A Lil Bit of Change

We're Still Here

2011-01-16T18:34:00.003-05:00

We're still championing change and collecting empirical data while educating communities about their civic responsibilities. We've been on other channels and we will return to this station soon to provide "a lil paint where there ain't" about the conversations that will shape the future of our country.

We Have A Country

2009-01-14T10:53:00.004-05:00

"What we now want is a country—a free country—a country not saddened by the footprints of a single slave... WE want a country, and are fighting for a country, where social intercourse and commercial relations shall neither be embarrassed nor embittered by the imperious exactions of an insolent [greedy] oligarchy."

- Federick Douglass, New York Tribune, January 14, 1864

Our pursuit to create "a lil bit of change” is based upon the belief that the real metamorphosis of a community begins at the core of the people making changes in their lives. Change has always been here and now we're coming of age to embody and conduct it.

Change Agents of the Year

2009-01-13T13:50:00.016-05:00

In the words of one of generation's most notable quotables "Change clothes and go". And that is exactly what brother and sister Lorielle and Brandon Broussard did this year. Featured on the January cover of Black Enterprise, these entrepreneurial siblings are the creators and owners of the clothing campaign "Barack the Vote". "Oh, I have seen that," you say. Well, of course you have. Worn by both young and old and every age in between, Barack the Vote tee shirts and hoodies were the most recognizable support along the campaign trail this year. By creating these walking billboards, the Broussards were able to influence the election results while collecting "a lil bit of change" for themselves.

Recently, we sat down with Lorielle to get some insight on how she became our Change Agent of the Year.

If you were to describe your craft to a room full of people who knew nothing about you, what would you tell them?
I'm a fashion designer. If they need a little more than that, my brother and I started the company that made the Barack the Vote paraphernalia (T's and hoodies) during the 2008 presidential election.

Why did you decide upon this medium as your form of expression?
It was almost a no brainer for me to decide upon this medium to express ourselves. I've always been in the fashion/entertainment industry since I was in college. We (my brother and I) just thought the more that Barack Obama's name is seen and heard then people will ask questions and want to know who he was and what he was about...what is his stance on the major issues in today's society. So, we figured that with our t-shirts that people would be walking billboards for our next President of the United States.

What is Change and are people ready for it to affect them directly?
Something that I always say is that the only thing that is constant is Change. Change is what we need in the country right now and that is Barack Obama, it's young people really caring about what's happening in the world today, and it's what we're doing right now, changing the way people in America think about politics, race relations, everything. People are definitely ready for it to affect them directly, I know I am. Matter of fact, it already has affected me.

What has been the best response to your brand of Change so far?
The best response to our brand of change has been being recognized by my peers, parents, strangers, and President-Elect Barack Obama that we really did make a difference in this election and in history. That is the best reward, after Barack Obama being elected President, that we could have received.

What is the title of the book about your life?
Qreative Jeanius

Where can people interested in you find your work find you and how can they support you?
Anyone that is interested in my work can check it out at www.barackthevote.com
Support us by buying some gear, support the cause!!!

Coming soon www.YOTOWN.com

Why does everybody need A Lil Bit of Change?
Everybody needs a lil bit of change because it's healthy and it's the only thing that is constant!!!

Soapbox Sunday: Obama Mis-Steps or Congress Out-Of-Step

2009-01-11T13:47:00.002-05:00

Our good friend Barely Partisan decided to help us start the new year with a bang. As usual, his insight from atop the Hill provides us with a lil bit of perspective on what's being talked about in the cloakrooms at the Capitol. We now yield the floor to the distinguished gentleman from the Beltway.

The United States is engaged in two wars, the Middle East is embroiled in a conflict that is as traditional as it is alarming, and our economy is not getting any better soon. However, our news media this week dedicated a disproportionate amount of time to concocting a story: President-elect Obama's 2009 mis-steps. The real spotlight should have been on Congress.

While it is true that the working conditions of the Obama team have changed, they have adapted rather well to Washington so far. With a hefty dose of hubris, which is forgivable given the margin of victory, they have crafted a star studded cabinet. In the last few days, we have seen the media turn too much attention towards embellishing the few perceived mis-steps the Obamians have made. Let's take a look, because it is not the Obamians who are at fault.

First, Barack Obama won with a larger margin than President Clinton... ever did. It was an Electoral College landslide that showed his coattails in every state besides Tennessee, yet he still wants Republican support for his economic stimulus. Trust me, he does not need it, and Republicans are frankly flattered he is still offering tax cuts. He spent the last two months calling them individually and wooing them; now he is going to ask for their votes and ideas. While that sounds like a campaign promise fulfilled, we see now that Democrats miss his attention. They want the Obama stimulus to be theirs, and now they want to amend it, tinker with the tax cut, and frankly slow down the process. Bottom-line: he ran, he won, and now they need to get in line. Sure Congress is a co-equal branch of government, but that is only really true when the President and the Congress are from different parties. It is likely that congressional Democrats will cause the President-elect more heartburn than will the loyal opposition as we get started. That's not his mis-step, that's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi losing a grip on her gavel and Sen. Reid just being himself.

Next, if there was a story, it was the withdrawal of Governor Richardson from Secretary of Commerce contention because of a grand jury investigation. Sure, he should have known we would all find out about this earlier, but neither was he was not forthcoming nor did the Obamians do their homework. So, he pulled his nomination, turning a molehill into a mountain. However, I am almost glad he did. He was overqualified to head the Commerce Department anyway. If he was the "one" all Latinos wanted to have a hefty role in the new Administration, they should all be clamoring. (How can you tell if a government post is important? Name people that had the job before. How many secretaries of commerce can you name? Slim pickings after Ron Brown, right? Maybe that post isn't so important, right? OK.) However, instead of more attention given to the governor, he became a cog in the perceived Obama unwinding wheel this week. This time, the media just chasing the wrong story.

Last but not least, Obamians want Leon Penetta to head the CIA. Good for them; when you win an election, you get to decide who works for you. The Senate gets to advise and consent. However, incoming Select Intelligence Committee chairwoman Diane Feinstein made a media event of the fact that she was not consulted. Fine. Even if no one called her, does she want to tell the media that? Why didn't she just call the Obamians to express her outrage? Attention. It wasn't that the former congressman and Clinton White House chief of staff isn't qualified. So, instead of waiting on her turn to give consent at the confirmation hearings, she takes her case to the media. Embarassing the man whom will become her president and painting a bleaker picture of herself, Sen. Feinstein added to the media frenzy that the President-elect is stumbling at the start.

There are lots of legitimate stories that the media could focus on in this process, but it just seems like they are hell-bent on reaching for stories that are shallow. The Obamians are going to get their economic plan because he has the mandate, and congressional Dems would be stupid to allow the Republicans to deliver the President-elect the votes while they struggle to handle the change they asked for. Richardson will probably be indicted sometime in the distant future, but that is not the story. The story was that Labor and Commerce was all a loyal constituency received for delivering the election. If Latino voters ever wake up to realize that, then the Obama electoral victory map will become a dinosaur. The problems with the Penetta appointment are contrived, and in the future Sen. Feinstein should use the phone not a press release. The real attention should be paid to the unfair grilling that Attorney General designate Eric Holder will receive next week. So, while there are stories out there, to say that the President-elect is fumbling early is not one. To say that congressional Democrats are victims of their own success (that they received only as Obama carried them) is really the way of looking at it. In the long run, they will only hurt themselves: no one can hurt a Democrat like a Democrat.

Don't Change the Channel: The Year in Review

2009-01-03T07:54:00.004-05:00

We are multimedia historians, documenting and sharing change as it happens with the world at large. We were there ... and so were you. From the announcement of Barack Obama's candidacy in Springfield, IL our agents were on the ground and we were only a click away from experiencing that moment through their eyes to spearheading fundraising initiatives in New York City for the Quarterly Reporting Deadline, which reached across the country to our peers working in Los Angeles or studying in Tennessee. ALBC stitched a quilt of all the memories of people involved in various facets of the Presidential Election on both the micro and macro levels by facilitating conversations and preserving emotions in photographs, videos, and personal essays. We are collecting the artifacts of our generation, a generation that will never forget the events of 2008, The Generation of Change. ALBC knows that the election of Barack Obama is not the culmination of Change, but it is the beginning, and we are the stewards who will ensure the preservation of the legacy this Change has provided.

The Possible Dream from George Twopointoh on Vimeo.

Change The Way We Converse

2008-12-23T10:30:00.017-05:00

...and we ain't talking bout the Chuck Taylors on your feet. Last night, James Andrew (BKA "The Key Influencer") and Hill Harper hosted a web chat on Harper's social media network forrealsolutions.com. What was unique about this conversation was the interactivity of the chat as participants phoned in, typed in the chat rooms, and sent updates via twitter - all in the name of social change. A single mother from Atlanta phoned in with her concerns about having men around her young daughter. Hill Harper responded to the caller's concerns by telling her that "...not every man is a predator to your daughter. If you sequester her away from men, the only relationship she knows with men will be sexual and that is dangerous." Meanwhile, people in the chat room shared links and programs for her to look into, including the blogger from whataboutourdaughters.com

One of my mentors, Dr. Walter E. Fluker, talked frequently about what Howard Thurman termed the "Beloved Community," often prompting discussions about the condition of the modern "Black Community" and the way it has changed post integration? I believe I stumbled upon a glimpse of what our community will look like in the future. We are a community of concerned individuals, of all races, who refuse to see any of its members suffer a social, economic, educational or political death.

IndieBusiness: Question: So is owning a business a civil right issue? If blacks are hardest hit by economic downturns, isn't business ownership essential as opposed to just a good option? I think so. Others?

Wealth_Builder: @IndieBusiness..business ownership is going to be essential for blacks, as in my opinion, we are experiencing the disappearance of the middle class.

The conversation spanned the spectrum from economics to entertainment, but two words were consistently tossed around: "Grassroots" and "Social Media". There is no doubt that the marriage of technology with the grassroots and social media movements will result in a formidable change for all. Be a part of the conversation and help facilitate the change.

For more information, check out these links:

Hill Harper makes history using social media..." by Wayne Sutton on SocialWayne.com
Join the conversation at http://www.forrealsolutions.com/
Find out more about the host and Key Influencer, James Andrews at his blog, www.thekeyinfluencer.com/channel/

Swagger Like O

2008-12-19T08:51:00.006-05:00

Nobody on the corner got swagger like Obama (PERIOD). It was even evident in a series of college photos recently published by TIME magazine. Young men, step your game up - we are in the sunrise of a new era. If you thought your throwback and fitted cap was gonna take you into the realm of Manhood, you may want to rethink that. Even Jay Z and Kanye West are attempting to redefine the mold of 'Swaggerdom' in recent months, complete with the nappy fro, but what Obama has in common with our pop icons is something internal so it doesn't matter how you dress it up or down, true character shines through.

Some people confuse talent, whether it be of the artistic, political, business, or intellectual acumen as character. Character is something much stronger than talent and swagger combined. Many American Presidents have spoken of the value of character. Woodrow Wilson once said:

"If you will think about what you ought to do for other people, your character will take care of itself. Character is a by-product, and any man who devotes himself to its cultivation in his own case will become a selfish prig."

Ralph Waldo Emerson offered this insightful gem (maybe at Walden Pond while he was mentoring Henry David Thoreau):

"The true test of civilization is not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops - no, but the kind of man the country turns out."

So even in this period of economic peril, America has the ability to churn out something that will last longer than any industry bail-out or political term. We are presented with another unique opportunity in history, much like the 60s with icons like Kennedy and King, where we can create a generation of men and women whose character will be strong enough to stand the test of time and that will become our nation's greatest resource.

Should the CBC Change Colors?

2008-12-16T09:24:00.011-05:00

"...there has been an unofficial Congressional White Caucus for over 200 years, and now it's our turn to say who can join 'the club.' ...we are concerned with the needs and concerns of the black population, and we will not allow white America to infringe on those objectives."
-Rep. William Clay, Jr. (D-MO) January 2007

The above quote was Rep. Clay's response to White Rep. Steve Cohen's (D-TN) attempt to join the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Almost two years later, a Republican Vietnamese-American, Joesph Cao defeated incumbent William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson by 3% to be elected as the US rep. for Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District - a district that is mainly comprised of Black constituents. Leutisha Stills of Jack and Jill Politics posed the question: Should non-Black representatives who represent African-American constituents " join or engage in the caucus that would educate them about the needs of their district and allow them to effectively represent their district?"

ALBC poses the following as our response: Is the CBC's purpose to be a coalition for general black issues or are they a coalition focused on issues inherent to black constituents?

The Congressional Black Caucus's Mission Statement reads as follows, "Our mission is to advance the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public." If the mission statement is taken at face value, the answer to our question would be that the CBC is a coalition for general black issues. With this understanding, our stance would be no, the CBC should not be integrated.

However, when a closer look is taken at the means by which the CBC says it will achieve it's mission, which includes: "Facilitating the exchange of ideas and information to address critical issues affecting [Black] communities," then the CBC is operating as a coalition focused on issues inherent to Black constituents. The issues that Black communities face do not change based upon the race of the elected officials serving those communities and it could possibly be a disservice to such communities if their representatives are not educated on the issues from the "inside" of the CBC.

Perhaps, as Kweisi Mfume, National President of the NAACP suggested in a Baltimore Sun article published today, the ways by which the CBC will achieve it's mission will change under the Obama presidency because "...the CBC [is] now faced with the welcome prospect of a White House that's less of an adversary and more of a partner,"and the inclusion of non-Blacks in the CBC will not thwart the mission of the caucus.

In practice, to add non-Blacks contradicts the mission as CBC members have upheld it in the past and it potentially dilutes the potency of the coalition as a voting block in congress; this is because if Cao is granted membership as a Vietnamese rep from Louisiana, not only is he a Republican but he also has a lot of Vietnamese constituents whom may not be affected in the same way by legislation/law as Blacks, making him more prone than any other member of the CBC to not vote with the group. The legitimacy of the CBC is that they consistently stick together on major issues with close votes.

Barack and the Bar

2008-12-15T08:25:00.006-05:00

How about starting your Monday off with some good news. Here's a nice find from past Change Agent Jovian Zayne

Pt. 128 of why I love this President. He gives me Youtubes, email's me, and by sheer viritue of his election, dictates the need for emergency legislation that will allow any District establishment with a liquor license, including resturants and nightclubs, to serve drinks until 5 a.m. and serve food 24 hours from January 17th until the morning after the historic swearing-in on the 20th.

Man, I really can't wait until he legalizes teleportation.
-Jovian Zayne

District Raises a Glass to History
Council Lengthens Bar Hours During Inaugural Period

By David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 3, 2008; Page B01

In the mood to celebrate President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration at a D.C. bar? For four days in January, they'll be open 24 hours a day. Under emergency legislation approved by the D.C. Council yesterday, any District establishment with a liquor license, including restaurants and nightclubs, will be allowed to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. -- three hours later than usual -- and serve food round-the-clock from Jan. 17 until the morning after Obama's swearing-in on Jan. 20.

The bill, an idea of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, was introduced by council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who represents the nightlife-heavy neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant.

The council approved the bill, 9 to 4, with Graham voting against it after the measure, which originally excluded nightclubs at Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's request, was revised on the dais to include them. Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) also voted against the bill.

With large crowds expected to come to Washington for the inauguration, the city must be able to meet their entertainment demands, Graham had said while introducing the measure. But Mendelson, chairman of the council's Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, countered, warning of increased crime, violence and drunken driving.

"I know a lot of people are excited about the inauguration, and I share that excitement," Mendelson said. "But there are very few people I know of out partying at 5 in the morning or 4 in the morning who aren't getting drunk. I think there are going to be consequences to that from a public safety and public order point of view. It's not a good policy to be supporting."

In an ordinary week, bars and nightclubs can serve alcohol until 2 a.m. weekdays and until 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The only day the city regularly extends drinking hours is Jan. 1, when bars can serve alcohol until 4 a.m.

The legislation quickly drew the ire of civic leaders, who complained that the council did not seek public input.

"I see the potential for why you'd want to do it, in terms of this being a historic election, but to just throw this down on neighborhoods?" said Bryan Weaver, head of the Adams Morgan advisory neighborhood commission. "To have 3 1/2 days of 24-hour service without any input from the community -- there's going to be hell to pay from a lot of neighborhood associations."

But Andrew J. Kline, general counsel for the restaurant association, said Obama's inauguration is a once-in-a-lifetime event worthy of special rules. He said spontaneous celebrations broke out on city streets until the early morning after Obama won the general election Nov. 4.

Kline said it was important for the council to pass the legislation quickly because bars and restaurants are booking private parties for the week.

"It makes sense to have places for people to go when they're in a celebratory mood," Kline said. "It's just a few days. All of us are going to be somewhat inconvenienced, but that's outweighed by a wonderful historic event."

The move is not without precedent in other cities. During the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., this summer, eight bars and restaurants were allowed to remain open two extra hours, until 4 a.m.

Whether the D.C. law will require other agencies to alter their plans remains uncertain. Metro said it would extend service hours on Inauguration Day, from 4 a.m. Jan 20 to 2 a.m. Jan. 21. Otherwise, the transit authority will run regular service, closing at midnight weekdays and 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Graham, a member of the Metro board, said the agency is working on a plan to further extend hours of service.

Soapbox Sunday: Keep your feet on the floor!!!

2008-12-14T18:55:00.007-05:00

A shoe, seriously, a shoe? Nah, that's not cool at all. And he missed...twice. When I was a kid and I used to rough house with my friends, my mom would always say, "keep your feet to yourself." Punch, tussle, whatever just don't kick or spit. This makes "That One" seem like a compliment.

I'll refrain from saying how I think he should be punished, which should indicate how severely barbaric I believe it should be. Love him or hate him, President Bush is still the President of OUR United States. Effectively, he threw his shoe at US(A) by aiming at the President. Pardon our French, but ALBC is pissed!

Changing Careers: Mayor-elect Kevin Johnson

2008-12-10T00:15:00.005-05:00

While President Elect Barack Obama was making history as the first African-American to be elected POTUS, retired NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson, former point guard for the Phoenix Suns, became the first Black elected mayor of Sacramento, California. This almost went under our radar and we wanted to spare you the draw dropping expression at your company's holiday party next week.

A political science graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, mayor-elect Johnson isn't the first former professional athlete to go political. You may recall US Congressman J.C. Watts, two time Orange Bowl MVP, being drafted as quarterback by the New York Jets or Hall of Famer Bill Bradley slapping boards in the NBA for the Knicks before becoming a US Senator. How about former professional wrestler, Jesse "The Body" Ventura threw his hat into another ring and became Governor of Minnesota. (Okay, you're correct. That was a stretch, but he was a professional "athlete," right?)

We at ALBC would like to congratulate Mayor Elect Johnson for his major change and his choice. He changed careers and chose the people of Sacramento. Mr. Mayor, it appears they chose you as well. Congratulations!!And here is the rest of it.

When Change Goes Wrong

2008-12-09T16:31:00.011-05:00

Here's what happens when absolute power corrupts...absolutely. Seriously, you would think Governor Blagojevich would've known better since his predecessor is currently serving time. According to Politico.com, when the federal prosecutor called the Governor to alert him to the alphabet boys outside his home his response was, "Is this a joke?" We're wondering the same thing.

Sadly sir, this is no joke. And U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald will not treat this like a game; he's the real deal. He's sort of like Eliot Spitzer without the penchant for ladies of the night. But don't take our word for it, ask Governor Ryan or Scooter Libby. Better still, Know for Yourself!

Change Agent: J.Kwest is Julian DeShazier

2008-12-08T21:44:00.003-05:00

If you were to describe your craft to a room full of people who knew nothing about you, what would you tell them?

J.Kwest is the Inspiration for the Next Generation...the Soundtrack to Try Harder, Love Deeper, and Go Higher. If you are upset your music has lost its activist edge, have no fear! The Renaissance has returned, and J.Kwest is the leader of a new brand of music.

Why did you decide upon this medium as your form of expression?

I belong to the hip-hop generation and have always appreciated rap's ability to be creative yet speak prophetically to any situation. Although hip-hop has taken a sharp right turn into the heart of consumerism, I still believe in the power of good music to liberate young folks and open up their potential to be "change agents" for themselves. Good songs do what no sermon, speech, or article can accomplish, and all of these forms are necessary. I've always wanted to represent the power of MUSIC.

I Am (Obama) from red green on Vimeo.

What is Change and are people ready for it to affect them directly?

Change is first the awareness that any given REALITY has an even higher POSSIBILITY: What we experience can be better. The awareness is followed by a Commitment to working towards that possibility. The moment we become aware we are changed forever, and our commitment signals our readiness to change the world around us. We are already Changed, and it's a short distance for this generation to be ready to CHANGE. They just have to know it's possible, and it begins within.

What has been the best response to your brand of Change so far?

The press is great (and necessary) but the personal emails touch me most. These come from hard working folks who just want to tell me they listen to my cd every day, when they work out or on the way to work. When I hear people say, "this song changed the way I think about this situation." That lets me know I'm helping folks become what they are called to be.

What is the title of the book about your life?

"The Kingdom Within: Rediscovering God, Self, and the World Every Day" (alternate title: "Atta Boy")

Where can people interested in you find your work find you and how can they support you?

The Hub for PureMusic is at www.jkwest.com. You can find me everywhere else on the web from there. Support by visiting the site and joining the beloved PureMusic community. Eventually you'll buy a cd, but if you let your friends know about J.Kwest and this unique brand of music, we'll all grow together. Tell a Friend, Tell Again...Change has Come. lov

Change the Channel

2008-12-08T17:02:00.003-05:00

Don't call it a comeback. Bob Johnson has announced the plans for his new Urban Television venture, which sounds like a long needed innovation for the world of Televison. Johnson says he likes " the idea of companioning a broadcast concept with an interactive platform ... Why do we always have to go back to that old model that says this is how television has to be?"

Read the Reuters/Hollywood Reporter article here: http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSTRE4B11I520081202

Check out the official press release from The RLJ Companies below:

BETHESDA, Md., Dec 08, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies today outlined additional details of his proposed programming model for Urban Television, LLC, pending the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) approval of recently filed applications seeking share-time licenses that will enable Urban to broadcast programming on a digital channel of ION stations in 42 markets.

Johnson's plan is to develop a new and innovative broadcast model rather than provide programming under traditional broadcast models where programming, content, and advertising are solely controlled by the broadcast owner. His vision is to create a "content mall" where programming ideas would be solicited from the creative/talent community, as well as major advertisers. This model also includes an opportunity to align the broadcast programming content with an interactive Internet site which would provide for interactive programming, e-commerce, and more robust programming opportunity.

Mr. Johnson explained, "Think of this model as a creative television content mall where you find broad, mass-appeal content that serves as the anchor and niche programming that fills out the channel. Using this concept, our 24-hour continuous programming will be designed to attract creative entrepreneurs and to meet the interests and lifestyle of a variety of urban viewers."
Johnson has taken proactive steps to contact members of the African American creative, editorial, and entertainment community like producer Tyler Perry, Linda Johnson Rice, President and CEO of Ebony Magazine, and singer and actress Beyonce Knowles to inform them of the opportunity to participate in content and programming, as well as ownership.

"I have informed the entertainment community that if this is approved by the FCC, I will be able to provide distribution on Urban Television to provide them with another avenue to produce additional programs," Johnson stated. "If Ebony magazine wants to create programming that is based on their magazine content, or Beyonce wants to showcase her fashion clothing line and tie in an e-commerce link, I could provide her with a programming time slot and she can produce and own her program," he added.

Urban Television would invite program owners to identify advertisers and develop programming and Urban would share in the advertising revenue, as well as make the distribution and channels available. Mr. Johnson envisions that Urban Television have a public interest focus. Areas of public interest programming include an all-news, all-talk channel or a lifestyle and wellness channel focused on health, an issue that disproportionately affects African-Americans. ION Media Networks has experience with health and wellness programming through their 42 existing stations where these important messages can be delivered directly to 65 million people in our target audience.

Brandon Burgess added, "Our existing stations have a strong footprint in key urban markets, including New York, Chicago, and Boston and a host of other major urban markets. We have stations in all 20 of the top 20 markets and it is our goal, partnering with Urban Television, to add broader and more comprehensive content to our existing programming while at the same time offering diversity in programming and diversity in ownership."

***

About The RLJ Companies: The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, owner of the NBA Charlotte Bobcats and founder of Black Entertainment Television, is a diverse portfolio of companies in the financial services, asset management, real estate, hospitality, professional sports, film production, and gaming industries. An innovative business network, The RLJ Companies seeks to target undiscovered or underserved markets; then exercise solid management to achieve results. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, with operations in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Florida, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit http://www.rljcompanies.com/.

Media inquiries to Urban Television should be directed to Traci Otey Blunt, The RLJ Companies for Urban Television, LLC 240.744.7858 or press@rljcompanies.com

About ION Media Networks: ION Media Networks, Inc. owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group, which reaches over 94 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. The Company owns 59 of its 60 full-power broadcast television stations, including stations in each of the top 20 U.S. markets and 39 of the top 50. ION Media's flagship general entertainment network, ION Television, features a broad mix of popular television series and theatrical and made-for-television movies. Utilizing its digital multicasting capability, the Company has launched several digital TV brands, including qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit http://www.ionmedia.com/.

Media inquiries to ION Media Networks should be directed to Amelie Tseng, ION Media Networks, Public Relations, 973.897.8868 or amelie.tseng@comcast.net

Notable Quotable

2008-12-03T16:11:00.002-05:00

"There are some who speak of a team of rivals, but I've never seen it that way. Past competitors? Yes. But rivals implies something harder-edged and less forgiving. And in the worlds of diplomacy and commerce, you open markets and minds not with rivalry, but instead with partnership and innovation and hard work,"

- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson at the press conference announcing his appointment as Commerce Secretary in the Obama Administration.

Change Agent: Nastassia A. Davis

2008-12-03T13:15:00.010-05:00

ALBC is blessed to be counted among the growing number of people who are familiar with the work of Nastassia Davis, this weeks' featured Agent of Change. Get to know the woman and her visual masterpieces for yourself, here's a sampling: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarika/

If you were to describe your craft to a room full of people who knew nothing about you, what would you tell them?

I take all of my own photos in the privacy of my own home. It’s all about making magical images from my life or my imagination but using composition and Photoshop to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Self-portraiture allows complete control over every element of the shot, enabling a different character to be created in every image. Although in some images, I don’t see myself at all. Sometimes, I disappear.

What starts a Nastassia portrait? All I need is a spark of inspiration: a song, a garment, crimps in my hair after I’ve unraveled the braids; I might spy myself in a mirror across the room and feel the sudden urge to capture it on camera. It’s the fascination of sometimes becoming something entirely different from which I am really in reality.

Why did you decide upon this medium as your form of expression?

I’ve always loved photography. When I was 14, my father gave me his old rolleiflex camera and taught me how to use it. Everywhere I went, that camera went with me too. In college, I took up a digital photography course where I learned the basic essentials of editing in Photoshop. This camera and digital processing quickly took over film because of the instant gratification I received.

It’s easiest to use myself as the model in most cases, because not always is someone else available.

What is Change and are people ready for it to affect them directly?

Change is having a fearless spirit. Change is sacrifice. Change is commitment. We have the power to turn our lives and communities around for the better if we just stay focused and remain fearless. As a whole, this nation is clearly ready for change. Whether people realize it or not, it’s happening right before our eyes. They’ve spoken by just electing the first African-American President of the United States of America! If that doesn’t scream change on a monumental scale, then I don’t know what does.

What has been the best response to your brand of Change so far?

Having my portrait “Rosa (Parks) -Yes, We Can!” printed in a leading U.K newspaper, the Guardian. Also, it’s published in a book entitled “A Message for Obama” which is available for purchase now:

The proceeds will go to a charity to help get clean water to the civilians of Uganda. I am very proud of this achievement and it only pushes me to create and come up with more lovely portraits!

What is the title of the book about your life?

It’s still being written! I’m far from where I want to be with my craft. Give me about a year, at least. I should have something enticing to call it by then. =)

Where can people interested in you find your work find you and how can they support you?

My best work has yet to come. However, what I have thus far can be found on my flickr gallery under “Personal Works.” www.flickr.com/aarika. I’m working on a slew of new portraits and also collaborating with other artists in the future as well. Those interested in supporting me can sign up to flickr now (it’s free!) and check back often for new material. Most importantly, I encourage you to leave messages and comments under the photos you like. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts.

Why does everybody need A Lil Bit of Change?

Us young freedom fighters need somewhere to call home, don’t we?

The Next Frontier of Change: Hollywood

2008-12-01T20:16:00.015-05:00

“We’re far more likely to have a black president [than a Black leading man on a prime time Drama] in my lifetime ... oh, yeah ... I can stop saying that now.”
- Tim Reid

Change has arrived in America, but that doesn't mean it made it to Hollywood. I remember a conversation I had with a friend a few years ago, she pointed out that we chose the two most racist (and expensive) industries to work in: film & fashion. I joked in response that we must like a good fight. In the world of Entertainment, civility and political correctness take a backseat to the bottom line and the highest bidder (street walking may be a more open minded workplace). It is an industry where an executive can call an athlete or entertainer the equivalent of "a stupid nigger" and then ink a million dollar advertising deal with that individual or even pitch them to be an ambassador for the UN - because race matters but satisfying the audience matters more.

So, we have a Black President. How will that translate to the big and small screens? We've heard the mumblings of a Black Bond ... I guess that's cool, but can't we just have a whole new franchise with a Black Bond-like character? Putting Jamie Foxx or Sean Combs in the shoes of James Bond is kind of like coloring the face on a Hallmark card Black, it's easier to just buy from the Mahogany section or convince Hallmark to make characters on their generic cards multi-ethnic. Same thing goes for the rumors about a Black version of Friends, did Black people even watch Friends?? The studios and networks need to be more creative - they pay people [well] for that.

Clarence Page, in his widely printed Op-Ed piece: Movie Producers Stuggle to Capture Obama Impact , suggested that "Hollywood would do well to savor this moment. For now, Obama has tapped a spirit of national pride, unity and respect for racial and cultural diversity that a lot of us Americans wish could last forever." Three of the Four readers on the Houston Chronicle website that commented expressed a level of annoyance with the "Obama-Media love fest". That doesn't look so good for the market research on a Black Bond, moviegoers may not want politics in their popcorn - I can hear future moviegoers in their $14 assigned seats at Hollywood's Archlight Theater, "...first they get The Whitehouse, then Bond, what's next? Superman?"

Perhaps in response to the Page piece, New York Times TV journalist, Bill Carter explored the impact of a Black President on the small screen this weekend in his article, "TV Casting May Feel Obama Effect." Carter reports that most networks are busy developing programming to match the reprogrammed consciousness of our country. In the same school of thought as Clarence Page, Gary Newman, co-chairman of the Twentieth Century Fox offered a more realistic impact Obamamania could have on pop culture,“We may see more chances taken on comedies that feel more hopeful rather than the sarcastic, cynical style we’ve seen a lot of recently,” Mr. Newman said. “The Obama success seems to have put people more in touch with their more hopeful side.” This may be true, but the hope Newman is talking about may not translate to more faces of color in positions of power in the Hollywood system ... and hey, I enjoy American sarcastic cynicism - it's the closest thing to wit that the general public can enjoy.

Actor/Producer/Entertainer Tim Reid (yeah, we know him as the Dad from 'Sister, Sister' but check his imdb page - the man's an expert in the field) provided Carter with the best commentary on the subject (via email as the article states), "If the president-elect should have any positive influence over the so-called liberal base of Hollywood, it will be by focusing their attention on the reality of the kind of multicultural world we actually live in ... This doesn't just mean putting another person of color in front of the camera, but giving them an equal opportunity in having a say-so in what is created for the camera." Sounds a lot like what our favorite Director of Photography D.P. said last year in his rant about why Tyler Perry Hates Black People: "If Tyler Perry has this perception of power, I'm sorry this power, as a Black director who has his Black studio in the Black Mecca with all these same Black actors making these horrible Black pseudo-Christian films with Cicely Tyson as the Grandmother... is sooooooo down for Black people, he should be able to find some Black technical talent."

The only way to measure whether or not the impact of Barack Obama will change Hollywood is not by counting the number of Black faces in lead roles on prime time tv shows or blockbuster films, but true change would have made it to Hollywood when the people with the power to greenlight films and tv series reflect the diversity of our nation and provide qualified representations of all persons (the last bit is from my mission statement, studios should feel free to hire me!).

ALBC is on Twitter!

2008-12-01T15:54:00.003-05:00

We know, you already knew about Twitter and we're late, right? You are already one of the 5 million subscribers worldwide, huh? Thought not. For more info on Twitter meet us "after the jump." In the meantime in be"TWEET" time follow us at www.twitter.com/alilbitofchange! Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service, that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone being the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, SMS, RSS, email or through an application such as TwitterFon, Twitterrific, Feedalizr or Facebook. For SMS, four gateway numbers are currently available: short codes for the United States, Canada, and India, as well as a United Kingdom-based number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email. Twitter had by one measure over 3 million accounts and by another, well over 5 million visitors in September 2008 which was a fivefold increase in a month. (adapted from Wiki)

Soapbox Sunday: The Worst Week Ever for the Old White Man

2008-11-23T15:57:00.007-05:00

This week we have a special Soapbox Sunday. We have the distinct privilege of yielding the floor, or rather the soapbox, to our good friend and guest commentator Barely Partisan. A true Beltway insider, Barely Partisan, provides a lil bit of perspective from on top the Hill. We hope to hear from him again soon.

This is the Worst Week Ever for the Old White Man! I know, it seems unbelievable, right? What does “the Man” have to worry about? After all, politics is the historic playground for “the Man,” especially since the U.S. Congress largely runs on the seniority system. However, just consider below.

Ever since the election of our friend, President-Elect Barack Obama (D), the stock of the old white man has dropped (literally & figuratively). Let’s take a look at all the political hits we have seen.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) was ousted as the chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. This sent shock waves through the Senate, the chummiest club of old white men ever. The soon to be chairman-emeritus is 91. He is known as “big-daddy” (a name he coined himself) for bringing home the “bacon” to his beloved West Virginia. The colleagues of the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, and longest serving senator in U.S. history, have been circling his still warm carcass for most of 2008. They were concerned that he was not fit to lead the committee which dished out all of the funding. Despite their efforts, he was able to push back until earlier this month. He released a statement, seemingly of his own volition, which said that even he felt like change should effect him. You would think that this stalwart of the Democratic party would have cemented himself in his position, but a stronger Democratic majority only meant that he would no longer sit in the big seat in full committee hearings. He retains the gavel in the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, but that’s merely a consolation prize. This is even sadder, despite his age, because all observers of the Senate know all you need to do is keep on breathing as long as you have good staff; and Sen. Byrd has good staff. It just wasn’t enough to keep the reigns of his powerful committee. No more respect for seniority. Not even 91 year olds. Replaced by who? An 84 year old senior member from Hawaii.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AL) proved that this period of time and effects on the OWM are bipartisan. Though this former head of the Senate Appropriations Committee and President Pro Tempore of the Senate was convicted of seven felonies just a short while ago, he was still favored by many to win re-election to the Senate for the seventh time. This is the man that championed statehood for Alaska. This man, through his advocacy, has brought Alaska whatever progress it has received during its entire existence in the Union. However, his greed and poo r book keeping have proven his downfall. When Sen. Stevens finally conceded, the next morning saw him yielding the Senate floor for the final time. His words were moving, and he said he could see himself removing the cloud that currently surrounds him, and his respect for the institution of the Senate was firmly intact. That is ironic since if he won re-election, some in his own party would have moved to have him removed—not wanting to be associated with a convicted felon, all despite the fact that he is appealing the decision on several reasonable grounds. The longest serving Republican senator in history has, too, fallen at age 85.

If Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said in public, “I had a hand in making the President-Elect,” I would give him some credit. Don’t forget that 2004 Democratic Convention belonged to Sen. Kerry. He was the nominee at that point. He allowed the African American state senator from Illinois the opportunity to speak, just as 2000 Democratic Nominee Al Gore provided then-Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. four years before. The difference is that we’re still reading about Barack Obama, and our children will continue to read about him in history books. Without “that speech,” the President-Elect would have still been a senator from Illinois, with no problem. No real Republican stood in his way. However, the President-Elect might have had a harder time getting elected without that electrifying opportunity. He would have been just as popular or as well-known as his history making counterparts. How much do you know about Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) or New York Governor David Patterson (D)? That’s how much you would know about the President-Elect without that magical July 27 night of 2004. Don’t forget the Massachusetts junior senator came out early to endorse the President-Elect. So, it was no secret in DC that Sen. Kerry desired to be Secretary of State. He felt it was the job he was made for if he couldn't have the one he interviewed for four years ago. He has spent years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee under the tutelage of the Vice-President-Elect. You know how many purple hearts he has. He has been on both national and international stages. Instead, the disciplined Transition staff (I believe) purposefully leaked that Sen. Clinton is the next State Department chief. It was their way to tell all the other pretenders to the throne to “keep your resumes. We found our gal.” Sen. Kerry, kingmaker. Downed at age 65.

The Vice-President-Elect turned 66 this week. If the Transition Team didn’t release a photograph of the President-Elect giving him a dozen cupcakes, then we would not have seen him at all. I know the goal is to stay out of the media, and his lack of recent20exposure is not the reason why he has found himself on this list. Rather it is the appointment of pending appointment of Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State. That appointment marginalizes Mr. Biden. Wasn’t he picked because of all of that foreign policy experience? Wasn’t that going to allow the incoming President the ability to pick some one symbolic of change for the State Department because the Veep would always be there to make sure the international message was clear and crisp (unlike the soon-to-be Veep's message on the campaign trail). Now, what’s the use of having the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman the #2 executive in the country? The Clinton family will loom huge in the Cabinet room and around the world. If I were the Veep-Elect, I would tell my scheduler to block off lots of time to listen to Senate debate. It seems like he will do more than open it, close it, and break ties. That scheduler might need to buy a few Snickers, because he is going to be hanging around the favored OWM club a lot. The Vice-President-Elect is starting work for new branch of government at age 66, but this week his level of influence in the Obama Administration, too, bit the dust.

Rep. John Dingell, whom will become the longest serving Member of the House of Representatives EVER early next year, was ousted by his number two on the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee this week. Though interested Hill observers and staffers saw this coming for the last two weeks, no one could do anything to stop it, not even Chairman Dingell. E&C is important not just because 60% of all House of Representatives legislation goes through that Committee, but with the problems concerning the automotive industry, the senior Dingell’s top billing is even more important. When Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), likely with the tacit approval of his House Speaker and fellow Californian, went after Dingell’s gavel it split the House Democratic caucus in half. Dingell set up a “whip team” to try to save his job. He also quickly sent correspondence to the President-Elect looking forward to working with him on healthcare reform, a major Obama initiative. This whole situation was made even worse because Dingell just recently had a replaced hip replaced again. Reportedly while Rep. Dingell was recovering, Rep. Waxman started his campaign to move from the big chair in the Government Reform Committee to E&C. (Besides, what Democrat wants to be the one to call in those that work for the next Administration and make sure they are doing their jobs? Shortens the honeymoon.) So, after two series of votes, Rep. Dingell’s grip on the powerful E&C gavel eased at the ripe old age of 82 to be replaced by a 69 year old Jewish man.

There are others, honorable mentions, like Sen. Saxby Chambliss running for his life in Georgia (at age 65), Attorney General Michael Mukasey (whom collapsed literally last night of apparent exhaustion at age 67), Senator Harry Reid (whom was totally marginalized by the President-Elect when he was forced to not even tap Senator Joe Lieberman on the hand this week for his insubordination), and every head of an American automotive company, but the men mentioned above could not have “believed” that a new era of “change” would effect them like this. You know it is a rough week in American politics when it is a rough week for “the Man.”>

Rib Roast

2008-11-18T09:57:00.003-05:00

Leave it to C-Span to dig in the archives and rebroadcast a politico-celeb roast of Rahm Emanuel which was sponsored by Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, a charity run by Susan Axelrod, the wife of Obama strategist David Axelrod.

Then Senator Obama goes in on "Rhambo" in true Summer Jam form by making jokes about the Congressman's knack of executing balletic movements.

Blackberries, Cyberspace, & Laptops! Oh My! The White House May Go Wireless

2008-11-17T13:40:00.005-05:00

A sign of the times. The change in guard could be accompanied with a bunch of new gadgets for the office of The President. The new American image embodied by the first family is like a mash-up of the Cleavers, the Cosbys, and the Jetsons. Well that's the picture I'm painting after surveying the recent coverage of our First Family-elect. One TV Viewer quipped at a preview of last nights' 60 minutes ad, "I hope we don't have to hear about these kids for the next four years!" and I replied, "That's what kids are for." Michelle Obama said in last night's 60 minutes interview that she was excited to move into the White House because her family would get to be together and Barack would be working at home in his immense home office.

What will our future President bring to his new home office? According to Jeff Zeleney in his NYT article, "Lose The Blackberry? Yes He Can, Maybe", the 44th President will be the first to have a laptop on his desk in the Oval Office.

“They could come up with some bulletproof way of protecting his e-mail and digital correspondence, but anything can be hacked,” said Ms. Owen, who has studied how presidents communicate in the Internet era. “The nature of the president’s job is that others can use e-mail for him.”

Technical glitches, hackers, storage space, and obnoxious archived items aside- if the Government really has access to the best technology, there's a lot of items Barack could use to match the efficiency of his Blackberry. Imagine it: a closed circuit Blackberry One Network for the President and his advisers (for official communication only, of course) - just think about how tricked out that phone would be (iPhone? G1? Bold? What are those?). Maybe I'm just dreaming about what I would do if I was president...

44 on 60

2008-11-17T01:19:00.003-05:00

Usually we have a time limit on videos but today is a special "O"-K-ssion (that's corny but I couldn't resist...its kinda late at night). ALBC presents...drumroll and more corniness... The President-Elect and the next First Lady of the good ol U.S. of A. on 60 Minutes.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Tube-side Chats

2008-11-15T09:40:00.001-05:00

As part of the transition process, PeOTUS BO is doing weekly video blogs to address the progress of the transition, speak to the issues of the nation, and further gain the trust and confidence of the American people. This week's address focuses on the economy.

Early Holiday Greetings from the Obama's

2008-11-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

Sarah Palin unscripted

2008-11-12T17:56:00.002-05:00

Well I'll be dog gone, she actually can talk and chew gum. Ok, she doesn't chew gum but she also doesn't wink or say "mahvrick" so she gets cool points.

"I'm comfortable with Barack Obama as our commander in chief, assuming that he has those around him who recognize .... that terrorists have not changed their minds ... Those who recognize what the threat is and how to deal with the threat."

We are moving in...

2008-11-11T15:53:00.002-05:00

...to the White House. There is no need to tell us to take our shoes off; we have purchased new shoes for this very day. We have known this day was coming for a while. Our parents told us our children would see it, but we felt it was important to accelerate the process. We knew the effect our generation could have on generations to come. Now the world knows as well. We welcome the Change Generation to the White House.
We staked claim to the lot and house
66% of all voters age 18-29 voted Obama

This was not our first election, most of us witnessed democracy in past elections, even if we weren’t old enough to participate. We watched people move into our house the last time. This time we wanted to pick out the drapes.

Clearing and excavation
69& of all first time voters voted for Obama

We have been waiting to move in. For many of us, this will be our first home. The apathy we were once known for is no more. We are proud of our home. We are excited to dispel the myths of attrition and lackadaisical post election involvement. We have formed bonds across socio-economic lines that we intend to keep. We are proud of our country.

We are committed to the continued maintenance
"I'm building me a home"—an adaptation

We have been building this home. When you saw us crying, we were building this home. When you saw us praying, we were building this home. It is more than this White House, which will someday decay. It’s about having a place for our souls to stay.

Change generation, welcome home…to The White House!

Notable Quotable

2008-11-11T13:04:00.002-05:00

"Don't let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is and even if it's cracked up a little bit, maybe I'll just plow right on through that and maybe prematurely plow through it, but don't let me miss an open door. And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door," Governor Palin said in an interview with Fox News Monday.

Dear Governor Palin,

What in the heck are you talking about?

Sincerely,
ALBC
And here is the rest of it.

White House Field Trip

2008-11-11T11:05:00.008-05:00

Election Day in Chicago with ALBC

2008-11-10T06:01:00.001-05:00

We were there. We were there for you, for us. We are the Change generation. We are the 66%. Watch as ALBC walks you through 11.4.08.

Soapbox Sunday-The Post Political Landscape

2008-11-09T23:25:00.003-05:00

Let me start by saying that my mind and my spirit haven’t had the chance to process what the world experienced Tuesday night, nor have I had a chance to process what ALBC witnessed in the Windy City on November 4th. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to search my mental hard drive and hope that the emotional high of the moment will spark questions and deductions that we’ll explore and discover the answers to over time. Here goes nothing.

Lets start by stating the obvious. First, the ruling issued by the People, as evidenced by the Electoral College and popular vote, tells that ideologically, America has shifted from the far right to just left of center. Next, while the Senate majority was increased, it likely won’t reach the filibuster proof 60, which is actually a good thing. Hence, the minority check on the majority is preserved, as is the majority’s mandate to draft and ratify the Change legislation. Further, with over 250 seats, House Democrats have the greatest majority held by a party in 15 years; but House Speaker Pelosi has declared that the administration should govern from the middle...

Now we won’t pretend like partisanship won’t rear its ugly head. It’s inevitable. However, the people have declared that our commonalities are more important than our differences; the issues most critical to the future of the country can only be addressed by resolving the mutual detriments they pose. The success of the first 100 days of the Obama administration will be determined, not by partisan preferences, but rather by how effectively the 535 members of Congress can translate the desires of the people into well funded, practical and executable policy.

All this leads to the question, “What happens next in the Post-Political world?” By Post-Political we mean the civic environment once we’ve transitioned from electing to administering. As the Obama Administration begins the transition process, the Citizens must transition into advocates for common man issues capable of neutralizing special interest and corporate lobbyist. We’d like to place emphasis on the fact that, “We the People” should be as enthusiastically, if not more fervidly, involved in how our government is administered as we were in electing those who will represent us. In doing so, we fulfill the President-elect’s proclamation that this is our “chance to make that change”; we mustn’t do the unoriginal and do nothing. We must be informed. We must be active. We must do our part to bring about a lil bit of change.

Meet the Brain Trust

2008-11-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

...or at least 4 members of the group.

Watch CBS Videos Online

New Head of State gets Top Billing

2008-11-08T13:40:00.005-05:00

President Elect, Barack H. Obama grabs headlines and cover stories around the world. See the front page of every major newspaper on this PLANET! Use this link http://obama2008.s3.amazonaws.com/headlines.html

Notable Quotable

2008-11-08T01:19:00.002-05:00

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so Obama could run. Obama's running so we all can fly.
-Jay Z

And here is the rest of it.

Getting rid of the Senate letterhead

2008-11-07T21:38:00.000-05:00

President-elect Obama's first press conference.

***the fact that Paul Volcker looks taller than Dick Parsons says alot. They're like real giants of the industry***

OBAMA WINS!!!

2008-11-04T23:30:00.000-05:00

The rest is up to us.

Election Day in Chicago

2008-11-04T14:58:00.002-05:00

We are in Chicago. People keep hitting us up like, "ALBC?!? You guys went to Chicago." We say, "Duh." This is the most exciting moment we have known in our lives. We are watching CNN, we are surveying the park, we are ready. We decided to cut some of the tension and time with a video so you could be here too. "Duh." The Revolution is after the jump.

Doing our Duty

2008-11-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

ALBC transporting senior citizens to the polls in Chicago.

The Ritual

2008-11-04T12:49:00.001-05:00

It's well know that Senator Obama has an election day ritual of ballin'; today was no different. And just to make sure everyone knows which team they play for, the squads were outfitted in "This One" and "That One" jerseys...nice.
Shout out to The aGeNT Smith Files for finding this video.

And here is the rest of it.

The time is NOW

2008-11-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

Friends, here we are. We are actually here. Live from Chicago. Stay tuned all day today for what is assured to be the the most colorful commentary on todays events as they unfold. The excitement has been too much for us to contain. We barely slept in preperation to bring you a front row seat to Change. It may be 8:00 where you are, but we are watching Sen. Obama cast his vote. The day is young and we know where to find true red bull. Stay tuned.

MTV News Presents: Ask Obama

2008-11-03T18:42:00.002-05:00

MTV Shows

See clips 2-4

MTV Shows

The Pilot Episode of the Bill and Barack Show

2008-11-02T21:21:00.001-05:00

Early Voting with 2.0

2008-10-30T12:06:00.005-04:00

I don't really live in Atlanta. Actually, I don't really live anywhere. But I am registered to vote in Georgia's Fulton County. That's pretty much Atlanta inside of 285. But I made sure to make it back so that I could participate in Georgia's Early Voting Program. If you have the opportunity to vote early DO IT NOW!!! Here is a look at my three hour experience. The larger part of my experience was filled with eavesdropping on people and their conversations about what the democratic process meant to them. Though process was quite lengthy, I must admit when I left the polls I truly felt as though my voice was recorded. I felt like I mattered. "Dad?" I said as my father answered the phone. "I am the first in our family to vote for our next President."

Palin is McCain's Trophy V.P.

2008-10-30T09:15:00.002-04:00

Asa the comic has created this bit of comedy. Check him out @ http://www.AsaTheComic.tv

Waaaasup B?

2008-10-28T22:06:00.001-04:00

And here is the rest of it.

See you at the finish line?

2008-10-27T19:15:00.002-04:00

Sunday Funnies

2008-10-26T14:56:00.004-04:00

Obama: International Swagga

2008-10-26T14:34:00.005-04:00

Veteran Malaysian journalist, Wong Chin Wai, Group Chief Editor of The Star; Malaysia's leading English daily recently shared his opinion of Barack Obama in his Sunday column: "African-Americans would no longer be seen as just foul-mouthed hip-hop singers, gangsters, boxers and athletes in the eyes of the world."

As a young African-American reading this article half a continent away, the reality of Wai's statement strikes a special chord in my mind. The international image of the African-American is something that our generation inherited from the stereotypical images designed in the mid-20th century and exported around the World to justify and explain the position of the African-American in America. Four scores later, amidst the Hollywood and Madison Avenue produced muck, Obama stands as what Wai described as an "icon of hope for people all over the world, especially in countries with a plural society."

"Even in Malaysia, politicians talk about history which the young can no longer relate to, or simply refuses to accept. Certainly, these history lessons won’t help these politicians get the votes. When they lose these votes, they sometimes wonder why." Next week, American citizens, will play one of the most important roles of our country's history of progressiveness and leadership. By our actions, the young and old, must relate to the present and export a new American image, the image we all hold in hearts of a reinvigorated, respected, tolerant, trailblazing America.

Read Wai's columns online.

NYTimes.com Op-Ed:Rebranding the U.S. With Obama

2008-10-23T14:47:00.009-04:00

Nicholas D. Kristof

"...cooperation is essential to address 21st-century challenges; you can't fire cruise missiles at the global financial crisis."

The other day I had a conversation with a Beijing friend and I mentioned that Barack Obama was leading in the presidential race:

She: Obama? But he's the black man, isn't he?
Me: Yes, exactly.

She: But surely a black man couldn't become president of the United States?
Me: It looks as if he'll be elected.

She: But president? That's such an important job! In America, I thought blacks were janitors and laborers.
Me: No, blacks have all kinds of jobs.

She: What do white people think about that, about getting a black president? Are they upset? Are they angry?
Me: No, of course not! If Obama is elected, it'll be because white people voted for him.
[Long pause.]

She: Really? Unbelievable! What an amazing country

Soapbox Sunday-Special Wednesday Edition: The Sountrack of Our Generation

2008-10-22T01:07:00.008-04:00

Hip hop is the soundtrack of our generation and we're in dire need of the creators of that soundtrack to become more socially responsible in how they communicate with their listeners. Chuck D was right when he called rap music the Black CNN because the songs of the Public Enemy-NWA era put the world on notice about the ills killing the Black community; yet, we've come to discover that the plight described in those songs wasn't limited to a racial group but rather was applicable to a much broader socio-economic class of people. Pardon me for restating the far to often stated, but as hip hop became increasingly embraced by audiences wider than neighborhood kids with boom boxes, it also became increasingly less informative about "what's really going on in the hood."

ALBC thinks this is of particular importance because our generation is the hip hop generation; we not only listen to volumes of hip hop music but we also spit our own rhymes and make our own beats (some more amateur than others). We are hip hop at home, in class, and at work...kinda. We're hustlers with swagger and we grind to get ahead. These things we learn from play lists on our iPods and the songs playing in constant rotation on the local radio station. Yet, we aren't social activists who understand the system and how the game is played. Well, we weren't until we were swept away by the phenomenon coined as "Change". Now while the 808s and Heartbreaks beat in our earbuds, we're also signing up unregistered voters, canvassing neighborhoods and preparing to protect against voter fraud. Through "Change" the hip hop generation has rediscovered its conscience.

In keeping with our tradition of mixing politics and culture, ALBC often posts videos of entertainers, most often rappers, expressing their opinions on civic matters. Typically the core of the interview is based on the coming election but what we've found most fascinating and stirring is their capacity to articulate how the civic process works and why citizen apathy has allowed poor communities to be neglected. Today we're featuring a portion of We The People, a video diary of sorts created by Big Boi. Know for yourself and don't download illegally.

You can go to that office anytime and tell 'em how you feel.Go down to the office, knock on the door, its and open door, they can't not let you in...matter fact, when I get home, Ima call somebody and go off on em -Bun B on calling the offices of elected official who represent your local, state and federal government

Don't wear paraphernalia to the Polls!!!

2008-10-22T00:34:00.000-04:00

By now you may have received the email chain advising Obama supporters to not wear paraphernalia to the polls. Initially we were skeptical as to whether it was actually illegal to vote with a t-shirt or pin acknowledging your support for a particular candidate; honestly your dear friends at ALBC found it quite preposterous to believe that in every voting cycle there isn't a sweet old lady who votes while wearing something that identifies who she supports. But, at the same time we also recognize that politics is a zero sum bloodsport where citizens maliciously deceive and actively discourage other citizens from voting. Sadly, such a scenario has already occurred. Know for yourself and wear a crispy white tee to the polls.

A Good John

2008-10-21T20:08:00.001-04:00

With all this mud being slung in the final days of the campaign, we want to try and keep the name "John" clean. After a visit to LACMA (Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art), I became enamored with the art of John Baldessari. A true game changer, Baldessari was instrumental in the American Modern Art movement and he continues to redefine the medium with his work. John Baldessari was among the 13 highly covetable artists including Frank Gehry and Jasper Johns who have donated print editions of their work to raise funds for Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Los Angeles-based print publisher Gemini G.E.L. commissioned the group of artists to create what they're calling the "Artists for Obama" portfolio, a set of prints in a limited edition of 150 (not including Jasper Johns's iconic Flag, at right). Art lovers looking to acquire the rare set of prints must donate a minimum of $20,000 to the campaign [source: LA Times]

Jay Z assumes his duty as Press Secretary

2008-10-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

In his first duty as Press Secretary, Jay-Z, or Sean Carter as he is to be referred within the White House, instructs voters on their right to vote with or without ID.

Senators Obama and McCain at the Alfred E. Smith Charity Dinner

2008-10-19T00:12:00.001-04:00

Senator McCain is actually pretty funny.

John McCain throws President Bush under the bus

2008-10-17T12:11:00.000-04:00

"The last eight years haven't worked very well, have they?...Your savings, your job and your financial security are under siege. Washington is making it worse - bankrupting us with their spending"

Now that's what I call straight talk.

Let Obama and Biden calculate your taxes

2008-10-16T11:02:00.003-04:00

So now that we've gotten the pomp and circumstance of the debates out of the way, lets focus on the nitty gritty in these final days of the campaign. One of the major issues throughout the debates has been which candidate will cut/raise your taxes. Being the forward thinkers that they are, the Obama campaign has made it possible to Know for yourself.

They've created a Tax Calculator where you can input your income level and marital status and viola, you get to find out what your tax liability will be under their tax plan.

Obama-Biden Tax Calculator

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will cut taxes for 95% of working families, and provide at least three times as much tax relief for middle class families as John McCain and Sarah Palin. The Obama/Biden plan provides $1,000 of tax relief for workers and new tax benefits to help families pay for college, childcare and save for retirement.

Comedy for Registered Voters

2008-10-16T08:55:00.000-04:00

We're not talking the type of follies of trying to vote in a Florida county. Tommy Davidson and our favorite Obama-supporting DJ, Biz Markie, hosted a free comedy show in Los Angeles yesterday - the only stipulation for entry was that you either had to be a registered voter or were willing to register on the spot. ALBC was there and we were excited to see the Barack the Vote volunteers actively contributing to civic process along with Tony Rock, Chris Spencer, AJ Jamal, and a host of other entertainers.

Congratulations to Barack the Vote on another successful event.

Gossip Girls being mean to McCain

2008-10-15T17:19:00.004-04:00

So let me tell you a lil bit about me; I LOVE television series, absolutely love them. Well not all, actually only a few, but I really love the ones I love. Supposedly Gossip Girls is a lovable series to many of you "folks"(said with a Sarah Palin accent) out in changeland. I've haven't had the pleasure of catching any episodes but I see their billboards up around town and hear about watch parties so I figured you guys and gals would enjoy this:

Breaking News: Jay Z to be named White House Press Secretary

2008-10-14T19:02:00.006-04:00

Friends,
ALBC just received a tip from a low level volunteer that Jay-Z will be White House Press Secretary in the Obama Administration.

Ok, ok, we kid, we kid. But Jay Z did record a PSA for the Obama Campaign in Michigan.
The embed code wasn't feeling us so click here to view it.

***Ha, embed code you can't defeat the diligence of ALBC. We found an even better version of the PSA. Take that you pesky technical difficulty.***

Expressing Straight Talk

2008-10-14T01:23:00.006-04:00

"The Wall Street bailout plan was necessary -- but everyday people need help, too. On Monday, Barack announced an economic rescue plan to help middle-class families and communities, provide relief to homeowners and small businesses, and create new jobs.

We can't afford another four years of the same failed economic policies that got us into this crisis, waiting for tax breaks for billionaires to trickle down to the rest of us.

As the economic crisis goes on, and the stock market remains uncertain, Barack Obama has been the calm and steady leader we need."

But dont take their word for it, Know for yourself.

And here is the rest of it.

Wanna make $125k? Teach middle school!

2008-10-13T05:23:00.005-04:00

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, is a 480-student middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City that will open in September 2009. Its mission is to ensure the academic success of its students by placing emphasis on teacher quality. “I would much rather put a phenomenal, great teacher in a field with 30 kids and nothing else than take the mediocre teacher and give them half the number of students and give them all the technology in the world,” said Zeke M. Vanderhoek, the school’s creator and first principal.

We applaud Zeke and the folks over at TEP. Not only are they doubling the average teacher salary by paying $125,000 as the base salary but they are also targeting at risk adolescents as the bulk of their student body. Although there are sure to be some kinks in their model, we hope that TEP is a success.

Learn more about TEP and Know for yourself: http://www.tepcharter.org/

Soapbox Sundays-Check my balance

2008-10-12T16:56:00.002-04:00

The deregulation of markets and the unchecked authority exercised under anti-terrorism provisions are examples of what happens in when government is too thin. Granted, bureaucracy is inherent in big government and inefficiency is inherent in bureaucracy, but there must be some weight healthier than government’s current anorexic state. The decision-making parts throughout the current body have become so slender that the markets are rapidly receding and civil liberties have been egregiously violated.

The Bush Administration has proven that unilateral authority facilitates abuses of power and leads to poor outcomes. Essentially, government needs muscle to be a vigorous body.

Imitation, Flatteration, Holleration

2008-10-12T04:38:00.000-04:00

glumbert - Barack Obama Talks To Himself

A message from JC, our Financial Advisor

2008-10-11T10:27:00.001-04:00

A few things to think about during these turbulent times.

6 facts to help dispel the fear and 10 key reminders investors need to keep in mind...

6 facts
1. In January of 1970, a bear market started that lasted until May of that year. The market during that time fell 35.4%. In May, a bull market began that lasted until January 1973 and brought a 124% gain in stock values.

2. In April 1981, another bear market commenced that lasted nearly a year and brought a 24.7% decline. Then, in March of 1982, the market began to rise and continued doing so until June 1983, bringing an overall gain of 71.7%.

3. July 1990 brought a downward market that lasted three months, until October 1990, at which point equity prices had fallen 22.4%. Then, in the same month, a new, now legendary, bull market took hold and lasted nearly eight years, until July 1998, delivering a 330.7% gain for the market.

4. Dating back to 1975, 8 of the last 15 bull markets have started in the autumn months of September, October, and November.

5. Since 1957 there have been 15 bear markets, as measured from peak to trough, and on average they have lasted 10 months and brought an average decline of 29.4%.

6. The duration and degree of these bear markets were significantly less than the duration and magnitude of bull markets. During the same period, there were also 15 bull markets, which lasted, on average, 30 months and brought average gains of 112.5%.

10 key reminders for investors
1. Panics are based on emotion, and emotions can take on a life of their own. A herd-like mentality develops, and words that start to be used repetitively - such as "collapse," "endless," and "plunge" - only feed the frenzy. But it is important to remember that emotions are not your friend when it comes to making big decisions about your savings, retirement, or college money.

2. Individuals and the professional managers they hire to oversee their long-term assets are investors, not traders. There is a big difference. For investors, what matters is the long run, not today's events.

3. No one is alone in their concerns. We all have lots of company.

4. Panics and downturns are part of the free market system. They have occurred throughout history. While this knowledge may not ease the pain, these sharp, sudden downturns still have to be recognized as part of a cycle that often includes years of slow and steady upward progress.

5. Historically, bear markets, recessions, and market panics have been relatively brief in comparison with the duration of bull markets. Since World War II, economic expansions have, on average, lasted five times longer than recessions, and bull markets have been twice as long as bear markets.

6. Cyclical downturns have historically been connected to credit excesses. This time is no different. Prudence in borrowing will be rewarded in the next cycle.

7. Collapses do not bring everything to a halt. Even during the worst of down times, people still go about their lives, raising children, going to work, and planning for the future.

8. Risk-seeking in the markets has vanished. But the pursuit of risk is a normal state for the markets. U.S. Treasury bills may look smart today, but at some point risk-seeking will return. It always has.

9. The largest government bodies in the world have acted to lessen the severity of this crisis.

10.You cannot control events. You can only control your response to them.

"That One?!?!?"

2008-10-09T00:42:00.003-04:00

Within the walls of ALBC, we have discussed our commitment to civic literacy. We are fully aware and have taken full responsibility for our endorsements and denouncements. But as the election day grows nigh, we must admit, it becomes even more difficult to disguise ourselves as unbiased.

This is, in part, due to being more than moderately well informed. That is the burden of being civilly literate. The other part? Well, the other part is due to a certain candidate making it easy to cast aspersions when he decides to be noble and refer to his opponent as "That One".
You see, "it isn't so much about preference, and it isn't about age, and it isn't about race. It's about respect."

28 Days Later

2008-10-08T13:06:00.003-04:00

When we wake up twenty-eight days from today, our nation will be on the precipice of change. This will be the first major paradigm shift of the Twenty-First Century. The sliding plates above our ground but below the surface, the final count of our votes, will resonate high on the Richter scale for half of our country. The energy release will be universal after the long campaign process, but the momentum that has swept many into civic responsibility could be stifled if the president-elect represents an America that half of its citizens do not have faith in.

Like Danny Boyle’s film, 28 Days Later, there is a possibility of a morale breakdown of some citizens following the accidental release of a highly contagious virus. The virus? Change. Change is contagious and it is a process that cannot be reversed, although its path can be redirected…forded like a river. If the passion and momentum of this year’s election is a result of a true desire to see a change in our society – there will be one. If the intensity citizens are feeling are tied to campaigns and/or ideological representations presented by individuals running for office: a war veteran who can keep us safe (I will not use the word “Maverick” … damn, I just did), a Black man who reflects the core ethos of our society, or a woman who will keep us entertained (and Tina Fey PAID!) – a sense of betrayal could be felt if their candidate, and idea of America, does not win and they will continue to lose faith in our government. Currently, only 9% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in America according to the latest Gallup poll. But which America will we choose to support?

I’m no futurist. I just took a class on futurism. What will happen in twenty-eight days? We will have a new President-Elect. Will there be a public reaction? Absolutely. The change we are currently experiencing is the result of all the radical and hopeful schools of thought formed through the experiences of Baby Boomers. Have no fear. Rest assured that your Agents here at ALBC will be here to help you cope with whatever the result of the election is…and long after. We have always been committed to contributing the collective thought that will shape the next 28 years of American History. Check our track record. Change has always been here; we’re just now coming of age.

The Ring in the Cookie Jar

2008-10-07T23:38:00.004-04:00

Back when he was Congressman McCain, he was also a member of the Keating Five. You ask who/what is the Keating Five; great, because we have the answer.

From Wikipedia:

The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly intervening in 1987 on behalf of Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of a regulatory investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). The FHLBB subsequently backed off taking action against Lincoln.

Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed in 1989, at a cost of $2 billion to the federal government. Some 23,000 Lincoln bondholders were defrauded and many elderly investors lost their life savings. The substantial political contributions that Keating had made to each of the senators, totalling $1.3 million, attracted considerable public and media attention.

Words are nice, quite nice. But videos bring it home. So here's a video about the Keating Five scandal courtesy of Obama for America

Facebook Feelings II

2008-10-07T23:19:00.006-04:00

BH: is thinking Gergen hit it on the head: It's too early to declare victory because Barack is black. Black = -6 pts!"

LA: Question from the internet--McCain looks toward the seats on the right looking for a woman named Internet.

SRW: is wondering why McCain would assume that man don't know who Fannie Mae is. YOU LOSE, T-Rex!

TT: is referring to his colleagues as "that one" from now on.

SK: Conservative Bill Bennett, "The strength of McCain's story just isn't matched by a strong campaign. He needed to win tonight and didn't."

CR: thinks David Gergen finally said what I've been saying at http://vexedinthecity.wordpress.com.

RB: will be so happy when "that one" is in the White House!

MMT: wants to tell McCain that he isn't his friend--unless McCain establishes a nice little trust for him or unless Cindy will get him some happy pills.

NM: wishes I was a blogger right now because this fool McCain and his "keep my hands behind my back" wife...OMG!!! SHAKE A HAND!!!

ATIV: is "That One".....

BH: is thinking that McCain refused to shake Obama's hand after calling him "that one". REALLY? UGH!

AP: is so over the circular, non-substantial, misquoted, cynical, disrespectfulness of that which is McCain.

GT: is voting for "THAT ONE!"

CN: thinks the debate would have been better if McCain hadn't thought he was competing on America's Crankiest Oldster.

***plenty more after the jump***

HP: is sorta creeped out by John McCain and loves Michelle Obama.

HOO: thinks that after tonight's presidential debate, she now understands Federalist Paper 10.

SG: wait, wasn't a town hall supposed to FAVOR mccain?

ME: says "I am not McCain's friend and I wish he would stop calling me so."

DCM: OMG!!!...one of Madame Tussauds wax statues has gotten loose and is now debating Obama. Where are the Tennessee State Troopers!?

AM: is omg- teddy roosevelt? reagan ok but come on.

SJ: is not happy with McCain misquoting Teddy Roosevelt! Damn it McCain..dont u remember the cartoon!!

DC: is laughing that all his friends have status messages that say John McCain is not their friend.

JS: does not like the sound of McCain's voice.....sorry 'my friend.'

SH: knows that she is not John McCain's "friend."

MH: is counting McCain's "my friends."

AG: ain't your friend, Johnny.

SRM: says a certain older man should be glad I'm clerking and can't comment on politics!! This "debate" in infuriating...

IS: "Tom, can I respond to this foolishness?"

DBG: if your not watching the debates, kill ya self, lol, but get it together.

Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bombed the Debate

2008-10-07T22:39:00.002-04:00

Ol Johnnie Boy, you're one of a kind.

Get on Board!

2008-10-07T19:37:00.002-04:00

We were sitting here picking our Fantasy Debate team and decided that you might enjoy a lil political humor before the debates tonite. Enjoy!

Change is Fresh

2008-10-07T15:56:00.012-04:00

NYMag.com:
Barack Obama’s Paris Runway Debut

When it was reported that Donatella Versace's most recent men's collection was inspired by Barack Obama, Donatella was quick to correct the press. Obama himself didn't inspire her, but rather "the type of man Barack Obama represents." However designers showing at Paris Fashion Week conveyed no such reserves about using their runway shows to blatantly support Barack. Sonia Rykiel's spring 2009 collection included sweaters that read "I have a dream" and "Obama." Jean-Charles de Castelbajac put Barack's grinning face on a dress paired with gloves that read "yes" and "no" — probably his way of saying "rock the vote." And at the end of her program notes, Stella McCartney wrote, "P.S. Vote Obama!!" None of this surprises us. What does, however, is that Barack didn't permeate the collections in London, Milan, or New York in this way. Maybe designers in other parts of the world didn't want to add fuel to the whole Obama-is-a-celebrity fire? Like embracing a First Lady who's posed nude, leave it to the French to say, "Yes, we can!"

Don't Vote, Just Don't Do It!

2008-10-06T17:16:00.001-04:00

The Ackward Post

2008-10-06T00:27:00.005-04:00

Politically incorrect? most likely
Funny? kinda
Do we hope her directive is followed? Yeah
Do we feel ackward posting this? Hell yeah...but we're doing it anyway.

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Game Changer: Bun B

2008-10-05T22:29:00.004-04:00

Most of you know Bun B as one half of arguably the greatest rap group of all time, UGK (RIP Pimp C)-emphasis on arguably. But as of late, he has taken on a far more important role as a spokesman for the impoverished and disenfranchised. What's particularly exceptional about Bun's latest efforts is he no longer limits his role as a spokesman for the poor to his rhymes; he is now participating in citizen activism by speaking at schools, attending both the DNC and RNC Conventions and taking MTV to the Gulf Coast of Texas to get a glimpse of life after the storm.

Thanks to Bun B you can Know for yourself what life is like for the residents returning to Galveston, TX.

All Along The Watchtower

2008-10-03T10:34:00.005-04:00

"There must be some kind of way out of here/ Said the joker to the thief/ There's too much confusion/ I cant get no relief..."so sung Jimi Hendrix about businessmen, plow-men, and thieves; still, it seems like we can't get no relief. Last night, all eyes were watching the vice-presidential debate awaiting a clear relief to the muck surrounding ticket positions on the economy, war, and other pressing issues (or see one of the running mates make an ass ... or pachyderm out of themselves). I was running late and even an eager used car salesman had to ease up when I told him I needed to get home for a watch party of the debate because I needed to know for myself how the candidates would address the public.

My summation: Biden's a calm beast. He could have ripped Palin to shreds, but he took the Obama campaign high road by not addressing the blatant foolishness. Palin was prepared and made it a point to regurgitate each talking point she was given. One watch party viewer summed it up by saying that "She exceeded expectations, but there were no expectations for her."

Listening to BBC Radio yesterday afternoon, the Presenters on the station joked that after last week's "boring" debate they weren't sure if they would sacrifice hours of sleep to tune in. Well, on the domestic side, curiosity possibly made the Biden-Palin debate the most watched TV debate ever. Nielsen Media Research estimates 38.7 million viewers on the big four broadcast networks, 30 percent more than the 29.7 million who caught last week's presidential debate on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. [source: E! Online]

Just as we shared our commentary with each other during our watch party, many shared their opinions live on the net leading to a number of articles published today on the subject of live blogging. ALBC is familiar with this subject, just last week, we had a post on Facebook election feelings. Check these articles out for a different spin on the new medium taking a large role in our democratic process.

It was as if we’d all come to a debate watching party, only we weren’t whispering our comments to the person next to us on the couch, we were sharing them with all our friends, spread out all over the country. I asked what a “Bosniak” was and shared my enjoyment of the way Sen. Biden emphasized “Bush’s” over and over. This was fun. Every dodged answer, every nuance or verbal gaffe brought more from the world-wide peanut gallery:

Joe Biden likes to refer to Joe Biden as Joe Biden

Palin says ‘Maverick’ more than McCain says ‘Miss Congeniality.’

If they keep referring to McCain as a maverick, they’re going to ruin Top Gun for me. ["Facebooking the Palin-Biden debate" by Andrew Heining. The Christian Science Monitor]

For laptop users watching the political debate tonight, you can track political coverage with several liveblogs. One advantage: livebloggers will likely do fact-checks on topics as they are discussed, and a few will provide political commentary on any gaffes or foibles that occur. [Bookmark alert: Liveblogs for Sarah Palin and Joe Biden debate by John Brandon. ComputerWorld.com]
Online video-sharing and social networking are playing a growing role in the American electoral climate. Sites across the web are using entertainment, data and engagement techniques to encourage users to cast their votes. Some of the work is satirical, like the Nobama-sponsored Obama cartoon featured at the left of this article, or the user-generated McCain ad to the right of it. Overall, what's out there is a snapshot of how the zeitgeist interprets — and reinterprets — the political atmosphere as Nov. 4 draws near. [source: MarketingVOX]

Change Cuts

2008-09-30T21:32:00.004-04:00

Friends, and I only call you friends because I don't know your names individually--

We've been missing. But it has been for good reason. We are getting ready for the upcoming debate parties, etc. While we at ALBC are not specifically (Obama) endorsing (Obama) any one candidate (Obama), we did like what this avid (Obama) supporter did to his hair!

Facebook feelings

2008-09-24T18:53:00.004-04:00

I was checking my "friends'" status updates on Facebook today. Boy o boy do we have some outspoken "friends."

KC is still thinking that McCain is a dumbass. What is suspending your campaign for 3 days going to do when you can barely spell economics?

MT thinks you should not vote for a person who can't multi-task.

PH is is putting his Facebooking ON HOLD to respond to the mounting laundry crisis in his closet.

TY is asking McCain to stop the bitchassness. Somebody who doesn't understand economics skipping a debate will provide us an effective bailout plan? Doubt it.

CL thinks John McCain really doesn't understand economics. The economy is not a light switch. A Friday meeting will NOT bring an immediate fix.

TJ is thinking that McCain is pulling the "punk" move. Don't be scared. What next...postpone election day?

Presidential Status

2008-09-24T17:53:00.002-04:00

So clearly we’re Obama supporters… unabashed supporters…start making videos and begin blogging supporters. But in all unbiased, objective honesty, the Senator from Illinois handled the “John McCain you better not punk out” press conference very well; so well that we can only describe his performance as Presidential.

This is especially true when you consider the McCain campaign’s reluctance to expose Governor Palin to the media. That’s a clear admission on their part that, with a single question, the press corps can make you say what you mean in a way that ends up being construed in a way that you didn’t mean it and will regret ever saying it in the first place.

You're probably asking, "How many press conferences have you watched?" Not that many. Closer to 0 that 10; but I've seen almost every episode of the West Wing so I know the press is no joke. That said, don't take my word for it...Know for yourself!

For Senator McCain's press conference:

BREAKING NEWS: MCCAIN POSTPONES DEBATE

2008-09-24T15:45:00.007-04:00

"John McCain suspends campaigning to work on economy, requests postponing Friday debate; asks Obama do the same." source: CNN, via Twitter. Read instant reaction from a running Instant Message conversation between Special Agent Change and 2.0 regarding this breaking news!

2.0: John McCain suspends campaigning to work on economy, requests postponing Friday debate; asks Obama do the same.

SAC: source?

2.0 cnn

SAC: that's actually a good thing; i tip my hat to mccain

2.0: so you don't think he was ill prepared?

SAC: that bailout bill could be worse than the patriot act
prepared to debate?

2.0: yeah, he has asked BO for a debate during everyone of his appearances. I was anxious to see it

SAC: I give him the benefit of the doubt that he isn't so ill prepared as to bailout like that. the debate is supposed to be on foreign policy so it was a softball for him. its good for the debate to postpone it too cuz people arent thinking about foreign policy right now

2.0: But McCain has said himself that he doesn't understand the economic issues that well. How can he justify canceling the debate to speak at The Clinton Global Initiative. He said he was suspending his campaign. Isn't that campaigning?

SAC: you can't skip out on El Padrone
call it one more for the road
obama will probably let it ride

2.0: We need to post this for the people.
This just in Obama doesn't agree with the postponing. I guess not, he's in Florida getting ready, lol

SAC: haha

Game Changer: Jonathan Bender

2008-09-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Today I read an article on ESPN.com about the incredible work Jonathan Bender is doing to help rebuild New Orleans. In addition to making the transition from hoop star to businessman, Bender has used his notoriety and wealth to help hurricane victims. I was inspired by his story and instantly thought that his efforts were causing "a lil bit of change."

ALBC applauds citizens who capitalize on their God given abilities and then convert those blessings into gifts for others. To us, that's "a lil bit of change." People shouldn't be satisfied with merely optimizing their abilities and enjoying the awards received because of them; we should all strive to do more as we're given more. That's not us trying to preach or to be deep; we just believe that for someone who has accumulated a lot, what is a lil bit to them could do a lot of good if passed on to others with less who strive for a better life.

"He could have squandered his remaining millions or succumbed to depression over being labeled a "has-been" before his 25th birthday. But [Bender] was also an entrepreneur who'd watched the business-savvy NBA team owners, thinking 'I can be like them.'"

He always knew he was different.

A long-limbed forward with a 39-inch vertical leap, Jonathan Bender stood 6-foot-7 by the time he was 13 years old. When the soft-spoken teen graduated from Picayune Memorial High School in rural Mississippi, those who saw him play called him the next Magic, the next Jordan.

But Bender, skilled enough to forego college for the NBA, had struggled with his arthritic knees, which soon became his Achilles' heel. After only six professional seasons, he had to walk away from basketball.
For the full article click: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=JonathanBender-080923&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1

A lil bit of time off

2008-09-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

Sorry friends,

ALBC took a lil time off because a lot of housekeeping needed to be done this weekend. But no sweat, we plan to work overtime the rest of the week to make sure we get caught up on the market and the debate later this week. Also, as a bonus, we'll be in D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus weekend so there will be plenty of scoops and pics from our adventures in the nation's capital.

Best regards,
The Contributors

Don't Change A Word: Howard Thurman

2008-09-19T10:06:00.001-04:00

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
-Howard Thurman, American Theologian

Correcting our unfairness

2008-09-18T18:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we did something that in hindsight was unfair. We said that John McCain didn't understand the current crisis and wouldn't be competent enough to get us back on track. We still don't believe he's the right guy for the job but we should've let him speak for himself.

In a 2-minute ad, Senator Obama was clear and to the point about his plan to strengthen the economy once he's President. In a 5 minute interview, Senator McCain was...well we'll let you watch and draw your own conclusions. "Know for yourself":

All due respect Senator McCain, "...you need more people"

Notable Quotable

2008-09-18T18:08:00.004-04:00

Photo Credit: rantsfrompurgatory.blogspot.com

In an interview with the Omaha World Herald, Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel said the following in regards to Governor Sarah Palin:

"I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States"

"She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials,...You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."

"I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia.'" "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."

Senator Hagel is a highly respected member of the Republican Party and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Simply put, he knows what he's talking about and his opinion isn't driven by partisanship.

Change Agent: Jovian Irvin, changing perspectives

2008-09-18T11:57:00.014-04:00

On a recent trip to China, this week's Change Agent, Jovian Irvin discovered that, "some things change, while many, bound by our human experience stay the same."

"A New Perspective on Change" by Jovian Irvin

While many things were different in China, some things seemed to be quite the same...

Chinese people still desperately seek the change in their government as we do in ours:

Their babies cry with the same intensity when they need their diapers changed.

Cab drivers fail to put their signals on when they wanna change lanes.

You more than likely have to buy something if you want to break your Yuan and get some change.

The degrees of separation between black people is still less than 2.

A smile from a cute guy would change any girls mood.

Whether you're a 20 something black girl from North Carolina, 80 yr. old Brazilian man, or 40 year old Chinese woman; when you reach the top of the Great Wall, not only do you a new perspective on life and what's REALLY high, you have a renewed fear of heights.

Like many Black kids, Chinese kids will change their hair when something really big is goin on.

Black people tend to find the shade in any desert. Chinese people do the same by bringing it with them.

Homeless people do whatever it takes to make 'a lil bit of change.'

There are still snakes on a plane.

And perhaps more importantly, songs are still in the key of life.

I traveled across China because I wanted more than a change in scenery, I wanted to new perspective. One that would helped me understand the differences in culture; one that would make me more compassionate, understanding and aware of God's presence in this world. This trip did just that--and more. It showed me how in the most basic ways, we are all the same. And that, I realize won't change.

Searching for insight-Part 1

2008-09-17T18:25:00.007-04:00

Friends, we continue to search for insight on the current market crisis. Today we found a couple of pieces that are concise yet informative. The first is from Joseph E. Stiglitz, professor at Columbia University, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 and as a member of the climate change panel, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. We pulled his 6 point commentary from CNN.com. Link provided below.

This is not the first crisis in our financial system, not the first time that those who believe in free and unregulated markets have come running to the government for bail-outs. There is a pattern here, one that suggests deep systemic problems -- and a variety of solutions:

1. We need first to correct incentives for executives, reducing the scope for conflicts of interest and improving shareholder information about dilution in share value as a result of stock options. We should mitigate the incentives for excessive risk-taking and the short-term focus that has so long prevailed, for instance, by requiring bonuses to be paid on the basis of, say, five-year returns, rather than annual returns.

2. Secondly, we need to create a financial product safety commission, to make sure that products bought and sold by banks, pension funds, etc. are safe for "human consumption." Consenting adults should be given great freedom to do whatever they want, but that does not mean they should gamble with other people's money. Some may worry that this may stifle innovation. But that may be a good thing considering the kind of innovation we had -- attempting to subvert accounting and regulations. What we need is more innovation addressing the needs of ordinary Americans, so they can stay in their homes when economic conditions change.

3. We need to create a financial systems stability commission to take an overview of the entire financial system, recognizing the interrelations among the various parts, and to prevent the excessive systemic leveraging that we have just experienced.

4. We need to impose other regulations to improve the safety and soundness of our financial system, such as "speed bumps" to limit borrowing. Historically, rapid expansion of lending has been responsible for a large fraction of crises and this crisis is no exception.

5. We need better consumer protection laws, including laws that prevent predatory lending.

6. We need better competition laws. The financial institutions have been able to prey on consumers through credit cards partly because of the absence of competition. But even more importantly, we should not be in situations where a firm is "too big to fail." If it is that big, it should be broken up.

These reforms will not guarantee that we will not have another crisis. The ingenuity of those in the financial markets is impressive. Eventually, they will figure out how to circumvent whatever regulations are imposed. But these reforms will make another crisis of this kind less likely, and, should it occur, make it less severe than it otherwise would be. And here is the rest of it.
for full article see: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/17/stiglitz.crisis/index.html

Searching for insight-Part 2

2008-09-17T17:02:00.005-04:00

So just in case you think we're just talking big talk when we say we're in hot pursuit of answers about the state of the financial market, we decided to go a step beyond what the media is reporting on the issue and spent some time in the Lehman Brothers discussion group on Google Finance. (Ok, we were on NYMag.com and there we found the link to a post by chris_desbarres@yahoo.com, but over here following links counts as research) Disclaimer: we have no clue who Chris is but we thought his "30-second version of what happened with Bear Stearns and Lehman" broke the issue down in a way that laymen can understand. That said, know for yourself and only use this info as a condensed means to a comprehensive end:

People went to traditional banks and mortgage brokers and bought mortgages. All of these mortgages carry different amounts (e.g. $100,000 mortgage vs. a $500,000 mortgage) and different risk levels. The ones that are more likely to default have a higher interest rate, so the bank stands to gain more money...but at a greater risk of the home owner defaulting on the mortgage.

The problem with this is it is very difficult to balance your risk-reward ratio. So they created an investment vehicle called a mortgage-backed security (MBS). This is reffered to as a "derivative" because it is based off of the mortgage. The way it works is the banks chopped up all these different mortgages into different securities that were worth different amounts and different risk levels. They then sold these to other banks and investments firms. The firms who bought these MBS then received a payment based off of the mortgages. For the banks selling MBS, it helped them pool risk and generate capital, and for the firms who bought the MBS, it provided a source of cash flow with what was thought to be a very safe,secure underlying commodity: real estate.

Since real estate was so "safe," these banks used huge amounts of leverage (borrowed money to buy the securities) because they didn't think they were that risky. Some firms, like Lehman, were leveraged 30:1, meaning that for every $30 they borrowed, they had $1 of underlying assets. That would be like you making $1000 a year but taking out a loan of $30,000.

While all this is going on, people are buying up adjustable interest rate mortgages (ARMs). They offer a cheap introductory rate, but then skyrocket. So all of a sudden, all these people discovered they couldn't make their monthly payments. The default rate shot through the roof. The firms that had purchased MBS did so based on certain
calculations of default. In other words, X number of people could default on their mortgages, but they could still make a profit and have a positive cash-flow. However, when the default rate shot up, this threw all of their calculations off.

Now the firms faced a real problem. They had HUGE amounts of debt on their balance sheets, and the assets that were supposed to balance that debt were becoming worth less and less because of the rising default rate and the drop in housing prices. These are the "write-downs" that you hear about. The firms had to pay interest on that debt, but they did not have the corresponding cash flow to be able to pay the debt. Lehman, for example, had $5.4B of debt obligations last quarter, but only had $2.3B in income.

When you can't pay your debt obligations, that's called being insolvent. Many people think that bankruptcy is caused by having more liabilities than assets, but that's not true. It's caused when you can't make good on your debts, so the repo man comes and claims your assets in order to make up for it. When that happens, you have to file for bankruptcy in order to make sure that people get paid in the correct order because otherwise different creditors are going to be suing you to make sure they get what you owe them.

So that's where we are now with Lehman. They couldn't pay their debts, so they had to file for bankruptcy.

Make sense?

To visit the discussion group see:
http://finance.google.com/group/google.finance.657107/browse_thread/thread/54fdd4c1327913cd/670c91dbcf5945ad?lnk=st&q

Searching for insight-Part 3

2008-09-17T16:37:00.001-04:00

After hearing from commentators and informed citizens, the next logical step is to hear our future leaders' perspective on the state of the economy. Senator McCain has stated that economics is not his forte and “...is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” His surrogates have all but confirmed those sentiments as fact. Today, the Senator from Illinois broke from the 30-second rule for commercials and issued a 2-minute ad as a counterpoint to the Senator from Arizona's deep knowledge on the subject. Check it out:

Change of pace

2008-09-17T16:13:00.011-04:00

Over here at ALBC, its not all politics all the time. As you'll come to see we have a broad range of interests. The quest for "a lil bit of change" is a cultural phenomena that goes far beyond candidates, campaigns and catch phrases. It's about being the best you can be and, by doing so, inspiring others to be better .

In that vein, we borrowed this amazing pic from our neighbor thesartorialist.blogspot.com. A subtle understanding must exist between an artist and its subject; they must challenge each other while also being vulnerable amongst each other. This shot embodies "a lil bit of change" because the subject exudes an energy that is free from restraint and the artist reciprocates by capturing the subjects magnetism.

Enjoy. Thanks Sart.

For Your Information

2008-09-16T21:58:00.003-04:00

Your friends here at ALBC are keeping close watch on Wall Street and the chaos that is our economy. Things are changing rapidly and honestly it's impossible to know what will happen next. This weekend it was Lehman and Merrill, today it is AIG, and there's potential for another major institution to fall victim later this week (knock on wood those words don't come to life). Yet in the midst of the confusion we thought we'd share some information on "Why AIG matters" courtesy of CNNMoney.com.

I have insurance through AIG. How worried should I be about the problems at the company?

At least in the short term, you probably don't need to be worried at all. The problems are with the AIG holding company, not the individual insurance company subsidiaries that you do business with, according to a source with New York State's insurance regulator.
Even if AIG's holding company is forced to file for bankruptcy court protection, there's a good chance that the subsidiaries will continue to operate normally with no disruption in claims payments. That has happened in the case of other insurance holding companies' bankruptcies in the past, such as Conseco (CNO).

What guarantees that my claims will be paid?

Typically, if an insurance company falls into financial distress and is at risk of having claims that exceed the assets it holds to make those payments, the insurance regulator in its home state will take control of the firm and make payments.

The state regulator will not only use the firm's own assets to make those payments but, if necessary, can also make payments out of a state fund into which all insurers in the state are required to pay.

This guarantee applies not just to traditional insurance policies but also to retirement products that have a promised payout, such as annuities.

But there are limits to the payments that will be made to customers that vary depending on which state a particular AIG subsidiary is based, according to Joseph Belth, professor emeritus of insurance at Indiana University and editor of The Insurance Forum, a newsletter often critical of the industry.

Should I be thinking about changing my policy away from AIG to another insurer?

While credit rating agencies downgraded debt held by AIG (AIG, Fortune 500) on Monday, AIG's ratings are still considered investment grade and the company's insurance subsidiaries are considered to be secure, at least for now.

Belth said changing insurers is not a simple decision.

"A lot depends on what kind of insurance you talk about," he said. "If you're talking about life insurance, you have to think about whether you can qualify with a new insurer, if your health has changed. But it's something you have to consider if the ratings decline into the vulnerable range."

Why should I care about problems at AIG if I'm not a customer?

AIG is by far the world's largest insurer and its stock is found in many mutual funds, including any S&P 500 index fund. It is also a component of the Dow Jones industrial average. All by itself, it's been responsible for dragging the Dow down more than 400 points so far this year.

AIG is also active in the business of credit default swaps, complicated financial instruments used by investors to protect themselves from bond defaults. Lehman Brothers (LEH, Fortune 500) was another major player in that field. If both go away, it would create a tighter credit market for consumers and businesses trying to get loans.

For this reason, there is a debate about whether the Federal Reserve will agree to lend the company the tens of billions of dollars it needs to cover its short-term funding needs or if the Fed will try and get private firms to assist AIG instead.

AIG is an insurer, not a lender. Why do I keep hearing about its problems with subprime mortgages?

All insurers take money they collect in premiums and invest them in different forms of assets. The idea is to make money on those investments so that the insurer can keep their premiums low and attract more clients.

But AIG made a bigger investment into securities that were backed by subprime mortgages than most other insurers. As defaults and foreclosures of those loans rose, the value of those securities fell, creating big problems for the firm.

In the past nine months, AIG has reported net losses of more than $18 billion, largely due to its exposure to bad mortgages.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/16/news/companies/aig_questions/index.htm?postversion=2008091621

Labor indefinitely

2008-09-16T21:05:00.003-04:00

To say that the American economy has been in a tailspin the past few days is kind of an understatement. Honestly, I really don't know how to quite articulate what's going on right now. HOWEVER!!!, I found someone who can. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich gives his 2 cents on the economy while doing a handstand and dropping the S-bomb.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

It's hard finding good help

2008-09-16T18:44:00.000-04:00

As the economy goes to "shit", Senator McCain and his surrogates show how well prepared they are to get us back on track.

At least Mitt Romney found it funny.

Fortune Magazine: MySpace sets music free

2008-09-15T01:25:00.005-04:00

By Devin Leonard, senior writer

Myspace founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson have had an uneasy relationship with the music industry. Nearly every music act has a MySpace page; some of them, like British pop diva Lily Allen and American psychedelic-funk purveyor Gnarls Barkley, have used the social network to become stars. But two years ago Universal Music Group discovered unauthorized songs from U2 and Jay-Z on MySpace and sued the site in federal court.

Well, that relationship is about to improve. In August some of the industry's most prominent executives - including Universal's Jimmy Iovine - showed up at MySpace headquarters in Beverly Hills for a visit that couldn't have been more cordial. "It was almost like we were all singing 'Kumbaya' together," DeWolfe says.
It was the first meeting of the board of directors of MySpace Music, an unprecedented joint venture between the social network and three of the Big Four music companies: Universal, SonyBMG, and Warner Music (WMG), which together account for 77% of all U.S. album sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan. MySpace is also in talks with the fourth biggie, EMI, whose U.S. market share is 9%.

MySpace Music, scheduled to launch in September, promises to be the most significant rollout of a digital-music service since Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iTunes. It will enable MySpace users to listen to any song from the catalogs of the three music giants free. There will be on-screen ads along with that music, but yes, it will be free. And that includes U2 and Jay-Z-and Christina Aguilera, Kid Rock, and rap superstar T.I.

DeWolfe says the key to the new service is this: Users will be able to visit the pages of major label artists and click on the songs they like as they listen. Then they'll be able to create playlists on their own pages made up of those tracks: "There will be a button that says, FOR THE FULL CATALOG, CLICK HERE," he says. "That's what's never been done before." The idea is that people will use the playlists to personalize their MySpace page, which, in turn, boosts traffic. "Think about why people go to a music service," he says. "They go to iTunes because they just want to get the songs and get out. MySpace is different. It's like going to your friend's house, and they have cool music playing in the background that makes the experience that much better."

"This is how people discover music now," says Luke Wood, executive VP of Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M. "It's not happening through people reading Rolling Stone. It's not happening through the radio. It's happening through social networks online."

If listeners really like a particular song, they can buy it with one click and have it routed immediately to iTunes or Windows Media Player via a download service created by Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500). To Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the alliance makes perfect sense: "MySpace, with its hundreds of millions of users, is an important place for music discovery, just like the Amazon MP3 store."

Bezos sounds excited, and no wonder. He's confident that Amazon's alliance with MySpace will increase his company's share of the music-download market. The market research firm NPD says that Amazon's year-old MP3 store is already the nation's second-largest digital-music retailer, after iTunes. MySpace's music company partners are also pleased that the joint venture will strengthen Amazon's hand. Although they won't say so on the record, they aren't happy with iTunes' current domination of digital music. Says Ivan Gavin, COO of SonyBMG's BMG Label Group: "Competition isn't the worst thing in the world."

DeWolfe believes that MySpace Music could generate enough money through ad sales, downloads, and eventually music-related e-commerce like T-shirt and concert ticket sales to put the industry back on its feet again. The music labels, of course, could use some new revenue streams right now. The industry is in a state of upheaval. Last year alone, CD sales declined an astonishing 20% - that's $2 billion in revenue gone. Digital sales rose by $500 million - nowhere near enough to make up the difference. "We think this has the ability to change the economics of the music industry and create a revenue stream that replaces lost CD sales," he says.

Yet for MySpace Music to succeed, it will have to sell ads - lots of them, and at commanding prices. Its label partners want a penny each time someone listens to a song on an ad-supported service. That means MySpace Music needs to charge $10 for every 1,000 ad impressions just to break even. Think how many MySpace pages automatically play a tune when you land on them; each one counts as an impression. MySpace won't comment, but media buyers say it has been able to charge only $3 per 1,000. Why? Because there's a glut of social-networking ad inventory on the market. That's one reason Fox Interactive Media, MySpace's parent, missed its revenue target for the fiscal year ending in June by an estimated $100 million.

DeWolfe promises that MySpace Music will have no problem selling ads. He points to his company's 300 ad salespeople, most of whom are working on the new music service. Toyota, McDonald's, and State Farm are sponsoring the launch. "We recognized that this is a groundbreaking addition to the music industry landscape," says Doug Frisbie, national media manager for Toyota Motor Sales.

In a way, MySpace Music was something that DeWolfe and Anderson had to do. Their site had a huge audience of music fans, but it wasn't making enough money. So nine months ago they pitched the idea of an ad-supported service to News Corp. (NWS, Fortune 500) CEO Rupert Murdoch and his deputy, COO Peter Chernin. The two executives took a typically contrarian stance. They weren't bothered that other major media companies have been fleeing the music business. "This venture marries the largest music community in the world with the biggest music catalogs in the world," Murdoch tells Fortune. "We're confident it will be a big success."

"It's not like we were going out and starting a record label," says Chernin. "This is something we'd been talking about for a while."

Here's a big question hovering over MySpace Music: Will it actually improve the music industry's slumping overall sales? "We believe that you can't just have ad-revenue-sponsored content," says Michael Nash, Warner's chief digital strategist. But why will people buy more music when MySpace will be offering so much for free? DeWolfe says people will still need to buy tunes to play on their iPods.

The truth is, MySpace et al. are making a leap of faith by pushing free music. Dalton Caldwell, CEO of imeem, an ad-supported music social network that has 27 million users, warns that DeWolfe is setting the bar too high. "I don't know if we can be superheroes and save the world," says Caldwell. "I think it would also be difficult for anybody to say they can replace lost CD sales."

Don't tell that to DeWolfe. He's already talking cultural juggernaut. "Think about MTV," he says. "Not necessarily what they are right now, but how they created pop culture in the late '80s, early '90s. I think that's what MySpace Music will do now." Maybe he should get those lost CD revenues replaced first.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/11/technology/leonard_myspace.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008091212

Soapbox Sundays

2008-09-14T23:10:00.000-04:00

Public preference on the issue of the war in Iraq has largely boiled down to those who favor withdrawing the troops and those who favor prolonging the battle. Senator McCain, who is a member of the later group, is running on a 'We can't afford to lose' platform. Yet who defines winning and losing? More specifically, what constitutes victory in a conflict such as this one where the immediate defeat and surrender of the know enemy was immediately followed by conflict with an unknown enemy?

Ultimately the People will determine the definition based on who they vote for. By electing Senator McCain, the People would be defining the recipe for victory as a continued surge in troop levels and a corresponding escalation of the conflict. Best case scenario, the surge expeditiously wears down the militias, restores a reasonable degree of peace and allows us to commence the daunting task of rebuilding. Conversely, a far worse scenario is the Iranian influence on Iraq will evolve from clandestine to conspicuous.

My preferences aside, the reality is, if elected, Senator McCain will declare he has a mandate based upon popular support. What do you think about that?

Ageism has no place in America, but...

2008-09-14T20:55:00.005-04:00

Moments of ageism always provide me with a good laugh. This post is in honor of my two year old cousin who threw a fit when his mother wouldn't let him play football with a group of older kids. His response was, "Not too young! Vaughn not too young!" As a person who can relate to the ageism Vaughn experienced (shout out to my 2nd grade teacher who didn't believe World News was my thing and was convinced I memorized the newspaper stories every morning), ALBC would like to share with you a short video from slate.com, How to Call McCain Old Politely.

And in a knee-Jerk rebutal from Sen. McCain, he shares how he feels about his age in his own words, after the jump:

Palin: Obama probably wishes he'd picked Clinton as VP

2008-09-13T14:43:00.002-04:00

(CNN) — Sarah Palin said Barack Obama could be wishing he had asked Hillary Clinton to join him on the Democratic presidential ticket.

"I think he's regretting not picking her now, I do," the Republican VP nominee told Charles Gibson of ABC News. "What determination and grit and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way. She handled those well." Palin herself has said that Hillary Clinton had been “whining” about sexism during the primary season. "When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, 'Man, that doesn't do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress in this country,' " she said at a media forum earlier this year.

But when the Alaska governor first hit the trail after being named John McCain’s running mate, she made remarks at campaign events praising the New York senator, though she stopped making the comments after drawing consistently negative reactions from GOP crowds.

Clinton herself has largely avoided discussing Palin publicly since the governor's selection as McCain's VP.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/13/palin-obama-probably-wishes-hed-picked-clinton-as-vp/

"It's like a really bad Disney movie..." says Matt Damon

2008-09-12T16:10:00.004-04:00

Click Read More! below to watch Matt Damon share his opinions about McCain & Palin. It's pretty straight-forward, he even mentions Actuary Tables.

"if you havent seen it, he sums it up just like i would!"
-M. J. P.

Palins no porker. But John McCain's economic plan...

2008-09-11T14:46:00.000-04:00

Change your Flight Pattern

2008-09-11T02:47:00.002-04:00

Recorded live by a banker, beatboxed by an actor, and produced by a Genius. All done for the love of the game; not too serious but seriously interesting. And funny. And clever. And you might be in it. And if you don't see yourself it might be because the Genius tucked your shot into a fraction of a second in the frame. And if that's not the case then you need to change your flight pattern and be fly with us.

A lil bit of comment would be nice.

Engulfed in Change

2008-09-10T17:15:00.002-04:00

On the Sunday preceding Hurricane Gustav I received a text message from an old friend from high school. It was a mass text that instructed people to use text messages to communicate so as to not tie up the cellular towers during Gustav's commencement and aftermath. Aside from being amazed at how technology has altered and improved disaster relief, the text struck me as odd because my friend lives in Baton Rouge. Prior to this text, I like many others had made the far too common mistake of relegating all things gulf coast to merely the city of new Orleans. Not to take anything away from the danger New Orleans consistently faces during hurricane season, but it is only one of many cities, towns and municipalities in Louisiana, as well as the entire South, that faces the threat of devastation.

After checking with my friend as to her safety, I was informed that she'd evacuated to our hometown, Tallulah, which is in north Louisiana a couple hundred miles from the actual Gulf. From there, I proceeded to inquire about the state of things in Tallulah and was happy to hear that all was well. I was so pleased with the news that I didn't feel compelled to check with my parents to verify. They didn't call and I didn't call; no news was good news. I proceeded to enjoy the rest of labor day weekend by overeating and debating whether Sarah Palin was the Anti-Christ or Eve with a barrel of apples. (I did finally call my mother after the storm had passed to make sure that things were as I'd hoped they were.)

It would be unfair and inappropriate for me to criticize "the government" for choosing to err on the side of avoiding catastrophe by requesting all citizens to evacuate. However, although the storms themselves have caused great damage, it seems that preexisting "weak" infrastructure, both physical and administrative, has caused the most substantial and sustaining damage to the region. It wasn't just Hurricane Katrina but also the weak levees and inadequacies of FEMA that lead to the moment in time that we will never forget but pray that we won't revisit. Further, although Hurricane Gustav has come and gone, there are still hundreds of thousands of gulf coast residents living without power, in part due to Entergy’s regional monopoly of the power industry. While the thought of citizens being without power may not shock your senses in the same manner as seeing thousands stranded in front of the Morial Convention Center, trust me when I say “Hell is probably less hot and humid than Louisiana is right now”; throw in the mosquitoes who thrive in those conditions and you have something straight out of Dante's inferno.

I don't want to cop out here and go on a Kanye-esque the government doesn't like Gulf Coast people diatribe. I could easily spew out statistics about the Gulf Coast being the most impoverished and undereducated region of the country; I could easily talk about the high crime rates in cities like New Orleans and Mobile; I could easily say that President Bush once again flew over the devastated areas to observe the damage but didn't come up with a practical and sustainable plan of action once he was back on the ground. However, doing so would only place this amongst the already thunderous chorus of op-eds, articles and essays that chronicle the post hurricane state of affairs. What I would rather do is challenge us all to use this as an example of why it's important for citizens to serve as a check on government. We must elect officials who can articulate an understanding of and a plan of action for the needs in the community they seek to serve. We must form citizen groups to counter the influence wielded by corporate special interests. We must use the advancements in technology and communication to modernize citizen activism.

We must use the tools at our disposal to incite change.

Change Agent: Cassandra Henderson, changing sex education

2008-09-09T14:01:00.008-04:00

Every month, ALBC will highlight citizens who are serving as a catalyst for change in various civic capacities. Meet our first "Agent of Change", the multi-talented Cassandra Henderson. ALBC interviewed Ms. Henderson about her quest to change the way sex education is taught to students. In an era where the rules of engagement and the possible consequences have drastically changed, it has become even more important to properly educate our children on the facts about sex.

ALBC: What change are you currently involved in?
CH: As of July 2008, I incorporated my now growing entertainment company Yardi Entertainment Inc., and as the first major project, I am working to revamp the sex education curriculum, first in the United States and ultimately world-wide. It is a project I have been wanting to do for over 10 years.

ALBC: What made you interested in revamping the Sex Education curriculum?
CH: In 1996, Georgia had the nations highest rate of teen pregnancy. Having spent most of my life in Georgia, this was important to me. As a teenager at the time, I became involved in an organization founded by actor, activist, and advocate Jane Fonda called "The Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention" (G-CAPP). I served as one of the youth spokespersons of this organization for two years. I attended conferences, made speeches and promotional videos, but the most life-changing experience I had was being part of a "support group" for teen mothers at my high school. I had never had a child, so spearheading this group with one of the guidance counselors put me in a very unique situation to see the before, during and after effects of teen pregnancy. Ultimately, this experience opened my eyes to not only the consequence of unplanned parenthood, but other repercussions of unprotected sex and sparked an interest in me to learn about safer sex options--something it seemed my peers didn't really understand or know about. How do you make the best possible decision without proper information? Answer: you can't. It is my firm belief that revamping the curriculum for human growth & development will not only aid to inform youth, but will also be a bit more relatable to today's adolescent.

ALBC: Why is this change important to you?
CH: I am a filmmaker, producer, writer, director, actor and entrepreneur. With all of these titles under my belt I am very aware of the "magic of moviemaking" I know that the images of romance and the "fairy tales" of love, sex, romance, relationships, and life that appear in 1-2 hours or less shape young and older minds alike. It is important to have a balance between fiction and reality. It is important to be able to see the persona, and still understand that when the lights fade to black, the person in those roles returns to real life just as the viewer in the audience. This is why I am utilizing the headliners of today, the people behind the personas to use this opportunity to speak honestly to youth everywhere. I am inviting musicians, actors, artists, politicians and other public leaders to use this platform as a platform to tell their own stories to speak on drug abuse, date rape, eating disorders, teenage pregnancy, abortion, relationships, depression, curable and incurable STDs, etc. With the help of these celebrities and role models and the collaborative help of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), we can and will inform, entertain, enlighten and inspire awareness, provide real information and resources for young people. We are all here to live the best lives we possibly can, and to help others do the same. William Penn is quoted as saying "If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not deter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." With the rise in cases of AIDS and HIV, it is imperative that we find ways of reaching young people, teaching young people, and providing young people with the most helpful resources available to help them learn, grow and achieve.

ALBC: What can other citizens do to be a part of this change?
CH: I am always looking for help. Grant writing, funding, researchers, community organizers, fundraisers, parents, young people are imperative to the continued development of this project. Educating young people is truly a collaborative effort. Equally as important are people who have stories to tell. Yardi Entertainment Inc.'s motto/slogan is "Find your voice...tell your stories" if you have a story that you feel may help a young person, or bring an issue to the forefront that may typically not be included in human growth and development curriculum, please send your stories to us yardient@yahoo.com. If you would like to help in any way, please send your contact information via e-mail to yardient@yahoo.com. I welcome both monetary and in-kind donations in support of this project as well as other current and future projects.

Find out more about Ms. Henderson and Yardi Entertainment at www.cassandrahenderson.biz

" Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

- Marianne Williamson

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