MLK Sales Day: Marketing, the lowest of the low?

A 'marketing guru' at Kmart knew that Monday (17th Jan) was universally celebrated in the name of the man who once had a dream of freedom. They thought that the best way to honour Martin Luther King was to make an online sale in his name – in other words, to make money using his reputation. Patriotic??! I'll say!

Thalia Surf Shop in Laguna Beach was forced to apologise Tuesday after it received complaints for an online ad it posted offering a 20% discount on all black products in honor of Monday’s holiday.

"Respect. MLK Sale 20% Off All Black Products," read the advertisement, which originally included a picture of Dr. King’s head superimposed on the body of a surfer.

The outlet has been criticised for the inane use of Dr King’s image in an advertisement, especially on a national holiday honouring his influential beliefs, with commentators saying the promotion showed 'bad taste' and was 'wildly inappropriate'.

The store’s promotion, initially titled ‘Proud to be Black’ but later changed to the ‘Respect Sale’, offered 20 per cent of all black products sold by the shop on January 17, in honour of Martin Luther King Jr Day.

"It's our slow time of the year, so we're always getting creative," owner Nick Cocores told the Register. "We knew it was going to attract some attention."

The store’s Facebook page was quickly flooded with both supportive and critical messages about the ad campaign. Some called it creative and brilliant, while others were appalled, deriding the ad for being offensive and insensitive. 

BLACK. . .

I watched a Bollywood movie today, while I was feeling under the weather and frankly feeling sorry for myself. A film that was released over 5 years ago – a film I saw back then, that I never forgot.

I decided to watch this movie again as an article I read previously, triggered some thought on the subject.

A story about Michelle McNally, the eldest child of an Anglo Indian family who lived in Shimla, India.

The story is about Michelle and her teacher – a story about two people left incomplete by God, who fought a battle with fate and made the impossible, possible.

The world in her story is different...where sound transcends into silence...and light into darkness. In her world, where nothing can be seen nor heard – there is only one name for her world. . . BLACK!

It was directed by Sanjay Leela Bansali and the first half of the film is an adaptation of Helen Keller’s autobiography, The story of my life.
Helen Adams Keller (1880-1968), was an American Author, Political Activist and a lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of how Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate.

I have read a tiny part of Helen Keller’s autobiography during University and I would really like to read it all one day.

The film Black was absolutely amazing. In fact, there are no words to describe how well the actress Rani Mukerji played the role of Michelle. A true inspiration.

The film just got me thinking – even though I know that it is just a film, it is based on a true story and there are people out there who are just like Michelle and Helen. Although, technology and medicine itself are much more advanced now then it was...it just goes to show you that if so much could be achieved back then...impossible is nothing!!

The true story of Helen for example, she was successful because she had determination. If you believe in yourself, nothing can stop you from achieving what you wish to achieve. Right?

“Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts” ~ Winston Churchill.

Anything is possible if you put your heart and soul into it. I think we all need a bit of inspiration at some point, it helps push us in the right direction.

While there are times where one can have too much optimism, or too much self efficacy, we often also experience the reverse. We talk ourselves out of opportunities we could have taken and we convince ourselves we aren’t good enough to take big challenges, and we stop short rather than launching ourselves forward risking failure.

Developing a habit of expecting the best and pushing yourself towards it, almost guarantees that you will experience more spectacular failures. But, it also guarantees some spectacular success.

I read a Psychology article on the train the other day on the awesome power of belief:

Four Things You Can Do 

Here are four constructive steps you can take: 

• Be mindful and stay present. Know that you have worked hard to this point and are willing to work even harder. Mindfulness helps you avoid the downward spiral. 
• Believe in yourself. Even if you don't fully believe, act as if you do. Actions 'speak louder than words.' They speak louder than thoughts, too. 
• Above all else, refrain from struggling with those self-critical thoughts - just let them occur. Trying to suppress or eliminate them only adds to their power. 
• Then, refocus your attention on the trading task-at-hand and do what matters most for your trade and for yourself as a trader.

This can be easier said than done – most definitely! However, like everything worthwhile in your life, you have to work at it – it will be hard but it is not impossible.

‘A trading psychology edge occurs when we start to shift from our old patterns of thinking to constructive ones.’

Believe you can do it – and YOU WILL!

Remember one more thing – BE YOURSELF, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, AND BE HAPPY. . .

Much love,

Anokhi 

Ban of female education lifted?!

How were women treated by the Taliban?

While in power in Afghanistan, the Taliban became dishonorable internationally for their treatment of women.

From the age of eight, women were not allowed to be in direct contact with men, other than a close blood relative, husband, or in-law.
 Other restrictions were:

• Women should not appear in the streets without a blood relative and without wearing a Burkha.
• Women should not wear high-heeled shoes as no man should hear a woman’s footsteps, to avoid ‘exciting’ men.
• Women must not speak loudly in public as no stranger should hear a woman's voice.
• All ground and first floor residential windows should be painted over or screened to prevent women being visible from the street.
• The photographing or filming of women was banned as was displaying pictures of females in newspapers, books, shops or the home.
• The modification of any place names that included the word "women." For example, "women's garden" was renamed "springtime garden^.
• Women were forbidden to appear on the balconies of their apartments or houses.
• Ban on women's presence on radio, television or at public gatherings of any kind.

The Taliban claimed to recognise their Islamic duty to offer education to both boys and girls, yet a decree was passed that banned girls above the age of 8 from receiving instruction.
This was only meant to be temporary and females would return to school and work once facilities and street security were adapted to prevent cross-gender contact.


The Guardian today has covered the ‘female education ban’ in more depth.

“Afghanistan minister claims leadership has undergone 'cultural change' and no longer opposes female education.”

The Taliban's leadership is prepared to drop its ban on girls' schools, one of Afghanistan's most influential cabinet ministers has claimed.


According to Farooq Wardak, the country's education minister, the movement has decided to scrap the ban on female education that helped earn the movement worldwide infamy in the 1990s.
Wardak said the Taliban's leadership had undergone a profound change since losing power after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.


"It is attitudinal change, it is behavioural change, it is cultural change," he told the Times Educational Supplement.


"What I am hearing at the very upper policy level of the Taliban is that they are no more opposing education and also girls' education."

Female MPs greeted with disbelief the Taliban's supposed softening of stance on schooling for girls.
Marman Gulhar, MP for the north-eastern province of Kunar, was also sceptical. "This is not true and it will never happen," she told the BBC. "The Taliban will never be ready for that [girls' education].
"In fact they are fighting against that. The girls' schools are closed and still are closed."

Government and private schools across Swat are unlikely to reopen when the winter vacations end after a Taliban deadline expired on Thursday – with around 80,000 female students facing a year without classes.

Last month, the Taliban threatened to kill any girl attending classes after January 15, and to blow up any schools where girls are enrolled.
The expiry of the deadline – which did not apply to girls below grade five – has been followed by the closure of around 400 schools in Swat, leaving the education of around 80,000 female students and the careers of about 8,000 female teachers in jeopardy.
Residents are complaining that the government has not responded to the situation. They say the closure of schools has left some parents with no option but to migrate, but the majority cannot afford such a move.

District education officials also said the government had not yet come up with a solution.
The district administration had asked private schools to continue classes, but the request has been turned down. A spokesman for an association of private schools told AFP the resumption of classes was in doubt. “The government has assured us it will provide security, but it is a question of the lives of the students … we cannot take a risk.” The Swat Taliban have already destroyed 122 girls’ schools.

Should India still receive UK tax payers' money?

India has been receiving more British aid since 1998, than any other country - That is a staggering total of £1.5bn in the last 5 years!


AID: What is it for?
         Who should get it?
         What should they use it for?


On one hand, here is a country which, as Andrew Mitchell, the UK secretary for international development, puts it, "is roaring out of poverty". It is the 11th largest economy in the world - spending $31.5bn on its defence budget and $1.25bn on a space programme. . .
So why, in these difficult economic times is the British Government giving aid to India?


On the other hand, India is counted as one the 22 UK priority countries in its aid programmes. Conservatives class India as a prime example for their "charity begins and ends at home" approach. 


When Mitchell came to office, he made a great fuss about cutting aid programmes to China and Russia. India was to be added to the list, but No. 10 prevailed. 

India is still regarded by the UK public as a poor country, despite its recent economic growth and global power. 
Is this perception correct? Maybe so - I mean, a third of the world's poor live in India - more than those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Shockingly, half of all Indian children are malnourished. So, if aid is about relieving poverty, UK aid to India is justified?!

However, India is now so prosperous that it has in fact started a significant overseas aid programme of its own. India is actually thinking of refusing our aid.
India "seems to have become increasingly tired of being cast in the role of recipient."
There has been some speculation in India that the UK deliberations could be short circuited by India itself deciding it no longer wants British aid - refusing and delivering all which is conditional on things such as government reform. 


Should this mean that this 'unwanted' aid could be put to use elsewhere?


In Haiti for example - this devastating earthquake that struck a year ago, that killed more than 230,000 and abolished an already fragile infrastructure. 


I am not at all implying that we have not given aid and supported Haiti - we most certainly have! In fact, the UK Government has spent £20m to support the people of Haiti. 


This issue will be considered by the UK Parliament's select committee on international development this week. This should be a straightforward issue - but it is most definitely isn't!!


The Guardian reported that one key expert admitted that they change their minds from backing to ending aid to India every other day - Well, a lot of money is at stake. . . 


  

Size Zero + Kenneth Tong = A Twitter Storm

Women should “get thin or die trying” and you can “never start too young”.

It is better for a girl to “risk [her] life dieting than be sub-par by being a plus-size”.

Remember: “Hunger hurts but starving works.” 

RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Former Big Brother contestant, Kenneth Tong started tweeting these statements and worse, over two weeks ago, and a storm broke out on Twitter. And rightly so – did anyone expect any less?

When I first saw these tweets and then heard about this I was completely appalled !

In case you are wondering, Kenneth Tong is, a 27-year-old who was born in Toronto to an extremely wealthy family and raised in Hong Kong. Their cash comes from his Chinese grandfather, who made an important innovation in plastic injection molding, and the family has lived off the proceeds ever since. Tong says his father was “a renowned playboy” who “really didn't do much”, and his mother was barely present during his childhood: “I raised myself.” He was dispatched to a series of boarding schools, all of which he “hated”. (London Evening Standard)

Some more of what he tweeted:

“Don’t listen to them. They’re all trying to make fatter. You’re a mess as is. Throw the food away. You’ll be so much happier then.”

“The words lunch, breakfast, and dinner should now mean nothing to you, you have eaten enough for a lifetime. Stop. You are disgusting.” 

“If everyone is beautiful inside & out, why did the size zero model skip the queue whilst you waited in the cold, and got knocked back after.” 

“Wake up. Your [sic] disgusting. Your so fat you don’t deserve sleep. Go look in the mirror & hate yourself. I don’t want you eating today.” 

“Inner beauty is a myth. You are just fat. You are unloved. People look at you & are pleasant cause they feel sorry for you. Size Zero…” 

“Inner beauty is as practical as a photo of oxygen to a drowning man.” 

“There is curvy, then there is you: the rule, not the exception.”

The Kenneth Tong Twitter argument brings up larger issues than body weight and extreme diets. Using just Twitter, a series of shocking and insulting posts, publicly picking fights with celebrities and joyfully retweeting celebrity denouncements, Tong has generated infinitely more buzz than any formal ad campaign could provide — for free. A Google search for the keywords “kenneth tong size zero pill” shows over 2,500 results; most are from the past few days.

Tong’s so-called idea of ‘managed anorexia’ ... is this a message that should be sent out to teenagers and impressionable young women?

Aren't we already exposed to enough pressure?

Can I just say, who on earth is he to preach about what women should or shouldn't look like? How can a man – who is most definitely FAR from being a sex symbol decide any of it?

He might as well be handing a suicidal person a loaded gun !!!!!!!

What kind of example is HE setting to the youth of today – as a Z List Celebrity - endorsing the idea of eating disorders, because let’s face it, that’s what anorexia is. 

It has most certainty caused havoc and many out there including the celebs were and are furious!

@MrKennethTong . . . What the Twitterati wrote

Gordon Ramsay
Just want to make it clear to everyone that I do not support kenneth tong's campaign. Thank you for all your messages x

Lily Allen 
@twitter many of my followers seem very upset by this
@Kennethtong person. Can we please be rid of him?
Lily Allen
@twitter SHUT HIM DOWN. I know you get jumpy about freedom of speech but I think you should make an example of him.

Rochelle of The Saturdays
@MrKennethTong Your tweets are upsetting a lot of people, including myself! It's very vile! Twitter isn't meant for people like you!!

Rihanna 
Girls are dying all over the world because of ignorant individuals like this@MrKennethTong

Sophia Bush
Dear @MrKennethTong, you're a model for self-hate.

James Corden
That Kenneth guy. Methinks it's probably best if we all ignore him for a while. Bless his lovely skinny socks x

Caitlin Moran
Kenneth Tong — what an eye-rolling waste of space. I liked it better in the old days, where people drew attention to themselves by being fired at the Moon.

Rihanna said; “This is exactly why girls are doing everything to destroy their bodies!” whilst Cowell tweeted: “Just been informed about Mr Kenneth Tong. Twitter has a new village idiot. In fact he doesn’t even deserve the village. He’s an idiot. Mr Kenneth Tong you keep telling people to lose weight. The only weight people should lose is you. You’re not worth my time.” 

Ladies! This is disgraceful. I hope none of you will stand for being told such a thing, in such a way. Being healthy, eating right, and staying active is one thing. Being told to starve yourselves – TOTALLY NOT COOL!!!

Whilst it is easy for many women to ignore his twisted ideas of how women should live their lives, there are going to be some who succumb to his desire to control them and really believe that; “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.”

To those women (and men) out there…. I suggest you have some YUMMY CHEESECAKE! 

:-)

Much love,

Anokhi

Facebookalypse Rumour: Did you fall for it?

Over the weekend, the rumour was that ‘Facebook will end on March 15th.’

OH DEAR LORD!!!

What would you do without Facebook?

Worry not though, this in fact was just a rumour and Facebook is not shutting down!

“Facebook has dismissed rumours that the social networking site is shutting down, after millions of its users got panicked.”

This was initially instigated by a website, Weekly World News.

According to their story, the social media giant would shut down in March because Mark Zuckerberg was getting too stressed out.

“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”

“After March 15th the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business.” 

As expected, this hoax spread like fire and got everyone into a panic! The phrase "Is Facebook shutting down" was the 14th most searched for on Google on Saturday and the 10th most as of Sunday morning.

Groups on Facebook appeared protesting against the shut down and Twitter users were tweeting about the concern of their pictures.

"We didn't get the memo about shutting down, so we'll keep working away. We aren't going anywhere; we're just getting started," the New York Daily News quoted Facebook as tweeting.

What baffled me was, a website estimated at being worth over $50 billion, why on earth would anyone even think of suddenly shutting it down???

As sad as it sounds…let’s face it, our lives would end if Facebook or Twitter or even the internet was taken away from us! This is what the world has come to. . .

A small action can go a long long way. . .

Happy New Year everyone!

A new year with new beginnings and new adventures!

I received an email from Amnesty International a few days ago which read:

Dear Anokhi,

Back in December, you took action to prevent the forced eviction of thousands of people living by the railway in Accra, Ghana. We only had a few days to gather names yet over 32,000 Amnesty supporters from around the world signed our petition, which we handed in to Ghana’s Minister of Transport.

We are delighted to let you know that the proposed eviction did not take place, and is not expected to take place in the near future.

Our colleagues at Amnesty Ghana believe that it was pressure from people like you that stopped the authorities from going ahead with the demolition, sparing families from homelessness and destitution. They believe the authorities now plan to engage local communities in discussion about any future plans for redevelopment.

Thank you once again for your speedy response. This is a great start to the year, and we hope you will continue to take action throughout 2011 to prevent forced evictions and the human rights abuses that go with them.

I was extremely thrilled! Amnesty International are doing a wonderful job with supporting Human Rights - however, I just wanted to emphasise how much a single moment of your time, be it for anything, can make a huge difference.

A forced eviction is the removal of people against their will from the homes or land they occupy without legal protections and other safeguards.

Evictions may be carried out only as a last resort, once all other feasible alternatives have been explored and only after appropriate procedural and legal safeguards are in place.

These include:

• genuine consultation with the affected people
• prior adequate and reasonable notice
• adequate alternative housing and compensation for all losses
• safeguards on how evictions are carried out
• access to legal remedies and procedures, including access to legal aid where necessary

Governments are also required to ensure no one is rendered homeless or vulnerable to other human rights violations as a consequence of an eviction.

On 26 November 2010, the Government of Ghana signed a US$6 billion contract with a Chinese company for the construction and expansion of railway infrastructure in Ghana.

People living in slums experience a staggering number of human rights violations. They are routinely denied their right to adequate housing, safe water, sanitation and drainage, electricity, health and education, and face the constant threat of police, gang violence, and forced eviction.

Amnesty International has urged the Ghanaian authorities to halt the imminent eviction of thousands of people living next to railway lines in the capital, Accra.

Known as the Railway Dwellers, the men, women and children who live and work next to the lines in the Agbogbloshie area of Accra face homelessness after local authorities gave them two weeks to leave the area on 1 December 2010.

I am just so glad that the evictions did not take place and that these innocent people will not lose their homes and their livelihoods. Wherever they may be living and regardless of how - everyone deserves a life!

Good news and a great start to the New Year!