Its a family affair!

(I've decided to give everybody a sneak peek of the venue, so enjoy it. Usually i don't do this but..... KEEP THE PARTY GOING!)

Family is a beautiful thing. Recently i was able to have the experience of watching someone that i have been very close to all my life take the next step and get married. This is the first person that I have been able to witness all the way from the beginning. My twin and I are the same age and its pretty cool to have witnessed virtually their whole life. I know how parents must feel when they see their children get older (wow, that's scary).

However, my family did such a great job of working together. Although it was mostly the women (but not all) that did all the work, but nonetheless a great job was done. The bride's brother did an exceptional job with the videography, but i didn't expect anything less because he's great that's what he does for a living. He put together reality TV people, we might even get this thing played on Oxygen or somebody's network. My mom and auntie planned from what i hear on all accounts a phenomenal bridal shower, one of a kind to my understanding. And they planned it from another state! My other auntie did some pretty remarkable things putting the reception together along with her company. Shout out to Etcetera Etcetera, the website is http://www.etc-etc.biz/. They do all kinds of event planning with different nuances, they are phenomenal. Im not telling you anymore you have to go check out the website. Oh, and i can't forget my cousin who makes the best desserts on this side of the solar system. She whipped up some nice things for the bridal shower too. I can get you her contact as well. Ask and ye shall receive. I knew you would ask, it is http://www.myspace.com/harvestmoondesserts.

My family is about to take over the world! The pot is brewin' and i won't let you miss a beat cause im going to write about it (wink). You get it, "beat" like a beat writer. Somebody hit the drums and symbols for effect.

The point is all the family was there, save one cousin. Shout out to Brittany! I know how grateful my twin was for everybody, but that's how it should be. When everyone works together magical things happen. My family is truly a team and that's what it is all about.

I did my part too, cause i carried all the heavy stuff to the car.

Money in the bank?

Clearly ungrateful. Mess like this gets me steamin. Well his grand kids won't be left with any money because any money that he gets he is going to find a way to blow it. This is not an illusion, yes the man has a chain simulating the kellog cereal box. Im all for creativity (as was stated in the previous blog entry)but at some point it becomes absurd, excessive, and wasteful.

The gentlemen pictured is believed to be rapper "gucci mane" (at least thats who Kanye said it was), some of you, however not all, are probably thinking, "I've never heard of him", point well taken. Now i am not one to speak on someone else's pocket especially if i don't know them, however I have not been able to locate him on the Forbes 100 list, or any list for that matter. He claims to be from the hood as most rappers do, therefore im sure the conditions weren't the best, his family had to use the oven to heat the house up, they didn't know where the next meal was coming from or something along these lines. So why the heck wouldn't he use some of that money that he has to help the hood that he came from. Im sure everyone in his old stomping grounds is still struggling, the kids need rec centers or the community needs business', im not a psychic but im getting that feeling. Black folks always talk about the white man this and the white man that, but when you are selfish like this you will never get ahead. There is power in numbers, other nationalities get ahead because they help each other and everybody is willing to contribute. Im not talking about making your boy the head of jewelry security either. Im talking about a real job. Everybody always has something to say about the Arabs running the gas station or the corner store but they look out for each other and they are shutting the market DOWN! They dang near have a monopoly. The people that own the corner stores and such don't even stay in that neighborhood nine times out of ten, it is like going far away from your home, selling crack to the slums and returning back to your safe and quiet abode.

This has turned into a bigger discussion (I know sometimes it happens that way). White people run their business' and look out for their buddy and help them get their foot in the door. Then you have a branching out effect that leads to a bunch of white people running the show because usually that is who they are friends with. Black folks don't do that, we get some money, start a car wash and blow it. Then we go back to being just like everybody else with the same ole plans and same ole grams. If we got some things going and put our friends on like everybody else then maybe we could get some representation out here in the money market of America. However, we would rather make frosted flakes chains. Are you serious! This is really the best idea he had to spend his money on. We need a whole new mindset. We need the those MIB guys to come to the hood and zap everybody so we won't even remember what mess we used to think about.

I am about to go in reverse here put on your seatbelt, this guy isn't even your premiere rapper. He's known in a couple of hoods across the United States but that's it! He is no LL Cool J, or Jay-z, or you know....SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS. His momma should have come on stage and grabbed him by the ear and drug him off stage. The worst part about all this, im sure the people in the crowd were thoroughly excited and impressed when they saw his chain.

Im done with this matter, Kellog should sue this guy for blasphemy!

HYPOcrite!

When is it ever good to copy? When is it a good time to copy? There appears to be a double standard in effect. Companies are duplicating other brands and designs that have already hit the market. As I was thumbing through the Vibe magazine the other day i noticed a pair of Fila sneakers that looked exactly like some Prada sneakers that have been around for an extended amount of time. Why do companies do this? They seem to be able to get away with such plagiarism if their product costs significantly less money, no one cares because they are no threat. However, that's still not right.

Why don't companies hire anyone with ingenuity anymore. Matter of fact if you are creative your services are at a premium (that's an insider tip). If someone worked for my company and presented me with a product that looked exactly like another companies product i would fire them just for bringing the spirit of copy cat into the building. I know when i was in school we got in trouble for cheating off someone else's paper or in college they use the fancy word, its called plagiarism. Someone please help me understand the rationale behind this. Ladies think of when Minolo Blahnik came out with the boots that look like timberlands and then Steve Madden made some just like it, or what about all these companies that duplicate the Gucci print and Coach print. If you just so happen to be into those kind of things wouldn't you want the best and not the inferior reproduction.

Maybe the competitive spirit is gone in America. Im about to start stealing other people articles, because im a writer and its easier that way. PSYCHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My articles are better anyway.

Endorse or Remorse?

These are pieces from a fashion show in Milan, I believe they are all from the Prada winter collection. The two pieces in the middle i find pretty amazing, however the others are questionable. As they say it is a thin line between GENIUS and INSANITY. But i bet you could be really warm in the bottom left outfit, hahahaha.

God is not playin!

This is a story from the New York Times. Check the research. I don't think God is in favor of what folk are doing out here

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/health/15infe.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

Buyer's Wanted

Check out the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Indices

http://www.data360.org/report_slides.aspx?Print_Group_Id=82

I was shocked (barely) to see that of all these markets Detroit has the lowest housing prices, the average I believe was indicated at approximately $120,000. Its pretty weird to look at a place like Chicago and see how much their houses are going for and they are right up the road, they are at approx. $170,000. Now Miami is at $275,000 and that's a whole different market. Detroit is like the old veteran in the NBA and his name sounds good, everybody recognizes him, and it seems like a good idea to have him on your team but in actuality he can't play anymore. Its like having Chris Webber on the Pistons in 2007, oh wait that actually happened, oops. This is not fact but if you ask someone in Charlotte or any other city what they think of Detroit they are going to say motor city, car industry, or auto mecca, something along those lines. Well that would have been a good answer about 10 years ago but that might not hold much water today. A little further research indicates that you can have your pick at a myriad of houses going for around $75,000 and I am no expert but that seems a little low, some cars are more than that. Don't everyone rush to your nearest real estate agent at once, there are plenty of houses to go around for sale.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Since Martin just had a birthday, here are a few things i thought of throughout the day, take it how you want...

Things to Ponder:

1. Why is every Martin Luther King blvd, ave, or street unkept and in the less desirable area no matter what city you are in?

2. Why doesnt Malcolm get a day?

3. Don't you think Martin would suggest we do something other than go to banquets and eat on his birthday?

4. Why don't they implement the Rooney rule (look it up) for everyday corporations and not just the NFL?

5. When was the last time there was a legitimate march?

-Sneaker Intermission-

Its my blog so i can put what i want on it! These shoes are hard to get, they are from the Nike Pigeon series and if you run across them let me know. Matter of fact as much as i love shoes im surprised im just now putting some one here. Whatever, skip this if you want but im just going to put some more shoes up later.

As it continues to rain....

Is it possible to be banned from strip clubs because if there is such a restriction it needs to be imposed on Adam "Pacman" Jones. And you have to be pretty bad to be banned from a place like that. He has returned from vacation back home to the newspapers once again, this time for allegedly striking a woman at a "shake joint". Now if you can recall he has already been suspended from the NFL for 1 year stemming from multiple law violations, which he has now served. One of his more famous escapedes includes a shooting at a Las Vegas strip club during the NBA's All Star weekend in 2007. If you have time you can look up his remarkable track record.

This makes me want to pull my hair out and wax my legs. Here is a man with an opportunity that many men would give up all they have to be in his shoes, but he just does not get it. What is the mentality of Pacman Jones. He had a job in the NFL living his dream and making a yacht load of money (he had a good contract because he was a stand out player) only to jepordize it time after time. If he is not reinstated in the NFL he only has himself to blame. In America, the land of opportunity some people have more options than others, Pacman does not come from the most positve or affluent of backgrounds and you would think that he would appreciate where he is now, but obviously he does not. I've heard the rhetoric that says a grown man can go where he choses and i am also familiar with the antithesis urging athletes to stay out of places like nightclubs and i understand both sides, you can choose your own preference. The problem is the decision making. If you have worked extremely hard your whole life to get your dream job why would you do something to put that at risk. Initially it was no problem to be in various night spots because no problems had occured and nobody knew what you were doing and nobody cared as long as you came to work. But now you have had problems in these places along with others and you are on probation because of it. Is it then too much to ask to stay out of the strip club while you are on probation. Is it that difficult to refrain at least until you get your job back. Sometimes people need to think about the what-if's and whether its worth it or not. You could easily go and nothing could happen but you could also go and something could precipitate (that was a joke because he is famous for "making it rain"), and in the aftermath you are left to wonder, "dang was it really worth it"? However here is the kicker, HE STRUCK THE WOMAN (allegedly)! So he brought it upon himself. There are also safety reasons to stay out of places like that especially with the recent deaths and shootings of other athletes. Another point that has to be made is that he has enough money to bring whatever strippers he wants to his own abode without the other folks. But maybe then he can't show off to other people how much money has, if that is the mindset, I don't know im just saying. There are other ways to do this if you MUST see strippers. People need to think of consequences when they are doing whatever it is they choose to do and ask themselves is it worth it. There were times I wouldn't park at my friends apartment complex due to the fact that i might get towed, though it was highly unlikely. I would rather walk the extra steps than worry about my car and pay the massive amount of money should they happen to tow it. Why park there when i can alleviate that problem squarely.

So basically all i want to know is, IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox what time is it?

This is one of my favorite watches right now. I have a yellow one. These watches are so cool to me. The brand is Nooka. The dots represent the hours and the horizontal bars beneath are the minutes. The designer was inspired by the lack of methods used to demonstrate time. Maybe i think the watches are cool because other people cannot tell time on them when i show it to them. I always laugh on the inside when people see my watch and they say "how do you know what time it is", unless my grandma ask me, then i better tell her what time it is or problems could ensue because she is not trying to learn all that MESS! I suggest you get one as well so you can chuckle as well when people ask you what time it is. Just stick your arm out and laugh!

P.S. If you are reading this then i can no longer laugh at you because now you are in the know.