“Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.” -Author Unknown
Book Excerpt Of The Week: “Who Moved My Cheese?” By: Spencer Johnson
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
04•13
“He knew he had learned something useful about moving on from his mice friends, Sniff and Scurry. They kept life simple. They didn’t over analyze or over complicate things. When the situation changed and the cheese had been moved, they changed and moved with the cheese.
He would remember that Haw had also used his wonderful brain to do what little people do better than mice. He envisioned himself- in realistic detail- finding something better- much better. He reflected on the mistakes he had made in the past and used then to plan for his future.
He knew that you could learn to deal with change: You could be more aware of the need to keep things simple, be flexible, and move quickly. You did not need to over complicate matters or confuse yourself with fearful beliefs. You could notice when the little changes began so that you would be better prepared for the big change that night be coming.
He knew he needed to adapt faster, for if you do not adapt in time, you might as well not adapt at all.
He had to admit that the biggest inhibitor to change lies within yourself, and that nothing gets better until you change.
Perhaps most importantly, he realized that there is always new cheese out there whether you recognize it at the time, or not. And that you are rewarded with it when you go past your fear and enjoy the adventure.
He knew some fear should be respected, as it can keep you out of real danger. But he realized most of his fears were irrational and had kept him from changing when he needed to.
He didn’t like it at the time, but he knew that the change had turned our to be a blessing in disguise as it led him to find better cheese.” -From, “Who Moved My Cheese?” By: Spencer Johnson
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
04•13
In 1892, George T. Sampson invented a clothes dryer that used heat from a stove.
TODAY IS BUY BLACK FRIDAY
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
04•13
PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:
The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.
The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.
As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.
The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.
The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”
BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:
Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].
To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.
ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.
I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.
-Elsie Law AKA Starface
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
04•13
“People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.” -James Baldwin
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
02•13
John Lee Love invented the portable pencil sharpener. He received a patent for it on November 23, 1897.
Elsie Law’s Dose Of The Law
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
02•13
“I remember reading a phrase once that said, ‘the freedom of the press belongs to those who own the press.’ We can thus reiterate that the constitution and the legal system in this soceity are not a neutral instrument, and that the law belongs to those who write it, and to those who use it to control the resources of a society.
Business crime is more damaging than most working class crime and so-called lower-class crime. As a matter of fact, we tend not to even see business-crime as crime itself, but instead as violations of codes, as not following procedure, even though it may rob people of jobs. It may rob people of their very lives. How many people from Dupont will be arrested and put in jail and locked awaay for killing those thousands of Indians? How many people will be destroyed or executed as the result of the stealing of monies, of millions and millions of dollars from the general populace as a whole? Will Chase Manhattan be permitted to go out of business? Or will Citibank, for the mistake of making bad loans? No, they won’t. What will happen? They will rob the very monies out of our pockets so that they may stay in business.
It has been established that while robbery, burglary, auto theft, and larceny account for 15 percent of theft against property, embezzlement, fraud, forgery, and commercial theft (the so-called white-collar crimes) are responsible for 78 percent of crimes agaainst property. It is difficult for people to even see a so-called top business executive as a criminal. The very concept of criminal has an image attached to it. We shall find, of course, that to a great extent that image is non-European, non-middle-class and non-upper-class, but is an image that portrays the so-called lower-classes (or non-Europeans). It is of interest to note that Zacarro, husband of the vice presidential candidate [Geraldine Ferraro], could steal millions and pay a thousand-dollar ($1,000) fine- and continue in business- while our sons and daughters who may steal nickels are sent to jail, and executed, done in, beaten, and assassinated by the police. We are gouged for rent and other kinds of things by the system; yet those that gouge us are perceived as pillars of the community.
These are the kinds of contradictions that breed disrespect for the law, and disrespect for those who enforce the law. It does not matter if a law is written in neutral terms. What really matters is whether that law is enforced non-discriminately; and this society is one that is famous for writing beautiful laws, which are enforced in a non-equal fashion.” -From, “The Falsification of Afrikan Consciousness”
Quote Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
02•13
“If your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” -Henry J. Kaiser
The Fly Or Die Commerce Report: World’s Largest Textbook Publisher Buys Into NOOK
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
01•13
Anyone who has ever endeavored to engage in a high-level of study, whether formally or informally, knows of the expense of textbooks. Textbook publication is a very profitable business. Now, with the emergence of e-books, a whole new market has opened up for textbook publishers.
Textbook publisher, Pearson, which is the largest higher educational publisher in the world, is reportedly set to purchase a 5% stake in Barnes & Noble’s e-reader, NOOK. The United Kingdom based company, which reported earnings of $3 billion from sales of textbooks in the first 6 months of 2012, will allegedly pay $89.5 million cash for its 5% ownership. The purchase is a move by the company to offer its customers an alternative to printed materials.
The question is whether this new textbook format will make textbooks less expensive for students, and if so will this be a permanent discount.
Questions also arise regarding the effects the popularization of digital books can have on the future conveyance of information. Personally, I will always favor the printed word over the digital format when it comes to reading books. What are your thoughts?
Black History Fact Of The Day
Written By: Elsie Law
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Jan•
01•13
In 1983, Dr. Guy Bluford Jr. became the first African-American to fly into outer space. Dr. Bluford has a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree in aerospace engineering. He also has a master’s degree in business administration, in addition to earning over a dozen honorary doctorate degrees.
