There’s a new social networking site for people interested in creating relationships with Africa, discovering African cultures and reconnecting with Africans worldwide in a fun and dynamic environment. In my quest to “think global” I joined and I’m on my way to learning more about ways to do business in Africa.

It’s always been something I’ve been interested in, so we’ll see how it goes. I was invited by fellow blogger Benin Mwangi who has been integral in helping me learn more about the continent of Africa. I enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world and the Internet has made doing so easier.

Check out the Village at African Path and let me know what you think.

You soon won’t be able to turn around without hearing about “digital television” and its potential impact on you. Even though there is still a limited (but growing) universe of true high definition programming available over the air, Channel 8 and every other TV station in North Texas is sending out a digital signal right alongside its traditional “analog” transmission.

But all those analog signals will be switched off permanently on Feb. 17, 2009 by government mandate. That means if you’re watching Channel 8 on an older TV set and you get your picture with an off-air antenna, you’ll see nothing but snow starting on that date.

You should know, however, that old TVs can be used for years into the future with the help of a friendly little box to convert the new digital channels into an analog-friendly signal. While these converter boxes are expected to cost about $60 each, every family in the U.S. is entitled to receive up to two coupons with a value of $40 each that can be used to buy the adapters. You can sign up for the coupons starting Jan. 1, 2008.

Check out the WFAA.com DTV 2009 Countdown section for answers to questions. Don’t go into debt trying to buy a television you can’t afford. For now just use the coupon and apply for it as soon as you can. It’s been in the making for a while, so I didn’t think they would pass it and get it going as soon as they did. But the time to convert is coming and I want you to be prepared. Here are some other documents that may help also.

Digital TV Fact Sheet Contract

Preparing For The Digital TV Transition

I grew up listening to Bill Cosby. My dad had almost every album he put out and I remember sitting around the record player with my younger brother laughing at his comedy routine. I grew up on Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids, the stories of him and his brother Russell and Buck, Buck. As a teen I watched Cosby Show and a Different World. And even as an adult, I watch Little Bill with my son. So I can honestly say, I had high expectations for the book Come On People and knew there would be a lesson for everyone who read it.

I have to admit, while reading it I received a lot of mixed messages. You can tell they were trying to get their point across without offending too many people. It was definitely a toned down version of Cosby’s usual rants about the black community and I feel a lot of what they wrote was common sense. But along with the criticism, they gave a lot of advice on things we can do to improve our lives and lives of those around us. The book included topics on parenting, health, finances, community involvement and personal responsibility.

The first chapter covers the topic of the black male (or lack thereof) and offers advice on some of the things we can do as men to benefit our families and the community. I thought this was a great way to start the book because I think the role and concept of a real black man has been skewed. They ask the question, “What’s going on with black men?” and encourage men to build on the legacy of the those in the past. They ask men to re-dedicate themselves to the family and rebuild relationships that may have gone bad in an effort to be with their kids.

I was also glad to see some advice in the book for ex-offenders. Those who are looking to change have a hard time after they are release and there is a word for them in various chapters of the book. No one in the book was free from criticism, but everyone received some advice. Black men, woman and kids can get something out of the book, but you really have to take it as constructive criticism. There’s a lot in this book to take in, so I thought I’d list the topic of each chapter. Each chapter has different subtopics that touch on different things we face as a people.

Chapter 1: What’s Going On with Black Men?
Chapter 2: It Takes a Community
Chapter 3: We All Start Out as Children
Chapter 4: Teach Your Children Well
Chapter 5: The Media You Deserve
Chapter 6: Healthy Hearts and Minds
Chapter 7: The High Price of Violence
Chapter 8: From Poverty to Prosperity

My overall opinion is that Come On People gives the same general message as every other book I’ve read regarding the black community. It’s going to be up to us to make a change in what happens in our community. Dr. Cosby tends to get a lot of flack for what he says. But sometimes we need to hear the tough words. I’m sure this book will catch a lot of criticism, but if he didn’t care about our community, I’m sure he could just sit on his mounds of money relaxing on the beach. Many may not agree with their methods in how the message is presented, but Drs. Cosby and Poussaint have gotten people to talk about the issues. While this book may not apply to the majority of people who read it, I hope it does move us to get out there and make a difference where we can. It’s going to be up to us to take what’s said here and us it to help empower others.

I’ve provided some links below, if you would like to read a few chapters from the book. If you’ve read it, then I’d like to know how you feel. If not, then it’s a book worthy of adding to your collection. I’ll be giving some additional comments of Come On People on the next podcast.

http://treasures.billcosby.com/pdf/ComeonPeople-pg77-88.pdf
http://treasures.billcosby.com/pdf/ComeonPeople-pg124-132.pdf
http://treasures.billcosby.com/pdf/ComeonPeople-pg168-174.pdf

In keeping with full disclosure, I did want to let everyone know the reason for this review was because I received a copy from Team Cosby. The only requirements were that I read and post an open and honest review in a month’s time. You can rest assured that I did just as they asked.

I found this post at the Electronic Village and wanted to share because it shows us the importance of supporting black-owned businesses. This is a topic close to my heart because I think we underestimate our spending power and how we could use it to cause change in the community. We see the facts and numbers all the time, but when have we ever put it to the test. We have more disposable income than ever, so lets spend some of it on products and services from black businesses.

In episode 32 of the podcast, I mention the show I put together for JW’s Kwanzaa episode. In it, I cover the topic of Ujamaa and how we can extend our reach to other communities (and countries) in supporting black businesses. Together we can make a difference, so check out the Villager’s post and leave a comment.

I had a post about cre8buzz.com and wanted to let you all know the community is now open to the public. Since I’ve joined, I have noticed an increase traffic to the site and have gained a couple of readers in the process. It’s a great way to get exposure for blogs, personal, business and anything else you feel the need to share with the community. It’s a fun safe way to meet people all over the world to share ideas and opinions.

So check out the site and visit me in the People > African American community. If you want to rate my content or show your own stuff, sign up for a free account. Let me know what you think and give me a shout out after you join.

Now I’m not trying to take any listeners from my podcast, but I did want to let you know of a new show at BlackWeb 2.0. It’s their first episode where they interview Rocky Williform, CEO of StreetCred Media Group. They talk with Rocky about his new social networking group which targets the hip hop culture in an effort to bring about dialouge between the real fans of hip hop. They also talk about the future of StreetCred and how he came up with the idea behind the website.

The best thing about this interview is you don’t have to be a tech enthusiasts to enjoy it. They also talked with Rocky about how he was able to fund the project, his business philosophy and how he developed a business model around his idea. If you are an entrprenuer (or wanting to be one), there’s definitely some good information in it for you. If you check out Rocky’s bio, you’ll see this brotha is definitely about business. I like his mindset and you can tell in the interview that he is well-versed in what it takes to run a successful business. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Interview with Rocky Williform, CEO of StreetCred.com

by Darrell Holmes

For my industry, I am involved with organizations that provide consultation and support for the members of those various organizations. During a lunch meeting today, I was made aware of a franchise tax that was recently signed into law for the state of Texas. The intentions of the tax are well-placed. Essentially it would alleviate some of the financial burden carried by homeowners through property taxes without sacrificing funding to education. Believe me that as a homeowner I’m all for being relieved of some of the taxes I pay with my area having some of the largest homeowner taxes in the country. However, the committee that organized the wording of the new tax is putting a strange hold on small business owners who operate service-based corporations.
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In need of a job? Looking for more opportunity in your career? Then visit the largest online job fair at gotoworkamerica.com. It’s a new website aimed at getting you the job you want. *end commercial*

I’m not sure if that would be a good commercial, but I am sure that this is a website to check out. One of the ministers at my church is on the Go To Work America team and he urged us to get signed up. The official launch was September 3rd, so get your resume out there as soon as possible. He told us that employers are out there and it’s worth taking the time to submit a resume. You never know what can happen. To be honest, I agree with him 100%.

On my first job, I enjoyed what I did and I was good at it. All of my reviews were above average and I was a dedicated worker (so I thought). The company had some executive changes and layoffs started to free up some money to outsource overseas. That’s when I got that dreaded phone call letting me know my services were no longer needed. I wasn’t prepared for that, but in the end things ended up working out for me and my family. I’m saying this to let you know there’s nothing wrong with having options. I’m happy in my current job situation, but I have to remember to always keep my options open. You never know what opportunity might come your way.

Spread the word about this site and if you sign up, let me know how things turn out.

by Cameron W.

Some people might say that business the black way is not business at all but more of a black hole that sucks all the resources of the Black man into the obis. Sadly, in many ways those people are correct. Black Americans spend a higher percentage of their income on depreciable items than any other ethnic group. What that means in laymen’s terms is that homie over there would rather spend his hard earned McDonalds pay check on gold teeth than to invest that money in a savings or money market account. The Ariel Mutual Funds/Charles Schwab 2003 Black Investor Survey found that when comparing households where blacks and whites had approximately the same household incomes, whites saved approximately 20% more per month for retirement. It also found that 30% of Black Americans earning $100,000 a year had less than $5,000 in retirement savings. While 79% of whites invest in the stock market, only 61% of Blacks do. Furthermore the Black community is still grossly underrepresented in the business community. According to the U.S Department of Commerce out of all businesses in the United States 4% are owned by Blacks. Out of minority owned businesses 27.1% are owned by Blacks with the lion’s share of businesses going to Hispanic/Latinos at 39% followed by Asians at 30%.
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J. Anthony Brown of The Tom Joyner Morning Show is providing an opportunity for budding fashion designers to be the “Next Big Thing”. They are down to the three finalists and, coincidentally, one of the finalists is a friend of mine. Below is a link where you can go support Doc Adams or any of the other two finalists. Good luck to Doc and congrats to all of the finalists for their accomplishments.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/promos/janthony

Also, visit Doc’s webpage at http://www.docadams77.com/