Wordless Wednesday: This Will Not End Well...

Video of the Day: 9-9-9 The Movie, Slay the Tax Monster

Herman Cain is trying to regain his footing in the GOP primaries. He created this 5-minute video about his 9-9-9 economic plan in this effort. Check it out:





What is your take on Herman Cain and his 9-9-9 video?

VIDEO: Jungle Love Story of Ginger White and Herman Cain

Ginger White

Herman Cain will always be able to say that he was the leading candidate for the GOP nomination for a moment. However, that bright moment in his life will be forever muddied by the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Today we learn that another white woman ... this time an unemployed single mother, Ginger White, says that she had a 13-year extramarital affair with Cain. Ginger White said in her televised interview,

"It wasn't complicated. I was aware that he was married. And I was also aware I was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship."

Cain gave his side of the story on CNN earlier tonight:





Cain's attorney is Lin Wood. He wrote the following message to the television station in Atlanta that is breaking this story:

"Mr. Cain has been informed today that your television station plans to broadcast a story this evening in which a female will make an accusation that she engaged in a 13-year long physical relationship with Mr. Cain. This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace – this is not an accusation of an assault – which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate.

Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults – a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public’s right to know and the media’s right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one’s bedroom door.

Mr. Cain has alerted his wife to this new accusation and discussed it with her. He has no obligation to discuss these types of accusations publicly with the media and he will not do so even if his principled position is viewed unfavorably by members of the media."

Doesn't it seem like Cain's attorney is confirming that an affair took place?

Georgia Company Sign: 'No Hiring Until Obama is Gone'

Did you see the story about a Georgia company, U.S. Crane, with signs on the front of the business and the sides of its trucks that say:

'New Company Policy: We Are Not Hiring Until Obama is Gone'

The business is owned by Bill Looman III, who is making it clear that he doesn't have much love for President Barack Obama. Looman says,

"Can’t afford it. I’ve got people that I want to hire now, but I just can’t afford it. And I don’t foresee that I’ll be able to afford it unless some things change in D.C."

The decision to place these signs on his business hasn't helped his business. The negative blowback to Looman caused him to disconnect his phone and take down his website. In addition, he has been visited by the Secret Service because his message could be perceived as an assassination threat on the president. [SOURCE]

I guess that Looman doesn't remember that America was losing over 700,000 jobs per month at the end of the Bush presidency. But, then again, I've noticed that right-wing wackos very rarely allow facts to get in the way of a good argument.

Taser Death: Roger Anthony (Scotland Neck, NC)

It happened again! This time a rookie cop with about a month on the job decided that it didn't have the training to handle a 61-year old UNARMED Black man riding his bike without electrocuting him with a taser gun.







The 61-year old man, Roger Anthony, was riding his bike on Monday, November 21st. Someone called '911' to report that he was drunk. The police responded with Officer John Turner. He found Mr. Anthony riding the bike and followed him in his patrol car, briefly put on his sirens and lights and yelled out of the window for him to stop, but Anthony continued to ride away.

Turner then saw Anthony take something out his pocket and put it into his mouth. At that time, Turner got out of the car and yelled for Anthony to stop. When Mr. Anthony didn't stop, the officer pumped him with 50,000 volts of electricity from his taser gun, causing him to fall off of his bike.

Anthony was transported to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, where he was declared brain dead, his sister Gladys Freeman said. He was taken off of life support on Tuesday.

Freeman said her brother was disabled, suffered from seizures and had trouble hearing. She said he was riding his bike home from her house on Sunday night. Anthony lived alone in an independent living community.

Turner, who has been on the force for just over a month, has been placed on administrative leave.

Scotland Neck Mayor James Mills is calling for the State Bureau of Investigation to look into what happened.

"The best we've been able to determine is that he offered no threat," Mills said.

Milton Freeman said Anthony, his brother-in-law, used to smoke cigarettes, drink coffee and ride his bicycle around town. Anthony was nicknamed "Rabbit" because of his big ears.

"Why would you (use a stun gun on) a man on a bike? He didn’t do any crime. He wasn’t trying to escape. How (was) he going to escape on his bicycle?" Milton Freeman said.

2011 Power List of Black Women in Europe

Adrianne George

One of my favorite 'blogging kinfolk' is Adrianne George. She is the blog-mistress of Black Women in Europe (BWIE). One reason that I admire Adrianne is her willingness to create that which may not already exist. Her blog provides a forum for sharing news and information Nubian queens operating on the European continent. There aren't (m)any other forums with such a focus.

Last year (2010), the Black Women in Europe™ Blog released its first Power List naming 58 women across Europe in 6 categories.

"Last year’s list proved that there are countless numbers of amazing Black women in Europe very few people ever hear of," Adrianne explains. "I couldn’t wait to compile the 2011 list."

Adrianne followed up on the success of that list with a new one this year. The methodology for the 2011 list is straightforward. The 2011 list names 35 women in nine categories: Athletics, Entrepreneurship & Business, Law, Lifestyle, Literature, Media, Politics, Science and Social Activism. Winners include award winning authors, record making athletes, model philanthropists and outspoken activists. This list is intended to acknowledge powerful Black women in Europe and to inspire others to reach their full potential.

 

View the complete Black Women in Europe™: Power List 2011 – A List of Our Own© in a variety of formats:

• Blog Post
• YouTube Video
• Slideshare
• Scribd
• myBrainshark

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I didn't know about any of the 35 powerful women of African descent on the 2011 BWIE Power List.  How many of them did you know before reviewing the list?

Obama's Weekly Address: On Thanksgiving, Grateful for the Men and Women Who Defend Our Country

President Obama wishes the American people a happy Thanksgiving -- and gives a special thanks to the brave men and women serving overseas and those giving back to their communities during the holidays.

Wordless Wednesday: UC Davis Protestors Pepper Sprayed

Barack Obama in 1991 Black History Minute Video

YouTube didn't exist back in 1991 when Barack Obama was editor of the Harvard Law Review. As such there aren't many video-clips of our current president from back in the day.

However, an old video of Barack Obama doing a “Black History Minute” did pop up recently.





Could any of us imagine that he would later become the first Black president of the United States?

NBA Stars Support Obama Re-Election Campaign

I see that a number of current and retired NBA All-Stars ar getting political next month when they play in a basketball exhibition game to raise funds for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

Players who have confirmed they will play in the Obama Classic Basketball Game include Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Ray Allen.

Retired big men Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Patrick Ewing will also play in the game in Washington, D.C., on December 12.

Ticket prices range from $200 for general admission to $5,000 for court-side seats. Funds raised at the game will go to the Obama Victory Fund, an account managed by the Democratic Party and Obama's re-election campaign.

I began to imagine who I would want to be on my Electronic Village Classic Basketball Game. My dream team would include: Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Julius Erving.  I guess you can tell that I'm a lifetime fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, huh?!

Who would you want to play on your Classic Basketball Game?

Andrew Tafoya Pleads Guilty to 'Child-Stealing' in Chioma Gray Case

The unusual case of Chioma Gray is coming to an end. Her abductor, 24-year old Andrew Tafoya, pleaded guilty to felony child stealing charges. He will spend three years in prison. [SOURCE]

Chioma was a 15-year old high school student in Oxnard, CA when she was kidnapped by Tafoya on December 13, 2007. She lived with him as his wife for nearly four years in Mexico. Chioma is now 19 ... and she says that she is married to Tafoya.

The couple voluntarily returned to California last month.

Obama's Weekly Address: Creating an Economy Built to Last

President Obama is on an international trip that finds him in Indonesia today. Of course, most of the GOP candidates for president couldn't find Indonesia if you gave them a world map. Fortunately, the President didn't talk about GOP ignorance ... rather he spoke about his administration's work opening up markets to support thousands of American jobs and keep us on track to double American exports by 2014.





What say u?

What's Your M.O.? Video Contest

There are a number of remarkable young 'uns within the reach of our 'electronic village'. We encourage them to get with Monique Coleman and GimmeMo to enter the What's Your M.O.? video contest for youth.





Coleman, an actress, singer, activist and United Nations Youth Champion dedicated to empowering today's youth, created What's Your Mo as a chance for teens to tell what their Mo' is, what teens are passionate about, and what they are doing to make a difference.

This contest is for teens ages 13-to-18. Videos must be :60-:90 seconds. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube with the tag "What's Your M.O.?" and the link emailed to communications@ysa.org. The winning video will be featured on Coleman's online show at Gimmemo.com and the winner will receive a personal 15 minute Skype video call with Coleman.

The deadline is November 28, 2011 ... so get busy!

Wordless Wednesday: His Majesty at Sunset

Why So Few Black Technology Entrepreneurs Funded by CincyTech?

I joined over 400 people at the CincyTech annual meeting at the Duke Energy Convention Center earlier this morning. I counted 35 start-up companies and community partners participating in the Start-up Showcase. I visited each of the booths and talked to many of the technology entrepreneurs who have enjoyed success with CincyTech.

CincyTech is a public-private partnership whose mission is to invest in high-growth start-up technology companies in Southwest Ohio. The organization provides management assistance, seed-capital investments and connections to partners who share its mission. CincyTech focuses on opportunities in information technology and life sciences. This is a wonderful opportunity for technology entrepreneurs.

After seeing the CNN's Black in America episode,'The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley' I was very sensitive to the issue of racism that impacts Black technology entrepreneurs when it comes to venture capital funding of start-ups. As such I was disappointed to see that less than a dozen of the 400 people in attendance were African American ... and only three (ConnXus, Innovative Card Solutions and SampleSaint) of the 35 booths were filled with technology companies that were owned and operated by people of African descent.

CincyTech President Bob Coy announced CincyTech’s performance numbers during the meeting. CincyTech has invested $10 million in 28 local start-up companies and helped its companies attract another $100 million in private co-investment since 2007. There were no statistics or emphasis mentioned at any point during the meeting about the dearth of Black technology entrepreneurs being supported by the process.

I am glad to see that there are Black leaders on both the staff and executive committee of CincyTech. That is better than what we saw from the movers and shakers in Silicon Valley.

I suggest that BDPA (local, regional and national) become more aggressive in their engagement with entrepreneurial organizations like CincyTech. I plan to follow-up with CincyTech and its portfolio companies to invite them to learn more about BDPA Cincinnati chapter and the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation. There should be speaker opportunities, company tours for our members and students, internships and perhaps even support for BDPA's college scholarship program.

Perhaps the CincyTech Annual Meeting in 2012 will have a growing level of engagement with Black tech entrepreneurs and start-ups!

Science and Tech Education for Students of Color

Did you watch Soledad O'Brien share insights on the NewMe Accelerator journey in "Black in America: The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley"? The point was made that there are very few African Americans being funded for technology start-ups in Silicon Valley. It is obvious that creating a vanguard of technology CEOs begins with the education that we give to our young people.

Check out this video to see how one woman seeks to make a difference at an early age for students of color:


There are a number of other organizations trying to create future STEM superstars.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Joe Paterno Should be Fired; Penn State Grand Jury Report Shows That Evil Sex Abuse Was Covered Up

Joe Paterno has worked for over 60 years for Penn State. He has been a legendary head coach who earned two national championships and has won more games than any other coach in the history of football. He has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for Penn State University.

Jerry Sandusky

Coach Paterno's close friend for many of his years at Penn State is a guy named Jerry Sandusky. Jerry Sandusky was the defensive coordinator for both of the Penn State national championships.

Jerry Sandusky is also a pedophile. He likes to have sex with young children ... as young as 10- or 11-year olds. In fact, he was caught by a Penn State graduate assistant having anal sex with a young middle-school student in the Penn State showers. The incident was reported to Coach Joe Paterno.

Here is the 23-page grand jury testimony that lays out the entire story:

Penn State Sex Crime Grand Jury Testimony

View more documents from Wayne Hicks

Joe Paterno

Villagers, I understand that Joe Paterno announced that he will retire at the end of the season. It is my view that Joe Paterno forfeited the chance to have a say in his retirement when he allowed his friend to sexually abuse a minor in his facility ... and then decided to cover it up to protect his legacy and the reputation of Penn State.

Joe Paterno should be fired immediately and not allowed to coach the game this weekend. Period.

If this had happened with any other university official ... or with a football player on the team ... he would be SUSPENDED immediately (if not FIRED immediately). Why is Joe Paterno getting a pass? Just because he's an old white guy?

Did you read the transcript? That is why I posted it ... once you read the transcript then you know that all bets are off. This is a disgusting, illegal and immoral pattern of behavior that was condoned and covered up by Joe Paterno, his staff and Penn State University.

Not only should Joe Paterno be fired ... I hope that his players all walk to the 50-yard line at the beginning of the game on Saturday ... then in unison they should take off their helmets and sit down ... I hope that the players REFUSE to play the dayum game.

What say u?

Video of the Day: Rick Perry is an Intellectual Midget

I guess it's fair to say that Rick Perry just lost any chance he had to win the Republican nomination for president. In fact, Rick Perry may now replace Dan Quayle as the biggest dummy to ever run for the presidency ... with honorable mention to Sarah Palin.





It turns out the the Department of Energy was the third agency that Rick Perry was trying to remember.

Do you see any future for Rick Perry?

2011 Women of Color in Technology Awards

One of my favorite people in the world is Tyrone Taborn. His company puts on a number of events to highlight diversity in the information technology industry. One of those events is an annual conference that honors top women in technology. The conference this year was held on November 5, 2011 in Dallas, TX.

Here is the video showing highlights of the conference:





What is your take on diversity conference such as this one?

Conrad Murray Found Guilty of Killing Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's doctor was convicted Monday of involuntary manslaughter after a trial that painted him as a reckless caregiver who administered a lethal dose of a powerful anesthetic that killed the pop star.

The verdict against Dr. Conrad Murray marked the latest chapter in one of pop culture's most shocking tragedies — the death of the King of Pop on the eve of the singer's heavily promoted comeback concerts.

Murray sat stone-faced and showed little reaction at the verdict.





Are you satisfied that justice was done?

Attitude

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but you think you can't
It's almost certain that you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost;
For out in the world you'll find
Things begin with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Biden's Weekly Address: We Have to Increase the Pace

Speaking from the University of Pittsburgh, Vice President Biden argues that this month's jobs numbers demonstrate that Congress should pass the American Jobs Act to strengthen our economy and create jobs right away. [Video / Transcript]





What is your take on this week's message from the White House?

Taser Death: Chad Brothers (Colonie, NY)

It happened again. This time 32-year old Chad Brothers is dead as a result of having been electrocuted 4-5 times by the taser guns of unidentified Colonie (NY) police officers. There were no drugs involved in this case according to the preliminary autopsy reports.

Chad Brothers went on some type of rampage at the Gold's Gym in Colonie, NY. Police responded to a 911 call that says that a man was "going crazy". Nobody appears to know why Brothers was so upset. We'll never know now because the young man is dead.






Witnesses tell police he was intentionally speeding up treadmills other people were using, as well as pushing over machines, some weighing up to 700 lbs.

When the first officer arrived to the scene, an unidentified female officer, Brothers was still causing a disturbance and started throwing items at the officer.

The officer tried to take Brothers into custody, commanding him to calm down, but the 6'1'' and 240 lb. man continued to cause a ruckus. The officer attempted to handcuff him, and when she was unable to do that, she deployed her pronged taser. At that time, the officer said Brothers attempted to grab her taser away.

Two additional officers arrived at the scene, each using their own taser on Brothers.

Police say Brothers was stunned four to five times, in all.

After taken into custody, Brothers went into cardiac arrest. The officers at the scene, as well as a gym patron, began CPR on the victim before Colonie EMS arrived.


Brothers was taken to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The unidentified officers involved in the incident have been put on paid administrative leave pending the end of the investigation.

Colonie Police Chief Steven Heider says his officers were jusified in what they did.

Video of the Day: Rick Perry is Dazed and Confused

'Sheriff' Rick Perry wants to be the President of the United States. He wants to be on the world stage as the face of our nation. Check out this video and let me know if this is the image that America needs for the next 4 years.





Was that Rick Perry being Rick Perry? Or do you think he was drunk?

Leadership Tip: Avoid The Word 'But'

If you eliminate the work 'but' from your memos, e-mail, phone conversations, and dealings with villagers, you'll strengthen your ability to persuade others.

Why?

Any time you use the word 'but', what you're really saying is that you disagree with that person. For example, if you say, "I agree with you, but let me say this...," villagers will wonder if you really agree with them or not.

The solution?

Always replace 'but' with 'and'. In the above example, you would say: "I agree with you, and let me say this..." Replacing 'but' with 'and' eliminates all contradiction from your message, and makes what you say more powerful.

Wayne Hicks Discusses 'The Art of Networking' at University of Cincinnati

I'm honored to be the guest speaker at the ADVANCE Networking Reception later this evening. The Networking Reception will take place on Tuesday, November 1st at the University of Cincinnati’s Myers Alumni Center form 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Located at 2906 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221.


ADVANCE is a student focused professional development organization that assists students, primarily African American, with making the transition from college to the work environment by developing and enhancing skills in resume writing, interviewing, networking, business etiquette, and understanding corporate/world of work cultures.

This reception was created by students in ADVANCE over 24 years ago as a pre-career fair activity designed to market the Diversity Student Career Fair, and to promote students’ understanding of the “Art of Networking.” Students also benefit by receiving insight on business protocol and work world dynamics.

Art of Networking

View more presentations from Wayne Hicks

The ADVANCE organization will host the Networking Reception. Following sign-in, there will be introductions, acknowledgement of sponsors, and a brief presentation on the do's and don'ts of the "Art of Networking." Immediately following this segment, light refreshments will be served and students will begin their interactions with corporate representatives. Please bring plenty of business cards as students have been instructed to collect cards from company participants. The dress for employers is business formal or business casual.

I look forward to my participation in this year’s ADVANCE Networking Reception. Wish me luck!