Quote of the Week: Sun Tzu, Author of "The Art of War"

"The general who advances without coveting [wishing for excessively] fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom."
~ Sun Tzu

Black, White, Whatever" by Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai

This is absolutley one of my favorite poems. Thank you Kelly for sharing this!

Quote of the Week: Sun Tzu, Author of "The Art of War"

Timeless:

"Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.

~ Sun Tzu was a Chinese General, military strategist, and author of "The Art of War"

Quote of the Week: Julia Cameron

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist Way, is one of my favorite authors. Here's a gem from her:

"Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough - that we should try again."

Enjoying Lexus

Quote of the Week: Audre Lorde

"Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before."
~ Audre Lorde
writer, activist

"That One" "You People" "Toby" It's all the same!

In July 1992, Presidential Candidate Ross Perot was at an NAACP event. He made a statement about who gets the short end of the stick when an economic downturn happens in this country. "I don't have to tell you who gets hurt when this sort of thing happens - you people do. Your people."

In October 2008, Presidential Candidate John McCain, in the second presidential debate, made a statement about an energy bill on the senate floor that was, according to him, loaded with "goodies" for the big oil companies. He asked, you know who voted for it? "That one," (pointing to, but not looking at, then Senator Barack Obama, who was sitting on a stool next to him).

What's wrong with this language? Simply, it sustains the notion that the person or group being talked about somehow has this (contemptuous) alien quality, this inferior, unequal or dangerous "otherness" that regular folks should be leery of. The spirit of such language highlights who has power and privilege and who does not. In the historical context of a white man talking to a black man or a group of black people, it's easily considered racist.

For your convenienc, check the "That One" video:




On another note: If McCain were a child, he would be the spoiled, bratty, whining five year old, playing in the sandbox...needing to do anything to get his way. The more McCain drops in the polls, the more un-presidential and un-gentlemanly he becomes. Did anyone peep how, after last night's debate, McCain did the "don't touch me" fake out with Barack? Real Wack!

One of the 99 Million Reasons I Love Prince!

Here are lyrics to one of my favorite Prince songs. I first heard this about four years ago and have owned it for three. Shout out to Basir on WBAI Radio FM (Pacifica Radio) where I heard it first on his show (non-commercial radio is the best)! After that, I was a woman on a mission trying to find this song. It took me forever...until Mo Beasley show up with it. Thank God for Mo! Thank God for Prince!

--
CHORUS:
When will we be paid 4 the work we've done
When will we be paid 4 the work we've done

We fought in your wars in every land
2 keep this country free, y'all, 4 women, children and men
But every time we ask 4 pay or a loan
That's when everything seems 2 turn out wrong
We been beat up, called names, shot down and stoned
Every time we do right, somebody say we're wrong

Tell me...

CHORUS

Listen...
We worked this country (Say it!) from shore 2 shore (Well)
Our women cooked all your food (Food) and washed all your clothes
We picked cotton and laid the railroad steel (Said we laid it)
Worked our hands down 2 the bone at your lumber mill
(At your lumber mill)

Tell me...

CHORUS

Will we ever be proud of "My country, tis of thee"?
Will we ever sing out loud, "Sweet land of Liberty"?
When will we be paid (Tell us) 4 the work we've done? (Well?)
I wanna know {x2}
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna know (When, when, when, when)

(CHORUS) {x2}
Why can't we be paid?
Oh, oh when, when will we be paid?
We've given up our sweat, now, and all of our tears
Stumbled through this life 4 more than 300 years
I, I wanna know, the work we've done

Quote of the Week: Maya Angelou

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou