Höll inte på att kunna somna igårkväll när jag gick och la mig, eller rättare sagt inatt. Har gått med på ngn dejtingsajt, så jag var helt uppe i det, lära mig hur det fungerar och kolla in lite. Skoj!

Idag har jag och grannen Ia varit på stan och kollat läget, det var mysigt, de hade fått upp alla julgranar inför både skyltsöndag och jul. Imorgon blir det julpynta, men bara lite, vill inte ha alltför mkt.

Ikväll blir det Lördagsmys, Robinson och godis, och en hel del datoriserande förstås.

Ha de

Dream storylines for a grown-up is usually a no-no when creating films especially if it sounds juvenile and unrealistic. Especially if that was made today, something with fantasy content might be considered childish and the film might lose its touch. With the heyday of Kevin Costner in Hollywood, I guess this one managed to slip off that dilemma and this is considered one of the top guy-cry films of all time.

Based on a novel by W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless, we start at the story of a man named Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), a farmer, who heard a whisper, “If you build it, he will come” while walking through his farm-field. So with that, the whisper pestered him and he gave in and created what he sees in his vision.

The film could’ve started with the fantasy-reality films; one example in this is the film Big Fish, where the viewer is initially surprised with imaginary baseball players participating in the baseball diamond or field. It was one of those films wherein if you didn’t believe in the fantasy then you wouldn’t believe or enjoy the film at all.

With a setting in a farm, the film might look slow but with the adventure provided by Phil Alden Robinson, the director; it proved that this was an enjoyable adventure trip up until the end.

Guys should see this film. With the limited drama provided for the male population, this is a good watch and I guess the female population would want to watch it with their male counterparts.

Nu är det endast två dagar kvar och sedan drar julkalendern 2009 äntligen igång. Det är första gången på flera år jag ser fram emot den och jag hoppas verkligen på att den blir bra.

Idag är det däremot inte julkalendrar utan det har blivit dags för andra avsnittet av Robinson Karibien. Förra veckan fick vi se deltagarna komma till ön och göra sig hemmastadda. Tjejerna vann första tävlingen och Jonny tvingades lämna efter att aldrig riktigt kommit in i gruppen på grund av att han blev utmattad under båtresan till ön.

I efterhand så har deltagarna även diskuterats på olika forum varpå Tienne valde att polisanmäla ett inlägg på Flashback och därefter blev det en stor nyhet på Aftonbladet.. Här måste jag erkänna att det är intressant för min del eftersom polisen vägrade agera när vårt fotbollslag blev bestulna på mobiler, plånböcker och nycklar för flera tusen kronor. Trots att vi visste vem det var och samma bil cirkulerat vid flera andra brottsplatser. Väljer man då att agera på ett trivialt forumsinlägg som det skrivs tusentals varje dag om “kändisar” så vet vi att polisen verkligen fokuserar på fel saker.

Dagens avsnitt av Robinson

Två av deltagarna får ett hemligt uppdrag vilket sätter vänskap på prov. I pristävlingen får lagen väja ut två deltagare som ska ta sig igenom en hinderbana. Robinsontävlingen är en version av en klassisk barnlek som ställer höga krav på lagens sammanhållning.

20:00 – Robinson Karibien på TV4

Länktips: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Diferente. Así fue la conferencia de Sir Ken Robinson en Madrid este martes 24 de noviembre. Unos de los creativos más influyentes de todo el mundo estuvo con nosotros en Casa de Vacas presentándonos el “Elemento”.  Fotos [+]

Todos lo tenemos. Todos nacemos con un don especial, con una aptitud en la que somos sobresalientes. ¿Lo difícil? Descubrirlo, que te lo descubran y sobre todo, que te permitan potenciarlo y dedicarte a ello como modo de vida.

Para Sir Ken Robinson el sistema educativo y las organizaciones humanas son a menudo tremendamente lineales cuando nosotros, sin embargo, somos seres orgánicos. No podemos ser conducidos, amaestrados y contratados para los mismos fines. Debemos descubrir qué nos motiva, qué es lo que nos apasiona para ser realmente felices y dedicarnos a ello con fervor.

¿Qué diferencia a genios como Miguel Ángel en las artes, Rafael Nadal en el deporte, Shakira en la música o a grandes gurús empresariales en sus exitosos puestos de trabajo? La oportunidad que han tenido de ser conscientes de su ingenio, su don y de haberlo potenciado.

Los niños nacen siendo auténticos genios pero a lo largo de la vida, tras su paso por la escuela y el trabajo, pierden toda esa creatividad para terminar haciendo lo que se espera y está catalogado como sencillamente “correcto”. Por eso para Robinson hay que desencantarse para volver a encantarse, no conformarse con las cosas tal y como las heredamos. Tenemos que esforzarnos por sacar a la luz la creatividad que tenemos dentro en cualquier faceta de la vida y ser auténticos y diferentes. De este modo estaremos preparados para afrontar con éxito cualquier cambio que nos depare el futuro porque sabremos adaptarnos y buscar nuevas herramientas para ello.

Esta conferencia de Ken Robinson estuvo repleta de sencillos y reales ejemplos, de buen humor y de ingenio. ¿Y tú? ¿Has descubierto tu elemento? ¿Qué piensas de lo que nos dijo Robinson?

La próxima convocatoria de nuestro ciclo de conferencias “Madrid, Comunidad del Conocimiento”, será ahora en diciembre con Robert Lucas.

När ska vi tröttna på doku-teve?

Ibland känns det som om marknaden borde bli mättad – i alla är jag det. Jag går oftast från teven när det är ensam mamma, bonde, sång och dansBkändistävling – det känns som någonting gammalt som bara är olika former men ändå är detsamma.

” Att ligga i teve är bra för karriären ” läste jag någonstans och då tänkte jag, vilken karriär?  Det är ändå dig själv du exponerar och det är dig själv du sårar.

Ja, nu vet jag att dessa människor inte tänker så – det kommer sedan alltid efterkloka kommentarer – jag skulle inte gjort så idag, jag skulle inte valt silikonbröst, jag skulle inte… – men det skapar ändå en bild av dig.

Men det handlar jättemycket om självkänsla.

Med god självkänsla försöker du göra goda val för sig själv – ja, först måste du göra val överhuvudtaget om du ska få god självkänsla. Jag lyssnade till Jesper Juul som sade tre viktiga saker

Jag vill

Jag vill inte

Nej

De tre sakerna är de viktigaste för självkänslan. Även när jag tagit mig några öl eller ett par glas vin.

Det är lite sorgligt att se Baren-Meral och Någon Christian hamna i rubrikerna om vilken som är den bästa dokusåpan. Och?

Lite är det som om dessa deltagare stannar i utvecklingen vid tolv års ålder och kommer inte längre i sin utveckling. Där finns fortfarande jagets storhet men samtidigt ser du inte din omvärld. Kombinera det med en dålig självkänsla och du har nog många typiska dokusåpadeltagare.

Och så har vi dessa bolag som exploaterar dessa människors tävlan efter fame – i några minuter och när du stänger dörren så kommer den totala tomheten – för det blir sorgligt nog kanske den bästa tiden i deras liv.

Nej, jag tror mer på den där kärleken som ger en god självkänsla. Det är som jag sade till några igår, som hade en konflikt.

” Vilka duger för de dem är? ”

Några oförstående blickar.

” Ni. ”

Äntligen kommer det verkligt betydelsefulla nyheter i vår lila ankdamm.

Vilken dokusåpa är värdig?
Slemgubben Christian menar på att endast Robinson är såpan som är hedervärdig att vara med i. Allt annat är;  måste antas som ovärdigt och lite slaskigt. Skönt att Christian personifierade värdigheten i Robinson med sitt deltagande förra året.  Har väl aldrig någonsin önskat att någon åkt ut mer än honom.

Han var så värdig att när han kände att det var kört så hoppade han av som den feta losern han var. Snacka om att ta värdigheten till en ny nivå.

Nej Christian den Värdige, släpp kuken och knip.
Din värdighet försvann med dina “R”.

Fantastiskt roande diskussion dock … värdigaste såpan … ja herrejävlar. Nästan så man längtar till Idol Eftersnack med den otroligt briljanta och charmige Katrin.

Seriöst … ni fattar att jag skojar va?

Briljant
Charmig
Katrin

I samma mening är faktiskt en av naturens omöjligheter.
Bara så ni vet.

The biographical information below was compiled by Alan Renga, Assistant Archivist, for the 2009 International Hall of Fame Gala. For more information on the Museum’s Library and Archives, click here.

Frank Robinson Hall of Fame Portrait

He produces the best selling, non military helicopter in the world. He outsells all other North American manufacturers put together. He produces an aircraft which hold most world records in it weight class, including speed and altitude. He is Frank Robinson.

The youngest of four children, Frank Robinson was born in Washington State. Always interested in aviation, he worked his way through college and received his BSME degree from the University of Washington in 1957, with graduate work in aeronautical engineering at the University of Wichita.

Robinson began his aviation career in 1957 at Cessna Aircraft Company working on the CH-1 Skyhook. He then continued work with rotor aircraft at Umbaugh Aircraft Co., McCulloch Motor Company and Kaman Aircraft. During a brief stint at Bell Helicopter he earned a reputation as a “tail rotor expert.” In 1969, he moved to Hughes Helicopter Company, designing a new tail rotor for the Hughes 500 helicopter and working on the “quiet helicopter” program.

Robinson repeatedly tried to interest his employers in his own concept for a small, low-cost helicopter but to no avail, so Robinson resigned from Hughes in 1973 and founded Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC). RHC’s first business address was Robinson’s home where the two-seat R22 helicopter was designed. The first R22 prototype was built in a tin hangar at the Torrance Airport, and Robinson himself flew it on its first flight in August 1975 and the R22 received its FAA Type Certificate in 1979. The first production R22 was delivered in late 1979, and the R22 soon became the world’s top selling civil helicopter! The helicopter is so popular because it is relatively inexpensive and very reliable. In addition, the R22 holds most world records in its weight class including speed and altitude. The company also produces the very popular four seat R44. Close to 6,000 Robinson helos sit on flight lines around the world! In addition, Robinson oversaw development of the fuel injected R44 Raven II and the five place turbine driven R66.

Robinson is also very concerned about helicopter safety. He lobbied the FAA to quadruple the minimum number of hours of training needed to get an instructor’s license, as well as double the hours before a pilot could solo. In addition, he started a safety course that has become the gold standard of helicopter training, open to all pilots — today it has a five-month waiting list and is required by most helicopter insurers.

Robinson is an experienced helicopter pilot and flies the R22 and R44 helicopters regularly for personal and business purposes, including experimental test flying. He is a full member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a Fellow of the American Helicopter Society. He has been presented numerous awards and honors, including the Howard Hughes Memorial Award, The Doolittle Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington. His philanthropic activities include donating large sums of money to the University of Washington and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

For his invaluable contributions to aviation technology and his dedication to making helicopter flight more safe, the San Diego Air & Space Museum takes great pleasure inducting Frank Robinson into its International Aerospace Hall of Fame.

As the New York Knicks were getting crushed by the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday night, November the 24^th, it just occurred to me how bad this team really is. It occurred to me why is so tough to move guys like Wilson Chandler, Jarred Jeffries and Eddy Curry. Pay attention how they always make the wrong decisions, it’s either a bad jump shot, a dribble to double teams or etc. There is a difference between being aggressive and have no basketball IQ. Not for the fact that their contract are atrocious, thanks to the great Isaiah, the Knicks can’t move those guys because they are really bad players. The only team I would think is that dumb to take on those bad players with bad contracts is the Bobcats but guess what; Larry Brown has been there and already knows how bad those guys are.

Also occurred to me that I could be watching Allen Iverson for entertaining purposes only but instead I was watching Toney Douglas. Last week apparently the New York Knicks passed on the opportunity to sign AI because they were afraid of the minutes and touches that he would take away from their young talent, and by that I mean Toney Douglas, but if you watch the Knicks the entire season you would realize that Iverson couldn’t steal touches from Douglas because Douglas doesn’t play unless it’s junk time. I always criticize the move from the Grizzlies to get Iverson there because it would slow down the development of Mike Conley but that is different because Memphis actually has talent to develop. Do the Knicks? New York has been dealing the season as a throwaway anyway, so you might as well do it by bringing some excitement in the mean time. Guys like Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas only play in junky time, so get them to play junky time for somebody decent and not Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson or Eddie Curry.

Watching the Knicks sharing the court with a far superior team, it also occurred to me that maybe it’s time to question D’Antoni’s job just a little. During the many years in Phoenix, there were always questions about who was more important to that team. Nash is doing it again in Arizona, while it has been a struggle for D’Antoni without the pieces. Yesterday we saw a Lakers team running plays, moving the ball and using its biggest strength, the low post game, to develop an offense, while with the Knicks it was always the same; jump shot after jump shot after jump shot. It sucks to say but maybe Marbury was right. Without a guy like Steve Nash, it’s just a crazy system that gets guys running up and down the court shooting crazy 3s.

Donnie Walsh sold us this dream that 2010 is coming, that LeBron is coming to NY and now that 2010 is almost here we realized that things aren’t quite like that. For the current two years under the Walsh administration, the summer of 2010 was used as an excuse of why this team sticks and an excuse to do nothing about it. The dream of getting two, maybe three big free agents is far, far away from becoming truth. The salary cap is going backwards year after year and with the economic situation, the Knicks will be lucky if they can sign one player for the max contract. Instead of gradually preparing an OK team throughout the past and current season, so a free agent could see at least a project on this team, New York decided to wait for the long shot and hope that in 2010, they could get two or three guys and then surround them with a nucleus. Even eight months early, I think it’s safe to say that it was the wrong strategy.

Check More At: MVN

Not the Right Answer: http://basketballoutsider.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/not-the-right-answer/

To make things clear, as some of the material you’ll find here is very light-hearted, this is an actual news report. All quotes are original. I welcome comments below.

Gay Christians Criticise ‘Hate’ Bill

Dan Bloom

Senior gay and transgender Christians have attacked a pro-discrimination law which was defeated four times in the House of Commons and criticised by the European commission.

The clause, which allows “criticism of sexual conduct” on religious grounds, was kept in the Coroners and Justice Bill in the dying hours of the last parliamentary session despite being defeated in the House of Commons. Justice minister Jack Straw retreated after lords voted to keep it for the fourth time on 11 November.

But the comments from within the UK’s gay Christian community put pressure on the mainstream church, after the European commission wrote to the government last week to say its discrimination laws were “broader than permitted”, effectively forcing churches to end bans on homosexual staff.

Pastor Kieren Bourne of the Living Springs church, Bath, had a sex change operation in 1999 and is part of a small minority of gay or transgender Christians in the UK. He said: “I think it’s appalling. It seems to me that the church is being allowed to get away with discrimination when every other section of society is not.”

Brought up in New Zealand, Rev Bourne, 51, moved to Bath 14 years ago but was surprised by what he perceived as a less liberal atmosphere in the mainstream church. He joined Living Springs, a branch of the 95 per cent gay Metropolitan Community Church (MCC).

“Having the opportunity to question the appropriateness of [gay sex] should be open to people, but without being critical of the individuals concerned.”

-Patrick Whitworth, rural dean of Bath

Now living with a woman in Bathford, Avon, he said the pressure put on gay Christians by employment bans and discrimination leaves many feeling forced out of the mainstream church, and into organisations like the MCC.

And although the minority church, which was founded in 1968, holds tri-annual conferences – the next is in Acapulco, Mexico next year – it does not have the same political weight as other organisations. It has fewer than 15 churches in the UK and the Bath branch has only 13 full-time members.

One of these, Bill Fraser, has been a full-time churchwarden in Bath for five years. He first contacted the MCC last year after announcing his sexuality at an annual parish meeting. But he stayed in the mainstream church to “fight from the inside”, following the example of controversial gay American bishop Gene Robinson.

Another, 64-year-old lay delegate Jenny Bailey, was a long-time member of the Church of England when she began attending the MCC. She revealed her sexuality to her vicar in 1997, and said his hostile reception made her feel pressured to leave.

She said: “I did not feel my personal preferences were relevant inside the church. He said they were. He seemed to think I was going to walk in holding hands with another woman.

“Just a few weeks after that I had a serious accident and broke my ankle into about seven or eight pieces. Nobody phoned to check up and see how I was. I thought, ‘Why am I kidding myself?’. They didn’t want me.”

“I did not feel my personal preferences were relevant inside the church. My vicar said they were.”

-Jenny Bailey, lay delegate, Metropolitan Community Church

But Ms Bailey, who was married for more than 22 years before realising she was gay in her 40s, also issued words of caution about restricting free speech. She said: “I want it for myself, so why should I not want it for other people? It’s up to them, and it’s their personal opinion. But they should not be able to impose it on me.”

While the MCC argues anti-homosexual readings of the bible do not reflect its meaning, the mainstream church in Bath is more traditional.

The Church of England rural dean of Bath, Patrick Whitworth, said: “From the church’s point of view it is not God’s view. So having the opportunity to question the appropriateness of it should be open to people, but without being critical of the individuals concerned.”

Meanwhile a group hosted by the MP Clare Short will meet at the Commons this Tuesday to campaign against similar clauses in the Equality Bill drawn up by Harriet Harman, Labour’s deputy leader.

The bill is designed to ensure greater equality between people of different gender, race, religion and social class. But the group argues religious ‘opt-out’ clauses could be added as the bill progresses to the House of Lords.

Ikväll är det åter igen helgdag och utbudet är under all kritik. Däremot så är TV4 inte riktigt lika dåligt som övriga kanaler trots att det tar 3 timmar att visa en film som har en speltid på 2 timmar. Det är verkligen inte konstigt att många väljer att gå andra vägar när en tredjedel av programmen består av strunt som man inte vill se.

Har du ätit en tidig kvällsmat så kan Polisskolan 4 locka på Kanal 5. Åter igen så är den långt ifrån lika underhållande som första filmen i serien men det är fortfarande en helt okej film. Därefter blir det premiär för Robinson Karibien på TV4. I besöksstatistiken har jag sett en hel del som söker efter Robinson 2010, men det är alltså Karibien som gäller denna säsongen. Efter Robinson stod valet mellan Transformers och Paradise Hotel men eftersom det tar 3 timmar att visa Transformers så väljer jag bort den till förmån för Paradise Hotel.

Handling för Polisskolan 4

Förändringens vindar blåser genom polisskolan. Lassard bestämmer att man skall träna och göra kvarterspatrullerna tuffare. Resultatet blir programmet Medborgare som patrullerar, som består utav vanliga medborgare som genomgår en annan variant av polisträning. Därmed får Mahoney och de andra poliserna fullt upp att träna dessa civila blåbär, som den rivaliserande polisen Harris försöker stoppa.

Dagens avsnitt av Robinson

Deltagarna delas redan från början upp i två lag som ovetandes om varandra får ta sig till varsin öde strand. Och det dröjer inte länge förrän de första pakterna ingås.

18:20 – Polisskolan 4 på Kanal 5
20:00 – Robinson Karibien på TV4
22:00 – Paradise Hotel XL på TV6

Tror det kan bli riktigt bra med Paolo Roberto som programledare.

Linda var så jävla usel att det knappt gick att titta på förra säsongen och jag gillar själva idén med Robinson – hoppas vi får en bra säsong med tuffa tävlingar och mindre jävla svält-tv.

Lupe Fiasco & Michael Ealy

NYC Premiere Of ‘The People Speak’ backstage at Jazz at Lincoln Center on November 19, 2009

The film brings together images, music and narration with re-creations of American moments of resistance. There’s the Declaration of Independence; speeches by Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.; songs by Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Public Enemy; and a call to action by Cindy Sheehan among many others.

In the matter of belief, I have always found that defenses have the same irrelevance about them as the criticisms they are meant to answer. I think the attempt to defend belief can unsettle it, in fact, because there is always an inadequacy in argument about ultimate things. We participate in Being without remainder. No breath, no thought, no wart or whisker, is not as sunk in Being as it could be. And yet no one can say what Being is. …

[Y]ou can assert the existence of something – Being – having not the slightest notion of what it is. Then God is at a greater remove altogether – if God is the Author of Existence, what can it mean to say God exists? There’s a problem in vocabulary. … So creating proofs from experience of any sort is like building a ladder to the moon. It seems that it should be possible, until you stop to consider the nature of the problem.

So my advice is this – don’t look for proofs. Don’t bother with them at all. They are never sufficient to the question, and they’re always a little impertinent, I think, because they claim for God a place within our conceptual grasp. And they will likely sound wrong to you even if you convince someone else with them. That is very unsettling over the long term. “Let your works so shine before men,” etc. It was Coleridge who said Christianity is a life, not a doctrine, words to that effect. I’m not saying never doubt or question. The Lord gave you a mind so that you would make honest use of it. I’m saying must be sure that the doubts and questions are your own, not, so to speak, the mustache and walking stick that happen to be the fashion of any particular moment.

Gilead Marilynne Robinson pp 178-9.

The plight of a Black woman takes new heights when she takes part in the time old tradition of going to a beauty supply store. Millions of us have the same story of being followed watched and monitored in the stores often by people who know nothing about us or our fascination with the very product they sell.

Chris Rock recently highlighted the struggle of Black women to maintain and obsess over something as simple as tresses in his film “Good Hair” and while Chris made his point on the big screen, another man is stepping up to do the same in communities nationwide.

Although he has less notoriety and less fame, Professor and Black activist Devin Robinson has started a national boycott of non-Black owned beauty supply stores to send a message. The message he hopes to send is one of equal treatment, one of fair distribution and one that can ultimately pump millions of dollars back into the Black community. This Black beauty supply owner and founder of the “Taking It Back Black Campaign” schools men and women on the skills needed to successfully own and operate their own store.

If this is your first time hearing about the boycott it’s not too late to join in, you have until November 22 to “go against the grain” and take your business where it is appreciated. Hell, if these discriminatory practicis really infuriate you, why not extend it? Professor Robinson sat down with HipHopWired to tell us what motivated him to start the boycott, the huge economic implications it could bring and exactly what we can do to help.

HipHopWired: How did you really get into the beauty supply industry, did you hear about the struggles Black women go through your wife or daughter?

Devin Robinson: No, What happened was, I got thrown out of a beauty supply store. I owned a barber shop and a salon and I was in there shopping for supplies, I was prepared to spend about a thousand dollars that day and because I was browsing the guy didn’t like it, it was a Korean guy, he grabbed a golf club and threatened me and kicked me out of his store. I left quietly, caught me on a good day. I left and sat in front of my salon, and said I got to do something about that. I don’t think that’s right. I am a professional business person, how is he treating the younger people the less fortunate people, maybe dressing a little more intimidating or aggressive than I was that day. And I decided to open my store, I called the landlord who had my salon I said listen I want a beauty supply store right next to my shop, I paid them 5,000 dollars that day, I didn’t have no experience, no industry experience no contacts, nothing, I assumed like any business, you got the money you can get in. That’s not the case. That’s when I really learned what it was about.

HipHopWired: So how do you go about being successful in the beauty supply industry?

Devin Robinson: First you got to know business, that’s the first thing.  You got to know how to run a good business, you got to cater to your business, many special occasions I missed, many vacations I missed, that’s the first thing you need to do is learn to sacrifice. And then once you get in, customer service and persistence is really what made me successful. There was some products that I wanted I had to get it, when I opened my store, it took me 4 to 6 months to get wigs. Distributor would not sell me there hair.

HipHopWired: You would call them and they’d say no?

Devin Robinson: They wouldn’t come out and say no, they would say here’s our fax number and download these forms we get back to you and you’d never hear from them……I eventually started getting call backs and I call and say I’m calling on behalf of Ms. Kim, she’s the owner of the business, call me back, I started getting phone calls……then one thing that really worked for me, I lived in Korea for a year in the mid 90s, so I know the food, the culture, and when I got to different distributors I would befriend them using that……they let me in and let their guard down, not knowing they were letting their guard down for the wrong person.

HipHopWired: What was the final straw for you in the hair business when you decided to do the boycott?

Devin Robinson: I opened the stores I sold them to other black people. I appeared in the black hair DVD in a documentary in 2007, they filmed my store and they were like this young guy is doing this. I had a scene on there where I had people emailing calling me about help. So I decided to write a book, “Taking It Back: How to Become a Successful Black Beauty Supply Store Owner.” After I did that I wound up being on Michael Baisden several times, I’ve been on his show six times since then. I was featured in Ebony magazine in 2008 and when that happened, more calls came in of people needing help. So I decided that I needed to sell my store so that I could really help people get into this business. Being a business store owner I’m in the trenches. It’s harder for me to help anyone when I’m fighting my own battle. So I decided to sell it to other Blacks and I started the crusade, started the University, started the courses and started traveling. I was teaching people how to set their own stores up.

HipHopWired: The boycott is from November 16 through the 22. So really break it down for me. Are there certain products we shouldn’t buy? Or in general just go to Black owned stores?

Devin Robinson: Here’s what we gotta do. Where the problem really lies is in the distributors. There’s really only one full scale Black distributor in the country everyone else is Asian. That’s part of the problem. We got Luster’s, we got Dudley’s, Bonner Brothers, they manufacture so we still have some Black manufacturers out there but when those products get shipped to the distributor that’s where they decide to channel it to the Asian stores. That’s where they sell it to the Black stores at higher prices and give them the run around. So they’re sending their products to the Asian stores and we’re having a hard time. What I’m planning to do is send people to the Black owned stores only. If we shop at Black owned stores only, these distributors are only going to get orders from Black owned stores. They’re going to start to see a decline in sales at the Asian stores and if they can realize that wait a minute, we have that power and that leverage they will have no choice then but to open up the books and operate fairly to the Black owned stores. They may not do it in just that one week but I’m prepared to do it make this one week into two weeks and into a month as we move forward. I want to start with a week, small successes so businesses can see. We’re talking about $66 ½ million a week so if we do this one week that’s $66 ½ million going to the Black community. That’s really what I’m trying to do, send a message to the distributors that you need to open the doors and operate fairly. You got a Black retailer coming to you? You need to operate fairly.

HipHopWired: What about the people that don’t think it’s a big deal that we don’t own the beauty supply stores that say I don’t care, I’m going to go to the same beauty supply store I always go to.

Devin Robison: See that’s part of the problem. That’s been part of our problem historically. We haven’t seen 100% cooperation in pretty much anything that we’ve done. It’s gotta become viral. You do have those people who are price sensitive but once they see a cause and people start to see that the support is spreading I think that people will get on board and see that once we hand our money to the Asian owner we’re sending that money directly out of our community. So you may be sending less for that item or transaction but you’re spending way more in the big picture. Now you have no tax revenues. You have deplorable conditions in your churches, in your schools and you have crime because we don’t have the tax revenue to bring police officers out. We start to pay a price for that. You pay a price because you gotta pay for security systems for your homes. We pay on the back end in having a crime infested community because of the lack of revenue circulating in that community.

HipHopWired: How do you plan to market this on a National level?

Devin Robinson: The press releases are going out we’re still trying to get the attention of national media and syndicated shows. A lot of people in the local circuits are picking up the story. I’m very proud, I’m happy about that. If we could get CNN and MSNBC on board it’s a long shot but if we could get them to cover the stories that’d be great. Right now we have the support of Reverend Al Sharpton, Michael Baisden, Warren Ballentine, these are people that are promising to cover the boycott for that entire week. I don’t have a national platform; I’ve never had a national platform. So I’m just working with the media friendly folks that will open the doors and get this message out. That’s what I’m relying on.

HipHopWired: Is there a directory for the Black beauty supply stores so people can find out where they are in their area?

Devin Robinson: Yes on our website TakingItBackBlack.com. There are also courses there for people who want to get in and there’s a directory telling you where all the Black owned stores are.

HipHopWired: Okay good. Any final words? Is there anything you want to say to get people motivated to go out and participate in this boycott?

Devin Robinson: We have to let people know that this is an economic hate crime. We are being victimized throughout our communities. The Black people are being singled out to be exploited but not allowed to obtain power through entrepreneurship. It’s an economic hate crime and we’ve got to continue to be persistent and pursue it through legal action, through economic action, through moral and civil action. This is something we’ve definitely gotta do.

Sapete tutti cos’è aNobii? No? Bé aNobii è la più grande comunità di lettori del mondo, dove ciascuno ha a disposizione la propria pagina per inserire tutti i libri che legge e confrontarsi con gli altri, curiosando nelle librerie altrui!

Vediamo uno dei commenti al nuovo romanzo di Anne-Laure, La vita come viene, presenti su aNobii:

Quello che mi piace di quest’autrice è la sua capacità di trattare emi tosti con un linguaggio adatto ai ragazzi, senza però mai cadere nella retorica.
Secondo me una conferma, dopo “Le lacrime dell’assassino”.

Ncy It

Zac had a quite walk back to the athletic trainers room in Galliger Iba. After Oklahoma State’s quarter back Zac Robinson was knocked in the head pretty hard, trainers helped him off the field and then back into the locker room.

I figured the O’Colly would want one of Zac walking off the field so I helped him, and he walked off in a very dazed and confused look.

I didn’t get a chance to shoot him looking back, but I did get this shot when he was walking down the tunnel.

Right after this shot I was asked to go back to the field by a police officer, I wasn’t happy about it but I complied.

I hope Zac is ok, and I’m proud of the OSU cowboys,

Go Pokes.

Mitch

So the cowboys started to play like the cowboys should this week, and showed the raiders how the game of football should be play.

The cowboys held an offense that scores a lot, and I mean a lot, of points to 17 and under 400 yards. That was one heck of a good game for the cowboys.

The Zac Robinson we saw started playing like he was playing two years ago, and we were all glad to see that until he had to be helped off the field at the end of the game due to a helmet to helmet hit.

All of us in Cowboy country hope Zac has a fast recovery, and we hope hes alright.

Mitch

Dec. 8 – Interesting Note for Massachusetts College Students

Because of the strange timing of this election – after Thanksgiving – Massachusetts does allow on the spot absentee voting.

So, if you are going home to Massachusetts for the holiday, you just have to stop by your town hall or city clerks office and you can fill out your absentee ballot right there and then. No hassle with the post office or anything. Just don’t go on Thanksgiving Day, the office will be closed.

Op-Ed by Eugene Robinson

Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Eugene Robinson

Eugene Robinson—The most dreadful burden of the presidency — the power to send men and women to die for their country — seems to weigh heavily on Barack Obama these days. He went to Dover Air Force Base to salute the coffins of fallen troops. He gave a moving speech at the memorial service for victims of last week’s killings at Fort Hood. On Veterans Day, after the traditional wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, he took an unscheduled walk among the rows of marble headstones in Section 60, where the dead from our two ongoing wars are buried.

As he decides whether to escalate the war in Afghanistan, Obama should keep these images in mind. Geopolitical calculation has human consequences. Sending more troops will mean more coffins arriving at Dover, more funerals at Arlington, more stress and hardship for military families. It would be wrong to demand such sacrifice in the absence of military goals that are clear, achievable and worthwhile.

And what goals in Afghanistan remotely satisfy those criteria?

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the U.S. ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, recently sent two classified cables to officials in Washington expressing what the newspaper described as “deep concerns” about sending more troops now.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, chosen by Obama to lead U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has asked for perhaps 40,000 additional troops to carry out a counterinsurgency campaign. Armchair Napoleons in Washington, comfortably ensconced in their book-lined offices, insist that Obama must “listen to the generals.” But Eikenberry was a four-star general until Obama named him ambassador earlier this year. He commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2006-07. He needs to be heard as well.

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