Disqus - Latest Comments for Fredric

Re: Would You Live on MLK Drive?

Fredric — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 07:20:59 -0000

True. I guess I'm caught in my mad beaugoise mode only because I lived on streets considered 'the edge of sketch' and have had my stuff stolen. MLK drive gets such a bad rep in the Chi.

Re: tech news 3/1: “yay for the redesign!” edition

Fredric — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:14:38 -0000

thanks dude. really appreciate it.

Re: learning to program

Fredric — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:30:10 -0000

thanks James. cutline has the new custom.css file that allows changes without changing the source files. unfortunately, the key elements, like background, do not use the custom.css. i directly modified it and put the bg.gif image in the tag.

i suggest downloading the firebug firefox extension. it will show you exactly each element on the page as well as the css tied to it so you can see it.

Re: Black News Round-Up

Fredric — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:38:27 -0000

anyone else find it ironic that 'positiveblackimage.com' doesn't LOOK like a nice site.

maybe it's just me.

Re: Invest in giving back

Fredric — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:45:11 -0000

This is definitely something everyone should consider. I saw John Rogers speak (with Barack Obama, no less) at the Black MBA Conference at Northwestern. Definitely a good guy.

I might need to look at moving some of my stuff over. The greatest asset we have with our investments is the fact that we're young.

The principle of compound interest is your friend. :-)

Re: obama’s ancestors possible slave owners

Fredric — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 06:48:12 -0000

right.

so, i'm a slave, you're a slave. everybody is a slave.

gotta love the glass house people throwing rocks.

Re: why are black blogs so angry?

Fredric — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 12:14:09 -0000

while i do agree somewhat, greatness can also be achieved through networking and relationships. while i have no doubt run into the 'why do you have an attitude' at work...only because i wasn't smiling at the time...there is a small reality there.

i can do a lot of things myself, but i can also play the game to work smarter towards my goals, not just harder.

while controlled anger is a profound skill to learn, in the corporate world, it may be wasted. humility and cunning are best practiced amongst the white boys to 'get in' and change the game. anger is best a subtle reminder to the sacrifice our ancestors laid for us to get where we are now.

would you want your sons and daughters to be angry after all of the hard work you put in?

Re: Are we tired of rap music?

Fredric — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:46:19 -0000

i wouldn't count on it.

just like tmz.com, 'pink is the new blog', and the egregious amount of paparazzi obsess with britney, people like crap.

rap = crap, therefore it will exist. it sucks, but just keep pumpin' nas, the roots, little brother, mos def, common, lupe, kanye (to a certain extent) and i dare say the academy award-winning three six mafia.

:-)

thats still pretty funny no matter what anyone says.

Re: obama’s ancestors possible slave owners

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 04:51:43 -0000

Done!

Re: the importance of the history of slavery

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 04:54:31 -0000

definitely. i'm not sure what my reaction would be in that situation.

Re: The Young Covenant

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 09:35:07 -0000

this is an interesting concept. how do we get the progressive young black professional not only interested, but engaged?

discussion is a good start. blogs like this and others help saturate the discussion allowing the 2.0 generation to contribute their opinions and foster further development.

Re: tech news 1/31: “bears will win it all!” edition

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:42:57 -0000

done!

Re: howto: record internet audio

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:04:36 -0000

thanks. enjoy!

Re: why are black blogs so angry?

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:11:06 -0000

definitely!

the header is from images of places we've been with a few of my non-marketing prowess. lol

yep, wordpress. hosted by 1and1.com

glad you're enjoying it!

Re: in 2010: the wallet phone

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:37:02 -0000

i feel you on the feature fatigue, but i'm never against having the gadget that i always carry around do EVERYTHING.

waiting for the dap / gps / pmp / quad-band phone / pay all my bills / cure cancer device. :-)

Re: best buy cheats customers

Fredric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:50:09 -0000

indeed.

Re: Pick Me Up?

Fredric — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:42:51 -0000

don't know how any of you drink that dirt water.

Re: naggers annoy me too

Fredric — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:07:06 -0000

dave, i appreciate you expressing your sentiment.

i didn't see the entire episode, just the snippet above and can't comment about what happened before and after the incident.

i guess my main goal with posting the video was to highlight the importance of the art form of comedy. black people, especially educated black people, have a hard time laughing at themselves and any 'skit' depicting deplorable behavior because it is a reminder of how 'real' the world views us. whether it be an outburst by a bigot comedian, mysigonistic rap video, or 'slip of the tongue' by a pundit, blacks are viewed at these bogus levels constantly.

as chappelle has shown us, putting it out there in a comedic dialogue offers a discussion and exposure often missed by a typical discussion because of the anger associated to the event. while south park probably won't ever be labeled genius, the mere fact that someone watching the video would automatically assume the word 'nigger' instead of 'naggers' shows how in this 'pc conscious' world, we often forget what is common sense.

Re: Daylight-Saving Time

Fredric — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:08:57 -0000

interesting theory that moving the clock forward 'earlier' in the year is bush's plan for saving energy in the u.s.

i guess we'll see. i mean, he is an idiot, so the expectation that this move will actually 'work' will be a surprise to many.

Re: Irritating Co-Workers

Fredric — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:15:18 -0000

i get peeved by cats who hum while listening to their music.

oh wait....that's me. whoops!

on the real, the ring tone thing here is no-joke. i mean, white people DO NOT CARE. lol.

Re: paris, texas. in plain view

Fredric — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:24:07 -0000

Here is what I wrote:

I found a recent article in the Chicago Tribune about a young girl named Shaquanda Cotton. This young girl was sent to prison for 7 years by Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville for shoving a hall monitor in school. This is racist. It is wrong. Please investigate this case and free Shaquanda Cotton NOW. She has already expressed distress from her conditions and attempted to commit suicide. This is wrong for a 14 year old to have to go through this.

Link to the article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/...

Re: paris, texas. in plain view

Fredric — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:42:06 -0000

please don't forget to go to the governor's webpage and send a quick contact.

Re: paris, texas. in plain view

Fredric — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:47:41 -0000

I've emailed Tracy McGlover and Denise Pines at at TavisTalks.com.

You can use the first comment as a cut and paste if you want.

Re: paris, texas. in plain view

Fredric — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:06:40 -0000

Unfortunately, your rationale is flawed.

First, you're assuming that:

1.) Control of one's behavior is constitutionally allowable. The legislations in this country allows us certain unalienable rights to not have to 'fit in a box' or 'control ourselves' amidst a majority. This type of 'lets not make waves' thinking is exactly what this country is founded on. She did not harm the man. She simply acted like a teenager.

2.) All people of this country, especially blacks, have the opportunities to go to law school and ascend into the political system. While you may enjoy the benefits of your parents and ancestors hard work, others are not as fortunate. Our country is also built on the premise that all should have an opportunity.

This girl is being imprisoned and not only are her rights being stripped, she is being made example of to all blacks.

I cannot accept this.

Re: Irritating Co-Workers

Fredric — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:17:14 -0000

thats pretty damn funny.

i think you should get a really smelly sandwhich and just eat it near her. then exlaim "im sorry, i know that is annoying. don't you hat it when people do annoying things while eating?"

Re: “Where are you from?”

Fredric — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:15:34 -0000

very enlightening, indeed. one of these days i will take the time and go through ancestry.com.

Re: paris, texas. in plain view

Fredric — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:17:08 -0000

done.

http://freeshaquandacotton.blogspot.com/

Re: “Where are you from?”

Fredric — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:37:48 -0000

wow. Mandinka tribe. that is what's up right there.

Re: Saving the World through Microfinance

Fredric — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:47:13 -0000

the term 'young, black and professional' is not confined to those who have benefited from private school, jack and jill, and inroads.

ybpguide is sponsoring a young sister in ghana to help her achieve her professional goals. you can find details about her business to the right on our sidebar.

i encourage everyone to donate. a little goes a long way.

Re: we blog, but why should you care?

Fredric — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:25:50 -0000

as you know, the redesign was completed on the 28th of Feb.

Re: Are you getting interviews but not job offers?

Fredric — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 13:36:27 -0000

i also found this neat article about how to apply for jobs from craigslist at http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/101949754.html.

don't forget about my post on craigslist.

Re: career booster: professional conferences

Fredric — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:02:51 -0000

martin,

thanks for the kind words. trying to take it one day at a time and have some fun in-between!

pops,

thanks for reading, man. i'm glad you can attest to the power of the professional conferences!

Re: obama dances…a little

Fredric — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:08:37 -0000

good look jb1125. updating the post.

Re: getting a new job 2.0: simplyhired

Fredric — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:17:05 -0000

you may be right in terms of the variety of jobs offered through the site. i think this is because the service is merely an aggregator of posted jobs throughout the interweb. if you've visited other popular websites, the types of jobs that are posted tend to be tech focused.

however, i have seen marketing and sales positions posted, so i would at least offer simplyhired as a healthy alternative.

obviously monster has the monopoly, so it may be wise to do both. just providing another option!

Re: affirmative action for whites

Fredric — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:22:54 -0000

blair, thank you for comment. while i do not disagree with the stats posted, you have missed one key piece: instituting a policy on paper does not necessarily dictate that it will be executed in that fashion.

what makes this series so poignant is the results of the acts that were put in place. it's great that the government instituted acts to help those of the war or those who were slaves, but the outcome, the numbers of such acts are so disproportionate, it's not even funny. 98%?

coupled with the scientific dna data of 'race' in general, it makes even less sense how white people in this country made decisions on an aspect of human culture that has no genetic distinguishing value with the exception of 'what you see'. in fact, a korean and african-american can be just as genetically different as a korean and another korean. the u.s. is the first IN HISTORY to enslave another people because of 'visual difference'. for any other people, it was because of religious beliefs, opposition to governmental policy, or different culture (greeks and romans).

the fact that many people, black and white, somehow contribute 'resiliency' and 'fortitude' to race or 'what i did myself' is completely asinine.

the fact remains that white government officials set up policy to benefit them and those that look like them.

Re: why are black blogs so angry?

Fredric — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:54:53 -0000

ms, i respect your opinion, but i think you may have inferred too much from my post. i'll attempt to answer your points, one by one.

in terms of me being 'selfish', disagreeing with a sentiment does not indicate 'disunity'. what would i have to do to be unified? agree with the authors? praise their blogs? unity to me means being able to stand together behind a cause. anger is not a cause. blacks do not have to think and feel the same to be 'unified'. not that i am implying that i am on the same accord with our heroes, but were malcolm and martin not unified in their purpose despite the difference of emotion in their message?

you're second point. you ask me to be honest, and i honestly felt that anger is not a healthy emotion and is not how i've seen action progress. the cool thing about a blog vs. a newspaper is that it is a collaboration of 'opinions', not a syndicated news media. in this case, i am telling our readers that our blog will try to give a balanced approach in not only material, but sentiment.

as for your third point, i have to disagree with 'my place'. it may not be my place to judge that person, but i can definitely ask 'why'. how else will dialogue be fostered? how else can i present a counter opinion if i don't ask why?

i think the concept of 'questioning the way someone sees things' as a form of insult is far-reaching. if someone is going to take offense to me asking why they think the way they think, then why enter the discussion.

Re: getting a new job 2.0: simplyhired

Fredric — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 13:45:06 -0000

thanks shelly!

Re: affirmative action for whites

Fredric — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:03:46 -0000

interesting arguments. i certainly understand how citing those circumstances would lead you to the conclusions you've stated.

a few questions though. if something is 'evenly distributed' amongst a population of a majority and minority, why is that minorities have not seen the same benefit as whites who 'benefited the same'?

it is a fact that white wealth on average is ~$88k while black wealth averages ~$8k. it would take blacks more than 550 years to catch up to whites, and only if they do not eat, sleep, or buy basic amenities.

i also think it would be poignant to ask why there are so many blacks in the army? i can speculate that the government targets poor black neighborhoods since most feel that these class of people are expendable. even more crucial, why do white upper-class families, including our senators, not have their sons and daughters in the army?

the question that your statements do not address is why do these realities disproportionately exist with blacks.

as i stated in the article, this is what the series by pbs addresses. what is this connection to the illusion of color? when you analyze the numbers, no explanation on the intent of a piece of legislature will deny the fact that whites have manipulated the system to benefit them. from labor unions to the social security act to fha.

in fact, the most wealthy part of the united states, the stretch of south between virginia and south carolina, was built on and through the backs of who?

yeah, us.

all i can do is run fast and try to catch up.

Re: ybpguide running slow

Fredric — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:08:32 -0000

thanks.

Re: Can’t we all just sleep alone?

Fredric — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:56:01 -0000

man, i have the answer...and i kid you not when i type this.

spend the money and get yourself a tempurpedic. i was single for a long time and now that i'm almost hitched, the tempurpedic has been a blessing and nice transition to my new found life.

there are two things you don't mess with: where you eat and where you sleep.

don't be cheap, get the tempurpedic, and you won't be disturbed by your partner.

Re: Seven Steps to Riches

Fredric — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:50:44 -0000

'lol' on the statement about a car payment. not buying a car at 20 is probably the hardest thing to do.

i should try and find a calculator on the millions you miss based on the car you decide to buy and pay for between 20 and 25.

Re: tech news 3/14: ‘free shaquanda cotton’ edition

Fredric — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 14:59:36 -0000

She will be set free. Link here.

Re: shaquanda cotton case at forefront of texas juvenile investigations

Fredric — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:01:51 -0000

She will be set free. Article here.

Re: The Art of Arguing

Fredric — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:05:24 -0000

i think it is also helpful to remember that the solution to certain issues will not come in a day.

be willing to give the other person space for at least a couple of days. sleeping on frustrating thoughts usually yields a calmer, more open disposition the next day enabling the two parties to re-hash out the point of strife.

Re: growing up technologically inclined

Fredric — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:39:27 -0000

Thanks for the words Ron. Keep doing what you do!

Re: Top Jobs for the Young and the Restless

Fredric — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:47:53 -0000

if you're actively looking, you probably know about monster.

don't forget craigslist, hotjobs, and simplyhired.

Re: What does the Easter Bunny have to do with Jesus?

Fredric — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:39:54 -0000

lol, i had to lookup the word 'pagan' just to make sure i was thinking of the right thing.

pagan: person who does not acknowledge your god

on that premise, i'd have to say that this opinion, along with they relationship of santa claus and christmas, is somewhat deep, probably because i never thought about it before either.

the assumption is that those who created 'easter' and 'the easter bunny' use symbols for others to enjoy the day who may not believe in the resurrection of Jesus.

maybe it's because the word 'pagan' has this edge to it in my brain, but i realize that this is definitely possible.

the christian roots of the world are very deep and the fact that the u.k. has bank holidays for good friday and easter monday reflect that. with the plethora of views in the world, especially those who may not share the existence of a higher power, the easter bunny could indeed be a pagan symbol.

Re: The World According to Whoopi

Fredric — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:59:03 -0000

very interesting.

i also had mixed reactions to the joke. on one hand, i somewhat chuckled because i thought about my knucklehead-ass friends laughing about it. on the other, it reveals a truth that you mentioned about the need 'to fit in' and how many use that n-word because of that sole purpose.

i was just saying how cats who use the word do so almost unnaturally under the influence of peer pressure. you know how kids like to curse because they think it makes them look cool? i'm sure we all were there at one point of time. but as you mature, you realize that using such language actually reflects a limited vocabulary.

the n-word in music and in the community is an extension of this pressure exploited. the joke, although coarse, reveals a reality among those who falsely try to define the word as a term of endearment.

the truth is simpler.

lack of identity. lack of expression.

Re: in 2010: the wallet phone

Fredric — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 06:45:54 -0000

maybe, but the cool thing about it being an electronic medium is that you can turn it off instantly.

think about it this way. would you rather lose your wallet with 5 credit cards that can put $10,000 on them or a wallet with $10,000 in cash?

Re: Third World Fair Trade

Fredric — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:22:04 -0000

"target" is probably my number 1.

not mad at "sam's club" and "dominick's" as well.

Re: so…apparently everyone has lost their mind

Fredric — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 04:52:12 -0000

my letter to the CBCI:

Greetings.

I am the editor of the Young Black Professional Guide. I ask that you withdraw your partnership with Fox regarding the Presidential Debates.

Fox has shown and proven that their opinions constantly influence their journalist intent and often at the expense of minorities.

Jon Edwards and Barack Obama have already pulled out. Do the right thing and discontinue.

Re: so…apparently everyone has lost their mind

Fredric — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:29:46 -0000

interestingly, i agree with you martin.

i mulled over writing about the cbci/fox news thing for awhile. if you notice on other blogs, the issue blossomed about two weeks ago. i did so for that exact reason you state.

now, i can't vouch for fox. i don't watch it frequently. i have, however, tuned into bill o'reilly and other shows just to get, as you've pointed out, perspective. it is vital that we as black folks not 'bandwagon' ourselves just because the words 'conservative' or 'republican' come out of someone's mouth.

however, in light of that balance and after having weighed the opinions, i have chosen to agree with those who'd like the cbci to formally denounce the fox network. to me, it was as simple as watching, reading, and experiencing the angle they tend to report news. while we'd all like to believe that the organizations protected by the first amendment report a balanced newscast as a point of moral obligation, the fact of the matter remains that politics is its own battlefield.

a presidential primary hosted by a network that seems to like spinning issues in a certain direction that generally casts black issues as an 'us vs them' moniker is bogus.

if it were up to me, i'd have all debates and publicly aired events on pbs.

public broadcasting service. anyone? anyone?

Re: tech news 4/11: “gadgets galore!” edition

Fredric — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:18:46 -0000

glad you asked. there is a program called jhymn that will automatically convert your encrypted m4p itunes files to whatever format you'd like, including mp3. these daps usually play other types including ogg vorbis, aac, m4a, etc. which are generally easier to convert from m4p.

only problem is that itunes and the hacker who created jhymn having been going at it for sometime. so far, the jhymn hacker has a solution for music bought before itunes 6.0.

if you have music that was purchased in itunes 6.0 or later, you're right. apple sucks and it will take a few other creative hacks.

1.) download an older version of itunes, open the music in that, and see if jhymn works from there. i think it will since jhymn uses the log-in method from itunes to decrypt.

2.) something like burning to a cd and then re-ripping to the computer to get that music off will always work, but is a PITA.

3.) the only other option, and you'll find this even if you google 'm4p to mp3' is to record your music live. peep my post on that and it could save you time from the burning, etc.

welcome to another reason why i do not like apple. you can't 'keep' the stuff you own.

Re: YBPs: The Advanced Degree Chasers

Fredric — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:17:09 -0000

i'm still vacillating.

that debt is no joke.

Re: Imus Yanked, Now Yank Blacks With Same Talk

Fredric — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 10:02:23 -0000

unfortunately, i'm going to have to disagree with the sentiment from this piece.

imus shared his opinions on public airwaves that had no censorship. the black music artists in this piece are exploitations of a commercial product.

while i no doubt believe that music that promotes ignorance and misogyny shouldn't be supported, i can't deny that if someone chooses to package it and sell it that it shouldn't be available for sale. that is the american way, no matter how much you disagree with it.

the thick dividing line is that public airwaves cannot be used to promote such images unless censored or approved by the FCC. this is why you have warning labels.

what imus did was violate the terms of being able to broadcast publicly by spewing things that are not regulated by government.

he'll go to sirius or xm and say whatever he likes...just like 50 and diddy can create a song and sell whatever they like.

if you don't like it, don't buy it.

Re: Tony Blair joins those who have lost their mind

Fredric — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 17:40:48 -0000

....kiss my ass.

Re: Tony Blair joins those who have lost their mind

Fredric — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 09:41:19 -0000

i think what is being missed in comments like these from world leaders is the inherent ignorance that race, in general, is somehow remotely related to behavior.

people have it so backwards. whether white, brown, black, tan, beige, or mauve, the obsession of the homosapien to visual difference has created institutionalized environments that result in poverty, apathy, and crime.

it is not race that causes crime.

blacks are not prone to violence because they are black.

black communities are more likely to be under the poverty line because white people, who make the money and the laws, have been taught their superiority is in their skin.

poverty and desperation predicate lawlessness and demoralization. not race.

we expect our world leaders to know this. the fact that tony blair, despite all of his exposure and 'education', would make such a statement is what is most shocking.

what is most frightening is that tony blair actually believes that the plight of blacks in his country is somehow not his responsibility.

Re: and 60 years later…

Fredric — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:04:04 -0000

well, it's not so much that people are upset because he chose to honor him. it is because barry bonds is a selfish individual (always has been) and is hypocritical in his tribute.

while many of the great players will wear it in tribute, bonds' actions in the past are not representative of what jackie stands for.

he has been unashamedly selfish in his glory of his accomplishments, cold to fans, and empty in supporting organizations geared towards youth.

if you read the link on the post, it'll take you to an espn article synonymously pitting barry to george w.

Re: and 60 years later…

Fredric — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:53:48 -0000

i disagree.

i've always been an advocate of 'to much privilege comes much responsibility'.

what if our ancestors said 'not my problem'. what if those who were thrust in the spotlight because of God-given talent had thrown up their arms and said 'yeah, thats nice and all...but i dont care'.

maybe it is a personal conviction i have, but my morals, upbringing, and values do not tell me that this world becomes a better place by us all looking out for ourselves.

why would i write in a blog? why should anyone care? why do i, a blessed, educated, young black man care about my brothers and sisters? better question...why should i?

the reason is simple.

someone cared about me to allow me to have the opportunities i have. this is what jackie did.

bonds does not represent this. he should not wear the number.

Re: Imus Yanked, Now Yank Blacks With Same Talk

Fredric — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:51:20 -0000

bob johnson, founder of BET, decided to weigh in as well last thursday.

deep.

Re: 10 steps to join the tech community rat race

Fredric — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:25:55 -0000

you know it does!

quoting from the firefox help -> for internet explorer users menu:

When you first install Firefox, it will import your existing Internet Explorer settings, including your Favorites, cookies, stored passwords, and a variety of other data. This saves you time customizing Firefox to fit your needs.

Re: minus one. plus one.

Fredric — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:17:39 -0000

post what artists you swapped. put some other people onto some new new hotness.

minus one: snoop.
plus one: common.

Re: minus one. plus one.

Fredric — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 09:22:55 -0000

ashley!

i lost my foreign exchange.....man, that was a great album.

are they selling it in stores in the u.s. or did you buy it online....?

Re: Get Connected

Fredric — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:54:27 -0000

ets...

how so?

are you referring to the tax deduction for donating to non-profit organizations?

Re: What Do YOU Believe?

Fredric — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:33:43 -0000

excellent article gene.

i've explored other parts of christianity, even catholicism, to see what best fits. interestingly, my parents' choice of methodist seems to work with my personality best.

but i agree.

being in london and working together with people of different faiths is just one piece of the puzzle. look outside the media and explore what works for you.

Re: reader emails

Fredric — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:36:35 -0000

i agree with ets ron. write to your state representatives.

also, use your networks. there are a lot of professional organizations that if you become involved, will support you past what a record a long time ago says.

don't go about this fight by yourself! keep us posted and we'll see what we all can do about it.

Re: tech tip: hide blogger nav bar

Fredric — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:19:26 -0000

where in the header would you want the image?

to get it up there, it will take a little creativity. you'll have to put the image in the header using a photoshop-like program, host the image somewhere (like photobucket or flickr), then put the link of that image where the header element is in your layout.

this link explains all of the steps pretty well.

let me know if you have more questions.

Re: Google Voice Local Search

Fredric — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:20:42 -0000

i've used this quite a few times this week while in kansas city looking for a buffalo wild wings and marriott.

works like a charm!

Re: joost invites available

Fredric — Sun, 06 May 2007 15:05:32 -0000

shannon. i just tried that email address and it didn't work.

Re: Poll: How are we doing?

Fredric — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:06:28 -0000

articles like this:

10 steps to join the tech community rat race

The Ten Best Cities for African Americans

Top Jobs for the Young and the Restless

Re: Shedding some weight

Fredric — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:14:45 -0000

i think it's partly the food we've been brought up to enjoy.

everything requires moderation and most my memories consist of my elders cleaning their plate two and three times.

i've always assumed that it was the norm.

but studies have shown that chittlins are not healthy, all fried foods deserve a balance of non-fried, non meat-soaked vegetables, and bbq'd red meat creates a 40% more chance of getting cancer because of the carcinogens the meat retains.

Re: The Rules of Healthy Competition

Fredric — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:29:20 -0000

i know the exact feeling. don't feel bad or down about being competitive, dressing nice, or being the best.

although we're always taught to be humble, relish in the fact that when it comes down to it, you'll probably be asked to take on the big challenges.

you've proven it through your drive, moxy, and focus. in the end, these are the people that are the most successful.

Re: race: asset vs. liability

Fredric — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:32:26 -0000

very well put. i guess i'm caught up in the mathematics of it all and sometimes forget the 'culture discussion'.

i guess what makes it difficult for me, is that culture, for the most part, is self-defined. it's like hip-hop. people define what hip-hop is, not the other way around. but i feel that the negativity mostly stems from the stereotype of what a culture is mainly because of the person's skin color.

i would like to see the debate about race 'get old' because the variety of all culture and accepting different cultures is the issue, not what we look like.

Re: race: asset vs. liability

Fredric — Tue, 22 May 2007 23:19:01 -0000

excellent point. no one wins when we all look, think, and act alike especially if we are all named 'karen'.

Re: joost invites available

Fredric — Thu, 24 May 2007 22:30:20 -0000

Rico..what is your email? sorry for the late response.

Re: 5 Easy Negotiating Tips

Fredric — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:32:33 -0000

couldn't agree more gene. remember, we talked about getting to the negotiating table walking softly and carrying a big stick!

Re: nigger and the ybp

Fredric — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:37:21 -0000

it matters, dr. spence, because the effects of its careless use, whether black or white, but especially white, ultimately affect the psyche and reflection of youth who are trying to find their identity.

as a ybp, i can immediately identify with the struggle of weighing 'whats cool', 'what matters', and 'what is just plain ignorant'.

i feel a responsibility as an 'almost grownup' to help out the high school and college kids who may find this form of expression 'ok' because i don't want them getting confused by its power, its history, or its negativity.

adults who are been and gone may think it doesn't matter, but when the kid i babysat is now 17 years-old and constantly referring to himself and his friends as niggers (or niggas), it reflects poorly upon the community of which he was raised....namely myself.

black men, especially, already have a lot stacked against them. psychological confusion from people trivializing the word creates a soft defense in an already merciless battle.

these young cats need to come correct, educated, three times as good, and technologically savvy.

Re: nigger and the ybp

Fredric — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:46:50 -0000

lol. it's actually pretty evident in the transcript of the quote above.

Nicky said: “OK, don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Charley said: “Fancy you saying that. I can’t believe you said that.”
Emily said: “Somebody has already used that word in this house.”
Charley said “No way” before she paused and said: “Yeah, me. I’m a nigger.”

i put this transcript in this post for that very purpose. although my profession isn't data mining or statistical analysis, my point was to show that 'reality tv' is just that....reality. this incident is not isolated. if it requires me finding a few young people to sign a petition and identify themselves as 'niggers', then i relent that point, but i think we can at least agree that this confused psyche is evident when young cats actually try to flip the word and start believing it's a term of endearment. that's like that b.s. when they tried to convince the world ebonics was a second-language.

as for the second point, i think you may have mis-read. i wasn't saying that i'm concerned with it affecting me. i was saying that if i'm part of the community that helped raise this young cat, and he slides through untapped, i've done a bad a job for my community. part of my pride as a black man is the history i encompass and the family i'm not trying to embarass. if a youngin' goes through my neighborhood without that same sense of pride for his community and family, then we all will lose who we are and what we are about. the moment we believe 'its just me in this world' without a feeling of indebtedness, we doom to repeat our forefather's mistakes.

Re: nigger and the ybp

Fredric — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:34:04 -0000

the 'young cat' i'm referring to are young black youth between the ages of zero and younger than me, 24. :-p

while i think you have to wear multiple hats when you're in business, at home, or with your friends, i don't think you can compare 'nigga' to four-letter curse words. i never saw the words f*ck and shite in a history book next to burned, bloodied, and beaten corpses hanging from a tree with john smith smiling his ass off. i never think of emmitt till or the burning of black walstreet when some little wild butt kid smiles and screams 'got damn it!'

i know you don't believe it affects kids psyche, and i definitely don't have as many degrees to hold to yours, but i am closer to high school graduation than you are, so i'll use that. :-) i guess my main point is that my personal challenges with identity while i was growing up in high school are shared with every black kid that tries to 'fit in' by showing out with the ignorant crowd. this is the same social pressure i've seen with both of my sisters, my cousins, my friends, my almost in-laws, and my acquaintances.

ignorance is easy. if i'm trying to run with the 'in' crowd and figure out who i think i am, i'm going to do what they do...which is be ignorant, listen to bullshit music about 'poppin it and lockin it', and believe nigger (all forms) is a term of endearment.

we are educated. ybp's have the luxury of at least knowing a time and place for camaraderie, business, and chillage. that comes from knowing who we are with limited outside influence. these kids don't have that and niggerdom is poisoning their heads. this exchange at celebrity big brother between a young white girl and young black girl prove that.

Re: Free Genarlow Wilson

Fredric — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:35:27 -0000

an additional link.

http://beta.cnn.com/2007/US/06/06/teen.sex.case.ap/index.html

Re: Will WE get the hook up?

Fredric — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:50:47 -0000

dah well. that was quick.

she's back in jail

Re: 3 Myths About Debt Consolidation Companies

Fredric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:09:00 -0000

a few things that i do that help me keep my debt down...because let's all face it, we all have debt of some kind, even if it's not financial.

1.) american express gold card: you have to pay off the balance in 30 days no matter what. this helps control my spending per month.

2.) never miss a payment, even if its the minimum. nothing can destroy a credit score like one late payment.

3.) be patient, be diligent. institute good practices. even if you can't payoff huge balances, put into practice to automatically pay a credit card through an auto-payment. diligently paying a consistent amount helps. start with minimum + $25.

4.) put money in different accounts. make one of those accounts really hard to get into. i have a bad habit of 'balance-checking'. i constantly log in, check my balances, and think about what i could do with the money. setup a savings account that has a really complicated user/pass, write it down, put in your sock drawer, and setup auto deposits. without being able to check on it, the savings builds up b/c you forget about it.

Re: iphone alternatives

Fredric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:38:08 -0000

wing owner...

thanks for clarification. updated the pic. i'm still going to call it the sidekick's cousin only because they share the same carrier. maybe it's the older, more mature cousin considering it's windows OS.

Re: iphone alternatives

Fredric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:58:04 -0000

that's whats up. thanks.

cnet only gave it a 6.3, though. for those interested in the non-video review of the htc touch, check here

Re: iphone alternatives

Fredric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:51:18 -0000

wing owner 2...

yup, sorry i didn't make that clear in my comment. i was responding to wing owner's comment.

for a cnet review of the t-mobile wing, also by htc, check here

Re: 3 Myths About Debt Consolidation Companies

Fredric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:10:50 -0000

i feel you on that.

i just signed up for bank of america's credit monitoring service. $40.

sends me a quarterly update. emails me if anything drastic changes on credit report.

no fuss. no muss.

Re: iphone alternatives

Fredric — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:21:19 -0000

the original picture i had up that seems to be creating a little raucous is here.

i had originally google image'd 't-mobile wing' and this pic came up. i finally read the article (from 2005 btw) and just saw that the words 'the German wing of T-mobile unveiled...'

d'oh!

Re: Why do people hate on Tyler Perry?

Fredric — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 11:02:30 -0000

you're right. i can't hate. i did before only because i just didn't like his style of humor.

but, i will always admire those who have money and power, something fleeting in today's black elite.

big ups to mr. perry.

Re: Why do people hate on Tyler Perry?

Fredric — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:09:31 -0000

so if he writes, produces, and directs it, wouldn't it automatically be a reflection of him by extension?

it's not like he's playing a character in a play. he's bringing his ideas and money to his productions....which ultimately reflect who he is as a person.

Re: Why do people hate on Tyler Perry?

Fredric — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:38:07 -0000

i think it's possible that my point of view and way i express it is not only reflective in the grade you give me, but communicates who i am.

if i'm an asshole, but i write eloquently my asshole point of view, i can still get my 'A' and say who i am.

i sincerely doubt someone can write, direct, and produce something that has zero reflection of who they are as a person.

in fact, don't most artists claim that their ideas 'are from the heart' and 'genuine'? isn't the best comedy from genius comedians who can put their own unique point of view on a subject?

Re: 5 Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

Fredric — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:23:01 -0000

good advice. i use the amex gold that requires the 30 day payoff for regular expenses.

for big purchases, i have a visa and discover. i only carry one of them.

the amex gold is probably the best way to handle your credit only b/c you have to pay it off.

Re: iphone alternatives

Fredric — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:21:48 -0000

i left it out mainly b/c it is being touted as a smartphone than a uber media device. does the treo come with that much memory or allow a big enough card to hold 100 songs?

Re: 5 Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

Fredric — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:47:01 -0000

credit is all about reputation. when you apply for a loan, an apt, or any service for that matter, they may check your 'history of paying'. your credit score is simply a number that reflects on how well you keep your promises.

if you don't pay money that you contractually said you would, whether you borrowed or not, those companies and 'creditors' can report that to the credit bureaus and eff up your credit score.

having bad credit not only means that you won't be able to borrow money when you need it (home loans, business loans), but if a bank does take a chance, they'll charge you higher interest rates.

Re: The Candidates and the Covenant with Black America

Fredric — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 09:44:29 -0000

thoroughly enjoyed the debates last night. i wish the audience would have stopped clapping for every speech, however. this is not a concert.

n e who...

i still like biden. he seems very resolved to me. i liked his and barack's back and forth on the HIV/AIDS issue and how he went into the city and told black kids that using condoms isn't unmanly.

hillary made an impression on me with her frank attitude towards certain issues, especially her idea about the 'no-fly' zone over darfur. i've never heard anyone say politically correct 'we will shoot your shite down'. lol.

in a perfect world, former alaskan senator gravel would be the secretary of state. this dude is awesome. he basically called everyone out and said they had no moral standards (for voting for the war). he also talked about how he was on the finance committee and that income tax law is so complicated, its designed for no human being to be able to understand it. it needs to be abolished and a progressive sales tax should be enacted. hmmm...so you're saying charge more sales tax for higher priced products? sounds like a plan to me. not only would it lay transparency to what people buy and how much they make, it would cost more for people who can afford g5's and flying spurs.

dodd is too 'good ol boy' for me.

kucinich had some bold ideas. he just doesn't project 'strong leader' to me.

richardson seemed like he lost his train of thought a few times. i still think he was right on with pressuring china and the olympic bid with regarding to darfur.

john edwards was always smilin' and reminiscing about his childhood. i'm not mad at him. he did a good job as well.

and of course barack did a good job. he didn't stand out too much, but his angle on issues seemed a lot more sincere than other candidates. he obviously felt a little more comfortable (as did hillary) in the HU crowd and with Dr. West smiling at him all the time. i feel like he's due for some good emotional response time...kind of like how biden gets loud at the end of his statements.

the only thing i was disappointed about was that no one mentioned the environment. its as if black people say 'oh yeah, that thing' whenever environmental issues comes up.

Re: The Plan-Ber

Fredric — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:09:56 -0000

two pieces of advice my dad has given me over the years:

1) don't chase the money. do what you love to do. do it well. the money will come.

2) study hard. take good notes. life is more than about just getting the 'A'. pay attention to the needs and desires of others and a good idea will hit you. just be sure to position yourself to earn that 'A' when the opportunity arises.

while it's hard to keep focused on that goal is a ybp when you see your friends or colleagues in their new cars with their new iphones, just remember that investing in yourself always pays the highest dividend.

life is a long race, not a short sprint. find your pace and stay on your path.

Re: Integrating Success and Opportunity

Fredric — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:07:08 -0000

i'm going to have to disagree with thomas here.

the inherent flaw in the logic of dismissing the factor of race as an essential piece in fair education is the assumption that the status quo plays to a fair audience.

of course, in a perfect world, the visual differences between us shouldn't factor in the quality of our education or the depth of our experiences. i mean, after all...it's been proven that skin color bears no scientific merit.

the problem, however, is that human beings are not direct followers of practical, scientific thought, dare i say rational thought. we are emotional, prejudicial, and biased entities that gravitate towards comfort zones and areas of acceptance. challenging our natural tendencies by diversifying our learning environments is essential for us to grow as a species. to pretend that affirmative action policies 're-tip' the scale in a minorities favor is an argument that reiterates my point.

the fact that we still argue and discuss the 'deserved merits of minorities at certain places' shows the true biased character of even the brightest minds. the real question is 'why shouldn't blacks be there?' and 'what determines a qualified applicant?' why is it that lawsuits about 'qualified applicants' are assumed to have merit merely because the plaintiff is white? so our standards are now based on 'what is generally accepted (3.5+, 1600, chi omega tau)?' who has defined this?

to assume that one would have done better at law school merely because of the opportunities afforded to people of a majority race substantially shows that our society is not utopia and that decisions like this are counterproductive to the end goal. affirmative action aims to provide opportunity. if a school decides, based on its applicant pool, to accept a certain caliber of student, then the argument of 'able to succeed' is moot.

success is defined by ones experiences, not by another's definition of predicated standard. it is up to the school to take its pool of applications, of all backgrounds, and help them define their own destiny.

Re: peekvid alternatives : tv-links.co.uk and more…

Fredric — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:15:42 -0000

thanks zach. updated.

Re: What are you thankful for?

Fredric — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:29:45 -0000

done!

good lookin' out.

Re: A ‘Better’ Title

Fredric — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:25:37 -0000

...and yet, the title is still grammatically incorrect.

Re: ‘beyonce falls and the world held its breath’ edition : tech news 7/25

Fredric — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:25:42 -0000

actually, surfing on free wireless is pretty unsafe. it's like being on the computer with a million people looking over your shoulder.

packet sniffing, a way to intercept the websites you go to, is a widely available and free method for anyone. someone could get your IP and MAC address, pretend to be you, see what websites you visited, and get all the usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information you've typed in while being on the internet.

if you're going to surf on free wireless, don't go to personal banking sites, don't check sensitive email, and clear your cookies and cache. this won't fully make you safe, but its a start.

Re: ‘beyonce falls and the world held its breath’ edition : tech news 7/25

Fredric — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 10:58:30 -0000

hey martin.

i would start with this article first to familiarize yourself with the steps.

http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes

the meat of the article is:

1.) find a theme
2.) download the zip
3.) unzip the files on your local machine (a folder will be created)
4.) ftp the folder to the /wp-content/themes/ directory
5.) log into your wordpress admin page and go to the 'presentation' tab, then 'theme editor' sub-tab
6.) select your theme from the drop-down and presto!

side note: i've been considering networking with other bloggers to host, update, and maintain their blogs to form a network with ybp. would you be interested in something like that?

Re: UNICEF Educational Campaign for Africa: Boom or Bust?

Fredric — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:32:44 -0000

wait....they don't?

Re: YBP Savings Tip

Fredric — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:16:19 -0000

Andy! What's up!

Thanks for contacting us. I wanted to respond to you publicly so other readers could chime in or get some of their questions answered as well.

First, and foremost, thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I think statistically, Blacks in the Computer Science field make up about .25%. That is a quarter of 1%. It's always been a goal of mine to increase awareness about the greatness of tech to kiddies.

Really, the piece of advice I can give you is to reach out to the local universities, especially technically-oriented ones. Although you didn't find anything on the NSBE site, I can honestly say it is probably one of the best resources to start.

NSBE breaks the country up into regions. Depending on where your company is, I would concentrate on contacting the regional leadership. The regional maps and their corresponding area can be found on the homepage in the bottom right under the 'Regional Sites' portion. Regions usually hold job fairs and have sponsorships available.

From an online perspective, NSBE also has a job posting board that gets regular attention. You can read more about it at http://national.nsbe.org/Sponsors/NSBEJobPosting/tabid/106/Default.aspx.

As for other job boards geared towards minority candidates, you could try to contact some of the organizations on our 'organizations' page or try using diversityworking.com.

I'm also planning on contacting one of my closest friends on her advice for recruiting minority talent. I met her at the NSBE National Career Fair (one of the largest minority career fairs in the world held annually) and she is the VP for Diversity at Time Warner. When I get ahold of her, I'll let you know!

Re: does black culture care about the environment?

Fredric — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:59:23 -0000

i guess my biggest concern is that i feel it is doing a disservice to our future generations.

part of the reason why black culture is so strong today, despite the adversity, is because of the forethought our ancestors had for us.

while its debatable the spectrum and magnitude of opposition and adversity, do we not owe it to our kids to continue the legacy of securing their future....even if it seems like a trivial subject?

Re: “You black guys are racist!!”

Fredric — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:29:19 -0000

i thought racism implied hate and bigotry because of a person's skin and nothing more.

do most blacks have issues with white people because they are simply white (i.e. look different) or because of the implied intention and history of white culture with respect to black culture?

i've never believed in 'reverse racism'. how can you be prejudice against a race that has implicit privilege?

Re: does black culture care about the environment?

Fredric — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:51:15 -0000

true!

another interesting conundrum:

blacks have the highest proportions in the military. one of the reasons we're in iraq is because of oil and america's consumption of it.

yeah, black families can claim that 'we have other issues, thus i want my escalade', but that same consumption is contributing to the death of our people in an oil war.

comes back...full circle.

Re: hedge funds the new m.b.a.?

Fredric — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:21:57 -0000

true, but the failure is present no matter what direction you choose. is it not risky to start your own business, try to make it in the music world, buy up some real estate, or go into acting in hollywood? many of 'us' dream and do that all the time.

the point i was emphasizing is that life has no 'right way'. you can attain all of the degrees in the world, but it still won't guarantee you a slice of the pie.

diligence, creativity, and talent separate those among us who may tend to live by the philosophy 'the nail that sticks out, gets hammered down'.

here is a continuously emerging and competitive frontier that 'we' need to be aware of and something that young, black, talented professionals need not fear.

if anything, its a testament to the old adage that 'math and science are the fundamental building blocks to everything'. this article is shedding light to an industry where that skill can lead to a hefty payout.

Re: wearing black tomorrow, sept. 20, for jena 6

Fredric — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:12:59 -0000

shouts to my boy and co-worker anthony who did wear black today. i had to go shake his hand...

no, i did not wear black today. i guess i'll have to just keep my ear to the ground and pray for everyone to show my support.

Re: ten things i learned from kanye west and charles barkley

Fredric — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:19:07 -0000

well, remember that the title of the post is 'things i learned from them' not 'why i idolize or look-up to either'.

sometimes, the best lessons come from the entities that demand we reach outside our comfortable box.

we all have our stumbling blocks, ill-opinions, and mistakes. i just think about some of the raw emotion and words coming out these cats mouth and try to apply the message to things going in my life.

Re: Saving the Planet One Bag at a Time

Fredric — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 23:49:11 -0000

i'm thinking....you're really creative....so, how about you make one?

http://www.pieandcoffee.org/2005/11/12/canvas-bag/

Re: Are you Successful?

Fredric — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:11:04 -0000

That's some good stuff right there. I'm on my way to living my life the way I want.

Last day of this God-forsaken job is Wednesday! Can't wait...

Re: The Terrible Truth About the 401(k)

Fredric — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:43:51 -0000

greg, i think i understand what you're implying. essentially, since tax is based on a percentage of your income, it makes sense to want to pay the least amount over your lifetime. you won't be doing that if you defer taxes when you make less and pay taxes when you make more.

the other half of this story, which is something i'm sure you'll touch on, is that the best alternative for ybp's is a roth. you pay taxes now for the money that you contribute to the plan, but when you retire, all of the income from that plan is tax free. assuming you're in a higher bracket, you'll actually be paying less taxes.

umo, i agree. savings accounts get the double, but roth ira's don't.

the only dilemma with not utilizing your 401k is that you're missing the free money aspect of your employer match.

maybe the analysis of taxes early vs. taxes later vs. dividends from free 'employer contributed' dollars is the third part that can be analyzed. maybe that is what you're alluding to at the end of the article?

Re: The Soul Food Napkin #1

Fredric — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:53:36 -0000

i've got some new ideas for the site....i'm slowly rolling them out.

Re: The Terrible Truth About the 401(k)

Fredric — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:05:38 -0000

greg's theories confirmed on cnn.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/08/pf/expert/expert1.moneymag/index.htm?section=money_pf

Re: ‘the iron man preview’ edition: tech news 10/10

Fredric — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:37:44 -0000

hasn't been officially confirmed, but the wedding i was at on sunday, i met a colleague who works for motorola and he mentioned that they were waiting on the gphone.

if anything, it'll come out around the time they win the bid for the spectrum in january 2008.

Re: 6 tips on saving $20k on $45k/year

Fredric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:27:26 -0000

@the r: personal experience. remember that my totals are over a 3 year period.

Re: The Terrible Truth About the 401(k): PART II

Fredric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:22:11 -0000

woohoo!

roth 401k's! i gotta get me one of these!

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/05/pf/retirement/cash_from_401k.moneymag/index.htm?section=money_pf

Re: ybps: get off the real estate bandwagon

Fredric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:10:33 -0000

marty, just sent you an email.

Re: Bell Returns

Fredric — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:59:52 -0000

you've got to read the article by howard witt of the tribune about the actual facts of the case.

he returned to jail, not b/c of the incident that was related to the jena 6.

he was sent back for past acts he committed before then, which the louisiana juvenile representatives have already condemned as going against how they do things. you don't send someone to jail on things they've already done a long time ago, after the fact.

the gist of the story is that this judge is trying to take out his anger that the appellate court overruled his decision to try bell as an adult and he's grasping at straws to try and get bell back in jail.

full story here

Re: keep your head on a swivel

Fredric — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:48:16 -0000

cnn has more here.

Re: passion vs. paycheck

Fredric — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:27:57 -0000

good stuff. i checked your website. i am professional programmer. we should talk.

Re: passion vs. paycheck

Fredric — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:53:18 -0000

that's an excellent idea dr. spence. do you mind if we borrow it from time to time, walls of wisdom?

Re: World’s Top Black Mind on Racism in America

Fredric — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:20:34 -0000

@Miguel

interestingly enough, you just provided the reason why pride in one's culture in today's society is necessary. phrases like 'you people' and 'every time i find the black word...' says to me, a black male, that you have a predisposed disposition to black people and black culture.

taking pride in that culture by labeling things as 'black' is the only way to combat and negate many of those assumptions. 'black' is a lot of things, but the fact remains that the mainstream media hangs on to the more ignorant aspects of black culture.

this is a stigma this blog, its readers, and its community take direct aim at. it is easy to conclude by this comment that those effects have clearly affected your opinion of 'black' things and 'black' culture.

Re: New Amazon E-reader Shows Promise

Fredric — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:56:59 -0000

that's a good look paula. thanks.

Re: Help BET Redeem Itself: Vote for Fredric!

Fredric — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:15:26 -0000

lol. for the record:

1.) no, i did not create the poll
2.) yes, that is a big ass picture of my head
3.) go vote.

to vote, click the 'login' link in the upper-right. then click 'register'. sign-up (you can use a spam email account if you want, but BET lets you opt out of emails), then navigate back to the page and vote.

Re: 5 Feeds You Should Be Reading Everyday

Fredric — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:46:02 -0000

rss does not send content through email. the feed reader is just an application you can either run through your firefox browser (built-in) or download via another service.

google has a feed reader that a lot of people like. i just use firefox.

if you use firefox, click the link and firefox will pop open a box asking you where you want to place the bookmark. under your bookmarks menu, you can then hover over the new feed and a list of the recent titles of the stories appear.

no email is involved.

Re: ‘Legend?’ Maybe.

Fredric — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 14:17:54 -0000

ish is going to be great when it comes out on hd dvd.

back to the subject though. it was a very emotionally stressful movie. it preys on every negative sentiment you have and basically does jumping-jacks on that for 100 min.

all-in-all. it was great. will, like always, did a great job.

Re: pandora: better internet radio

Fredric — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:50:11 -0000

Thanks for the heads-up!

Re: Great Black Blogs: rsspect.org

Fredric — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:05:16 -0000

i was trying to get our readers to actually take a look at rsspect.org, but i guess i hate it when other sites don't link to the site they reference directly.

updated.

:-)

Re: Check It Out

Fredric — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:53:22 -0000

the site doesn't have a rss feed. what kind of boo boo is that.

Re: A YBP Facebook Debate: Barack vs. Hillary pt. 2

Fredric — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:01:02 -0000

Thanks Chuck, that's some good info.

Re: Best Funds for 2008

Fredric — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:25:33 -0000

nice! great timing! was just looking for rollover options....

thanks for the post.

Re: We Are the Ones Song (Video)

Fredric — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:54:36 -0000

updated.

Re: Off-White is the new Black

Fredric — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:07:07 -0000

BB-

Thanks for the insightful words. I agree that these 'brush-offs' need to be discussed more often and more openly. People will realize slowly, but shortly, how much we have in common.

The inherit contradiction, however, is that politics has always prayed on fear. People are elected, wars are funded, and parties are made on the politics of fear and cynicism.

History has shown that education and diverse experiences counter-balance this. Unfortunately, that is the exact void poorer communities have.

The difference between a poor white community and a poor Black community is marginal, at best. That margin of being Black, however, is enough to get you murdered by the police and exploited by the media. In white communities, you're swept under the rug.

Re: Hip Hop’s Turning Point

Fredric — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:24:48 -0000

S Stylus

Thanks for the comment. I'm definitely not a hop head like most, but I have found it interesting that a lot of the acts that are rising above the mixtapes and 'what I found on okp' seem to tell their story in similar colors.

When I think Neo Soul, I think Bahamadia, Anthony Hamilton, Angie Stone, etc. When I hear cats spitting about being in college, trying to make the rap game work after getting a degree, and grappling with suburban pressures, I think YBP.

Just a thought.

Re: Get Connected

Fredric — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:29:04 -0000

Good for you Lisa!

Stay positive and keep your eye on the prize!

Re: Planning on Biking?

Fredric — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:30:12 -0000

Good advice, Stephon.

I just pulled the trigger and upgraded to an 'adult' bike. It feels good to know my $400 investment will be used to not only get me in shape, but save some money and help the environment.

Re: He Did It! Barack secures nomination!

Fredric — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:18:52 -0000

Yeah, I definitely feel the same way, but you can't argue with the math!

Man, I hope I don't tear up too much. I am big family and history guy, and I tend to get a little heavy-hearted when I juxtapose the atrocities done to our people and this historical day, and the blessing it is to be alive to see it.

Re: He Did It! Barack secures nomination!

Fredric — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:14:43 -0000

@JD

It's funny that you say that. With the way Hip-Hop is going, being nerdy and smart is trending towards being cool...especially with the new acts.

Re: Off-White is the new Black

Fredric — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:12:32 -0000

@Veester

Thanks for sharing your comments and thanks for visiting the blog!

Re: 20 Questions

Fredric — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:37:13 -0000

need. iphone.

crap.

Re: Obama: SayNo2

Fredric — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:48:01 -0000

I really don't get the drastic opposition to gay marriage and civil union.

Even if I was to believe the argument about the interpretation of 'what the Bible says', since when does American policy become an edict of all Christian values?

I mean, the this country was founded out of religious difference from the England and its patriarchy. To say that we have to sign into LAW things that people may have issue with religiously is completely contradictory.

Am I missing something?

Re: Obama: SayNo2

Fredric — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:28:12 -0000

@Jeanne

Thanks for your comment. I understand where you are coming from. This 'fear' thing, I guess, is built into our genes and reiterated through our daily interactions. We don't know our neighbors, we don't want to immunize our children, we shouldn't spend any money or pursue our dreams....

Sheep, I tell you. Sheep.

Re: Firefox Download Day: June 17, 2008

Fredric — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:57:03 -0000

the site is down right now. apparently it is getting hammered.

if you want to get the release, check the ftp link

ftp://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/3.0/

if you want to watch them blabber on about the release, check the live broadcast:

http://air.mozilla.com

Re: Firefox Download Day: June 17, 2008

Fredric — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:04:13 -0000

scratch that. its up officially now.

http://getfirefox.com

Re: TechBuzz: Time.com Top 50 Websites

Fredric — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:23:32 -0000

Sheria! How is it going? Haven't seen your name around here in awhile. :-)

Yeah, Mint is that fire.

Re: TechBuzz: Time.com Top 50 Websites

Fredric — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:34:06 -0000

Hey J.

Thanks for the response and I'm glad to see that one of writers over there frequents our blog. While I do hope that you don't take my facetiousness too personally, I still standby my original disdain for the overwhelming message I get from CL.

I went back to the site and was greeted by lots of banner ads and a ton of pictures of celebrities doing.....nothing.

I scrolled down and saw an entire post on Rihanna's $6k shoes.

I went through the bio's (again) and, I admit, give you guys mad props for doing the damn thing as YBP's. 90k+ visitors a day is big time.

But, my concern is, and will always be, the inherent message sent these sites, reality t.v., gossip blogs or t.v. shows, magazines project: That somehow I should care about what this person does!

I mean, I'm old-fashioned. I just don't get the tons of magazines about hair and clothes and clubs and drinks and cologne and perfume. I see it exploited into shame-based reality VH1 and think....wow, if we spend half this time in something that can make a difference, just think where we'd be.

But, at the same time, I can't blow myself up too hard and just dance on my soap box. Just like people can't understand why cars matter to me so much and why I read blogs about new gadgets, sites like yours have their place too. And if you're throwing a message in there every (n)th post, good for you.

Not mad.

Re: TechBuzz: Time.com Top 50 Websites

Fredric — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:35:38 -0000

Oh....props to the Times.com shoutout. Still waiting for our MSM jump-off.

Re: 10,000 Signatures for R. Kelly Petition

Fredric — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:36:27 -0000

Well, the reason issue 1 ties into issues 2 - 4 is that the publicity and dichotomy the R. Kelly incident has created. The visceral response art (in this case) music creates, along with its creator, isn't anything new. But a statement, course of action, apology, or even donation from the artist would speak volumes about the issue at hand.

If you take a look at the entirety of Jelani's post and the pledge itself, it highlights this hope: to hit Mr. Kels in his pockets so that he may take some personal responsibility for what this incident has shown and possibly lead some of his followers towards the light that shines (and has been shining) on this issue.

Re: 10,000 Signatures for R. Kelly Petition

Fredric — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:32:53 -0000

@rawdawgbuffalo,

Thanks for the shout. We have you syndicated over at rsspect.org. I've checked out your blog. Good stuff.

Re: Black National Anthem and the Star Spangled Banner

Fredric — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:17:06 -0000

No doubt. It's heating up now, though. Google Trends is spiking with searches for 'Black National Anthem' and 'LIft Every Voice and Sing'.

Can't wait for Fox's Hannity's take or O'Reilly's. It's going to be a storm!

The funniest thing, to me, is thinking of how Jon Stewart always jokes about how people somehow think Obama is going to enslave the white race when he becomes President. I can see people getting all up in arms saying 'SEE! SEE! I told you! They are already replacing the National Anthem!'

Re: Friday Video: Usher - Love in this Club ft. the Showbiz Pizza Band

Fredric — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:41:34 -0000

Side note. Funniest part is when Jeezy's verse comes in and the little puppet gets into it with his ventriloquist handler.

Not mad at the programming job, either.

Re: Sounding Black

Fredric — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:43:27 -0000

Here is a link to Cobb's take. He is a proclaimed Black Republican and has some good insight with an alternative perspective.

The comments are also worth a look.

Re: Hancock Haters?

Fredric — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:29:37 -0000

So I went and saw Hancock. Great movie.

It's times like these that really make me upset because I feel like the only reason why the media said what they said was pure, unadulterated racism and hate.

Will Smith - Good job dude. I know it's hard for people to see you in that light, but that is what acting is.

Mike Epps - You only got two lines, but they were damn funny.

Re: Friday Video: Usher - Love in this Club ft. the Showbiz Pizza Band

Fredric — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:02:37 -0000

@Asha

Everything is a product of the web design firm Bright Plum, although we did elicit some help from a talented artist we'll be showcasing soon.

Re: rsspect.org

Fredric — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:26:30 -0000

@courtney: it still running!

I need to do a re-write, but it's still alive and kicking. Is it not working for you?

Re: So You Say I Am Too “Upperclass” to Have HIV?

Fredric — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:22:11 -0000

@Arthur

It's not that simple. Vices in today's world have never been that simple.

The tweener at 15 who doesn't have positive male figure feels pressured to please and hang around an older guy who treats her nice.

A young dude who is getting pressure from his friends to 'get some' from his girl thinks the world will end if his friends think he is a pussy for not.

People who go out and really like someone tend to be too nice and not demand that someone have been tested before sleeping with them after the club.

Are they reasonable excuses? No. But to simple point the finger and say 'well, you need to do better' doesn't prevent anything. We need tools, better education tools, to make the education of one's status as commonplace as brushing your teeth.

How do we do it?

It has to get out of the shadows of being taboo and be able to be discussed by everyone, in the light, on the table, gay or straight, positive or negative....without judgment.

Re: Jumping on the 50 Million Pound Bandwagon

Fredric — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:25:53 -0000

Just for the record, I think my wife looks beautiful and I love her very much.

:-)

Re: What Is Your Default Setting?

Fredric — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:12:12 -0000

Extending along this thought is the capacity to enjoy other's accomplishments, as well. When you're able to have a 'default positive' outlook on your own daily accomplishments, you enjoy and appreciate the accomplishments of your peers a lot more.

Too often do we fall back into the competitive crease of judging and sizing each other up, especially as YBP's. We've been conditioned to 'being the only one' that we don't enjoy when we're not! Some of that is because we have defaulted into negating our own accomplishments as a way to never get too hight on ourselves.

As you alluded to in in your post, perhaps the better medicine is feeling good and happy about our successes so that we can continue to enjoy...and encourage others to reach and enjoy theirs!

Great post dude....

Re: Think Pink, or at least Think Possibility

Fredric — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:32:06 -0000

Side. Hustle. Not mad at you dude, for real.

Re: Go Green Checklist

Fredric — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:01:07 -0000

@Greg: Check iStockphoto. They have tons of graphics for green initiatives.

Re: Janelle Monae! Ya heard?

Fredric — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:45:32 -0000

You can also check the label that pushes her stuff and follow them on twitter.

Re: Friday Video: Common ft. Pharrell - Announcement

Fredric — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:48:46 -0000

Updated the broken video.

Re: I Am a Community Organizer

Fredric — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:25:49 -0000

Yobachi,

I'd have to disagree.

When the Shaquanda Cotton case broke awhile back, a slew of blogs organized, as a community, on the net to petition, setup websites, and give a voice to an injustice. Our actions help support the story that Howard Witt started and she was let go.

The same could be said about the momentum seen in Jena 6, the Sly Fox smear campaigns, and I think this.

Setting up a blog for a cause is just as important as getting out on the street and making your voice heard. You can connect with people, collect support, collect donations, and enact real change.

Shaquanda Cotton is a testament to that.
Barack Obama's fundraising is a testament to that.

Re: I Am a Community Organizer

Fredric — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:30:44 -0000

Granted. The gathering of physical beings to enact a physical event is the textbook definition, but cant that same gathering be done online with a blog as hub?

If the post has information, a widget to collect funds, a means to contact those with power (built-in form), a way to give those funds to the necessary party, and a way to show status updates (live ustream feed, etc.), the organization and amalgamation of those pieces do not constitute an aspect of community organizing?

I email, call, twitter, facebook, and myspace those online to direct them to my blog about an issue and ask them to show solidarity on an issue.

I agree with what your saying, I just don't think the innovations allowed virtually should be discounted.

Re: Interview with Tariq Muhammad, Director of AOL Black Voices

Fredric — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:32:41 -0000

i enjoyed the podcast. good questions.

i'm curious to know why the executives that are in charge of internet media never mention the benefits of open-source solutions. tariq mentioned the lack of architecture and capital that smaller black firms have in terms of trying to establish a presence on the web. i've always felt that today's 2.0 technologies...from open-source cms like drupal to scalable hosting platforms like amazon s3.....could be utilized by small businesses to grow with the business.

the days of needing large capital and massive tech teams are going away. i'd even argue that it costs more to publicize your medium via old-fashioned print than it would setting aside the same funds and doing some online marketing and word-of-mouth.

Re: Amazon SimpleDB released in Limited Beta

Fredric — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:25:42 -0000

maybe, but it really depends on what you're using wordpress for. if you plan to use your blog as platform for launching any web apps, like a facebook or job board, that you think will get a lot of steam, this sounds like a good plan.

oddly enough, you'll still need your own web server to communicate to their services even though they would be doing a lot of the heavy lifting for you. the average person with a hot site will still need to shell out $50 a month on bandwidth allowance alone.

Re: The SEO Rapper on Design Coding

Fredric — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:19:18 -0000

stfu. come on dawg!

are you serious? lol.

Re: BlackBlogWatch on the lookout

Fredric — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:33:35 -0000

Thanks for the linkback. The site is actually 'YBP Guide', instead of 'YBF'.

I found BlackBlogWatch a few months ago and was impressed. It definitely is a step-up above our rsspect.org mashup feedreader. They need to clean up some of their feeds as I think they mix some blogs together, but overall a good site.

Re: Subway: The $5 Racists?

Fredric — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:47:47 -0000

That joint is actually pretty awesome.

I mean, I think we're at a point now where I saw some played out, comedy sketch, Jamie Kennedy type joint.

I mean, it could be worse....but the fact that Abe interjects with some proper grammar, the joint is hilarious to me.

I'm thinking someone did raise their hand and I imagine the first sketch had Abe with a gold-tooth and ho on one arm. They said 'ok, lets make it a little less blatant, but edgy enough where it generates buzz and ridiculous to get some chuckles'.

I'm cool with it.

Re: Is Apple out of touch with society?

Fredric — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:08:09 -0000

The same reason people buy over-priced, brand-name clothes. The visceral appeal and satisfaction of envy from other human beings is a powerful drug.

It manifests itself in big cars, big houses, fancy kid names, loud clothing, expensive dinners, lavish vacations, and opulent accessories.

While I do own a Mac Mini (and a Linux laptop and PC and had an iPod) and work on a MBP, I can attest that Apple's quality isn't superior to any other product I own.

The placebo of a higher bill is a tennis match between sensibility and hubris. It's our human nature...

Maybe tough economic times will shock us back into reality...doubtful, but its possible.

Re: Interview with Michael Seibel CEO of Justin.tv

Fredric — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:19:09 -0000

"Everyone can start an internet company. All it takes is working with good friends and believing that you can't fail."

Great quote!

That's good stuff dude. Glad to hear we got one over in SV doing great things!

I will be supporting.

Re: Twitter’s Influence on the Black Web

Fredric — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:27:04 -0000

Great post. Was just about to put something up on the ubiquity of vlogging. Micro-blogging is running strong at the moment.

Interestingly, though, is that if you acquire enough followers and make enough updates, this really just feels like a refreshed version of IRC.

I mean, after a certain point, its a giant room of people posting links and short opinions.

Amazing how the instant gratification our lives suddenly start to revolve around was tapped into the 'genius' of the 140 character paradigm.

Re: Forbes Partners with UnityFirst.com to Distribute Diversity-Focused Business News

Fredric — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:28:19 -0000

Unityfirst.com = another God awful Black website. Let's get it together people.

Sidenote: Post about the BE beta!

Re: Black Enterprise Goes Beta

Fredric — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:27:04 -0000

WP is designed for a few authors to post content or submit content.
Drupal can set per-feature permissions for the content, i.e. allow certain types of authors to post to categories, edit their own posts (even after they are published), etc.

WP doesn't have a limitation to what types of content (or tags used) can be entered by users.
Drupal can do this on a per-user basis and incorporate other editors besides the default Tinymce.

WP has hooks to display listing of content with certain tags or categories, but not much else.
Drupal can add logic and expose these filters for 'views' of content.

Just a few things I like...

:-)

Re: OurStage.com Receives Production Deal with Nappy Boy Digital

Fredric — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:07:41 -0000

At least Obama got elected.

(Le Sigh)

Re: Clutch Magazine Launches Blog Network

Fredric — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:09:35 -0000

Two claps for Dede, indeed.

Re: BlackPlanet Universe on YouTube

Fredric — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:50:31 -0000

Maybe it's just me, but I'm still left with the question of 'Why?'

Re: Help a Black Science Blogger Win Scholarship

Fredric — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:09:26 -0000

That's good stuff dude!

Re: Funky Brown Chick Watched CNN’s “Black In America”

Fredric — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:43:11 -0000

Digging the site! Would love a guest post sometime....

Just posted our first video response to some of the comments coming out of the Black in America special.

Check it out and would love feedback when you get a chance...

http://ybpguide.com/2008/07/25/fck-the-black-in...

Re: Available Light Photography With Nokia N85

Fredric — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:05:11 -0000

Played with my n85 something serious this past weekend.

Man, now I need to step my photog game up. Good look on the mini-tripod. Will definitely be playing with lighting settings.

Any good links for explaining settings for beginners?