The Fundamental Basic's Apply - From The Urban Dad To The Urban Son

 10 Eternal Truths of the Gentlemanly Life

1. A gentleman says "please" and "thank you," readily and often.

2. A gentleman does not disparage the beliefs of others -- whether they relate to matters of faith, politics, or sports teams.

3. A gentleman always carries a handkerchief, and is ready to lend it, especially to a weeping lady, should the need arise.

4. A gentleman never allows a door to slam in the face of another person -- male or female, young or old, absolute stranger or longtime best friend.

5. A gentleman does not make jokes about race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation; neither does he find such jokes amusing.

6. A gentleman knows how to stand in line and how to wait his turn.

7. A gentleman is always ready to offer a hearty handshake.

8. A gentleman keeps his leather shoes polished and his fingernails clean.

9. A gentleman admits when he is wrong.

10. A gentleman does not pick a fight.

Today would have been Bob Marley's 69th birthday!

Happy Birthday to a great man, Mr. Nesta Robert Marley. Your legacy will live forever. The Legend!!!

"If she's amazing, she won't be easy. If she's easy, she won't be amazing. If she's worth it, you won't give-up. If you give up, you're not worthy. Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." 
- Bob Marley

American Rhetoric - Ace of Diamonds

American Rhetoric - Ace of Diamonds

Below is a small excerpt from a speech by, Russell Conwell's speech 'Ace of Diamonds', I recently heard that resonated with me. I wish more young urban father's would take these word into account when planning their future for their families. 

My friend... introduce me to the people who own their homes around this great city, those beautiful homes with gardens and flowers, those magnificent homes so lovely in their art, and I will introduce you to the very best people in character as well as in enterprise in our city, and you know I will. A man is not really a true man until he owns his own home, and they that own their homes are made more honorable and honest and pure, true and economical and careful, by owning the home.

Listen to the Audio: 

To read more of the speech click here: 

Brooklyn Expression

My cousin, Kamau Bobb posted this article on his blog from the New York Times that suggests that poor black children in Brooklyn face a 32 million word deficit by the time they are 4 years old. We have to do better as a community.

Brooklyn Expression

A recent article in the New York Times, Before a Test, A Poverty of Words, suggested that poor black children in Brooklyn face a 32 million word deficit by the time they are 4 years old.  They have been exposed to, heard, used, read, expressed, 32 million words less than their more middle class counterparts in their first 1,500 days.  That is a deficit of nearly 20,000 words per day.  What does that mean, to have thousands of young people who can't express themselves?

The article went on to offer grim statistics for black students and their academic futures. At Stuyvesant High School, the premier public high school in New York City, only 19 black students were admitted into the freshman class of 967 students this fall.  In New York City, where there are approximately 3.5 million black people, only nineteen black fourteen year olds qualified to get into the city's top school.  The implications of that are staggering. Unfortunately, it is not surprising. Also in New York, only 28 percent of black boys even graduate from high school.  That is not to mention that only 10 percent of all black boys in the entire city are proficient in mathematics in the 8th grade.  I would venture a guess that of the 19 black freshmen admitted to Stuy, twelve or more are female.

But what of these young people's inability to express themselves?  Language is our partner for living.  It is the vehicle by which we give life to our interpretations of the world.  The words we use and the manner in which we use them is an essential part of our identities as individuals. For young people not to have access to the words of their native language is an imprisonment. They are forced to experience life without a critical partner that is a portal to meaning and nuance. Language is necessary for them to be able to build friendships and deep relationships - to ask the questions they really want answers to in class. In the school space, students' inability to express their sense of isolation, their frustration with their circumstances, the humiliation of not being able to fully comprehend the words in transit about them, is an abuse.

The focus of national education has turned to STEM fields - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.  The country, as most states, has determined that without STEM education, the future of the United States as we know it is doomed.  Perhaps, but if we don't arm these children in Brooklyn and elsewhere with language, the meaning of the United States will be lost anyway.  No one will be able to express it.

kamau

To read more post from Kamau Bobb, click here

CAN'T WAIT TO HUG MY SON WHEN I GET HOME.

 Can't wait to hug my son when I get home. 

 

Parents, 

HUG your kids extra tight today!!!! 

Pray for the parents in CT. 

May God be with you!

THE INDUSTRY SERIES by Felicia Khong

THE INDUSTRY SERIES from Felicia Khong on Vimeo.

My good friend, Felicia Khong shot a dope series for a project she created. 

She called up a couple friends, threw on some music, grabbed the Canon and took pictures all day. 

Here is the result.

Featuring:
Kenneth Soundz Coby - The Producer
Luke James - The Singer
Rexsell Hardy Jr.- The Drummer
Andrew Scott - The Pianist
Michael Moss - The Actor
Daniel Farris - The Songwriter
Texacal - The Rapper
Devine Evans - The Engineer
Brandon Winfield - The Screenwriter
Zae Northy - The Dancer
Calvin & Alvin Brownlee - The Choreographers
Damu Bobb - The TV Producer
Taj Milton - The Promoter
Von Jackson - The Designer
Make-up Artist: Damaris Santana
B-Roll Photographer: Carolyn Lluberes
Special thanks to Devine & Ru!!
For more photography check out: feliciart.com/photography

Chemical linked to obesity in white kids only?

By Damu Bobb

updated 7:56 PM EDT, Mon October 01, 2012

NEED TO KNOW

• BPA used to strengthen plastic toys or containers, shield aluminum cans from corrosion
• BPA and obesity more prevalent in white children than in black or Hispanic participants

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/10/01/chemical-agent-linked-obesity-white-children-study-says

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has linked the chemical agent bisphenol A (BPA) to obesity in white children and adolescents.

BPA is commonly used  to strengthen plastic toys or containers, and shield aluminum cans from corrosion.

According to Modern Medicine, investigators analyzed 2,838 children aged 6 through 19 over the course of five years  (2003 -2008).  Thirty-four percent of the children were overweight, while 18% were obese.  Researchers measured anything from the children's physical activity to economic backgrounds.
The Los Angeles Times reported that researchers found the link for African-Americans and Latinos was so small, it could have been a chance occurrence. But for young Caucasians, the association was stronger. African Americans had some of the highest levels of BPA, yet, there was still an absence of an association between BPA exposure and obesity. Latinos showed some of the lowest BPA-exposure readings.

Dr. Leonardo Trasande called the ethnic differences "striking," the Times noted.

"We know of no behavior in obese white children" that would make them more prone to weight gain when exposed to BPA than children of other ethnicities," Trasande said.

So what could be the potential link? Researchers at NYU, the Times notes, ponder whether dietary choices may explain the differences in the ethnic groups' response to the chemical …... or maybe exposure to BPA as an infant may have more of an effect than exposure later in childhood.

Public health officials' concern has grown in recent years, the Times reports,  as more evidence supports the notion that BPA can disrupt hormones and accumulate in the body's fat stores.