Tours in The Hood

Some US Cities are gearing up to begin offering franchised tours into their distressed and impoverished neighborhoods. Notably at the top of the list and slated to get going in January 2010 is Los Angeles’ where activists will begin promoting tourism into South Central.

According to a recent report in The Los Angeles Times, a non-profit group plans to offer two-hour tours at an initial cost of $65.00 per adult with profits being returned to the toured neighborhoods via jobs and micro loans to inner-city entrepreneurs.

Organizers  behind this concept say offering formal organized tours into the impoverished neighborhoods will humanize the reality of the circumstances these neighborhoods thrive under as well as boost business.  

Several questions come to mind right off the bat. Is a soccer mom from embedded Iowa going to really detach herself from what she clearly will feel as the save haven of a tour bus and go shopping in South Central Los Angeles? And for meal stops, are the curious tourists going to patronize the real dyed in the wool neighborhood establishments or head straight for one of the standard cookie cutter franchise eateries? Are the tourists going to traverse the neighborhoods at all?  Answers from the activist to these and similar questions will unveil the probability of profitability for the neighborhoods being toured.

Opponents argue this idea has the real potential to turn into a gawk and mockery fest. They also worry that it will do nothing more than exploit the social and economical conditions created by violence and poverty.

The organizers however, maintain that the tours will emphasize education and public service. The history of the confines of public housing and the fallout thereof will be one of the main marquee topics as well as the evolution of inner city gangs.

The article states that the organization behind the tours has garnered support from city business leaders and gang experts whom are contributing start up funding and advice.

The big question is just how will tourism impact the hood?

The Tiger Woods Demolition Ride

When the details of the Tiger Woods automobile accident broke , anybody that had gotten past ten years old already knew the deal. No need to tell us anything Tiger, we figured that one out all by ourselves.

The wifey finds out about the mistress, she goes ballistic. You my man Tiger make a break out of the house to avoid getting smashed in the head by a golf club. Wifey barrels out of the house behind you. 

And thus the short demolition derby began

Woods pulled out of his drive and drove over a concrete kerb and on to  the grass .

Backs over the curb again the Escalade went  and swerved once more on to a the grass.

Somewhere in here there is a ballistic woman running around with a golf club I’ll bet.

The police  report states:  As a result, the right side of vehicle one collided with a row of hedges.

The report goes on to state, the SUV tried to get back on the street, jumping a curb again and on to another verge, where it  smashed into a fire hydrant. Incredibly, it  kept going, crossed over a neighbours drive and hit a tree.

A diagram released by the police showed the short but erratic journey which ended with Woods knocked unconscious.

Pictures show his s35,000 Cadillac Escalades mangled bumper and two smashed rear windows. It has been claimed Elin smashed the windows in a fit of rage.

About this cheating thing Tiger. Now I don’t condone it one bit. But damn boy, if you are a celebrity of your caliber and just must succumb to the pressures of all the female attention  heaped on you remember this. CHEAT UP. Don’t cheat down. ???? Crickets chirping and blank stares are abound in my blog. Okay, hop on Tiger let’s go to school.

Cheat with someone of your caliber or higher that stands to lose just as much or more than you do.   Cheat with someone with just as much or more money as you have (I realize for you that’s kind of hard to do) and are of the same marital status as you.

Then again, don’t cheat at all and you don’t have these issues.

Narcissistic & Condescending Spouses & Mates

Ed, a city bus driver , wife holds a PHD in Criminal Science consistently talks down to him at home and in public.  She excludes him from social discussions and her circle of friends because of his high school education.

She doesn’t feel he has the intellect to contribute anything to the discussions or the friends . She even refuses to let him aid their 16 year old son with his homework, because she feels Ed isn’t “educated” enough to understand it. She double checks family business transactions behind Ed rarely finding mistakes but often making pompous remarks such as ” honey I’m more equipped for this than you”

Then there is Gladys. Gladys, 34, attractive with a medium build, is an account executive , homeowner, and single mom.    Gladys said her boyfriend openly gawks and flirts with other women when they are out together. He also voices compliments on how sexy and cultured a few of Grady’s friends are.  Gladys’s has discussed her displeasure with her boyfriend, and his response has been pretty much, “deal with it; I’m not doing anything wrong.”

Then there is Ethel. Ethel has a boyfriend that has no qualms about knocking the boots with her on the regular. Along with that he often criticizes Ethel’s breast, and leg size telling her they’re too small and she needs to look like this or that woman. He also never takes Ethel to social corporate functions, however will take her to cookouts carnivals and the like. When in a conversation with others, and Ethel is asked a question, he often answers for her before she has a chance. to speak.

There are millions of the above scenarios above being played out right now all across the globe. People lording education levels over others with lower academic accolades. While education on any level is a premium we all should embrace, the differences in the levels does not ordain the high achievers ”holier than thou.” A reward for an investment in extended education of course should be a workplace incentive. But in social circles and at home adopting it to demean and mentally oppress those around you actually tarnishes whatever intellectual gleam you had. And be mindful of the fact, there is also wisdom, and experience to be taken into accountability when measuring intellect. I’ve seen some holders of PHDs that couldn’t manage to load a stapler.

As for Ethel and Gladys. There is fine line between being confident and just plain arrogant. And the men you described have transcended way over into the arrogant playing field. And they got there because somewhere, at some point and times, some women have obviously inflated their heads and lead them to believe they are the s…..t. I find these type of people to be dangerously narcissistic and callused. A sustained relationship with them too long always diminishes the other person’s ego and self-image of value. The short of it is they stop just short of telling you they don’t care what you think or feel . Think about it.

Maybe Ed’s situation warrants a shot at counseling seeing as to how there is marriage at stake.

But Ethel & Gladys, you’re not married to these jerks so why are we even having this conversation. Move On.

Weigh in Factor Readers with your comments.

My Dog Does Not Chew Shoes

When I bought my dog Bandit as a puppy I was determine to train him not fall into some of the undesirables ways many his fellow canine relatives had succumbed to. My training method was always based on positive reinforcement and illustrated direction. In other words, when he began doing something he shouldn’t (or at  least I didn’t think he should be doing, a lot of times dogs don’t know they’re wrong if they haven’ been taught any better) I would calmly stop him and immediately show him what he should be doing in that particular instance. When he performed the desired behavior he always got a treat.

Using this technique, he was housebroken within a week, learned not to jump on or chew  furniture or beds.  He learned to go to his little house on the command “in” open the door with his mouth go in and sit down.

He also learned to bring me my shoes when asked as witnessed in the short video clip. I first taught him sound and sight visual with the shoes. From there he learned the word shoes means for him to go and get them. He also fetches plastic bottled water, and can pick certain toys (such as ball) out of a mix if asked.

Dogs are amazing animals and extremely smart. And most of them want to please their owners and will do a fine job of it once the owner communicates effectively  to the dog what they want.

So for those that want to do something a little different with their furry friends may this will jumpstart you idea bank.

Dog Training Tip:

Never call a dog then scold or hit it, regardless of what it’s done. The dog rarely associates the scolding with what it did, but does relate the scolding to being called. Think about it. If I called you, and when you got to me I hit you, would you be in a big hurry to come to me the next time I called you?

Uninvited Guests Breach Secret Service Security At State Dinner

News conglomerate Reuters reported today that  The Secret Service is investigating how an uninvited couple managed to get themselves into  U.S. President Barack Obama’s White House state dinner, penetrating several layers of security, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

The agency responsible for protecting our president and other high-level officials is conducting a comprehensive review of the security breach on Tuesday at the dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, U.S. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said.

The Washington Post first reported that a northern Virginia couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, not on the official guest list, crashed the White House party but were never seated at a table in the South Lawn tent where the dinner was held.

Maybe it was star appeal that got the in as Michaele Salahi and her husband, Tareq — are Virginians who have been auditioning for a possible role in a different housewives TV franchise: “The Real Housewives of Washington.  That and the Indian laced last names. Maybe?

The White House has asked the Secret Service for a full review of what happened, an official said. I for one of many want to see them explain this too.

“An initial finding has identified one of our checkpoints that did not follow proper procedures to ensure that the two individuals that were named in the Washington Post story were on the invited guests list,” Donovan said. But he said no was at the dinner was ever in danger. Yes, you say that now. But when you were unaware that they were on the premises uninvited who knows?

“We don’t rely on just magnetometers or the level of screenings,” he added.” That’s why we have the agents with our protectees at all times .”

The couple, described by The Washington Post as aspiring reality-TV stars and polo-playing socialites, were seen arriving at the White House.

According to the Post, the uninvited guests were in the same room as the Obamas and Prime Minister Singh, but it is not known if they met.

A dozen pictures posted on Facebook appear to show the couple posing with dinner guests including Vice President Joe Biden, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, CBS News anchor Katie Couric, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Its going to be interesting to see the explanation for this one.

The 2009 White House State Dinner

President Obama and first lady Michelle  hosted their first state dinner Tuesday November 24th 2009.  The guests of honor was India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur. Singh is an economist who was sworn in for his second term in May.

The red carpet fashion popped off with the ever classy Michelle  strutting a   strapless, floor-length, figure-flattering , champagne-colored gown with silver detail and  a light shawl by little known Indian-born designer Naeem Khan. Her hair was swept back and she  also was adorned with a bunch of churis, traditional sparkly Indian bangle bracelets. The secret service may yank me up yet, but Mrs. Obama is the portrait of sheer resplendency. Mrs.  Kaur was sporting a black sari with red and gold trim, refined class on two feet. Those entertainment award’s red carpet dog and pony shows were single handily shut down by these two ladies.  You see Hollywood, this is how you set off a formal affair. No baseball caps and slouching jeans, and garish half-naked women. No hooker high shoes, and zonked out interviews.

President Obama was swagger dapper  in a black tuxedo and his trademark beaming smile. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was holding it down Indian style in  a dark brown ‘band gala’ suit and his trademark light blue turban. Smooth, real smooth.

Every gala has the who’s who guest list and the 2009 State Dinner was loaded with a caliber or its own. The 338-person guest list was peppered with  a mix of  Washington, Hollywood A-listers, prominent figures from the Indian community in the U.S.,  Obama friends, family and campaign donors. Some notables were: Hollywood heavy hitters,  David Geffen  creator of Asylum Records, and Jeffrey Katzenberg CEO of Dreamworks entertainment. Guests with ties to India included spiritual adviser Deepak Chopra, director M. Night Shyamalan and PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. Katie Couric of CBS News, Brian Williams of NBC News, Robin Roberts of ABC News and CNN Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta were among the media representatives invited.  Gayle King, (Oprah Winfrey fame), Blair Underwood was also  among the elite of the night. From the Obama friend front were, Eric Whitaker and Martin Nesbitt, along with Obama’s half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her husband, Konrad; and Marian Robinson, the first lady’s mother.

Notably among non invitees were top Republican lawmakers. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner absent; he was on  Thanksgiving break  in Ohio. Obama antagonizer,  Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, also didn’t get an invitation to the dinner.  And I don’t think it comes as shocking news to anyone that  Sen. John McCain was nowhere to be found. Probably hunting moose deep in Alaska.

Anyway what was on the menu?

Guest Chef Marcus Samuelsson and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, corroborated on  culinary creations that  included potato and eggplant salad, arugula from the White House garden, red lentil soup and roasted potato dumplings or green curry prawns. Pumpkin pie tart and pear tatin were for dessert; the pears were poached in honey from the White House beehive. This wasn’t for carnivores as Singh is a vegertarian and The White House respectfully embraced that on this year’s State Dinner Menu..  White House Pastry Chef William Yosses and company  crafted  the sweet treats.

Let’s not play games. The Menu my dear readers, because I love you all.

Potato and Eggplant Salad
White House Arugula with Onion Seed Vinaigrette
2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, CaliforniaRed Lentil Soup with Fresh Cheese
2006 Riesling, Brooks “Ara”, Wilamette Valley, OregonRoasted Potato Dumplings with Tomato Chutney
Chick Peas and Okra
or Green Curry Prawns with caramelized salsify with smoked Collard Greens
and coconut aged basmati
2007 Granache Beckman Vineyards, Santa Ynez, California

 

Pumpkin pie tart
Pear Tatin
Whipped Cream and Caramel sauce
Sparkling Chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Virginia

Petits fours and Coffee
Cashew Brittle
Pecan Pralines
Passion fruit and vanilla Gelees
Chocolate dipped fruit

After the loading up on the veggie based fare it was time for the jam session . The music the dance, the up close, the personal. Frankly they missed the boat by not having my girl Melonie Fiona on the bill. Anyway while JLo was falling all over her feet at the MTV awards Kurt Elling, an eight-time Grammy nominee ad American jazz vocalist and composer was getting down at the house that talks. Along with crooner Jennifer Hudson, winner of the third season of American Idol and  Washington’s own  National Symphony Orchestra,  and the United States Marine Band.

A.R. Rahman, an Indian composer, musician and singer who wrote the  ”Slumdog Millionaire” Score was also front and center.

This will go down as one of the most historical State Dinners of all time. And not because the host and guests of honor were of minority statue, but because this was a dinner of style class, and substance. Because leaders did what leaders do. lead by example and not by expectation. The Factor tips its hat to The Obama Administration for hosting what will go down as the most stellar formal event of the year.

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Guest peep

Bobby and Supriya Jindal

Jhumpa Lahiri and Alberto Vourvoulias

M. Night Shyamalan and wife Bhavna Shyamalan

Mayor Bloomberg and Diana Taylor

Steven Spielberg, Alfre Woodard, and Blair Underwood

Self Checkout Woes

Will somebody out there tell me this is not me just being impatient? Will somebody out there tell me that there isn’t some alien God or force someplace just messing with me, and me only?

I swear to God, all I wanted to do was pay for a bag of chips. a pork shoulder, and some vinegar (what is HE having for dinner?) and be on my way. But no, no, no. It happened again I tell you, it happened again TODAY.

What the hell am I talking about right? What has gotten me up on my hind legs like this? Since you are polite enough to patronize my blog I’m going to tell you.

Self checkout kiosks. Well not the kiosks themselves. The people using them. I don’t know for the life of me what it is about self checkout kiosks in stores that strips people of all basic knowledge rendering them powerless to properly scan their own items, pay, and get the hell out-of-the-way.

Today it was the lady that couldn’t find the UPC code on anything she had. Scan, nothing. Flip the box of tea bags over, scan, nothing. Do this three more times…beeep! and Bingo! Aw naw, not yet. flip box back around, she has to see the upc code! Oh yeah, she’s on her cell phone!. Anyway she stumbles and bumbles through more items , finally getting to the bottom of the basket. I’m thinking I just may get home before the current President leaves office. THEN, the one item that you can lay major Vegas odds will get most newbies at the self checkout came out of her basket. Damn, just daaaaum! Produce. (What’s with the blank stares yall?)

Loose produce has no upc code. Put it on the scanner doubling as a scale press produce on the screen find the picture/ description of what you have,  press the picture and the price is  computed. Right? Not  2day people, not this lady. The apples in the picture didn’t look like her apples. Probably because the apples in the little picture aren’t real. She squints, tells the person on the other end of the phone she doesn’t see her apples, and motions for the attendant to come over and help. More squinting by the both of them. Finally the attendant swipes a card she has around her neck , beep! apples on their way down the conveyor belt.

Time to pay up. I neglected to mention that the self checkout also causes people to forget how to use credit and debit cards. Miss lady fishes a card out of her purse and begins a though rough examination of the checkout unit  in search of the card swipe. She finds it after about a minute or two and swipes the card then squints some more.

She starts to press a selection on the touch screen but stops short, squints some more, starts to touch the screen again, stops, singles time out by motioning the attendant over. They confer in  their huddle as the person in front of me exhales loudly and I am looking around for a brick to bring all of this to a quick resolution.  They break from their huddle and the  attendant points to the screen , Miss Lady follows her direction and touches the screen. The game over sound of the whirring receipt emerging from its chute was a welcome reprieve , a long  time coming.

The man in front of me moves up to ring up his things. Turns looks at  the touch screen, and…………squints. Hell to the no! Whatever sin I’d committed that subjected me to this nonsense  would have to be settled with God when I see him or her or it.

Off I went to a line with a real cashier trained in the fine art scanning and administering payment types for people who suddenly upon entering the doors of retail and grocery establishments,  lose the ability to read, and use cards for payment.

Two minutes and three people in front of me later, I was headed out the door. And you all know that I’m not going to leave you hanging. (What about the guy that was in front of you?) I hear you.

As I was walking out the door, he was talking to the attendant. Still at the kiosk.

Self checkout is not about getting out of the store faster. It can’t be when it relies on untrained cashiers (the you and the me) to  perform the duty of a person three aisles down that has been trained and is experienced in performing the task. Self checkout is about saving the establishment labor cost. And thats good, because controlled labor cost contribute to lower prices for the consumer. 

I question though,  how much are they really saving?  Take into consideration the erroneous omissions by honest customers coupled with the premeditated scan one miss one approach by the criminal minded. That along with the consumer that is going to go to the human cashier anyway. 

However if someone is not familiar with navigating a self checkout unit, I feel it would be proper etiquette to utilize a human cashier, and spare those of us that can efficiently scan our own item and pay our own bill, the frustration of waiting while they go through cashiering 101.

How have your self checkout experiences been?

Hit me back in the comment section.

What Do Real Men Want From Women?

As long as there has been man and woman this question has been alive and well with a myriad of conclusions. To be sure, and as the image suggest, until men  really invest some serious time in getting to know their female counterparts, women can be a bit perplexing to the average male. Especially if the male still has his head in the ‘me Tarzan she Jane” era.

However, most men learn from past relationships, sisters, moms, female friends the important and beneficial things about women and tend to go on and do very well in relationships and (dare I say the word?) marriage. The percentage of men that fail to understand what is important to, for, and about women, well ladies, they’re reading this post along with you.

As men mature they adopt individual desires, and needs in relation to women and relationships. However  as a whole  there are some characteristics that all real men, seek when deciding whom to seriously align themselves with. Charcteristics  that are far beyond the shallow content print media, and entertainment venues lead you to believe.

First off,  big booties and open legs are not at the top of the list..probably will barely make the cut. “Whaaaaat??????? Are you sure Geo????? . Hey girl, get my glasses, I’m not seeing this right” Consider this. Sex has become such a wholesale commodity, it has rapidly declined in value, to the point it doesn’t even require a commitment to be had anymore. So why in the hell would it be on any man’s requisite  for that special woman?  And there is research to support my conviction. “Researchers at the University of Iowa find that men increasingly are interested in intelligent, educated women who are financially stable — and chastity isn’t an issue.” Our liberal cultural values dictate its going to be part of the package at some point down the road at some juncture, so why should a real man devalue a real woman by placing it out of context with what he really wants.

What they really want. “Is this fool going to get to the point?” ( I heard that Raleigh NC!!!)

Across the board getting down to the you and me of it, men don’t want a lot.

They want to be men, to lead, to be respected and admired. Men want to be needed. We are hardwired as providers requiring nourishment in this area through our women needing us for something other men can’t provide. It can be as complex as the role we play in the volatile balance or a career mom’s time with the family or as simple as our physical and emotional impact on the relationship. Yes its that ego thing. One of the largest ego inflators for men  is the damsel in the distress. Why? They make men feel needed and are so grateful for the help. And sex never enters the equation.

But back to what men want. We want a woman that cares about herself. We want a woman with good family values. We want a smart woman. No you don’t have to have a Harvard PHD or be CEO of anything. Smart about yourself and the world around you.  Smart about us.

Men want women that are interested in them and what  they do and can help them do it better. “umm still no mention of the booty. Where is this guy getting this stuff?” Keep reading Detroit!

Real men want real satisfying intimacy just as the next man. Real men also acknowledge there are many variables (such as those above) that merge and gel in a real relationship that add value, meaning, and off the charts emotional and physical bliss to the low locking boot knocking rendezvous.

I could go on. but  I’ve got something better. I have a blogtalk radio topic scheduled on the subject where we here the claims of other real men.
It’s schedule for Friday November 27th, 2009 @ 9:00 PM Eastern. Be sure to tune in @

What Do Real Men Want From Women?? The Show!!

If you’re reading this after the live show date you can still click the link and listen to the archived show.

Guys share your wants in the comment section. Ladies, you thoughts are welcomed as well.

What’s Good Credit Have To Do With Getting A Good Man?

She’s smart, she’s talented, she’s pretty, she’s candid, and she is undeniably the hardest working woman in credit.

She’s Regina Littles.

Now we here at The C-Factor steer clear of endorsements and we really try to straddle the fence when it comes to businesses and products, leaving those decisions to our readers. Oh we will  compliment  businesses for delivering on their promises and blast them  for wrong practices.  We will also highlight products for exceeding their purpose and doing extremely well, neither to be misconstrued as an endorsement.  We will also call a screw up a screw up and a flop a flop. All components of being a honest blogger I feel.

So we’re blasting Regina in a positive shout for being so relentless at sharing her message, and information on one of the most important topics in our lives today. Credit.

She’s written books, produced videos, given lectures, and has one of the most active Facebook Pages of the day.

So if you want to get the lowdown on Credit from A to Z stop by her Facebook  page that has links to all she does.

And if you are wondering what credit has to do with getting a good man…..well ladies, check out Regina’s YouTube production that will put you on point. It’s funny, with serious verbal bullet points. She delivers a very concise and profound message to those whose finances may detour a would be good mate.

NEED A JOB? THE CENSUS BUREAU IS HIRING !!!

2010 Census Jobs (Straight from their site)

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.

Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community.

Hundreds of thousands are needed for temporary jobs

Conducting the census is a huge undertaking. Hundreds of thousands of census takers are needed nationwide to help locate households and conduct brief personal interviews with residents. Most positions require a valid driver’s license and use of a vehicle. However, use of public transportation may be authorized in certain areas.

Your community is counting on you

Every 10 years, the Census Bureau takes a snapshot of our population, determining how many people reside within the nation’s borders, who they are, and where they live. The results help determine your representation in government, as well as how federal funds are spent in your community on things like roads, parks, housing, schools, and public safety. As a census taker, you’ll play a vital role in making sure that everyone is counted.

Bilingual speakers are encouraged to apply

All census takers must be able to speak English, but people who have bilingual skills are needed in communities where a large number of residents primarily speak other languages. If you have the appropriate language skills and cultural knowledge to communicate well in your community, we encourage you to apply.

Apply today by contacting your Local Census Office or by calling 1-866-861-2010 .

Some of you all may want to jump on this!!!