In My Opinion (IMO by KNH)...Ain't That Bout A Belt?!

Recently there has been a big to-do about a young Black American male, Trayon Christian who was arrested while attempting to purchase a $350 Salvatore Ferragamo belt at Barneys in NYC. Many critics however, are more upset about the fact that he would spend that much money on a belt in the first place. Let's forget the fact the young man in question bought an expensive belt. Why are we criticizing him for that? Is that even the point? No, the point is that he was profiled and arrested in the course of an everyday transaction because store staff wanted to know "how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt." That is the disgusting thing here...in 2013.

What is valuable to some people is not valuable to others. Some people choose to take their disposable income and buy a Playstation, Nintendo WII, or X-Box gaming system, go skydiving, etc. none of which necessarily add any long-term tangible value to ones life, and for the same or greater amount of cost. I mean, some of the people I hear criticizing the young man are women who have 10 pair of black shoes. So your point is??? If the young man earned that money legally, or his parents gave it to him to buy an belt, or in his case he saved up his money while doing a noble thing (attending college) then so be it. If Barney's treats it's customers in a discriminatory fashion like that, then no one should shop there regardless of color.

"how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt,"

Senate Republicans: GOP Didn't Gain Anything By Forcing Shutdown

THIS JUST IN: Sen Ted Cruz (Moron-Canada) just blamed everyone but himself for the mess he & the Tea Party got the entire GOP into. Let's see how the Math has worked out: You grandstanded for over 2 weeks raising lots of cash from the base, The Heritage Foundation (funded by the billionaire Koch Brothers) etc, by swearing you would force the U.S. government and the "imperial" Socialist/Marxist/Communist/Everythingist ruler Obama to defund the Affordable Care Act which had already been a) a passed into law by a majority of Congress & signed by the President, b) Upheld by the US Supreme Court and c) approved of by over 65 million (65,0446,032 to be exact) Americans who voted for President Obama in November 2012. And for your efforts, you walked away with...nothing. This is analogous to going to a jewelry store with notebook paper and bringing home a big bag of sand. By the way, defunding a law that has been passed by Congress is unconstitutional, it literally and procedurally can't happen, which is why it didn't have a chance in hell of actually happening, duh. www.thegreatblogofketo.blogspot.com
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

In My Opinion (IMO A Series of Notes by KNH)...Why Kids Misbehave

An incident I experienced at school today spurred me to write this note on the causes of childhood misbehavior. Have you ever wondered why children misbehave in school? Child psychiatrist and educator, Rudolf Dreikurs proposed that children believe they can gain social status by exhibiting bad behavior. Here are some answers that may help you recognize and address the root of these problems. Students' misbehavior has 4 goals--Attention, Power, Revenge & Avoidance of Failure.

Students of any age may engage in activities that distract from the classroom goal of learning in order to gain attention from peers or superiors that they feel is lacking in their personal life. For some students ANY attention is craved whether it is positive or negative. As long as they are the center of attention, they are happy. How many adults do you know that are like this?

Power is another goal of misbehavior. Power or influence over peers may be gained through intimidation, peer pressure, coercion or other negatively narcissistic methods serves to fulfill some individuals' needs for influence over others. These folks want to be leaders without putting in the hard work of establishing personal relationships or leading by example.

Revenge is the third goal of misbehavior. Someone may have done something to offend this person, so the response whether immediate or delayed is to start a rumor to discredit the offender or engage in physical or verbal altercation to prove who the boss is.

Avoidance of failure is the final goal of misbehavior. Many students haven't a clue what's going on during class and feel they need to mask their ignorance by acting out. As the old saying goes, "An empty bucket makes the most noise."

In My Opinion (IMO by KNH)...Reviewing my Samsung Note II

Got the Samsung Note II this past week and love it. My fingers are large so I'm loving the on-screen touch keyboard. Since I do a lot with graphics & photos, my fave specs are 1080p video res which is as good as a pro camera. How many megapixels the camera has is not as important, since other factors like type of zoom, etc are more important to photo quality. But then again this is not supposed to be a pro camera. The screen is large enough that I can clearly watch Netflix & Hulu TV shows & movies with my son in HD. Not everyone will be comfortable with a screen this large (5.5 in) but for me, it's like having a phone & mini-tablet, so I'm scratching plans for buying an iPad or Droid tablet. More specs below. 

Network

3G: HSPA+21Mbps(HSDPA 21Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps)4G LTE: 100Mbps / 50Mbps

Processor

1.6 GHz quad-core processor

OS

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Display

140.9 mm (5.5") HD Super AMOLED (1,280 x 720)

Dimension

80.5 x 151.1 x 9.4 mm, 182.5g

Battery

Standard battery, Li-ion 3,100mAh

Memory

16/32/64GB User memory + 2GB (RAM)microSD slot (up to 64GB)

S Pen Optimized Features

S Pen Experience- S Note, S Planner, Email with hand-writing integration- S Pen Keeper- Quick Command, Easy Clip, Photo Note, Paper Artist- Shape Match, Formula Match

1 Step tasking / Multitasking features

Air ViewPopup Note, Popup VideoPage Buddy / Tag Buddy / Word Buddy

Connectivity / Sharing Features

Bluetooth® v 4.0 (Apt-X Codec support) LEUSB 2.0 HostWiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi HT40Wi-Fi DirectNFCS BeamSamsung AllShare Play & ControlSamsung AllShare Cast (WiFi Display)- Mirroring & ExtentionSamsung AllShare Framework

Other

Samsung TouchWiz / Samsung L!ve PanelSamsung Kies /Samsung Kies AirSamsung ChatOn mobile communication serviceSmart Stay, Direct claa, Screen Recorder,Quick GlanceSamsung ChatOn mobile communication serviceSamsung S Suggest

Camera

Main (Rear) : 8 Megapixel Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, BSISub (Front) : 1.9 Megapixel VT Camera, BSIBest Photo, Best Face, Low light shot

Video

Codec: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, WMV7, WMV8, WMV9, VP8Format: 3GP(MP4), WMV(ASF), AVI, FLV, MKV, WebMFull HD(1080p) Playback & Recording

Audio

Codec: MP3, OGG, WMA, AAC, ACC+, eAAC+, AMR(NB,WB), MIDI, WAV, AC-3, FlacMusic Player with SoundAlive3.5mm Ear Jack

Content / Services

Samsung AppsSamsung Hub- Game Hub- Media Hub (US only)- Learning Hub / Music Hub / Video Hub※ The availability of each Samsung Hubs may differ by country

Sensor

Accelerometer, RGB Light, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer

GPS

A-GPSGlonass

Enterprise Solutions

On Device Encryption (H/W)Microsoft Exchange ActiveSyncVPN(F5, Cisco, Juniper)MDM(Sybase Afaria, MobileIron, SOTI, Airwatch)CCXVMware MVP*Some specifications may vary by country

Diversity...In My Opinion (IMO by KNH)

Definition of Diversity: "More and more organizations define diversity really broadly.. Really, it's any way any [person or] group of people can differ significantly from another group of people.” (Definition adapted from SHRM-Society of Human Resource Management). As we can see, “diversity” is an ever-evolving & ever changing word, and this definition allows us to be much broader in defining the concept of diversity than the traditional definition which focused only on factors like age, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, etc.

It makes sense to respect diversity because every single one of us is diverse. Even if you don’t think you’re different than anyone else you are because you’re the only YOU with YOUR unique combination of characteristics and personal attributes out of 6+ billion people on the planet. Example, I’m a 33-year-old, West Indian male with brown skin, 1st of 9 children, born in Haiti but now with American citizenship, speak Creole, Christian, father, teacher, professor, mentor, community organizer, political activist, charity/community service volunteer, musician, writer, blogger, public speaker, Hillsborough Community College and University of South Florida alum, MBA recipient, IT professional, PR practitioner, social media marketer, pro photographer, have helped start several companies as an entrepreneur, and wear many other hats as a diverse individual.

Note: I was inspired to write this piece this week as I put together a Business Communications test for my college students. There are quite a few misnomers and misconceptions about diversity. For example many Caucasian Americans think the term automatically means "Black people and other minorities". Truly in terms of the human race EVERYONE is diverse based on the definition I gave in the first paragraph. So let's start a conversation. What does diversity mean to YOU? How do you live and exemplify diversity? How do you show appreciation for and understanding of diversity on a daily basis? What are the stereotypes you've heard about diversity from those who don't understand what it means in education, government, and the workplace? The truth will set you free...

In My Opinion (IMO by KNH)...Cleanliness & What It Means to Men

Originally I was going to make this a Facebook status update, but honestly this topic deserves a permanent blog post. This weekend, I visited a female acquaintance' home for dinner. I went to wash my hands in the bathroom, and was frankly impressed by it's cleanness, especially the fixtures--toilet, sink, tub, etc. I congratulated her, and she expressed that this was normal due to her military training. I shared a couple things with her. a) Men look at different things when looking at a woman as possible "Wife Material". Cleanliness of a dwelling is pretty important.

If you invite us over and you have urine or other stains on the toilet, the sink is full of grease and soap scum, bathtub has a ring etc. you just X-ed yourself out of some of our lives. A man who has been around a minute knows that if you can't take the time to take care of little details, then you're not his future. It literally takes about 5 minutes each to clean your toilet,sink and bathtub, less if you keep them up at least a couple times weekly.

So you go to work, return home, don't have any children in the house (or you do, but they're of age to take care of themselves), and you can't find 5-15 mins to clean your fixtures for the sake of hygiene and keeping the germs down? But you can quote scenes from Basketball Wives, Hip Hop Wives of Atlanta, The Game, etc which you watch for hours on end once you get home, and hit all-night happy hour on Thursday and Friday. And don't tell me it takes too much time when you spend 1-4 hours in front of a mirror dolling up for events. I'm not saying your house has to be absolutely spic and span with absolutely no dust on the back of your TV, but if you can't keep a man who's willing to marry you, then it may be because we've noticed the small things, and we didn't tell you because we know you should know better by a certain age. If you can't take care of your house, how are you going to take care of our house and children? b) I told her that while military discipline is invaluable, I do know a good number of military vets among friends or family who are not necessarily the cleanest in their civilian life.

As I'm known to say, "If the shoe fits, wear it. If not, put it back in the box." In plainer English, if this post describes YOU, then do something about it. If it doesn't, then you're doing well, and no need to be mad. I was successful in getting a passionate discussion on this topic started on Facebook, and I would love to hear of any horror or success stories out there...

George Zimmerman Not Guilty: Jury Lets Trayvon Martin Killer Go

I can't say I'm angry (at the City of Sanford's law enforcement for having to be pressured to do the right thing)...or outraged (at how 6 mothers could let a child killer go) right now. But I can say I'm sad (for Trayvon, his family & unnecessary loss of his life) and disappointed (that "we make up 80% of those incarcerated for minor crimes, but when major crimes are committed against "us", justice is nowhere to be found). In society, adults are supposed to protect, look out for it's youth, to nurture, role model, and stand up for it's youth. After all we were once in their shoes. Yet, here is an adult who acted contrary to those norms, and he doesn't even get a slap on the wrist?! Now we're again told--as actions speak louder than words that racial profiling is STILL ok in 2013 and that if one of our own suffers...well tough luck. THAT should way heavy on anyone's soul. And if it doesn't, I feel sorry for you. #JusticeForTrayvon ww.thegreatblogofketo.blogspot.com
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

In My Opinion...Heads In the Sand OR The Supreme Court Believes Racism No Longer Exists!

As an American voter, I am outraged this week by the US Supreme Court's majority decision in Shelby v. Holder to strike down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act. Elections have consequences. Voting or not voting also have consequences! I cannot, however, say that I am surprised at the decision. There are good reasons why both Presidents Bush (George HW & George W) stacked the Supreme Court during their Presidencies with Supreme Court Justices (Souter and Thomas, then Roberts & Alito respectively) who when then time came would vote exactly the way they are expected to vote along ideological lines (see 2000 Presidential Election). It is no surprise that Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito & Justice John Roberts voted exactly as they were expected by those who put them in power.

I am most outraged that the majority deliberately chose to ignore the unjust and unfair voting laws passed just in the last 4 years in states like Florida, Texas, N.C. etc that were designed specifically to make voting more difficult and effectively disenfranchise African American, Hispanic, and minority voters in elections which have direct impact on Congress and the Presidency. 40 years of progress since 1966 does not equate to tearing down the voter protections which helped ensure fair elections for the past few decades regardless of race. The Republican party knows that there are far more registered strong Democrat voters nationwide and in states like Florida, so the only thing they can do to "level" the playing field is to prevent as many people from voting as possible. And THAT should make everyone angry regardless of your political bent. If there's one thing you can credit the DNC with, it's that volunteers on the ground in Organizing for America and Democrat leaning organizations in both Obama elections were trained to empower voters regardless of whether those voters indicated they would vote Republican or Democrat!

Photo of U.S. Supreme Court, Wash., D.C. courtesy www.huffingtonpost.com

I 100% disagree with the majority opinion that, "things have changed dramatically” in the South in the nearly 50 years since the Voting Rights Act was signed in 1965." The reality is much closer to the minority opinion stating "40 years has not been a sufficient amount of time to eliminate the vestiges of discrimination following nearly 100 years of disregard for the 15th Amendment."

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

• Read the ruling here, http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-96_6k47.pdf. 
• A good primer on the VRA was updated this week by The Washington Post athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/02/27/the-supreme-court-voting-rights-act-case-explained/. 
• Voting Rights Act Section 4 Struck Down By Supreme Courthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/voting-rights-act-supreme-court_n_3429810.html
• Gutting the Voting Rights Act: Freedom to Discriminate www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-w-hughey/gutting-the-voting-rights_b_3518756.html
• No, the Voting Rights Act Is Not Deadhttp://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/no-the-voting-rights-act-is-not-dead/277281/
• An Assault on the Voting Rights Act http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/opinion/an-assault-on-the-voting-rights-act.html?_r=0
• What Would A 2013 Voting Rights Act (Section 4) Look Like?http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/06/26/195907874/what-would-a-2013-voting-rights-act-section-4-look-like

In My Opinion (IMO by KNH)...Father's Day aka "No Ties & Socks"

So Father's Day is Sunday and unfortunately I've observed that many ladies really are not very good at picking gifts that the men in their lives will actually enjoy and appreciate (fathers, sons, husbands, boyfriends, etc). Now we men are expected to be creative, thoughtful & plan ahead when getting YOU gifts for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Anniversary, Birthday & Christmas. So..step up this year please on behalf of all good men everywhere. (And yes, I'm talking about the good Father's who deserve it, not the deadbeats who are nowhere around or the Dads who come home from work, head straight to the recliner/TV & don't interact to their children or have any idea what son/daughter did that day.)

DON'TS:

First things first. The DON'TS comprise a very short list. Don't buy us the cliche gifts of a random tie or a pair of socks, unless we are a man that has so much that we have specifically asked for this, OR we really do need diabetic socks, or we are going camping & we need military grade socks that will protect our feet from hypothermia. You get where I'm going. As for ties, they can be a very lazy "I can't think of anything else to buy you, but you're a man, so hope you like this pink & blue tie" gesture. Ladies think of how overjoyed you would be if we bought you a pair of nylons for your birthday. Now if you do buy a tie, make sure it is a silk tie with matching puff (handkerchief) that will match our favorite shirt/suit set. Silk ties are classy and last forever. Otherwise don't bother. Oh and you you can keep your $5 "#1 Dad" mug. Unless our child made it for us, it doesn't matter. We already have steins & mugs.

DO'S:

Now here are some sites you can peruse that will give you great ideas on what to buy for your man. Go to membership sites like NoMoreRack.com, Amazon.com, Living Social etc.

Jawbone Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, This is one of the coolest gadgets out right now & your man will love it! It's a wireless speaker that allows you to play music from your phone/computer/device in the kitchen, bathroom, on vacation, outside while barbequing etc & is like walking around with a virtual party!

Jawbone Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Shaving Supplies: We can never find enough razors for a decent price. Razor cartridges may easily run us $16-32 for 4-16, so if you ever find us a large supply of razors or one really great travel razor that is say, waterproof/won't rust, etc. that's a big deal since we shave every day. (Well...I don't, but your man probably does).

A Good Watch: A classic, but understated watch can be functional & eye-catching at the same time. The man can wear this to special events, interviews, and a good watch (as opposed to the $10 variety) is a sign of good taste & maturity. Professional male colleagues judge a man not by his phone but by his watch, so help your man out! Check out this cool watch by Invicta from NoMoreRack.com. Amazon.com also has a line of beautiful Invicta watches for about the same price.

Bluetooth headset: Who doesn't want one of these right?

Jim Beam Tailgating Stool: For the man who loves to grill while watching football with the family and the fellas.

Kindle Fire HD Tablet (or comparable Droid or iPad): Why yes, Dad would love to watch his favorite movies & read the Wall Street Journal on a wireless device, duh.

DEWALT DCD760KL 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Cordless Compact Lithium-Ion Drill/Driver Kit: So you nag your man to death to put up artwork, curtain rods, drill this, drill that? How's he gonna do that without a cordless drill which is pretty much the holy grail of do-it-yourselfers everywhere?

GIFT CARDS: Gift cards are one of the most underrated, but fantastic gifts you can give anyone! Let's say after all these awesome suggestions, you still don't have a clue...or have to work a nurses' shift this weekend! Pick a value of the gift you would have given HIM ($25/50/100 etc), and let the man take that VISA gift card to wherever he wants, and he will be able to pick EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTS for Father's Day...which is the point right? We only get one day a year. Let's make it memorable!!!

THAT ONE THING!: Every guy has one item that they like to collect, wear, keep, etc, and treasure anything of similar value. Find out what that one thing is by talking to his Mom or brother/best friend. For me, one of my items is a Fedora/Dressy Hat. I have a collection of very nice Fedoras & Kangols that I have bought or been gifted over the years, and it's nice to know that someone knows enough about my likes to get me one of these.

FINAL WORD: Now one obvious point is that Dad's Day is only 2 days away & you're not going to be able to order any of these items in time for them to arrive on Sunday, especially if next day delivery is unavailable or cost prohibitive. That's ok, you can still order the item, cook the Mr. his favorite meal or take him out to a fun dinner/lunch spot (Lee Roy Selmons, Red Lobster, Thai Palace, etc) and show him a picture of his gift that will arrive in a couple days. He'll be happy b/c he's eating, and he knows you didn't forget, the gift is just delayed. I'd be cool with knowing my flat screen TV is arriving tomorrow instead of today :) You could also use this list of items (which is not comprehensive by any means) and walk Mr. So-and-So into International Plaza-Tampa, University Mall, the Perry Ellis Outlet in Tampa, and let him select the gadgets/clothing/shoes that he wants.

List in progress... Also, ladies & gentlemen, feel free to add to the list by posting comments and/or links below.

Pope Benedict XVI To Resign On Feb. 28 Due To Health Concerns

If it is as the Pope says a matter of deteriorating health, then I 100% agree with his decision to resign. Unfortunately Catholic leadership (and often Protestant Bishops also) have a bad habit of hanging on to power literally until the deathbed even as their health precludes them from effectively serving while being forced to delegate even the smallest tasks to their assistants. I have seen this in my own church organization where Bishops over our millions of parishioners worldwide are elected/appointed for life and often won't give up power because of pride, money, prestige, influence, etc. www.thegreatblogofketo.blogspot.com
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Polls On Women In Combat Find Support For Policy Shift

I believe that women should be allowed in combat. Women have the right to vote, already serve admirably in the armed forces, have capably served as Secretary of State, and can do anything that men can do. In our lifetimes, we will have a woman President. That said, I would not sign for my daughter to enter the military. Then again, I wouldn't sign for my son to enter either. While I have family members who have fought in Africa & Italy in WWII and others who fought in the Korean War, and other family members who current serve in the US Navy, I'm aware that Wars tend to be started and supported by members of the military-industrial complex who disproportionately send children of the poor and middle class to fight wars which benefit them financially. www.TheGreatBlogofKeto.blogspot.com
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

In My Opinion (IMO by KNH)...Lance Armstrong is a Dope Head, You Say (He Say)?

So, Lance Armstrong has admitted on Oprah that he participated in a culture of doping during his hey day as king of the sport of competitive biking. Honestly, who freakin' cares? I barely batted an eye when Charlie Sheen was doping. It's bike riding, not rocket science. Now if NASA astronauts or "that guy" with his finger on the proverbial nuclear button for the US was doping, or my son's daycare providers were hittin' the powder, now THAT would be of paramount concern.

© Getty Images, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57564617/lance-armstrong-admits-to-doping/

Frankly, I'm more concerned over things like the NRA willfully targeting the Obama children in retaliation for him proposing anti-gun violence measures, a political and social no-no & a cowardly move.

I'm concerned about the CEO of Papa John's earning 1,000 times more than his employees who make $7/hour but being outraged by Obamacare & threatening to deny them health benefits that would literally cost 17 cents per pizza!

I'm concerned that millionaire Congressmen who themselves enjoy lifetime health benefits at the expense of the government would choose to deny equal, affordable healthcare to 30M Americans.

I'm concerned that when we invaded Afghanistan it was one of the top 5 producers of poppy in the world & is now firmly #1 in heroin production.

I'm concerned that the Pharmaceutical industry has enslaved YOUR children and guaranteed itself unlimited future profitability by creating a psych drug strong enough for adults, Ritalin and THEN created the diagnosis for a made-up disease ADHD, which they then force upon YOU not a cure (because you can't "cure" not being able to pay attention) but a medicine that "manages" the symptoms...again, Ritalin with the help of public school districts and school psychologists licensed by the American Psychological Association!

I'm concerned that these United States of America incarcerates more of it's citizens in numbers and as a percentage than ANY other country in the 1st or 3rd world. I'm further concerned that with 80% of such population Black males, the prison system starting immediately after Civil Reconstruction has become The New Slavery.

I'm concerned that the State of Florida has elected a criminal into it's highest office who created and presided over a healthcare company that received the biggest fine ($1B) in American history by the federal government for defrauding the government in it's Medicaid billing practices for services provided to senior citizens.

Mostly I'm concerned that I can't find a brown hat that is the perfect shade to match any of my khaki pants.

Anything less than these issues is simply irrelevant to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Lance-Strong. I just don't care.