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Archive for January 16th, 2007

Do Not Vote for the PJD!

16 Jan

“The Justice and Development Party, Morocco’s increasingly popular Islamist political party, has led the charge against “Marock,” claiming that it breaks a Moroccan law forbidding offense to Islam. The party plans to press the government on whether it has fully upheld the law.

“It’s a mockery of Moroccan spiritual life,” said Abdelkader Amara, a member of the PJD’s general secretariat. “It presents Moroccans as if they don’t adhere to their religion. But that’s not true.”

O RLY, Mr. Amara – you have intimate knowledge of how every Moroccan practices their religion? Somehow I doubt that.

“The most revolting scene, according to attackers of the film, is that Leila Marrakchi preferred to make her heroes discuss religious issues in bed, which is considered an unforgivable offence to Moroccans’ feelings.”

So, the next time my husband and I are having a discussion in bed, I should remind him that we can’t discuss religion because it will hurt his feelings? He should have a good laugh about that.

Rest of the story here.

 
 

Cheery Uplifting Habit

16 Jan

One thing that always lifts my spirits is the time honored tradition of mocking the Golden Globe attendees.

Bad Hair at the Golden Globes

 
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What I’m Working On – ‘The Real Pepsi Challenge’ Website

16 Jan

Pepsi ChallengeIn the spirit of MLK Day, here’s one of the projects I’m working on – a website for the just released (Jan 9th!) book, “The Real Pepsi Challenge” by Stephanie Capparell. The website also has her other work, which includes a business book on Ernest Shackleton and a documentary about Nazim Hikmet.

“From Booklist
Imagine the state of race relations in segregated America in 1946. Capparell, a journalist, describes the remarkable decision by the Pepsi Company to hire 12 black persons as upper-level salespeople to develop the black market. The team operated for more than four years, and in soliciting blacks everywhere, they surpassed their profit goals. Generating profits was their sole purpose.

However, this is also a story of unintended consequences, including introducing diversity into corporate America, revolutionizing the strategies of niche marketing, featuring black actors in ads, and identifying blacks as an important consumer segment.

Capparell extensively interviewed the six living members of that team formed 60 years ago who were genuine pioneers in overcoming prejudice within a large corporation and dealing with Jim Crow laws of segregation while traveling. This is a snapshot in time, with its profit successes but also its failures. Although it did not change the business world, it set the stage for ambitious black executives who followed them.

Mary Whaley Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved”