Today Is: Saturday, July 30, 2011

"Monitor and restrict the use of television. It is not a baby-sitter and should not play a critical role in the lives of children or adults." -Anthony Browder

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Currently Reading...

"My Life, As I See It" By: Dionne Warrick

Today Is: Friday, July 29, 2011

"Learn to bring out the best with yourself so that you will be capable of bringing out the best in others. Value your history and culture, and keep your focus on education instead of entertainment." -Anthony Browder

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Thursday, July 28, 2011

"We must understand that every thought, every word, and every action that emanates from us will have an effect on the next seven generations- 150 years into the future. Thoughts and words are more than a mere process of communication; they have the ability to manipulate consciousness and influence future events. What you say and do frames the consciousness of your children and directs them to use those same thoughts and ideas to frame the consciousness of their children." -Anthony Browder

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Just Because...

...This is my new favorite song. "Oh Me Oh My." Aretha Franklin is "The Voice!" Here's a live version of "Oh Me Oh My," even though I love the studio version just as much.

Today Is: Wednesday, July 27, 2011

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -Martin Luther King Jr.

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman." -Maya Angelou

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Music, Sports, Melanin & Overall Excellence

“This relationship between melanin and musicians recalled to mind an experience I had at Howard University twenty-five years ago. In the summer of 1971, I enrolled in a class entitled “The History of Jazz,” which was taught by Donald Byrd, the jazz trumpeter. Occasionally Mr. Byrd would invite other musicians to give the lecture. One evening, jazz guitarist George Benson met with our group and discussed his experiences in the music industry. He shared a story with the class which explained the concept of the blue note.

Most jazz aficionados are familiar with Blue Note Records, one of the most popular recording labels. R&B fans associate the word with the Philadelphia-based singing group, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Blue Note was a term popularized by African American musicians, but most people outside their circle were unfamiliar with its meaning.

Benson told the story of a discussion which took place between several African American jazz musicians during a gig in France. One of the musicians said he was approached by an aspiring French musician after the completion of a set. The Frenchman confided to the brother that he had listened to his performance over several evenings and took copious notes of the music that he heard.

The Frenchman stated that when he returned home to play the music he had jotted down on pieces of paper, the music sounded strangely different. The jazz musician let out a hardy laugh and told the Frenchman, ‘the problem, my brother, is that you can’t hear the blue note.’ Benson went on to explain that during the 1930s and 1940s, African American jazz musicians referred to the blue note as a range of musical notes that only African people were capable of hearing and feeling.

The various forms of musical expressions created by Africans in America (Spirituals, Blues, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Rock ‘n Roll, Rap, and Hip Hop) have sustained the recording industry. The music of African Americans has given America a sense of soul music and dance that has influenced musical traditions throughout the world. This represents just one aspect of how melanin systems function in the bodies of African people.

Similar achievements have been made by African American football, baseball, and basketball players. The very nature of professional sports was transformed when teams became integrated in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Historically, African Americans were excluded from sports because of the racist, white supremacist feelings exhibited by team owners, players, and fans alike. Jackie Robinson transformed the soul of baseball and opened the door for the giants who followed. Muhammad Ali brought a flair to boxing which had not existed since the days of Jack Johnson. His talent and outspokenness made him the most recognized human being on earth. Throughout the entire history of the game of basketball, there has never been a player like Michael Jordan.

The historical record will show that African American athletes have added an element of excitement to their games which has revolutionized professional athletics throughout the world. However, one should not think that exceptional performances by Africans is limited to the stage and the sports arena. When given an opportunity to compete on a level-playing field, Africans generally excel. In light of this fact, one has to be truthful and admit that there is something unique about African people. Melanin can help explain that uniqueness.” -From, “Survival Strategies for Africans In America” By: Anthony T. Browder

Today Is: Monday, July 25, 2011

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." -Albert Einstein

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Sunday, July 24, 2011

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser men so full of doubts." -Bertrand Russell

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Saturday, July 23, 2011

"The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing." -Oscar Wilde

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Gap Band's Name Honors Black Wall Street

“In the early 1900s, the African American business district in Tulsa, Oklahoma was deemed the most prosperous in all America and was commonly referred to as ‘Black Wall Street.’ The many banks, theaters, doctor’s offices, and other African American owned business were a source of pride for African Americans in the community and throughout the nation.

The economic stability of ‘Black Wall Street’ was shattered in May 1921 during one of the worst pogroms in American history when Tulsa became the first city ever ti be bombed from the air. Irving Wallace described the wreckage of the black community in an article on March 13, 1993:

‘Whites invaded the black district, burning, looting and killing. To break up the riot, the police commandeered private planes and dropped dynamite. The police arrested more than 4,000 blacks and interned them in three camps. All blacks were forced to carry green ID cards. And when Tulsa was zoned for a new railroad station, the tracks were routed through the black business district, thus destroying it.’

There are numerous articles and publications that discuss this sad chapter of American history and they are well worth reading. The GAP Band, a R & B musical group that hails from Tulsa, has kept the memory of this tragic event live. The letters G, A, and P are the initials of the streets of Greenwood, Archer, and Pine that were in the heart of the black business district destroyed during the ‘Tulsa Race Riot.’” -From, “Survival Strategies For Africans In America” By: Anthony Browder

Today Is: Friday, July 22, 2011

"Achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success." -Helen Hayes

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Tuesday, July 19, 2011

"A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others." -Ayn Rand

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Monday, July 18, 2011

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -E.E. Cummings

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Saturday, July 16, 2011

"In reality, television, film, and radio are powerful electronic forces that saturate the mind and body with sights and sounds that influence psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It, therefore, becomes extremely important that we balance our viewing and listening habits with sounds, words, and images with soothe our souls and add to our collective worth." -Anthony Browder

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Friday, July 15, 2011

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -Walt Disney

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today is: Thursday, July 14, 2011

"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." -Ronald Dahl

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Wednesday, July 13, 2011

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is." -Yogi Berra

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Tuesday, July 12, 2011

People who claim God, need to show and prove and align themselves with Godly things.

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Currently Reading...

"Survival Strategies For Africans In America" By: Anthony T. Browder

Today Is: Monday, July 11, 2011

"Do stuff. Be clenched, curious; not waiting for inspiration's shove or society's kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It's all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager." -Susan Sontag

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Sunday, July 10, 2011

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." -Mahatma Gandhi [SIDEBAR: Remember this quote when you feel the temptation to skip over the "small things" like they don't matter.]

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Friday, July 8, 2011

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts." -Albert Einstein

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Starface

Today Is: Thursday, July 7, 2011

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." -Winston S. Churchill

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Tuesday, July 5, 2011

"If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were?" -Jodi Picoult

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Monday, July 4, 2011

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." -C.S. Lewis

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Today Is: Saturday, July 2, 2011

"The sense of humor is the oil of life's engine. Without it, the machinery creaks and groans. No lot is so hard, no aspect of things is so grim, but it relaxes before a hearty laugh." -George Merriam

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Lots of Love,

Starface

Fly Quotes: Thom Bell

“If they gave me ten million dollars, I wouldn’t be working for them. All the money in the world was not going to make me happy. What made me happy was producing records. You canot be in a creative business and be doing what you don’t like to do. That’s the kind of stuff that drives you crazy.”

Today Is: Friday, July 1, 2011

"Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others." -Martin Luther King Jr.

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Lots of Love,

Starface