HustleKnockin'

More proof the college system is in trouble

CALIFORNIA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM GETS STUDENTS INTO SCHOOL< BUT NOT ALWAYS OUT
by Justin Pope
Associated Press

For most of history, higher education has been reserved for a tiny elite.

For a glimpse of a future where college is open to all, visit California--the place that now comes closest to that ideal.

California's community college system is the country's largest, with 109 campuses, 4,600 buildings, and a staggering 2.5 million students. It's also cheap. While it's no longer free, anyone can take a class, and at about $500 per term full-time, the price is a fraction of any other state's.

There is no such thing as a typical student. There are high achievers and low ones, taking courses from accounting to welding. There are young and old, degree-seekers and hobbyists—all commingled on some of the most diverse campuses in the country, if not the world.

AKEELAH’S COMING

In my “Good Buy, Bad Sell” news… 2006’s highly underrated kid flick, AKEELAH AND THE BEE (LionsGate, $29) drops on DVD on Aug 29.

Now in case you missed it—as most of the country did—Akeelah is a bright young Black daughter (Keke Palmer) of single mom (former Oscar nom Angela Bassett) with an incredible capacity for spelling. She’s a really smart kid who (like most youngsters) is a little awkward, lacks some confidence and isn’t too sure what the point/purpose is of being smart. So sometimes she dumbs it down just to fit in. It takes a teacher, Laurence Fishburne, to show her the light embrace her brains and push her to do her best which leads, to well, you know... [Insert Big Uplifting Finale here!]

Think Rocky meets Search for Bobby Fisher. Akeelah was a hot little movie. Too bad we all slept on it—which is precisely what makes it a “Good Buy Bad Sell” is the marketing.

personal responsishmiliteeee!!!

Rumor has it knockthehustle.com is going live this week. Here's an excerpt from a monthly feature called "THE HUSTLE OF THE MONTH," which is all about constructs and paradigms that have gone way too far. Check in every month for a fresh HOTM.

THE [PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY] HUSTLE

“I can’t do nothing for you man—
I’m busy trying to do for me.”
—Flava Flav

Personal Responsibility. Might be the biggest cliché in modern pop culture. Personal Responsibility used to be about fighting for control of your destiny. Living your life instead of being a bystander Ownership... But at some point, Personal Responsibility became one of the great modern hustles running. Personal Responsibility is my generation’s Caveat Emptor: Buyer Beware, Seller Amoral.

Recently in Chicago a huge mass of (mainly black) parents, lead by Rev. James Meeks, blasted Mayor Daley for Chicago’s failing inner city schools. They claimed the mayor, the school board, teachers’ union, etc just don’t care enough about inner city (lower income black) students to provide them with the quality education that suburban (think: white) students get.

our mayor's a tool!

This story’s pretty close to my heart, mainly because I’m a product of the CPS—Chicago Public School System. Daley was the mayor for part of my academic career after beating out a buncha goofs who fought for the crown once Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor died in office.

I always get wound up when I hear white folks, particularly politicians, talking about who should and shouldn’t be using the n-word. There’s such disingenuousness in the discussion. I mean, who invented the word, in the first place? Who gets to use the n-word these days is more about making white liberals comfortable with their unspoken biases than showing any level of respect towards black folks.

Richard Daley’s a tool. He runs what may well be the most biased and segregated big city in America. It’s a majority black and Hispanic city yet we’ve got the worst schools, the worst hospitals and the most problems with the cops and the worst political representation—no matter who we vote for.

Anyway, here’s the story. My analysis follows.

My style beats yours!

part of HustleKnockin', now that I'm slowly getting things rolling, will include exposing folks to fresh resources to help push boundaries, increase access, etc.

With that said, I gotta tell you guys about my boy Adam Aziz. Actually it's his crew. they're up in Canada. They're called the Takeover Group. Go to www.takeovergroup.com

If you're looking for hot web designers, these folks are phenoms. A bunch of young guns rippin't it with international style and all kinds of flavor.

So what's so special about this?

Is BET in Trouble?

BET is a sinking ship.

I ain’t trying to throw salt in the game, but Bob Johnson didn’t spend 18 years with his wife building that channel up and walk away from it like it he don’t know it; $3 Bill or no trey. He's a hustler but Hustlers got ego. They don't leave unless the gettin' is good. And BET shoulda been gettin' good, but it wasn't.

No, I think he cashed out for a couple reasons (besides a nasty divorce.)

Bob saw the writing on the walls. He saw the sag in the thongs.

Tired of Booty Black Flicks?

It’s super bob to the rescue!

Bob Johnson, founder of BET is starting up a movie studio dedicated to black family flicks. No lie. So the braintrust who brought you classic TV fare like:

Cita’s World…

endless reruns of The Parkers…

The parade of screaming comics coonish-yelling-the only-3-differences-between-whites-and-blacks-they-can-think-of-while-ripping-off-Richard-Pryor aka ComicView…

weekly airings of Trois

and of course, that bastion of black womanhood, BET: UNCUT…

Oh, did I mention that BET shows music videos?

And here’s the best part: Bob’s not waiting to be bought out by a conglomerate like he did with BET in 2000. No, this time, he’s partnering with the founders of Miramax right out the gate.

Full story below:

College is such a hustle sometimes...

Okay, when I'm not throwing rocks at suits 'n' glass buildings I’m an adjunct at a local college. It’s a private four year. 22, 000 a year, once you figure in room ‘n’ board. And no, the kids don’t get free laptops or lapdances for that matter. But for $22Gs they oughta at least get a peek. For 22Gs they oughta get um… nevermind.

One thing’s for sure. There’s been a lot of talk about what kids at 4 years don’t get: Learning.

It’s a hustle, man.

Was this guy the answer?

On the one hand, I’m sorry to see anyone go. On the other hand, I’m a little frustrated, that something like this gets celebrated. I’m not sure why. Equality is never as one-sided as Black and White…
And maybe that’s what bugs me about it. That it actually takes a client, a so-called “suit” to push for something as innovative as inclusion and diversity, but only because it “makes good business sense.” And that our industry, which swears to be the most creative thing this side of Hollywood couldn’t get any more milquetoast if it tried.
Ironically, nothing’s gonna change until you get more Sam Thurm out there.
Or until people stop debating whether not equality has anything to do with business sense, “giving back” or political correctness and accept it for what it is:

Right.

With all that said, the business community lost what seemed to be a pretty good guy this week.
Remember business ain’t everything.
Go home and kiss your family and hug somebody you care about and thank God for breathing.
The buildings will probably be here on Monday.
You’re not promised tomorrow.

Would you like some white bread with your beer?

Okay, so I'm chopping it up with a buddy of mine the other day. Can't say he's my boy or my partner. Or een my dawg. maybe if it were 1999. but it's not and he's white. So he's just my buddy.

He'd be my bro if he were about 25; but he ain't so, buddy it is.

We joke like that. known him since college. Anyway...

He's in the beverage game. more proof that he's white. he says beverage. a lot. why harp on the "white" thing? because he calls me up, we talk about liquor--he's in the marketing biz--he tells me that some big dumb white client he works for is struggling to move cases.
again. he ads, "these guys are too white for their own good."

Finally, after Ted Ferguson bud guy.. umpteen incarnations of blonde vs. brunette jokes
SNL vs. Mad TV styled bits, somebody besides me, unprompted just says it.

They're too white for their own good.

So this is what teens want...

While on NPR last week, Deborah Patton of VNU Media fixated on the infamous "youth conference". after a little digging, i found out what she was talking about.

It's called What Teens Want. Should be called, WHAT MARKETERS WANT TEENS TO WANT. Beleve me, that's all this unholy hell of a farce will amount to. It takes place in NYC July 13.

www.whatteenswant.com for more.

Hadji on NPR pt.2

I've said once, and I'll say it again: Corporate America makes people soft. squeezably charmin, pillow soft... so soft they get "handlers"... they have "people"...

Corporate People lose their friggin' minds they go so soft.

hadji goes off on NPR!!!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5540573

i got into it with this chick from VNU Media. when i was on NPR the other day. News and Notes with Ed Gordon. She was pretty slimy. actually, just slimy. give a listen.

Teen Consumers and the Trials of Youth Marketing

News & Notes with Ed Gordon, July 7, 2006 · Next week in New York City, a group of global marketers will gather to talk about the challenges of marketing to teenagers. Ed Gordon talks with marketing executives Hadji Williams and Deborah Patton about how marketers sell to young people, and issues of corporate responsiblity.

what if the game got flipped?

I came across this article on stereotypes of a black male--misunderstood, but it's all good. (sorta.)http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Men_Surviving_Blackness.html

Once I saw, I couldn't help but start building on it. So, my comments follow. It just got me rolling a little bit. at once there's hope, then at once, there's not as much. It makes me wish I'd done more with my pen and less for some of my clients'...

maybe there's still time.

get your motor runnin'! or else!

Harley Davidson...vroom, vroom. they got issues....