There's no better investment than property. Year on year, our homes — even through times of great economic uncertainty — continue to grow in value, so it makes sense to devote as much as we can to improving them. With this in mind, we went to the liberty of researching some of this area's top construction experts, in the hopes of pinning down how you can profitably improve your property.
Over the last four years Thermaspec have built a reputation for a superior level of work, helping homeowners across Dorset and Hampshire "add space and value" (as their motto dictates) to their properties. They originally specialised in bespoke orangeries, garage conversions and extensions, but whilst many found this the perfect solution, other customers looking for something a little different. A new way to make their homes bigger, that wasn't the conventional extension. With that, Thermaspec added "Luxury Garden Rooms" to their portfolio, creating a high-spec extension away from the home, which made for a whole new living space.
But, instead of taking their word for it we were kindly invited to visit the home of one of their previous clients — a project that was a great success, working with the client from concept to completion, delivering amazing results that were both on time and in budget. With Thermaspec Owner Martyn, Project Manager Colin and the homeowner Shirley on site, the team took me through the process that led to this incredible Luxury Garden Room, affectionately known by the owners as "The Pavillion".
Martyn: Initially Shirley approached us wanting to explore her options for a designated snooker hall — a "man cave" for her husband to enjoy his favourite past time in.
Shirley: We both lead such busy lives, so any downtime we get is precious. Where we live there's not that many options for my husband Trevor, so he would have to go off further afield to enjoy his snooker, which means less quality time for us. The idea was to bring his pastime home, so that we could still enjoy spend time together, and with all of our friends.
When you're doing something this big, you don't want to be doing half of it yourself. Thermaspec made this project enjoyable; they put the fun back into home renovation, through handling every single detail.
Martyn: After the initial telephone enquiry from Shirley we arranged to meet on site (their property) and get to know what they really wanted out of the potential extra space. We already knew it was going to be predominantly used as a snooker room, but there were plenty of other key things that came to light as the discussion went on.
Working closely with our in-house architect, and with Shirley, meant that we could tackle the designs knowing what would and would not work aesthetically and in terms of planning.
Shirley: My husband, in his wisdom, asked what I wanted out of the space too, and from that we realised that all the details were working towards creating an all-inclusive entertaining space. Things like running water, a toilet, specialised lighting and sound equipment, suddenly became important details. We began to panic thinking of how many other trades we'd have to contact to get all the things we wanted, but to our surprise, Thermaspec had it all covered; carpenters, plumbers, electricians…all part of their team.
We were so impressed with how they'd really heard what we wanted, and after our initial conversation they came back with the plans, then we were able to adapt it with the architect in 3D-design, and then they really blew us away when they produced a full booklet of every single detail; materials, design, prices — and this was even before they'd got the contract. It was right then we gave them the green light and work began.
As a customer, what were your feelings throughout the build?
Shirley: The whole thing has been a delight, and I really can't recommend these guys enough. When I say I cannot criticise a thing, I genuinely mean that, and I run a business so I know what it's like. The attention to detail has been second to none, and that's to be said for everyone in the team. So often big home projects can be stressful, even traumatic, but having Colin on board managing the entire project made a massive difference. They're extremely polite and a pleasure to have around, and the communication has been flawless throughout.
It was important for us to choose a local company. There's a level of accountability on their part, you know they're only moments away, and you're not having to factor in the cost of accommodation for workmen either. We found Thermaspec by accident scrolling through Google one Sunday evening, and we're so glad we did.
This is just a glimpse into the multitude of options Thermaspec can create. Over a friendly, no-obligations chat their team of designers can create a luxury garden room suitable for your style, needs and budget.


text:
@implementation NSHTTPURLResponse (ACNetworking)

- (NSDate *)dateOfHeaderField
{
    NSString *dateString = ESStringValue(self.allHeaderFields[@"Date"]);
    return [NSDate dateWithRFC1123String:dateString];
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: compare list with input def calculate():
    operator = input("What operator do you wanna use(*,/,+,-)? ")
    possible_op = ["*", "+", "-", "/"]
    if not operator == possible_op:
        calculate()
    number_1 = float(input("What is your first number? "))
    if number_1 != float:
            calculate()
    number_2 = float(input("What is your second number? "))
    if number_2 != float:
            calculate()

    if operator == "+":
        print(number_1 + number_2)
    elif operator == "-":
        print(number_1 - number_2)
    elif operator == "*":
        print(number_1 *  number_2)
    elif operator == "/":
        print(number_1 / number_2)
    else:
        print("Wrong Input")
        calculate()

    again()

def again():
    print("Do you wanna calculate again? ")
    answer = input("(Y/N) ").lower()
    if answer == "y":
        calculate()
    elif answer == "n":
        exit
    else:
        print("Wrong Input")
        again()

calculate()

Does anyone have an idea why my code always asks the operator questions again and again even if there was a right operator? Do i have to change the name of the list and the input getting compared or

A: There are quite a few things wrong in this code, but you've managed to use what you know and are in the right tracks so rather than giving you a solution I'll just review it for now.
Mostly, I'd recommend to keep your calculate function simple and handle the looping (rather than recursion) somewhere else.
def calculate():
    operator = input("What operator do you wanna use(*,/,+,-)? ")
    possible_op = ["*", "+", "-", "/"]
    if not operator == possible_op:  # this will never be true because operator is a string, use `not in`
        calculate()  # you probably don't want to run calculate again, maybe return early
    number_1 = float(input("What is your first number? "))
    if number_1 != float:  # number_1 is a float it's not the `float` type so always True
            calculate()  # return
    number_2 = float(input("What is your second number? "))
    if number_2 != float:  # same as number_1 above
            calculate()  # return

    if operator == "+":  # this block is good, simple and to the point
        print(number_1 + number_2)
    elif operator == "-":
        print(number_1 - number_2)
    elif operator == "*":
        print(number_1 *  number_2)
    elif operator == "/":
        print(number_1 / number_2)
    else:
        print("Wrong Input")  # here you also want to retry
        calculate()  # but not by recursing

    again()  # and definitely not call again

def again():
    print("Do you wanna calculate again? ")
    answer = input("(Y/N) ").lower()
    if answer == "y":
        calculate()
    elif answer == "n":
        exit  # what is this exit ?
    else:
        print("Wrong Input")
        again()  # also don't recurse this, loop if you want

calculate()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Transcoding UTF8 to ASCII does not work if string is read from file I am reading a string that is partially encoded in UTF8. By partially I mean that some characters that have ASCII equivalent are using the ascii equivalent, but others use \u00 encoding. Lets take this example:
  string utfString = "\u003Cdiv class=\'_footer\'>";

\u003C is equivalent to <, but > is encoded in ASCII. I am not sure why the api returns such mixed results. Content-Type Charset is indeed specified as utf-8.
If I try to transcode to ASCII, with this code, I get correct result:
    string utfString = "\u003Cdiv class=\'_footer\'>";
    byte[] utf8Bytes = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(utfString);
    string asciiString = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(utf8Bytes); // <div class='_footer'>

On the other hand, If I read this from file, I never get the ASCII version of it:
  using (FileStream fs = File.OpenRead(@"C:\ansi-uft8.txt"))
  using (TextReader tr = new StreamReader(fs,Encoding.UTF8)){

    string utfString = tr.ReadToEnd();
    Console.WriteLine(utfString); // prints \u003Cdiv class=\'_footer\'>
  }

What am I doing wrong? I have a feeling this has something to do with how the file was saved. I saved is both as ANSI and UTF-8 and still got the same result. My main goal is to fransform all characters that have ascii equivalent to ascii, and leave everything else in utf8 form.


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text:
minimize black heroism
This is a guest post for swpd by Michael Gibson, an artist and humorist who lives in Youngstown, Ohio. He describes himself as a "Short Fat black Guy and Fledgling Writer of sorts, and a married father of four." (You can read more about him below this post.)
Very rarely do our local, white-framed media report on the fact that black people are doing good, charitable deeds in their communities, just as white people are. When they do report on a black person's good work, they frame the piece as if it were the exception to the rule. There's always a negative taint about the report.
The mindset of the local news media is located where our news anchors hail from—the suburbs. You can easily perceive who the news is targeted to when it airs at 6:00 p.m. every day. Black people clearly don't matter much to the people who write and produce the news, and when we experience tragedy, there is very little sympathy or empathy expressed from whites.
We are portrayed as thugs and criminals, unworthy of equal consideration as people. For the most part, whites frame and report news about blacks in ways that fit their narrow definition of blacks. We are mere stereotypes, bits of statistical data whereby whites judge our worthiness to be amongst them. We are judged on our appearance -- Doo Rags, Saggy pants, Black Male Swagger -- and on our speech, whether we be safe Negro or no. (This in light of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid commenting that, Obama, as a black candidate, could be successful thanks, in part, to his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.")
However, if the perpetrator is white, then the story is that there must be something wrong with him mentally, because good white people just don't do things like that. The lawbreaker suffers for his crime as an individual, hence the totality of the white race is not blamed for his misdeeds. This is why I don't watch the local news anymore, for it has little to offer in the way of content for a community that's 40 percent black.
You would think sometimes when you watch the news that black people are invisible. However, whites sometimes remind other whites that we are indeed visible, especially when we do something wrong. Then our picture is splattered on the front page of every local newspaper, with the local reporter using our image as the lead-in. We become relevant either when we offend white sensibilities or violate white decorum.
I really hope white people can come to understand why black people are mad so often. I also hope whites can come to understand (and I know it's hard) during those times when black anger is turned inward, and we inexorably take that frustration out on ourselves or others. I hope that we can be given the same leeway -- the same consideration that privilege bestows upon them -- to search for the historical and other mitigating factors as to why a person, any person, acts the way they do.
A friend of mine who is an esteemed Pastor and Professor at the local college spoke to me of her experience. She's been married to a white man (my Pastor) for over 33 years now. Their 23-year-old son was involved in an incident where he rescued four children from a burning house that ultimately burned to the ground; in the process, he sustained 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns to his upper back, the side of his face, and his neck, ear, and arms. The only reason the local news covered the event was because they bowed to pressure from family and friends and those who know them in the community. These were people who wondered why it took so long for anything related to the incident to appear on the local news.
When one station finally got around to reporting this young man's heroism (4 days after the fact), they made it their last segment. Another station didn't even appear to be interested in this story of a black hero until after the first stations aired it, and the local paper reported it (5 days after the fact). The station that had been pressured into being interested reported first on local taxes, charitable things some whites were doing, local political fights, etc. They waited until the last minute (and that's how long the segment took, about a minute) to air it.
This heroic deed happened on the south side, in the inner city. This gallant, selfless act took place where the "bad" black people live, so I'm sure it raised a few flags with the white news director. Aside from Will Smith, there aren't too many black action heroes in the media. So it's hard for whites to see black men as anything other than thugs, rappers or athletes.
It's to the point where black people aren't noticed until we do something that fits the stereotypical view whites have about us. Then it gives them a framework to fashion their story around. When Michael Vick was busted for his participation in a dog-fighting ring, whites looked to examine the black mindset that motivates some black men (if not all, in their view) who do terrible things like this. White media outlets held panel discussions; experts on human behavior were interviewed at length. Consequently, when black men commit acts as in the case of Michael Vick, some whites respond with a, "well there you go," and "well what did you expect?"
I remember a young black female news reporter who was hired by one of the local stations; there was a piece about her in the paper. While explaining how excited she was to be working in Youngstown, she lamented that as a black journalist, she was not allowed to tell the stories from the community that she knew the viewers there would be interested in. She would have to toe the party line so to speak, and do stories that appealed to a broader audience. Namely — but not explicitly — whites.
It used to amaze me how white reporters could brave the dark and dangerous streets of the inner city to give white viewers a feel of the gritty underbelly of mainstream society. But then, why couldn't they just as easily scour the streets to bring us positive representations of blacks as well? Why is it so hard for these same news outlets to view us through the same non-discriminatory lens as they view their own? You can really get ticked off when the news anchor looks you in the eye and says something like, "Bringing you the news that affects our valley! Fair and objective news reporting!" You want to put your foot through the television, because you know that's a lie.
About himself, author Michael Gibson writes,
I was always considered shy and withdrawn as a child. I was drawn to Art at a very early age, owing the spark of my obsession to two young artists in my school named Al Lewis and Bobby Crochet. Both took me under their wings and showed me all they knew. I made my home at the school library, always coming home with a bounty of knowledge under my arms, seldom playing outside with the other children, opting instead to feed from the likes of Michelangelo and Raphael. My gift gave me a sense of purpose, doing a lot to lift my esteem.
Considered eccentric by some, and a loner by others, I was cursed with a young face that didn't help matters much. Being black you are expected to look like you just got out of prison. People always think they have me figured out, sometimes even talking down to me, for they think me to be their junior, rather than their peer or senior. I worked in mental Health for over 19 yrs before going on disability.
I have garnered a host of prestigious awards in such notable shows as the 60th Artist Annual at The Butler Institute of American Art, where I was awarded the Inaugural Margaret Kaulback Best in Show award, for my piece entitled, Dancer at Dusk. I was subsequently awarded a One Man Show in the follow-up event, the 61rst Artist Annual. I have been married to a wonderful woman Karen for 29 yrs now, being the Father of 4 grown children; 3 daughters and a son. I am also the grandfather of 4 beautiful girls.
Labels: white psychology
Sabina E. January 11, 2010 at 9:19 AM
EXACTLY. VERY TRUE. While reading this article, I was reminded of the Fort Hood shooting tragedy which happened just recently. Right after the shooting massacre happened, a Muslim American group set up a charity fund to help the victims of the shooting. I was proud of them and I sent the website to as many people, to raise awareness about this and encouraged people to donate money.
Nobody in the media bothered to highlight the Muslim charity fund. No, they were more interested in focusing on "evil" Muslims and Arabs, they preferred talking about how Islam is such a barbaric religion. They don't give a $hit about well-meaning Muslim Americans who want to help the victims.
bloglogger January 11, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Musing from my white perspective, I'd say that while the practice is deplorable, it seems to fit within the white ethos: whites are just people; PoC are "other." In reporting on white charitable deeds, news producers craft the story in race-neutral ways: "The program is designed to help at-risk teens in the area." But in considering a report on a similar program focused on black teens or in mostly black neighborhoods, the news producers might well decide to kill the story because it feels "racial" to them (even so, they would probably not identify their unease with the topic). The same story about white teens or a white neighborhood, however, doesn't have the "taint" of a racial aspect. Except that, of course, it actually does have a racial aspect. Ironically, news outlets don't want to appear to be "advocating" in favor of a particular racial group. But within white culture, "race neutral" equals "all white."
AE January 11, 2010 at 11:26 AM
That man really is a hero!
But ugh, this is SO true about local news in my area too. have you noticed too how black people are almost always filmed outside, like on the street, and white people inside, often in their homes? I think that way of interviewing black people on camera builds on this impression that black people are like, street people; it gets them more associated with where they live ("the ghetto," as whites always seem to call black areas), and in the different filming of whites, they get to be just individual people (same old same old, that).
I hope this thread could be about black men in some way taht the others have been about POC women, but that's not really for me to say, i guess.
none January 11, 2010 at 12:02 PM
This is all so true about the news. Another way that non-white heroism is diminished (because it happens to other POC) is the white myth that all our good young white men are out there protecting our country (from the brown masses) in the armed forces. In fact, both African American and Native American populations are overrepresented in the military. And the contributions of soldiers of color have often been erased from the history books.
Willow January 11, 2010 at 12:25 PM
1. The OP looked at whites only seeing Black men in terms of crime & stereotypes, and how that causes us to completely ignore their heroism. I wonder how much of this is linked to the White Male Savior trope, and the desire to be the only ones who fit it
2. On the gender front, does the Strong Black Woman stereotype serve to obscure the heroism of Black women? As in, they are *expected* to be heroes, so it's not "newsworthy"?
3. Do NOT Google "African heroes" if you value low blood pressure.
@ AE:
WTF? You seriously think this does not apply to Black women as well?!
I have pointed this out many times before. As long as whites continue to see non-whites as that which is the "other" or "abnormal," then they'll never be balance coverage or portrayals.
Many whites can only understand the "other" through the framework and lens they've created for them. This is why such an effort was made to categorize Michelle Obama as a militant, aggressive black woman, because this is how white American society see black women and they could only make sense of Mrs. Obama by forcing her to conform to the stereotype of the aggressive, black woman.
I remember an [East] Asian guy in one of my sociology classes explaining that the portrayal of Asian males in the media is meant to appeal to whites (it's how whites want to view and understand Asian males, as buffoons or weird).
The sensationalizing of the media means that watching the news is like watching a movie with recurring plots and the same storyline. The blow 'em up movies are cliche but they work nonetheless. As long as they make money and increase ratings this way, the formula won't change.
So the storyline goes: whites are the heroes, blacks are the villians, Asians are the buffoons, etc.
Another thing. I remember watching the indie movie 'A Passage to India.' In it, a young Indian boy comes to Canada to find a hero to return with him to India to cure his 'dying' mother. One day, on the docks, he's knocked overboard and is rescued by a black man. He knows this man is a hero for saving his life, but he's confused since he's black. He tells the black man that he can't be a hero because heroes are supposed to white. Lol!
Obviously, it's telling. The boy spent his young life watching superhero movies and all the heroes are white, so naturally he assumed heroes can only be whites.
Lady Dani Mo January 11, 2010 at 2:45 PM
This man is speaking the truth. I will never forget when a story broke out about a young 15-year-old White girl killed her younger sister. The excuses were appauling. One of them of course was the mental illness excuse, but the one that threw me over the edge was the changing of her race. There were people who said "oh she is Italian she is not White [Like Italians do not benefit from White privilege] then some had the nerve to say she was Latina. That shit made me throw a piece of paper and the computer and scream boooooo! I just couldn't believe the excuses some White commenters made to excuse the responsibility of that young girl of murdering her younger sister. Even with Columbine situation. Some White people came up with every excuse to not have those students take responsibilty of killing those students. Have you noticed that the media does not call them terrorists? Even though that could be considered a terrorist act?
no_slappz January 11, 2010 at 3:00 PM
thesciencegirl wrote:
"African American and Native American populations are overrepresented in the military."
Blacks yes. Native Americans? No. However, your knowledge of the military is minimal. When it comes to combat units, the percentages of whites and blacks are in line with their percentages in the national population.
However, when it comes to military officers, whites lead. Becoming an officer requires a college degree. Thus, the path out of the enlisted ranks is blocked for many blacks.
"And the contributions of soldiers of color have often been erased from the history books."
This is simply false. Americans know very little military history, thus there is little reason Americans would know about the actions of a small segment of the military.
We generally learn the names of some key battles, but we know little about who fought them.
RVCBard January 11, 2010 at 3:13 PM
To get to the topic of minimizing Black heroism, here's something from my own life that I didn't realize until I was grown.
My maternal grandfather helped liberate a concentration camp. I got this story via my mother, who was relaying what he told her about it. I don't remember which camp it was, though. But nobody but my family is aware of this. If my grandfather were White, everybody would know who he is. He might even have been paid to go on speaking engagements about the Holocaust.
So that's my story about minimizing Black heroism.
bloglogger January 11, 2010 at 3:19 PM
@no_slappz re: teaching the contributions of soldiers of color.
In my history classes in public school, I was taught only about the white soldiers and their exploits. I never learned about the segregated black units who fought in the Civil War, or WWI or WWII. I never learned about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up of Americans of Japanese descent, the most highly decorated (and decimated) unit of WWII. I never learned about the Tuskegee Airmen. And on and on. All of these I found out by reading alternative histories or from documentaries specifically meant to reverse the white-heroes-only public education deficit.
This post reminds me of the film "Miracle on St. Anna. There were some people that ridiculed him for making that film. However, I think he did it for the same reason of this post of how people minimize Black heroism.
Even with Columbine situation. Some White people came up with every excuse to not have those students take responsibilty of killing those students. Have you noticed that the media does not call them terrorists? Even though that could be considered a terrorist act?
Or Unabomber. Timothy McVeigh (sp?).
As is well-known to Black people, when someone White fucks up big-time, nobody goes into a cultural analysis as to why that person fucks up. Remember Enron? Nobody went out of their way to examine White American culture as a way to explain their behavior. They were just presented as typical corrupt corporate bigwigs. Nobody critiqued Whiteness to figure out why so many White people fuck up on such a large scale. It's about their "unique" story riddled with tragedy and suffering (despite the fact that it's a narrative Paint-by-Numbers).
Paul Mooney lays it out for us.
When someone Black fucks up, everybody's interrogating and scrutinizing Blackness itself.
What I think would be more interesting is people looking at examples of Black heroism, especially heroism that benefits White people, and asking what is it about Black people that enables us to do such things despite knowing how White people view and treat us.
none January 11, 2010 at 3:44 PM
@no_slappz, my military knowledge may be "minimal", but my research skills are not. I used US government data from multiple sources before making any claims. A couple of places I looked:
http://prhome.defense.gov/poprep2005/contents/contents.html
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda08-05.cfm (this site has a conservative bias, but their raw data is from the Dept. of Defense).
What are your sources?
RVCBard said:
Good point! However, I'm afraid that some White people we'll look at this perspective and treat those Blacks as the exception to the rule to make themselves feel more comfortable in their racism. Instead of dismantling the stereotypes of Black people. You know the magical negro Morgan Freeman type.
thesciencegirl,
If you look at the data at the site you provided -- prhome.defense.gov -- you can confirm my statements.
There are definite patterns in military service, especially now that we have a volunteer military. However, things are competitive. Every recruit takes the Armed Forces Qualification Test -- a military version of an SAT that tests your mechanical, electrical and clerical aptitudes, plus a little vocabulary.
Based on results, recruits are divided into four quartiles. The dummies are Class 4. The smart guys are Class 1. They get more choices.
Bottom line -- combat units are overweighted with whites. Engineering is overweighted with whites. The officer corps is overweighted with whites. But the overall military is overweighted with blacks. Black women, especially.
However, I'm afraid that some White people we'll look at this perspective and treat those Blacks as the exception to the rule to make themselves feel more comfortable in their racism. Instead of dismantling the stereotypes of Black people.
I'm scared they'll take them not as the exceptional deeds the are, but as how Black people should act in everyday situations.
@no_slappz, right, as I already said in my first comment, blacks are overrepresented. And Native Americans are also overrepresented overall in the military compared to their percentage of the population. I don't recall saying anything about different jobs or branches. Also, if you'd like to continue conversing with me, stop being so condescending.
macon d January 11, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Shall we stop conversation period about percentages of races in the military, how far up which ones tend to go, and so on? Seems off the topic of black heroism to me.
NancyP January 11, 2010 at 7:40 PM
No question that mainstream local news thinks that advertisers believe that the majority of the desired demographic/income category viewers don't want to see stories about blacks.
The advertisers and local news producers may be wrong. There is a market for "good news" - traditional heroes who run into burning buildings to rescue children, people who see a human need and come up with ways to meet it, classrooms of schoolchildren who collect money for disaster victims, etc. I don't think that the average white viewer would change the channel if a well-done 1 or 2 minute segment featured a black hero.
I am all for telling stories of the "ordinary heroes", the infantrymen, medics, able seamen, even the civilian folks at home pulling double shifts to make ships and ammo. The white public should know about the Tuskeegee Airmen, RVCBard's grandfather, a Civil War free black man Robert Fitzgerald who returned to service after a head wound, serving as scout and teamster, until the officers caught onto his near-blindness (from Proud Shoes, Pauli Murray, author's family history), and so on. Heck, the white public doesn't even know its OWN history well.
RVCBard, your maternal grandfather and many other unheralded heroes, black and white, may not have wanted to go speak about liberating the camps. Many vets buried those memories, along with the other horrors of war. Sometimes they don't want to be seen as heroes because they saw other heroes who didn't make it home. The WWII combat vets were truly The Greatest Generation, whatever their actions in civilian life afterward.
Dark Moon January 11, 2010 at 7:45 PM
No_slappz is a racist troll. He has polluted other race blogs and will he will most certainly derail the thread with his inexhaustible fund of race Realist/Eugenics talking points. Do not engage him unless you want to be inundated with Black crime stats, the fact that Blacks have not contributed anything of merit to civilization, the supposed fact that Blacks are an unclean race and of course that coup de grace: Blacks are just inferior throwbacks that are holding down the never ending awesomeness of White and Asian genius.
Why the hell do I feel insulted by this?
just wondering January 11, 2010 at 8:07 PM
One thing I like about Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is that they frequently show/give homes to black people who are the heroes of their communities and are involved in changing the lives of people of all cultures. Yet I wonder why black people who have true stories of heroism end up on tv, while white people with true stories of heroism (a la the Blindside) get feature films.
I wonder why when Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a buffoon that's a feature film and when he plays Dr. Ben Carson (the black neurosurgeon who was the first to separate twins conjoined at the head) that's a tv movie.
I wonder why Denzel Washington gets nothing for being a Union soldier and an Oscar for being a thug.
I wonder why people know who Idi Amin is but not Yaa Asantewaa.
I wonder if part of this is self promotion. For example, according to Gloria Ladson-Billings, black teachers are typically in poor schools b/c they sought them out but white teachers are typically there b/c they couldn't get jobs elsewhere. Yet, as Macon has pointed out on this blog, there are tons of movies about white teacher heroes in poor non-white schools. Often these white teachers have written books about their efforts or been nominated/positioned themselves for awards while the black teachers just do their jobs quietly... Now that I think about it, a lot of times when black people are on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition it's because somebody else nominated them -- not because they were seeking attention/aid.
I wonder if this post is too long.
RVCBard, maybe that's a rhetorical question, and I don't know why you feel what you feel, but I think it's insulting because the fact that you offered that story within the context of white supremacy was ignored. The kind of racism being pointed out in this post and thread, and specifically, your offering of another example of it, was explained away by NancyP with something that basically said, "Oh come now, it was probably something else, instead of racism, that caused your grandfather to stay quiet like that. You see, I know better than you about these things, so you can just go sit back down and be quiet now, okay? Just like your grandfather did!"
Again, not to presume why you feel insulted.
Cloudy January 11, 2010 at 9:03 PM
When Asians are in the news, it's one of 4 stories:
North Korea is evil.
China is made of lead.
Asian guy snaps and kills.
Asian scientists did something neat.
It can all be summed up with a condescending "Oh those crazy g**ks."
Zara January 11, 2010 at 9:58 PM
@ RVCBard, you said, Why the hell do I feel insulted by this?
... Because it's condescending and obnoxious and suggests that racism had nothing to do with why your grandfather went unacknowledged?
Zara January 11, 2010 at 10:02 PM
With all due respect, Cloudy, let's not bring the Oppression Olympics here.
Cloudy January 11, 2010 at 11:38 PM
Zara, Oppression Olympics? Really? I like that your first thought is "Oppression Olympics" and not "empathy."
Karen L January 11, 2010 at 11:46 PM
@RVCBard, you said: Why the hell do I feel insulted by this?
Maybe because it suggests that it is black people's own fault that their heroism is unacknowledged? If only they'd self-promote better! (Never mind that SOMEbody is doing the promoting for white veterans, and pretty much just the white veterans.) Just guessing. It would seem that there are lots of reasons that this is insulting. IDK what YOUR reason is.
soul January 12, 2010 at 12:58 AM
@RVCBard..
in addition to what everyone is saying it is also possibly because it plays to a giant clusterfuck and stereotype of the Noble negro/humble negro and SBW
The one who breaks her back but wants no recognition, the silent quiet mourning, the earthy will give her soul for others but not utter a word, because suffering is regal, and for her to consume.
It is the Strong black woman shit, disguised under secret sacred code of honour BS that gets thrown out on the daily.
YO_GIBSON January 12, 2010 at 1:34 AM
Bravo! Well put indeed (father). I will, however, ignore the likes of unconventional comments, for they are simply obsolete in its fashion.
Numerous stories come to mind, but none more thoughtfully intrigued than the likes of my own. This story similar to the heroism previously stated, yet less heroic. You have your youth baseball and basketball and other sport teams amongst the "community", that seem to always have that camera spotlight envy, if you will. The news media reports as such, to inform all of the class-act teams the "city" has to offer. For instance, take the local little league (take your pick) team that just so happens to play for some glorified championship. "Be sure to tune in at 6 when we give coverage on, (insert random team here)", headlines would say. In 2005, the pint size thug-ified overlooked city of Youngstown was represented by 30 some odd youths participating in Track and Field at the Junior Olympics held in New Orleans. Don't expect a headline there people. The Junior Olympics is indeed a prestigious event. Not only did they represent Youngstown, but also the entire, well populated, state of Ohio. Seeing this on the news, 'don't hold your breath'! You may recall a scene from Coach Carter, when the team worked so hard only to lose in the end. Similar case. None did better then the young man, whom the OP had the pleasure of raising. No first, no. Finishing eighteenth in the two-hundred meter dash amongst the likes of sixty competitors.
To sum an already overdrawn story up, there was not any kind of recognition of any sort. Not a news article, or any report laying such. Be sure to expect a story on your local "team" however. Call it what you may, but the media simply only showcases the amplitudes of dare I say, whites. I am sure a city recognized for crime and gang affiliations would have loved to gazed upon such a story. But if I were white...
SjCottrell January 12, 2010 at 5:57 AM
I don't comment often, but I just wanted to say thanks for bringing this topic up. It's something that really drives me crazy.
RVCBard January 12, 2010 at 6:53 AM
@Cloudy:
Take a look at the comments on the Asian fetish thread.
The focus of much of the commentary on the "Asian fetish" thread was to better understand this particular experience of Asian women. The questions and commentary were more fully focused on gaining a deeper and more nuanced understanding of that.
Now look at your comments in this one. Do your comments here do that? I can't exactly say that I see that. And your not-too-subtle implication that Zara is seeing racism where it doesn't exist does not help.
Why does every discussion about or among Black people have to be a public service?
Willow January 12, 2010 at 7:31 AM
>> "I don't think the average white viewer would change the channel if a well-done 1 or 2 minute segment about a Black hero were aired."
Well, maybe if ze had rescued a white woman...
However, the prevalence of white male heroes in movies, books, etc. suggests that whites, especially men, have a need to identify as the hero in question, not identify with. (Credit: RVCBard made this distinction on another thread). So my concern is that they would use this time to feed the dog or whatever.
You know where else I see minimizing Black heroism happen? History books and stories about American history.
We got our rights because Nice White People decided it was the right thing to do! The way White people sometimes put it, the civil rights movement had nothing to do with the courage, sacrifice, determination, and intelligence of Black people as a whole. Same thing with slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was apparently the first and only time American slavery was resisted. Nevermind all the slaves who risked life and limb for freedom (for themselves and other slaves). The bravery and ingenuity of Black people had nothing to do with it.
Cue me rolling my eyes. Hard.
none January 12, 2010 at 8:48 AM
RVCBard, so true. You usually get lip service paid to Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas, but that's about it. Oh, and we also got a nervous lecture about Nat Turner, which left me wondering if he was the hero or the bad guy.
Lady Dani Mo January 12, 2010 at 9:03 AM
thesciencegirl said:
You know it all too well! LOL It seems like Black History is taught in a very mechanical way. Just a list of facts of Black heroism without going in to detail. Why is that White people who teach Black history is more effective than a Black person who teaches it?
Victoria January 12, 2010 at 10:07 AM
@ RVCBard on American History
Amen, as I presently sit through British history and literature classes painfully wondering why I should give a shit about it. When a remarkable chunk of American history is not being told, why are we reaching all the way back to a country most white Americans feel no connection to to herald its dead white heroes?
@ Lady Dani Mo
Do you think it has more to do with the "white credibility" factor? Like if it's relevent information to one white person, that's reason enough for another white person to perk up and listen?
Monica Roberts January 12, 2010 at 10:44 AM
no slapzz, your assertion that Americans know little about military history is false as well.
I'm very aware of the Buffalo Soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Red Ball Express of who one member of it was John Houston, daddy of singer Whitney Houston.
Oh yeah, there's also the (original) Black Panthers, AKA the 761 Tank Battalion that liberated the Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps in addition to repeatedly beating down elite Waffen SS units, the USS Mason, the first US naval ship with an all Black crew, the Montford Point Marines, General Chappie James, Admiral Samuel S Gravely, General Colin Powell.....
freshman January 12, 2010 at 12:56 PM
why is it that in American history they teach you about the wrong doings white people have done African Americans... and leave out the wrong doings white people have done to other groups? (asian, latino...)
Why is it that people feel so comfortable hijacking a conversation that focuses on Black people?
Mike January 12, 2010 at 1:52 PM
Heres a short YouTube video produced by Starbucks to raise money for AIDS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7D2g5v-Sg&feature=player_embedded
When I first viewed it I thought that it was a very positive thing.Now though I wondering if its promoting a sterotype that white people are comfortable with.To quote the above piece "It's to the point where black people aren't noticed until we do something that fits the stereotypical view whites have about us. Then it gives them a framework to fashion their story around."
Being new here I'm working on discernment.What do you think ?
soul January 12, 2010 at 2:14 PM
@RVCBard,
Do you see what happens when black people heal and get their shit together?. Nobody... nothing stops us. people who hate our guts will still go out of their way to let us lead them, because they know that with us at the helm, they will still eat.
People can't stand to see black people heal.
The other reason is also that, black people have been through some of the most horrendous BS on this planet. So when you start talking other people think .. shit if these negros talk about their pain and suffering, their simply won't be any space for mine, so lemme get in their right quick.
Also, they want to rest on black people, they see our survival and fighting spirit and they would like our help or to emulate it but do not know how to ask properly.
It also falls back to the Strong black woman and strong black man stereotype. See black people always have to be accomodating for other peoples sufferings. even before we heal our own. we must help everyone else or commiserate with everyone else.
God forbid that we have one post discussing a black topic to learn the whys and wherefores heck no!
That would simply be too much.
I have had it up to my back teeth with the patronising commercialist showboating, aid (indirect - advertising) corporate hustling of Africa and Aids.
Find the study where all the aids cases were examined, find how they extrapolated the numbers per region. based off some of the most questionable stats.
Then ask why it till only a few years ago for Starbucks to sign up to buy fairtrade.
Ask why starbucks has to do some dodgy.. send us your video and we will make a donation?. Why can't they just make a donation and what is this donation and which money grabbing, non local workforce - only reserved for unqualified expats at outrageous salaries.. hiring NGO is it giving this money to.
Africa is being buried under aid, it's commercial viability is being ruined and eroded because of fucking aid. We don't need it.
Ask yourself how much the aid receiving countries have to sign away to get said aid, what kind of contracts do they have to sign just to receive this pittance and ask yourself how much starbucks gets to right off in charity.
And it's not just starbucks, I'll say it about my favourite casual compaby GAP as well, with its beyond insulting RED campaign. buy this overpriced poor quality t-shirt which cost us 2 bucks to make in some other underprivileged country and we'll send X to 'Africa'.
erm, there are over 50 countries in Africa and they are NOT all aid receiving and they are not all knocking on your door.
Keep the damn aid and pay a fair price for our goods.
RVCBard
"And your not-too-subtle implication that Zara is seeing racism where it doesn't exist does not help."
How else is "Oppression Olympics" used? Positively?
Why was the first comment in this thread ok but not mine? Empathizing is not hijacking or derailing.
Julia January 12, 2010 at 2:48 PM
Cloudy,
Honestly, I didn't understand that you were intending empathy until I read your latest comment.
Instead, it sounded like you were saying "enough of this talk about black people! let's change the subject!" (Or, in Zara's interpretation, "Let's talk about who is even more oppressed")
I'm guessing that this is also what Zara and RVCBard heard, thus their responses.
I'm glad you clarified.
Lutsen January 12, 2010 at 3:30 PM
What is it that matters here, intentions or effects?
That would be a good discussion on why other people of color are not talked about in our American history, however, that is derailing and totally off topic. We are talking about Black heroism.
@ Victoria
I believe that White people are more effective in teaching Black histotry because the privilege can speak for the unprivilege and be taken more serious in most people's eyes. It's ass backwards because a person that doesn't go through a certain oppression should not be some expert on their experiences and have people listen more.
@ Cloudy
I think your comment came off as derailing.
@ Soul,
"Keep the damn aid and pay a fair price for our goods"...You bring up some other good points that are not understood in American culture.It seems that these marketing strategies are designed to make people feel good and create the illusion that they are participating in a good thing when really it's about corporate greed.
I was questioning the presentation and whether it was promoting cultural stereo types marketed specifically for white people....
Flo-jo January 12, 2010 at 5:56 PM
@Cloudy - Looking at intent and effects, I stiill don't see your comment as "oppression olympics" -- olympics require someone to claim their community's suffering is worse -- and you didn't do that. I don't even see it as derailing -- you didn't try to move the conversation to Asian suffering. All you did was say, as I see it, sympathetically, "I understand, it happens to us, too." Nor do I agree that just b/c Zara sees your comment as problematic you have to agree. Stuff like this drives me crazy about anti-racism communities - and I'm black.
Flo-jo, thanks. Derailing is "But it happens to whites too!" not "Yeah, I know how that is." The news does treat all POC like this, so I don't even see how this is a "black" only thing. Saying "they do this to Asians too" in no way detracts from the fact that they do it to blacks. It strengthens the point that the news is white-driven and racist. I didn't think my comment would be taken so far out of context, seeing how other POC groups have already been mentioned.
Willow January 12, 2010 at 7:07 PM
In situations where a Black person's heroic act is covered in the media, especially the newspaper), is the person less likely to be identified as Black than if the article discussed a crime?
I *seriously* can't recall my city's paper ever identifying a hero as Black--and I have known some of these people personally, so I'm pretty sure they are, in fact, Black--so I'm curious as to whether any of you have seen the same thing.
RVCBard, I am sorry that I didn't express myself well. Your grandfather was one of many extraordinary "ordinary heroes", one of the "Greatest Generation". I hope that he was not rebuffed if he tried to tell his story to the public. We should be hearing all the stories that they tell.
A lot of WWII history has been told from the generals' viewpoints, and not from the non-coms' viewpoints. Vets have written memoirs, communities have sought out local vets to tell their stories - identifying the vets by word of mouth. Very few of these memoirs and speeches get wide recognition or distribution. Someone has to promote the vets' stories: a veterans' organization, an academic or freelance historian, a museum (acesmuseum.org), a filmmaker (Miracle at St. Annas).
I have heard that many vets did not talk a lot about the war when they came home. Those vets may have been reluctant to bring up raw painful memories, or the vets simply were preoccupied by new concerns such as finding jobs and starting families. Some vets might have figured that they did their duty, and that they weren't the "real" heroes, the ones who didn't make it home.* The public interest shifted fairly quickly to the Cold War. Aging vets may have been more ready to talk about long-past events.
*My father, who fought at D-Day and Battle of the Bulge, is one of those who saw himself as an average infantryman doing his duty, and a lucky survivor rather than a hero. He didn't start talking about the war until recently.
stuff white people do: minimize Black heroes even on a thread dedicated to them
Everyone, please read RVCBard's comment, 1/12 1:40 PM; and soul's comment, 1/12 2:14 PM.
AE January 12, 2010 at 9:58 PM
NancyP, you sound condescending to me. Do you really think that you're telling RVCBard things she doesn't know? And is "racism" such a hard word for you to utter, such a hard reality for you to admit? Racism is what this blog is about, ya know??
soul January 13, 2010 at 5:26 AM
@AE... No more condescending than you have been except, you refuse to address your errs and never apologise when they are pointed out.
Again.. please enlighten us?.
I have many black heros many are African I'll admit, but many are also African American, Ameridian, Afro Brazillian e.t.c.
I was curious because I couldn't find anything in my curriculum which spoke of black heros. And hollywood movies didn't help either. Zulu, Roots.
As a child, many of them didn't make sense to me. I always wondered... well if they sauy we are aggressive and savage and this or that then shouldn't there be have been more uprisings, more rebellions?. how could we just have been heralded like sheep. something doesn't sound right.
So I started digging. I found bits, I had to piece together.
Why is black heroism minimised?
Because a lot of black heroism undermines the stories of white superiority, benevolence or sense of do goody justice.
How can you teach the heroism of the Jamaican Maroons without teaching the brutality of the en-slavers.
How can you teach the achievements and literary prowess of black genuises when it involves the story of overcoming white adversity to get there.
How can you teach the heroism of Sojourner Truth. When it relays the brutality of the white masses.
How can you teach the bravery of a girl who had to be in a subservient relationship... who returns to her 'lovers' bed in the US from France when it reveals that her lover (the president) used her threatened her with the dispersal of her children.
how do you uplift and celebrate bravery when it undermines your sense of superiority.
The answer is: you do not.
That's why back heroism gets minimised.
Nancy, with all due respect for your father and the supreme asskickingness (truly; but this thread isn't about WP) of my maternal grandma and grandpa, both WWII vets, the heroism of POC--especially Black Americans--who fought in World War II qualifies them as a little more than "ordinary heroes."
I said I wanted to talk about Black heroes, so let's talk about Black heroes (not to deny the heroism of other POC; just to stay on topic of this thread specifically). Do you know what Black soldiers had to do during WWII? Prove that Blacks were fit to be more than cannon fodder. Prove they could LEAD. Hell, prove they could *think*. Before WWII, there had been FIVE Black officers in the Army. The Tuskegee Airmen were actually seen as an "experiment" -- OMGBLACKOFFICERS! Can this work?! (Hint: yes). The other "experiment"? Sending Black nurses to England, to treat POWs, to see whether Black women could treat white men.
(I'm generalizing here, but this is the accumulated conclusion I've drawn from a lot of reading on this topic. I respect that individual experiences may vary).
Every. Single. Time. a Black officer or noncom put on his uniform, he was taking a stand against contemporary beliefs that white people had a monopoly on intelligence and leadership. Every. Single. Time. a Black man went into combat, he knew he was representing not just his country but his race. Why am I asserting this? Even military church services were segregated. Black officers were arrested for trying to enter officers' clubs. Regiments with Black soldiers had (Colored) tagged on after their name, while white men just got to be the "9th Infantry Regiment." They weren't "just" soldiers. They were Black, and they were reminded of it at every step.
Black Americans were fighting in a military that discriminated against them and FOR A COUNTRY that discriminated against them. We talk about the "Greatest Generation" and WWII being the last 'noble war' and all that jazz; what do you think it would be like to be told "You have to give your life to save these people who are discriminated against and protect your country!" when you know that at home, you can't walk into a restaurant or drink from a clean water fountain because of the color of your skin? (NOT an invitation to play Oppression Olympics with the Holocaust, btw).
And as for minimizing Black heroism? Not *one* Black soldier was awarded a Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. It was not until the 1990s that a DoD survey concluded that the military had, in fact, been racist. Looking over records, they awarded *seven* Black men with Medals of Honor. Fifty. Years. Later.
"Ordinary" heroes?
/soapbox
AE January 13, 2010 at 5:44 AM
soul, I haven't apologized in response to RVCBard's saying that she gets tired of white apologies. I thought it would be more white center-staging.
Re Willow's comment, I didn't respond because it's absurd (it also sounds rhetorical). OF COURSE I don't think that black women aren't heroes too. Who could possibly read recent threads and NOT think that? I was just saying, as A. Smith pointed out in a recent post, that it would be nice if a convo for black men could get going along the lines of those recent ones here among black women.
Since you do approve of apologies, then I apologize to you for having misstepped in previous comments here.
Are expressions of gratitude okay as well? Because I really appreciate and have learned from the things you've written here from a black perspective outside the U.S.
The thread title is "minimize Black heroes," and the very first thing you want to do is ignore the heroics of Black women?
The absurdity here was not in my question.
@Willow, thank you, beautifully put. Fighting for ideals that your own country doesn't even apply to you: that's heroism.
And a general comment, since we've been going there on this thread: I think it would be great to hear more perspectives from asian commenters, native american, black men, etc., but all that requires is someone to step up and write the posts and comments [as Michael did here]. Don't stomp all over the black women writing and participating in threads because they are a vocal presence here. I would love to hear a broader variety of perspectives here, but that doesn't mean we have to check every box in every single thread. That being said, I don't have any problem with people empathizing, as long as we don't start comparing our oppressions. They all suck, ya know?
@thesciencegirl:
I think it would be great to hear more perspectives from asian commenters, native american, black men, etc., but all that requires is someone to step up and write the posts and comments [ . . . ]. Don't stomp all over the black women writing and participating in threads because they are a vocal presence here. [ . . . ] I don't have any problem with people empathizing, as long as we don't start comparing our oppressions.
This could really stand to be stated over here too.
I saw an example of Black heroism being minimized in the media today. We all heard about massive earthquake that hit Haiti and nearly destroyed the entire country. However, why is the media playing Brad and Angelina as being the rescuers of Haiti and not Wyclef Jean who has set up his own foundation for many years and is doing so much right now to help his native country? Why is the media so concerned about a story of a White woman who was caught in earthquake and was being rescued by her boyfriend? or they are sending help messages in the media for people to find this young White man who in Haiti? So even with this drastic story over 50,000 Haitians that are dead and over 3 million that are homeles, injured,and not found they are so concerned about the protection of White people and making them center stage of this tradegy.
NancyP January 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Willow at 1/13/10 5:40, and RVCBard, I agree that the conditions under which blacks fought in WWII, the burden of "representing the race", the contrast between patriotic service and a raw deal at home, the limited range of armed services jobs open to blacks (ditto in U.S. industries related to the war effort), the lack of battlefield recognition, the denial of deserved medals, the pay scale, the discrimination on re-entering the job market after the war, the difficulty in obtaining any GI bill benefits and the limited choices if the benefits came through, the contrast between Parisians' welcome to the liberators and the absence of a thank you on returning to the U.S., the failure of the U.S. Government to issue medals until 50 years after the event, the failure of general-audience media to tell the stories of black servicemen and servicewomen until 50 years after the event - I agree that all these things are caused by racism. This knowledge has been part of many easily accessible (public library book stock, PBS, some history and "left" magazines) popular history accounts for the past decade or so.
RVCBard, your grandfather wanted and deserved more recognition for his service than he got. All armed services members want and deserve recognition for the personal sacrifices and risks taken for serving the country during war, and the sacrifices were greater for black armed services personnel.
There is a difference between recognition for service and for heroism, universally desired, and recognition for repeatedly and publicly telling one's own story and displaying one's feelings about a horrific experience. The second type of recognition may not be universally desired. Some might feel a spiritual imperative to tell their story to as many strangers as possible, some might want to tell their story to family only, some might want to be silent.
RVCBard, I am asking the question below about your grandfather as an individual black person who served in WWII, not as "black WWII veteran meant to be representative of all black WWII vets".
Did your grandfather want to give public lectures or publish a book about his experiences liberating the concentration camps? Was he frustrated at the lack of opportunity to tell his story to a wide audience?
Re: the nature of blog comments on racism when POC and WP are "expected" to interact due to the intention of the blog owner.
I can't function in online anonymous public discussions that are not "real time". I am lost without hearing the voices and seeing the facial expressions and body language of other people, and without the ability to convey feeling by my own voice, face, body language, in real time communication. I know that I am not the only one who has trouble communicating in the (generic) blog comment format, whether the topic is racism, religion, reproduction, or some other emotionally charged topic. There may be an inherent limit in the efficiency of discussionwhen the discussants have different knowledge levels and personal relationship to the topic.
WP slow the progress of the threads.
RVCBard January 14, 2010 at 10:40 PM
What would my answer mean to you?
@ Lady Dani Mo:
>> "However, why is the media playing Brad and Angelina as being the rescuers of Haiti and not Wyclef Jean who has set up his own foundation for many years and is doing so much right now to help his native country?"
Whoa...you're effing kidding me. Not about Wyclef Jean, I mean; about what the media is covering.
More Black Haitian heroics (1:09 onward)
@ Nancy:
Get over yourself.
Quintin March 8, 2010 at 3:28 PM
tell it like it is. we need to find out a way to stop this it isn't right. I'm what you would call CBS(Cool black and smart)in an all white community. I have above a 4.0 GPA and I have only one teacher that respects me. The other ones treat me like crap despite my good grades and being very athletic.
g9g March 18, 2010 at 5:51 PM
I was thinking about this VERY thing Macon when the story came out about that a-hole that shot up the Holocaust museum. The security guard who gave his life to save others was black yet there was little if ANY coverage about him. I have a sneaky suspcion that had the races been REVERSED you would know everything there was to know about the white guard from his favorite color to the year he graduated high school. That also goes for the controversy surrounding the feud between Clint Eastwood and Spike Lee. I have seen movie after movie about Iwo Jima focusing SOLELY on th white soldiers rarely do I ever see that many movies about the Tuskegee Airmen. Or that they protected EVERY bomber flier they flew with every last one survived. Or the all black regiments in Nam even Morgan Freeman said he had never heard of black soldiers during the Civil War gee wonder why THAT is. There was even a runaway slave made into a General by the British during the Revolutionary War who was also a successful leader until he died of gangrene. I only heard his story once on some PBS special but I doubt things will change until we start telling our own stories our way.
get between black men and their children
expect women of color to care for their children
supposedly forget that obama is black (and think t...
ignore those who point out that they live in a rap...
fail to see their interracial relationships from t...
suddenly notice their own nation's poverty
obstinately support the racist death penalty
secretly fear that one day, the tables will be turned
blame their accusers instead of themselves
feel disappointed because Obama apparently isn't a...
blithely live relatively comfortable lives while o...
mourn the loss of martin luther king, jr., and cel...
offer white apologetics (instead of just apologizing)
donate money without knowing where it really goes ...
define blackness
run when the going gets tough
forget that black women are more than just strong
fetishize asian women
treat black women like they're made of teflon and ...
dismiss non-white explanations of racism as irrati...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
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CHELSEA: Definitely the Blues do not impress with their performances, but at least they get what they want, as in the home game against Swansea City (1-0), where they were threatened many times. Scorer of the only goal was Hazard (29'), with his team keeping a second straight clean sheet. With a win today they can approach Manchester City in one point difference. On New Year they are guests to Southampton. Alongside with Arsenal and Southampton, they have the second best defense in the league (18). Both sides scored in the 5 of the last 6 games against Liverpool. They remain undefeated at home this year (8-1-0). Suspended: midfielder Ramirez (18 app./1 g./2 assists). Unavailable: defender Bertrand (1 app.) and midfielder van Ginkel (2 app.).
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Rediff.com » Business » The new MD's superb strategy to turn around Taj Group hotels
The new MD's superb strategy to turn around Taj Group hotels
By Swaraj Baggonkar
Indian Hotels Company is keen to start the Sea Rock project at Bandra in this city. The company has secured 23 of the 24 permits it needs to begin work on the property.
Image: Staff of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel pose for a photo near the hotel's swimming pool during a photo call in Mumbai. Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters
Rakesh Sarna, new managing director of Indian Hotels Company (IHC), on Monday outlined a three-point agenda for a turnaround in operations over two years.
The Tata group company is recalibrating its cash cow US portfolio, where it has three operational properties.
Fortunately for it, America's economy is gathering pace and its properties are witnessing occupancy beyond 70 per cent.
However, due to oversupply in areas such as New York, where IHCL has The Pierre, room rates stay low.
"We need to see how to plug the current performance in the US. If we can plug that leaky bucket, that in itself is a huge injection of cash flowing into the company," Sarna said.
Second, the company wants to exit Belmond (formerly Orient-Express Hotels), where it holds 7.13 million class-A common shares, translating into a 6.9 per cent stake.
IHC is the second-largest individual shareholder in Belmond and had made offers for an exit.
Belmond has launched a $75-million share repurchase programme to which IHC is open to participating, if the offer per share is good, said Sarna.
He did not detail what would be a better price for the sale to happen. IHC paid an average of $35 a share for its stake and the Belmond stock is trading under $12.
IHC said it is open to selling its shares to not only the promoters of Belmond but to any other investor, too.
"We are open to anything that does not result in further diminution of value."
"Obviously, Belmond has a certain number in their mind for the repurchase programe. We might not be aligned with that number, so we may sit it out," he added, in his first formal interaction with the press.
Finally, IHC is keen to start the Sea Rock project at Bandra in this city. The company has secured 23 of the 24 permits it needs to begin work on the property.
Due to a public interest suit, IHC is restrained from starting any construction at the site, which adjoins its existing hotel, Taj Lands End. It hopes to begin construction this financial year.
Meanwhile, Sarna believes it will take at least two years for the company to return to profits, even as it tries to reduce debt. Additionally the company is looking to open 17 new properties in India and one in Dubai over the next two years.
This is expected to add 3,400 rooms to its tally. "From an Ebitda (operating earnings) standpoint, we have been profitable.
PAT (profit after tax) is, of course, entirely a different matter. We are at least two years away because we need to make sure we have taken account of all our liabilities, defined and undefined," he said.
At a consolidated level, IHC is servicing debt totalling Rs 4,300 crore (Rs 43 billion); at a standalone level, the debt is Rs 2,300 crore (Rs 23 billion).
IHC recorded losses (consolidated) in four of the past five financial years ending March 2014. It paid total interest of Rs 169 crore (Rs 1.69 billion) in 2013-14, one reason for net loss increasing to Rs 523 crore.
"When the 2014-15 results are published, we will show progression," added Sarna.
To improve operations, it had decided to do away with the traditional sales and marketing set-up and created a new space for a chief revenue officer, "because the focus is how do we meet the digital world today, search engine optimisation, e-commerce, right databse of customers to be able to reach into the different market segments", Sarna said.
Chinmay Sharma, who was working with Starwood Hotels and stationed in Paris, is said to be joining IHC as the chief revenue officer. The company has also moved away from having three chief executive officers of its three brands to having a senior vice-president for brands across all regions.
This, Sarna believes, will provide the company 'far more flexibility and more agility in the way it operates'.
Swaraj Baggonkar
Related News: IHC, Belmond, Rakesh Sarna, IHCL, Sea Rock
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The Teppanyaki grill is a concept that's become popular in London, as we try and replicate the excitement of foreign dining experiences, but no one does this quite so well as Benihana. The quality of the food and the theatre of the dining experience here, is unrivaled. This string of international restaurants has a touching backstory too: the Benihana restaurants were set up by Rocky Aoki taking inspiration from his father, who after the second world war opened a coffee shop called Benihana, named after the red safflower that grew in the ruins, still now an integral part of the brand's logo. Rocky worked hard to save and eventually the first Benihana restaurant opened in 1964 in New York City with just four tables.
Now there are 122 Benihana restaurants around the globe and the name is synonymous with Japanese culture and cuisine, providing authentic experiences in countless international locations. Rocky embraced the idea of showmanship and dining as theatre, which are still integral themes to the collection of restaurants.
Benihana has just launched a wagyu menu, proving that wagyu doesn't have to break the bank. It's a perfect opportunity to visit the restaurant if you haven't yet, or a great excuse to return if you've already sampled their incredible food.
There is a lunch menu, a set dinner menu and a range of side dishes, each embracing this beautiful meat. Having been to Japan, I can spot an authentic experience pretty quickly and Benihana is exactly that. With shared seating set around a chef's station and an open grill, you can watch your food get prepared and cooked in front of you. The chefs are playful, comedic and highly skilled in more than just cooking. They toss around knives like the most skilled circus performers and their witty banter keeps guests laughing throughout the meal. It really is a memorable experience, which would be perfect for a special occasion meal or just getting together with friends. It's also popular with families as the children are so enthralled by the performance of the chefs, that the adults can get on with enjoying their evening.
Benihana also never compromises on quality. Their wagyu is authentically Japanese; supplied by Tajimaya, it is Kobe beef, which has to match a range of strict criteria to be classified as so, including containing a high fat marbling ratio, which is what gives it that melt in your mouth quality. The cows get regularly massaged by their owners, they eat a rich, healthy diet and live in a happy, stress-free environment, which sounds like a winning formula. Lots of cuts are classed as wagyu, using technicalities to name it as such but really the top notch stuff comes from our friends in Japan which Benihana have taken the time to source carefully. This is evident in their menu and dishes.
They have successfully found new and inventive ways to serve this meat too; their wagyu sushi is a wonder, with a slice of tender wagyu served on a block of rice. They also serve wagyu croquettes, wagyu tempura and wagyu asparagus rolls. We were lucky enough to sample their wagyu garlic rice with wagyu steak, which was absolutely delicious. The meat was everything you'd expect from a top wagyu cut, it was deliciously tender, with a beautiful meaty flavour. The chefs did a fantastic job of preparing it in front of us, showing us the cut it came from and explaining the process along the way, not without the theatrics of open flames and knife throwing.
All this was paired with a delicious range of sakes by Shirakabegura, including my new favourite drink, the MIO sparkling sake which tasted like a naturally sweeter, fruity version of champagne.
Benihana provides the kind of evening out which feels like a special occasion every time; it would make a perfect date night, a birthday celebration or a meal out with the family. A night inside their lively, buzzing restaurant is a thrilling experience and you are guaranteed to come out well-fed and with a smile on your face.
The Wagyu lunch menu is £17.90 and the Wagyu Steak set menu is £67.


The Morongo Basin Healthcare District (formerly Hi-Desert Memorial Healthcare District) is authorized by LAFCO to provide the following functions: healthcare. The district reports its activities as a set of business-type funds. The agency does not provide a defined-benefit pension or other post-employment benefits (OPEB). The district's service area includes the South Desert communities of Homestead Valley, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, and Wonder Valley. The district's service area includes 1,302 square miles and generally encompasses the Morongo Basin. Additional information on the District can be accessed via the link below.


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Feature 04.30.2020 8 minutes
Online Money, Money Online
James Poulos
If money is power, the digital world is vulnerable to abuse.
The coronavirus pandemic throws into sharp relief many longstanding underlying trends that were headed anyway toward an inflection point. Unquestionably, one of these concerns money—how much America has, how it is spent, what we expect of it, and even what, in our everyday usage, it is. Over the past several years, criticism of America's financial system has intensified and mutated into several different strains. Despite their differences few give much credence or ascribe much authority to the main schools of macroeconomics dominant in the 20th century. Theories of money are becoming more "extreme."
One effect of this shift is that "just as fiscal policy is being monetized, monetary policy is being politicized," as Charles Lehman recently observed. That is, monetary policy is "becoming increasingly explicitly understood as a medium of power."
Exponents of modern monetary theory, or MMT, insist "money has always been this way—money is a means by which the state gets people to do stuff," Lehman continues. "MMT sees this as an underused benefit of money. Bitcoiners, on the other hand, see this same power nature of money as a danger." As the monetization of fiscal policy continues, "the question of money as a form of power—and whether and how much that power should be exercised by who—becomes an increasingly potent debate."
At the regime level, as a question of justice, the key to understanding the use of money as a form of power is understanding what money is. If money is a form of power, Stephen Pimentel suggests, it is all the more essential to understand that power is not a form of money. Because money is a real social technology, not a shared illusion, those with power cannot simply "make up" more money without disastrous results. "It is magical thinking to suppose that social technologies can be freely moved in the space of imagined possibilities," Pimentel writes. "It is most tempting to attempt such manipulation in times of stress. Alas, social technologies tend to break when manipulated contrary to their logic."
Nic Carter argues that the use of money as a medium of power has dangerously politicized money. Influential policymakers, perhaps now including some in the Federal Reserve, are attracted to the idea of a "hyper-efficient system for payments, as well as  the financial infrastructure fit to support a future UBI initiative…enticed (although this is said more quietly) by the promise of super-granular control over the money supply, a privilege currently impaired by the existence of cash. The zero  lower bound on interest rates does not exist when you have the nation's bank account balances under your direct purview." Faced with the prospect of a full-blown finance-controlled social credit system, says Carter, some form of bitcoin is the best, most apolitical monetary structure adapted to American needs and wants.
Of course, the oldest form of money power is the one exercised by those who physically control precious metals. Today, writes Roy Sebag, our detachment from the primal value of gold has allowed those in control of money power to debase our currency as a policy default. "To establish real social equity and collective prosperity," he concludes, "we must re-establish what money truly is and how it must properly function."
All of which heightens the importance of a question even broader than money itself—the relationship between value, force, and thought. For Americans, the use of money as a level of power is especially pernicious when used to punish and prevent people from sharing thoughts that violate the preferences of self-appointed ethics masters.
Roiling debates about the proper response to big-tech censorship, deplatforming, and cancellation have been limited to a degree by the practicable options available to those targeted—or those simply worried about one day being targeted. One does not simply build one's own Google, homespun mythologies around the likes of garage-bound whizzes like Bill Gates notwithstanding.
But new applications of digital technology to the problem show promise. "Away from the public eye, something far more substantive and independent has been quietly built.  It's called  Urbit, and it is both an operating system and peer-to-peer network—a secure personal cloud computer, accessible anywhere," as Will Duffield explains. "Urbit ID provides a digital identity independent of any verifying platform. Facebook may take your account away if it disagrees with your use of it, but your Urbit identity, recorded on the Ethereum blockchain, is yours and yours alone. It functions as both a digital passport, wallet, and sort of land-title to your unique Urbit OS."
These are early days, but the significance of Urbit and related enterprises is clear. What is at stake in the debates over thought and communication control by massive firms or government bodies goes well beyond "free speech" or "free expression" as we understood them in pre-digital times. At stake is whether our recognizably human anthropology is forcibly stripped away from us when we enter digital space. If we can't behave online roughly the way we do offline in the most precious basics—owning the space wherein we communicate and exchange, where we produce, consume, and save—then the internet will become a fundamentally unjust realm. Perhaps, some might say, certain areas of online life have become so already.
Over relatively very few ensuing years, the relationship between who we are and what money is will be renegotiated in the digital environment. Ensuring that relationship remains pro-human and pro-nature will be one of the most serious challenges—and achievements—of our time.
James Poulos is Executive Editor of The American Mind. He is the author of The Art of Being Free (St. Martin's Press, 2017), contributing editor of American Affairs, and a fellow at the Center for the Study of Digital Life.
BitcoinBlockchainFinancial SystemsInvestmentmoneypowerUrbit
Response 04.30.2020
Après Le Déluge, Bitcoin
It's time to depoliticize our financial infrastructure.
How Trump Survives a Coup
Edward N. Luttwak
And how our form of government survives with him.
It's Time to Break Free from the Internet's Platform Police
Will Duffield
Decentralized protocols are the way out.
Magic Wands Go Brrr
Stephen Pimentel
Playing make-believe with money comes at a very real cost.
A Cure for the Money Virus
Roy Sebag
A healthy currency must reflect our relationship with nature.
Defund the Ivies!
Amy Wax
Universities will continue as they are—unless the money stops flowing.


You know the holiday season is approaching when you start seeing public spaces decorated with bright lights and Mariah Carey making a comeback on the radio. Not only does the holiday season bring families and friends together, it also allows for companies and colleagues to put work aside and spend quality time with each other. For many companies, the holiday party is the one sought-after event where employees get to let loose.
We want you to satisfy your work team and host a memorable event for them – let us help you throw the ultimate corporate holiday party with the tips below!
Picking a venue can be a big feat; there are many variables that come into play when trying to satisfy a large crowd. Here are some guidelines and items to consider in your decision making process.
Locking down a venue is the first step to having a successful holiday corporate party. Depending on the size of your company, it might make more sense to host the holiday party off-site to accommodate employees and +1's. Recently, it has become more acceptable to hold the 'holiday party' at a non-traditional time (January – February) to have access to off-peak time venue rates and save on a major cost. If you're looking for some options, take a look at our Approved Vendor List to see some places we trust and know pretty well.
Consider where the majority of employees live and decide whether it'd be convenient to host the event close to the majority or by the office since it's a familiar location. When it comes to transportation it's important to find out and communicate if the venue offers parking space, or if there is parking nearby. If alcohol is to be provided at the event, make sure to encourage employees to select a designated driver or use ride share programs like Lyft or Uber.
When thinking about the layout of the event, it's important to keep in mind what areas of the venue you want to accentuate for traffic flow, focus and attention. Think about what kind of setup would be ideal for you, the activities you have planned and your guests. When it comes to ambiance, pay attention at what the internal decor of the venue is like and work with it to maximize your budget. Consider using company colors for decor to emphasize workplace belonging and pride.
When picking a venue, it doesn't hurt to ask the booking representative what services and amenities are included with the booking fee. If the venue is able to provide or charge a setup/cleaning fee for tables, chairs and linens, it can help save a big deal of money in the end. If there will be a presentation of some sort which will require multimedia, make sure to ask the booking representative whether the venue has built-in capabilities.
Pro tip: Our friends at blanc Denver are currently having a Very Merry Deal! Book your December 2018 through April 2019 event and receive their special holiday pricing of $5,000 venue rental rate!
The next step for a successful holiday corporate party is picking the right food. Holiday parties are usually also appreciation events so employees expect to be fed. The food is typically one of the highlights of the event, so this can seem like a big responsibility. Don't worry, that's why we're here to help!
There are a number of tips and tricks that our event designers can discuss with you to help you stay in budget while still providing an excellent meal. Here are some of them!
Depending on the size of your company you might already know your employee's food preferences. Sometimes, it's safe to stick to what you know – or this can be a great opportunity to poll your employees and guests to get a sense of what their preference would be. Take this moment to consider any additional accommodations that need to be made those with dietary restrictions or allergies.
Are you hosting a simple holiday corporate party or are you weaving other elements like group activities and speeches in between? Knowing what you'll be doing at your event and having a rough timeline can help you decide on menu options, for example whether it makes more sense to serve plated meals or family style, and the appropriate timing as to when food will be served.
Before finalizing menu choices, check the number of people who RSVP'd to get an approximate number of people in attendance and make a decision based on that.
We pride ourselves to be a fully custom catering company where we'll let your story run the show. We want your event's menu to be influenced by your party's theme, brand colors and holiday spirit. To get some ideas rolling, take a look at our holiday menu of our festive and delicious offerings.
A great question to consider when organizing a corporate holiday party is whether you should provide wine, beer or spirits. You want your employees to enjoy themselves and have a good time but still keep company culture and code of conduct in mind.
A good alternative we've found that works for many companies and events is to limit the amount of alcohol that is available at the event. This can be done by providing drink tickets or limiting the amount of time the bar will be open. In addition, there should always be trained bartenders used to serve alcohol.
If you will be serving alcohol at your corporate holiday party, we know that alcohol portioning can be tricky! That's why we've developed this simple tool to make this easier for you. This Alcohol Calculator will provide a rough idea on how much alcohol would be needed at your event based on the number of guests and type of bar you'd like to have.
You know how the saying goes: "Eat, drink and be merry". Besides food and drinks, having some fun activities planned out can really help inject some real holiday spirit into your company party.
Here are some ideas that your employees and guests will be talking about for weeks!
It is human nature to be competitive; we all have the desire to win. Door prizes will provide an opportunity for everyone to feel like a winner. Think about prizes that will fit your budget and will also be meaningful for your employees.
Give your party an identity! By adding a theme, your employees will be more likely to recall it due to its unique nature. Using a theme will also create an ecosystem where the decorations, food and drinks are in unison.
The holiday corporate party can be an opportunity for people from different teams to interact with each other and get a chance to bond. Party games provide the perfect way to foster group cohesion. This can be done simply by dividing people into teams and giving a scavenger hunt or having a holiday movie trivia.
Renting a photo booth or having a batch of disposable cameras on site can be a great way to capture memories and provide individuals with the opportunity to mingle, be silly and strike a pose!
Having a holiday corporate party is a great way to increase workplace morale, show appreciation and strengthen the bond among colleagues. We absolutely love spreading the holiday joy with individuals and companies we get to work with and want to help you do the same!
If you have your own venue and would like Relish Catering to cater, don't hesitate to give us a call to start menu planning today for your corporate holiday party!


Are you done with spending your time in the booze laced hurricane that is your life right now. Have you tried to cut back or stop drinking?… Maybe it worked… for a couple days… And then the vicious cycle repeats itself. Have you decided you've had enough? That you are sick and tired of feeling so out of control in every area of your life?
I will help you take back control of your life from alcohol or drugs without making it a huge ordeal. Your whole world doesn't have to know.
My purpose is to inspire, support and guide you to achieve the highest version of yourself and to live your ultimate life.
With the wonderful internet as my office you can sit on your deck in the comfort and privacy of your own home during our sessions.
My approach will blow you away… and change your life for good, you will regain control of everything.
I'd love to hear from you to see if we are a good match.
My name is Sam Morris and I'm here to offer you the chance to join the hundreds of people just like you that I've helped take back control of their life.
I want to help you build a strong foundation that moves you toward the person you were meant to be.
The process isn't always easy but I know I can help you get there.


Nashville is home to large communities of business, medical, music and entertainment professionals with tight schedules, as well as individuals from all backgrounds who are looking to receive treatment in a less-structured environment. Foundations Nashville is prepared to meet the needs of each person in a convenient and comprehensive fashion.
Foundations Nashville, located in a historic house in one of Nashville's oldest neighborhoods, is committed to providing confidential, responsive outpatient services. Since we opened in 2013, our proven program delivers positive results, thanks to a compassionate, caring staff and time-tested methods. Our evidence-based integrated treatment model is focused on treating both substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health concerns in the same setting.
Take an interactive 360-degree virtual tour the Foundations Nashville outpatient campus to explore our facility.
We have a team dedicated to providing assessments that can help determine whether treatment is required. The assessments also allow us to make recommendations regarding the type of treatment and the program that would be the best fit for you and then make the appropriate and trusted referrals – even if it's not to a Foundations program.
Foundations Nashville's primary focus is to offer integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders. Oftentimes those dealing with addiction issues also struggle with co-occurring mental health issues like depression, anxiety, trauma or bipolar disorder.
After the completion of our Intensive Outpatient Program, you may be ready to step down to a more limited schedule of treatment that still provides some structure and support for their ongoing sobriety. Foundations Nashville offers aftercare sessions that focus on recovery planning, helping you to maintain your sobriety and stay focused on being well.
Foundations Nashville believes in treating the whole person — mind, body and spirit. That's why our holistic therapy options are designed to inspire mind, body and spirit healing. Pairing clinical and psychological treatment with our intensive outpatient programs, helps you to identify the interactions of co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders allowing you to address them at the same time.
If you've completed our program and need more support between IOP and a weekly outpatient therapist, we provide the Aftercare Monitoring Program (AMP) which provides additional support in the recovery process on a month-to-month basis. During this period, you will have access to therapeutic groups one to two times per week, a weekly aftercare support group, weekly yoga group and individual therapy and psychiatric appointments as you continue to build and engage in your community-based support system.
Upon completion of the Intensive Outpatient Program and the recovery planning program, you can become a member of our alumni network and you are invited to participate in alumni gatherings and special events. The goal of this valuable program is to aid you in maintaining a link with the people that you come to know during treatment and to provide continued support even after treatment has ended. Alumni are also able to take advantage of our direct alumni phone line, in which you can call to refer loved ones or get an assessment for readmission. Alumni are also encouraged to join the Heroes in Recovery community, a positive place to share their stories, celebrate recovery and interact with others committed to living a sober life.
We work with a core group of professional interventionists who practice a variety of models. Many misconceptions about interventions exist, but the emotional scenes you see on reality shows bear little resemblance to the average intervention. The primary goal of this process is simply breaking down barriers to treatment and getting the addicted individual help that's needed. If you connect with us at Foundations Nashville, we can help you find an interventionist who may be able to break down your loved one's barriers to treatment.
In addition to providing outpatient services in Nashville, Foundations Recovery Network (FRN) provides residential treatment in Memphis at The Oaks at La Paloma. The Oaks offers a comprehensive residential program with the time-tested FRN model of integrated treatment, patient-centered care and individualized plans. We offer medically supervised detox, a full spectrum of therapies and recreational activities as well as relapse prevention planning. Click here to find out more about residential treatment at The Oaks.
Foundations Nashville offers customized outpatient treatment, addressing addiction issues and a wide range of co-occurring disorders. We know the process can seem overwhelming, but we will work with your insurance provider to determine coverage for various treatment options. Call our toll-free number to speak with an admissions coordinator. We'll be available and able to walk you through each step of the process to find the program that is right for you. To make an appointment, please call us at 615-454-9209.
Originally from Hurricane, West Virginia, Kris Blount joined the Foundations Nashville team in 2018 after years of experience as a medical professional. Previously, she worked as the clinical director at Mirror Lake Recovery Center. She also spent 13 years at Centerstone Tennessee, where she served as program manager, adult case manager and director of adult residential services and business development. Before that, she worked at Magellan Behavioral Health as a field care manager and agency representative.
Blount earned her master's degree and Bachelor of Arts degree from Marshall University and holds certificates as a Tier II Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, Licensed Senior Psychological Examiner and in Certified Mental Health First Aid.
Her heart for people drew her to the field of mental healthcare. It's exciting for her to see the progress patients have made – to see the stark and subtle differences and they've made steps toward recovery and self-development. Blount also has a desire to empower her team to reach their individual goals.
When she isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her family, pets, refueling spiritually, running, reading and practicing tae kwon do.
Learn more about the staff at Foundations Nashville.
To find out how to attend these sessions, please call the number listed.