Kamau's Qu!ps December and January 2015

On Taking Control

Nothing like becoming authority yourself when you feel present authority isn't serving your interests.  

Protect Yourself

Learn to be your your own 1st line of defense. If I had to wait for police in some situations I'd be dead already.

Present Responsibilities

Sometimes we have to face today's challenges with urgency because future generations will depend on it.

 Postive Labeling and Surnames in the Black Community

Should black people refer to each other as kings or queens?  Should we use positive descriptions of each other especially when some people just act nasty or unruly.

Well we're speaking metaphorically and of course it's wishful thinking. I'd much rather try something positive than calling each other N'words and B'words 24/7.

I usually go with bro and sista although we aren't blood relatives. I think it is good Karma to use positive terminology and vibes when referring to people. I hope with the positive labeling to make a person feel just a little better about themselves and help make the atmosphere in the world a little less hostile one person at a time. 

 Eating Healthy & Saving Money

I'm ironically saving a hell of a lot of money buying healthy foods.  Most people complain that healthier foods are pricier.

However, I find when I buy good foods and cook from scratch it saves me a lot of money over processed or frozen foods.  If you buy generic brand names in Whole Foods and Trader Joe the prices are cheaper than neighborhood bodegas or grocery stores. Then of course there are the invaluable health benefits to consider as well.

Women and Misogyny in Religion

I think part of the problem is with patriarchy and misogyny in popular culture is women internalize belittling thoughts about themselves from uncritical obedience to patriarchal religions. They past down these morays to young boys and girls.

Men certainly pass them down and reinforce them. More women need a theology degree and to rise to affluence in our major religions and rewrite the script.

We do also have a gangsta street culture in the hood that elevates bullying weaker people without access to guns, women, and the elderly increasingly growing. They are perpetuating this attitude via music and pop culture. Women aren't respected at all and many boys are getting their skewed outlook on women from that perspective.

On Activist Ancestors like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

They walked a sacrificial path which paved the way for the millionaires and political leaders of today.

The Christian Imperative for Social Justice

 

Law and Order without Justice is unrighteous. "But let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." Kamau's Qu!ps reflection on Amos 5:24.

Poor People Out Finance the Status Quo

Since primarily women, young people, Latinos, and Blacks supported Obama I wonder how much money did Black people give? Because Obama raised more money in his Presidential campaign than any Presidential candidate in history.

A lot had to come from Black people. He raised a whopping 750 million dollars and that wasn't from large 3rd parties. He raised only 50 million from them: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=6397572

Beyond Good Cop Bad Cop - Institutionalized Police Brutality

Many people say don't lump all cops together most police are good cops. It isn't a matter of lumping all police together. That's not the issue at all.

The issue is if 95% of police are good professionals (which it may be) but they stand by the 5% who are brutal (or even 1% who are brutal) with their union, then police brutality becomes institutionalized because the police union, Commissioner, DAs and justice system protects them by any means possible.

This has nothing to do with individual police officers. This has to do with the police department as an institution supporting police brutality and misconduct.

Look at the total disrespect the police are giving the mayor now who is supposed to be their boss as an elected official. Their union leader is attacking the mayor and even the President.

The Police union is totally out of control and is going to start a real debacle with community relations.  The Mayor's comments and President Obama's have been moderate. But they are being blamed for murder and demagoguery?

It's really scary that the police union is using this tragedy to mount an irresponsible attack on the Mayor and President even. If they have that type of contempt for the Mayor and President what kind of respect do you think they have for you or me? Marinade on that a while.
 

Response to Police Union Head Pat Lynch on War Against Protestors

I'd suggest Pat Lynch tone his rhetoric back. There are 50,000 police officers and 8,500,000 New Yorkers, with over 2 million African Americans. You do the math.

How does this demagogue get to run a police union? SMH, is he a reflection of the rank and file?

There needs to be some positive attempt to enhance police and community relations. Unfortunately I don't think we have the leadership or empathy to make it happen. There's a debacle of epic proportions going on in the US between authority and forces of change.

Post Racial America

Post Racial America may crystallize but it will be forged in a Battle of epic proportions. Ultimately, will heat overcome light? To be enraged or enlightened - that is the question.
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Distortions in Racial Profiling

Police and law and order types justify aggressive policing like "Stop and Frisk" with the mantra that Blacks commit a lot of crimes so they are criminally profiled.

This excuse for profiling is disingenuous.  It kills me with the whole profiling thing. Blacks get profiled for only 3% of our population. There are 905,000 Blacks incarcerated mostly for nonviolent crimes out or 44 million Blacks.

Actually more Blacks have Master degrees than we are in prison 1.3 million to 905,000.  But there are 1.1 million Black families with a net worth of over 1 million dollars. There are 4.5 million Blacks with college degrees.

There are 1.3 million Black men with college degrees, there are 10 million Black home owners, There are 1.9 million Black business owners, there are 18 million blacks working out of and adult population of 21 million. 82.5% of Blacks have a high school diploma.

So the proper profiling of a Black person is to realize that you are:

~ 4 1/2 times more likely to meet a black with a college degree than a criminal.

~ 18 times more likely to meet a Black person who is a working person,

~ Twice as likely to meet a black person who is an entrepreneur than a felon.

~ A cop is 10 times more prone to meet a Black homeowner than someone in prison/jail or a criminal.

Hell a cop is more likely to run into a Black millionaire than a criminal. If you're going to profile Blacks get a truer picture of the demographics before sprouting the Fox News talking points.

About the Publisher of Kamau's Qu!ps

Kamau's Qu!ps is Published by Kamau Austin. Kamau is a popular Blogger, Writer, and Internet Marketing Professional helping small businesses grow more profitable businesses online. If you need web design, blogging, search engine or social media promotion contact him at Search Engine Plan

Kamau's Qu!ps reaches over 30,000 web users a month through it's Blog and Social Media Promotions. For Advertising Opportunities visit our Advertising Page

Kamau's Qu!ps November 2014

On Rainy Days

Don't cancel events because of the rain if you can help it. When it rains it's about to pour blessings from heaven and life. 

Not Being a Victim

Refuse to lay down and die. Stand against abuse and oppression.  When you allow yourself to be victimized you'll embolden oppressors to victimize others as well. We refuse to be victims and together we'll prevail.

Sometimes You Just have to Praise God

While I love to meditate and worship God in silence and deep appreciation sometimes the only way to praise God is with a lot of loud praise and admiration though music.

Make Your Health Your Greatest Investment

Your health and fitness is really your greatest investment.  But so many people in the US ignore their health. All the money in the world won't help you with bad health. Don't have bad credit either when it comes to your health.

On Friendship

Digital virtual friends are nice but get real and spend more time with real friends. Real friends are in short supply and are few and far between. Kamau's Qu!ps V5

On November 17, 2014 National Unfriend Day

Oh I understand yesterday was like National "Unfriend Day." I lost like 25 digital friends. I never lost so many in a day before.

Well if you're gonna unfriend me be my guest. Good bye and good freaking riddance.

I need to spend more time with real friends any way. They're in short supply and many at my age are either sick or dying.

One of my best friends and business associates is on life support and in a very imminent condition to make his transition. He was one of the most positive bruthas and would do almost anything for me. I wish I had more time to spend with him.

So If people unfriend you this week don't take it as a loss. Take it as a gain of your time and energy.

In fact spend more time with the people you love and love you! Life is too short for the superficial pretense.

Kamau's Qu!ps by Kamau Austin on "National Unfriend Day" lose digital friends and gain back what is important in life.

Who Should Blacks Support Politically

I think Blacks need to spearhead a 3rd truly progressive party. The Dems are spineless and the GOP is political suicide.

I think both parties are inimical institutions and retrograde towards Black or Middle class peoples interests. I think both parties should be unseated. They both suck.

I think we should start a long arduous process to establish a 3rd progressive political party that would eventually push campaign reform and get the money/lobbyists/special interests out of politics. Both parties are getting us no where fast.

If the GOP takes all branches of government because progressive people are demoralized and stay home in the next election too the GOP will destroy the country worst than they did with the great recession.

Why do Black Men Increasingly Date Women of Other Ethnic Groups?

Since the European beauty standard in America is the most dominate there is a lot of truth that Black and men from other ethnic groups favor women who reflect that standard. However, men from different ethnic groups do also appreciate dark skinned and Black women.

Just because people see rich or even "afrocentric or concious" Black men with women from other ethnic groups it doesn't mean it's because of social conditioning.  Some men may actually fall in love with a woman from another ethnic groups. It may just be an issue of demographics rather than psycho-graphics. I'll give an explanation of what I mean. 

Many women consider men approaching them on the street these days "street harassment."

So I use online dating sites at times. Ironically, although my preference would be a sista like Lauren Hill, India Arie, or Lupita Nyongo'o I get just as many white, Hispanic, and Caribbean women interested in dating me. Women who look like the women I mentioned above are a very small group of women in the Black community - very slim pickens.

I don't think it's because of me personally. I think the numbers in dating these days just favors women from larger ethnic groups.

Blacks in the US just aren't having enough children to sustain their significant numbers. If it wasn't for people in the Caribbean and Africa immigrating here there would be an even smaller Black population.

BTW the white population in the US is shrinking too for instance in a month in 2013, I forgot which one, more whites died in the US than were born for the 1st time in US history.  I don't think there is a large percentage or ratio of white or Latina women looking to date Black men necessarily. But a small percentage of a larger demographic can skew dating numbers.

I know numerically speaking although I have a preference, given the numbers, if I'm open to dating a person based on their intrinsic qualities, I probably statistically speaking these days will end up with a Latina or Caribbean woman. Then I can just see people saying "that Kamau fronts the cultural conscious sistas but is dating a Latina or multiethnic Caribbean chick." But honestly there are just a lot more of these ladies to date and who show an interest in me and this probably happens to other black guys too.

Solange Knowles and the Older Man Controversy

There is a bit of controversy about Solange Knowles and her considerably older husband. I've read some women say "they couldn't go out with a man old enough to be their father."

However, I look at the older man younger woman from a different contrarian perspective.  In my experience this is a complex issue.  I wish Solange the best on finding love with an older man.

Her husband is in excellent shape. I see guys in their 30s who are out of shape, couldn't punch threw a paper bag, and so anemic from drug and alcohol usage it's pathetic.

And ironically these same young dudes think they're some kinda of hard core gangsta. In fact I also find younger women the ones who are more actively looking and open to relationships.

As women age they seem to become more cynical or judicious about being in relationships so what happens is guys in their late 40s and 50s end up sometimes with women in their 30s almost by default.  I get women in their mid 30s who are more interested in being in relationships with me than women in my own age group.

Go figure? I've given up on understanding women. You ladies are a mystery to me I guess just like guys might seem clueless to you.

Also in a recent article from Slate.com it makes the point some high powered executive women are marrying older guys who are even retired who can take care of the kids.  They suggest marrying older men to advance their careers especially if he is in a post career stage of his life.

About the Publisher of Kamau's Qu!ps

 

Kamau's Qu!ps is Published by Kamau Austin. Kamau is a popular Blogger, Writer, and Internet Marketing Professional helping small businesses grow more profitable businesses online. If you need web design, blogging, search engine or social media promotion contact him at Search Engine Plan

Kamau's Qu!ps reaches over 30,000 web users a month through it's Blog and Social Media Promotions. For Advertising Opportunities visit our Advertising Page

On Warriors, Activists, Friends, and Failures - Kamau's Qu!ps.

Great Warriors must 1st learn to conquer the battles within them ~

Activist and people looking to right historic social wrongs must remember that it is hard to move in a forward positive direction if you can't move beyond the negative injustices of the past ~

Strength isn't developed in a vacuum.  It is created through tension and forged in resistance ~

Failure is a great training tool for success if you learn from it. Yet there are times failure isn't an experience you can afford~

Family and great friendships can survive disagreements, disappointments, and differences. Great love can repair any torn or frayed relationship ~

To increasing know God is to increasingly trust God. After spending some time getting to know God I can truly say Faith in God is Faith well placed ~

Balance in life is so necessary but so hard to achieve ~

I find sometimes life can be so challenging that just meditating & focusing on the presence of God can heal us & the situation ~

 
(c) 2009 - 2014 Kamau's Qu!ps by Kamau Austin
  

Thank You Peeps for Helping Us Reach Our 1st Thousand Page Views!

Thank you peeps! I started this New Kamau's Qu!ps Blog not long ago and have received my 1st Thousand Page views. I know that's not a lot but it's a start and I truly thank you for springboarding my success.

God has been leading me to breakout of the search engine and social media box and stop being a slave to their algorithms. Algorithms on Google and Social Media Sites limit the amount of exposure you can have to reach an audience.

You can have thousands of friends, followers, and fans on social media sites but you'll only reach 5% of them at a time.  So I was being held back.  It is time to break free and create platforms of my own or work more with platforms that want you to make money like eBay and Amazon.

Life is all about growth and change and I am thankful you've come along to share a little in this sojourn in life with me. Again I am truly grateful to you.

Push Past Your Comfort Zone

Sometimes Your Comfort Zone isn't a Safe Place to be. ~

Push out of Your Comfort Zone or it may become uncomfortable. ~

Your Comfort Zone Can Even Become an Area of Pain. ~

Being Comfortable May Be Hindering You from Being Great. ~

Growing and Being Comfortable may not Always be Compatible but the two different states of being can become - a Synergy of Success! © 2014 Kamau's Qu!ps V5

We can Learn From Almost Anyone? However...

Today's 3 Kamau's Qu!ps

I feel I can learn from ALMOST anyone. However I give the most weight to people who have success and expertise in an area. ~

An excellent balance to body building, strength training, and martial arts is to add a good deal of flexibility training through yoga. ~

In differences of opinion always try to be respectful and empathize with the other person’s point of view before expressing your own. ~

©Kamau’s Qu!ps V5 by Kamau Austin All Rights Reserved 2009 - 2014

Being a Fool for God and Other Kamau's Qu!ps

You may think I’m a religious fool but I’m learning more and more to put my faith and confidence in God not People. ~

Don’t be devastated when people fail you or disappoint you.  Put your trust in God.  God never fails although you may not fully understand divine action. ~

Work on compensating for the loss of muscle tissue, flexibility, and bone density by working out on a regular basis and eating well.

©Kamau’s Qu!ps V5 by Kamau Austin, All Rights Reserved