Saturday, May 31, 2008

Dollars and Cents - My Bills


This is a comment from a reader on my post Dollar and Cents - I'm Broke:
What you should be listing is all of your bills. From cable to hair, then decide what you really can do WITHOUT. Why try to do a million writings with barely anytime for yourself when you can just cut your bills in half?

Here's the thing, the $1750 is bare bones. Here are my bills:

Rent - $655
Utilities - $150
Food - $150
Mom - $200
Credit Card - $20
Cell Phone - $65
Entertainment - $50
Total - $1385

Notice I don't have "hair" or "transportation" on the bills list. The reason I don't is because all of that is supposed to come out of the $50 listed for entertainment. I don't drive so gas is not an issue for me. My haircuts cost $15 and I stretch them to 2.5 - 3 weeks so I can save some money. And mind you $150 for food includes toiletries as well.

Also I have taxes I have to pay quarterly because I'm a freelancer. When I add in taxes the total I need to make it each month rises to $1750. My current gig pays $10 - $15 an article. I was working on a bid for the company I work for which would have payed really well but they ended up not getting the contract.

So there you have it. My financial life in a nutshell. Now if anyone sees anyway I can cut out the fat feel free to comment.

Quote of the Day

I think we have to honestly admit that the problems in the world today, as they relate to the question of race, must be blamed on the whole doctrine of white supremacy, the whole doctrine of racism, and these doctrines came into being through the white race and the exploitation of the colored peoples of the world.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Dollars and Cents - I'm Broke


So I decided to get real about my financial situation which, as of this writing, is quite dire.

The Good News: I do have a job
The Better News: I have a couple of job interviews
The Bad News: I'm still going to have to borrow money from my momma to make June rent.

Momma JJ proceeded to give me hell about the whole thing (not like she hasn't borrowed money from me on any number of occassions) and finally agreed to the loan. Nothing like a mother to make you feel worse about a situation than you already do.

So here is the good the bad and the outright ooo-gly about my current financial situation.

June - $316
You read that right. As it stands my entire take for the month of June stands at $316 dollars. And that may have to be downgraded by $10 if I overestimated how much I made on one of my writing gigs.

July
- $838 and counting
Right now my take home for July is standing at $838. That's better than June but definitely not a livable wage.

Minimum needed to cover all bills - $1750 (including taxes)

Goal
- $3500 before taxes

Current Job
- $1800 - $2250 (before taxes)
If I write 30 articles/week I will make between $1800 - $2250 a month before taxes. This alone will allow me to make the bare minimum I need to cover my monthly expenses. And mine you that $1750 for expenses is pretty bare bones.

Deficit between what I can make each month and goal
- $1250 - $1700

Ways to make up the difference
- Apply for more writing jobs
- Market my writing website and get more freelance gigs
- Outside employment
- Advertising revenue from blogs/websites
- Blogging donations

The (Daily) Plan
- Gym (can't work when I feel fat)
- Apply for jobs
- Blog (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays)
- Write 5 Articles
- Marketing (websites, blogs, social networks, etc.)
- Take Sundays off

So there you have it. My finances in a nutshell. I have a plan. I'm going to see it through. It will work.

Quote of the Day

Racial inequality took 400 years to build, but for some reason, people are asinine enough to think it should take just 20 years to fix it. Sorry my friend, it’s not that simple.
- Dr. Boyce Watkins

The Gold Digger's Manifesto: How to Get Broke Off


Welcome to the Gold Digger's Manifesto, a step by step guide to getting the baller of your dreams. These lessons are geared toward women of color since your path to a rich man's pockets is different from that of your white or Latin sisters.

Today's lesson is:

How to Get a Rich Man to Part With His Cash a.k.a. How to Get Broke Off

First thing you need to understand is that a guy who leads with his cash, is doing so because he knows it will give him the pick of woman he wants. He's doing so with the expectation that he will have to part with this cash to get the woman he wants. So the first lesson in How to Get Broke Off is to NOT GIVE UP THE GOODIES FOR FREE.

I put that in all caps is because it is an important lesson to understand. Giving up the goodies for free and early, marks you as low class and stupid and not at all the type of woman he's looking to deal with.

So if you can't just sex the man into opening his wallet how do you get him to part with his cash? Simple. You have two options:

1. Don't give up the goodies. You let him know up front that you aren't giving up the goodies unless you all are together or at the very least until you say so. You let him know that if he wants some quick action than their are plenty of other chicks for him to choose from but you are not one of them. You let him know in no uncertain terms that that is NOT how you get down. Be firm and stick by what you say. No giving in because he looks good or kisses you the right way, etc.

Now on the surface it appears this may not work. He will just find some chick who is willing to give up the goodies. But wealthy men aren't used to being told no. They are used to getting what they want, so if they decide they want you they will work extra hard to get you. And not just get you, but to impress you and make sure you want them. Next thing you know the cash is flowing without any panties dropping. Nice.

2. Pay to Play. Under this scenario you let the man know up front that if he wants your time and attention it's going to cost him. You make it clear that the panties don't come off without some incentive and that incentive usually involves hair, nails, clothes, shoes, cash or some combination of all of the above. Once the initial transaction has been made, then you sex him well. And I mean WELL. If you do your job as well as you should, he will continue to lavish you with gifts and cash and you will continue with the good lovin'. The moment he stops with the gifts, you stop with the sex. He will understand and behave accordingly. It will be a match made in Gold Digger Heaven.

So ladies that ends today's lesson in How to Get Broke Off.

Next week: Why D-List Entertainers, Athletes are NOT the Business.

Until then, keep it real and keep it gold.

GDM

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Quote of the Day

"I am in love" means "I want me to be happy"; "I love" means "I want to make you happy."
- unknown

Monday, May 19, 2008

Wise Words From Black Angenda Report


From House Slaves, Field Slaves and the Obama Predicament:

On the plantation, it is likely that many of the field slaves who managed to talk their way into the big house entered fully conscious of the likelihood that the humiliation they would suffer there would reach intolerable limits. Those contemporary field slaves who live vicariously through would-be President Obama, will be well advised to, like their ancestors, continue their journey toward 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with open eyes, and a frank realization that the presidency is not a political panacea - and possibly not even a palliative pill for the ills of America's African population. If we are to achieve genuine liberation, all political options, including revolution must not only remain open, but be pursued as though the world had never heard of Barack Obama.

And that's all I'm saying Black folks. Be happy that Barack has a shot at the Big Whitehouse. Celebrate it. Rejoice in it. But recognize that it doesn't change anything. Recognize that anyone who is willing to "abandon his pastor, ignore his community, commit to a corporate and Zionist agenda, and pander to bigots," will likely keep doing such if it means he will keep his job.

What do you think the flag lapel pin was all about? It was directed toward those bigots voters who have questions about Obama's "patriotism." Expect to see more of that. And the more of that you see, the more Black folks become the boogie man and the more Black pathology is put out there as the cause of our problems and not the systemic racism that confronts all Black people from birth.

Just be prepared is all I'm saying. Rejoice for Barack's presidency like you did for OJ's freedom but recognize -- it doesn't change anything.

Quote of the Day

Although many see value - even if only sentimental or symbolic- in electing a black president, it should become increasingly apparent that if the quest for a position in the big house compels a slave to abandon his pastor, ignore his community, commit to a corporate and Zionist agenda, and pander to bigots, then it is likely that once he moves in, he will have to stay with that program if he wants to keep his job.

- Mark P. Fancher

Friday, May 16, 2008

Quote of the Day

…For this Negro is sick. He has to be sick to try and force himself amongst some people who don’t want him, or to be accepted into a government that has used its entire political system and educational system to keep him relegated to the role of a second-class citizen. Therefore he spends a lifetime begging for acceptance into the same government that has made slaves of his people…
- Malcolm X

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Quote of the Day

"We're not living in the (19)40's," he said. "Look at him . . . the hairline, the ears -- he looks just like Curious George."
- Mike Norman on Obama Curious George T-Shirts

Saturday, May 10, 2008

And the Foolishness Just Keeps Rolling Along


Obama Suggests Offer Maybe Clinton Can't Refuse

The money quote:
Historically after a campaign is done and you want to unify the party, particularly when you've had a strong opponent, you want to make sure you're putting that opponent in a strong position so that they can work to win an election in November. So, obviously, I would want to have a broad range of discussions with Senator Clinton about how I could make her feel good about
the process and have her on the team moving forward.

And the tom foolery continues...

And Your Big Dog Too


Hat Tip America Blog

Friday, May 09, 2008

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

This Would be Me Saying I Told You So


From MSN:

WASHINGTON - Couldn’t the Democratic superdelegates just put an end to the prolonged Democratic presidential nominating struggle?

How about today?

In theory, the superdelegates — elected officials such as senators and governors and elected members of the Democratic National Committee — have the power to end the contest now.

They could rally en masse to Sen. Barack Obama, who crushed Sen. Hillary Clinton in the North Carolina primary Tuesday and nearly beat her in Indiana. (There are about 265 remaining uncommitted superdelegates.)

But interviews at the Capitol Wednesday with several Democratic senators and House members — some committed and some not — supply answers to the superdelegate riddle.

Some of the uncommitted are holding out to wait and see what voters in the remaining primaries decide, while others are wary of alienating Democrats in their home states or congressional districts by publicly declaring support for one of the two rivals.

Friction back home
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., an Obama supporter, gave his view that most of the remaining uncommitted House Democrats will back Obama. But the uncommitted “don’t want to upset anybody at all in their districts. Some have precarious districts and they don’t want to lose anybody at all” because Democratic disaffection could cost them support in their own re-election bids.

Perhaps fitting into this category is Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana who faces a challenging re-election battle this November.

“I will be remaining neutral for the foreseeable future,” said Landrieu. “I’m going to be very carefully watching what happens in the next couple of days, but I have been neutral, and out of respect for my supporters, half of whom are for Sen. Clinton and half of whom are for Sen. Obama, I’m going to stay that way.”

Another neutral superdelegate, Montana Sen. Jon Tester, said he’d wait until after his state’s primary on June 3. “I’ll make my own decision based on what happens between now and then, and who I think can win in November.”


Oh it gets better.

A day is like a year'
Another Democrat keeping his cards close to his vest is Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland. “My father told me that a day in politics is like a year. There’s a lot of things that could happen,” Cardin told a crowd of reporters as he tried to enter the Democrats’ weekly lunch meeting.

He’ll show his hand in late May or early June. The fact that Obama won Maryland’s primary with 60 percent of the vote “is a factor — but not a conclusive factor,” Cardin said.

Rep. Lincoln Davis, an uncommitted superdelegate from a Republican-leaning district in Tennessee, said he would wait until the convention in August to announce his choice.

“You never know where there might be a banana peel out there for someone to slip on,” he said.

He added, “I watched a football game called the Super Bowl and there was no doubt that Eli Manning’s team was going to lose and in the last few seconds the game changed.”

A mistake at the last second?
He said either Obama or Clinton “could make a mistake between now and August that could basically remove them from contention.”

He added, “I don’t know what’s going to happen between now and August, but I do know this much: Each of us was given the responsibility of being a delegate to the national convention” and those who wrote the party rules “meant for us to analyze who we thought could best win, not to put the stamp of approval on someone who may be the most popular or who may have the most votes.”

He said he would vote for “the best person to win the presidency in November” in order “to deny the Republicans the veto pen for the next four years.”


Translation: We don't want the Black guy at the top of the ticket. That's what all this talk of "electability" and "anything could happen" and "we don't want to upset our constituencies," is all about.

Mind you they could have ended this thing back in February before tensions got this high and they chose not to for the same reason they're choosing not to now: THEY DON'T WANT THE BLACK GUY. Which makes his pandering to white folk all the more disgusting.

If the Dems lose this fall it won't be because Obama is at the top of the ticket, it's because the Dems sabotaged their own candidate because of their own racist tendencies. The Democrats are so full of shit. SMH.

I Still Don't Believe It

Quick Analysis


My point would have been proven unless 1 of 2 things happens tomorrow:

1. 183 Superdelegates come out tomorrow for Barack Obama, finally ending this thing
2. Hillary Clinton concedes (presumably b/c the "powers that be" have put pressure on her to do so.)

We shall see.

Quote of the Day

A Clinton adviser said the situation was increasingly becoming one in which "she cannot be nominated and he can't get elected."
- The Washington Post

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!

In Case You Missed It....

....the Democrats have a nominee.


Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Oh, Someone Finally Decided to Mention Clinton's Black Problem


Schneider: The troubling racial divide continues

(CNN) – It’s the mirror image of Barack Obama’s white working class voter problem – Hillary Clinton’s continuing troubles with black Democrats.

Obama pulled in 78 percent of the black vote in South Carolina’s January contest, 84 percent in Missouri’s February vote, 87 percent in Ohio’s March 4 primary and 90 percent in Pennsylvania last month.

Tuesday night, he pulled in 91 percent of North Carolina’s black primary voters, and 92 percent of Indiana’s, according to early exit polls – numbers that would pose a major challenge for any Democratic White House hopeful.

Ya Think?

Handicapping North Carolina and Illinois


I say:

North Carolina
: Obama by 5
Indiana: Clinton by 9

What say you?

Friday, May 02, 2008

Best Thing I Read All Day

Does anyone here think for a single minute that a Jewish candidate would deny the Holocaust, minimize historical and ongoing oppression against Jews, wink at existing anti-Semitism, oppose Zionism, and argue some type of moral equivalence between the Nazis and their Jewish victims simply to be a candidate suitable for all??? And would that candidate be embraced by Jews who justify their support by saying, "well, once he gets in the door..."

Source

Quote of the Day

They removed the chains from our arms and our legs, just to place them on our brains.
- Malcolm X