced terrorist pilot could have conducted a complicated decent into an unoccupied section of the Pentagon.

Additionally, Griffin notes questions remain on why the 9/11 Commission failed to address the reports that $100,000 was wired to Mohamed Atta from Saeed Sheikh, an agent for Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), under the direction of the head of ISI General Mahmud Ahmed. General Ahmed resigned his position less than one month later. The Times of India reported that Indian intelligence had given US officials evidence of the money transfer ordered by Ahmad and that he was dismissed after the “US authorities sought his removal.”

Also, the 9/11 Commission report failed to address the reasons for the collapse of World Trade Center (WTC) building 7 more than six hours after the attack. WTC-7 was a 47-story, steel frame building that had only small fires on a few floors. WTC buildings 5 & 6 had much larger fires and did not collapse. This has led a number of critics to speculate that WTC 7 was a planned demolition.

Overall concerns with the official version of 9/11 have been published and discussed by scholars and politicians around the world including: Jim Marrs, Nafeez Ahmed, Michael Ruppert, Cynthia McKinney, Barrie Zwicker, Webster Tarpley, Michel Chossudovsky, Paul Thompson, Eric Hufschmid and many others (see: http://www.911forthetruth.com). The response to most has been to label these discussions as “conspiracy theories” unworthy of media coverage or further review. Pursuit of a critical analysis of these questions is undermined by the psychological barrier about 9/11 issues as threshold concepts — too awful to even consider.

Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1942 – August 22, 2011)

2011-08-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

SOLID AS A ROCK

And for love’s sake, each mistake, ah, you forgave
And soon both of us learned to trust
Not run away, it was no time to play
We build it up and build it up and build it up

And now it’s solid
Solid as a rock
That’s what this love is
That’s what we’ve got, oh, mmm…

Solid (Oh)
Solid as a rock
And nothing’s changed it (Ooh)
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot

Oh…oh…oh…ah…

You didn’t turn away
When the sky went gray
Somehow we managed
We had to stick together (Ooh…ooh…ooh…ooh…)

You didn’t bat an eye
When I made you cry
We knew down the line
We would make it better (Ooh…ooh…ooh…ooh…)

And for love’s sake, each mistake, ah, you forgave
And soon both of us learned to trust
Not run away, it was no time to play
We build it up and build it up and build it up

Now it’s solid
Solid as a rock [Ooh]
That’s what this love is (Oh…oh…)
That’s what we’ve got [Oh…oh…] (Yes, it is)

Solid
Solid as a rock
And nothing’s changed it [Oh…]
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot

Oh…oh…oh…ah…

Gone with the wind
Another friend
Got in between
Tried to separate us (Ooh…ooh…ooh…ooh…)

Oh, knock-knock on wood
You understood
Love was so new
We did what we had to (Ooh…ooh…ooh…ooh…)

And with that feeling we were willing to take a chance
So against all odds, we made a start
We got serious (Ooh), this wouldn’t turn to dust
We build it up and build it up and build it up

And now it’s solid (Ooh)
Solid as a rock
That’s what this love is (Oh)
That’s what we’ve got, oh (Oh, oh)

Solid (Yes, it is)
Solid as a rock (Ah…)
And nothing’s changed it (Ooh)
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot , hot , hot

Solid (Oh)
Solid as a rock (You know it) [Well] (You know it, baby)
Solid
Solid as a rock (Lovin’ me, lovin’ me, oh)

Solid (Don’t leave me, baby)
Solid as a rock [Well, well, why, why] (Oh…)
Solid
Solid as a rock (Every day it gets sweeter, now) [Ooh]

Solid [You know I like it]
Solid as a rock (Good, good, well, it’s good, good, good)
Solid (Solid, solid, solid, solid, solid)
As a rock

Sexual Assault, Black Scientists and Junk Tuna

2011-08-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I liked the format of the last post, it was different from what is normally posted here. Feel free to let me know if it wasn’t a brilliant idea, but until I hear otherwise, I just might continue the multi-news format for The Wrighter. I’m open to suggestions. Today’s post is a little heavier than the last one, but I believe it’s digestible information that is useful. Have an awesome and productive weekend.

STUDY: 1 IN 5 WOMEN IN AIR FORCE SEXUALLY ASSULTED – GOES UNREPORTED

Mediafreedominternational.org reported that a study acquired by The Christian Monitor, found that one in every five women in the US Air Force is sexually assaulted by male airmen. The study was conducted to assess the violence that took place within the military so that “prevention programs” could be created. The study also found that the reason most given by the assaulted women for not reporting the rape was that they feared causing “trouble in their unit.”

BLACK SCIENTISTS IN THE US ARE LESS LIKELY TO GET FUNDING

In a report published Thursday, The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, examined submissions for their grant applications by over 40,000 researchers from 2000-2006. They found that Black scientists in the US are less likely to be awarded funding than White scientists regardless of education or experience. According to BBC News, Francis Collins, the NIH director, said they would look at reviewing grants on the basis of scientific merits alone without the additional required information about the applicant’s qualifications or background.

ABOUT THAT TUNA YOU’RE EATING…

Live. Think. Evolve.

Mind, Body, Spirit

2011-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Because there is SO much going on in the world, I've become slightly paralyzed with information overload. With so much bad news about the financial markets, I didn't want to further exacerbate the volitle market with too much negative media coverage. The alternative was to give you a little of everything. I took a holistic approach to this post this time. I hope you can get something from it...

Mind

Hong Kong share trading hit by hackers

According to BBC World News, shares in HSBC, Cathay Pacific, China Power International and the Hong Kong exchange itself were among the seven companies whose trading was suspended on Wednesday for half the day, due to a hacking attack. The attack, according to BBC, was aimed at a website run by the exchange used to tell traders about company announcements.

"Our current assessment (is) that this is a result of a malicious attack by outside hacking," said Charles Li, head of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEC), in a statement. HKEC runs the Hang Seng exchange.

The attack on the site made it temporarily unavailable. It is unknown as to whether the attack flooded the site with information, making it unavailable, or if hackers gained unauthorized access to information. The incident has been referred to the police as well as the Securities and Futures Commission.

The Hong Kong exchange is one of many stock markets that have been hit by hackers. BBC reported that the Zimbabwe stock exchange was attacked in early August and in February. The US Nasdaq revealed that cyber criminals had planted malicious code on its "Directors Desk" web application.

Body

Stay-Well Strategy #1: Socks on!

“When feet get chilly, it actually tightens up the blood vessels in the sinuses,” says Ron Eccles, Ph.D., director of the Common Cold Centre at Britain’s Cardiff University. According to iVillage, here's how: chilly feet send a message to your brain to take action to conserve your body's heat, and it in turn, responds by firing out messages that reduce blood flow to areas where heat is lost quickly. This includes the mucus membranes of the sinuses. When blood flow is reduced to the sinuses, so is the flow of infection-fighting white blood cells, leaving your body more vulnerable when viruses invade. Recent studies show, according to iVillage, that keeping your feet warm, with a pair of warm socks cuts risk of colds by as much as 67 percent.

Spirit

Music out of Asia…

In late September Afropop will be premiering our next Hip Deep show Africa in East Asia: Shanghai Jazz to Tokyo Rastafari. The show, as the title explains, will delve into the mostly unknown world of Japanese Rastafarian Dancehall, pre-Mao jazz in Shanghai and other informative, mind-blowing aspects of how African styles have penetrated subcultures across East Asia.

Thanks to Tropical Bass, Afropop recently caught word of Malaysian singer/MC Arabyrd who just dropped a 3-track EP with slabs of dancehall bass with an M.I.A. delivery called Disco Nected.

Artist Kobina Wright Expands Web Presence

2011-07-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

As she has recently pulled a series of sketches from one art site, Kobina Wright's work strives to become aquainted with yet another as she expands her presence on internet.

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 28, 2011 – Artist, writer and actress, Kobina Wright, expands her web presence with the availability of her art work through the website ImageKind.com. Six of Wright’s black ink sketches can be viewed on the art website, including two of her most recent sketches titled, “Plaid Mushroom Resting Gourd” and “Three Four 5.”

Kobina Wright’s virtual art galleries have long been available on her personal website DramaticPause.net, and on the art website and virtual art gallery, FineArtAmerica.com (http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/kobina+wright/all). Several years prior, Wright made work available on a site that is a branch of Art.com, on the site Artistrising.com (http://www.artistrising.com/shop/search/N/0/Ntk/all/Ntt/ ...).

Of the work that is available on ImageKind.com, only four of her works displayed are available for sell, as of July 28th, 2011. Wright has indicated that more work will be made available in the near future.

Wright recently concluded a series of digitally enhanced sketches titled “Fractured.” The “Fractured” series is comprised of various fractured circles partnered with ink on paper sketches that range from minimalistic to labyrinthine.

Wright, a California native, is the creator of the Hodaoa-Anibo language. She is also the co-creator of nuler style poetry and the author of several books, including 50; A Crime and a Simplification of Something Sublime; Growth Spurt and Say it! Say Gen-o-cide!!”

To view Wright’s work on ImageKind, go to: http://Kobina.imagekind.com/.

Two Week Count Down: Artist Kobina Wright Pulls "Happy" From Public

2011-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

SANTA ANA, CA – June 30th marks the last day, Kobina Wright’s painting titled, “Happy,” can be purchased in limitless quantities. The milestone date also ends Wright’s promotion of its public viewing.

The watercolor and wax original was sold to a private party in 2008. Because of Wright’s decision to stop offering future prints of “Happy,” the only image available for circulation will be those of the owners of the original and those who have purchased prints prior to the end of June 2011.

“Happy” is a light hearted painting depicting a jovial butterfly with human facial features as it hovers over a giant opened flower.

To view “Happy” for quite possibly the last time, or to purchase a print of “Happy” or other works by Kobina Wright, go to: http://fineartamerica.com/ featured/happy- kobina-wright.html.

Contact: Selah Haki @ regalwrighter@lycos.net

PO Box 1894, Tustin, CA 92781

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Greenpeace Campaigns Against Barbie (I Mean Mattel)

2011-06-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, Greenpeace has constructed a huge (I mean HUGE) campaign against Mattel, the world's largest toy manufacturer. On June 8, 2011, Greenpeace launched "Barbie, It's Over." In the campaign, Greenpeace criticizes Mattel's use of Asia Pulp & Paper's products in its packaging. According to Greenpeace, Asia Pulp & Paper contributes to the Indonesian deforestation that threatens species native to the rainforest. Destruction of the rainforest conflicts with Mattel's stated corporate responsibility policy.

The following message is what Greenpeace sends to their supporters:

Ken has dumped America’s sweetheart Barbie. Why? Because of Sumatran tigers. That’s right, Mattel is using packaging linked to notorious Indonesian rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp & Paper.

The rainforests on Asia Pulp & Paper's chopping block are critical for endangered Sumatran tigers as well as protectors of our shared climate.

Every day, Asia Pulp & Paper is driving rainforest destruction at an alarming rate to provide the packaging for Barbie and other Mattel products - leaving the tigers with no where to go.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Mattel can act RIGHT NOW to save Sumatran tiger habitat. They have been ignoring this problem for too long -- now its time for them to hear from you. Don’t let this be the end of the Sumatran tiger. Send your letter to Mattel and urge them protect forests and dump Asia Pulp & Paper today!

Just one year ago, Greenpeace estimated 9,300 acres of Indonesian forests were being destroyed every day- that’s the equivalent to 7,200 football fields!! Loss of habitat means loss of food and shelter, forcing the tigers to roam closer to villages where conflicts with humans- and the killing of tigers- happens all too often.

The Sumatran tiger is found exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. And it wasn’t that long ago that the Sumatran tigers thrived in those forests, free from the threat of losing their habitat. Today there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. What will this look like a week from now? A month? A year? At this current rate of destruction, the forecast for these critically endangered animals isn’t looking good.

Companies like Asia Pulp & Paper are driving the destruction of tiger forests, bringing the species closer to the brink of extinction every day. And they show no signs of letting up. As Asia Pulp & Paper operations gets bigger and bigger, tiger populations grow smaller. Soon the Sumatran rainforests could be a thing of the past. And sadly, the Sumatran tigers will disappear with them.

"Happy" Available Until End of June

2011-06-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 07, 2011 – SANTA ANA, CA – Writer, artist and actress, Kobina Wright, is withdrawing her painting titled, “Happy,” from public viewing. It will only be available for public display and purchase until the end of June.

“Happy” is Wright’s depiction of a giant butterfly, with jovial human facial features, hovering over a giant flower. The original was sold in 2008 to a private party.

Wright’s latest conceptual work involves fractured circles paired with abstract ink on paper sketches.

Wright intends to purge more of her work from Fine Art America in the future, a website where the majority of her public work is currently displayed.

To view or purchase “Happy” or other works by Kobina Wright, go to http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/kobina+wright/all?page=1.

End

To Be Great, Or To Be Greater? That's The Question.

2011-06-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Just this past weekend I was talking to my mother about Malcolm Gladwell and a couple of his books that we’ve both read (The Outliers and The Tipping Point). She was trying to turn someone else on to The Tipping Point, just as I had done for her. Tying into Gladwell is my great dilemma about what actions should be taken to stimulate a stagnant career (wait, did I say career? What career…).

I am posting an article from my favorite newsletter – you know the one – ETR, and it is a great reminder to us all that though we may be good at what we do, relying on our outstanding skills and talents can hold us back. Confused? Don’t be. Pushing past our greatness into unexplored talent terrain can present a philosophical issue: If you are great, is it necessary to exert more effort to be greater? Is it sufficient to be simply great?

That’s for you to ponder. Read the article below on Peter Fogel’s take.

Are You Great at What You Do... or Could You Be Greater?
By Peter Fogel

Imagine being one of the world's top athletes in basketball - unfathomably gifted and operating "at the top of your game." And then realizing that's what's holding you back from reaching your true potential.

That's what bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell asked panelists at the 2011 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference to consider.

The opening session focused on the "10,000 hour rule" from Gladwell's 2008 book Outliers. The rule states that success in any field can be achieved through the purposeful practice of a specific skill for 10,000 hours.

As moderator of the discussion, Gladwell asked for opinions on what value should be placed on pure natural talent versus work ethic and the capacity to accept instruction.

The talk turned to NBA player Tracy McGrady, who, as they say, was the whole package. An amazing athlete with a combination of size, speed, power, and grace that, early on, catapulted him into being a dominant force in the game.

According to Jeff Van Gundy, McGrady's Houston Rockets coach (2004-2007): "McGrady's talent and skill were otherworldly... the man should be a future Hall of Famer."

Regrettably, McGrady was unwilling to further cultivate his natural talents. Van Gundy estimated McGrady at "probably 1,000 hours of practice" - one-tenth of Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule.

Fellow panelist Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets, added: "I do think [his natural abilities] got in the way of Tracy's development."

"Much of the game was so easy [for him]," said Morey. "When it's that easy to dominate at that young age because of your physical tools - his wingspan was freakish, his size was enormous, his IQ - my sense was, all that did was get in the way of Tracy reaching his highest heights."

Confused? That's okay, So was I when I read that. But pause and ponder it in regard to your own career and you'll see that it makes sense.

Have some things come so easy for you that you took them for granted and never pushed yourself further?

I believe you always want your competition to be better than you. It pushes you to achieve more.

When I was studying Kenpo Karate, I always wanted to work out or spar with black belts. I wanted to compare my movements to theirs. I wanted to experience firsthand what they did differently while on the journey to my own black belt.

As a comedy writer in Hollywood, my partner was better at certain aspects of scriptwriting than I was. That was good. I didn't want to team with an inferior writer. What would be the point? By having a partner who was strong where I was weak (and vice versa), we were able to learn from each other and craft superior scripts in half the time.

In Today's Competitive Marketplace, You Have to Have a "Plan B"
If you're always bigger, stronger, smarter, faster than your competition... you might not challenge yourself to develop and expand your skills. And in today's economy, that's a big problem.

The Great Recession has humbled even the greatest of peak performers on their own playing fields. If you're in your 40s or 50s, for example... there's a good chance the skills needed to do your present job are either being outsourced to a Mumbai call center or assigned in-house to someone half your age (and at half your pay).
You have to have a Plan B to fall back on.

That is why so many people are taking steps to reinvent themselves in their present careers. Doing this not only helps you enjoy personal fulfillment, it propels you into becoming an indispensable employee.

Reinvention Is NOT a Luxury, It Is a Necessity!
Think of a major league pitcher coming back to the game after having arm surgery. His bread and butter has always been his fastball. But he's not what he once was. So, if he was smart, he kept working on his secondary pitches right along.
In other words, he had a PLAN B to keep him "in the game"... just in case.
Here are five quick tips to successfully reinvent yourself in the your present career.

1. Stay focused on what's going on in your own company and in your industry in general. Is the marketplace changing? Where will your company be in five, 10 years? And where will your industry be?

2. Nurture the passions you have that can be transferred to new skills that can boost your company's profits. Plain and simple - discover new revenue streams or cost reductions that can add to your company's bottom line and you can write your own ticket to earning gobs more money!

3. Regardless of your age (and how set you are in your ways), find yourself a mentor who has "been there, done that." You might not need 10,000 hours of practice time to reach your version of elite status. But you will need a watchful eye to guide you and help you strengthen your weaknesses.

4. Join a mastermind group. Make sure these folks are at or above your level. You want to UP your game and learn from them.

5. Discover what your "USP" (unique selling proposition) is at work. What makes you different than every other employee? What specialty, skill, or innate talent do you have that can help you leap over your competition and stand out from the crowd? Reveal it, develop it - and you can easily become the "Go To" person in your department or division.

Finally, never rest on your laurels or be satisfied with where you are. Change is inevitable. And because it is, reinventing yourself does NOT have to be a scary experience. On the contrary, it can be quite exhilarating as you take control of your future.

The rules have changed! You don't want to just survive in today's economy, you want to thrive. Reinventing yourself makes that possible.

If You Like the Information, Pass it On

2011-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday you viewed a video about the deception of the presidency. It was a bitter pill for some of us, but a necessary viewing experience.

On Wednesday you read The Wrighter's book review of Under the Bridge, a story that covered the brutal killing of 14-year-old, Canadian, Reena Virk.

On Thursday The Wrighter gave you a mission to see the 1976 film "The Network." A reposted mission from October 2008.

If you've benefited or have been entertained by The Wrighter this week, please pass the information along. Knowledge is for sharing, and we can always use more subscribers.

Don't be stingy. Share.

Live. Think. Evolve.

Mission #1 - Reposted

2011-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

In October 2008 I wrote a post titled “Mission #1” that I am now reposting today, because it is just as relevant now as it was then. In fact, I’m not sure my dear readers actually followed through with the mission, and so I’ve reposted the October 2008 entry as a reminder. That things are serious. They have been for a while now.

Mission #1
Times are crazy right now, and though you can't bank on much else these days, you can bank on the fact that in the coming months, they will get even crazier. No consolation to you, or anybody else, I know. However, The Wrighter is going to give you a mission for this weekend, if you so choose to accept it, that may set you on a path of a realignment in your thinking and therefore your behavior. It is a simple thing to do, yet it may prepare you a bit for the turmoil that seems to be inevitable.

Here is the mission:
Go to your local video store, or place your order in your queue on Netflix (make it #1) and pick up and watch the 1976 film titled "Network." Yes it a 70's film - a great one... I might add, a mine of gems ready to be picked, rinsed, cut and set into your everyday life. It stars Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall and Peter Finch and is about the exploitation of an ex-television anchor who has seemingly lost his mind. As you watch the movie, listen carefully to the monologues of Peter Finch's character, Howard Beale. DO NOT dismiss any part of the movie as it being "just a movie." Ponder on it intensely and glean as much as you can from it.

It sounds simple enough doesn't it? Rent the movie "Network." Once you've watched it, you'll understand why The Wrighter has made this movie a mission.