Black - Bright Stimulates - Educates - Motivates Issue 29
IS LOVE ENDURING, OR ARE ENDURERS STUPID? Myrna Loy
Are your shoes damaging your health? Caroline Cassidy
Oh Britain where did we go wrong? Etana’s music (www.etanathestrongone.com) (front cover)
Rebuilding Trust in relationships
HOW TO STOP THE NEW WORLD ORDER: STOP SPENDING, STOP CHARGING! Joan M. Veon
IS LOVE ENDURING, OR ARE ENDURERS STUPID? Editorial, by Myrna Loy I am an avid follower of Big Brother – I simply love the dynamics. Anyone who is interested in psychology as I am, or interested in how individuals relate to each other under pressure, or how they go into ‘the house’ as one person and come out transformed into someone else – will identify with what I am talking about. Big Brother is about relationships between strangers, but the situation is made more complex because the strangers (who are direct opposites in personalities and values) are forced together in a confined space for several weeks, without any outside stimulation; TV, radio, newspaper etc. They are thus, dependent on each other to reach a level of acceptance despite their differences. In any relationship, our innate desire is to feel accepted, and because of this, many mask their true selves in first meetings, therefore, initial meetings tend to be a trite deceptive. It is natural to want to create a good impression - we don’t trust that the person we are meeting is going to accept us for who we are; we worry that they won’t like the real deal; so we put on airs and graces but the hardest part is keeping up the pretence; i.e., behaving like someone you are not. After a while, we start to feel safe; we let our guard down; we let one of ‘Louise’s trump’ expire; we don’t worry if we dribble while we sleep; we let the odd cuss word slip, we become lazy and we trust that the object of our affection will not treat us differently when they see the ‘real’ us. Some partners, however, feel cheated that the initial impression was deceptive; the person is not the person they fell in love with - they have changed; so off they go to seek perfection in someone else. Others, notice imperfections creeping in, and accept them because they realise that to accept imperfections in someone else is to accept the imperfections within themselves. In Big Brother, there were a number of intimate relationships forming between ‘strangers’ – and it was interesting to see how many ‘imperfections’ were tolerated by the housemates but not by the viewers. I found the relationship between Faye and Aaron fascinating, and for those who do not watch big brother, this particular relationship was between a 30 year old man, who most viewers felt was doing his best to win the show through psychological manoeuvring and using a 19 year old girl (Faye) to do it. Faye, who is oblivious of his plan and falls madly in love with him. Her insecurities through broken attachments as a child, construe his insults as flattery and his masochistic silent treatment as mood swings. As a viewer with incredible low tolerance for lack of respect, I had to ask myself, after witnessing (what I call) emotional and psychological abuse – can’t she sense his incongruency? Most of the viewers thought Aaron was disingenuousand got frustrated with Faye who constantly ignored his rebuffs, taunts and attempts at psychological indoctrination. Many viewers call her stupid, but I found it refreshing to see enduring love at play.
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CONTENTS
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1 Is Love enduring, or are endurers stupid? Editorial
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3 Can the UK riots and subsequesnt looting be justified?
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4 Oh Britain, where did we go wrong?
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8 Are your shoes damaging your health? Caroline Cassidy 9 African-Caribean boys would rather ‘hustle than learn’ Hannah Ridchardson
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10 The Old Pastor Don’t Accept Failure
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18 Living your life with a purpose Ten ways to love
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CAN THE UK RIOTS AND SUBSEQUENT LOOTING BE JUSTIFIED? Myrna Loy Can the looting be justified? This of course depends on whose perspective you are looking at. The teenagers will say it is justified because they are getting back at the police for killing Mark Duggan, a mixed-race 29 year old who was shot in the back of his head while in a taxi going home. They will say that they are getting back at PM David Cameron for making their parents lose their jobs, putting their family below the poverty line; they will say that because their parents can’t buy them the things they deem necessary, they have a right to take them if the opportunity presents itself. They say there are no jobs; no opportunities, it is time to take something back. “We pay taxes, said one female looter, so we are entitled!”. For those suffering the impact of the recession, it became payback time! Opportunism and greed fanned the flames in Tottenham and around 26 different cities in the UK.
2 black people are unemployed but we are told by politicians that a lack of values was the cause of the riots, and that social networks, like Facebook, twitter and the Blackberry BBN, enabled the way the riots were organized. They seem to forget that values come from enjoying a stable upbringing; earning a living; feeling respected and proud – but with 1 out of 2 black people denied the right to have their basic needs satisfied, it is no wonder that the riots involving them, are the outcome. It is surprising that the sensibility of what seemed like senseless, uncontrolled rioting ceased as quickly as it started, when the culprits acknowledged that their irresponsibility resulted in the death of three innocent traders who were trying to protect their property.
The government is now seeking to give parents back the right to discipline their children (after the horse has bolted!); and plans in place to give teachFrom what I have read and heard, the family carried ers that right too. Too little too late, many argue! a banner which said “Justice for Duggan” and marched to Tottenham Police Station to get 3,000 perpetrators (majority are black) have been answers. What started off as a peaceful demon- arrested, meaning there will be even more unemstration to ascertain why the police shot Mark ployable black people. Employers will not employ Duggan, turned into another Broadwater Farm riot someone with a prison record – so the unemployafter a female member of the Duggan family was ment statistics go up, and the downward spiral and bludgeoned by a police officer outside the station vicious cycle continues. Defending human rights when imploring for an explanation. That was the and the right for basic needs to be met, anarchy, straw that broke the camel’s back: the demonstra- civil war and rioting will doubtless rear its ugly head tion spiraled out of control, fuelled by angry, frustrat- again. ed members of the Tottenham community.
The first Broadwater Farm riot occurred on 6 October 1985, when Cynthia Jarrett, a black woman died from a stroke after a police raid in her home; exacerbated by another black woman being shot during a police search a week earlier. What followed culminated in the death of Police Constable Blacklock. It is ironic that yet another death in Tottenham has resulted in mass rioting, not only in the area where it happened but in other cities around the country.
Whose perspective can we look at? From the perspective of those who lost their homes, lost their cars, their businesses and property- it could never be justified. Why did they have to suffer the impact of Mark Duggan’s death, when it had nothing to do with them? They could understand if the rioters had burned down police stations, but they didn’t, they burned down innocent people’s homes and left people jumping from buildings for their lives.
From the perspective of the deceased’s family: According to sources, 1.4m are living below the Mark Duggan was a family man, a father of four, livpoverty line; 1.3m are living with substance abuse ing with is fiancé of 12 years, with plans to move out parents. 1 in 5 young Britons are out of work - 1 in 3
he means, but he could have worded it better so it would not have been so misunderstood and racially biased.
of Tottenham and get married. “He always avoided confrontation and would not have fired at police”
From the perspective of the police watchdog: “There is no evidence Mark Duggan opened fire at police From the perspective of the Prime Minister, David before being shot dead by a firearms officer, the Cameron, it is not a race issue but a crime issue and Independent Police Complaints Commission has that we live amongst a broken and sick society. said. The police watchdog said ballistic tests showed "no evidence that the handgun found at the Angela Bajaican on her facebook page states: “we must look for solutions to the crisis. … the backlash scene was fired". from the riots is: 'Bring in Robo-cop', 'Stolen bottled BBC News understands firearms officers dis- water - first offence - six months in prison'; 'white is charged their weapons in the belief there was a the new black', 'Gas all the coons' - there is no questhreat to human life. Their guidelines allow them to tion which community is in the firing line, despite the facts that illustrate many races were involved, the open fire in such circumstances” blame is on the black people as being the instigaThe David Starkey, politician said that white people tors, so the challenge for the Black community were acting black, and that Jamaican patois and therefore has never been greater. black culture fuelled the riots - we kinda know what
OH, GREAT BRITAIN, Where did we go wrong? We're "broke" and can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.? Are you aware of the following? The British Government provides the following financial assistance:
BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER IMMIGRANTS/REFUGEES LIVING IN (bearing in mind they worked hard and paid BRITAIN their Income Tax and National Insurance (No Income Tax and National Insurance contributions to the British government all contribution whatsoever) their working life)
Weekly allowance: £106.00 Weekly allowance: £250.00 Weekly Spouse allowance: £25.00 Weekly Spouse allowance: £225.00 Additional weekly hardship allowance £0.00 Additional weekly hardship allowance £100.00 A British old age pensioner is no less hard up than an illegal immigrant/refugee yet receives nothing
TOTAL YEARLY BENEFIT £6,000 TOTAL YEARLY BENEFIT: £29,900 Please read all and then forward to all your contacts so that we can lobby for a decent state pension. After all, the average pensioner has paid taxes and contributed to the growth of this country for the last 40 to 60 years. Sad isn't it? It’s about time we put our own people first. Source: UNKNOWN 4
SCHOOLS AND ‘THE RIOTS’ Parents and Students Beware!
Talkin’ Blues
At a meeting in Manchester on Wednesday 31 August 2011 and the following day at a meeting in Lewisham, I warned parents and students that when schools reopen their children would most likely be targeted either by teachers or by the resident police in those schools to find out where they were and what they were doing during the recent civil unrest, or/and who they knew that took to the streets and became involved. Parents needed to be prepared for that and guide their children as to how to respond, as I was sure that many schools would see it as their business to ‘help police shop rioters’ as a newspaper headline put it.
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And all of this at a time when, with the active encouragement of the Government, courts were ‘naming and shaming’ juveniles for taking part in the disturbances on the streets or for receiving looted goods.
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On Saturday, one of the young people who attended the Lewisham meeting sent me an email saying that his brother was given the following homework which was set for his entire year group:
Address: ……………………………………………………………........... …………………………......................................…………………….......... Male [
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Write an eye witness account, describing what you saw during the riots:
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- the setting - the people you saw - what happened
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Definition of eye witness: a person who actually sees some act, occurrence, or thing and can give a firsthand account of it.
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While that might look like an attempt to test school students’ writing skills and their powers of recall, it is clearly inviting children to incriminate themselves and others. In order to be able to give a firsthand account, one must have been present and observing (taking pictures on your mobile phone, for example) or present and participating. In either case, the police would be interested in you. The school for its part would no doubt form a view about the fact that you were present on the streets at all.
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So, what might present itself as a straightforward curriculum exercise could result in school students being excluded from school or being referred to the police as having information that
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could support a prosecution, theirs or those they name or are cajoled into naming in their ‘eye witness’ accounts. Ever since 6 August 2011 when the disturbances started in Tottenham, the police have been stopping and searching school students indiscriminately and more often than not in an intimidating, humiliating and provocative manner. Now, the schools are using their equivalent of ‘Stop & Search’. Guidance to Parents: - Be watchful! - Talk to your child about what s/he is being asked in school concerning ‘the riots’. - Tell your children that since they are not ‘rioters’ they should not be running off their mouths about what happened on the streets. Their teachers would have seen on television or read in the newspapers the same things that they saw. If your child brings home homework of the sort described above, telephone or write to the school as follows: - My child has been asked to describe what s/he saw during ‘the riots’. - I take it that s/he could approach this as a creative writing exercise? - I have been having discussions with her/him about the ‘Arab Spring’ and the civil unrest in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Libya. Libya is especially interesting at the moment. - I want to make sure that my child will not be penalised for describing and commenting upon what s/he has been witnessing the citizens of those countries doing on their streets.
YOU SHOULD GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR – WE DIDN’T!!! Thank goodness we went to see two credible artists, with Dean Fraser thrown in because it helped soften the blow. The sponsors and organisers/promoters of the Beres Hammond and Taurrus Riley event held at Dunstable Leisure Centre took money for VIP tickets and did not make any provision for those who paid for them. My partner paid £108 (including booking fee and insurance because he was told that Beres might not show up because of his poor health), and yet VIPs were crammed in a long corridor upstairs at the Dunstable Leisure Centre, where people were fighting for a long distance view of the artists. No seats, no tables, NADA! All people who paid for VIP tickets expected, was to be treated special, i.e., in closer proximity to the artists, to have chairs put out, a table with a cloth on it so they had somewhere to put their plastic cups, and a complimentary glass of wine or something! In fact, we were treated worse than those who paid £30 for their ticket!! In the end my partner and I joined those who had paid £30 on the ground floor in order to enjoy the show - and we did enjoy the show after adjusting our thought from feeling exploited and cheated to 'we might as well try to enjoy ourselves! Why didn't you complain you may ask? When we tried to find the promoter we were passed from pillar to post, so we intend to take it further. The impact of this, is that my partner says he will never buy a VIP ticket from a black run event again, which is a shame! I am only sorry that I did not take photographs of that crammed walkway designated for VIPs so that readers could understand why I am writing this to expose the organisers!
If the school insists that they want your child to write about ‘the recent riots in Britain’, tell them that your child is not a ‘rioter’ and cannot therefore give an account of what s/he saw during ‘the riots’. Professor Gus John Interim Chair: Parents and Students Empowerment London 04 September 2011
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Jamaicans in Japan ‘Jamaican Patties’ English is Jamaica’s mother tongue but everyone speaks patois – a colourful and expressive language that is a blend of misappropriated English, Spanish, French, and west African dialects. Patois is the substrate for the stories that are the basis of reggae and the ever- evolving zeitgeist of popular Jamaican culture. Japanese who flock to Jamaica whether for the Reggae Sunsplash music festival or international development work with The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), find speaking in patois endearing to Jamaicans. Goldson’s book is one of the bridges that's making patois more accessible to Japanese interested in Jamaican culture, especially the ubiquitous topic: food. The dictionary covers Jamaican food, fruits, beverages, desserts which are on the menu at JamRock Cafe. ‘People have this idea that all we eat in Jamaica is jerk chicken, but we don’t really make that at home. That’s more of a street food,’ muses Goldson on the reasons why she is focusing more on home-style dishes. A look at the menu shows that a cross section of Jamaican home-style favourites, even ackee and saltfish (the national dish of Jamaica ), are ready to be enjoyed.
‘Ackee and saltfish’ Ordering a meal in patois at JamRock Cafe is one of the charms of going there, especially speaking with Kanto, the Japanese server who has a very convincing Jamaican accent. Try saying ‘Mi waan fi nyam nuff’ (I want to eat a lot) and when Goldson’s mouth-watering food arrives to your table it is safe to say ‘Mek we nyam’ (Let’s eat!). Goldson said her former boss inspired her to start her business after eating her food. She met her head chef, a Rasta man called Twitch, at the popular Jamaican One Love Reggae Festival in Yoyogi Park ; the two collaborate on JamRock’s menu and catering. ‘It is good to be naïve,’ Goldson replies when asked about her advice to Tokyo entrepreneurs. ‘If you think too much about what obstacles you might face, you might talk yourself out of doing it. Just go and do it. Follow your dream.’ Her dream was a vision of cooking good Jamaican food and providing a familiar atmosphere for people to unwind. ‘The Patois Handbook: Let's Speak Jamaican!’ by Yvonne Goldson, published by UPLINK in July 1998 is now available on Amazon.jp 7
Are your shoes damaging your health? There's nothing like a brand new pair of shoes to make you feel good. While most women love to buy shoes, you could be damaging your health by choosing the wrong style. Our feet are home to 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and 26 bones - a quarter of all the bones in our body in fact. And, if our feet aren't happy it can have a big impact on the rest of the body. It's not just high heels that can cause problems. This season's popular ballet pumps could also be causing you long-term damage as consultant podiatrist Dr Tariq Khan explains: "The pressures generated on the foot from wearing very high or very low shoes can lead to all sorts of deformities and problems, like heel pain, hammer toes (when one toe bends downward) or claw foot (when a toe bends downward and another upward). "The problem then ricochets quickly up the kinetic chain of the body to the knee, affecting the gait cycle when you walk, the way that the hip moves, the position of the pelvis and the direction of the spine." So what should you be wearing? According to the experts, the ideal, every day shoe should give your toes plenty of room, have a strap or lace-up to prevent your foot from slipping when you walk and a cushioned sole. A slight heel of about 3/4in to 1.5in (2cm to 4cm) is best.
instability of the ankle joint and there is a high probability of ankle They may be trendy right now, but and ligament damage," says Dr pancake-flat ballet shoes can Khan. strain the feet, causing inflammation of the arch tendon, as well as If you must wear heels, choose bunions, corns and calluses. If ones that are thicker and are no you like to wear flats, look for higher than 1.5 inches and are ones that are sturdy in construcrounded on the toe. tion, have a thick sole and a slight heel. If you're wearing the wrong sort of shoes, your foot will actually mould to that shape. Having a Chunky wedges good fitting shoe in the first place Your feet will be happy in wedges will help prevent foot problems, that are around 1.5in (4cm) tall but it can also help to wear differbut any higher and you risk alterent styles (following the advice ing the walking cycle, which transabove), and swapping every few fers excessive weight forward days to give your feet a rest. onto the ball of the foot, leading to pain, inflammation and corns or Relief for feet calluses. If your feet are aching after a long As a general rule, wedges are day at work, try using insoles, preferable to stilettos heels as such as Carnation Advanced they provide more stability and a Pressure Relief Insoles, in your more even weight distribution, shoes. Designed to reduce shock, and so are less likely to result in pressure, fatigue and aches and ankle sprains. pains in the feet and back, they also have anti-fungal protection and antibacterial odour control. Stilettos Available from independent pharHealth experts have been warnmacies at ÂŁ6.49. ing women of the dangers of wearing stiletto shoes for many To find a state registered chiyears. Walking in heels over two ropodist, contact the Society of inches puts excessive pressure Chiropodists and Podiatrists visit onto the balls of the feet, leading www.feetforlife.org to shortening of the tendoachilles. This causes the calf muscle to shrink and lose elasticity.
Flat 'ballet' shoes
"Stiletto soles are generally thin so callus formation on the ball of the foot also leads to inflammation, and because the heels are delicate and narrow, that leads to 8
Caroline Cassidy on Aug 4th 2011 at 11:00AM Filed under: Health, Lifestyles
African-Caribbean boys 'would rather hustle than learn' By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter Black schoolboys can choose to perform poorly to avoid undermining their masculinity, the head of the Jamaican Teachers' Association has said.
if as a male you aspire to perform highly it means you are feminine, even to the extent of saying you are gay.
Adolph Cameron said that in Jamaica, where homophobia was a big issue, school success was often seen as feminine or "gay".
‘"But in the context of Jamaica, which is so homophobic, male students don't want to be categorised in that way so that they would deliberately underperform in order that they are not."
He was concerned the same cultural attitude was affecting African-Caribbean male students in the UK.
He said research had suggested that boys in Jamaica deliberately underperformed in literacy tests because the tests were carried out in standard English, and "to speak in standard English is considered a woman's activity".
They are one of England's worst-performing ethnic groups in schools. Only traveller children do worse at GCSEs. Although improvements have been made, last year just 40% of African-Caribbean boys achieved five good GCSEs including English and maths compared with the national average of 58.5%.
He went on to suggest the same cultural attitudes affected the learning of African-Caribbean boys in England.
Mr Cameron, head of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, made the comments in a lecture at an event in Bristol aimed at promoting the educational achievement of black boys and sponsored by the National Union of Teachers.
“Start Quote Boys are more interested in hustling, which is a quick way of making a living, rather than making the commitment to study”
Continue reading the main story
End Quote Adolph Cameron Secretary General, Jamaica Teachers' Association
He noted that in Jamaica boys were at least 10 percentage points behind girls in national tests. Misplaced views about masculinity needed to be tackled in schools.
He continued: "I would not be surprised if here in England the same or similar things occur in terms of how they feel about themselves and how they respond to and with respect to the society around them.
He said: "Education... takes second place to notions of entrepreneurship as, predominantly our young men, get involved in the informality of what the University of the West Indies academics, Witter and Gayle, have called a 'hustle culture'."
"Boys are more interested in hustling, which is a quick way of making a living, rather than making the commitment to study. This is a supposed to be a street thing which is a male thing.
'Woman's activity'
He went on to ask whether the notion of "academic "The influence of this attitude towards masculinity achievement" could co-exist with notions about seems to be having a tremendous impact on how well African-Caribbean and Jamaican males do. "black masculinity" in contemporary culture. "There's a fear of being categorised as gay in a society where homophobia is so strong."
In an interview with the BBC News website, Mr Cameron said: "That notion of masculinity says that 9
THE OLD PASTOR
BLACKBRIGHT NEWS
An old paster lay dying. He sent a message for an Internal Revenue Service agent and his lawyer to come to the hospital. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his room. As they entered the room, the pastor held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The pastor grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything. Both the IRS agent and lawyer were touched and flattered that the old man would ask then to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled because the pastor had never given any indication that he particularly liked either one of them. Finally, the lawyer asked, Pastor, why did you ask the two of us to come here? The old pastor mustered all his strength, and then said weakly, Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I'd like to go.
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Don’t accept failure
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At times you may fail
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Although you may fall a hundred times You still can rise above any challenge
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Writer: Paul Green 10
Government as we know it is changing as it gives away its power to the highest bidder. Just recently, Norway overthrew their Democratic Socialist government so they can privatize more of their state assets! What that means is that every time a public-private partnership is set up, representative government diminishes. Yes, that’s right. What will happen after all our assets have been divided up among the corporations? You and I will still be paying our taxes to keep the shell of government afloat so they can meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty in the world by 50% or to provide foreign aid to bribe various third-world governments in order to comply with the New World Order. Basically, the United States is becoming a feudalistic state. In medieval Europe, feudalism was a system in which the serfs were privileged to live on the estate of a duke or prince in order to be protected by him and his castle moat. In return, the serfs they gave a portion of their crops and paid a monthly wage for this opportunity.
HOW TO STOP THE NEW WORLD ORDER: STOP SPENDING, STOP CHARGING! For the last 13 years as I have covered global meetings and studied the ever shifting economic and political structure of this New World Order of ours, I have been very saddened to realize that we the people have absolutely no voice in government. Over and over again, the president passes executive orders that bypass Congress and if that was not bad enough, our elected representatives have determined that “they know better than you and me.” Most of the change that is occurring today is because elected officials have decided that we the people are not smart enough to understand and we are being bypassed by them. If that were not bad enough, they go along to get along instead of opposing presidential policy that is out of sync with the Constitution. Furthermore, we have seen the structure of government change as government assets are carved up and sold to the highest bidder through various privatization schemes. Then there is the co-managing of government by corporations and non-governmental organizations known as public-private partnerships. In fact the future structure of government is public-private partnerships. Just ask the people of New Orleans, just look at the Chicago Skyway and the Indiana Toll Road, just look at President Bushes space program of “Moon, Mars and Beyond.” Just look at the report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on “Public Works, Public Wealth” which basically says government needs deeper pockets: corporations to the rescue! Can you imagine having to pay a toll to use any part of the road you now travel on? Guess again, corporations are about to fight for the right to convert our roadways to toll ways and for any part of infrastructure to be public-private partnership! What gold there is in “them there hills”! This is the tip of the iceberg.
Just when I think we have no power, I saw Wall Street and the Federal Reserve reverse their steps last week, and realized WE THE PEOPLE HAVE POWER-IT IS THE ONLY POWER THE MONEY MONSTERS UNDERSTAND: CONSUMER SPENDING! In order to understand our power OVER THE NEW WORLD ORDER, we must understand the present economic system that has come into being. There are four components: the Markets, Capitalism, the Federal Reserve, and a paper-monetary system.
The MARKETS Last week, we saw a classic case of how Wall Street and the Federal Reserve needing to save the economy from you and me. All of a sudden, it was announced on September 11 that the oil and gold market rise was over. That same day, CNBC’s Larry Kramer forecasted that oil will never go back to $75bbl, and that it is time to buy drug stocks. The price of gas at the pump began to drop and according to CNBC the next day, “Consumers are feeling better, more secure, and richer over lower energy.” CNBC then went on to show SUV’s and tell us, “Maybe it is time to buy an SUV.” We were then told that GM and Ford are going to lay off and close plants. Ford announced they will no longer manufacturer the gas-guzzling SUV which has been the favorite of Americans for the past 10 years. Between higher interest rates, growing consumer debt spurred on by lower interest rates, and $75bbl. oil, Wall Street changed its tune. In fact they did a little dance. Here and there we have been told that the housing market is slowing down. Some of America’s largest homebuilders now have one year’s supply of new homes. First Toll Brothers, now KB Homes. The housing markets in California, Nevada and Florida have slowed tremendously in light of higher mortgage rates and the Fed’s determination to fight the same inflation they have created.
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dropping from $75bbl to $60 bbl, almost overnight, is a result of the new oil reserve found in the Gulf, even though it will take 7-10 years to bring it on line. The real truth is they are in trouble.
CAPITALISM As a result of my experience as an investment professional, I determined several years ago that capitalism is an “ism” like socialism, Fabian socialism, communism, and Marxism. The nature of capitalism is that it has to have new markets, new products, and new customers constantly and continuously, otherwise it will fall and the market will drop and the economy will go into a recession or depression. Capitalism needs constant turnover over money. How fast money changes hands will determine how strong demand is for a product. Capitalism, therefore, is like the game of Pac Man. In that game, the winning goal is to get the Pac Man to eat as much of its enemy before it is eaten, in other words, survival of the fittest. In this regard, Marx was right. Another thing about capitalism, a famous economist by the name of Joseph Schumpeter wrote a book in 1942 by the name of Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy in which he said “[I]n dealing with capitalism, we are dealing with an evolutionary process…capitalism is a form of economic change and not only never is, but never can be stationary.” There it is. Capitalism must have a new product, a new consumer, and a new market. Currently the SUV’s have tanked as a result of the high cost of energy. Look at the prospects for auto companies: sell a new, innovative fuel efficient car to all those families who have SUVs!!! There will be pain for both the company which needs to retool and downsize, and for the family which will now get a greatly reduced trade-in for their gas-guzzler. But for the economy, a new demand has been created that will stimulate it-for a while. Basically this benefit also has a negative. The downside of capitalism is seen in the fact that capitalism over produces. Right now both GM and Ford have a huge inventory of the old gas guzzling models and not enough of the new efficient models. Dealers also have too many SUVs which they will end up taking a loss since there is no longer the demand for the big one. You see, capitalism cannot determine how long the market will demand a particular product or sometimes the variable that will change the demand. The same is true with home builders. With 45 year low interest rates, they could not build them fast enough. Now with higher mortgage rates, there is about a year’s supply of inventory.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE The Federal Reserve is a private corporation that was voted the job of managing the monetary system of the United States in 1913 by a quorum of insider legislators who waited for their opposition to go home for the Christmas holidays on December 24 at 11:45 p.m.
Basically the Federal Reserve is not federal nor does it have reserves. The truth is that they create money out of thin air and then they charge the U.S. government for borrowing it at “current” interest rates. All you have to do is take a look at the paper money in your wallet. It is a “Federal Reserve Note-This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.” The Federal Reserve is not the U.S. Treasury. It is a central bank or private corporation controlled by its owners who are private. The Federal Reserve does not issue an annual report nor does it pay taxes on their taxable income. President James A. Garfield said in 1881 that “Whoever controls the volume of money in our country is absolute master of all industry and commerce…and when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled by a few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate.” Dr. Carroll Quigley, Bill Clinton’s mentor at Georgetown University wrote about the purpose of central banks in his book, Tragedy and Hope: [T]he powers of financial capitalism had another farreaching aim, nothing less than to Create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and economy of the world has a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements. Perhaps what we have seen happen in the last few weeks is the change in market cycles that benefit those in control of creating them. After the crash of the NASDAQ in which $7T changed hands from those who “bought and held” to those who sold, the Federal Reserve dropped interest rates to 45 year lows to stimulate the economy. In early 2005, they began to increase interest rates from 1% to its current rate of 5 ¼%. In doing so, they have changed the economic climate for homes. As a result of easy credit, is the consumer tapped out and not able to buy more which is what the capitalistic system needs?
PAPER MONEY SYSTEM In the United States, taking the dollar off the gold standard occurred in two steps: In 1933, Roosevelt confiscated all gold bullion held by private individuals but he allowed foreign countries who had gold dollar certificates to cash them in at the “gold window.” Then in 1971, President Nixon closed the gold window and refused to convert a foreign country’s demand for gold by using the
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gold backed dollars. At that time, the world system decided to join the U.S. and use a fiat monetary system of plain paper. This unaccountable system of finance benefits only the central banks of the world. Governments can borrow, the central banksof the world. Governments can borrow, the central banks can print and charge interest on higher and higher governmental debts. Dr. Carroll Quigley wrote in Tragedy and Hope, When a currency is off the gold standard, fluctuation of exchange [which is then created], can go on indefinitely. The unbalance of international payments is worked out by a shift in exchange rates. The bottom line is the dollar has dropped in value since 1971 by over 70%. Why? Our government deficits escalated to over $11T at this time. Furthermore, in a paper monetary system, usury becomes the order of the day. For Americans, we have seen directly what usury is. In 1980, our government passed the Monetary De-Regulation Act in which they removed ceilings and floors on interest banks had to pay and charge on savings. Bankers can now pay the “going” rate of interest rather than a minimum amount. As an example, on savings accounts banks are paying ¾ of 1% while charging up to 9% on auto loans and 8.25% on second mortgages, besides 18-35% on credit cards. Is this fair? No. Time to stop it. The bottom line is that Wall Street and our central bank made a huge mistake by raising interest rates at the same time when energy was going up. What they now know is that the power of the consumer is gone-or is it? They are not able to put gas in their SUVs and they are not buying new ones. Furthermore, they cannot afford a new home which has doubled in price as a result of 45 year low interest rates. In other words, there is very high inventory of SUVs by all the auto dealers and the home builders. However this is GOOD NEWS BECAUSE IT IS THE CONSUMER WHO HAS SPOKEN. We have the power to bring the system which they created down. Let’s use their system to stop them. It is very simple: STOP BUYING AND STOP CHARGING!!! We have not been using our power properly. Instead, we have agreed to their terms and their system. The Consumer is over extended. While we may not be up to our eyeballs in debt, it is time to get out of their system. We can use their system to make demands to change their hold on us. They need you and me to constantly buy, to determine that we need to look like the magazine pictures of what is acceptable on any given day, they need you and me to prop up their monstrous capitalistic system by buying newer and bigger so they can earn more interest. They need you and me to march to their tune. IT IS TIME TO STOP AND TELL THEM TO MARCH TO OUR TUNE. All this without a bullet being fired.
You know what they tell co-dependents. Get healed and then your marriage will change. We can change this evil, feudalistic system by not buying and not charging, emergencies excluded. This is what needs to be done:
1.
Get financially well. If you have debt, stop buying until you pay OFF your current debts. If you need something new, start visiting the consignment shops. There are different level of consignment shops from Goodwill/Salvation Army to high-ended clothing shops.
2.
When you have finished paying off your credit cards, learn to live within your means. We have all been guilty of believing the beautiful advertisements that tell us we too can be beautiful with a new house, new car, new furniture, new kitchen, new shoes, new dress, new tools, etc. Joy comes from within.
3.
For things you need, start going to flea markets, neighborhood garage sales, antique stores, and auctions. Read the “For sale” ads. The idea is NOT TO BUY IN THE DEPARTMENT STORES, but from one another. Create an alternative to their system.
4.
When you send your credit card payment, write a note saying you can’t afford 18% to 35% and for that reason you are going to close your account. Tell MasterCard and Visa that you are not going to pay 18% any more. Keep one open for emergencies.
5.
For Christmas, a retailer’s biggest opportunity to get people to buy, make your Christmas presents this year, next year, and the year after.
6.
Start going to your county council meetings and vote down new spending appropriations. The answer is NO to further economic projects that will increase our debt. Tell them NO to usurious interest rates. NO to new bond projects that will increase our burden of debt for many years to come. Vote out the high spenders who advocate “economic growth.”
7.
Write to your Congressman/Local MPs/Senators and tell them to repeal the 1980 Monetary De-Regulation Act and return interest rates on credit cards to fair rates instead of Mafia level interest rates and while you are at it, tell them to repeal the Federal Reserve Act.
8.
Tell your neighbors spread the word. STOP BUYING AND STOP CHARGING. Let’s break their dysfunctional system
By Joan M. Veon
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DID YOU KNOW…. Jamaicans are the sports champions as of July 8, 2011: Jamaica is the first and only country to have all 100m sprint titles, all ages, all levels, in males at once. Jamaica now has the gold medal in the World Youth Olympics (Odeen Skeene); Jamaica is the first and only country to ever achieve this.
...Cairo is the Arabic name for Mars. The city was named Cairo because the planet was rising on the day the city was founded. In classical culture, Mars was the god of war and battle. His name was applied to the planet on account of its red glow in the night sky The British Dental Association has partnered with Colgate for Oral Health Month 2011, an initiative to promote improved oral health in Britain. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of good oral care regime attained through the usual suspects of regular brushing, visits to the dentist and a reduction of sugary snacks. NOT ANY TOOTHPASTE WILL DO... "For optimal dental health benefits, you want a toothpaste, that contains fluoride and isn't abrasive. Some toothpastes may not contain fluoride and might have abrasive whitening particles," warns Professor Eder. Death is going to get more expensive - by about £170. Whether you are burnt or buried when you go, the government is planning to grab an extra £170 from your estate via a new death tax. It claims the tax is needed because they want to improve the accuracy of death statistics. Dead against it? Crucially, it would mean the family of the deceased having to stump of £170 for all non-coroner related deaths before the person is allowed to be buried. Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes, but the government is making sure you will not only be certain of death but of paying extra tax when you go - and before you're settled in the ground or urn. What happens if the family refuse to pay? Would you continue to be stuck in the freezer, like an abandoned car, sucking down expensive state-funded electricity? There could be quite a stack of bodies. Grim reaper the tax collector Funerals are already expensive enough: funeral directors' fee; pallbearers, hearse, flowers, fee for the minister, a headstone possibly and its upkeep, plus all the council permissions - a line of outstretched hands. But now there's another one, direct from the government, and before the family can say goodbye. For those who can remember back to last year, the Tories got very animated about Labour's plans for a £20k "death tax" to fund national carers. But £175 is a bit less than £20k. Next, prepare to pay tax on a birth certificate, so you can be taxed both ends. Taxed as soon as you draw breath, and taxed once breath goes. Only a matter of time. Source: AOL News 14
Rwanda Supports Women in Business
USE PAST TENSE Kigali, 5 August 2011 - Rwanda is hosting the first ever East African Community (EAC) ‘Women in Business’ Conference. Beginning on the 5th of August, it has attracted over 350 entrepreneurs and business women from across East Africa to discuss regional business opportunities, challenges, and the role of women in Socio-Economic development. Under the theme, ‘Unlocking Business Opportunities for Women within an EAC Common Market’, the conference aims to become an annual gathering of East African women entrepreneurs and a forum to ensure that businesses continue to play a supportive role for women. Addressing the conference, the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, said that in Africa “women’s productive capacity is staggering” noting how women constitute 70-80% of the total agricultural force, a third of the global manufacturing labour force and the majority of the informal sector. Despite this, the president said, they still struggle with low incomes, unequal access to financial resources and legal obstacles that impede them from maximizing their full potential as entrepreneurs. “Despite many good efforts, women remain on the fringe of our formal economies. The question that begs an urgent answer is this: How can we progress on this critical issue as fast and as effectively as possible?” he went on. The President proposed four crucial elements needed to address these challenges; training women in the informal sector; creating a more accessible formal sector for women through trade facilitation and business-related-policies; implementing policies such as gender responsive budgeting, that specifically support women in business; and supporting women to move into high growth areas that remain male dominated such as finance, banking and mining sectors. EAC Secretary General, Richard Sezibera, said, “The quest for gender equality and empowerment is critical to the success of our integration process. Unleashing the power of women entrepreneurs is central to maximising the equity and sustainability of development in our region.” As part of the two-day conference, participants are able to showcase their products, hear success stories from different business women from across the region and network amongst themselves. Rwandan business woman Cecile Kirke-Smith, Managing Director of Komera DC Ltd; a company providing market facilitation to rural initiatives and projects, was one of the participants. Sharing the story of her newly started business, as well as her thoughts on the conference, Mrs. Kirke-Smith said, “I am passionate about working with women and men in projects cooperatives who are creating good quality work but don’t have access to a wider market. I came to this conference because I know there will be many women who can guide me as a new entrepreneur.” The anticipated outcomes of this two day conference include an EAC Policy Framework on Women in Socio-Economic Development and Women in Business as well as a short term action plan aimed at implementing the policy framework. President Kagame was optimistic about the outcome of the conference: “Involving women make things happen and institutions last...I am confident that the discussions at this Conference will bear fruit in terms of building on the significant contribution our region’s businesswomen have already made to our broader development, and should allow us all to engage in a more meaningful way to reduce poverty and improve the lives of East Africa’s women and men, boys and girls.”
To follow the conference online visit: www.eac.int/conferenceonwomen Contact: communications@gov.rw 15
Rebuilding Trust in relationships CREATE UNDERSTANDING If a partner does not take the time to make us feel understood - we try to get even - we try to make our partners feel as bad as we do. Even though it sounds childish, when someone does not understand our pain - we try to make them feel our pain. You basically have to agree that your partner's feelings are legitimate and fair - let the other person know that you get it. If you can do this, trust is going to be much easier to regain. If you can make someone feel understood when they are upset, they are more likely to... • calm down • forgive you • feel closer • listen to your side of the story
APOLOGISE When trying to rebuild trust - it helps to give the right type of apology at the right time. Unfortunately, most people do not know how to apologize or say "I am sorry." Typically, people make the mistake of apologizing too quickly. People say "I am sorry" at the moment they are caught in a lie or caught doing something wrong. Apologizing too quickly - especially when in trouble often comes across as being insincere. Giving the right type of apology is also important. Often people apologize and then immediately offer an excuse ("I am sorry, BUT..."). Tying an excuse or explanation to an apology tends to take away from its impact. The best way to apologize is to say you are sorry for the harm you have done and leave it at that ("I am sorry I hurt you by... I was wrong."). It is best to let an apology stand on it’s own. It is ok to offer an explanation, but only when one is asked for.
PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION Giving an explanation for one's behavior is important when trying to rebuild trust. Partners need to understand why things happened the way they did - without a reasonable explanation, partners often feel out-of-control and it is much harder for them to move on. Or for example, if caught having an affair, focusing on your feelings works better than blaming a partner for the situation "I felt neglected, lonely, not need..." rather than "the kids get all of your attention and time." Explanations that focus on the feelings work best because they are easier for a partner to hear. Ultimately, giving explanations, at the right time, helps partners who have been wronged get what they need: their sense of control. 16
MAKING PROMISES After feelings have been shared, apologies given, and explanations offered the next step when rebuilding trust involves making promises. People who have violated their partners' trust need to make explicit promises about their future behavior. These promises need to be: • mutually agreed upon - both parties must be satisfied with the promises offered • reasonable - promises need to involve things that one can actually live up to (broken promises are one of the worse things that could happen when trying to rebuild trust) • explicitly clear - both parties should double check their understanding of the promises being made • related to the betrayal that occurred - promises about future behavior need to be related to how trust was violated. While not all of the fine details of the promise need to be discussed - the basics (how, when, where, what) need to be understood, agreed upon, and worked out.
FOLLOW THROUGH ON PROMISES Promises made must be kept when trying to rebuild trust. Breaking a promise while trying to rebuild trust can bring back of all of the old feelings of betrayal, anger, and disappointment. When trying to rebuild trust - it is best to under-promise and over-deliver.
FOLLOW UP ON PROMISES Not only is it important to follow through on one's promises, but it is helps to talk about it as well. When trying to rebuild trust, it helps to discuss how you are keeping your word. It helps to make an explicit connection between promises that were made and how they were kept. Having such discussions shows that you are serious about rebuilding trust and putting in the effort to get it back.
TIMING When trying to rebuild trust, it helps to realize that there will always be two different perspectives on the amount of time it will take.
REBUILDING TRUST Rebuilding trust can be very frustrating for both parties because partners do not move through the process at the same pace. There is not much you can do about this, but it helps to keep this in mind. Rebuilding trust requires a lot of understanding and commitment from both sides. But without trust, or taking immediate steps to get it back, our relationships far apart quickly. A lack of trust often leads to more suspicion and harmful discoveries only putting our relationships in even greater danger. Source: www.truthaboutdeception.com 17
Applying False Eyelashes For thicker, more beautiful lashes, give false eyelashes a try! Here's how to find the right lashes for you — and apply them like a pro. If you have skimpy, barely there eyelashes, finding ways to plump them up is probably high on your beauty to-do list. Volumizing and lengthening mascaras are one way to achieve lush lashes, but to go that extra mile consider false eyelashes. "False lashes are always great no matter the occasion," says Vincent Longo, makeup expert and creative director for Vincent Longo Cosmetics. "I have never come across a woman who doesn’t look great with thicker lashes." If you've never tried eyelash extensions, it's easy to feel intimidated or worry about resembling a drag queen. "The trick is to find lashes that suit you and are not too overpowering," says Longo. These days, false eyelashes are more natural looking and easier to apply than when your mother or grandmother wore them. And they really do brighten and glam up your entire face. You can choose from full strips of false eyelashes (which can be trimmed to fit), half strips (often used on the outer edges of your lashes to give a dramatic cat's-eye look), or individual lashes (can be used to fill in sparse areas). Newbies may want to start with full or half strips, since they're easiest to apply. Attaching the individual lashes requires a lot more precision — and they need to be affixed with tweezers, so they're best for steady, skilled hands. Follow these tips when applying false eyelashes: 1. Start by washing your eyelids with an oil-free cleanser (the adhesive glue won't stick to oily skin). 2. Remove the faux lashes from the storage case, and give them a test run by holding them in place across your eyelid (without the adhesive). Then use a pair of sharp scissors to trim the lashes, as needed, a few hairs at a time. 3. Use a toothpick to apply a thin line of glue across the entire length of the roots of the false eyelashes (never apply glue directly to your own eye). 4. Let the adhesive set for about a minute or until it's tacky. 5. Place the lashes along the base of your lash line, as close to the roots as possible, starting from the inside corner. If you're using individual lashes, though, work from the outside corner of the eye to the inner corner. Press and hold in place for ten to 15 seconds. 6. Release the lashes and let them dry for a minute or two. 7. As a finishing touch, says Longo, sweep a coat of mascara across both your natural and false lashes to bind the two together. If properly cared for (that means you clean and store them after each use), most lash extensions can be used up to four or five times. When you're ready to remove them, it's important to be gentle. Here are the steps to safely removing false eyelashes: 1. Clean your eye area with an eye-makeup remover. 2. Gently lift the false eyelashes, starting at the outer corner of your eye, and tug a bit to loosen them. 3. Continue tugging until the lashes peel away. 4. Use a cotton swab dipped in the makeup remover to clean any remaining eye makeup from the lash extensions, then place them back in their original storage case. With false eyelashes in your makeup bag, you'll have a fun way to get super-glamorous eyes whenever you want them! Source: www.dailyglow.com 18
Living Your Life with a Purpose Do not weaken your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are unique that makes each of us special. Do not set your goals by what other people believe important. Only you know what is beneficial for you. Do not take for granted the things that favorable to your heart. Hold on to them as you would your life; for without them, life is empty. Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all of the days of your life. Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the second you stop trying. It is a easily broken fiber that binds us to each other. Do not be afraid to stumble upon risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be fearless. Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is not possible to find. The greatest way to receive love is to give love. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too firmly. In addition, the best way to keep love is to listen with your ears and your heart and follow up your words with actions. Do not discharge your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope. To be without hope is to be without purpose. Do not sprint through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be appreciated each step of the way. Gerald
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