Today is Day 53 of the Power 90 program.
Gold Stars
No gold stars. It's been a lousy week all around. I've been stressed at work; and mentally exhausted when away from work. I took zinc lozenges and narrowly avoided catching a sore throat earlier this week.
The Awful Truth
Number of Days AWOL From the Nutrition Plan: 4. There was no pleasure in the rebellion against the nutrition plan. Just the nagging anxiety that my previous way of careless, carefree eating has been permanently "ruined." Ruined without a joyful replacement. This sensation is not the same thing as having developed positive "new habits." Which is how my friends have interpreted this situation.
I can tell that there's really no going back to my previous dietary habits. I've been surprised at how ambivalent (and sometimes resentful) I feel about that. I don't feel guilty when I go AWOL from the nutrition plan; just irritated that there's no joy in it.
I've been shocked at the emotions that are being dredged up by this transition. Offhand, I don't recall hearing or reading any accounts that mentioned this particular sensation. Hmmph.
Number of Days AWOL from the Workouts: 0.5. On Day 51, I abruptly stopped halfway through a workout and walked away.
I've been back on track for the last two days; but still feeling strange about all of this.
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams (of any type, not just fitness/health related) coming along?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Geostrategy Nerd: An Extended Reader's Money Quote From Beverly
The Reader's Money Quote is a statement that is of such insight and importance that it merits frequent and loud repetition. This Reader's Money Quote is from Beverly, blog host of My Crazy Cool Life. http://mycrazycoollife.blogspot.com/. I strongly urge everyone to check out her blog. You might learn something that could enrich your life!
Beverly has brilliantly laid out a long-term strategy for our people to economically survive AND thrive. The participants at this think tank have been discussing how African-Americans can survive the emerging, RACIST to the core, Latino dominance of various fields of employment in the US since the post entitled "Geostrategy Nerd: What Would Mexico's Sudden Collapse Mean for YOUR Prospects in the U.S.?"
I am truly grateful for the contributions of those audience members who participate in the blog discussions here. Especially when we come together, reason together, and find practical solutions together! My reply to her comments are in blue. Beverly said:
"Aisha said: 'I think the only thing individual Blacks can do is make sure their education and personal achievements are top of the line, so they won't be competing for jobs that a non-English speaker can do.'
[I believe that what Aisha has suggested is a brilliant basic self-defense move. We have to start somewhere; and most of us have NOT sought out "top of the line" preparation for anything.]
My response: I think this is a necessity; but it is a temporary solution at best. You see, what is happening is that Hispanic people are coming here and their goal is to achieve and become full-fledged white Americans.
[Yep. And it's working because White people are cooperating with identifying Latinos as "White." Whites also cooperate with categorizing half-Asians as "White." (Such as Keanu Reaves, etc.) They won't do that with the offspring of Black folks.
What confused Black folks who are the parents of "Don't Call Me Black" self-proclaimed "biracials" refuse to understand is that we and our offspring are the ONLY ones permanently locked out of "becoming White" status. No matter how frantically these Black parents of "biracials" clamor to have their half-Black children categorized as White.]
What will we do when their children are born here and speak English fluently (native speakers) and have a couple of degrees under their belt? They will still have the same mentality. Many of them will still only hire Hispanics and exclude Blacks. I saw this dynamic in Los Angeles ( I lived there for 7 years). In Los Angeles, you already have professional black people being excluded from jobs WITH the collusion of silly//self-hating blacks.
[If we don't do something quick, we'll be S-O-L. This is why it's imperative for every Black person who's in a "gatekeeper" position to keep Latinos and Asians OUT, and NEVER, NEVER hire them! I've noticed that once Latinos and Asians get a toehold in a government office, or the private sector, they quickly work to develop an ethnic monopoly. They will even freeze White people out of employment when they get the chance. Everybody else is playing for keeps. We need to do the same. After all, we're talking about our very survival as a people in this country.
This is contrary to the "kumbaya kool-aid" that most of us have been quaffing, but the reality is that the odds of African-Americans being hired are better with WHITE gatekeepers than with Latino or Asian ones. We must always remember this.]
I have thought about this issue for a long time. My conclusion is this: Black people as individuals and small groups need to position themselves as dominate powerbrokers in whatever they do. AND they must operate on an international scale. This is not as difficult as it sounds. It can be done on a small or large scale.
[YES! YES! YES! Dominance over something, anything, is the only way to long-term prosperity. {DEEP martial arts bow in salute}]
For example: A black secretary living in Miami may be experiencing discrimination and unable to find work in the Hispanic stronghold. One thing she might do is using the internet and her skills offer her services to others around the country and world. Let's say she's a wizard at MSExcel. She could specialize in creating Excel documents for companies small and large around the world.
Also, since English is an international/bridge language (not Spanish) she has an advantage as a native speaker.
[Despite all the hype, we must keep in mind that Spanish is NOT a "money language" of international finance and business. ENGLISH is.]
That's just one example of how we may want to operate in the long-term. And of course this example is a small, simple one but I want to use it because it illustrates that anyone can use these strategies."
Beverly, thank you for providing this Reader's Money Quote with a detailed explanation of how our people can economically survive and thrive under current conditions! I'm sure that you've helped save the futures and lives of many of our people who are silently reading these conversations.
*ACTION PLAN* I know that some of you are assuming that what Beverly's talking about is not possible for you. Before you limit your possibilities based on untested assumptions, at least take the time to read the following materials: Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Workweek (which explains how to do what Beverly is suggesting). And check out the following news story about a married BLACK couple who are using these sorts of ideas to run a micro-multinational company out of their home! http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/07/08/mom-and-pop-multinationals-how-to-go-global-plus-call-with-me-and-david-allen-at-12pm-pt/
Beverly has brilliantly laid out a long-term strategy for our people to economically survive AND thrive. The participants at this think tank have been discussing how African-Americans can survive the emerging, RACIST to the core, Latino dominance of various fields of employment in the US since the post entitled "Geostrategy Nerd: What Would Mexico's Sudden Collapse Mean for YOUR Prospects in the U.S.?"
I am truly grateful for the contributions of those audience members who participate in the blog discussions here. Especially when we come together, reason together, and find practical solutions together! My reply to her comments are in blue. Beverly said:
"Aisha said: 'I think the only thing individual Blacks can do is make sure their education and personal achievements are top of the line, so they won't be competing for jobs that a non-English speaker can do.'
[I believe that what Aisha has suggested is a brilliant basic self-defense move. We have to start somewhere; and most of us have NOT sought out "top of the line" preparation for anything.]
My response: I think this is a necessity; but it is a temporary solution at best. You see, what is happening is that Hispanic people are coming here and their goal is to achieve and become full-fledged white Americans.
[Yep. And it's working because White people are cooperating with identifying Latinos as "White." Whites also cooperate with categorizing half-Asians as "White." (Such as Keanu Reaves, etc.) They won't do that with the offspring of Black folks.
What confused Black folks who are the parents of "Don't Call Me Black" self-proclaimed "biracials" refuse to understand is that we and our offspring are the ONLY ones permanently locked out of "becoming White" status. No matter how frantically these Black parents of "biracials" clamor to have their half-Black children categorized as White.]
What will we do when their children are born here and speak English fluently (native speakers) and have a couple of degrees under their belt? They will still have the same mentality. Many of them will still only hire Hispanics and exclude Blacks. I saw this dynamic in Los Angeles ( I lived there for 7 years). In Los Angeles, you already have professional black people being excluded from jobs WITH the collusion of silly//self-hating blacks.
[If we don't do something quick, we'll be S-O-L. This is why it's imperative for every Black person who's in a "gatekeeper" position to keep Latinos and Asians OUT, and NEVER, NEVER hire them! I've noticed that once Latinos and Asians get a toehold in a government office, or the private sector, they quickly work to develop an ethnic monopoly. They will even freeze White people out of employment when they get the chance. Everybody else is playing for keeps. We need to do the same. After all, we're talking about our very survival as a people in this country.
This is contrary to the "kumbaya kool-aid" that most of us have been quaffing, but the reality is that the odds of African-Americans being hired are better with WHITE gatekeepers than with Latino or Asian ones. We must always remember this.]
I have thought about this issue for a long time. My conclusion is this: Black people as individuals and small groups need to position themselves as dominate powerbrokers in whatever they do. AND they must operate on an international scale. This is not as difficult as it sounds. It can be done on a small or large scale.
[YES! YES! YES! Dominance over something, anything, is the only way to long-term prosperity. {DEEP martial arts bow in salute}]
For example: A black secretary living in Miami may be experiencing discrimination and unable to find work in the Hispanic stronghold. One thing she might do is using the internet and her skills offer her services to others around the country and world. Let's say she's a wizard at MSExcel. She could specialize in creating Excel documents for companies small and large around the world.
Also, since English is an international/bridge language (not Spanish) she has an advantage as a native speaker.
[Despite all the hype, we must keep in mind that Spanish is NOT a "money language" of international finance and business. ENGLISH is.]
That's just one example of how we may want to operate in the long-term. And of course this example is a small, simple one but I want to use it because it illustrates that anyone can use these strategies."
Beverly, thank you for providing this Reader's Money Quote with a detailed explanation of how our people can economically survive and thrive under current conditions! I'm sure that you've helped save the futures and lives of many of our people who are silently reading these conversations.
*ACTION PLAN* I know that some of you are assuming that what Beverly's talking about is not possible for you. Before you limit your possibilities based on untested assumptions, at least take the time to read the following materials: Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Workweek (which explains how to do what Beverly is suggesting). And check out the following news story about a married BLACK couple who are using these sorts of ideas to run a micro-multinational company out of their home! http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/07/08/mom-and-pop-multinationals-how-to-go-global-plus-call-with-me-and-david-allen-at-12pm-pt/
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Geostrategy Nerd: What Would Mexico's Sudden Collapse Mean for YOUR Prospects in the U.S.?
Most people don't know this, but I'm a military history buff. One of my favorite authors, Gary Brecher, is the self-described "War Nerd" of the blog http://exiledonline.com/. In his fine tradition of war commentary, I'm an aspiring "Geostrategy Nerd." I've been avidly reading about a number of developments that I do NOT hear being discussed in African-American circles. Even though these developments could seriously hinder our prospects as a collective.
I said the following in Charity Should Begin at Home, Part 2: Black Folks' Mass Suicide by Coalition:
"Our lack of political common sense has already cost us. Dearly. In terms of political empowerment, we've already slit our own wrists. Our (mis)leaders encouraged us to support Latino and other non-White immigration, and to cry copious tears over the 'plight' of various categories of illegal immigrants. We were encouraged to assume that non-White immigrants were somehow our natural, and automatic allies in the quest for justice.
Umm . . . No. People generally come to the United States to get paid. Period. There's nothing wrong with that. Like I said in Part 1 of this series, it is normal, natural, and fair for people to look out for their own interests. I would like to see more African-Americans acquire this mental habit.
Somehow, we got it in our heads that other people of color are naturally inclined to help us in our struggle. NO. Helping us is not part of most immigrants' mission profile. People come here to find a better life for themselves. Not to join our struggle. We are now reaping the consequences of foolishly supporting non-White (legal and illegal) immigration to this country.
We are being displaced. We are being physically displaced in many areas of the country. This physical displacement leads to political displacement. Many currently Black congressional districts have large and growing Latino populations. NO Latino districts have growing Black populations. I've read reports estimating that this demographic shift will cause Blacks to lose 6-7 congressional seats after the 2010 census redistricting."
http://muslimbushido.blogspot.com/2008/09/charity-should-begin-at-home-part-2.html
Of course, our (mis)leadership class is NOT talking about any of this. Our (mis)leaders are also not talking about a scenario that has been making the rounds of the military history and geopolitical strategy blogs that I enjoy: the possible sudden collapse of the Mexican government. I was recently amused to see that this discussion has finally made it into the self-proclaimed alternative, "progressive" press: http://www.alternet.org/audits/127850/could_a_sudden_collapse_of_mexico_be_obama%27s_surprise_foreign_policy_challenge/
The violence from the narco wars in Mexico has already spilled over into this country:
"Just as government officials had feared, the drug violence raging in Mexico is spilling over into the United States.
U.S. authorities are reporting a spike in killings, kidnappings and home invasions connected to Mexico's murderous cartels. And to some policymakers' surprise, much of the violence is happening not in towns along the border, where it was assumed the bloodshed would spread, but a considerable distance away, in places such as Phoenix and Atlanta.
Investigators fear the violence could erupt elsewhere around the country because the Mexican cartels are believed to have set up drug-dealing operations all over the U.S., in such far-flung places as Anchorage, Alaska; Boston; and Sioux Falls, S.D.
'The violence follows the drugs,' said David Cuthbertson, agent in charge of the FBI's office in the border city of El Paso, Texas."http://www.dcexaminer.com/breaking/39362942.html [emphasis added]
Hmmm. . . We know where many of the open air drug markets are. . . in Black residential areas.
So, as you can see, this ongoing situation in Mexico has a LOT of implications for Black folks in this country. Our leaders don't seem to be thinking about any of this. Perhaps you should. And think about how you can position yourself to be among those persons who are least affected by these trends.
Would a sudden, massive influx of Mexicans fleeing government collapse and narco wars affect your employment?
What are the odds of drug violence coming to your current doorstep?
Are you paying attention to international developments that can affect your prospects, and quality of life? And your children's prospects?
*Addendum* My goodness, during the last few days, I've seen increasing numbers of news stories about this scenario. I wonder what's up with that...Here are a few paragraphs from today's (2/26/09) Associated Press story, "Mexico prez hopes to quell drug violence by 2012." My reactions are in blue:
MEXICO CITY – President Felipe Calderon hopes to quell Mexico's rampant drug violence by the end of his term in 2012, and disputes U.S. fears that Mexico is losing control of its territory. [Oh my...] In interviews with The Associated Press on Thursday, Calderon and his top prosecutor said the violence that killed 6,290 people last year — and more than 1,000 in the first eight weeks of 2009 — is a sign that the cartels are under pressure from military and police operations nationwide, as well as turf wars among themselves.
"To say that Mexico is a failed state is absolutely false," Calderon said. "I have not lost any part — any single part — of Mexican territory." [Hmmm. . . the fact that he needs to put out this message suggests otherwise.]
Calderon, a Harvard-educated conservative, said smuggling cannot be eliminated as long as Americans continue to use drugs, but hopes he can beat back the cartels by 2012 to a point that the army and federal police can withdraw and leave the problem in the hands of local law enforcement. He declined to give a specific timeline for winning the war against drug gangs. [Could it be that he doesn't have a timetable because his government is losing? Hmmm...]
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Wildest Dreams Check-In, Week 7
Today is Day 47 of the Power 90 program. My goodness, I'm halfway through this first phase of getting my college body back! [I'm going to start the P90x program after I finish this one. P90x is all about extreme---and I do mean EXTREME---levels of fitness. I'm not ready for that. Yet.]
Gold Stars
I'm slightly less tired, slightly less sore, and somewhat less irritable than I was feeling last week. LOL!
I've also (unhappily) moved on to doing the more advanced Phase 3-4 workouts. They have more difficult versions of several exercises. For example, the Phase 1-2 weight training workout has you doing standard push ups. Phase 3-4 calls for decline push ups.This is a more difficult push up, performed with the feet raised up on a box or bench.
The Awful Truth
I cheated a couple of days this week, and did the Phase 1-2 workouts. I can't justify this at all because they now feel noticeably easier.
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams (of any type, not just fitness/health related) coming along?
Gold Stars
I'm slightly less tired, slightly less sore, and somewhat less irritable than I was feeling last week. LOL!
I've also (unhappily) moved on to doing the more advanced Phase 3-4 workouts. They have more difficult versions of several exercises. For example, the Phase 1-2 weight training workout has you doing standard push ups. Phase 3-4 calls for decline push ups.This is a more difficult push up, performed with the feet raised up on a box or bench.
The Awful Truth
I cheated a couple of days this week, and did the Phase 1-2 workouts. I can't justify this at all because they now feel noticeably easier.
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams (of any type, not just fitness/health related) coming along?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
BF POW's Vow: "I Will Use Every Available 'Paper Clip' to Escape."
Most African-American Women Are Actually Prisoners of War in Open-Air Prison Camps That Were Formerly Known as "Black Communities"
Most AA women are actually POWs in the open-air prison camps that are Black residential areas. We don't tell the truth about what Black residential areas have become. We like to pretend that these places are still Black "communities." They are not. As I said in Part 1 of All Colored People That Want to Go to Kansas, On 9/5/1877, Can Do So for $5.00:
"To use secular terms, what used to be 'the Black community' has devolved far beyond the point of no return. To use one of my Christian best friend's terms, Black residential areas are filled with Satanic strongholds. Strongholds that are NOT being pulled down anytime soon. In fact, most of the residents have (at minimum) a passive investment in current conditions remaining as they are. Many of us have a passive investment in supporting the behaviors that support these evil strongholds. Maybe I should list some "passive investment" examples that my friend has mentioned (she's a Protestant minister from New Orleans).
There is the widespread acceptance of the sexual exploitation of underage Black girls. There is the widespread acceptance of illegitimacy. There is the widespread acceptance of obscene and self-degrading "music." There is the fake religiosity that only gets excited about condemning the activities that we have no interest in participating in, such as foaming at the mouth about the gays. I can't count the numbers of shacked-up baby mammas/daddies I've heard who loooove to rant about gay people. They usually get very quiet when I bring up the fact that they are shacked up with illegitimate children.
In short, Black people have turned Black residential areas into 'sundown towns' where one must be behind locks and gates by sundown. The greatest danger to any individual Black person's life is often to be found inside Black residential areas." http://muslimbushido.blogspot.com/2008/11/all-colored-people-that-want-to-go-to.html
In terms of working AA women, I challenge anyone to tell me exactly how our collective quality of life is substantially different from that of our enslaved foremothers.
For most of us, there is never enough of what we need, let alone any abundance in our lives.
For most of us, there are no men protecting or providing for us and our children.
For most of us, there is no true fellowship. Instead there is plenty of misery that loves company.
I Know That Many of You Are Exhausted
Sometimes, there's a communication gap between those who are preaching uplift to AA women and many audience members. Many of the "preachers" have never experienced the complete and utter exhaustion that some audience members are living with.
For example, I know that many of you read the Wildest Dreams Check-Ins and think to yourselves, "Good God Almighty. . . This chick is working out 6 days a week. I. Can't. Do. All. Of. That." I know that many of you read comments from other readers describing their various efforts, and you have the same reaction.
I know.
I understand.
I've felt the same way in the past.
That "I just can't contemplate doing anything more, or anything different" feeling is how I felt when going through the experiences surrounding my aunt's illness that I described during the Part 1 of the True Fellowship series. http://muslimbushido.blogspot.com/2008/10/true-fellowship-is-best-quality-of-life.html
I DO understand; but you are going to have to press on. Help is NOT on the way. If you don't keep moving forward, even with small steps, you won't make it. It's just that simple.
The Prisoner And The Paper Clip
One day years ago at work, I was walking along behind the correctional officers that were taking one of my clients back to the lock-up after court. I needed to talk to her in the client interview room. [I always follow guards and prisoner-clients from a distance of at least 5 feet behind because I don't want to get caught up in any physical drama that might erupt. When I first started doing defense work, I was shocked to have clients tackled to the ground by law enforcement while they were standing right next to me. This has happened more than once.]
My front-handcuffed client appeared to stumble and fall to the ground; and sure enough, the female correctional officers were all over her in a split second. Well, it turned out that the client had seen and tried to covertly pick up a paper clip that was on the ground. They forcibly snatched the paper clip out of her hand.
I was amazed on several levels.
I was amazed that the prisoner-client was carefully, and covertly, scanning the ground looking for items that might be useful. Even something as small as a paper clip.
I was amazed that she had the presence of mind to instantly come up with a ruse to try to get that paper clip.
I was amazed that the correctional officers were carefully watching all of this while seeming to be engrossed among themselves in a tv-related conversation.
Any AA woman who wants to escape, survive, and thrive is going to have to be at least as enterprising at that particular prisoner-client.
Are you willing to remain on the lookout for ANYTHING, no matter how small, that might help you escape, survive, and thrive?
Are you willing to take some steps, even small ones, to escape unsatisfactory circumstances?
Are you willing to immediately reach for ANY opportunities that might come across your path?
Most AA women are actually POWs in the open-air prison camps that are Black residential areas. We don't tell the truth about what Black residential areas have become. We like to pretend that these places are still Black "communities." They are not. As I said in Part 1 of All Colored People That Want to Go to Kansas, On 9/5/1877, Can Do So for $5.00:
"To use secular terms, what used to be 'the Black community' has devolved far beyond the point of no return. To use one of my Christian best friend's terms, Black residential areas are filled with Satanic strongholds. Strongholds that are NOT being pulled down anytime soon. In fact, most of the residents have (at minimum) a passive investment in current conditions remaining as they are. Many of us have a passive investment in supporting the behaviors that support these evil strongholds. Maybe I should list some "passive investment" examples that my friend has mentioned (she's a Protestant minister from New Orleans).
There is the widespread acceptance of the sexual exploitation of underage Black girls. There is the widespread acceptance of illegitimacy. There is the widespread acceptance of obscene and self-degrading "music." There is the fake religiosity that only gets excited about condemning the activities that we have no interest in participating in, such as foaming at the mouth about the gays. I can't count the numbers of shacked-up baby mammas/daddies I've heard who loooove to rant about gay people. They usually get very quiet when I bring up the fact that they are shacked up with illegitimate children.
In short, Black people have turned Black residential areas into 'sundown towns' where one must be behind locks and gates by sundown. The greatest danger to any individual Black person's life is often to be found inside Black residential areas." http://muslimbushido.blogspot.com/2008/11/all-colored-people-that-want-to-go-to.html
In terms of working AA women, I challenge anyone to tell me exactly how our collective quality of life is substantially different from that of our enslaved foremothers.
For most of us, there is never enough of what we need, let alone any abundance in our lives.
For most of us, there are no men protecting or providing for us and our children.
For most of us, there is no true fellowship. Instead there is plenty of misery that loves company.
I Know That Many of You Are Exhausted
Sometimes, there's a communication gap between those who are preaching uplift to AA women and many audience members. Many of the "preachers" have never experienced the complete and utter exhaustion that some audience members are living with.
For example, I know that many of you read the Wildest Dreams Check-Ins and think to yourselves, "Good God Almighty. . . This chick is working out 6 days a week. I. Can't. Do. All. Of. That." I know that many of you read comments from other readers describing their various efforts, and you have the same reaction.
I know.
I understand.
I've felt the same way in the past.
That "I just can't contemplate doing anything more, or anything different" feeling is how I felt when going through the experiences surrounding my aunt's illness that I described during the Part 1 of the True Fellowship series. http://muslimbushido.blogspot.com/2008/10/true-fellowship-is-best-quality-of-life.html
I DO understand; but you are going to have to press on. Help is NOT on the way. If you don't keep moving forward, even with small steps, you won't make it. It's just that simple.
The Prisoner And The Paper Clip
One day years ago at work, I was walking along behind the correctional officers that were taking one of my clients back to the lock-up after court. I needed to talk to her in the client interview room. [I always follow guards and prisoner-clients from a distance of at least 5 feet behind because I don't want to get caught up in any physical drama that might erupt. When I first started doing defense work, I was shocked to have clients tackled to the ground by law enforcement while they were standing right next to me. This has happened more than once.]
My front-handcuffed client appeared to stumble and fall to the ground; and sure enough, the female correctional officers were all over her in a split second. Well, it turned out that the client had seen and tried to covertly pick up a paper clip that was on the ground. They forcibly snatched the paper clip out of her hand.
I was amazed on several levels.
I was amazed that the prisoner-client was carefully, and covertly, scanning the ground looking for items that might be useful. Even something as small as a paper clip.
I was amazed that she had the presence of mind to instantly come up with a ruse to try to get that paper clip.
I was amazed that the correctional officers were carefully watching all of this while seeming to be engrossed among themselves in a tv-related conversation.
Any AA woman who wants to escape, survive, and thrive is going to have to be at least as enterprising at that particular prisoner-client.
Are you willing to remain on the lookout for ANYTHING, no matter how small, that might help you escape, survive, and thrive?
Are you willing to take some steps, even small ones, to escape unsatisfactory circumstances?
Are you willing to immediately reach for ANY opportunities that might come across your path?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Domestic Violence: You Don't Need Anybody's Permission to Save Your Own Life---Just Do It!
This essay is contained in my new book. I'm delighted to announce that The Sojourner's Passport site has launched! You can visit it at http://www.sojournerspassport.com/.
Everyone, I can't thank you enough for your ongoing encouragement and support; I truly appreciate it. Your support is what made this possible. And here's a special shout-out to my web designers at Educo Web Design. They're nice people to deal with, and they do outstanding work!
Peace and blessings,
Khadija Nassif
Everyone, I can't thank you enough for your ongoing encouragement and support; I truly appreciate it. Your support is what made this possible. And here's a special shout-out to my web designers at Educo Web Design. They're nice people to deal with, and they do outstanding work!
Peace and blessings,
Khadija Nassif
Friday, February 13, 2009
An Open Letter to Those Who Support BW-Empowerment Blogs
Over time, I've noticed several recurring, disturbing patterns during conversations at many BW's empowerment blogs.
Some commenters are so (justifiably) disgusted with the many crimes and failures of BM that they are eager to support ANY statement that tongue-lashes BM. No matter what the source or motivation for these statements. This gradually leads to supporting the words and actions of racists. This leads to becoming mirror images of the Negro male celebrities who were so focused on their hatred of Black women that they were eager to validate comments made by a racist like Don Imus.
Some commenters are (justifiably) angry with mass AA culture due to their experiences of being victimized by the Acting Black crew. As a result, they have knee-jerk opposition to the very idea of any sort of AA self-respect, AA pride, or AA unity. This gradually leads to supporting the words and actions of racists.
Some commenters are (justifiably) frustrated by their interactions with still-brainwashed AA women. This leads to calling such women "mammies." This leads to being as VICIOUS and hateful toward these already-oppressed BW as any "hair flipper" that I've described in the past.
Some commenters are so in love with their non-Black boyfriends/husbands and half-Black children that they've lost all sight or comprehension of BLACK interests. And they promote the interests of their half-Black children (and other half-Blacks) at the expense of BLACK people's interests.
Some commenters are foreign-origin Blacks (West Indians and Africans) who come to these forums as voyeurs to insult AA men (and AAs in general) under the guise of supporting BW. These West Indian and African commenters rarely mention the many dysfunctions of their own societies. Or their own oppression as women within these societies. I had to ban one such foreign-origin voyeur from this site.
Let me emphasize that I am NOT a cheek-turning Christian. Islam recognizes that retaliation serves a healthy purpose---to discourage further wrongdoing. So I would never instruct anybody to forgive or forget the wrongs that were done to them. However, the Quran commands believers to NOT let their justified anger lead to committing injustice. Revenge must be proportionate to the evil that was done. And it must be directed against the guilty party.
All of the behaviors I've mentioned above are as destructive as the original evil (the oppression of AA women) that these blogs are fighting. Those who engage in these behaviors are becoming the mirror image of that which they claim to be resisting.
[With the exception of the foreign Black voyeurs I mentioned who are simply bigots, bullies and cowards attacking already wounded people. They are too cowardly to vent their frustrations on Whites, so they come to AAs with their garbage.]
Some commenters are so (justifiably) disgusted with the many crimes and failures of BM that they are eager to support ANY statement that tongue-lashes BM. No matter what the source or motivation for these statements. This gradually leads to supporting the words and actions of racists. This leads to becoming mirror images of the Negro male celebrities who were so focused on their hatred of Black women that they were eager to validate comments made by a racist like Don Imus.
Some commenters are (justifiably) angry with mass AA culture due to their experiences of being victimized by the Acting Black crew. As a result, they have knee-jerk opposition to the very idea of any sort of AA self-respect, AA pride, or AA unity. This gradually leads to supporting the words and actions of racists.
Some commenters are (justifiably) frustrated by their interactions with still-brainwashed AA women. This leads to calling such women "mammies." This leads to being as VICIOUS and hateful toward these already-oppressed BW as any "hair flipper" that I've described in the past.
Some commenters are so in love with their non-Black boyfriends/husbands and half-Black children that they've lost all sight or comprehension of BLACK interests. And they promote the interests of their half-Black children (and other half-Blacks) at the expense of BLACK people's interests.
Some commenters are foreign-origin Blacks (West Indians and Africans) who come to these forums as voyeurs to insult AA men (and AAs in general) under the guise of supporting BW. These West Indian and African commenters rarely mention the many dysfunctions of their own societies. Or their own oppression as women within these societies. I had to ban one such foreign-origin voyeur from this site.
Let me emphasize that I am NOT a cheek-turning Christian. Islam recognizes that retaliation serves a healthy purpose---to discourage further wrongdoing. So I would never instruct anybody to forgive or forget the wrongs that were done to them. However, the Quran commands believers to NOT let their justified anger lead to committing injustice. Revenge must be proportionate to the evil that was done. And it must be directed against the guilty party.
All of the behaviors I've mentioned above are as destructive as the original evil (the oppression of AA women) that these blogs are fighting. Those who engage in these behaviors are becoming the mirror image of that which they claim to be resisting.
[With the exception of the foreign Black voyeurs I mentioned who are simply bigots, bullies and cowards attacking already wounded people. They are too cowardly to vent their frustrations on Whites, so they come to AAs with their garbage.]
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wildest Dreams Check-In, Week 6
Today is Day 38 of the Power 90 Program.
The Awful Truth
I'm tired. Especially when I end up working out after some very long days at work. I'm sore. From doing the maximum number of suggested reps, and the advanced cardio workouts. I'm irritable. About feeling deprived because of the nutrition plan.
I've had a couple of (not very satisfying) days of rebellion against the nutrition plan. I've been not-so-secretly pleased about the recent lack of fresh Brussels sprouts in the nearby grocery stores. This has provided a semi-legitimate excuse to not have my daily anti-cancer juice. The fresh Brussels sprouts were back when I went shopping today. So, I'm back on the juice. {sigh}
Gold Stars
I soldier on with the workouts. I have a huge stock of anti-cancer sencha green tea that I faithfully drink everyday. [There's no plausible excuse for not drinking it.]
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams (of any type, not just fitness/health related) coming along?
The Awful Truth
I'm tired. Especially when I end up working out after some very long days at work. I'm sore. From doing the maximum number of suggested reps, and the advanced cardio workouts. I'm irritable. About feeling deprived because of the nutrition plan.
I've had a couple of (not very satisfying) days of rebellion against the nutrition plan. I've been not-so-secretly pleased about the recent lack of fresh Brussels sprouts in the nearby grocery stores. This has provided a semi-legitimate excuse to not have my daily anti-cancer juice. The fresh Brussels sprouts were back when I went shopping today. So, I'm back on the juice. {sigh}
Gold Stars
I soldier on with the workouts. I have a huge stock of anti-cancer sencha green tea that I faithfully drink everyday. [There's no plausible excuse for not drinking it.]
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams (of any type, not just fitness/health related) coming along?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Machiavelli's "The Prince" Versus Pres. Obama's "Team of Rivals" Cabinet
The "mirror for princes" genre was a type of political writing that was very popular during the European Renaissance of the 14th through 17th centuries. These books taught rulers how to behave in order to avoid having reigns that were violent, tragic, and most of all, short. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is the most famous example of this genre. Currently, these books are mostly read as a form of self-help literature. Most Blacks have never heard of them. This is a pity. This lack of knowledge makes us vulnerable. Vulnerable to hype, and vulnerable to the wiles of others who are familiar with the wisdom contained in these books.
In my recent Sovereign Individual post, I mentioned some of the flaws inherent in the composition of what Pres. Obama apparently believes is "his" team. I pointed out that Pres. Obama doesn't have a strong, faithful posse of his own. He didn't create any of the people around him. Instead, he was loaned the use of other people's posses and retainers. To use Renaissance terminology, Pres. Obama has surrounded himself with mercenaries and auxiliaries. Auxiliaries are troops borrowed from another (typically more powerful) prince.
We can all see what's wrong with depending upon mercenaries. They have no loyalty to anyone because they fight for money. The small saving grace is that mercenaries usually work as individuals with no real attachments to other rulers or factions. Therefore, they probably won't work in an organized, united manner to undermine the prince that has hired them. When mercenaries betray the prince who hired them, they will usually do so as individuals. This is more manageable than the problems created by auxiliaries.
Auxiliaries are even more dangerous than mercenaries. Auxiliaries are loyal to another prince!
When you lose with auxiliaries, you lose. When you win with auxiliaries, you still lose. This is because you owe your victory to the power of another prince. The other prince who loaned you his troops wins because he controls his principality, and indirectly yours also.
A prince without his own native troops will never be truly independent OR secure.
I'll let Niccolo Machiavelli break it down about mercenaries:
"I say, therefore, that the arms with which a prince defends his state are either his own, or they are mercenaries, auxiliaries, or mixed. Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy.
The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you. They are ready enough to be your soldiers whilst you do not make war, but if war comes they take themselves off or run from the foe. . . " The Prince, Chapter 12, "How Many Kinds Of Soldiery There Are, And Concerning Mercenaries." [emphasis added]
Machiavelli on auxiliaries:
"[Auxiliaries] may be useful and good in themselves, but for [the prince] who calls them in they are always disadvantageous; for losing, one is undone, and winning, one is their captive." The Prince, Chapter 13, "Concerning Auxiliaries, Mixed Soldiery, And One's Own." [emphasis added]
I'm going through this in some detail because more of us need to learn how to disregard the hype, and look at situations through the prism of recorded human experience in these matters. It's worth everyone's time to read The Prince and other "mirrors for princes."
In my recent Sovereign Individual post, I mentioned some of the flaws inherent in the composition of what Pres. Obama apparently believes is "his" team. I pointed out that Pres. Obama doesn't have a strong, faithful posse of his own. He didn't create any of the people around him. Instead, he was loaned the use of other people's posses and retainers. To use Renaissance terminology, Pres. Obama has surrounded himself with mercenaries and auxiliaries. Auxiliaries are troops borrowed from another (typically more powerful) prince.
We can all see what's wrong with depending upon mercenaries. They have no loyalty to anyone because they fight for money. The small saving grace is that mercenaries usually work as individuals with no real attachments to other rulers or factions. Therefore, they probably won't work in an organized, united manner to undermine the prince that has hired them. When mercenaries betray the prince who hired them, they will usually do so as individuals. This is more manageable than the problems created by auxiliaries.
Auxiliaries are even more dangerous than mercenaries. Auxiliaries are loyal to another prince!
When you lose with auxiliaries, you lose. When you win with auxiliaries, you still lose. This is because you owe your victory to the power of another prince. The other prince who loaned you his troops wins because he controls his principality, and indirectly yours also.
A prince without his own native troops will never be truly independent OR secure.
I'll let Niccolo Machiavelli break it down about mercenaries:
"I say, therefore, that the arms with which a prince defends his state are either his own, or they are mercenaries, auxiliaries, or mixed. Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy.
The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you. They are ready enough to be your soldiers whilst you do not make war, but if war comes they take themselves off or run from the foe. . . " The Prince, Chapter 12, "How Many Kinds Of Soldiery There Are, And Concerning Mercenaries." [emphasis added]
Machiavelli on auxiliaries:
"[Auxiliaries] may be useful and good in themselves, but for [the prince] who calls them in they are always disadvantageous; for losing, one is undone, and winning, one is their captive." The Prince, Chapter 13, "Concerning Auxiliaries, Mixed Soldiery, And One's Own." [emphasis added]
I'm going through this in some detail because more of us need to learn how to disregard the hype, and look at situations through the prism of recorded human experience in these matters. It's worth everyone's time to read The Prince and other "mirrors for princes."
For Your Own Survival, You Must Become a "Sovereign Individual" Instead of a Typical Employee
Don't Stake Your Survival on Pres. Obama
Don't stake your (and your loved ones') survival on anything that Pres. Obama might do. First of all, there's no way of knowing whether or not his economic proposals will actually work. Second, there are MANY other parties that don't want any of his proposals to succeed. Including many individuals that are nominally on his "side."
Pres. Obama Does NOT Have His Own Posse. Nobody is Watching His Back. This Means That Anything He Does WILL Be Sabotaged. From the Inside-Out.
I can see that the masses of our people will be devastated (in many different ways) when various factions from within as well as outside the Democratic Party finally pull down the Obama-ssiah.
It doesn't matter how much Pres. Obama tries to appease these factions. The problem is that these various factions cannot be appeased. This is because they don't want to be appeased. What they want is to make sure that whatever efforts the Obama-ssiah makes fail, and he gets ALL of the blame, while they position themselves to reign. . . err, rule. . . err, govern. . . once he's been politically destroyed.
This illustrates another problem with most Black folks' concept of politics. We don't understand that the "ruler" is only as strong as his infrastructure (aka "posse"). In Chicago terms, his political "machine." Does Pres. Obama actually have a loyal, faithful, strong posse of his own? Or is he somebody who was loaned the use of other people's posses? We know the answer to this.
It looks like he didn't understand that these various "retainers" are only loyal to the people who actually own and created them. They are loyal to the individuals who loaned them to him. NOT to him. He didn't create any of these people. This is one of the unspoken consequences of Pres. Obama being a crossover candidate who did not come from any sort of organized Black movement or infrastructure.
Black voters simply hopped on the Obama-ssiah bandwagon after they saw that Whites in Iowa were willing to vote for him. Pres. Obama did not come from us. Not that our infrastructure or organizations are particularly solid, but Pres. Obama has NOTHING but thin air under his feet.
Pres. Obama's recent blindsided stumbles with several cabinet nominees should be a signal to you. The manner in which all of that went down made it quite apparent to me that he doesn't have anybody who is actually watching his back. He doesn't even have an old-school, Chicago political "machine" to watch his back. That's his own fault for being naive.
Machiavelli warned about the dangers of a prince being dependent upon mercenaries. Especially foreign ones. They have a nasty habit of abruptly abandoning the prince (at the worst possible moment) in favor of the highest bidder, and/or their previous employers.
For the love of God, don't rely on this one (naive) man for your survival.
The "Factory Age" of Rising Income Equality is OVER
From a 1997 book, The Sovereign Individual, by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg:
"[Otto Ammon, a 19th century German economist] believed that high abilities naturally result in people rising in income and social position. . . . He also believed that the 'true form of the so-called social pyramid is that of a somewhat flat onion or turnip.' . . . Modern industrial societies are indeed all turnips, with a small wealthy and upper-professional class at the top, a larger middle class, and a minority poor at the bottom. Relative to the middle, both the extremes are small.
. . . All of this is intriguing, but the immediate interest of Ammon's work lies in the major long-term shift we are experiencing in the relations, financial and political, between the top and the middle. . . . Most people could master the skills required for operating the machines of the mid-twentieth century, but those jobs have now been replaced by smart machines which, in effect, control themselves. A whole arena of low- and middle-skill employment has already disappeared. If we are correct, this is a prelude to the disappearance of most employment and the reconfiguration of work in the spot market. " pgs. 212-213.
"Societies that have been indoctrinated to expect income equality and high levels of consumption for persons of low or modest skills will face demotivation and insecurity. As the economies of more countries more deeply assimilate information technology, they will see the emergence---so evident already in North America---of a more or less unemployable underclass. [Khadija interrupting the quote here: Guess who this is? You get one guess.] This is exactly what is happening. This will lead to a reaction with a nationalist, antitechnology bias, as we detail in the next chapter.
The Factory Age may prove to have been a unique period in which semistupid machines left a highly profitable niche for unskilled people. Now that the machines can look after themselves, the Information Age is pouring its gifts onto the top 5 percent of Otto Ammon's turnip." pg.214 [emphasis added].
No More "Good Jobs"
". . . The model business organization of the new information economy may be a movie production company. Such enterprises can be very sophisticated, with budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars. While they are large operations, they are also temporary in nature. . . While the people who work on the production are very talented, they have no expectation that finding work on the project is equivalent to having a 'permanent job.'" The Sovereign Individual, pg. 237.
Also, read the following blog post about how, in a connected world where "productivity is portable," the artificial differences in salaries between workers in different countries are evaporating. http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2009/02/journal-normalizing-wagessalaries.html Please note the linked CNN story about how IBM offered its laid-off employees the "opportunity" of moving to India, Russia, and Nigeria and working at LOCAL salaries in order to keep their jobs.
My God.
Do you want to have your salary "normalized" with that of a similarly-educated worker in China? I didn't think so. Well, that's what's heading your way unless you make yourself as "sovereign" as possible. This means as independent as possible from your employer. This means having multiple income streams.
People, Get Ready.
Don't stake your (and your loved ones') survival on anything that Pres. Obama might do. First of all, there's no way of knowing whether or not his economic proposals will actually work. Second, there are MANY other parties that don't want any of his proposals to succeed. Including many individuals that are nominally on his "side."
Pres. Obama Does NOT Have His Own Posse. Nobody is Watching His Back. This Means That Anything He Does WILL Be Sabotaged. From the Inside-Out.
I can see that the masses of our people will be devastated (in many different ways) when various factions from within as well as outside the Democratic Party finally pull down the Obama-ssiah.
It doesn't matter how much Pres. Obama tries to appease these factions. The problem is that these various factions cannot be appeased. This is because they don't want to be appeased. What they want is to make sure that whatever efforts the Obama-ssiah makes fail, and he gets ALL of the blame, while they position themselves to reign. . . err, rule. . . err, govern. . . once he's been politically destroyed.
This illustrates another problem with most Black folks' concept of politics. We don't understand that the "ruler" is only as strong as his infrastructure (aka "posse"). In Chicago terms, his political "machine." Does Pres. Obama actually have a loyal, faithful, strong posse of his own? Or is he somebody who was loaned the use of other people's posses? We know the answer to this.
It looks like he didn't understand that these various "retainers" are only loyal to the people who actually own and created them. They are loyal to the individuals who loaned them to him. NOT to him. He didn't create any of these people. This is one of the unspoken consequences of Pres. Obama being a crossover candidate who did not come from any sort of organized Black movement or infrastructure.
Black voters simply hopped on the Obama-ssiah bandwagon after they saw that Whites in Iowa were willing to vote for him. Pres. Obama did not come from us. Not that our infrastructure or organizations are particularly solid, but Pres. Obama has NOTHING but thin air under his feet.
Pres. Obama's recent blindsided stumbles with several cabinet nominees should be a signal to you. The manner in which all of that went down made it quite apparent to me that he doesn't have anybody who is actually watching his back. He doesn't even have an old-school, Chicago political "machine" to watch his back. That's his own fault for being naive.
Machiavelli warned about the dangers of a prince being dependent upon mercenaries. Especially foreign ones. They have a nasty habit of abruptly abandoning the prince (at the worst possible moment) in favor of the highest bidder, and/or their previous employers.
For the love of God, don't rely on this one (naive) man for your survival.
The "Factory Age" of Rising Income Equality is OVER
From a 1997 book, The Sovereign Individual, by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg:
"[Otto Ammon, a 19th century German economist] believed that high abilities naturally result in people rising in income and social position. . . . He also believed that the 'true form of the so-called social pyramid is that of a somewhat flat onion or turnip.' . . . Modern industrial societies are indeed all turnips, with a small wealthy and upper-professional class at the top, a larger middle class, and a minority poor at the bottom. Relative to the middle, both the extremes are small.
. . . All of this is intriguing, but the immediate interest of Ammon's work lies in the major long-term shift we are experiencing in the relations, financial and political, between the top and the middle. . . . Most people could master the skills required for operating the machines of the mid-twentieth century, but those jobs have now been replaced by smart machines which, in effect, control themselves. A whole arena of low- and middle-skill employment has already disappeared. If we are correct, this is a prelude to the disappearance of most employment and the reconfiguration of work in the spot market. " pgs. 212-213.
"Societies that have been indoctrinated to expect income equality and high levels of consumption for persons of low or modest skills will face demotivation and insecurity. As the economies of more countries more deeply assimilate information technology, they will see the emergence---so evident already in North America---of a more or less unemployable underclass. [Khadija interrupting the quote here: Guess who this is? You get one guess.] This is exactly what is happening. This will lead to a reaction with a nationalist, antitechnology bias, as we detail in the next chapter.
The Factory Age may prove to have been a unique period in which semistupid machines left a highly profitable niche for unskilled people. Now that the machines can look after themselves, the Information Age is pouring its gifts onto the top 5 percent of Otto Ammon's turnip." pg.214 [emphasis added].
No More "Good Jobs"
". . . The model business organization of the new information economy may be a movie production company. Such enterprises can be very sophisticated, with budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars. While they are large operations, they are also temporary in nature. . . While the people who work on the production are very talented, they have no expectation that finding work on the project is equivalent to having a 'permanent job.'" The Sovereign Individual, pg. 237.
Also, read the following blog post about how, in a connected world where "productivity is portable," the artificial differences in salaries between workers in different countries are evaporating. http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2009/02/journal-normalizing-wagessalaries.html Please note the linked CNN story about how IBM offered its laid-off employees the "opportunity" of moving to India, Russia, and Nigeria and working at LOCAL salaries in order to keep their jobs.
My God.
Do you want to have your salary "normalized" with that of a similarly-educated worker in China? I didn't think so. Well, that's what's heading your way unless you make yourself as "sovereign" as possible. This means as independent as possible from your employer. This means having multiple income streams.
People, Get Ready.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wildest Dreams Check-In, Week 5
Today is Day 31 of the Power 90 program. I'm into the 2nd month of the program now. I'm on my way!
Mike French's Essay about What to Expect with P90x
I've seen an essay by a P90x-er named Mike French posted and re-posted on several blogs about P90x. The essay is titled "What to Expect with P90x." What Mr. French says pretty much tracks with what my personal trainer told me years ago; as well as my previous fitness results with the personal trainer. Here's a link: http://malibubu.com/fit/blog1.php/2008/10/07/what-to-expect-with-p90x
Here are a few pertinent quotes from his essay [my comments are in blue]:
"DAY 1-30 (PHASE 1 -APPROXIMATELY) . . . Your body will take body fat off in 'sheets.' What I mean is that it will reduce your overall body fat evenly. Where we hold the largest amount of body fat largely depends on genetics and gender. Women tend to hold their body fat in their butt, leg, hip region. Men generally hold their body fat in their waistlines. This is what to watch for in this Phase: loosening of your clothes, stay off the scale and above all, remain patient and continue to work hard."
[Yep. This is why it's a good idea to track your progress with tape measurements (especially in the beginning. Also keep in mind that there is NO "spot reduction" of fat! Ever! Let go of that notion.]
. . . "DAYS 31-60 (PHASE 2 -APPROXIMATELY) . . . Expect dramatic results during this Phase as long as you remain disciplined and suffer daily. . . . Where you hold the most fat will improve but not to your impatient satisfaction. Why? Because as your body removes the fat in "sheets" naturally the leaner sections of your body will show definition the quickest."
[Yep. During my experience with the trainer, this was the point at which people started asking me what I was doing that had caused the noticeable weight loss and toning.]
. . . "DAYS 61-90 (PHASE 3 -APPROXIMATELY) This is the Phase to let it all hang out. It's an all out assault on body fat. . . . This is the time to do some extra workout sessions. Walk after dinner, take an extra bike ride. Skip rope, box, and do something extra to burn more calories and more fat."
[I would worry about overtraining with all of that. It makes more sense to me to do no more than 3 extra sessions per week.]
Gold Stars
Since this is the beginning of Phase 2, I decided that I need to tighten up my nutrition situation. Praise God, I've met my goals with Phase 1: My clothes are baggier and my measurements are smaller. But since I'm serious about wanting to see drastic changes during this phase, I need to make some dietary adjustments. So, I've eliminated processed foods (including my beloved bread), except for my once a week "cheat" meal. {very long sigh, but it's worth it}
The Awful Truth
Since I've started doing the maximum number of suggested reps with the weight training program, and mixing in the advanced cardio workout, I'm sore again. (Like I was at the very beginning.) {sigh}
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams coming along?
Mike French's Essay about What to Expect with P90x
I've seen an essay by a P90x-er named Mike French posted and re-posted on several blogs about P90x. The essay is titled "What to Expect with P90x." What Mr. French says pretty much tracks with what my personal trainer told me years ago; as well as my previous fitness results with the personal trainer. Here's a link: http://malibubu.com/fit/blog1.php/2008/10/07/what-to-expect-with-p90x
Here are a few pertinent quotes from his essay [my comments are in blue]:
"DAY 1-30 (PHASE 1 -APPROXIMATELY) . . . Your body will take body fat off in 'sheets.' What I mean is that it will reduce your overall body fat evenly. Where we hold the largest amount of body fat largely depends on genetics and gender. Women tend to hold their body fat in their butt, leg, hip region. Men generally hold their body fat in their waistlines. This is what to watch for in this Phase: loosening of your clothes, stay off the scale and above all, remain patient and continue to work hard."
[Yep. This is why it's a good idea to track your progress with tape measurements (especially in the beginning. Also keep in mind that there is NO "spot reduction" of fat! Ever! Let go of that notion.]
. . . "DAYS 31-60 (PHASE 2 -APPROXIMATELY) . . . Expect dramatic results during this Phase as long as you remain disciplined and suffer daily. . . . Where you hold the most fat will improve but not to your impatient satisfaction. Why? Because as your body removes the fat in "sheets" naturally the leaner sections of your body will show definition the quickest."
[Yep. During my experience with the trainer, this was the point at which people started asking me what I was doing that had caused the noticeable weight loss and toning.]
. . . "DAYS 61-90 (PHASE 3 -APPROXIMATELY) This is the Phase to let it all hang out. It's an all out assault on body fat. . . . This is the time to do some extra workout sessions. Walk after dinner, take an extra bike ride. Skip rope, box, and do something extra to burn more calories and more fat."
[I would worry about overtraining with all of that. It makes more sense to me to do no more than 3 extra sessions per week.]
Gold Stars
Since this is the beginning of Phase 2, I decided that I need to tighten up my nutrition situation. Praise God, I've met my goals with Phase 1: My clothes are baggier and my measurements are smaller. But since I'm serious about wanting to see drastic changes during this phase, I need to make some dietary adjustments. So, I've eliminated processed foods (including my beloved bread), except for my once a week "cheat" meal. {very long sigh, but it's worth it}
The Awful Truth
Since I've started doing the maximum number of suggested reps with the weight training program, and mixing in the advanced cardio workout, I'm sore again. (Like I was at the very beginning.) {sigh}
What's going on with you? How are your Wildest Dreams coming along?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Table Talk for Activists, Part 3: Don't Delegitimize Your Struggle By Making "White People Are Doing 'It' Too" Arguments
This essay is contained in my new book. I'm delighted to announce that The Sojourner's Passport site has launched! You can visit it at http://www.sojournerspassport.com/.
Everyone, I can't thank you enough for your ongoing encouragement and support; I truly appreciate it. Your support is what made this possible. And here's a special shout-out to my web designers at Educo Web Design. They're nice people to deal with, and they do outstanding work!
Peace and blessings,
Khadija Nassif
__________________________________________
Whenever the topic of wrongs committed by Blacks comes up, there are always plenty of Black folks who link and measure our evil deeds with those of Whites. I believe that this traditional, knee-jerk response is a serious error. As much as we like to scream about how we're being victimized, many of us feel perfectly comfortable victimizing others.
The "White people are doing it too," or "White people did it worse," or "White people are doing it more" arguments are totally irrelevant when considering the evil of some of our people's actions. Furthermore, these arguments are: (1) ethically repugnant; and even worse, (2) a dangerous strategic liability in terms of African-Americans' long-term interests.
Ever since the Open Letter to Princeton Theological Seminary post, White, racist trolls from Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) have been stalking several Black activist blogs. Muslim Bushido is one of the blogs that they've been stalking. It pleases me to know that these racists are still smarting from this blog's (and other blogs') call for justice regarding the hate crime at PTS. [Click on the "Say NO to Racism at Princeton" badge under the masthead for more details]
I had a brief exchange with one of the racist PTS trolls in the comment section of the Negative National Security Impact of Damaged Beyond Repair Black Men post. This particular racist said:
"In all fairness to black guys, white guys are the original DBR. We just didn't just go rape some people.. we colonizied a bunch of people, wiped out some civilizations and started a couple of world wars. Black men have a looooooong way to go to match that. And really.. who do muslims hate more than evil, white, European guys?"
I responded:
"Anonymous:
Hmmm. You could be a DBRBM pretending to write in as a WM. {No...your anonymous note doesn't have quite the "right" tone for that}
Or your primary issue could be that you're an anti-Muslim bigot of any ethnicity. {No...that doesn't sound quite right either}
Or, you could be one of the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) racists who is still smarting from this blog's, and other blogs', call for justice at PTS . . . DING! DING! DING! By George, I think that's it! Funny how you're still stalking activist Black blogs.
Whatever. {yawn} It really doesn't matter. Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari gave a concise summary of the Islamic position in his book Social and Historical Change: An Islamic Perspective: "Islam is oriented toward justice and equality. Plainly, those who benefit from this orientation are the deprived and oppressed, and those who lose are the plunderers, monopolists, and exploiters. Even where Islam works to secure the rights and interests of a class, its primary aim is to realize a value, to found a humane principle." pg. 119.
Muslims have a problem with whoever it is that's doing something wrong. Remember that, Anonymous.
With justice in mind."
As the exchange continued, the racist troll was very eager to try to elicit a "White people have done 'it' worse" response from me. You may ask, "Why would a White racist WANT to hear a Black person agree with the 'White people have done 'it' worse' argument?" Answer: Because these sorts of arguments almost always serve his (racist) interests! In many different ways.
Making "White People Are Doing 'It' Too, etc." Arguments Serves to Delegitimize Your Struggle
Let me explicitly point out the strategic danger of engaging in the "White people are doing it too, etc." framing of issues related to Black folks' wrongdoing. White racists like to hear that sort of reasoning and arguments from Black folks. The racists like it because these type of arguments serve to delegitimize our struggles for justice!
The "White folks are doing 'it' too" type of arguments let everyone know that the speaker is NOT interested in justice. It lets everyone know that the speaker is NOT taking a stand based on principle, but instead on the basis of ethnic favoritism of some sort.
Engaging in the "White people are doing 'it' too", etc." arguments plays into White racists' public relations strategy of characterizing our struggles as corrupt hustles and/or shakedowns.
When you make these sorts of arguments, you are helping to convince neutral, non-Black bystanders that your cause is unworthy of their support. Here's why:
Unless you have worked to establish an ACLU-type reputation for advocating on behalf of the U.S. Constitution across the board, it looks as if you simply want any and all Black criminals to go unpunished when you make these sorts of statements. It looks like you are callously disregarding the pain that Black predators have inflicted upon other people. It looks like you have no ethical center to your arguments. It looks like you have no concern for public safety. Finally, it looks like you have no common sense.
Non-Blacks have NO inherent interest in having Black predators go unpunished.
Those audience members who remember some of the other comments from the White racist PTS trolls, will recall that these racists assumed that we would NOT want a Black hate-crime perpetrator punished. They assumed that our calls for justice were actually calls for ethnic favoritism.
Over the years, you've heard some of the racists' pet phrases: "special treatment," "special interests," etc. You feed into this characterization by making "White people are doing 'it' too, etc." arguments. Please know that it seriously throws White racists off their game when you demand justice across the board.
White Racists Have Nothing to Lose by Admitting Their People's Past Crimes Such as Genocide, etc. YOU and YOUR Struggle Have a LOT to Lose by Making "White People are Doing 'It' Too, etc." Arguments.
Evia was quite incisive in her response, and pointed out several extremely important points about all of this. She correctly analyzed the troll's comments as:
". . . just another form of the same protective device to enable the DBRbm to continue their reign of brutalizing NON-WHITE females. Now just let these DBRbm start going into white communities raping 12 year old white girls and doing some the vile things they do to unprotected black girls, bw and other nonwhite women, there would be lynchings again in this country.
See, it’s easy for wm to make excuses for da po bm (IF that was a white person) on blogs and such, but you just let Tyrone go into those white communities raping little white girls and preying on ww and see what would happen. And any white person like your commenter (if s/he was white) who’d try to make excuses for them would be strung up too.
. . . I always point out to these folks that white folks know what they’ve done here, there, and everywhere because their historians document their heinous acts, but this is also why whites are willing to pump billion of dollars into THEIR military industrial complex. And this is why they knew/know they need nuclear weapons. Last time I checked, AAs don’t have a military and we don’t have any nuclear weapons.
. . . Whereas the white DBRs that your commenter mentioned are not held accountable (since their people control the United States military and nuclear weapons), AAs won’t have anything to protect us from the backlash that these damaged black males are causing."
She's absolutely right about all of that.
First of all, you should realize that the entire topic is a joke to the racist troll. He knows that his collective will NOT be held accountable for their history of genocide, slavery, etc. So he can make all the historical admissions he wants, without it undermining his people's interests. The additional joke for him is that he's dishonestly pretending to shed crocodile tears for long dead victims of color, while ignoring and brushing off the suffering of still-living victims of color.
When we join the racist troll (and others) in making the "White people are doing 'it' too, etc." arguments, we are undermining our people's interests. We are furthering the racist characterization of our struggles as ethnic favoritism-based hustles.
We are also driving away potential non-Black allies. You see, the only thing that non-Blacks usually hear from us are demands that Black criminals escape punishment. As well as a steady stream of excuses and denials of the evil done by some Blacks. They almost never hear any of us calling for any Black predator to be punished.
Secondly, keep in mind that racists do NOT wish you and other Black people well. They do NOT want to see the African-American collective cleanse itself of the crime and evil within. Racists are quite comfortable when Black folks excuse and enable evils that these same racists would NEVER tolerate running rampant within their collective.
"White people are doing 'it' too, etc." arguments serve to excuse and enable evil. These sorts of arguments also undermine our long-term interests. It's long past time to stop using them.
Everyone, I can't thank you enough for your ongoing encouragement and support; I truly appreciate it. Your support is what made this possible. And here's a special shout-out to my web designers at Educo Web Design. They're nice people to deal with, and they do outstanding work!
Peace and blessings,
Khadija Nassif
__________________________________________
Whenever the topic of wrongs committed by Blacks comes up, there are always plenty of Black folks who link and measure our evil deeds with those of Whites. I believe that this traditional, knee-jerk response is a serious error. As much as we like to scream about how we're being victimized, many of us feel perfectly comfortable victimizing others.
The "White people are doing it too," or "White people did it worse," or "White people are doing it more" arguments are totally irrelevant when considering the evil of some of our people's actions. Furthermore, these arguments are: (1) ethically repugnant; and even worse, (2) a dangerous strategic liability in terms of African-Americans' long-term interests.
Ever since the Open Letter to Princeton Theological Seminary post, White, racist trolls from Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) have been stalking several Black activist blogs. Muslim Bushido is one of the blogs that they've been stalking. It pleases me to know that these racists are still smarting from this blog's (and other blogs') call for justice regarding the hate crime at PTS. [Click on the "Say NO to Racism at Princeton" badge under the masthead for more details]
I had a brief exchange with one of the racist PTS trolls in the comment section of the Negative National Security Impact of Damaged Beyond Repair Black Men post. This particular racist said:
"In all fairness to black guys, white guys are the original DBR. We just didn't just go rape some people.. we colonizied a bunch of people, wiped out some civilizations and started a couple of world wars. Black men have a looooooong way to go to match that. And really.. who do muslims hate more than evil, white, European guys?"
I responded:
"Anonymous:
Hmmm. You could be a DBRBM pretending to write in as a WM. {No...your anonymous note doesn't have quite the "right" tone for that}
Or your primary issue could be that you're an anti-Muslim bigot of any ethnicity. {No...that doesn't sound quite right either}
Or, you could be one of the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) racists who is still smarting from this blog's, and other blogs', call for justice at PTS . . . DING! DING! DING! By George, I think that's it! Funny how you're still stalking activist Black blogs.
Whatever. {yawn} It really doesn't matter. Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari gave a concise summary of the Islamic position in his book Social and Historical Change: An Islamic Perspective: "Islam is oriented toward justice and equality. Plainly, those who benefit from this orientation are the deprived and oppressed, and those who lose are the plunderers, monopolists, and exploiters. Even where Islam works to secure the rights and interests of a class, its primary aim is to realize a value, to found a humane principle." pg. 119.
Muslims have a problem with whoever it is that's doing something wrong. Remember that, Anonymous.
With justice in mind."
As the exchange continued, the racist troll was very eager to try to elicit a "White people have done 'it' worse" response from me. You may ask, "Why would a White racist WANT to hear a Black person agree with the 'White people have done 'it' worse' argument?" Answer: Because these sorts of arguments almost always serve his (racist) interests! In many different ways.
Making "White People Are Doing 'It' Too, etc." Arguments Serves to Delegitimize Your Struggle
Let me explicitly point out the strategic danger of engaging in the "White people are doing it too, etc." framing of issues related to Black folks' wrongdoing. White racists like to hear that sort of reasoning and arguments from Black folks. The racists like it because these type of arguments serve to delegitimize our struggles for justice!
The "White folks are doing 'it' too" type of arguments let everyone know that the speaker is NOT interested in justice. It lets everyone know that the speaker is NOT taking a stand based on principle, but instead on the basis of ethnic favoritism of some sort.
Engaging in the "White people are doing 'it' too", etc." arguments plays into White racists' public relations strategy of characterizing our struggles as corrupt hustles and/or shakedowns.
When you make these sorts of arguments, you are helping to convince neutral, non-Black bystanders that your cause is unworthy of their support. Here's why:
Unless you have worked to establish an ACLU-type reputation for advocating on behalf of the U.S. Constitution across the board, it looks as if you simply want any and all Black criminals to go unpunished when you make these sorts of statements. It looks like you are callously disregarding the pain that Black predators have inflicted upon other people. It looks like you have no ethical center to your arguments. It looks like you have no concern for public safety. Finally, it looks like you have no common sense.
Non-Blacks have NO inherent interest in having Black predators go unpunished.
Those audience members who remember some of the other comments from the White racist PTS trolls, will recall that these racists assumed that we would NOT want a Black hate-crime perpetrator punished. They assumed that our calls for justice were actually calls for ethnic favoritism.
Over the years, you've heard some of the racists' pet phrases: "special treatment," "special interests," etc. You feed into this characterization by making "White people are doing 'it' too, etc." arguments. Please know that it seriously throws White racists off their game when you demand justice across the board.
White Racists Have Nothing to Lose by Admitting Their People's Past Crimes Such as Genocide, etc. YOU and YOUR Struggle Have a LOT to Lose by Making "White People are Doing 'It' Too, etc." Arguments.
Evia was quite incisive in her response, and pointed out several extremely important points about all of this. She correctly analyzed the troll's comments as:
". . . just another form of the same protective device to enable the DBRbm to continue their reign of brutalizing NON-WHITE females. Now just let these DBRbm start going into white communities raping 12 year old white girls and doing some the vile things they do to unprotected black girls, bw and other nonwhite women, there would be lynchings again in this country.
See, it’s easy for wm to make excuses for da po bm (IF that was a white person) on blogs and such, but you just let Tyrone go into those white communities raping little white girls and preying on ww and see what would happen. And any white person like your commenter (if s/he was white) who’d try to make excuses for them would be strung up too.
. . . I always point out to these folks that white folks know what they’ve done here, there, and everywhere because their historians document their heinous acts, but this is also why whites are willing to pump billion of dollars into THEIR military industrial complex. And this is why they knew/know they need nuclear weapons. Last time I checked, AAs don’t have a military and we don’t have any nuclear weapons.
. . . Whereas the white DBRs that your commenter mentioned are not held accountable (since their people control the United States military and nuclear weapons), AAs won’t have anything to protect us from the backlash that these damaged black males are causing."
She's absolutely right about all of that.
First of all, you should realize that the entire topic is a joke to the racist troll. He knows that his collective will NOT be held accountable for their history of genocide, slavery, etc. So he can make all the historical admissions he wants, without it undermining his people's interests. The additional joke for him is that he's dishonestly pretending to shed crocodile tears for long dead victims of color, while ignoring and brushing off the suffering of still-living victims of color.
When we join the racist troll (and others) in making the "White people are doing 'it' too, etc." arguments, we are undermining our people's interests. We are furthering the racist characterization of our struggles as ethnic favoritism-based hustles.
We are also driving away potential non-Black allies. You see, the only thing that non-Blacks usually hear from us are demands that Black criminals escape punishment. As well as a steady stream of excuses and denials of the evil done by some Blacks. They almost never hear any of us calling for any Black predator to be punished.
Secondly, keep in mind that racists do NOT wish you and other Black people well. They do NOT want to see the African-American collective cleanse itself of the crime and evil within. Racists are quite comfortable when Black folks excuse and enable evils that these same racists would NEVER tolerate running rampant within their collective.
"White people are doing 'it' too, etc." arguments serve to excuse and enable evil. These sorts of arguments also undermine our long-term interests. It's long past time to stop using them.
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