Newsletter News Brief: Swine Flu or Pigs Flying?

According to CNN: "Common seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people every year worldwide, far more than the current outbreak of swine flu."

Do you buy into the swine flu hype?

Black History Fact Of The Day

Percy Julian, who was born on April 11, 1899, contributed a lot of important inventions to society. He is most noted for inventing a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis by synthesizing cortisone from soy beans.

Percy Julian also invented: A treatment for glaucoma, and a fire-extinguishing foam for gas and oil fires.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report

DigitalGlobe Inc. will reportedly sell shares of its stock to the public on the New York Stock Exchange. According to The Wall Street Journal, the initial public offering (IPO) for the company will be on May 14th, under the symbol DGI for $16 to $18 per share.

DigitalGlobe Inc. is a Colorado based company which provides corporations and government entities with high resolution satellite images.

With all of the big brother like technology being implemented into society, DigitalGlobe is hoping for a windfall. The Wall Street Journal states that the corporation is hoping to raise $250 million from the IPO.

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court made a decision to uphold the standing law regarding expletives uttered on tv and radio broadcasts.

According to the "Fleeting Expletives Rule" the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can fine broadcasters $10,000 per expletive aired before the 10 pm hour.

The long-standing debate regarding this law is far from over. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration is set to fill 3 out of the 5 FCC positions due to vacancies. The opinions of those who fill the vacancies will greatly affect whether this issue will reach the courts once again. The First Amendment, right to free speech, debate also consistently arises regarding ths issue.

Quote Of The Day

"What kind of people we become depends crucially on the stories we are nurtured on; which is why every sensible society takes pains to prepare its members for participation in its affairs by, among other things, teaching them the best and the most instructive from its inheritance of stories. These are usually drawn from both the factual and the imaginative literature bequeathed by its ancestors, namely, its songs, poems, plays, myths, epics, fables, histories, cosmographic speculations and philosophical conjectures. At the core of such stories are creation myths which give the members of a society their identity and their historical anchor in the universe." -Chinweizu; "Voices From Twentieth Century Africa" (via "Warrior Song")

Black History Fact Of The Day

Ronald McNair had a Ph.D. In physics. He was also a martial arts expert, and a saxophonist.

The multi-talented astronaut- who has several schools across the United States named after him- died during a space expedition on the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report

According to The Wall Street Journal, Time Warner Inc. Has expressed that it may get rid or all- or part of their AOL subsidiary. This is reportedly a strategic move to offset a lost in the communication giant's profits.

AOL, and Time Warner's magazine holdings, had a drop in profits. However, Time Warner's film and cable tv businesses are said to be strong money earners for the conglomerate.

The Wall Street Journal reports that "AOL's first quarter advertising revenue fell 20%," and Time Warner overall had a "14% drop in first quarter profits."

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

An Oklahoma City resident, who reportedly used his twitter page to communicate violent threats, was hit with federal charges for making interstate terroristic threats. According to Wired Magazine's blog, one of the 52-year old's ranting tweets stated that he was "locked and loaded," and on his way to the state capitol building.

After posting the tweet, the twitter user was arrested by the FBI. Wired Magazine states that this situation "appears to be the first criminal prosecution to stem from posts on the micro-blogging site."

Since his arrest, the twitter user has been released to a halfway house until his trial date. Wired reasons that his release "suggests that the magistrate judge does not consider him a genuine threat."

Quote Of The Day

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any" -Alice Walker

An Update On Cops Gone Wild Part 31: The Allegedly Rape An Inebriated Woman You Are Supposed To Be Helping Home Edition

Two NYPD officers who allegedly raped an inebriated woman who they were supposed to be helping home have been indicted. This morning, they plead not guilty to charges of: Rape, burglary, and official misconduct. [CLICK HERE For: "Cops Gone Wild Part 31: The Allegedly Rape An Inebriated Woman You Are Supposed To Be Helping Home Edition;" for background on this case.]

Anecdote Of The Week

"According to legend, one day a man was wandering in the desert when he met Fear and Plague. They said they were on their way to a large city where they were going to kill 10,000 people. The man asked Plague if he was going to do all the work. Plague smiled and said, 'No, I'll only take care of a few hundred. I'll let my friend Fear do the rest.'" -Anonymous

[SIDEBAR: I thought that this would be a befitting anecdote of the week, with all of the swine flu stories floating around. SIDEBAR WITHIN A SIDEBAR: I'm going post my own analysis on the whole swine flu situation soon. I see parallels between the swine flu and the "AIDS epidemic." I also see it as a possible test run in the vein of the gas shortage that occurred in certain areas of the south last summer. I'm not quite a flag-waving conspiracy theorist...lol; However, these "out of nowhere events" have to have some kind of explanation.]

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week

Astronaut, Ronald McNair.

Black History Fact Of The Day

W.C. Handy is known as "The Father of the Blues."

When he had a problem getting his artistic works published, he became a self-sustaining business man and published his own works.

According to wikipedia, in 1917, Mr. Handy moved his business to New York City. His office was located in a building in the Times Square area.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: Short Selling Defined

According to the online business dictionary, short selling can be defined as follows: "Profiting from an anticipated drop in the price of a commodity, financial instrument, or security by: (1) borrowing and selling it now, or by (2) selling a firm promise (futures contract) to deliver it on a later date at the current (or a specified) price. In either case, the seller counts on buying the item at a cheaper price to return (with a fee) or deliver it. A short seller is a 'bear.' Also called selling short."

Wikipedia defines short selling by stating: It "is the practice of selling a financial instrument that the seller does not own at the time of the sale. Short selling is done with the intent of later purchasing the financial instrument at a lower price. Short-sellers attempt to profit from an expected decline in the price of a financial instrument. Short selling or "going short" is contrasted with the more conventional practice of "going long", which typically occurs when a financial instrument is purchased with the expectation that its price will rise."

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law: The Mountaintop Mining Rule

The current presidential administration is still attempting to reverse some of the laws passed by the previous administration.

According to The Wall Street Journal, President Obama's administration is attempting to abolish "The Mountaintop Mining Rule." This rule, which was passed by former President Bush right before he left office, allows coal mining companies to blow the tops off of mountains and deposit the waste in nearby rivers and streams.

The coal mining companies are advocating for The Mountaintop Mining Rule to stay in place. They claim that the mining procedure that this law allows is less dangerous to miners, and is more inexpensive than regular underground mining. However, the U.S Interior Secretary's rebuttal declares that the procedure is extremely hazardous to the environment. On behalf of the current administration, the Interior Secretary has requested that a federal court throw the rule out. A decision is still pending.

[SIDEBAR: If not abolished, will this Mountaintop Mining Rule allow for the flattening of mountain ranges? How many more ways can we possibly destroy our natural environment? Smh.]

Quote Of The Day

"Justice and power must be brought together, so that whatever is just may be powerful, and whatever is powerful may be just." -Blaise Pascal

Black History Fact Of The Day

Gil Noble is an acclaimed journalist. His tv show "Like It Is," is currently aired on Sundays at 12 pm (EST) on the ABC network.

According to Wikipedia, in 1977, Mr. Noble wrote, produced, and directed the first documentary on Paul Robeson.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: The Future Of Student Loans

President Obama is reportedly pushing for the government to be the primary lender when it comes to student loans. The President states that private lenders charge too high of an interest rate to students who borrow funds to complete their education; therefore, he wants to axe the private Federal Family Education Loan Program.

According to The New York Daily News: " The federal government became the biggest lender for students in the 1970s, but that shifted toward private lenders during the Bush era...About 76% of all student loans the past two years were provided by private lenders, according to industry statistics...About 30% of college students depend on loans."

The New York news source also states that the President of the United States would also like to increase Pell Grants by $500.

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

State officials and federal government officials are once again at odds over who will have the authority to regulate America's banks. The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Supreme court will begin to hear this issue tomorrow.

Several states have attempted to regulate banks by requesting that they reduce their ATM surcharges and/or disclose loan terms to their customers in a more comprehensible manner. However, The Wall Street Journal reports that federal officials have successfully blocked the states' attempts at regulation by citing The National Bank Act.

The National Bank Act was enacted in 1863. This act allows national banks to operate without the interference of state and local authorities.

With the financial failure and mismanagement of a slew of banks across the country, state authorities are arguing that they should be able to enact stricter measures to protect their constituents. We will soon see what the Supreme Court decides. Will a law enacted during the 19th century still stand.

Quote Of The Day

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" -Mary Anne Radmacher

Sunday's Op-Ed: Families & Relationships Part 1

Lately, I’ve been contemplating the state of relationships and families a lot. Relationships and families are the building blocks of our communities, and of society as a whole. I believe that the state of the world is a macrocosmic reflection of our family structure and the functionality of our relationships. In my opinion, there are few things that are more powerful than a strong family unit.

All politics aside, that is one of the things that I appreciate about the current President of The United States. The photos of the first family, and the President and the First Lady, that continue to grace all forms of media is a powerful image of a loving family and a loving couple. America has been missing this image for so long.

Most of the families in the American media seem to be celebrated and highlighted for their disfunction. Examples of this are: Magazines whose front covers consistently highlight celebrity family dramas; “Reality” television shows that show how low someone will go to “win” a date; Movies, tv shows, songs, and music videos that depict disrespectful dealings between the sexes and a dearth of dignity. The proliferation of these images seem to feed on themselves, thus creating a disfunctional society. [SIDEBAR: This is also why I say turn the tv and mainstream radio off.] However, the media is only part of the problem.

Societal ills that attack a community from every angle breaks the family structure apart. This is especially true for the African American community from which I hail. How can a person- more less, a family- survive under the onslaught of poverty, drug abuse, psychological and spiritual warfare, and grossly corrupt political and educational systems? [SIDEBAR: I do have faith that we as a community and a people can figure this out, and begin to: heal, grow, and thrive together.]

The stress-levels and confusion-levels have been so high, and our confusion has been so great that we seemed to have turned on each other. This seems to be especially true of the generation that I come from. We are the babies of the crack era, and arguably suffered greater than most.

Some members of society are unconscionably preying on each other: men vs. women, young vs old, and child vs. parent. It seems to be turning into a vicious cycle. If the victim never has an  opportunity to encounter examples of positive living, deeply internalizes the abuse they receive, or begins to view the abuse they receive as normal behavior due to prolonged exposure to it- the victim will very likely become a victimizer.

I thought about this a few days ago when I saw a young mother bullying and cursing her hysterically crying, toddler-aged son from A to Z. I thought about the likelihood of that young child growing into an young man who hates women. Then I thought about what could have happened, or is currently happening, to that young mother that makes her mother her son in such a heart breaking manner.

There’s a quote by Martin Luther King Jr., in which he states: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.” Even a self-sustaining person like myself knows the veracity of this statement. This is especially true when it comes to relationships and family units. The truth of the matter is that we will be each other’s strength or each other’s weakness; but we will definitely thrive or perish together- in one way or another.

To be continued...

Quote Of The Day

"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." -Zig Ziglar

Quote Of The Day

"You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life'." -Wayne Dyer

TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things." -Anonymous

Black History Fact Of The Day

A. Philip Randolph was the founder of The March On Washington Movement, and The Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car Porters- a union that predominantly organized African American pullman workers.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: MySpace's Ownership

MySpace was started by two entrepreneurs- Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe- in 2003. In 2005, the company was reportedly sold to News Corp. for $650 million. When News Corp. acquired MySpace, the original founders still remained in their leadership positions. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, the original founders will now be stepping down from their positions. News Corp. is allegedly looking for new executives to lead the online networking site, and invigorate its growth.

News Corp., which was founded by Rupert Murdoch, owns several other companies including: Dow Jones & Co. (which publishes The Wall Street Journal), Hulu (an online video site that is a joint venture with NBC Universal), NDS Group (the world's largest supplier of digital pay tv), and News Outdoor (the largest out-of-home advertising company).

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law: Teenager Charged As A "Somali Pirate"

An 18 year old Somali native who has been labeled as a "pirate" by the United States media and court system will stand trial for allegedly hijacking an American ship, and holding its passengers hostages. The teenager has been brought to the United States to be tried.

The prosecution has reportedly charged the youth with "Piracy Under the Law of Nations." According to The Gothamist, this law hasn't been in consistent use by the legal system since the 1800s.

Quote Of The Day

"You are the embodiment of the information you choose to accept and act upon. To change your circumstances you need to change your thinking and subsequent actions." -Adlin Sinclair

Black History Fact Of The Day

Jack Johnson was the first Black man to be the world heavyweight boxing champion. At one time he owned a nightclub in Harlem. The club that Mr. Johnson once owned eventually became the famous Cotton Club.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report

According to The Wall Street Journal, Wells Fargo & Co. Had a 52% increase in their net income in the first quarter of this year. Analysts are attributing this to the company's purchase of Wachovia Corporation, and an increase in mortgage refinancings.

The Wall Street Journal states that Wells Fargo is America's fourth largest lender.

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

According to The Gothamist, a group of NYC public housing tenants are reportedly filing a federal class-action lawsuit against the city for failing to properly maintain project elevators.

The condition of New York City's housing elevators are notorious. People have died due to the faulty elevators. Tenants are also often subjected to out of order elevators. This is an obvious danger- especially in buildings that are so tall.

The Gothamist states that the tenants aren't suing for monetary damages. The Plaintiffs simply want The New York City Housing Authority to agree to repair the elevators within a reasonable time period, and provide help for disabled residents when the elevators are not in service.

[SIDEBAR: I give my admiration and respect to the tenants who filed this suit. This is a great example of organizing. Too bad NYCHA has to be forced to do their job and provide their residents with basic needs. It's despicable that people have lost their lives to elevator failure.]

Quote Of The Day

"When you live in reaction, you give your power away. Then you get to experience what you gave your power to." -N. Smith

Book Review Of The Month: "The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil" By: Philip Zimbardo

Sinister title aside, this book is not written from a sinister perspective. It is methodical in its analysis of how easy it is for the average person to transform from a caring individual into a tyrant.

Written and published in 2007, the author starts the tome chronicling an experiment that he personally conducted in the 1970s. The famous psychological and sociological experiment called “The Stanford Prison Experiment” took college students of similar backgrounds and psychological make-ups, divided them into two groups- that of prisoner and guard, and housed them in a make-shift prison. The author observed how quickly the students who were assigned to the role of guard turned into sadistic authority figures. The students who were cast as prisoners also quickly adapted to their roles and became complacent victims. The author/experiment conductor, who is a well-heeled psychologist, also got sucked into the real-life fantasy. He failed to recognize how cruel and damaging his experiment had become while it was being played out. The lesson learned from the experiment was how easy it was for people to take advantage of their power, or fall into a role where they failed to use their power to right an obvious wrong. The famous experiment also shows the hypocrisy of prison being touted as a place for rehabilitation. Prison system officials, judges, attorneys, politicians, incarceration advocates, and law enforcement members should deeply explore the lessons brought forth by this experiment. It would truly be world changing if the wisdom gained from the Stanford Prison Experiment was studied and applied.

“The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil,” wasn’t strictly about the Stanford Prison Experiment. The author also explores other scenarios where people transform into abusers of their power. He dissects the environment of military prisons, discusses in detail the abuses at Abu Ghraib, and explores the danger of “group think” and “learned helplessness.”

This book was well balanced, because in the author’s own words in the 14th chapter of the book: “I will try to balance some of the negativity with which we have been dealing in our long journey by offering two encouraging perspectives on learning ways to resist unwanted influences and on celebrating heroes and heroism.” He does just that. I like the fact that Philip Zimbardo analyzed the issue that he was addressing in this book from several angles, gave striking examples, and then provided solutions.

In one part of the book Mr. Zimbardo gives a list of ten 10 methods that are often employed to covertly suck unsuspecting people into doing negative things that they wouldn’t normally do. By pointing out where the landmines are, the reader can hopefully recognize them and not step on them in their everyday life. [SIDEBAR: CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE for book excerpts that list these 10 methods.]

Overall, I thought that the book was a great read. It is important to understand the psychology behind behaviors. This is the only way that negative behaviors and cycles can be broken and improved.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week

Boxing Underwater: Muhammad Ali's famous Life Magazine photo.

Black History Fact Of The Day

Muhammad Ali won the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship three times.

In 1967, when he refused to fight in the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his championship title and suspended from boxing.

Now Ali is praised for taking his stance as a conscientious objector of the Vietnam War. However, when the legendary boxer and activist initially took his stance, their were vicious repercussions. His character was assassinated, his own country labeled him an enemy and a traitor, his livelihood was taken from him, and he was left for broke. Fast forward to 2009; Muhammad Ali is now one of the most celebrated legends on the planet.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report

Chrysler Financial reportedly turned down an additional $750 million loan from the government. According to CNN, the company has already been loaned $1.5 billion from the American government via The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

The reason the company turned down the money is under dispute. Some insiders are saying that the company turned down the funds because they didn't want to comply with new loan guidelines that set limits on the amount of compensation that company executives could receive.

However, CNN states that a Chrysler Financial representative has said that the company's short-term financial needs can be covered by private funding. Therefore, they do not need government assistance at this time.

Maybe implementing more stringent guidelines before loaning out taxpayers' money, will help to pump the breaks of these corporations that are crying broke and filling their coffers with American citizens' money.

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law: The Tiahrt Amendment

According to Wikipedia, the Tiahrt Amendment, "prohibits the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) from releasing information from its firearms trace database to anyone other than a law enforcement agency or prosecutor in connection with a criminal investigation. Additionally, any data so released is inadmissible in a civil lawsuit."

According to news source, "The Gothamist," this amendment also "requires the FBI to destroy records of gun buyers' background checks within 24 hours." The Gothamist also states that New York Senators Schumer and Gillibrand (Clinton's replacement Senator) are requesting that President Obama eliminate this amendment. This is a turn around for Gillibrand who co-sponsored the bill that created this amendment while she was in Congress.

Quote Of The Day

"I'll tell you a big secret, my friend:  Don't wait for the Last Judgment. It happens every day." -Albert Camus

Black History Fact Of The Day

On this day on 1908, jazz great, Lionel Hampton was born.

[SIDEBAR: I know I stated earlier that I was taking a break from posting on this blog today. However, when I saw that today was Lionel Hampton's birthday, I had to pay my respects.]

Quote Of The Day

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how to do it, and Virtue is doing it." -David Jordan

[SIDEBAR: This will likely be my only post today. I will return early tomorrow with my regularly posted entries. Thank you for your patience.]

Quote Of The Day

"Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace." -Charles Sumner

Quote Of The Day

"The same media people that claim violence on TV doesn't influence people, are perfectly willing to sell you advertising time." -Author Unknown

Black History Fact Of The Day

According to the Huntsville Urban Network website: "In 1770, Crispus Attucks, whose father was African and mother was a Nantucket Indian,
became the first casualty of the American Revolution when he was shot and killed in
what became known as the Boston Massacre."

[SIDEBAR: I got today's Black history fact posted before today became tomorrow. Lol. It's been a busy day. I'm a little later than usual, but still on time :)]

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: The United States & Japan Pledge To Give $2 Billion To Pakistan

The United States and Japan will reportedly give $1 billion each to Pakistan. According to The Wall Street Journal, the money will be used to help Pakistan revive their economy and combat the violence that is prevalent in their country.

It should also be noted that the issues of Pakistan and Afghanistan are closely linked. The Wall Street Journal quotes Japan's Prime Minister as saying, "Presidential elections in August in Afghanistan should be carried out smoothly, freely and fairly. This is vital for stability in Afghanistan, and the international community needs to support it. Japan supports the elections and will give assistance, including paying the salaries for 80,000 Afghan police for a half year."

See how the "industrialized" countries play? Funding a country's police force is akin to controlling a country's people on a lot of different levels.

[SIDEBAR: Aren't we still supposed to be in a recession?]

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

According to The Criminal Law Handbook, a "Petty With a Prior" can be grand theft.

"A prior conviction for petty theft can elevate a second charge of petty theft from a misdemeanor to felony grand theft. If the prosecution intends to use the prior conviction as the basis of a more serious charge, the complaint or information must refer to the prior conviction, a prosecutor might also elevate a petty theft charge to a felony by charging the culprit with burglary, alleging that the culprit entered a shop with the intent to steal merchandise." -From, "The Criminal Law Handbook" By: Bergman & Berman-Barrett

TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought.  There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor." -Victor Hugo

Video Of The Week

Recently a sensationalistic story involving "pirates" in Somalia hit the mainstream press. Before the mainstream press swooped down on the topic of "Somali pirates," recording artist K'Naan addressed the issue in an interview months ago. Take a look...

Black History Fact Of The Day

According to The Biography website: "Buffalo Soldiers is a name respectfully given to the African–American cavalries during the 1800s by the Native American Kiowa tribe. These soldiers received second class treatment and were often given the worst military assignments, but had the lowest desertion rate compared to their white counterparts. The Buffalo Soldiers served in the Spanish American war, various Indian wars and helped to settle the west by installing telegraph lines, and protecting wagon trains and new settlements. More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers have received the highest military award, the medal of Honor –the most any military unit has ever received...The oldest living Buffalo Soldier, Mark Matthews, died at the age of 111 in 2005."

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: The Russell 1000 Index

According to Investopedia.com, The Russell 1000 Index is: "An index of approximately 1,000 of the largest companies in the U.S. equity markets. [It] is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index. The Russell 1000 (maintained by the Russell Investment Group) comprises over 90% of the total market capitalization of all listed U.S. stocks, and is considered a bellwether index for large cap investing."

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

"QUESTION: What's the difference between a writ and an appeal?

ANSWER: Writs usually are considered to be extraordinary remedies, meaning they are permitted only when the defendant has no other adequate remedy, such as an appeal. In other words, a defendant may take a writ to contest a point that the defendant is not entitled to appeal.

Any one of the following reasons, for example, may prohibit an appeal (and justify a writ):

(1) The defense did not lodge a timely objection at the time of the alleged injustice.

(2) The matter at issue concerns something that goes beyond the trial record.

(3) A final judgment has not yet been entered in the trial court, but the party seeking the writ needs relief at once to prevent an injustice or unnecessary expense.

(4) The matter is urgent. Writs are heard more quickly than appeals, so defendants who feel wronged by actions of a trial judge may need to take a writ to obtain an early review by a higher court.

(5) The defendant has already lodged an unsuccessful appeal (in some cases, defendants may file multiple writs, but the right to appeal is limited to one)." -From, "The Criminal Law Handbook" By: Bergman & Berman-Barrett

Quote Of The Day

"Television has changed a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object." -Author Unknown

Black History Fact Of The Day

According to Black Facts Online: "Norma Merrick Sklarek [was] the first licensed woman architect in the U.S., and the first African American woman to become a fellow in the American Institute of Architects." She was born on this day in 1928.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: The Freedom Tower Edition

According to The New York Daily News, a builder who was once a prospect to build the Freedom Tower at The World Trade Center's Ground Zero site is being paid millions of dollars despite his deal to build tower falling through.

Although the Port Authority deciding not to hire the builder to construct the edifice, he is receiving "development fees" that will eventually total $21.5 million. Reportedly, the developer is currently receiving $500,000 monthly checks that he will continue to receive until the middle of next year. The payoffs are due to what The New York Daily News calls a "complex contract" between the developer, New York City, New York State and the Port Authority. The New York news source states that: "The payout is similar to a corporate 'break-up fee,' in which one company pays another- not to provide service, but simply walk away without suing after the collapse of a planned deal."

[SIDEBAR: Is this how the city, state, and port authority manages their money? Interesting...SMH.]

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

A former administrator of the NYC based Head Start educational program has plead guilty to embezzlement of federal money. He can be sentenced to a maximum of a decade in prison for funneling more than a half-a-million dollars from the program's funds into shell companies.

A lot of financial crimes are coming to light in New York City. Traditionally "white collar" criminals haven't been punished for their crimes with the same severity that other types of crimes have attached to them. It is becoming apparent that the proliferation of white collar crimes is causing financial distress in the city. The question is: How will the legal system respond?

Quote Of The Day

"We've arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces." -Carl Sagan

Black History Fact Of The Day

Janet Collins was a painter and a prima ballerina. In 1951, she was the first African American to perform on the Metropolitan Opera House's stage.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report

After receiving $10 billion in bailout money, Goldman has posted a hefty profit for this quarter. According to CNN, the financial company is seeking to use some its $1.81 billion profit to payback some of the taxpayers' money that they received via bailout funds. However, the treasury department and the federal reserve must grant them permission to do so.

Goldman has reported that their profit boost came from fixed income revenue- such as "interest rate products, commodities, and credit products." This revenue was great enough to offset the company's $1.41 billion lost last quarter in real estate investments, and an investment in a Chinese bank.

CNN states that Goldman also has announced "plans to raise $5 billion through a sale of stock, saying it wants to become the first big bank to repay the federal loans extended during last fall's financial sector meltdown." Whether the government will allow this quick payback is the question. The parameters of the loan payback is unclear [SIDEBAR: At least to me it is.] This leads me to ask why the government would want a company indebted to them rather than taking some supposedly much needed cash? We should see how this scenario will play out over the next couple of weeks.

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law: The Case Of The Police Officer Who Killed A Police Officer

According to The New York Daily News, a lawsuit filed yesterday claims that a police officer shot another police officer "at point-blank range and then 'secreted' the slain cop's badge to cover up his crime." The officer who fired the point-blank to the face fatal shot, allegedly hid the murdered officer's badge in his car so it could be said that the slain officer failed to identify himself as a member of the NYPD.

This case has racial implications because the murdered officer was Black, and the officer who killed him is White.

The deceased officer's family has filed a $90 million federal civil rights lawsuit against Westchester officials, officers, and the district attorney. The recently filed lawsuit alleges that the plaintiffs participated in a cover-up of the unjustified killing.

Last year a grand jury cleared the officers involved in this case of any wrong doing. [SIDEBAR: This has been a precedent when it comes to police killing people in NYC.] However, the slain officer's family will persist in a legal battle.

In addition to the aforementioned statements, The New York Daily News also states that, "Among other things, the suit [claims that the District Attorney] conspired with the county coroner to hide the autopsy results 'because it would prove the fatal, albeit unnecessary point blank gun shot to Officer Ridley's forehead.'"

Officer Ridley, who was 23 years old at the time of his death, was reportedly murdered as he attempted to arrest an assault suspect in White Plains, Westchester County.

Quote Of The Day

"I'll tell you a big secret, my friend: Don't wait for the Last Judgment. It happens every day." -Albert Camus

Black History Fact Of The Day

Nat Love is called by many, "The most famous Black Cowboy." Although he was born a slave, and lived under laws that made it illegal for a Black person to be literate, he learned how to read and write. After the presence of Cowboys began to diminish, Nat Love became a railroad porter. He also wrote an autobiography.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report: "Air Pocket Stock" Defined

According to Investopedia: An Air Pocket Stock is: "A stock that experiences a sudden drop, similar to a plane hitting an air pocket. Air pocket stocks are usually the result of investors reacting to negative news...An air pocket stock isn’t necessarily in dire straits. More often than not, the abrupt, drop caused by disgruntled investors is usually the end of the correction."

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

Governments globally have been trying to control the vast terrain that is the internet. Copyright owners- specifically giant music corporations- have been attempting to come up with a palpable strategy that will allow them to profit from their content, without diminishing their customers. The rules of engagement have been fuzzy- to say the least. For now, different governments are developing different modes of operation when it comes to the whole copyright/internet quagmire.

In France, piracy legislation- which was backed by the President of France- was recently proposed. The legislation was an attempt by the entertainment industry to implement a "three-strikes" law when it comes to file-sharing in France. Under the proposed law, people who were caught "illegally" sharing files would receive an initial warning. If they persisted in the sharing past a third time, their internet connection would be terminated for a year.

According to The BBC, opponents to the law argued that, "the wrong people might be punished should hackers hijack their computers' identity and that the scheme amounted to state surveillance."

The French Senate approved the law. However, the law was defeated in the National Assembly and will not be implemented for now. There is also still a possibility that this legislation will be re-introduced in Parliament over the next few months.

Quote Of The Day

"Did you know America ranks the lowest in education but the highest in drug use?  It's nice to be number one, but we can fix that. All we need to do is start the war on education. If it's anywhere near as successful as our war on drugs, in no time we'll all be hooked on phonics." -Leighann Lord

Quote Of The Day

"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow." -Dorothy Thompson

Quote Of The Day

"Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealously, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces." -Og Mandino

The Cost Of War

According to The New York Daily News, yesterday President Obama asked Congress for another $83.4 billion to fund the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. The news source states that the President claims that: "This is the last planned war supplemental [budget]...All future war money requests [will] be part of the overall budget processes."

Statistics state that since 9/11/01, $822.1 billion has been spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. $188 billion was reportedly spent on wars in 2008; and the new money being allocated for wars will bring this year's total to $150 billion so far.

[SIDEBAR: This above stated figures just reflect the monetary costs. This in no way tallies the lost of lives, and the other repercussions of war...When will this stop???]

Black History Fact Of The Day

According to Wikipedia, On February 1, 2002, Langston Hughes' picture graced a U.S. Postage stamp for the first time. The stamp debuted on the day that would have been the famed writer's 100th birthday.

Today's Fly Or Die Commerce Report

Google has created an exclusive online music service for the citizens of China.

The online giant has reportedly teamed up with over 140 record companies to offer Chinese music fans the opportunity to download and stream licensed music. The service is free to the users in China. Google and the record companies will make money from the venture via advertising revenue. They will allegedly split the revenue almost evenly between them.

According to The Wall Street Journal, this venture is expected to bring in approximately $14.6 million annually within the next few years.

Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

Several U.S. companies have combined to file a lawsuit against China, in one of the largest legal proceedings of its kind ever.

According to The Wall Street Journal, seven American steel corporations and the United Steelworkers Union are suing China in an "anti-dumping suit" that covers $2.7 billion worth of imports.

The plaintiffs claim that China's steelmakers have unfairly dumped less-costly steel onto the U.S. Market, causing the American market to crash. However, The Wall Street Journal states that this case will be tough for the U.S. steel corporations to prove because: "At the time of some of the alleged dumping, some steelmakers were still recording strong quarterly profits."