Million Father March—Take A Child to School!

August 18, 2010 will be Gary Community School System's first day of school. The Million Father March Pledge for Fathers and Men have organized a take-a-child-to-school day to take their children or another child to school, according to the Black Star Project, organized by the Gary Commission on the Social Status of Black Males.
Attending school with an adult is important to the morale of students. Participants of the Million Father March are essentially making a pledge to these students to care about them and the quality of their educational and socioeconomic future.

The Million Father Pledge for Fathers and Men
I will take my children or a child to school and I will be at school on the first day to encourage all children to do their best every day at school.
I am responsible for the education of my child.
I will volunteer at my child's school three times this school year
I will pick up my child's progress report or grade report when required.
I will meet with my child's teachers at least two times this year and support them in educating my child.
I will mentor my child or a child and I will teach children the values of education and family as well as the value of life
I will work with my child's mother or guardian to achieve the best academic and social outcomes for my child even if I don not live with my child.

Please participate in the Million Father March August 18, the first day of school for Gary students and encourage all who care to participate as well. Please use the links to contact the organizers of this event.

NAACP Urges Support for Black Farmer Settlement | Epoch Times

NAACP Urges Support for Black Farmer Settlement | Epoch Times

West Nile virus found in some Crown Point mosquitoes :: Local News :: Post-Tribune

West Nile virus found in some Crown Point mosquitoes :: Local News :: Post-Tribune

'Pay what you can afford' this Saturday - Jerry Davich: Observations from the edge

'Pay what you can afford' this Saturday - Jerry Davich: Observations from the edge

Desiree Rogers named CEO of Johnson Publishing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business

Desiree Rogers named CEO of Johnson Publishing :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business

Find out more about the Black Farmers Plight: Consolidated Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation

Editor's note: This is independent research/notes because I am angered at not finding this issue resolved and finding very little detail on the issue. What is the problem? Why can't the black farmer have what is rightfully his? Why won't the United States Senate vote to appropriate the funds for the black farmer's settlement? If it looks like racism, walks like racism and talks like racism, what do you think most people think? That it is racism? Why is the USDA so set against helping farmers? I do not understand. I just don't understand this issue. I will revise my research/notes periodically as all of this information comes from sources other than myself.

Congress established a new remedial process for relief under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (”2008 Farm Bill”).  This case, the Consolidated Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation, consists of discrimination claims by African-American farmers authorized by Section 14012 of the 2008 Farm Bill.
You should visit this web site.
You may feel as if this has nothing to do with you but did you know many black people today come from a line of farmers? They were scattered throughout the south. Many of us were deemed sharecroppers, however.
According to Wikipedia, sharecropping is a system of farming in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land (e.g., 50% of the crop). Sharecropping has a long history across the globe however my focus today is the southern United States.  Sharecropping occurred extensively in colonial Africa, Scotland, and Ireland, and came into wide use in the Southern United States during the Reconstruction era (1865–1877). The South had been devastated by war; planters had ample land but little money for wages or taxes. At the same time most of the former slaves had labor but no money and no land; they rejected the kind of gang labor that typified slavery. Similarity to serfdom or indenture, it has been seen as an issue of land reform.

Odesio answers a similar question on straightdope.com.

"The first thing you have to understand is how labor works in relation to cotton in the days of yore. Cotton was an especially labor intensive crop and when it was being planted and especially when it was being harvested you needed a large labor pool to get the job done. When the planting and harvesting was done you just didn't need the labor pool at all. So the planters after the Civil War have a problem. How do they ensure they have the necessary labor at the necessary time and how do they get that labor for as cheap a price as possible?

The answer was the share crop system. Landowners would rent out property to tenants, perhaps give them a little seed money, and buy up the cotton when harvest time came. Most of the tenant farmers were illiterate and all of them were pretty much uneducated. This made it easy for the landowners to control the price of the cotton and to determine just how much money the tenants owed them at the end of the year. "Sorry, Mr. Johnson, but it looks like even though you had a bumper crop that you still owe me $25 at the end of the season."

Whether sharecropping was more efficient than the antebellum plantations is hard to say. To begin with it's rather difficult at times to figure out whether an antebellum plantation was making a profit in any given year because they didn't all keep efficient financial records like a corporation would. I've run across notes from a plantation with an I.O.U. written down for 1853 but I'll be damned if I ever ran across an documentation that the loan was ever paid back. Nor do I typically run across a useful ledger detailing income and expenses like I would for a rail road or a shipping company.


From a social standpoint it was also a good way for the elite to maintain control over labor, particularly black labor. One of the biggest race riots in Arkansas occurred in 1919 when members of the various farmer's unions attempted to get better prices for their cotton. Whites seemed to think that this was insurrection." -- Odesio

In Reconstruction-era United States, sharecropping was one of few options for penniless freedmen to conduct subsistence farming and support themselves and their families. (Another solution was a crop-lien system, where the farmer was extended credit for seed and other supplies by the merchant.) It was a stage beyond simple hired labor, because the sharecropper had an annual contract. During Reconstruction, the Freedman's Bureau wrote and enforced the contracts.
Don't worry, I'm getting to my point, however, in the sharecropping system croppers were assigned a plot of land to work, and in exchange owed the owner a share of the crop at the end of the season, usually one-half. The owner provided the tools and farm animals. Farmers who owned their own mule and plow were at a higher stage and are called tenant farmers; they paid the landowner less, usually only a third of each crop. In both cases the farmer kept the produce of gardens.
The sharecropper purchased seed, tools and fertilizer, as well as food and clothing, on credit from a local merchant, or sometimes from a plantation store. When the harvest came, the cropper would harvest the whole crop and sell it to the merchant who had extended credit. Purchases and the landowner's share were deducted and the cropper kept the difference—or added to his debt.
Though the arrangement protected sharecroppers from the negative effects of a bad crop, many sharecroppers (both black and white) were economically confined to serf-like conditions of poverty. To work the land, sharecroppers had to buy seed and implements, sometimes from the plantation owner who often charged exorbitant prices against the sharecropper's next season. Arrangements also typically gave half or less of the crop to the sharecropper, and the sale price in some cases was set by the landowner. Lacking the resources to market their crops independently, the sharecropper was sometimes be compensated in scrip redeemable only at the plantation.
Thus the cost of production and price of sale were both largely controlled by the land owner, with the sharecropper having little, if any, margin for profit. These factors made sharecroppers dependent on the plantation owners in a way that perpetuated some of the aspects of slavery, and in the late 19th century maintained a stable, low-cost work force that replaced slave labor; it was the bottom rung in the Southern tenancy ladder.
Sharecroppers formed unions in the 1930s, beginning in Tallapoosa County, Alabama in 1931, and Arkansas in 1934. Membership in the Southern Tenant Farmers Union included both blacks and poor whites. As leadership strengthened, meetings became more successful, and protest became more vigorous, landlords responded with a wave of terror.^[24]
Sharecroppers' strikes in Arkansas and the Bootheel of Missouri, the 1939 Missouri Sharecroppers' Strike, were documented in "Oh Freedom After While".^[25]  

Machines helped stop the sharecropping system. It replaced human labor.  However, how did black farmers make the jump from sharecropping to owning and profiting from their farmland? Did they finally pay off the debt to Mr. Charley? (I am still researching this question. Feel free to help if you like.)

When the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was created, 90% of the American people were farmers. It was not until almost two decades after it's creation, that Cabinet status was achived by USDA on February 9, 1889. The Federal Farm Loan Act became law, July 1916. This Act sought to respond to the inadequacy of credit at reasonable rates for farmers, according to The Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association.  Many black farmers across the nation experienced discrimination in their dealings with U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies in their states. Across the nation, black farmers alleged, and the USDA later agreed, they were denied access to loans and subsidies provided by the government.^[6] On a national level, farm subsidies that were afforded to white farmers were not afforded to black farmers.^[7] Since they were denied government loans, emergency or disaster assistance, and other aid, many black farmers lost their farms and their homes.[8] The BFAA also say they now represent less than 3% of the population. In North Carolina there has been a 64% decline in African American farmers in the past 15 years, from 6,996 farms in 1978 to 2,498 farms in 1992.
You can draw your own conclusions.

Community Based Organizations

The Concerned Citizens of Tillery

The Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association

The Land Loss Fund

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF

Muhammad Farms

The Environmental Working Group

Let Justice Roll - Professor Waymon Hinson's Blog

Legal Assistance

The Land Loss Prevention Project 800.672.5839

Farmers Legal Action Group

Government Resources

USDA Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

Pigford Case Office of the Monitor

National Black Farmers Association

National Black Farmers Association

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate failed Thursday to approve nearly $5 billion for a settlement between the Agriculture Department and minority farmers reached more than a decade ago, prompting finger pointing by members of both parties and outrage among many black farmers.
It is one thing to win a lawsuit for damages. It is another thing to collect what you are owed. If you happen to be a black farmer who was part of a $1.25 billion settlement from lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you are still waiting after more than 10 years. This week, the U.S. Senate kicked more dirt in your face as it again stripped the lawsuit settlement funding from legislation. It is time for the White House to intervene in this travesty of justice. http://www.blackfarmers.org/html/080610.html

Read each class carefully:
http://www.blackfarmers.org/html/litigation.html
1. Class for Pigford Claims Remedy Act of 2006, H.R. 5575

An African American person who farmed or attempted to farm between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 1996, applied to USDA during that period for participation in a federal farm credit or farm program and who believed that they were discriminated against on the basis of race in USDA's response to that application; and filed a discrimination complaint on or before July 1, 1997, regarding USDA's treatment of such farm credit or benefit application and who previously filed a discrimination complaint that was determined to be late in Pigford v. Glickman.

2. Farm Subsidy Class
An African American person who farmed or attempted to farm between 1994 and present who applied to participate in a federal farm subsidy program and who believed that they were discriminated against based on race by being denied participation or equal benefits of that farm program.

3. New Class
An African American person who farmed or attempted to farm after December 31, 1996 and was discriminated against on the basis of race by USDA when USDA denied the African American farmer participation in a federal farm credit program or denied equal participation in a federal farm credit or farm program in retaliation based on race for participation in the Pigford v. Johannes class action or filed a complaint of discrimination since 1999 and USDA dismissed the accepted complaint without investigation or failed to process the case.

Senate Fails To OK Funds For Years-Old Settlement With Black Farmers | Roland S. Martin Blog

Senate Fails To OK Funds For Years-Old Settlement With Black Farmers | Roland S. Martin Blog

Can someone explain to me why this type of thing happens? All kinds of attention was drawn to it. Maybe the affected parties should have organized a letter writing campaign to contact their US Senators to voice their opinion instead of letting this crucial issue fall by the wayside. Is this too late to fix?

FBI issues warning of Terrorist Activities Related to Hobby Shops

The FBI Campaign Communities Against Terrorism is aimed at educating hobby shop owners and the industry on the Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities Related to Hobby Shops.

What Should I Consider Suspicious?


Potential Indicators of Terrorist Activities Related to Hobby Shops

Be part of the solution.

Require valid ID from all new

customers.

Keep records of purchases.

Talk to customers, ask questions, and

listen to and observe their responses.

Watch for people and actions that are out

of place.

Make note of suspicious statements,

people, and/or vehicles.

If something seems wrong, notify law

enforcement authorities.

Do not jeopardize your safety or the safety

of others.

Preventing terrorism is a community effort.

By learning what to look for, you can make a

positive contribution in the fight against

terrorism. The partnership between the

community and law enforcement is

essential to the success of anti-terrorism

efforts.

Some of the activities, taken individually,

could be innocent and must be examined by

law enforcement professionals in a larger

context to determine whether there is a basis

to investigate. The activities outlined on this

handout are by no means all-inclusive but

have been compiled from a review of terrorist

events over several years.

• Demonstrating unusual interest in remote-controlled aircraft.

• Demonstrating interest that does not seem genuine.

• Inquiring about remote controls and model aircraft payload

capacity and maximum range.

• Inquiring about learning to fly expensive giant-scale aircraft

without first learning to fly small-scale aircraft.

• Possessing little knowledge of activity for which the purchase

is intended.

• Exhibiting unusual interest or specific interest in rocket motors

or igniters.

• Demonstrating no interest or enthusiasm for the hobby or

sport.

• Shoplifting or purchasing

Large quantity of model aircraft fuel.

Several large aircraft, engines, or transmitters.

Model rocket motor igniters without adequate knowledge.

Large quantity of paintball equipment and supplies with

very little information about local paintball activities.

• Using cash for large transactions or a credit card in someone

else’s name.

It is important to remember that just because someone’s speech,

actions, beliefs, appearance, or way of life is different, it does not

mean that he or she is suspicious.

Communiittiies Agaiinstt Terroriism

What Should I Do?

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FEDERAL BUREAU

OF INVESTIGATION OFFICE

This project was supported by Grant Number 2007-MU-BX-K002, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Each indictor listed above, is by

itself, lawful conduct or behavior and may also constitute the exercise of rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. In addition, there may be a wholly innocent explanation for conduct or behavior that

appears suspicious in nature. For this reason, no single indicator should be the sole basis for law enforcement action. The totality of behavioral indicators and other relevant circumstances should be

evaluated when considering any law enforcement response or action.

 

Wyclef Jean steps toward Haitian presidential race

Wyclef Jean may run for president of Hati, Reuters reports. I hope he does. I believe it would be good for Haiti.

Eric Deggans: What I learned from meeting Shirley Sherrod: It's time for media to help us find a new way to talk about race

Found on the Feed:

What I learned from meeting Shirley Sherrod: It's time for media to help us find a new way to talk about race

Maybe we can use our existing communication vehicles to begin a conversation about race. We can use Facebook and Twitter and blog post distribution to have a conversation that spans the nation and the globe.
We can use the editorial pages of African-American newspapers–as we have always done–but we have to pay attention and participate. We have to do it when we do not feel like it. We have to do it when we get laughed at, mocked and talked about.

We have to conduct a little independent research and read existing research about us and our community. We have to be interested in ourselves. We are a wealth of knowledge, however it does little good when we do not have the infrastructure to carry out our continuous discussion on race. The ingredients are there, we only have to put it together and use it.

We have to encourage those who can, to do. We should create a black news wire service just for the chronicling of news that affects us in the black community. We have to encourage students to major in print Journalism (some of you get what I mean). Then, have those newspapers up and running and available to hire new grads to report on and in their community.

How do we do that? We create business infrastructure in our communities like in the olden days when we had to shop black and we cared about quality and good customer service because we loved ourselves. We knew the list of lovers of blacks was short but if we were on it, it would be alright.

With business infrastructure in place, advertising dollars should flow to those newspapers and back into the community. Those dollars pay salaries of news personnel. We will live with ourselves. Our community would become the community. We will witness a return to a more moral black, a discreet black and an educated black as the standard. Our families would heal and increase in size, thus increasing the economy.
Even though this is an oversimplified idea, many of you get the picture. I wish I knew how to make it a reality.


Editor's Note: Quite frankly, I am tired of begging a group of people, who obviously do not care for me or my type, to accept me. Anyone can tell when they are being excluded on purpose or when they are outright hated. I'm tired of it but I don't say anything about it. I go where I am accepted. This attitude crosses race for me. I don't fit in everywhere I go with blacks either and I conduct myself accordingly.  What is the problem with this attitude? It's restrictive and I will not learn anything about anyone any different than I am. I'll be come stupid. I'll be no better than those dumb ass racists.

Making Home Affordable Program Ramps Up Efforts

Volunteer Agency: Kaplan Thaler Group
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the Making Home Affordable Program in February 2009 as part of the plan to stabilize the housing market and help struggling homeowners get relief and avoid foreclosure.

Making Home Affordable is an initiative that includes a mortgage modification program to provide eligible homeowners with more affordable monthly mortgage payments. The Federal Government provides free resources to struggling homeowners to help them learn about options under the program, and to work with a HUD-approved housing counselor. Since the program launch, over one million homeowners have received help.

The PSAs feature real homeowners who have benefitted from the program.

Created pro bono by The Kaplan Thaler Group, a New York-based advertising agency, the new campaign is available in English and Spanish and features real homeowners from across the country who have benefited from the program.

“Even though the economy is getting stronger, many Americans are still facing the fear and uncertainty of losing their home to foreclosure,” Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, said.

“The Administration’s loan modification programs have given more than a million responsible homeowners a chance to stay in their homes, and we want to do all we can to help make sure that struggling homeowners know about these free resources for help,” he said.

“Many responsible borrowers continue to face challenges due to unemployment, negative equity or because of soaring utility payments,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, said.

"These public service announcements will help us to reach at-risk borrowers now, while they are still current on their payments and eligible to receive help through the Making Home Affordable Program or our expanded options for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refinancing.”

“We are proud to partner with the Treasury and HUD on this critical campaign to educate Americans about free resources available to help them prevent foreclosures,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO, the Ad Council. “We hope Americans who are struggling will be empowered by these compelling PSAs and take simple actions to help them stay in their homes.”

The Ad Council will distribute the new PSAs to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide. The campaign includes television, radio, print, out of home and web advertising. The PSAs will air in advertising space donated by the media.

The Making Home Affordable Program was launched in February 2009 to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure through no fault of their own make their monthly mortgage payments more affordable. Since then, more than 1.5 million homeowners have been offered help under the program, and almost 1.3 million homeowners have started a trial plan. Homeowners in permanent modifications under the program have a median monthly savings of over $500 each month or about one-third of their previous payment.

Homeowners that are struggling with their mortgage payments to visit www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov or call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) to learn about their options.

Sponsor Organization: The U.S. Department of the Treasury, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Campaign Website: www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov

Census 2010 News | Just 3 Days Left to Ensure You Are Included in 2010 Census

Census 2010 News | Just 3 Days Left to Ensure You Are Included in 2010 Census


Telephone Assistance Line Closes July 30

The U.S. Census Bureau reminded the nation today that on Friday, July 30, it will shut down its toll-free telephone assistance line. More than 130,000 interviews have been completed via the toll free line. Friday is the last day for callers who feel they may have been overlooked in the census to complete their 2010 questionnaire quickly over the phone.

“I urge residents that believe they did not receive a form, who did not mail it back or have not been contacted by a census enumerator to call 1-866-872-6868 to ensure they are included in the 2010 Census, making this the best count of the American population to date,” said U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves.

For more than three months, individuals who believed they weren't included in the census were invited to call the toll-free assistance lines (open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Russian) to provide their information.

July 30 is the last day to take an interview over the toll free line to leave enough time for Census Bureau professionals to process the data and ensure that residents are counted in the right place and prepare the state population counts by the statutory deadline of Dec. 31, 2010.
ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide.

NAACP SUPPORTED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS EXTENSION LEGISLATION IS SIGNED INTO LAW BILL PROVIDES JOBLESS BENEFITS FOR OVER 2.5 MILLION AMERICAN FAMILIES

THE ISSUE:

On Thursday, July 22, 2010, President Obama signed into law a bill, which was strongly supported by the NAACP, which extends federal jobless benefits through the end of November, 2010 to those who had exhausted their normal six months of benefits. The legislation also makes the extension retroactive to June 2, 2010, when the benefits last expired.

This legislation had originally been passed by the House of Representatives in May, but had been stalled in the Senate by members who were concerned that the cost was too high. While the NAACP appreciates concerns about the current size of the national deficit, blocking unemployment insurance is not the proper place to make a stand. It is unfair, indecent and inhumane for the government not to assist those whose very lives may be at stake. With unemployment rates still too high - the national unemployment rate in June 2010 was 9.5%, and among African Americans the rate was 15.4% -- extending unemployment benefits is not only logical, it is the morally right thing to do. It is estimated that more than 2.5 million Americans had seen their benefits expire since June 2. On the third try, the legislation passed the Senate on July 21, 2010.

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed a resolution honoring and celebrating the NAACP on the occasion of our 101st Anniversary. The legislation, H. Con. Res. 242, was introduced by Congressman Al Green (TX), who has introduced similar resolutions every year on our anniversary and who is a champion of several NAACP legislative efforts. The resolution was championed in the Senate by Senator Christopher Dodd (CT), who has also consistently supported the NAACP and many of our legislative efforts during his tenure in office.

Specifically, the resolution recognizes the 101st anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and honors and praises the NAACP on the occasion of its anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons. This resolution passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 421 yeas to 0 nays on June 16, 2010 and then passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on June 18, 2010.

Yeah and So What! Mail - Issue Update - Unemployment benefits extended through the end of November! - leslie@imadeamesss.com

NAACP SUPPORTED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS EXTENSION LEGISLATION IS SIGNED INTO LAW BILL PROVIDES JOBLESS BENEFITS FOR OVER 2.5 MILLION AMERICAN FAMILIES

THE ISSUE:

On Thursday, July 22, 2010, President Obama signed into law a bill, which was strongly supported by the NAACP, which extends federal jobless benefits through the end of November, 2010 to those who had exhausted their normal six months of benefits. The legislation also makes the extension retroactive to June 2, 2010, when the benefits last expired.

This legislation had originally been passed by the House of Representatives in May, but had been stalled in the Senate by members who were concerned that the cost was too high. While the NAACP appreciates concerns about the current size of the national deficit, blocking unemployment insurance is not the proper place to make a stand. It is unfair, indecent and inhumane for the government not to assist those whose very lives may be at stake. With unemployment rates still too high - the national unemployment rate in June 2010 was 9.5%, and among African Americans the rate was 15.4% -- extending unemployment benefits is not only logical, it is the morally right thing to do. It is estimated that more than 2.5 million Americans had seen their benefits expire since June 2. On the third try, the legislation passed the Senate on July 21, 2010.

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed a resolution honoring and celebrating the NAACP on the occasion of our 101st Anniversary. The legislation, H. Con. Res. 242, was introduced by Congressman Al Green (TX), who has introduced similar resolutions every year on our anniversary and who is a champion of several NAACP legislative efforts. The resolution was championed in the Senate by Senator Christopher Dodd (CT), who has also consistently supported the NAACP and many of our legislative efforts during his tenure in office.

Specifically, the resolution recognizes the 101st anniversary of the historic founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and honors and praises the NAACP on the occasion of its anniversary for its work to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all persons. This resolution passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 421 yeas to 0 nays on June 16, 2010 and then passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on June 18, 2010.

Buy the book! Buy the book Eighteen Months and Short Stories, Real Life today!

Amazon Mechanical Turk

How to Maximize Your Working Time on Amazon Mechanical Turk | eHow.com
I'm posting this because I signed up for the Amazon Mechanical Turk and have made .21 cent so far. Really. I guess I'll make it to the $10 you need to earn in able to transfer it to your bank account. Some of the Human Intelligence Tasks won't pay. I got cheated four times in a row. One was to put an ad on Craigslist--never saw that money and the dashboard said that I abandoned it. All I could do was to contact the person who posted the job. I'll keep you informed of my efforts.
In the meanwhile, please enjoy the eHow article on the Amazon Mechanical Turk.
By the way the Turk comes from a mechanical doll from the 1800s dressed in traditional Turkish clothing, who challenged folks in chess as a parlor game. Go figure. I'm uncomfortable saying the name now that I know about its origins. I mean, should we be saying "Turk"? Arrrgggg.

National Urban League chief says America needs more civil rights warriors | Black Politics on the Web

National Urban League chief says America needs more civil rights warriors | Black Politics on the Web: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Jamie Foxx Talks Real: NewShid video

Jamie Talks Real about Plies (40 Glocc) | NewShid

Background on the President's Export Council Announcement Event Today | The White House

Background on the President's Export Council Announcement Event Today | The White House
The President will announce the members of the President’s Export Council and deliver remarks in the East Room on the administration’s commitment to export promotion to grow the economy and support new American jobs. Secretary Gary Locke and Jim McNerney – Chairman, President & CEO of The Boeing Company and Chair of the President’s Export Council – will join the President on-stage. Secretary Gary Locke will introduce the President. The audience will be comprised of members of the President’s Export Council (PEC) as well as business, labor and community leaders.

Prior to the event in the East Room the President will conduct a closed press meeting in the Roosevelt Room with the following PEC members:

*At the conclusion of the meeting, the below participants will proceed to the East Room.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke
Stephanie A. Burns, Chairman, President & CEO, Dow Corning Corporation
Scott Davis, Chairman & CEO, UPS
Richard Friedman, President & CEO, Carpenter & Company, Inc.
Gene Hale, President & Founder, G&C Equipment Corporation
C. Robert Henrikson, Chairman, President & CEO, MetLife, Inc.
William Hite, General President, United Association
Robert A. Mandell, Chairman & CEO, Greater Properties
Jim McNerney, Chairman, President & CEO, The Boeing Company
Raul Pedraza, Founder & President, Magno International, L.P.
Ivan Seidenberg, Chairman & CEO, Verizon
Glenn Tilton, Chairman, President and CEO, UAL Corporation and Chairman & CEO, United Air Lines
James S. Turley, Chairman & CEO, Ernst & Young
Patricia Woertz, Chairman of the Board, CEO & President, Archer Daniels Midland Company

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS EXPECTED TO ATTEND

Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew
Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
Director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orszag
United States Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina Romer
Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Larry Summers
President of the Export-Import Bank Fred Hochberg
Director of the US Trade and Development Agency Leocadia Zak

How to Negotiate Your Salary

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FTC STAFF DISCUSSION DRAFT FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION STAFF DISCUSSION DRAFT:1 POTENTIAL POLICY RECOMMENDATION

FTC STAFF DISCUSSION DRAFT FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION STAFF DISCUSSION DRAFT: POTENTIAL POLICY RECOMMENDATION

I like most of these recommendations. Let us go back to the development of the community newspaper. Not only will it promote literacy but the discrepancy between who gets vital information and who does not will narrow.

I caution the FTC to not be anxious to throw money at the problem. New publications should have help becoming established in the community. There are many people who think being a reporter is glamorous and easy and it is not. It can be dangerous, tedious and no fun at all. I would hate to see people who want to be committed to journalistic integrity take precious funding and squander it when the going gets tough or to use a newspaper as their personal platform.

I have felt for years that there should be some non-profit newspapers available to the community so that they can get vital information offered by government agencies. As long as the reader understands the source of the information, it will read about the same as a newspaper in mainstream. They get funding from businesses-national, regional and local.
They bend and sway under the weight of editorial sacrifices as well.
However, public affairs reporting could make a comeback. It is why I wanted to become a reporter in the first place but by the time I graduated with a degree in Journalism, those positions had been eliminated.

There seems to be some opposition to these suggestions by the FTC. I wonder if it is due to not wanting to compete for readership? Once fiduciary concerns are satisfied--news is news. Either the reader is being served news that is vital or they are being fed a diet of fluff.

I hope the FTC moves forward with these recommendations. The Gulf Oil Spill would not have happened. Enron would not have happened. You get the picture.

Out-of-work job applicants told unemployed need not apply - Yahoo! Finance

Out-of-work job applicants told unemployed need not apply - Yahoo! Finance

Buy the book! Buy the book Eighteen Months and Short Stories, Real Life today!

The Presidential "Emote" is Classified!

The American People focus on so many silly things. Fareed Zakaria GPS posed the question Sunday morning, something having to do with the President's "emotional response" to the BP Gulf Oil Spill.
"Emote?!"
A. He is a dude, not a girl
B. He is not a phony
C. Grow Up!
America has many, many serious problems that have yet to be solved (by the president) and the BP Gulf Oil Spill is only one of them.
We all care about it but I am upset in a selfish way because I love the beaches in Florida and hate the thought of the healing powers of the Atlantic Ocean being destroyed by an oil spill.
Seriously, the minerals contained within our salty and taken-for-granted ocean have the power to alleviate depression, minor aches and pains
(because of the buoyancy) and heal minor skin irritations. My eczema healed up within weeks of a daily dip in the ocean.
But I digress.
People act as if Barack Obama does not have the same natural rights to be president like any other U.S. born citizen. As if his first term is an experiment or test of our Constitution. As if to say, "if you do well on all points this time Black Man, we might let more of you help run the country." As if his presidency is contingent solely on the public whim as filtered through the news.
However, this particular president is transparent and the People cannot handle the truth. Not at all.
Most people don't pay close attention to the news if it does not affect them personally. People and their kitchen table issues like crime, local municipal gossip and how to make/spend more money are at the top of their agenda, not solving problems. We are a hedonistic group. Pleasure, entertainment and comfort are what we seek, not issues and problems--even if those issues and problems will come right around and bite us in the butt down the road.
Oil wells have been leaking into the ocean for years. If the American People could be a fly on the wall of the White House, I'm not sure they would view the president as unemotional. They would hear the voice of their father, brother, husband upset but asking the relevant, tough questions and participating in the back and forth it takes to solve a problem like educated adults.
Although, that's boring, isn't it? People want an episode of Jerry Springer or a moving speech.
What we want to hear and watch, is the president whoop and holler, threaten folks, stomp around in the sand and sling the oil around and yell and blame people and in general, act a complete uneducated, unsophisticated ass. If the president did break a bottle on the corner of the
boardwalk or pull a 9mm out and wave it around, guess what would happen?
Some of you already know.
The same damn thing. People would complain about how uncouth the president is behaving and that he isn't acting like the man who they voted for and how he should calm down because he is the leader...etc.
Geez. When will we ever be satisfied?
Instead of demanding an emotional speech that will take away from his valuable problem solving time or theatrics, why not let him quietly do his job with out the second guessing?

Literacy Levels in the Gulf Coast

Yesterday I received in my e-mail, a message from the President of the United States offering his ideas about the Gulf Coast. President Obama basically reported what he saw there.
I am beginning to think literacy may be an issue among the Gulf Coast fishers, based on what I read in the President's letter.
They work intergenerationally, what they learn is handed down through families, so formal education may not be stressed. I hope someone in charge is addressing this issue with them. It is the least one can do while disrupting their livelihood. Literacy classes should be offered
because many people won't ask. Any training BP offers probably requires a
particular reading level.
Partner with local literacy groups and get them to help with the training so that the people affected by illiteracy won't have to ask.
This what I read which led me to my ideas about literacy in the Gulf Coast region and training.
President Obama said:
Yesterday, I visited Caminada Bay in Grand Isle, Louisiana -- one of the first places to feel the devastation wrought by the oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico. While I was here, at Camerdelle's Live Bait shop, I met with a group of local residents and small business owners.
Folks like Floyd Lasseigne, a fourth-generation oyster fisherman. This is the time of year when he ordinarily earns a lot of his income. But his
oyster bed has likely been destroyed by the spill. Terry Vegas had a similar story. He quit the 8th grade to become a shrimper with his grandfather. Ever since, he's earned his living during shrimping season -- working long, grueling days so that he could earn enough money to support himself year-round. But today, the waters where he
has worked are closed. And every day, as the spill worsens, he loses hope
that he will be able to return to the life he built.
Here, this spill has not just damaged livelihoods. It has upended whole
communities. And the fury people feel is not just about the money they
have lost. It is about the wrenching recognition that this time their lives may never be the same.
These people work hard. They meet their responsibilities. But now because
of a man made catastrophe -- one that is not their fault and beyond their control -- their lives have been thrown into turmoil. It is brutally
unfair. And what I told these men and women is that I will stand with the people of the Gulf Coast until they are again made whole.
That is why, from the beginning, we have worked to deploy every tool at
our disposal to respond to this crisis. Today, there are more than 20,000
people working around the clock to contain and clean up this spill. I have
authorized 17,500 National Guard troops to participate in the response.
More than 1,900 vessels are aiding in the containment and cleanup effort.
We have convened hundreds of top scientists and engineers from around the
world. This is the largest response to an environmental disaster of this
kind in the history of our country.
We have also ordered BP to pay economic injury claims, and this week, the
federal government sent BP a preliminary bill for $69 million to pay back
American taxpayers for some of the costs of the response so far. In
addition, after an emergency safety review, we are putting in place
aggressive new operating standards for offshore drilling. And I have appointed a bipartisan commission to look into the causes of this spill.
If laws are inadequate, they will be changed. If oversight was lacking, it will be strengthened. And if laws were broken, those responsible will be
brought to justice.
These are hard times in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast, an area that
has already seen more than its fair share of troubles. The people of this region have met this terrible catastrophe with seemingly boundless
strength and character in defense of their way of life. What we owe them is a commitment by our nation to match the resilience they have shown.
That is our mission. And it is one we will fulfill.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

4-day school weeks gain popularity across US - Yahoo! News

4-day school weeks gain popularity across US - Yahoo! News: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

How do you feel about a shorter school week? Should there be longer days and shorter weeks? Should the current school schedule remain the same? What do you think? Will school scheduling changes affect your life at all?

Mummies of the World Exhibition at California Science Center

Mummies Arrive in Los Angeles 
Under Heavy Security; Motorcade 
Accompanies Rare Collection
to California Science Center 
for World Premiere of Mummies 
of the World Exhibition

American Exhibitions, Inc. Brings the Largest-Ever Exhibition of Mummies To the California Science Center July 1, 2010 for a Limited Engagement


LOS ANGELES, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The largest collection of mummies ever assembled will travel nearly 6,000 miles to make its highly anticipated arrival in Los Angeles on Friday, May 28. The mummies are traveling to the United States for the first time as part of the Mummies of the World exhibition, set to make its world debut at the California Science Center on July 1.
American Exhibitions, Inc. (AEI), will bring the priceless,
 carefully guarded mummies and related artifacts on an 11-hour journey from Germany and land at Los Angeles International Airport, where a security-detailed motorcade will escort the treasured mummies along a 13.5-mile route to the California Science Center.
There, security will unload its precious cargo, and experts will spend the month of June unpacking and preparing Mummies of the World for its opening. This must-see exhibition premieres on July 1, launching a limited engagement at the California Science Center and a three-year, seven-city tour around the country.

"Inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told," says James Delay, vice president of American Exhibitions, Inc., who is traveling with the mummies as they make their journey to the U.S. "Using state-of-the-art scientific research, the secrets of the mummies are now revealed."

Mummies of the World is a highly distinguished project that has been years in the making for AEI, working with 15 world-renowned museums in seven countries to bring to the U.S. a never-before-seen collection of mummies and related artifacts from South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Egypt. Its treasures include one of the oldest mummy infants ever discovered; a mummified family; a German nobleman discovered by his own descendants; and intentionally preserved Egyptian animal mummies.

-- The Detmold Child is a remarkably preserved Peruvian child mummy,
radiocarbon dated to 4504-4457 B.C. - more than 3,000 years before the
birth of King Tut.
-- The Orlovits family - Michael, Veronica and their son Johannes - was
part of a group of 18th-century mummies found in a long-forgotten
church crypt in Vac, Hungary in 1994.
-- Baron von Holz is a 17th-century nobleman believed to have died in
Sommersdorf, Germany during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), who was
discovered in the crypt of his family's 14th-century castle still
wearing his boots.
-- Egyptian cat mummies, elaborately wrapped in painted linen bandaging,
date to the Ptolemaic period, and show how Egyptian cats were
intentionally preserved to accompany their royals into the afterlife.

This important exhibition dispels the notions and misconceptions about mummies and uses science tools to reach across time, demonstrating how scientific methods can illuminate the history of people and enhance our knowledge about cultures around the world. It also shows that mummification - both through natural processes and intentional practices - has taken place all over the globe, from the hot desert sands of South America to remote European moors and bogs.

Mummies of the World is a ticketed event and requires a timed-entry. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Tickets can be purchased online beginning June 6 at www.californiasciencecenter.org or by calling 323-SCIENCE (323-724-3623). Group reservations are available at 888-MUMMY TIX (888-686-6984)

More information about the exhibition is online: www.mummiesoftheworld.com.

American Exhibitions, Inc. is one of the leading exhibition producers in the United States, specializing in world-class touring exhibitions for science centers and museums. please visit our website at www.californiasciencecenter.org.



http://www.americanexhibitions.com/

Free Local Mini Parent Conference in Gary, Indiana

The Gary Community School Corporation District Parent Advisory Council will present a free Mini Parent Conference Wednesday May 26, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Pulaski School, 920 E. 19th Ave. Gary, Indiana.
The theme of the mini-conference is, "There's MORE to Parenting Than Meets the Eye."
A Continental Breakfast will begin a 7:30 a.m. for participants.
For more information, please reach Program Associate Dwight E. Pointer at 219-881-4075 or Director, Dr. Cordia P. Moore at 219-881-4064.

Texas Textbook Scandal and the Black Community

Considering the Texas Textbook Scandal, is there a national Pan African American history curriculum for K-12 and college level? There should be.

Contained within the organizations of the National Urban League and the NAACP are many, many educated professionals who know how and what
components comprise a proper school curriculum for all levels. Why not create a joint task force/partnership between the two organizations and create a national Pan African American history curriculum?

When we take leadership seriously and control our own history and information as a group, no one will change it, no one will challenge it.

No one changes Jewish and Hebrew history. They send their children to school to learn it. They are in control of keeping their cultural identity alive.

They take responsibility for it. African Americans should mimic that and control our historical identity so that no one does it for us.

On the TJ Holmes CNN blog website, a woman who said she writes textbooks

for a living pointed out that textbooks can be made to order as to highlight each state's contribution to American history or whatever.
On May 22nd, "maryann warren" said, "I write textbooks . . . and the major
publishers make an edition ONLY FOR TEXAS! Everything in that edition is NOT put into the National Edition. Other states also have their own
editions to meet their specific standards and "play up" their state history. So please don't panic people nationwide about good old Texas and
their unique material in social studies. science, and even health..."Additionally, any information disseminated within a textbook
should be made as accurate as possible by passing through a system of checks and balances. That history, in turn, can be taught in our churches
and community groups; made available to parents to read and teach to our children; placed into books at every reading level so that whosoever is
willing, can learn about our African American history, with African Americans serving as gatekeepers.
Those outside the race will continue to use us and any other group to their advantage and our disadvantage--that is just the way it is. What are
we doing that we cannot properly monitor our own history and information pertaining to it? Managing African American history alone is capable of creating a new commerce in which to employ people full-time to manage it.

Is the management of our historical information worth it? Are we worth it to ourselves?
I guess the first hurdle will be making the agreement or commitment to
work with ourselves, amongst ourselves.

CNN Special Black and White: Kids on Color

Please don't show it. Please don't tell!
Sitting and watching TJ Holmes present CNN's Black & White: Kids on Color, Tuesday morning,
I hoped that after the commercial break, I would not hear a discussion on blacks still being color struck.
But it happened anyway.
I guess it doesn't matter how wide a range of skin colors exist in American families.
The tester in the segment asked again and again: Which child is the pretty one, smart one, bad one, etc.
Most of the children chose darker skinned pictures as bad or ugly children and the lighter one as good or pretty. Only a few opted out of complexion stereotyping or as old folks say, being color struck.
The CNN series examines complexion-based internalized racism in school aged children from white and black races. The study mimics the 1939-1940 doll studies conducted
by two black psychologists.
First, the white children were asked questions about the cartoon pictures of asexual dolls, nearly hairless, arranged in a range of complexions from light to dark.
Most chose the lightest ones as a representation of good and the darkest ones of bad.
Then comes the African American children's responses. I held my breath. I tried not to watch. I didn't want to hear the truth.
"Why is this one pretty?" a tester asked after a child pointed to the lightest example as pretty.
"...because she is light-skinned," a pretty dark-skinned girl said.
"Bias towards white is still a part of our culture." A voice over said.
Don't fret Blacks because Whites have the same color struck conversations in their households. A
pinkish hue is still favored over ruddy or olive complexion--as long as there is still an ability to tan reasonably well.
But one needs only to look throughout their own friends and family to see these hurtful stereotypes repeated and reinforced.
It is a good thing that stunning beauty is held in the facial bone structure of an individual and not the skin color.
I wish someone would tell the kids the truth about beauty because skin color stereotypes are perpetuated through the generations, maintained in the home and reinforced in society. (Oh, good hair counts too.)
Read more: http://ping.fm/g7yZ4

Commentary on Roland Martin's blog

I have a lot to say today.

Who Defines Leadership in the Black Community?

There are not many who do what Roland does in Our Community.
Usually, the only thing I hear about The Black Community is how we quiet often end up in jail or arrested or beat up by cops or have some other type of issue

interfering with quality of life. Maybe it's because I live in a black

city with an African-American based infrastructure, that I don't

understand much of what I see in the main news stream on the issue of the

Black Community. Then again, it is not necessarily their responsibility to

report to me through their eyesight on My Community. However, I heard what

Roland was saying.

Many people feel that way. Working people.

Even white people expect a bone or two to be thrown towards the Black Community from the current administration. They do it in Their Community. If anyone else

should somehow benefit from it, fine because they don't care. It's cool

because the bulk goes to them.
Example: If you have graduated from college, think of the number of offers

from African American companies compared to non-African American

companies. Can we not find work in our own community? Do we always have to

leave our community and beg another community for work? All the time? It

is an anomaly when non-African Americans can graduate from college and

find work in an African American company. It happens but they are not

dependent on Our Community for work as we are to them. If it were the

other way around, I would probably get irritated after a while--especially

if jobs were scarce.
Further evidence is a report by Wilhelmina Leigh, Ph.D Senior Research

Associate for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies--a think

tank.

Ms. Leigh testified before the Congressional Black Caucus on March 17,

2010 about reasons why certain people are chronically unemployed. She said

a part of the reason was that there is an education gap between the races,

persistent discrimination and a lack of access to "job acquisition

networks." Can the NAACP or the Urban League help with these issues? How

about some of the Black Leaders? I don't know if any of these quality-of-

life issues require presidential intervention. However, a grassroots approach to the problem might help.

People who don't have jobs usually don't date, marry or start families. If

45 percent of Black men who ARE NOT IN PRISON, are considered chronically

unemployed, how does one thinks this impacts the Black Community as a

whole? It degrades the community so that it is not so much a community

rather than a group of similar people with no cohesiveness whatsoever.
People are going half on a baby these days. Why? What if Black women who

are unmarried just stopped having babies all together? It too would have a

negative impact on the community.

But I digress.

People judge others through how they understand themselves to be, so when there is no visible authoritative connection between the President and Black Leaders it seems strange because other racial groups seem more cohesive.
However, there has never been a president of color in office in anyone's

lifetime. It is as if the rope on the other end of the tug-of-war was

suddenly released and there is a big "Now What" in the middle of things. (wink)

President Obama is a prototype of sorts. He is a lot of things and a

good representation of an American. Our cultures rub off on the other and

we are all a little blended. However, the Office of the President is a

part of a system. It is not a stand alone office. Black Leaders and the

President should be working together in that system, since the Civil

Rights Movement has placed a lot of Black Leaders in office and in many

instances, long term. But things unseen are things unknown.

Should we all be on one page as far as the state of the Black Community?

Do we listen when the President of the Urban League or National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People, speak? Do we read the

Black Press and what they have to say? Are members of the Black Press remembering their audience and saying relevant things? I distinctly

remember one of the President's campaign mantras of, "change comes from the bottom

up." That means me and others standing next to me should be taking this

time to affect change when and where we can.
Finally, can the President count on The Black Community to pitch in on his

re-election efforts? It's a lot of hard work everyday but it pays off.

Average People

Times have changed and so have Black people. The President only appears to

have lost connection with black leaders but he has not lost touch with the black community. Coming up, he got in where he fit in, just like all the

other Black People I know. He said so in his books. Did anyone read them?

I make this assessment based on actions and inactions of the President. (what he does and does not do)

Note: I live in a 85 percent Black city,
with a black mayor and where the Black Power Movement found it's footing and it's strength, so when I say, "Any Other Black Person I Know"--I know black generalizations. (in my peer group)
The President lived in Hyde Park, on the South Side of Chicago. He is familiar with Average People in the Black Community.
I am not from the suburbs nor the modern ghetto but from Average Avenue. I

attended Average Public School and Average State College. There is a big group of us Average Folks.

We are not ballers or wear grills or any other shiny jewelry in our faces

but we listen to the songs of those who do such things. Those who do

participate in the Glamorous Life, are not Average and are not in the

group. We have children and are for the most part, Average Parents. We are

Thirty and FortySomethings. And anyone who remembers that show is either

in The Group or actively avoiding the Group!
We are never found too far outside of Normal. We are not unlike conformists.

This blog post is a really an exciting and daring thing for me to be doing. Really.

However, when was the last time black leaders, whoever and wherever they may be, checked in with the black community on the same issues pressed upon the POTUS? I'm talking about kitchen table issues important to

Families and Individuals. I'm talking about Black Leaders paying attention

to their own community and all of our own business, outside of any talk show or mainstream newspaper column. There is a such thing as the Black Press. We used to get all of our news from the Black Church but I don't know too many people who have culled out the time to attend church every day. Things have changed.
Maybe the Black leaders are a little out of touch, then again who said all

Black People think the same? We all want different things out of our leaders. Until the Individual takes responsibility for his or her

community there will always be an "at issue" situation. That is a

description of change from the bottom up. No one agreement, train of thought or campaign will do for the entire black community--and

apparently, this is as close as we will get to a national conversation on

the issue--blogs and commentary.

What About the Black Agenda?

There is no Black Agenda that is promoted actively but there used to be

one. The idea is revived and batted around but no real press or marketing structure is involved. It has been rendered kitchen table discussion of

the past almost lore and in spite of conventions held in honor and

celebration of the Black Agenda, the Average Person has no idea of what

the Black Agenda is or who is involved in it and if they, are indeed

involved in it. Then, I ask, whose agenda is it?

Those who do know what the Black Agenda is, may want to avoid it and any

label of Black Nationalism. That's the thing about Average Folks. They

want to be Average and they have responsibilities and chores more so that

goals and dreams. They don't always pay attention to the news. Sometimes,

they are too tired to stay up for it or they are already at work. Maybe

they don't have cable or satellite.

Maybe they are not the voracious reader and settle for the local paper.

Sometimes, that is what Average People do: Go to work, read the paper,

listen to the radio in the car on the way to work as they sit in traffic.

After work, maybe they can snag a few minutes of their favorite show in

between household chores and children and spouse. That doesn't leave much

room for Agendas.

Average Folks have to make room for it and if no one bothers to explain

why they should sacrifice their valuable time to dedicate to moving

forward with the Agenda, then they won't do it. That is where Black

Leaders should step in. They can explain it to members of the Black Press

and they can in turn, write about it and write about it and write about

it. The Agenda does not have to be promoted in the mainstream as it is not

a message pertinent to everyone but to Blacks, thus, The Black Agenda.

If Average Folks hear or sense the attitude that no one should have to

explain the Agenda to them, then the attention of a very large and

influential group of people have been lost. What a loss.
It would be nice if interested people with MBAs and degrees in Marketing

and Advertising could help the Black Leaders advance the Agenda.

Out of Work but Not Out of Hope: Addressing the Crisis of the Chronically Unemployed

Roland Martin's Blog

What About the Kids, Arizona Legislators?

Arizona was the last state to sign the Martin Luther King Day bill into law. I took note of that then and I take note with parts of their anti-ethnic education bill.
Why is it that the people of Arizona feel the way they do about minorities? What are they going through every day that makes them not accepting of minorities and why can't they handle their frustrations any better than they have been doing?
Granted, if a politician runs for office and is elected by the people for the people he or she should serve the people completely. More qualified people should have run for office if the people wanted a smarter legislature. However, why stop the African American education curriculum in public schools? Really.
Every ethnic race, Eastern European, African, Hispanic, Dominican, Italian etc. deserves to be highlighted for their race's achievements in American history. The culmination is that we have all contributed in making this country great, so why cull those parts out? It is not a good solution to the problems in Arizona. Students in Arizona won't know or understand who they are or where they come from when they are not taught about European immigrants and what they did to establish their place in American history and culture. Damn shame. There are a lot of European immigrants in this country.
Read more: http://ping.fm/zLtKu
http://ping.fm/ouq0W

I Watched "Deliver Me" Last Night...

I watched it on Discovery Health. I love that channel. It showed high risk births and the tribulations the moms-to-be had to go through to deliver. One woman had to be on bed rest for 50 days in the hospital. She had an incompetent cervix. The doctors had to put a stitch in it to keep it shut so the baby wouldn't come out early. Gosh, those women were strong. Even one of the OBGYN's had a high-risk pregnancy and was ordered to bed rest. She cried but went home but then didn't exactly comply with the bed rest order. Her colleagues got on her about that! Good show.

Housewives of New York, New Jersey and Basketball Wives: I Am So Late to the Party!

I am so late to the party with these fabulous shows. Now I see that Bethany of HONY will have her own spin off show about her getting married. However, I watched both shows on Bravo last night and I could not stop watching! Granted, I had seen the HONY but last night was my first time watching Housewives of New Jersey and I just don't know how Danielle puts herself through all of that. It is clear that certain women cannot be involved with her but she is still open to to them, fueling the gossip about her. Danielle's daughter is gorgeous but she should listen to her about who to let into her life. Some folks are like oil and water and just don't mix–no matter what.
Now, I know all of the shows I am watching are probably last season old but like I said, I am so late to the party.
I saw Basketball Wives on BET last weekend and I didn't even know a woman can be a size negative! I am not familiar with all of the names but the tiny girl who is cute went shopping with the tall one who wants separate wings for her and her spouse(?) and the transformation was magnificent. All of the women featured on these shows offer a glimpse into their fabulous lives and how they handle adversity. I also watch Tiny & Toya on BET. I like that show because the women are doing things like opening businesses and helping their family achieve goals. Tiny & Toya also offer that glimpse behind otherwise closed doors. I really am anxious to see how the nail shop develops the story line. Really great television watching.
BlipFM Song of the Day: http://ping.fm/zYKGE

Horders: Buried Alive

Well, I watched Horders on TLC last night and again, I do not understand how the Horders also have filth involved. Some of the Horders are rather neat and orderly in their effort to collect and save items for their personal enjoyment. (yes, I have hording tendencies) And, then some have dead cats, dirty, stained carpets, spoiled food in plates everywhere. To me, that is not hording but nastiness. There is a distinct difference between throwing a half-eaten plate of food on the floor–fork and all–and saving decorative plates to display later.
Another thing I noticed is that most of the Horders have money to burn on unnecessary items.
I understand the hording mind, I do.
Granted, when I first saw the show Horders, I saw a lot of myself in the ones who like to save things thinking it will be useful later or hate to throw things away only to find its use later and not have it. However, I cleaned up my act straightaway! I didn't even know hording existed. I called it "saving things."
http://ping.fm/t08V3

Oklahoma to Become Fourth Retail Market for Honda's Natural Gas-Powered Civic GX

Dealer network expands for retail sales of nation's only natural gas-powered vehicle sold by an OEM

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., recently announced that dealers in Oklahoma will now have the option of selling the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered Honda Civic GX to customers on a retail basis. There are 13 Honda dealers in Oklahoma, three of which are already selling the Civic GX as a fleet vehicle.

"Expanding Honda's Civic GX retail program along with the continued success of fleet sales expresses our commitment to the environment and natural gas vehicle technology," said Elmer Hardy, senior manager of Alternative Fuel Vehicle Sales & Marketing. "Honda seeks market opportunities for the Civic GX where strong natural gas refueling infrastructure exists, and we continue to see its promise as a clean, sustainable, domestically-sourced alternative fuel."

Honda is the only OEM currently selling a CNG-powered vehicle on a retail basis in the United States. Additionally, the Civic GX is the only OEM-built, CNG-powered passenger car assembled in America. The Civic GX is built on the same assembly line as the gasoline-powered Civic 4-door models at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana manufacturing facility.

In 2006, the Civic GX became available for the first time to retail customers in California. Since then, retail sales have expanded to New York, Utah and now, Oklahoma. Currently, 43 dealers in California, 19 in New York and eight in Utah have added Retail Sales Addendums to their Honda Sales Agreements that enable them to sell the Civic GX on a retail basis. When including dealerships that sell fleet vehicles, there are a total of 134 Civic GX dealers in 33 states.

Oklahoma is an ideal market to expand retail sales of the Civic GX with its low refueling costs, a generous state tax incentive toward the purchase of a new Civic GX and solid fleet sales. As the second largest natural gas producing state in the U.S., Oklahoma already has a strong existing CNG station infrastructure with robust plans to expand the network over the next several years.

The 2010 Civic GX achieves an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy of 24/36** miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent and is the only vehicle certified by the EPA to meet both Federal Tier 2-Bin 2 and Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV) zero evaporative emission certification standards. Additionally, the Honda Civic GX is the cleanest internal combustion vehicle ever tested by the EPA, and for the seventh straight year, the Civic GX NGV was named "Greenest Vehicle" by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Honda recalls Odyssey and Element for "soft" brakes

Statement by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Regarding VSA Modulator Recall

TORRANCE, Calif. – March 16, 2010 – Honda will recall approximately 344,000 Odyssey and 68,000 Element vehicles from the 2007-2008 model years in the U.S. to modify the Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) modulator. Honda has received customer complaints of brake pedals that feel “soft” or that gradually exhibit a pedal height that gets lower (closer to the floor) before the vehicle stops. In affected vehicles, this condition tends to very slowly increase over time.

Some VSA modulators were assembled in a manner that could allow air intrusion, making it possible for air to enter the modulator during the VSA self-check mode. While only a miniscule amount of air can enter the system during each check, over a period of months or years, the air will accumulate and can result in the “soft brake pedal” or “low brake pedal” condition symptoms associated with this issue. Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, we are recalling all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly.

Honda is announcing this recall to encourage all owners of these vehicles to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification from Honda that their vehicle is affected. Notification to customers will start at the end of April.

Once owners of these vehicles receive written notification of this recall from Honda, they should contact their authorized Honda dealer to schedule an appointment for repair. When Honda identifies concerns of this nature, nothing is more important to the company than fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to alert our customers. To this end in addition to contacting customers by mail, after April 19, 2010, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicle requires repair by going on-line or calling. Honda owners can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009, and select option 4.

Babies Born to HIV-Positive Growing Generations Surrogacy Clients to Double in 2010

Obama Administration's Lifting of Restrictions on Visas for HIV-Positive Foreigners Opens Program to International Clients
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's largest surrogacy agency announced today that the number of babies born to HIV-positive clients is expected to more than double in 2010 as its program for HIV-positive men using their own sperm to create embryos continues to expand in the U.S. and abroad. In 2009, Growing Generations had 5 babies born to HIV-positive parents working with surrogates and in 2010 more than 10 babies are expected.
"It is so amazing for us to see these babies being born to loving, healthy parents who have dreamed of this opportunity for years," said Growing Generations CEO Stuart Miller. "As the first agency to create a program specifically for clients with HIV, our expertise and guidance of this process is unparalleled."

Participants in Growing Generations' HIV program go through the same process as other clients with the addition of an extensive health screening and preparation process for the sperm which virtually eliminates any risk of exposure to the surrogate or embryo. Many men with HIV show no material trace of the virus in their semen. The sperm preparation process has been used for more than a decade in non-surrogacy related pregnancies and, as is the case with all of Growing Generations surrogates and babies, no one has become infected with HIV.
The program is now available not only to citizens of the U.S. but to international clients as well due to the Obama administration's lifting of the restriction on visas for HIV-positive foreigners. In January of this year, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed HIV infection from the list of diseases that prevent non-U.S. citizens from entering the country.
"We are extremely pleased that the Obama administration has removed a restriction that should have been removed a long time ago," added Miller. "Our company has always been at the forefront of fighting against discrimination and our ability to now serve clients with HIV from around the world is something we are very proud of. We anticipate that as people with HIV learn of this opportunity, we will continue to see more of them choose surrogacy as their family building option."

To learn more about Growing Generations, please visit http://www.growinggenerations.com/.

Since 1996, Growing Generations has been a company passionately dedicated to the vision of creating life and, in the process, changing the world. Founded by gay and lesbian parents, our mission is simple -- to build families of choice for communities around the globe through surrogacy, egg donation, and sperm donation.

Gas Station Divas-The First Part

http://www.scribd.com/ljonesmccloud

By the People: The Election of Barack Obama

I watched them write the speeches, I heard them flesh out the words. I relived every moment of that magnanimous night–that time we as Americans made our voices heard. Then they flashed a photo of the 44th President of the United States: Barack Obama.


You must see, "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama." I will remind you of why you vote. I got my copy from Netflix–no late fees involved–however, I will purchase a copy to have permanently.

I never want to forget the campaign. I cried and relived every moment. We have to remember as a nation, as a supporter, as voters, who we voted for and why. Don't believe the spin on the nightly news. It is not always true.

I entered the campaign after the Iowa win. Up until that point, I thought Barack Obama would follow in the footsteps of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and rack up some votes and yet again prove a point but not win the presidency. I didn't know Barack Obama then and was prepared to vote for Hillary Clinton. At best, I would have voted for John Edwards. I just didn't know any better and that is so sad. Then, during my nightly routine, I saw him during the Iowa Caucus victory speech and then I believed.

I saw that he thought as I thought, he believed as I believed. He had my voice and he has carried it to the highest seat in our nation. He was me and so I voted for myself. I never in my life thought I would hear someone echo my thoughts about my country and society the way our president did as he campaigned. I was astonished but I knew if I voted for Barack, then I would be voting for myself. This DVD helped me relive all of that. Don't miss it! Get it today.

Gary art lover walking to Indy to retrieve painting :: Local News :: Post-Tribune

Gary art lover walking to Indy to retrieve painting :: Local News :: Post-Tribune
A local guy has been tracking priceless artwork said to belong to the city for years. Somehow, it was sold by auction or just disappeared from walls over the years, Jim Nowacki claims. He is now walking from Gary to Indianapolis  Indiana to retrieve a found piece. If anything, Jim is dedicated.

Magnesium: Why Your Heart is Begging You for More of This Essential Nutrient

Magnesium: Why Your Heart is Begging You for More of This Essential Nutrient
I just found out that adults need more than 380 grams of Magnesium a day! Deficiencies in this mineral can lead to tingling extremities, nausea and abnormal heart rhythm.

Obama approved secret operations in Yemen: report - Yahoo! News

Obama approved secret operations in Yemen: report - Yahoo! News

President Obama and Vice President Biden Preview Initiatives for Middle Class Families

Discussion Previews a Key Theme for State of the Union Address

Washington, DC – Today, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will hold a meeting of the Middle Class Task Force, where they will lay out key investments for middle class families. Today’s discussion will preview one of the key themes of the President’s State of the Union address, which include creating good jobs, addressing the deficit, changing Washington, and fighting for middle class families.

President Obama said, “We are fighting every single day to put Americans back to work, create good jobs, and strengthen our economy for the long-term. The additional steps laid out today focus on easing the burdens on middle class families who are struggling in this economy, and providing the help they need to get ahead.”

“Every day, middle class families go to work and help make this country great. For a year, our Task Force has been hearing that they are struggling with soaring costs and squeezed family budgets. These common sense initiatives will help these families cope with these challenges,” said Vice President Biden.

After traveling across the country the past year talking with families, caregivers, educators, students, seniors, as well as policy makers and experts, Chair of the White House Task Force on Middle Class Families Vice President Joe Biden will join President Obama to announce several recommendations of the Task Force. These initiatives, borne out of the meetings, travel and work of the Task Force, are aimed at helping middle class families afford soaring child care costs; care for their aging relatives; cope with the challenge of saving for retirement; and pay for their children’s college tuition.

Since its creation one year ago this week, the Middle Class Task Force has held 11 meetings around the country and at the White House. At these meetings, Vice President Biden heard from parents who were grappling with the costs of child care; students coming out of college drowning in debt; children of elderly relatives struggling to care for them; and workers who were barely able to pay their mortgage, much less save for retirement.

As a result of these meetings, conversations and feedback from around the country, the Vice President and the Task Force will propose several policy initiatives to help middle class families:

Nearly Doubling the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle class families making under $85,000 a year. This is accomplished by increasing their tax credit rate from 20% to 35% of qualifying expenses. The value of the tax credit nearly doubles for all families making under $85,000 a year, and every family that makes under $115,000 will see their tax credit increase.
Additionally, for families struggling to join the middle class, the administration will provide a $1.6 billion increase in child care funding, the largest one-year increase in 20 years, to help an additional 235,000 children.
Limiting a student’s federal loan payments to 10 percent of his or her income above a basic living allowance. This will lower payments for hundreds of thousands of students, who are struggling to make ends meet coming out of college.
Creating a system of automatic workplace IRAs, requiring all employers to give the option for employees to enroll in a direct-deposit IRA.
Expanding tax credits to match retirement savings and enacting new safeguards to protect retirement savings, making it easier for families to plan for retirement.
Expanding support for families balancing work with caring for elderly relatives, helping them manage their multiple responsibilities and allowing seniors to live in the community for as long as possible.
The Task Force’s final report, and full recommendations, will be released in February.

About the Middle Class Task Force: The Task Force, Chaired by Vice President Joe Biden, is a group of top-level administration policy makers, charged with the mission of focusing on developing policies aimed at raising the living standards of middle-class, working families in America.

Since its creation on January 30, 2009, the Middle Class Task Force has held 11 meetings around the country and at the White House:

February 27, 2009: Green Jobs (Philadelphia, PA)
March 17, 2009: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Middle Class Families (St. Cloud, MN)
April 17, 2009: College Affordability (St. Louis, MO)
May 26, 2009: Green Jobs (Denver, CO)
June 23, 2009: Manufacturing in the 21st Century (Perrysburg, OH)
July 10, 2009: Health Reform Roundtable (The White House)
July 16, 2009: AARP/Health Care Reform Discussion (Arlington, Virginia)
September 9, 2009: Access to College (Syracuse, NY)
October 19, 2009: Middle Class Recovery Through Retrofit (The White House)
November 5, 2009: Roundtable with Policy Experts (Washington, DC)
December 16, 2009: Roundtable with Leaders in Manufacturing Sector (The White House)
Members of the Task Force include: Vice President Biden, Chair; the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Energy, Treasury, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Agriculture; the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; as well as the Directors of the National Economic Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors.

To read reports released by the Middle Class Task Force, please visit: www.WhiteHouse.Gov/AStrongMiddleClass.

Did You Know?

CANNED BEER'S 75TH
Profile America -- Sunday, January 24th. One of the more American of inventions -- and a staple of television advertising -- is having its 75th anniversary this week. The first canned beer was put on sale in 1935 as a marketing test in Richmond, Virginia, by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey. Experiments with putting beer in cans had taken place as early as 1909, but the technology of the time couldn't stop the beer from interacting with the metal of the can. Then, Prohibition delayed further development. Now, cans are the preferred container for beer in the U.S. American adults drink an average of nearly 22 gallons of beer a year, down about 2 gallons from 1980. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, now preparing for the 2010 Census on April 1st.

Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 2671
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 207



Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).

USAID Haiti Earthquake Fact Sheet #5

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
KEY DEVELOPMENTS

-- As of 1700 hours local time on January 17, U.S. Urban Search and
Rescue (USAR) teams had rescued 30 individuals from collapsed
buildings, including one individual rescued at approximately 1615
hours local time and three individuals rescued overnight from the
Caribbean Market. To date, international USAR teams have rescued a
total of 62 individuals throughout Port-au-Prince.

-- On January 17, USAID/OFDA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD), facilitated the delivery to Port-au-Prince of 9,600
10-liter water containers to serve 19,200 people, 3,840 hygiene kits
to benefit 19,200 people for two weeks, and 200 rolls of plastic
sheeting to meet the shelter needs of 10,000 people.

-- To date, USAID/OFDA has provided nearly $63.3 million in humanitarian
assistance to Haiti, including a total of $22 million committed on
January 17 to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the
U.N. World Health Organization (WHO), and the U.N. World Food Program
(WFP) to support emergency relief supply distributions, emergency
health interventions, and humanitarian air service and logistics.

-- On January 17, a ship carrying 2,100 metric tons (MT) of P.L. Title II
emergency food assistance provided by USAID's Office of Food for Peace
(USAID/FFP) arrived in Port-au-Prince. USAID coordinated closely with
the U.S. military to ensure safe passage of the vessel through the
port and to provide security for the vessel and crew.