Beware of Pro Life folks with their finger on the trigger

Top 10 ‘or so’ reasons why I won’t vote for McCain/Palin (for real - no blogger fodder/propaganda)

1. Their position on negotiating with our enemies is scary.
As a student of The Art Of War the Republicans’ or rather the McCain/Palin approach is madness. Their infatuation with aggression and dismissal of diplomacy and reason is a cause of great concern. If it weren’t for the actions of President Bush I would say I don’t believe it. This is the behavior of children in the playground not multi-millionaire legislators. But alas it appears that even trust fund kids of oil barons can act as ignorant as a fake thug from East New York.

The truth is as Master Tzu teaches diplomacy works and aggression must be your last course of action. It does not make you weak. In fact it makes you strong.

2. Fannie and Freddie
It takes a special kind of stupid to let two companies holding $50 trillion (with a ‘t’) in loans to almost go under. And it happened under the Republican economic watch. McC/Palin’s relative silence lead one to believe they are clueless on the matter. Their insistence on continuing this expensive war is bad news.
Ideology aside, this war is an economic Titanic. News flash people – the cost of crude oil didn’t pop because Britney and Kevin broke up.

3. Choose Life, but not healthcare
The Republican platform is undoubtedly pro-life but as I understand it universal health care is a no-no. Apparently, they like the health care system as is. As an entrepreneur with 2 kids this is unacceptable. The business model of ‘pay or die’ is not only a burden for families like me but I believe it is a metaphysical crime.

McCain has no problem taking our tax dollars to wage war (which I concede is a necessary evil for any nation – although more folly than wisdom in this case). When asked to use those tax dollars to save out life he (they) won’t even consider it. Absurd. I feel like those AARP commercials, whoever is our next president must address our health care system.

And oh yeah – they say choose life are pro death penalty and pro guns. Explain to me how that fits together. Me myself I am pro life and pro choice. Women should have a choice and I hope they choose life. No one in this debate is pro-abortion or anti-life.

This is longer than I thought. The other 7 will be later.

"Battle For Cash" excerpt

After some advice from a talented young woman in publishing who has been fighting the good fight for our boy Brian Coleman I have finally started working on my book ideas with some level of seriousness. At least five minutes a day to start. I was up at 6:00 am working on this for the book "Battle For Cash: Hip-Hop and The Art OF War"
Let me know what y'all think.

...The reason I am drawn to the Wu is same the intellectual magnetic pull that draws me to Master Tzu. No other creative collective has been as consistently organized as the Wu Tang Clan. Only Jay Z has had a better run in the short history of Hip-Hop business. And even that is apples and oranges as Jay has only been able to provide his own success while his proteges have floundered in comparison (SCR note: except Kanye where one could argue was Dame's crowning glory) . That is not a knock as I personally like Memhis Bleek, Beans, and Freeway. However their annual numbers barely compete with the monthly numbers from 'Kingdom Come.'

On the other hand The Wu has delivered their own million sellers. At one time or another their derivatives Method Man, Ghost, ODB, and Raekwon have produced critical and financial hits since 1993.

After reading RZA's 'Wu Tang Manual' I realized that along with luck and talent their success is due to the basic tenets of strategy and execution. Lessons that Master Tzu teaches every day.

...The title 'Battle For Cash' is appropriate because that is what this is. Not a game, the ever so popular euphemism. A multi billion dollar business that is a cultural and social juggernaut. Hip-Hop influences fashion, film, literature, politics, and thanks to Hip-Hop Harry even child programming and elementary education. It employs thousands directly and indirectly. Make no mistake this is a battle. A battle for cash because cash in this world gives you power. The power to make decisions. And I believe harnessing the power of this culture is the single biggest inspiration for the disenfranchised since the Civil Rights. So let's prepare for battle because as Master Tzu would say the best opponent is the one who does not realize there is a conflict.

Generals and Solders - Swifty's Art of War

To be a good general you need to be a good dolder. To give orders you must know how to take them. However good solders do not neccesarily make good generals. Some people are not built to be entrepeneurs. Most entrepeneurs are not built to be executives.

What is unfair is how we forget how symbiotic the two are. A general is nothing without his crew and of course vice versa. The most important thing is realizing which you are. Don't try and be a boss just because that is what you think you are supposed to be. Don't become a boss just because you can. You may be able to do more damage (and make more money) as a truseted right hand man or woman.

I was mentored by several entrepeneurs who taught me the ropes. From my pops to Nick Eisenman at Nervous Records to Claudia Cuseta at Maxi/Max'n (anyone who remembers that is my motherf*cker). I, in turn, have tried to pass on that knowledge to young cats that have passed through our office as well as coleagues and friends who I have worked with over the years. I hate to see talented cats waste their lives afraid to live out their dreams. What I have realized is that this is not the path for everyone.

I am an entrepeneur and I don't think I would do well in a larget system. Working for someone would certainly be a challenge, to say the least. Entrepeneurship is one of my passions. Taking an idea from light bulb to fruition is what lights my fire. But I couldn't do it without my team.

And because you came up with the idea does not make me the smartest cat in the room, nor does it gurantee you will be the richest cat in the room. In fact, with the risk you take you will be poorer than most and appear dumber than everyone.

To all the solders in big systems, rocking it, I salute you. To all the entrepenurs with no savings and two mortgages, but a heart full of desire and brain full of ideas. We are brothers.