Racial Situations in the Workplace
An interesting take on how one can use racist attitudes to one’s advantage – they hit some things dead on, some they missed, entertaining nonetheless.
Tag Archives: attitude
The Vocal Minority
The Vocal Minority
Ringing loudly from a few
A little Abstract: Simply put, minority groups – lifestyles, cultural, racial, were disadvantaged because their concerns went unheard in the general public – primarily due to the availability of distributional channels; back in the day, the only way to really rally, garner support were through newspapers, TV (if you could get the airtime), and word of mouth. In times of social unrest throughout the world, the ‘grassroots’ campaign has been the movement of choice for sparking change and voicing dissent – from the pamphlets that used to be passed around in the dens preceding the Spanish revolution to speak of injustices, to the rallies that started in the deep south in the U.S. circa 1960’s that spread across the nation – it has shown us that the minority, though small, can be very vocal in expressing their dissent.
Enter the digital age with communications passing at lightning speeds; grassroots groups can now quickly spread their message around – gaining members, support, and exposure. The most recent and salient example of this would be Obama’s 2008 U.S. presidential campaign as the mastermind of his campaign utilized the power of social network’s to connect with people; the campaign was able to quickly organize rallies and spread campaign messages to thousands of people instantly. It is said that it is because of Obama’s clever use of grassroots movement ‘mentality’ that lead him to victory in the election – in an election that everyone initially thought he had no chance in winning.
Essentially, most grassroots movements focus around inequity; the imbalance of a system – and the movements try to disrupt and/or change the lifestyle of the majority. Some of the movements I support, but for some …. I don’t know. These movements are very vocal, but their cause – I can’t identify with and/or subscribe, or I just don’t get the logic in how they expressed themselves. There are even full sites that give guides and tutorials on how to start Grassroots sites (click here) with plenty of resources.
The Doubters
No need to explain what doubt is; should be a universal concept as we experience everyday in our lives. Whenever you have an event, or a belief, there will always be two points of view – the Advocators and the Doubters. Let’s examine the Doubters; specifically in the light of substantial empirical evidence. Call them ignorant, believers, or motivationally driven, these people pronounce an opposing stance in the face of adversity; such as those that don’t believe in the moon landing by NASA. Maybe call them the ‘conspirators’ actually, as they cast doubt and mystery behind many of life’s popular events; and they gain traction via social networking sites and mobile technology to amplify their belief.
I only dread as the world gets increasingly smaller with communications, that the world on a whole, will be much louder – get your earmuffs out.
Cheap vs Frugal, pt 2
Cheap vs Frugal, pt 2
Examples of the difference
This post expands on the battle between being cheap and frugal – as many of my friends, colleagues have attested that I am cheap. They are categorically wrong. To be cheap means to consciously decide products/services of inferior quality. To be frugal means to be careful in the usage of one’s resources. As to not rehash the first post (click here), I have thought of clear distinguishing examples that will help those that are wrongfully accused of being cheap, when they are actually frugal:
Bringing Outside food/beverages into the Movie Theatres
-Now this is just being smart, $5 for a bag of popcorn?!? $3 for a bag of candy?!? Bringing in your own treats from the dollar store does not only save you money, but is being a smart consumer.
Buying No Name Brands vs Brand Names
– In some cases the difference is minimal, and if you can’t distinguish the difference, then it makes no sense to spend an extra few cents to a dollar just to have a ‘name brand’; specifically I am referring to grocery items. However, if you do have a general disdain and find the products of no name products to lack a certain taste/quality than a brand name – then sure, go ahead and go for the name brand. But choosing an equally comparative brand is not cheap, it is being frugal.
Event Parking
– I live in Toronto, where they like to charge enormous amounts of money for parking in the downtown core – many big cities have a similar and worse situation. So what is walking a few blocks to your event if it is going to save you money in the long run? That $15 flat rate parking is only a cost for easy convenience; while the $5 parking lot down the street or the free parking (a few more blocks away) will make you do something that you should already be doing – exercise! Get your ‘walk on’ and save a few bucks, be frugal, don’t waste your money.
Be Frugal NOT Cheap! Like moi!
.:: LiBM ::.
Loss of Shame
From paulbradley.ca
The Loss of Shame
Good or Bad?
As 2009 comes to an end, this has to be one of the most bizarre years for celebrities and sports figures – from Octo Mom, Chris Brown/Rihanna, the Rick Ross/50 Cent fiasco, and the endless ‘leaks’ of personal home videos from celebrities, this year is definitely a defining moment in the ongoing moral decay of society. Combine that with the ever-so popular YouTube videos of youth fights (especially the senseless killing of a Chicago teen), it can be said that we have lost our sense of shame. This point rings louder in the aftermath of the Tiger Woods incident where we have several women ‘proudly’ coming forward in saying that they had sexual relations with the Golf superstar. Let’s analyze the situation so we are all following; up to 16 women are coming forward saying they had relations with a married man … If this was even 50 years ago, these women would have not dared to pronounce such a thing as they would feel ASHAMED and EMBARRASSED. However, some ‘reappropriation’ or ‘reinterpretation’ has happened in the last couple of years because now what used to be ‘shameful’ can be almost worn as a ‘badge of honor’ on one’s sleeve.
So how did we lose the sense of shame? Was it lost with the rise of feminism as women became more vocal about their gender & sexuality? Or was it a reaction to the rise in ‘political correctness’ as a sort of a revolt or detest? I am sure there are a multitude of reasons to our moral decay, and all relates to a loss of pride, honor, and respect for ourselves. I mean, that has to be the only reasons for why women would proudly bolster themselves as hussies, modern day jezebels – we are using our greed for money and fame as an appropriate rational to engage in shameful behavior. Its funny, kind of, we are practicing the ENDS justifies the MEANS, where the ‘ENDS’ refers to money/fame/notoriety and the ‘MEANS’ is whoever or whatever we have to screw (literally and figuratively) over to get it.
This ‘loss of shame’ is everywhere through our society, and I guess it is a reflection to changing norms and attitudes. Some more relatable examples that are seen in everyday life are:
men who mooch off their girlfriends
Not saying that men can be the only ones who are the ‘earners’, but there are many guys out there that are proud that they stay home, play video games all day, and just spend their girlfriend’s money … can anyone say ‘role-reversal’? Lol, just kidding to my independent women.
The Whore Movement
Has always been around, but re-ignited with Paris Hilton, this movement pretty much teaches young females that it is okay to be slack, loose, film yourself – if it leads to money & material wealth. With hip-hop, now we have rappers like Nicki Minaj who have an almost cult-like following of young women who follow her on Twitter, dress like her, and talks like her (go to her MySpace to get familiar).
The most blatant example of our ‘Loss of Shame’ can be seen daily, hourly, on Twitter – sometimes I am disgusted of the trending topics and some of the comments/posts that people share. It really is a sea of madness and nonsense – but in the same breath, is this a product of our individualistic society where we are encouraged to say what is on our minds?
The ‘Good’ in the “Loss of Shame”?
From childhood, we are taught that we are ‘special’, we are ‘unique’, ‘no one is like you’, and to ‘speak our mind’, so is this merely the cost of our individuality – the loss of morals? It is an interesting trade-off that we seem to be battling with at the moment as it is a continuous cycle of conflicting views that go sort of like: If I am vocal of something that is perceived as morally incorrect, if I DON’T talk about it I am repressing my feelings & emotions – which goes against everything that society teaches me …. And if I DO be vocal about something that is morally incorrect, then I am expressing myself, even though I know it is wrong – so why am I expressing it in the first place.
Just thinking about this gives me a headache, as morality, ethics, freedom, and psychology interplay in this sticky quagmire of a situation.
Am I on point or far-off? Share your thoughts …
.::LiBM::.
Buy Yourself a Personality: Gucci
Buy Yourself a Personality: Gucci
Another installment in the series of ‘Buying Yourself a Personality’, which is a quick way for one to absorb a personality via the purchase of certain items; in this series, we focus on the popular high-end luxury brand Gucci. Essentially, Gucci is a ridiculously priced luxury fashion line that makes everything from handbags, purses, suits, pants, and other items. Its distinctive pattern is world renowned and easy to recognize – which has been problematic for Gucci as now it has to deal with bootlegging and the black market of its products. It is estimated that the bootlegging of Gucci nets close to $500 million dollars annually. Gucci has a crack team of lawyers to pursue the bootleggers, but they are far outnumbered.
Anyhow, it is important to note that Gucci is only found in high-end retail stores – so if you are buying a Gucci shirt at the local swap meet or flea market, and you are paying close to a $100 for it, you are being ripped off. Or, you are buying it to fill a need to be seen as ‘wealthy’ and/or one with a high SES. You are doing it to seem ‘cool’, to fill some void. But, you got to realize that this is not the answer – spend your money wisely, please. Especially to my black people who go to some crazy and extraodinary lengths to don Gucci attire. Some even are so crazy with it that they outfit their whole vehicle with Gucci lining and upholstery. I guess when you have some money, no financial planner, you can really do some stupid things – primarily the things that do nothing to raise the value in your assets. With that said, here are some ridiculous Gucci designs.
Some people will pay hundreds, even thousands of dollars for just the Gucci fabric – which people, is just a flipping pattern! But, maybe I shouldn’t get all ‘bent out of shape’, as they are buying more than just a cheap fabric made in China, lol.
Happy Festivus!
Festivus Greetings!
Spawned from a Seinfeld TV episode in 1997 as “A holiday celebrated by those frustrated with the commercialism and pressure surrounding the Christmas/Hanukkah season”, this secular holiday seasons has gained traction and is now practiced by millions of people across the world – I am sure seriously and jokingly. But really, this holiday is interesting to me nonetheless because I am sure it expresses feelings that many of us feel during the Christmas season; with the family members, shopping tribulations, awkward social dinners & parties, and so on. One could easily dub some of the elements of the Festivus holiday with a dose of ‘reality’; as the elements allow one to get as Young Jeezy said, “As Real as it Gets”. Enter the Rituals:
Airing of Grievances
The celebration of Festivus begins with the “Airing of Grievances”, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year.
– oh man, I am sure that many secretly wish & desire that they can do this – everyone can relate to this as I am sure there are many people you want to air out, fighter jet style, to let them know what you think of them and how they have disappointed you over the year(s).
Feats of Strength
“As described in the “Festivus Book”, the head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges that person to a wrestling match.[8] The person may decline if they have something else to do, such as pull a double shift at work. Tradition states that Festivus is not over until the head of the household is pinned in a wrestling match.”
Other Festivus rituals include the Festivus Dinner that usually includes a subpar dinner, and the Festivus Pole; which replaces the ‘Christmas tree’ with a simple, simple, simple facsimile (minus the trimmings). There are even books and a website to support and promote this holiday (http://www.festivusbook.com/), and on YouTube many people have recorded their celebrations to share the world.
Even a company is making a business out of making a ‘Festivus Pole’, SMH
In all, I am sure the creator of Festivus, which is one of the Seinfeld writers “Dan O’Keefe”, never thought that this holiday would be what it is today, but I guess when you connect with what people are feeling, anything can happen …. Happy Festivus to all!
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus
Racists or A-holes?
Racism or A-holes
Gross ambiguity in ascertaining motivation
How we interpret events really depends on our perception; which is developed over time through experiences. When we feel that we are ‘wronged’ or we are suffering some sort of injustice from our neighbors, ‘the man’, teachers, other authority figures – sometimes the only conclusion that we can arrive at to explain why people are treating us in a certain way can only be explained by ‘hatred’. This ‘hatred’ though is ambiguous as it may be colored through ‘racist’ or ‘asshole’ goggles. Ok, your probably not following, so let me paint this with examples:
The guy in this video is clearly an asshole, it is quite evident. Now, if you were the doctor, and you were black, some may interpret this as the guy not being an ‘asshole’ but a ‘racist’ – to explain why he is behaving so badly. Essentially, you would have no choice to come to a conclusion such as that – this is why ‘context’ is so important and can lead to so many implications.
Many Cry
Thus many of the cries I hear from people in their attempt to describe authority figures like Cops, Teachers, bosses, etc. may be a mis-diagnosis — they are probably just assholes more so than racists. To be an asshole usually suggests that one is not happy with themselves, and they take out their frustration on any and everything out there. These people are rude, abrasive, and very self-centered – also mix in some condescending behavior and sarcasm, and you have an ambiguous person that can either be labelled a ‘racist’ or an ‘asshole’, depending on the context of the situation.
I guess if you find yourself dealing with an individual that you think may be an ‘asshole’ or a ‘racist’ … in the end it may not really matter how you label him; it just matters that you deal with the situation accordingly – if that means walking away or addressing it directly. Just don’t let a false ‘labeling’ of such behavior fuel your anger to make you do/say something that you may regret – because then you may end up as an asshole yourself.
Check out the Asshole song by Denis Leary (90’s) here
Masta Ace True Hip-Hop Stories: The Symphony
Rappers and their Ego
How an inflated ego opened the door for a new jack MC in ’88 called Masta Ace
Rappers must have the biggest ego problem of all entertainers, yes many of your favorite actors/actresses are known to be major pricks and bitches, but I would think that rappers take the cake in the a-hole department. With the self-boasting, self-accolade, heavy bravado lyrics, rappers really believe that they are that ‘sh*t’; and treat others like they are their minions and peasants.
Anyhow, this story just goes to show how one’s ego can have a heavy cost.
MC Shan
Masta Ace
Though, MC Shan fell off in the 90’s, and Masta Ace remained relevant in the underground scene, both MC’s remain respectable rappers in hip-hop.
.:: LiBM ::.
Social Sheriff – Action & Consequence
Action & Social Consequence
The Social Sheriff is still relevant, crucifying those that act out of line
Every action has a reaction, this guy thought he could kick a little kid – with no consequence; well, he got a ‘face-full’ of consequence … I mean, at least try to block the hit.
Now after you are done laughing, I have to say that this quite refreshing as Social Justice as reared its vengeful head on this supposedly ‘mature adult’ with the glasses. Yes, the boxer who boxed out the lame, in the eyes of the law, will probably be charged with some sort of assault. However socially speaking, the man that had the nerve and audacity to kick a little child should be charged with some sort of offense for even thinking of the thought that he could do such a thing and get away with it. Now, we don’t have audio in this clip, so we don’t know if there was any provocation or what verbal events lead up to the man doing such a thing – not that anything would explain his actions, but it would give insight into why he ‘did what he did’. And ‘what he did’, got him a swift box.
Many other people should take on the ‘Social Sheriff’ role and ‘check’ people that get out of line, like:
Kanye West
Somebody should have gone up on stage, or just as Kanye was leaving the stage, and give him a swift box
Paparazzi
They invade celebrities privacy, cause disturbances, and remind me of cockroaches when the lights go on – some celebrity needs to get out the ‘RAID’.
Those that watched
This era of ‘Instant Social Media Popularity’ has desensitizied the youth; as many youth in Chicago watched, laughed, and even filmed a brethren, a human being, get killed. Then such individual(s) thought it would be cool to share it on YouTube. In this instance, I’m pretty sure you can figure out what the Social Justice would be ….
Wrapping it up and going back to the beginning of this rant, let’s be thankful that guys like the overhand throwing man in the animated gif at the top still exist to protect those that can’t protect themselves, and who stand for something.
.:: LiBM ::.
Gross National Happiness for Women
GNP for Women
How to increase the Gross National Happiness for Women
Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. The term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan’s unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Like many moral goals, it is somewhat easier to state than to define. Nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for the Five Year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans of the country.
After reading this I thought of a great correlational study; can the GNH apply to Women? Women always complain about not being happy, not getting their way, so maybe if they followed (or more importantly, their man followed) some of the GNH 7 steps to happiness – modified for women, then women may achieve a high GNH. But knowing women, they probably would never be satisfied.
7 Steps for Happiness
Now there are 7 steps that would lead women to overall good GNP; some of the steps are adapted/modified from Med Jones (2006):
1. Economic Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of economic metrics such as consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income distribution
(Women’s Interpretation: you better not be sitting around the house and not pulling in any income – you have to support her shoe habit, because she can’t dare rock last year’s shoe in this season)
2. Environmental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic
(Women’s Interpretation: stop littering and care about the environment; more importantly stop leaving your ish all over the house)
3. Physical Wellness: Indicated via statistical measurement of physical health metrics such as severe illnesses
(Women’s Interpretation: don’t get out of shape and gain a pot/beer belly – or I will start singing Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’)
4. Mental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of mental health metrics such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients
(Women’s Interpretation: if you want to sleep comfortably, watch football on Sunday’s, then do what I say – or I will raise hell)
5. Workplace Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of labor metrics such as jobless claims, job change, workplace complaints and lawsuits
(Women’s Interpretation: he better not be flirting around with that bimbo receptionist at work, as she may need fully functioning tires to get home)
6. Social Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of social metrics such as discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates
(Women’s Interpretation: you can’t always be hanging out with your friends doing a whole bunch of nothing)
7. Political Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of political metrics such as the quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign conflicts.
(Women’s Interpretation: get involved in politics and abandon the “I don’t care” approach, if you need help, then believe what I believe in)
In summation, the GNH for women can probably be paraphrased, summed up, described as ‘Just Listen to her for peace’, or she will rip you to ‘pieces’ and/or will never allow you any ‘peace’ and quiet. And of course shoes, lots of shoes.
Just to show you that the whole concept of GNP is not a joke, check the following video:
LMC presents: Ann Muller & Gross National Happiness from another being creative on Vimeo.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_National_Happiness
Even More why’s??
More Why’s???
More things that make you say ‘hmmmm’ attached with some stunning visuals from around the hemisphere
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
Designed by: The MC
Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
Designed by Rattattart
Why is it that when you’re driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?
Designed by did