Delivered fresh on March 28th, 2011
Greetings!
I was reading an article today that suggested something I did not know:
The one sure way to tell a fake diamond from the real thing is that a fake diamond will look perfect. The real thing, the diamond that has true value, will always be -
flawed.
Dana
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In INSPIRING PEOPLE: Dana talks with Writer, Producer, Rapper and Social Activist, Genesis Be. Read Dana's EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Genesis Be!
Take a minute to read DANA'S WEEKLY INSIGHT and make sure that you listen to the AUDIO VERSION as well. There may be someone who needs you to pass that along.
Check out DANA'S DAILIES for no other reason than to hopefully smile. And come back and visit the blog all week at www.danaroc.com/dailies.
The special article FROM DANA'S GUESTS: this week is a speech delivered by Professor and Author Samantha Powers. Read this speech and be both challenged and encouraged!
Check out AUGUSTE ROC'S MY TWO CENTS (For Whatever It Is Worth). There is something in it for YOU! While it may be "Two Cents" but you'll find it's worth a whole lot more. Feel free to email your comments to Auguste at auguste@danaroc.com.
This week's THE GOOD LIFE : BOOKS selection is What Are You Optimistic About?: Today's Leading Thinkers on Why Things Are Good and Getting Better by John Brockman. Because it's time to shift gears and get happy!
Something useful in THE GOOD LIFE : WEB SITES is FINCA this week. Check it out!
And there's more so sit back, grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy.
As always, thanks for reading!
Stay cool. Be hungry. Never look back. Always reach back. Fear not.
Believe always,
Dana
M'mm! M'mm! Good!
Have you ever been caught knowing something beyond a shadow of a doubt, while someone else was trying to share with you, another point of view? And, have you ever had somebody try to tell you something that you were just too stubborn to want to hear, only to find out later on that you should have paid attention to what they had to say?
There have been times when I have been fortunate enough to recognize in real time, that if I would only be willing to listen, I just might be able to learn. There have also been times when I have found myself realizing in hind sight that I was wrong and that someone else, after all was said and done, was right.
The case could be made indeed that there is profound value in discovering something all by yourself, but it can also be argued that there is a unique benefit in being open to the tried and true experiences of another human being.
I just sat there staring into that piping hot bowl of Bean with Bacon soup, watching in disbelief as several teeny tiny worms floated around in the broth. Hungry, I wondered how in the world Campbells could have overlooked such a thing, while at the same time I was thoroughly confused about how my aunt, who was home from college on spring break, could have possibly neglected to recall this defective soup and protect me from what had definitely become traumatic.
I was willing to forgive my aunt her relative inexperience with this sort of thing and I was prepared to be generous when pointing out to her the oversight, convinced that she would be equally offended and appalled. Instead however, when I brought the floating worms to her attention, she just sort of laughed as if I had made a cute little joke and then she warned me to “finish eating the soup”.
Certain that it was just that she hadn’t seen what I was seeing, I convinced myself that she had simply misunderstood but when I called her back for a more thorough examination of the tainted soup, she was impatient when she had to explain to me again that the “worms” were actually hypocotyl, a healthy part of the bean, to which I replied without speaking, “If it looks like a worm and floats like a worm, as far as I am concerned – it’s a worm”!
A Hypocot-o who? A healthy part of the bean my foot! What did she think, I was stupid?
I did not care at all how many colleges she was on a spring break from, there was something that she clearly did not understand here, something that was absolutely crystal clear to me! She had no idea what she was talking about and, as far as I was concerned, I did!
Imagine.
My unwillingness to be informed by her expertise fueled in me a self righteous indignation that ultimately resulted in my early dismissal from the table and a mandate to go straight to my room for an unscheduled nap while the other kids got to go back outside to play. Later on that evening, as if channeling the spirit of Mommy Dearest herself, my aunt spitefully served me that wormy Bean with Bacon soup all over again for dinner.
There I sat staring into that awful slop, watching in disbelief as several teeny tiny worms were beginning to dry up in the broth. Defiant, I wondered how I would ever bring myself to trust Campbells again, while at the same time, confused about how my aunt could have been so awful herself.
In the end the soup was tossed out and I was excused from the table and allowed to get on with my life. Years later I would discover in biology class that hypocotyl was in fact a healthy part of the bean and I would laugh as I recalled the afternoon when my aunt tried to tell me what I was too stubborn to hear.
I am relieved to have finally figured out that, although experience has the potential to be a great teacher, other people serve as our greatest resource for discovering that which we do not know. I have therefore come to expect that at any given moment in time and from no one in particular, I might expand my modest little universe if I am willing to accept that maybe, just maybe –
I don’t know.
And you?
Ever catch yourself knowing more than you actually do, while someone else is trying to share with you, another point of view? Ever had somebody try to tell you something that you were just too stubborn to want to hear, only to find out later that if you had only paid attention to what they had to say, perhaps you would not have missed out?
Life has a funny way of revealing to us that the more we learn, the more we discover just how much we don’t know. And, accepting that we don’t know what we don’t know, while learning to appreciate that somebody else just might know better, is critical if what you want to do is continue to expand.
We can not know what we do not know but we can choose to recognize that, if we’re lucky, there will always be someone who knows something that we don’t, and if we’re smart we will allow therefore, for the possibility that their experiences might serve us, maybe even save us, but at the very least serve to foster in us, a healthy sense of humility, curiosity and the willingness to grow.
Dana
Have a great week!
Writer, Producer, Rapper and Social Activist, Genesis Be
At age 23, Genesis Be has just completed her fourth studio album titled Mississippi To Manhattan. Utilizing what she has learned at New York University's prestigious Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, Genesis took on the role of executive producer, writer, engineer, mixer and mastering engineer of the project.
Raised in Mississippi, Genesis Be comes from a family with strong ties to the civil rights movement and was involved with activism and protests since age 6.
At age 13, Genesis Be discovered her ability to write and deliver rap lyrics with unbelievable precision. Genesis' parents brought her to a recording studio where she met her first engineer and mentor Kenneth Leonard. Leonard provided engineering, mixing and mastering services for Doc Roc Recordings, who later signed Genesis Be to her first recording contract.
At age sixteen she produced a mix tape, 16 In America, which introduced her to the world of Mississippi's underground hip-hop scene. Her name began to be known around the Gulf Coast area and after getting radio spins for a song called "Why?" the young artist decided to record her first album with original music and titled it 17 In America. The single "Why?" was a powerful social commentary performed over the instrumental of 50-Cent's "Many Men." Upon release of 17 In America she was asked to perform with The Gulf Coast Youth Symphony at the Beau Rivage Casino. This performance launched a string of shows. That same summer, she opened up for several mainstream artists including The Ying Yang Twins, 8 Ball/MJG, Trillville and Lil Webbie.
She is due to graduate from this highly selective program, The Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music (at NYU) in 2011.
Genesis has blessed the stage at The Blue Note, Webster Hall, The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall, The Magic Johnson Theater, Sullivan Hall, The Bowery Poetry, Sin Sin Freestyle Mondays, Crash Mansion, The National Underground and the XR Bar among others.
Look for Genesis Be's 4th album ‘Mississippi To Manhattan' April 29th, 2011.
Activists occupy a special place in my heart. Young activists passionate about making a difference, courageous about taking a stand for what they believe in – they are my heroes. Genesis Be is young and gifted and determined and focused and she is living her future right now. Amazing!
DR: Tell me about your music.
GB: Mississippi to Manhattan has basically taken 4 years for me to complete. I took on the role of Executive Producer, Writer, Performer, Mixer, Master and Engineer of the album. It's my journey, having been in the Clive Davis Department and taken what they have taught me and applying it to my music. It's a very interesting process. This is the first time that I have dug in technologically with the music, with my own music...
DR: What do you mean by that?
GB: As far as learning how to use software applications, pro tools and logic and understanding how to properly mix sound and master. I am still learning, for sure. People do this their whole lives...I have been taught by some of my mentors about how to use the software and I have a respect for them and everyone else who calls themselves an Audio Engineer. It's a lot of work and it takes a lot of time and not everyone has the ear for it.
This album is something new for me as far as a challenge. It's my fourth album. I am not a stranger to executive producing my own projects but taking on the role of mixer and master was definitely an interesting experience.
The album is releasing April 19th and I am really excited to see the response to it.
DR: Tell me about the message.
GB: To be honest, there is really no underlying message as far as one thread. I talk about things like domestic abuse. I speak about things like molestation...
DR: You laugh. Why is that?
Read the rest of the interview! Click here.
Samantha Powers: Address to Pitzer-Claremont College Class 0f 2008
Samantha Powers is a shining and brilliant example of what the future of leadership in America looks like...
Samantha Powers
Commencement Address
Pitzer-Claremont College
May 29, 2008
The following is Samantha Power's address to the graduating class of Pitzer-Claremont College in California
It is an indescribable honor to be here with you today, class of 2008. It is an even greater honor that you extended the invitation before what I now -- with exaggerated self-importance -- call "Monster-gate." I am grateful to you for not rescinding the invitation after I opened my big mouth and became global villain for a day. If you ever needed evidence that even college graduates never grow up -- they just get more sophisticated at disguising their inner child -- I offered it. Thanks for standing by your humbled commencement speaker.
Since I graduated from college in 1992, I have been blessed to have been a part of some pretty momentous causes. Yet I count as the greatest privileges of my life the...
Read the rest of the article! Click here.
Eager Beaver
You've got to understand the rules if your going to play the game!
I remember I was nine years old when my fourth grade teacher announced, in class, that -
the youth basketball league would begin next week at the community gym!
I was overwhelmed with excitement about the opportunity to play, for my very first time, on a basketball team.
Every night I would dream of being on the court and playing basketball in an actual game. I kept reminding my Mom to buy a new pair of Chuck Taylor basketball shoes for me so that I would look like a real player on the court.
I was beside myself. It was all that I could think of and imagine because I saw myself as a basketball player. At nine years old I saw myself as an athlete and a hero and there was nothing that was going to prevent me from showing up and making my basketball debut.
It was the first day of the youth basketball league and the gym was packed with kids. I remember that the excitement was thick in the air and I remember that I was picked to play on the 'Knicks' team and my team was scheduled to play first -
Now I am out of control!
I didn't know any of the other boys on the team. The ages ranged from nine to twelve and I happened to be the youngest. But I wasn't fazed by any of this. I was here to play!
It wasn't until the second half when the coach would tell me to report into the game.
My time had finally arrived and I stepped onto the court in my new Chuck Taylor's!
Before I knew it, the ball fatefully ended up in my hands and all I knew was that the ball was going into a basket.
I headed, full sprint towards the basket, dodging everyone in my way, practically the full length of the court without ever taking one dribble.
After the referees whistle stopped play and calm was restored amongst the kids, I realized that I was being frantically waived off the court. My coach motioned for me to get back to the bench where he proceeded, mercifully to explain the rules of the GAME.
Besides just being an amusing childhood memory, the events of that day provided me with a key to playing in any GAME in life -
You've got to understand the rules if your going to play the game!
Where in your life have you had the drive to initiate a project or a dream and yet, neglected to familiarize yourself with the rules of the GAME? Your drive and passion may fuel your aspirations, but if you don't know the rules and if you haven't identified that there will be opposition, you too will be sidelined, Chuck Taylor's or not.
I did eventually get over my embarrassment and the lesson that I learned that day continues to pay-off.
That's my two cents (for whatever it's worth),
Auguste Roc
auguste@danaroc.com
Read more of Auguste's Two Cents! Click here.
The 100 Years Project - Allegra and Dario Brosco
Name:
Allegra Brosco
Age:
42 years old
Where are you from:
Rhode Island
Where do you live:
New York City
Occupation:
I’m with my kids mostly but I am starting up – going back to work. I was the Co-founder and CEO of a food company for seven years. I just resigned. So, now I’m doing private clients and individual projects.
100 Years from now what do you want to be remembered for:
I want to be remembered as someone who was kind and giving on small and large scales.
Name:
Dario Brosco
Age:
3 years old
Where are you from:
New York City
Where do you live:
New York City
100 Years from now what do you want to be remembered for:
Batman!
Want more dailies? Click here.
Why I am recommending FINCA:
This is one of the most exciting programs that I know of! FINCA provides low cost loans to low income entrepreneurs, primarily women, who would otherwise not qualify. This allows them to thrive in their communities and lift themselves out of the grip of poverty. Just an incredible program!
From the Web:
Dr. John Hatch is the founder of FINCA and creator of Village Banking-a unique and influential method for delivering small loans, savings, and other financial services to the poor worldwide.
During his early career, Hatch served with the Peace Corps in Colombia, and as a regional director in Peru. As a graduate student, he won a Fulbright grant to conduct research in Peru, where he spent two crop cycles as a hired laborer working for subsistence farmers and documenting their agricultural practices.
In his work with the rural poor, Hatch found that most credit programs were administered by outside experts. This management style resulted in poor repayment rates and low morale among borrowers. Believing that the poor lacked neither ambition nor skill, but simply resources, in 1984, John created the Village Banking method. This method allowed the poor to obtain loans without collateral-their main obstacle to accessing credit-at interest rates they could afford. It brought neighbors together in groups, giving them the collective power to disburse, invest, and collect loan capital as they saw fit. The results among FINCA's earliest clients were improved earnings and family nutrition, high repayment rates, and increased empowerment.
When Hatch began lending to women, he saw the tremendous potential of Village Banking as an anti-poverty tool: "Our focus on women was the result of a growing conviction that the fastest way to affect the welfare of children was through aid to their mothers," said Hatch.
Over 22 years with FINCA, Hatch served as president, and as chief of party for programs in El Salvador and Guatemala; he retired as FINCA's director of research in 2006. Today, the organization he founded reaches half a million families in 21 countries with small loans, insurance, savings programs, and other services. Hatch continues as a FINCA board member, advisor, speaker, lecturer, and fundraiser. He is continuing his research on the impact of Village Banking and is active in FINCA's annual student symposium and research awards competition.
Throughout his career, Hatch supported efforts to promote microcredit worldwide. Before founding FINCA in 1985, he shared his Village Banking method with numerous nongovernmental organizations. As a result, today there are hundreds of Village Banking programs worldwide. Hatch is also co-founder of the Global Microcredit Summit.
» Visit FINCA
Browse the web sites archive! Click here.
What Are You Optimistic About?: Today's Leading Thinkers on Why Things Are Good and Getting Better
Why I am recommending this book:
With all of the bad news out there these days, optimism is something that we could all use a little bit more of and John Brockman taps some of today's most intriguing minds about what they are personally optimistic about.
Spend some time pondering what there might be to feel good about as you look forward to the future!
Click here to purchase this book.
Amazon.com
The nightly news and conventional wisdom tell us that things are bad and getting worse. Yet despite dire predictions, scientists see many good things on the horizon. John Brockman, publisher of Edge (www.edge.org), the influential online salon, recently asked more than 150 high-powered scientific thinkers to answer a vital question for our frequently pessimistic times: "What are you optimistic about?"
Spanning a wide range of topics-from string theory to education, from population growth to medicine, and even from global warming to the end of world- What Are You Optimistic About? is an impressive array of what world-class minds (including Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times bestselling authors, and Harvard professors, among others) have weighed in to offer carefully considered optimistic visions of tomorrow. Their provocative and controversial ideas may rouse skepticism, but they might possibly change our perceptions of humanity's future.
Click here to purchase this book.
Browse the book recommendations! Click here.
Greatness is the direct result of sacrificing one's personal comfort for the possibility of honoring a commitment far greater than ones self; of making one courageous choice after another.
In other words -
Gandhi wasn't born Gandhi. Ghandi became.
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