Warren Buffet teaches me a thing or two...

I watched a documentary on Warren Buffet today on CNBC, and although I learned a lot, there were two things that impressed the hell out of me:

1- He said "In business, you don't need to know what's coming, but you do have to know what's going"- So he was saying that you have to know when your industry, your habits, your attitudes, whatever- no longer serve you successfully. He was saying that furniture manufacturing was LEAVING the US, so he had the stuff from one of his companies go to China. However, now the Vietnamese have even LOWER labor cost, so now it's time to move there.

2- Again, referring to the furniture business he owns part of, here is the the 3rd wealthiest man in the world, and yet the furniture in his house comes from the LOW-PRICE furniture company he owns. ANYONE would understand if he had the finest, most expensive furniture n his home, but in order to show his support for his business, he has the furniture from it in his home. WOW.

Thanks Warren!

Warren Buffet teaches me a thing or two...

I watched a documentary on Warren Buffet today on CNBC, and although I learned a lot, there were two things that impressed the hell out of me:

1- He said "In business, you don't need to know what's coming, but you do have to know what's going"- So he was saying that you have to know when your industry, your habits, your attitudes, whatever- no longer serve you successfully. He was saying that furniture manufacturing was LEAVING the US, so he had the stuff from one of his companies go to China. However, now the Vietnamese have even LOWER labor cost, so now it's time to move there.

2- Again, referring to the furniture business he owns part of, here is the the 3rd wealthiest man in the world, and yet the furniture in his house comes from the LOW-PRICE furniture company he owns. ANYONE would understand if he had the finest, most expensive furniture n his home, but in order to show his support for his business, he has the furniture from it in his home. WOW.

Thanks Warren!

I started a movement yesterday...

I sent this email out yesterday:

To everyone, but especially to the rappers of the world,

I get it.

It rhymes with trigger, bigger, and "figger", as in "I 'figger' we'll go have lunch, Margaret"

I had heard it a few times when I was younger, and knew that it wasn't to be said, knew it wasn't to be heard, and certainly wasn't to be put to music.

So what happened?

I freely admit that not everyone feels the same way I do about "the N Word", and in the comedy world, in looking for a punch line, one might forget the murder,
dismemberment, rape, torture, attempted genocide, drownings, brandings, whippings, tear gassings, church bombings, baby manglings, animal attacks, mental, physical, emotional
and spiritual evils committed by people with "The N word" on their lips.

But for some reason I stopped laughing.
And stopped singing along.
And stopped allowing it in conversation around me.

2 weeks ago, I was on the train reading "Martin Luther King Jr. on Leadership" when some high school kids, middle school kids, and elementary school kids came on laughing and talking with each other. Girls flirting, boys trying to impress-

But all I could hear was that word.

Almost like it was the only thing they were saying.

I didn't do anything that day- but I am now.
Now I AM doing something.
And I'm asking for your help.

I had some buttons made that say: TooProudForTheNword.com

and would like the website and the buttons passed around.

Anyone know a publicist who wants a story? How about a leader in the Black Community? Anyone visible whom I can get a button (or 100) into their hand?
This is my partial list:


Oprah
Bill Cosby
Dennis Kimbro
Les Brown
Dennis Kimbro
Jesse Jackson
Al Sharpton
Will Smith
Barak Obama
Spike Lee
Dave Chapelle
Eddie Murphy
Al Roker
Russell Simmons
P. Diddy
Common
Magic Johnson


and the only two white guys: Quentin Tarantino and Stephen Colbert.

I am not looking for more names, I am looking for introductions, invitations, or direct contact info.

You may feel this "isn't your problem", and you may be right.
So what.

"All evil needs is for good people to do nothing"

http://www.TooProudForTheNword.com

Let Your Light So Shine Before Men,
Bones Rodriguez- 917-450-7925

"One mind awake can awaken another,
The second awake can awaken their next door brother.
Three awake can awaken the town
By turning the whole place upside down.
Many awake can make such a fuss
That they finally awaken the rest of us."- Helen Kromer

I started a movement yesterday...

I sent this email out yesterday:

To everyone, but especially to the rappers of the world,

I get it.

It rhymes with trigger, bigger, and "figger", as in "I 'figger' we'll go have lunch, Margaret"

I had heard it a few times when I was younger, and knew that it wasn't to be said, knew it wasn't to be heard, and certainly wasn't to be put to music.

So what happened?

I freely admit that not everyone feels the same way I do about "the N Word", and in the comedy world, in looking for a punch line, one might forget the murder,
dismemberment, rape, torture, attempted genocide, drownings, brandings, whippings, tear gassings, church bombings, baby manglings, animal attacks, mental, physical, emotional
and spiritual evils committed by people with "The N word" on their lips.

But for some reason I stopped laughing.
And stopped singing along.
And stopped allowing it in conversation around me.

2 weeks ago, I was on the train reading "Martin Luther King Jr. on Leadership" when some high school kids, middle school kids, and elementary school kids came on laughing and talking with each other. Girls flirting, boys trying to impress-

But all I could hear was that word.

Almost like it was the only thing they were saying.

I didn't do anything that day- but I am now.
Now I AM doing something.
And I'm asking for your help.

I had some buttons made that say: TooProudForTheNword.com

and would like the website and the buttons passed around.

Anyone know a publicist who wants a story? How about a leader in the Black Community? Anyone visible whom I can get a button (or 100) into their hand?
This is my partial list:


Oprah
Bill Cosby
Dennis Kimbro
Les Brown
Dennis Kimbro
Jesse Jackson
Al Sharpton
Will Smith
Barak Obama
Spike Lee
Dave Chapelle
Eddie Murphy
Al Roker
Russell Simmons
P. Diddy
Common
Magic Johnson


and the only two white guys: Quentin Tarantino and Stephen Colbert.

I am not looking for more names, I am looking for introductions, invitations, or direct contact info.

You may feel this "isn't your problem", and you may be right.
So what.

"All evil needs is for good people to do nothing"

http://www.TooProudForTheNword.com

Let Your Light So Shine Before Men,
Bones Rodriguez- 917-450-7925

"One mind awake can awaken another,
The second awake can awaken their next door brother.
Three awake can awaken the town
By turning the whole place upside down.
Many awake can make such a fuss
That they finally awaken the rest of us."- Helen Kromer

"Wanna Punch in Da Nose?"

"Wanna punch in da nose?"

That's what the guy asked me. He was at least 6' 4", and
I could tell he meant it, and was waiting for an answer.

Thing is, before he asked me that, I thought we were getting
along really well. I was asking him about spiritual practices,
and how I could make more money come into my life.

Even though I'm an actor, I learned that you oughtta get some
sales skills if you want to be a rich and successful person.
Not that I wanted to be a salesman, but let's face it- when
we were kids, we did a good sales job on our parents around
Christmas time, right?

I REALLY NEEDED that G.I. Joe Jet Plane with the ejectable seat.

So when I asked this 6' 4" guy for some of his advice on
how to make better sales, and how to make more money come
into my life, I was surprised by his answer.

"Wanna punch in da nose?"

"Um.... no?" I said, unsure of my feelings on the matter.

"Well then don't give one" he said.

I didn't get it. I had no intention of giving anyone a
punch in da nose, much less this guy who was towering over me.

"If you want something, you gotta give it first." he said,
"If you want a punch in da nose, you should give one to someone.
If you want more money, you should give some to someone."

Oh, I get it. The old "Tithe and Get Rich" idea. The math I
was taught in school didn't really jibe with that idea. The
way I see it, if you have two apples, and you gave away one,
you only had one apple left.

"I can see you're skeptical" he said "I was too- but then
I tried it- Why don't you try it?"

I thought about it. What did I have to lose?

So I punched him in da nose.

and he punched me back.

I was convinced that the principle worked!
We both had sore faces, and I learned a lesson.

See, what the math I learned in school didn't take
into account was the other things that happen when
you give away the apple.

Sure, when I gave away one of the two apples I had,
I ended up with only one apple, but I ALSO ended up with
something more valuable- a GRATEFUL FRIEND.

Unless the friend didn't want an apple to begin with.

So, here's what I took away from this now very long story:

When you want something, you have to give it away-
TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.

When you give away the awesome opportunity we have,
sometimes in our enthusiasm we'll give it to people
who don't want it- people who are happy being where they are.

However, if you give it to someone who WANTS it, two things
happen:

1- You'll see that giving it away doesn't take from your own
supply of it, and
2- You'll gain a GRATEFUL FRIEND.

Sounds like a bargain when you think about it like that, doesn't it?

Give it away, feel good, make friends. Or, put another way:

"Wanna Punch in Da Nose?"

"Wanna punch in da nose?"

That's what the guy asked me. He was at least 6' 4", and
I could tell he meant it, and was waiting for an answer.

Thing is, before he asked me that, I thought we were getting
along really well. I was asking him about spiritual practices,
and how I could make more money come into my life.

Even though I'm an actor, I learned that you oughtta get some
sales skills if you want to be a rich and successful person.
Not that I wanted to be a salesman, but let's face it- when
we were kids, we did a good sales job on our parents around
Christmas time, right?

I REALLY NEEDED that G.I. Joe Jet Plane with the ejectable seat.

So when I asked this 6' 4" guy for some of his advice on
how to make better sales, and how to make more money come
into my life, I was surprised by his answer.

"Wanna punch in da nose?"

"Um.... no?" I said, unsure of my feelings on the matter.

"Well then don't give one" he said.

I didn't get it. I had no intention of giving anyone a
punch in da nose, much less this guy who was towering over me.

"If you want something, you gotta give it first." he said,
"If you want a punch in da nose, you should give one to someone.
If you want more money, you should give some to someone."

Oh, I get it. The old "Tithe and Get Rich" idea. The math I
was taught in school didn't really jibe with that idea. The
way I see it, if you have two apples, and you gave away one,
you only had one apple left.

"I can see you're skeptical" he said "I was too- but then
I tried it- Why don't you try it?"

I thought about it. What did I have to lose?

So I punched him in da nose.

and he punched me back.

I was convinced that the principle worked!
We both had sore faces, and I learned a lesson.

See, what the math I learned in school didn't take
into account was the other things that happen when
you give away the apple.

Sure, when I gave away one of the two apples I had,
I ended up with only one apple, but I ALSO ended up with
something more valuable- a GRATEFUL FRIEND.

Unless the friend didn't want an apple to begin with.

So, here's what I took away from this now very long story:

When you want something, you have to give it away-
TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.

When you give away the awesome opportunity we have,
sometimes in our enthusiasm we'll give it to people
who don't want it- people who are happy being where they are.

However, if you give it to someone who WANTS it, two things
happen:

1- You'll see that giving it away doesn't take from your own
supply of it, and
2- You'll gain a GRATEFUL FRIEND.

Sounds like a bargain when you think about it like that, doesn't it?

Give it away, feel good, make friends. Or, put another way:

"Wanna Punch in Da Nose?"

"Wanna punch in da nose?"

That's what the guy asked me. He was at least 6' 4", and
I could tell he meant it, and was waiting for an answer.

Thing is, before he asked me that, I thought we were getting
along really well. I was asking him about spiritual practices,
and how I could make more money come into my life.

Even though I'm an actor, I learned that you oughtta get some
sales skills if you want to be a rich and successful person.
Not that I wanted to be a salesman, but let's face it- when
we were kids, we did a good sales job on our parents around
Christmas time, right?

I REALLY NEEDED that G.I. Joe Jet Plane with the ejectable seat.

So when I asked this 6' 4" guy for some of his advice on
how to make better sales, and how to make more money come
into my life, I was surprised by his answer.

"Wanna punch in da nose?"

"Um.... no?" I said, unsure of my feelings on the matter.

"Well then don't give one" he said.

I didn't get it. I had no intention of giving anyone a
punch in da nose, much less this guy who was towering over me.

"If you want something, you gotta give it first." he said,
"If you want a punch in da nose, you should give one to someone.
If you want more money, you should give some to someone."

Oh, I get it. The old "Tithe and Get Rich" idea. The math I
was taught in school didn't really jibe with that idea. The
way I see it, if you have two apples, and you gave away one,
you only had one apple left.

"I can see you're skeptical" he said "I was too- but then
I tried it- Why don't you try it?"

I thought about it. What did I have to lose?

So I punched him in da nose.

and he punched me back.

I was convinced that the principle worked!
We both had sore faces, and I learned a lesson.

See, what the math I learned in school didn't take
into account was the other things that happen when
you give away the apple.

Sure, when I gave away one of the two apples I had,
I ended up with only one apple, but I ALSO ended up with
something more valuable- a GRATEFUL FRIEND.

Unless the friend didn't want an apple to begin with.

So, here's what I took away from this now very long story:

When you want something, you have to give it away-
TO THE PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.

When you give away the awesome opportunity we have,
sometimes in our enthusiasm we'll give it to people
who don't want it- people who are happy being where they are.

However, if you give it to someone who WANTS it, two things
happen:

1- You'll see that giving it away doesn't take from your own
supply of it, and
2- You'll gain a GRATEFUL FRIEND.

Sounds like a bargain when you think about it like that, doesn't it?