Keith Olbermann was MSNBC's most popular personality and single-handedly led its transformation to an outspoken, left-leaning cable news network in prime time. Despite that, he often seemed to be walking on a tightrope with his job. Friday night, it snapped.
Olbermann returned from one last commercial break on "Countdown" to tell viewers it was his last broadcast, and read a James Thurber short story in a three-minute exit statement. Simultaneously, MSNBC e-mailed a statement that "MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract." The network thanked him and said, "we wish him well in his future endeavors."
Neither MSNBC President Phil Griffin, Olbermann nor his manager responded to requests to explain an exit so abrupt that Olbermann's face was still being featured on an MSNBC promotional ad 30 minutes after he had said goodbye.
Olbermann was nearly fired in November, but instead was suspended two days without pay for violating an NBC News policy by donating to three political campaigns, including the congressional campaign of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. He returned and apologized to his fans, but not the network.
MSNBC spokesman Jeremy Gaines insisted Olbermann's exit had nothing to do with the acquisition of parent company NBC Universal by Comcast, which received regulatory approval last week. That deal marked the exit of NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker, who saw Olbermann's value in turning around a once-unprofitable network, despite headaches the mercurial personality could sometimes cause his bosses.
"There were many occasions, particularly in the last 2 1/2 years, where all that surrounded the show — but never the show itself — was just too much for me," Olbermann said in his exit statement. "But your support and loyalty and, if I may use the word, insistence, ultimately required that I keep going. My gratitude to you is boundless."
Olbermann's father, Theodore, who was often cited when his son discussed problems in the health care system, died last March. His mother died the year before.
"A lot of people are trying to figure out if this was truly voluntary or not," said Adam Green, co-founder of BoldProgressives.org, which collected thousands of petition signatures urging Olbermann's reinstatement following last fall's suspension.
After Giffords was shot in the head on Jan. 8, Olbermann took to the air with an emotional editorial that night saying politicians and talk show personalities — including himself — need to swear off any kind of violent imagery so as not to incite anybody into acts like the Giffords shooting.
Olbermann's peripatetic career landed him at MSNBC eight years ago — his second prime-time stint on the network — with a humorous show counting down the day's top stories. That changed on Aug. 30, 2006, when Olbermann aired the first of a series of densely-worded and blistering "special comments," this time expressing anger at then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's criticism of opponents to the war in Iraq.
More anti-Bush administration commentary followed. Olbermann dropped any pretense of journalistic objectivity, and he became a hero to liberals battered by the popularity of Fox News Channel and its conservative commentators. Olbermann openly feuded with Fox, often naming personalities like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck one of his "worst persons in the world" for some of their statements.
"Countdown" became MSNBC's most popular show. Instantly, a network that had often floundered in seeking a direction molded itself after Olbermann. Opinion was in, and MSNBC's prime-time lineup was filled out with Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell, who both had been subs for Olbermann when he was away.
Olbermann, before leaving the show with a final signature toss of his script toward the camera on Friday, thanked his audience for sticking with him. As was often his habit on Friday nights, he read a Thurber short story, this one titled "Scottie Who Knew Too Much" and published in 1940.
The story's final line: "It is better to ask some of the questions than to know all of the answers."
He thanked several people, including the late Tim Russert, but pointedly not Griffin or NBC News President Steve Capus.
He said he was grateful to the network that he was given time to sign off, noting that when he left ESPN in the 1990s, he was given 30 seconds — cut in half at the last minute to get in tennis results.
David Brock, founder and CEO of the liberal media watchdog Media Matters for America, said Olbermann "led the charge" against "conservative misinformation in prime time."
"Keith is an innovator and extremely talented broadcaster who showed there was a market for progressive views on cable news," Brock said. "I'm sure we'll be hearing more of him soon, and I eagerly await hearing of his next move."
The mood was different at Newsbusters, a website operated by the conservative Media Research Center:
"You guys at Newsbusters should really break out the champagne and party," wrote one reader about Olbermann.
The Cornell graduate first became known for his work on ESPN's "Sportscenter," where he also cultivated a reputation for being talented but difficult to work with. His first MSNBC stint ended in the late 1990s when he quit, complaining his bosses were telling him to talk too much about President Bill Clinton's impeachment scandal.
MSNBC announced that O'Donnell, who had frequently filled in for Olbermann before starting his own 10 p.m. show, will take over Olbermann's time slot starting Monday. "The Ed Show," with Ed Schultz, will move to 10 p.m. Cenk Uygur of the Web show "The Young Turks" will fill Schultz's vacated 6 p.m. time slot.
Olbermann's plans are unclear. He signed a four-year contract with MSNBC two years ago; contract buyouts typically include noncompete clauses that keep a personality off TV for a period of time.
CNN has continued to struggle in prime time, most recently with a program in Olbermann's time slot hosted by Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker. Bringing Olbermann on, however, would mean a dramatic shift in the network's determined nonpartisan stance, and there was no indication such a change was imminent.
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Saturday, January 22, 2011
Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter won't lead SCLC
For more than a year, the daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. put off taking her oath as president of the landmark civil rights group co-founded by her father — and now she doesn't want the job at all.
The Rev. Bernice King's decision to abandon the Southern Christian Leadership Conference comes at the worst possible time for the once-proud organization, which has struggled to stay relevant as it split into two factions, had its finances scrutinized and saw its former chairman indicted last week on theft charges.
The SCLC, which led the movement to end segregation in public facilities and open access to the ballot box for millions of black Americans, has fallen so far that former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young said he told Bernice King she had better things to do with her time.
"We should've closed it down years ago," Young, who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., said Friday after King's announcement. "I saw this as a lost cause a long time ago."
When King became the first woman elected SCLC president in 2009, she had vowed to reinvigorate the organization by expanding the group's reach to more women and a younger generation.
Soon after, the SCLC's chairman and treasurer were accused of financial mismanagement, and squabbling among the group's leaders landed the splintered factions in a courtroom. She remained largely silent as the group's troubles escalated over the past 16 months.
King told The Associated Press that in the end, she and the group's leaders didn't agree on how to move forward.
"In light of that, and attempts on several occasions to try to reach out and dialogue, this is where I've landed," she said. "Essentially, I knew that I was not going to be merely a figurehead, so I had to make a critical decision. I look forward to continuing the legacies of my parents and establishing my own legacy."
Although she called the SCLC's recent troubles unfortunate, King stopped short of saying the SCLC should disband.
"They have chapters around the nation who hold the name SCLC and they are doing different kinds of work in their communities," King said. "They have an opportunity ... to decide and redefine how they want to be projected in the public."
King said she notified board leaders of her decision Thursday. Now, she said she is focusing on other endeavors.
This week, King launched a 100 Days of Nonviolence campaign at the Coretta Scott King Academy, named for her mother. The initiative is in response to the shootings in Tucson, Ariz., which claimed six lives and left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded.
She also plans to republish her mother's book, "My Life with Martin Luther King Jr.," and release the King matriarch's never-before published autobiography.
Young said Bernice King's departure from the organization was "wonderful."
"I tried to get Bernice to see when she wanted to revive it that it wasn't worth wasting her talents on, that we needed to let it go," Young said. "That doesn't mean that there's not work to be done."
In the span of roughly a decade, the SCLC under Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership fought for equality and was the moral voice that spoke out against poverty, racism and war.
"It did its work well," Young said. "But it was never any law that said we all had to stay together for the rest of our lives. I don't believe in keeping organizations alive just for the sake of the name."
SCLC Chairwoman Sylvia Tucker said she was stunned by King's decision.
"We have to continue to move forward, because there's such a need out there," Tucker said. "Having a president doesn't determine what our mission is, to really take care of the least of these."
Tucker said she was not sure when a new president might be elected.
Bernice King's brother, Martin Luther King III, led the group from 1998 to 2003. At a press conference after her election, Bernice King said she was eager to rejuvenate the group.
But within weeks of her election, the SCLC was looking into allegations that its chairman and treasurer had mismanaged the organization's funds, throwing its board of directors into chaos as members chose sides. By the spring, the dispute over who controlled the SCLC was headed to court. The group had split into two factions, both claiming to be in charge and making decisions on behalf of the entire organization.
Bernice King led a prayer for unity within the group in August, calling for an end to the hard feelings. In September, a judge ruled that the directors siding with King were the group's legitimate leaders.
The former chairman, the Rev. Raleigh Trammell — the subject of the federal and internal probe — was indicted last week on charges including grand theft involving a meal program for low-income seniors in southwest Ohio.
The Rev. Markel Hutchins, who at one time claimed the presidency of the SCLC during the period of infighting, said Friday that the ongoing strife among the group has been about "the soul, future and integrity of the SCLC."
"We will fight like hell to reclaim the organization that has, at this moment, been stolen by those who have not been longtime participants in the struggle for human dignity," Hutchins said.
The Rev. Bernice King's decision to abandon the Southern Christian Leadership Conference comes at the worst possible time for the once-proud organization, which has struggled to stay relevant as it split into two factions, had its finances scrutinized and saw its former chairman indicted last week on theft charges.
The SCLC, which led the movement to end segregation in public facilities and open access to the ballot box for millions of black Americans, has fallen so far that former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young said he told Bernice King she had better things to do with her time.
"We should've closed it down years ago," Young, who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., said Friday after King's announcement. "I saw this as a lost cause a long time ago."
When King became the first woman elected SCLC president in 2009, she had vowed to reinvigorate the organization by expanding the group's reach to more women and a younger generation.
Soon after, the SCLC's chairman and treasurer were accused of financial mismanagement, and squabbling among the group's leaders landed the splintered factions in a courtroom. She remained largely silent as the group's troubles escalated over the past 16 months.
King told The Associated Press that in the end, she and the group's leaders didn't agree on how to move forward.
"In light of that, and attempts on several occasions to try to reach out and dialogue, this is where I've landed," she said. "Essentially, I knew that I was not going to be merely a figurehead, so I had to make a critical decision. I look forward to continuing the legacies of my parents and establishing my own legacy."
Although she called the SCLC's recent troubles unfortunate, King stopped short of saying the SCLC should disband.
"They have chapters around the nation who hold the name SCLC and they are doing different kinds of work in their communities," King said. "They have an opportunity ... to decide and redefine how they want to be projected in the public."
King said she notified board leaders of her decision Thursday. Now, she said she is focusing on other endeavors.
This week, King launched a 100 Days of Nonviolence campaign at the Coretta Scott King Academy, named for her mother. The initiative is in response to the shootings in Tucson, Ariz., which claimed six lives and left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded.
She also plans to republish her mother's book, "My Life with Martin Luther King Jr.," and release the King matriarch's never-before published autobiography.
Young said Bernice King's departure from the organization was "wonderful."
"I tried to get Bernice to see when she wanted to revive it that it wasn't worth wasting her talents on, that we needed to let it go," Young said. "That doesn't mean that there's not work to be done."
In the span of roughly a decade, the SCLC under Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership fought for equality and was the moral voice that spoke out against poverty, racism and war.
"It did its work well," Young said. "But it was never any law that said we all had to stay together for the rest of our lives. I don't believe in keeping organizations alive just for the sake of the name."
SCLC Chairwoman Sylvia Tucker said she was stunned by King's decision.
"We have to continue to move forward, because there's such a need out there," Tucker said. "Having a president doesn't determine what our mission is, to really take care of the least of these."
Tucker said she was not sure when a new president might be elected.
Bernice King's brother, Martin Luther King III, led the group from 1998 to 2003. At a press conference after her election, Bernice King said she was eager to rejuvenate the group.
But within weeks of her election, the SCLC was looking into allegations that its chairman and treasurer had mismanaged the organization's funds, throwing its board of directors into chaos as members chose sides. By the spring, the dispute over who controlled the SCLC was headed to court. The group had split into two factions, both claiming to be in charge and making decisions on behalf of the entire organization.
Bernice King led a prayer for unity within the group in August, calling for an end to the hard feelings. In September, a judge ruled that the directors siding with King were the group's legitimate leaders.
The former chairman, the Rev. Raleigh Trammell — the subject of the federal and internal probe — was indicted last week on charges including grand theft involving a meal program for low-income seniors in southwest Ohio.
The Rev. Markel Hutchins, who at one time claimed the presidency of the SCLC during the period of infighting, said Friday that the ongoing strife among the group has been about "the soul, future and integrity of the SCLC."
"We will fight like hell to reclaim the organization that has, at this moment, been stolen by those who have not been longtime participants in the struggle for human dignity," Hutchins said.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Excerpts from the book "Super Rich: A Guide To Having It All" By: Russell Simmons!
EXCERPT 4: The Work That Prays
While it’s generally accepted that spiritual practices like yoga, meditation, and prayer can help speed up our evolution, too often we forgot about another tool, one that we already employ every day, which is equally effective at accelerating our journey toward enlightenment:
Hard work.
On the surface, simply doing your job to the best of your ability might seem like it has very little to do with the practices I just mentioned. The truth, however, is that when you put your head down and work your hardest at any task, it’s actually a very powerful form of moving prayer.
A teacher who is totally committed to educating the children in her classroom, a janitor who keeps his building looking immaculate, or a baker who makes perfect loaf after perfect loaf are all praying just as hard through their efforts as the yogi who spends his days chanting God’s name.
Yet while almost everyone performs some sort of work each day, most people are not conscious of this connection between their work and their proximity to God. This is because they are too often preoccupied with the results of their work. Their focus is on how much money their work generates rather than the actual work itself. They fail to realize that when you view your work with both eyes only on the result, that work will never prove truly rewarding, either financially or spiritually. Never lose sight of the fact that the actual work that you do in life—the moment in which a teacher is engaged in drawing up a lesson plan, the janitor is moping the floors, or the baker is making his bread—is the source from which true happiness will will stem.
EXCERPT 6: Be Reborn Everyday
When I was a young man I did some pretty foul sh*t. I didn't mug old ladies, mistreat children, or—God forbid—kill anyone. But I did deal drugs, run with gangs, and steal from people in my community. I devoured pig’s feet, chitlins, and steak without thinking about, let alone shedding a tear, for all the animals that were being sacrificed at the altar to my gluttonous appetite. I even fired a shot (albeit while intentionally aiming high) at a rival drug dealer in a misguided attempt to earn some street cred. In short, I did not enjoy a healthy relationship with the world.
At the time, however, I didn't think there was anything wrong with how I was living. Unconscious of my higher self, I tended to respond to the low notes that were being played very loudly around me. In my unevolved mind, I was simply doing what I had to do to make it on the streets of New York. How my actions affected anyone else didn't concern me.
Thirty odd years later, things have changed. Now I’m a vegan, I don’t drink or smoke, and I try to do everything within my power to preserve and uplift life. I run several charities, provide for dozens of employees, and strive to maintain a healthy relationship with the people in my life and the larger world in general.
How did I go from being a drug dealer to a yogi? From a street punk to an engaged, if slightly offbeat, servant of the community? From a kid who spent his days hustling on the corner of 205th Street and Hollis
Avenue to a businessman whose office has a sweeping view of Manhattan?? From getting booked for selling fake cocaine to writing this book?
EXCERPT 7: GIVE YOUR GIFT
I’m always amazed by how many people fail to see the connection between giving and attraction. People will tell me they’re writers, but aren’t writing anything at the moment because “magazines aren't assigning work right now.” Or they’re great chefs, but aren’t working at the moment because they’re self-trained and right now restaurants are “only hiring people who’ve graduated from culinary school.”
Whenever I hear that sort of talk, I say, “Stop making excuses and go do what you’re supposed to be doing! And you can start by cooking me a nice vegan meal if you’ve got too much time on your hands!” Imagine if a comedian said, “Sorry, but I can’t be funny right now because no one’s paying me.” Man, it’s a comedian’s job to be funny all of the time. Whether it’s in the barbershop, at an open mic night, or on his own HBO special. Whether he’s getting paid or not, he can never stop making people laugh. The moment he stops giving away his humor, he stops being a comedian.
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While it’s generally accepted that spiritual practices like yoga, meditation, and prayer can help speed up our evolution, too often we forgot about another tool, one that we already employ every day, which is equally effective at accelerating our journey toward enlightenment:
Hard work.
On the surface, simply doing your job to the best of your ability might seem like it has very little to do with the practices I just mentioned. The truth, however, is that when you put your head down and work your hardest at any task, it’s actually a very powerful form of moving prayer.
A teacher who is totally committed to educating the children in her classroom, a janitor who keeps his building looking immaculate, or a baker who makes perfect loaf after perfect loaf are all praying just as hard through their efforts as the yogi who spends his days chanting God’s name.
Yet while almost everyone performs some sort of work each day, most people are not conscious of this connection between their work and their proximity to God. This is because they are too often preoccupied with the results of their work. Their focus is on how much money their work generates rather than the actual work itself. They fail to realize that when you view your work with both eyes only on the result, that work will never prove truly rewarding, either financially or spiritually. Never lose sight of the fact that the actual work that you do in life—the moment in which a teacher is engaged in drawing up a lesson plan, the janitor is moping the floors, or the baker is making his bread—is the source from which true happiness will will stem.
EXCERPT 6: Be Reborn Everyday
When I was a young man I did some pretty foul sh*t. I didn't mug old ladies, mistreat children, or—God forbid—kill anyone. But I did deal drugs, run with gangs, and steal from people in my community. I devoured pig’s feet, chitlins, and steak without thinking about, let alone shedding a tear, for all the animals that were being sacrificed at the altar to my gluttonous appetite. I even fired a shot (albeit while intentionally aiming high) at a rival drug dealer in a misguided attempt to earn some street cred. In short, I did not enjoy a healthy relationship with the world.
At the time, however, I didn't think there was anything wrong with how I was living. Unconscious of my higher self, I tended to respond to the low notes that were being played very loudly around me. In my unevolved mind, I was simply doing what I had to do to make it on the streets of New York. How my actions affected anyone else didn't concern me.
Thirty odd years later, things have changed. Now I’m a vegan, I don’t drink or smoke, and I try to do everything within my power to preserve and uplift life. I run several charities, provide for dozens of employees, and strive to maintain a healthy relationship with the people in my life and the larger world in general.
How did I go from being a drug dealer to a yogi? From a street punk to an engaged, if slightly offbeat, servant of the community? From a kid who spent his days hustling on the corner of 205th Street and Hollis
Avenue to a businessman whose office has a sweeping view of Manhattan?? From getting booked for selling fake cocaine to writing this book?
EXCERPT 7: GIVE YOUR GIFT
I’m always amazed by how many people fail to see the connection between giving and attraction. People will tell me they’re writers, but aren’t writing anything at the moment because “magazines aren't assigning work right now.” Or they’re great chefs, but aren’t working at the moment because they’re self-trained and right now restaurants are “only hiring people who’ve graduated from culinary school.”
Whenever I hear that sort of talk, I say, “Stop making excuses and go do what you’re supposed to be doing! And you can start by cooking me a nice vegan meal if you’ve got too much time on your hands!” Imagine if a comedian said, “Sorry, but I can’t be funny right now because no one’s paying me.” Man, it’s a comedian’s job to be funny all of the time. Whether it’s in the barbershop, at an open mic night, or on his own HBO special. Whether he’s getting paid or not, he can never stop making people laugh. The moment he stops giving away his humor, he stops being a comedian.
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Check out "Literary Diva of Blogtalk Radio's" interview on "The Parker Verse!"
Check out the interview by freelance writer and author Angela Nicole Parker did with the "Literary Diva of Blogtalk Radio." View the whole interview at http://www.theparkerverse.blogspot.com/ today!
For info on the Literary Diva of BTR visit: www.blogtalkradio.com/diva29 or email@ literarydiva29@yahoo.com
For info on the Literary Diva of BTR visit: www.blogtalkradio.com/diva29 or email@ literarydiva29@yahoo.com
Lashawn "sugar shizz" Talbert-creator of the dance craze "the shizz." RIP.
Lashawn "Sugar Shizz" was known for igniting the Louisville dance craze known as "The Shizz."
Check it out!
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"ADVERSITY-being victorious even in horrendous situations!"
Pain, suffering, stress, and other difficulties are the admission tickets to the game of life. But, at times, we cannot help suspecting that life would be much more pleasant without the hassles. Is that what you think? Before answering, ponder the following. In a world without hurdles, there are no champions; without suffering, there are no saints; without battles, there are no victories; without rain, no rainbows. Doesnt it appear that a world that includes pain is more rewarding than one that doesnt? Isnt heat necessary to produce gold, pressure and polishing necessary to produce diamonds, and adversity necessary to produce character?
Heres how Henry Ford expressed the same sentiment: Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.
1. Adversity is unavoidable. So, dont fight it, accept it. Develop the proper attitude, for as Havelock Ellis wrote, Pain and death are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself. Although pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. We can choose to be strong. It is not misfortune that produces suffering, but an improper reaction to it.
Even under the worst circumstances, we can choose to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Thomas A. Edison is an example. In 1914, a fire almost destroyed his New Jersey laboratories. Valuable records of his experiments and two million dollars worth of equipment were lost. When surveying the damage, the sixty-seven year old Edison said, There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.
When Hurricane Mitch swept across Central America and parts of the U.S., it left a path of destroyed homes, dashed dreams, and broken hearts. After the storm subsided, birds returned to uprooted trees and began to sing. Isnt it true, as Rose F. Kennedy says, Birds sing after a storm; why shouldnt people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?
2. Realize that misfortune tells what fortune is. We need winter to appreciate spring, rain to appreciate the sunshine, and adversity to be thankful for the calm after the storm.
3. Recognize misfortune for what it is: an opportunity to lift yourself to a higher level. Sailors caught in a storm should prayer not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear. Why should they accept the storm? Because a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.
When an eagle believes her eaglets are large enough to learn how to fly, she begins to take apart the nest and push the eaglets out. After this rude awakening, the eaglets discover they have wings! They can fly! The universe is constantly nudging us, pushing us off one cliff after another, in the hope that one day we, too, will discover our wings and soar to new heights.
4. Lessen your suffering by refusing to linger on past difficulties or expecting future ones. Problems of the present are difficult enough to deal with. Dont add to your misery by regretting the past or worrying about what might happen in the future. Mark Twain understood that it was pointless to fret about the future when he said, I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.
5. Realize it could be worse. Count your blessings. Keep in mind the Persian proverb: I cried because I had no shoes until I saw someone with no feet.
Regardless of how horrible your circumstances, you are probably not paralyzed and unable to speak. However, Mr. Washington Roebling was. You see, more than 100 years ago, Washingtons father, John, had a dream to build The Brooklyn Bridge. Experts at the time believed it to be impossible, but John finally persuaded the city to support his project. He and his son, Washington, were the lead engineers and the only ones who knew how to build such a bridge. After just a few months into the project, there was an accident that took the life of John and left his son with permanent brain damage. Although unable to speak, write, or walk, Washingtons mind was alert and he could move one finger. Determined to realize his fathers dream, he developed a code, which made it possible to communicate with his wife by tapping on her arm with his finger. Washington tapped on his wifes arm for thirteen years, relaying all the instructions for the engineers. Today, the bridge stands as a testimony of how we can overcome any obstacle, if only we choose to do so.
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Join The Conversation
Heres how Henry Ford expressed the same sentiment: Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.
1. Adversity is unavoidable. So, dont fight it, accept it. Develop the proper attitude, for as Havelock Ellis wrote, Pain and death are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself. Although pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. We can choose to be strong. It is not misfortune that produces suffering, but an improper reaction to it.
Even under the worst circumstances, we can choose to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Thomas A. Edison is an example. In 1914, a fire almost destroyed his New Jersey laboratories. Valuable records of his experiments and two million dollars worth of equipment were lost. When surveying the damage, the sixty-seven year old Edison said, There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.
When Hurricane Mitch swept across Central America and parts of the U.S., it left a path of destroyed homes, dashed dreams, and broken hearts. After the storm subsided, birds returned to uprooted trees and began to sing. Isnt it true, as Rose F. Kennedy says, Birds sing after a storm; why shouldnt people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?
2. Realize that misfortune tells what fortune is. We need winter to appreciate spring, rain to appreciate the sunshine, and adversity to be thankful for the calm after the storm.
3. Recognize misfortune for what it is: an opportunity to lift yourself to a higher level. Sailors caught in a storm should prayer not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear. Why should they accept the storm? Because a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.
When an eagle believes her eaglets are large enough to learn how to fly, she begins to take apart the nest and push the eaglets out. After this rude awakening, the eaglets discover they have wings! They can fly! The universe is constantly nudging us, pushing us off one cliff after another, in the hope that one day we, too, will discover our wings and soar to new heights.
4. Lessen your suffering by refusing to linger on past difficulties or expecting future ones. Problems of the present are difficult enough to deal with. Dont add to your misery by regretting the past or worrying about what might happen in the future. Mark Twain understood that it was pointless to fret about the future when he said, I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.
5. Realize it could be worse. Count your blessings. Keep in mind the Persian proverb: I cried because I had no shoes until I saw someone with no feet.
Regardless of how horrible your circumstances, you are probably not paralyzed and unable to speak. However, Mr. Washington Roebling was. You see, more than 100 years ago, Washingtons father, John, had a dream to build The Brooklyn Bridge. Experts at the time believed it to be impossible, but John finally persuaded the city to support his project. He and his son, Washington, were the lead engineers and the only ones who knew how to build such a bridge. After just a few months into the project, there was an accident that took the life of John and left his son with permanent brain damage. Although unable to speak, write, or walk, Washingtons mind was alert and he could move one finger. Determined to realize his fathers dream, he developed a code, which made it possible to communicate with his wife by tapping on her arm with his finger. Washington tapped on his wifes arm for thirteen years, relaying all the instructions for the engineers. Today, the bridge stands as a testimony of how we can overcome any obstacle, if only we choose to do so.
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Join The Conversation
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All By: Russell Simmons!
Russell Simmons knows firsthand that wealth is rooted in much more than the stock market.
True wealth has more to do with what's in your heart than what's in your wallet. Using this knowledge, Simmons became one of America's shrewdest entrepreneurs, achieving a level of success that most investors only dream about. No matter how much material gain he accumulated, he never stopped lending a hand to those less fortunate.
In Super Rich, Simmons uses his rare blend of spiritual savvy and street-smart wisdom to offer a new definition of wealth-and share timeless principles for developing an unshakable sense of self that can weather any financial storm. As Simmons says, "Happy can make you money, but money can't make you happy."
In straight-talking inspiring chapters, Simmons provides unforgettable true stories from his own road to riches, delving into the principles and practices that have kept him energized and focused. Whether we're in the boardroom or on a yoga mat, Simmons says, we have to be able to listen to our inner voices.
Finding our unique potential, we can make the right moves, ruled not by money but by the joy of conscientious living and giving. With these philosophies and more, Simmons brings us a stimulus package of consciousness that will never run dry, backed by the power of the higher self.
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Wal-Mart set to unveil healthier food options!
Retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said it is set to unveil an initiative on Thursday to provide its customers healthier and more affordable food options.
Wal-Mart did not provide further details, but the New York Times said the world's largest retailer plans to make thousands of its packaged foods lower in unhealthy salts, fats and sugars, and to drop prices on fruits and vegetables.
The company's five-year healthy diet plan came about after having discussions with Michelle Obama, who will attend the announcement in Washington, the Times said on its website.
Wal-Mart aims to bring lower-priced, healthier foods to urban areas that do not have traditionally grocery stores, as it tries to expand in urban areas like Chicago and New York.
The changes in the packaged food will be introduced slowly, over a period of five years to give consumers time to adjust to the new taste, the newspaper said.
Wal-Mart did not provide further details, but the New York Times said the world's largest retailer plans to make thousands of its packaged foods lower in unhealthy salts, fats and sugars, and to drop prices on fruits and vegetables.
The company's five-year healthy diet plan came about after having discussions with Michelle Obama, who will attend the announcement in Washington, the Times said on its website.
Wal-Mart aims to bring lower-priced, healthier foods to urban areas that do not have traditionally grocery stores, as it tries to expand in urban areas like Chicago and New York.
The changes in the packaged food will be introduced slowly, over a period of five years to give consumers time to adjust to the new taste, the newspaper said.
A jazzy all-American state dinner for Chinese President!
Michelle and Barack Obama welcomed a mix of Hollywood A-listers, big business types and prominent Chinese-Americans to the White House as they threw a "quintessentially American" state dinner Wednesday for the president of China, complete with apple pie and ice cream, and jazz music for the entertainment.
The first lady was clad in an elegant red shoulder-baring gown that swished around her in soft folds and the president sported a tuxedo as they welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao on a red carpet on the White House portico. An honor guard stood at attention behind them.
Celebrity star power arrived in the form of singer Barbra Streisand, her hubby-actor James Brolin and action film star Jackie Chan. Big business turned out in force, too, including Microsoft's Steven Ballmer and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, among others. Among the big names: fashion's Vera Wang, Vogue's Anna Wintour, artist Maya Lin, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to add some gravitas. Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter made the cut, too.
Wang wore a floor-length, sleeveless design of her own. Wintour opted for a white, patterned Chanel skirt suit.
The dinner's all-star jazz lineup included trumpeter Chris Botti, two-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, jazz icon Herbie Hancock, rising pianist Lang Lang and four-time Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves.
Jazz pianist Peter Martin, part of the entertainment lineup, prepped for his appearance by springing for a tux.
"I'm finally a grown-up, graduated from renting to owning," Martin tweeted, adding that he was "super-excited" about the White House gig.
Regular folks who find themselves in a last-minute frenzy before guests arrive can take comfort in knowing that it's the same at the White House: Hours before the dinner, chair cushions were stacked in the front foyer and harried staff shuttled flower arrangements to and fro.
New this state dinner: The 225 guests were spread out among three rooms: the State Dining Room, Blue Room and Red Room, then all shuttle to the East Room for the entertainment. Big video monitors were set up in the Blue and Red rooms for the outcasts to catch the dinner toasts.
The two presidents' toasts featured the usual promises of better relations all around, and Obama used the moment to highlight an agreement that will ensure the beloved giant pandas from China remain at the Smithsonian National Zoo for another five years.
Also new: The Obamas opted against bringing in a high-profile guest chef, instead putting White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford in charge of preparing an all-American themed dinner at the request of the Chinese delegation, the White House said.
On the menu: d'anjou pear salad with farmstead goat cheese, poached Maine lobster, orange glazed carrots and black trumpet mushrooms, dry aged rib eye with buttermilk crisp onions, double-stuffed potatoes and creamed spinach. Dessert was to be old-fashioned apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
Obama is known to be an avid eater of pastry chef Bill Yosses' pies.
Streisand, who also made the guest list for an afternoon luncheon at the State Department, said she was appearing at her first state dinner since the Clinton years. The singer, who helped raise money for Obama during the presidential campaign, said she had "a lot of friends here."
Asked for a thought on why she had been invited, she quipped: "I worked in a Chinese restaurant."
Wintour said she hoped to talk to Hu about — what else? — fashion, specifically investing in Chinese fashion.
There were some high-profile no-shows, including three of the top four leaders of Congress: House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who declined Obama's past state dinner invitations; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.
With the Senate out of session, Reid was home in Nevada and McConnell just wrapped up a congressional trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan and had not planned to be in Washington this week, aides said.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was the only top congressional leader to accept an invitation. Many in Congress see China as an economic threat to the U.S. Pelosi also has been a longtime and outspoken critic of China's human rights record.
At a White House news conference with Obama, Hu punted when asked to comment on the congressional leaders' absence.
"I think President Obama is certainly in a better position to answer that question," he said, drawing laughter from journalists and the U.S. and China officials seated in the East Room.
Obama punted, too.
The first lady was clad in an elegant red shoulder-baring gown that swished around her in soft folds and the president sported a tuxedo as they welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao on a red carpet on the White House portico. An honor guard stood at attention behind them.
Celebrity star power arrived in the form of singer Barbra Streisand, her hubby-actor James Brolin and action film star Jackie Chan. Big business turned out in force, too, including Microsoft's Steven Ballmer and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, among others. Among the big names: fashion's Vera Wang, Vogue's Anna Wintour, artist Maya Lin, Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan, and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to add some gravitas. Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter made the cut, too.
Wang wore a floor-length, sleeveless design of her own. Wintour opted for a white, patterned Chanel skirt suit.
The dinner's all-star jazz lineup included trumpeter Chris Botti, two-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, jazz icon Herbie Hancock, rising pianist Lang Lang and four-time Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves.
Jazz pianist Peter Martin, part of the entertainment lineup, prepped for his appearance by springing for a tux.
"I'm finally a grown-up, graduated from renting to owning," Martin tweeted, adding that he was "super-excited" about the White House gig.
Regular folks who find themselves in a last-minute frenzy before guests arrive can take comfort in knowing that it's the same at the White House: Hours before the dinner, chair cushions were stacked in the front foyer and harried staff shuttled flower arrangements to and fro.
New this state dinner: The 225 guests were spread out among three rooms: the State Dining Room, Blue Room and Red Room, then all shuttle to the East Room for the entertainment. Big video monitors were set up in the Blue and Red rooms for the outcasts to catch the dinner toasts.
The two presidents' toasts featured the usual promises of better relations all around, and Obama used the moment to highlight an agreement that will ensure the beloved giant pandas from China remain at the Smithsonian National Zoo for another five years.
Also new: The Obamas opted against bringing in a high-profile guest chef, instead putting White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford in charge of preparing an all-American themed dinner at the request of the Chinese delegation, the White House said.
On the menu: d'anjou pear salad with farmstead goat cheese, poached Maine lobster, orange glazed carrots and black trumpet mushrooms, dry aged rib eye with buttermilk crisp onions, double-stuffed potatoes and creamed spinach. Dessert was to be old-fashioned apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
Obama is known to be an avid eater of pastry chef Bill Yosses' pies.
Streisand, who also made the guest list for an afternoon luncheon at the State Department, said she was appearing at her first state dinner since the Clinton years. The singer, who helped raise money for Obama during the presidential campaign, said she had "a lot of friends here."
Asked for a thought on why she had been invited, she quipped: "I worked in a Chinese restaurant."
Wintour said she hoped to talk to Hu about — what else? — fashion, specifically investing in Chinese fashion.
There were some high-profile no-shows, including three of the top four leaders of Congress: House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who declined Obama's past state dinner invitations; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.
With the Senate out of session, Reid was home in Nevada and McConnell just wrapped up a congressional trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan and had not planned to be in Washington this week, aides said.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was the only top congressional leader to accept an invitation. Many in Congress see China as an economic threat to the U.S. Pelosi also has been a longtime and outspoken critic of China's human rights record.
At a White House news conference with Obama, Hu punted when asked to comment on the congressional leaders' absence.
"I think President Obama is certainly in a better position to answer that question," he said, drawing laughter from journalists and the U.S. and China officials seated in the East Room.
Obama punted, too.
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