Twitter: How will it make it?

Twitter to me is an interesting brand. It has been around for a couple of years, but its reaching its point where just being a cool technology is not enough. People are ready to make money off of it. I personally have not used Twitter, but know its story and use to an extent. From what I know, I think it is a cool thing, a fad, but serves no real purpose. Twitter is a brand, that is trying to find its way into the social networking phenomenon, but unlikeBlogger, Myspace and Facebook, it serves no real purpose of benefit right now, its just a cool thing to use for some. Until that changes I do not think Twitter will turn a profit, especially since popular sites such as Youtube have yet to turn a profit. The articles from Fortune explain what Twitter is and its struggles. I am going to start using Twitter to see what its true benefit and value is, I could be totally wrong about it.




What is Twitter? Article
Will Twitter make it ?

Ne-Yo ---"Miss Independent"

I am not usually a big fan of Ne-Yo, but I must admit that I love this song. Ne-yo came out with a new album that he said would not be based solely on urban and R&B roots. This video has features from Lauren London, Gabrielle Union and one of my new favorite females, Keri Hilson. This video has been out a couple days, but I had to put it up.

State Capital of Virginia, Richmond
General Assembly Building

Statue of George Washington and other contributors to the
History and Government of the State of Virginia

The Black History Museum of Virginia

The People of the Jackson Ward neighborhood in Richmond, VA, 1950s

This weekend I visit the State Capital in Richmond as well as the Black History Museum and I learned a lot. It's incredible how much history and culture is in the city that I know very little about. Everyday I pass by these monuments and landmarks and have no idea their significance and the role they played in building the city that I live in today. I have been to the state capital before as well as sat in on some general assembly meetings, but it is great to see and visit the place where all the laws and rules that keep our state civilized are created.

The Black History Museum was great as well and featured exhibits on black inventors and fashion in Richmond during the 1950s. The main exhibit showcased Richmond's Jackson Ward area, which was known as the Harlem of the South and was the home of the legendary 2nd Street aka "The Deuce", where great black figures such as Joe Louis, Willie Mays and "Bojangles" visited on a regular basis when they came to Richmond. It was amazing to see how this neighborhood created great business for itself and sustained itself during the times of Jim Crow. Richmond has great history dating back to slavery and this trip definitely has inspired me to learn more about the culture and significant of my home city.

Finding the Next Gear...

Usain Bolt put on a world record performance at the Olympics and a performance that really inspired me. In the 100m, he won convincingly easily and dominated the competition. The 100m was an event that Bolt had to beg his coach to compete in and was not considered his strongest event. In the race, Bolt started out rather evenly and after about the first 30 or 40 meters, Bolt seemed to find his next gear and to quickly accelerate way past the competition.

Recently, I have been looking for my next gear and the meaning and motivation to create that next gear. In order to have that next gear, it takes hard work, dedication and an undenialable will to be better than everyone else and to better yourself. No one knows the countless hours and dedication, time and circumstances Bolt went through to prove to himself and to train to become one of the most dominate sprinters in history. Bolt is a history maker no one expected and its all do to his hard work and the ability to create that next gear that no one else was able to obtain. I think everyone can create that gear for themselves to be the best that can be and to stand out from those around them. I am ready to create that next gear for myself and have found the meaning that leads to the motivation to find that next gear.

Quote of the Day - - - "Motivation"

"Without a compelling cause, our employees are just putting in time. Their minds might be engaged, but their hearts are not. Meaning precedes motivation."
--Lee J. Colan--

To be successful, it is important to have a purpose. Without purpose or meaning, its as if we are walking around aimless with no end in sight. Set goals and the motivation will come naturally.

I AM STILL ALIVE.

I have been on a slight hiatus, dealing with somethings, making some changes or what not. I have not left forever. I will make my return very shortly. Until then God Bless and Stay True.

Wonder

Nike Designers

Article from HypeBeast about designers from my favorite company who have designed some of the styles and sneakers people spend all their money to get. Interesting article. Find out some of their inspiration and what drives them creatively.

Full Article
Nike Sportswear Beijing Website Relaunch

Beijing Olympics 2008 Begin Today

The Opening Ceremonies for Beijing 2008 is today. I wish I was there. I love the Olympics. When I was younger I used to want to be in the Olympics so bad. My fondest Olympic moments is watching the Dream Team in 1992, demolish the competition with such class and Micheal Johnson breaking the 200m record in 1996 wearing the gold spikes. I must ask though, are the Olympics still relevant? Do they still mean the same thing as they did in the past? With all the drug scandals and the social issues that plague the Olympics these days, is the celebration of competition and pride in one's country tainted by individuals? I am a true fan of the Olympics and believe their is no greater honor to represent your country in front of the world. It is the only sporting event that is not completely celebratory of the individual, where the team and the country is the most important thing. With these scandals going on, are athletes completely aware of what the Olympics mean and their purpose as representatives of their country. I hope the Olympics, the chance to experience the once in a lifetime experience is not overlooked by these athletes. Along with that, I hope that the world does not overlook the meaning of the Olympics and does not disregard the display of the true beauty of sport at its highest level. I believe the Olympics are very relevant and I hope that this great event is treated with the respect it deserves from all parties.

Hmmmmm....

I love this. You will think about this every time you even thought about driving drunk.

The Think Movement

Extremely Disappointed.

America's Best Dance Crew definitely lost some credibility last night with dismissing the season's best crew. I am not sure what needs to be done or what people are voting for, but how does Fannie Pak not get chosen to compete in the finale. They consistently wowed the judges and audiences and performed two great numbers last night that were extremely creative and entertaining. I was also very surprised that the judges, who had to make "that hardest decision" they ever had to make, chose Super Crew over Fannie Pak. I cannot wait to hear their explanation for their decision. Anyways, congrats to Fannie Pak for being America's Best Dance Crew and representing your unique style and taking creativity to a new level every week. Truly inspiring.

Quote of the Day --- "Virtue"

"The glory that goes with wealth is fleeting and fragile; virtue is a possession glorious and eternal."
--Sallust--

Nothing is more important than the good things that you do in life and your mark you leave on the world. The things that we obtain are only temporary and can be easily taken away from us, but what internal excellence and belief can live forever.

Is the Joker really that Crazy???

"The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules."

"When the chips are down, these civilized people, they'll eat each other."

"I hate plans. Yours, theirs, everyones....[Everyone is] Schemers trying to control the worlds. I am not a schemer. I show schemers just how pathetic their attempts to control things really are...It's a schemer who put you where you are. You were a schemer. You had plans. Look where it got you. I just did what I do best-I took your plan and turned it on itself...Nobody panics when the things go according to plan, even if the plans are horrifying...Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos? It's fair."
--The Joker--

I saw The Dark Knight for the second time the other night and it is truly a great movie. I was even more engaged into what was happening the second time around. Seeing this movie the second time gave me great admiration for Heath Ledger's Joker and how great his acting in this movie really was. Seeing this movie the second time also allowed me to focus more on the underlying themes of the movie and meaning of those themes, many of which were brought to life through the Joker. Everyone I have talked to has said the Joker is the craziest, scariest villain they have seen in a movie. His ruthless ways, his way of thinking and his demeanor are all crazy. However, I looked closer and wondered is he really that crazy?

What drives the Joker to be such a great villain is his realism and his understanding of how society and people are. Some of these ideals seem twisted, but they are really rooted in how society behaves on an everyday basis. Everyone does things that are messed up and to benefit themselves. Everyone looks for ways to get to the top and belittle those around them. Everyone has their own plan and attempts to manipulate situations to fall in line with that plan. Simply that is how the world turn unfortunately. It may be sick to uncover these imperfections in society the way the Joker did, but as far as being crazy, I do not think he was. Maybe he was just someone tired of how things were and acting out of anger. I don't know. I really appreciated how this movie made me think and how the Joker brought many things to life that effect our society today. Everyone has a plan and does messed up things to execute that plan. The only way you will survive is to be in that plan and play your part accordingly. Plain and simple. You can live without rules, but you will be taken out quickly because people usually only look out for one person; themselves.

N.E.R.D. feat. CRS and Pusha-T : Everybody Nose REMIX

One of my favorite songs of the summer now has a video and it is CRAZY. Pusha T is one of the best rappers in the game. He kills this. CRS (Kanye, Lupe and Pharrell) need to get that album out ASAP!!!!!

"A hundred dollar bills look at you, look at you... a hundred dollar bills this ain't new, this ain't new..."

Quote of the Day---Pride

"To know a man, observe how he wins his object, rather than how he loses it; for when we fail, our pride supports; when we succeed it betrays us."
--Charles Caleb Colton--

This is an interesting perspective and one I have never looked at for. I have always looked at how a man loses to define they character, but winning can really be a more honest look into a person's character. How we act when there is nothing against can reveal who we really are. Maybe in many of us there exist two different people? The person who wins and the person who loses.

Get Nooka-fied: Nooka Watches

I love these watches and their is a great story behind the brand. Check out their webpage.

Quote of the Day --- "Solitude"

"Only the misfortune of exile can provide the in-depth understanding and the overview into the realities of the world."
--Stefan Zweig--

"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till the other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off."
--Henry David Thoreau--

Solitude is not necessarily a bad thing. We find ourselves in situations where we are alone, I believe, to better ourselves. Sometimes we need that time to ourselves to gather our thoughts and find meaning in our thoughts. Sometimes we need that time to ourselves to let go of the baggage and dead weight, whether it is people in our lives that are holding us back or situations that we have failed to deal with. Solitude is a positive necessity that should be embraced in order to make us better, stronger and more intelligent people.

Jordan > Kobe

Kobe or Jordan? This has been the argument ever since Jordan has retired and Kobe has emerged to be the best player in the league. Every one has their opinion on the matter. Personally, Jordan is the best to ever do it, and Kobe will maybe be second best and thats only if he manages to get a ring without Shaq. But when asked at a basketball camp who would win between him and Kobe in his prime, Jordan pleads there would be no contest and I would have to agree. No one has been able to kill teams night in and night out like Jordan could. He is a basketball genius and a master of the game. For that simple reason alone, he would demolish Kobe much like he used to do the Knicks and John Starks back in the day. Take a look.

Air Obama Shirt

The Obama brand is becoming a pop culture icon and is really influencing people's clothing decisions. The is a new shirt from Robust Flavor. I love it. The best part of this shirt is that Obama's face actually rests on the body of the Jumpman logo. Got to get this one.

Shoes For Thought.

The Creative Recreation Italian Collection

New high end collection from Creative Recreation. I am feeling these sophistication and sport combined with just the right amount of flare. I want to rock these with a suit.

The Air Yeezy
Kanye is teasing the world with these sneakers. No release date or price on these yet, but everytime you see Kanye he has on a new colorway. This is one of the most recent colorways. I cannot wait to get these.

Nike Dunk Lo Olympic Ring Pack
I am a big fan of the Olympics, but have not found a shoe to celebrate the epic event. These could do the trick.

Nike Air Max 97 and inspired Air Force 1 Pack
Nike is really getting a dude's pockets with these packages. They are expensive yet so tempting. A classic running shoe. A must have.

Jordan Fire Red Countdown Pack.
This pack comes out with the 18s, but no one really cares about those. These are on fire and the stitched 23 on the side makes these more and more tempting.

2008 Vanity Fair Int. Best Dressed List

Ivanka Trump

Michelle Obama

Kanye West

Daniel Craig

The 69th Vanity Fair International Best Dressed List was released last week and here are some of the notables I found on the list. I was very surprised Michelle Obama made the list. Maybe its because I do not really look at her as a style icon or whatever, but I guess from the standards of the women of the political world, she has raised the bar. Daniel Craig is on the list and that is only natural as he is James Bond, who is one of the best dressed males in the movies. Ivanka Trump was a surprise to me as well, I always thought she was a great dresser, but it surprising that she is receiving great attention to it. Lastly, Kanye made the list and I think it is very deserving. Kanye really shows what it means to use clothes as a expression of your personality and mood. Kanye does this better than anyone and he is never afraid to try something different and stand out. One person that I thought may have made the list, but did not is Andre 3000, who, like Kanye, is know for his self-expression through his style choices. One thing I did notice on this list were the people that were chosen have an distinctive aura and personality that really enhances the clothes they where and actually brings their clothes to life. Their personality, demeanor and character works for the clothes and at the same time the clothes work for them. I think this is the key to true style. Is there anyone you think should have made the list?

69th Vanity Fair Best Dressed List

Flyleaf

Flyleaf ---"I'm So Sick" Video



Flyleaf Interview ---The impact of their music

I have been listening to this song repeatedly and I think it's "sick" in a good way. The song makes me feel energized and inspired. When you listen to the words it really means something and is not just noise, which a lot of people may describe alternative rock as. This band is also very unique in that they are all Christians, but do not define themselves as a Christian band. To me they don't want to be identified by their beliefs, but just want people to know where they inspiration comes from and they make their music to touch people. I find this amazing because a lot of artists say they are led by God and their music shows a completely different direction. Flyleaf is an example of artists making music to make a real difference in people's lives and not just saying God because it is the right thing to do or it is what they think people want to here. This quote from an interview explains the bands philosophy and is why I like them so much.

'"This faith influences their music, but lead singer Lacey Mosley doesn't necessarily believe that makes Flyleaf a strictly Christian band. "We all share the same faith. And so when we deal with the whole 'Christian band thing,' we kind of think about something P.O.D. says, like, 'If you're a Christian, it affects everything in your life. So if you're a plumber, does that make you a Christian plumber?' " Mosley said. "I don't know the answer. We're a band, it's part of who we are, so it comes out in our music, and it's the fuel for what we do. And finding faith saved my life. So I'm not ashamed of it at all. And most of our album reflects that."'

Flyleaf Website
Flyleaf Myspace page

Quote of the Day --- "Friends"

"A man should choose a friend who is better than himself. There are plenty of acquaintances in the world; but very few real friends."
--Chinese Proverb--

A real friend is someone who is friends with you for who you are, not for what you can do for them or a certain image they are attempting to portray. I have come to realize that a lot of people that I considered friends are truly just elevated acquaintances. The only person they are a friend to is themselves and they would never put themselves aside for anyone else. The only thing they are concerned about is the image they portray and what everyone thinks about them. There comes a time when you have to accept that and it can be painful sometimes realizing that you are a true friend to someone else and they really never were a friend to you. To move on, you have to cut ties with those people and let them learn for themselves that it is impossible to be successful without true friends that have your back no matter what and that no one likes a selfish taker.

Searching for my motivation

Lately, I have been struggling to find my motivation, my get up and go. I don't know what it is. I feel like part of me is always thinking of new things, ideas and ways to better myself and the other half of me is just stagnate to move toward those things. I do not know what it is. Everyday I think about what it is that fights me from going forward and holds me back. Sometimes, I think it is fear. Fear of being successful. Fear of discovering something new. Fear of being better. A lot of people talk about acheiving their goals and doing new things, but achieving your goals comes with new challenges and responsibilities. It forces you to be better and to expect more from yourself and at the same time people expect more from you. I am realizing that I have been living in this space between the fear of failure and the fear of success. I do enough not to fail, but I do enough not to fully success or to reach my fully potential. I finally recognized that I am growing tired of it and it is draining me. Eventually, I will have to choose one day or it will be choosen for me. You cannot live life in fear or run away from yourself and your talent because eventually it will catch up to you. I guess my motivation has been the fear of failing, while the fear of success has been holding me back. It's a weird thing, but something I am still trying to figure out. I am still searching for my true motivation and when I find it, beware.

Quote of the Day --- "Life"

"WHAT IS LIFE?
Life is an Adventure...Dare it
Life is a Beauty...Praise it
Life is a Challenge...Meet it
Life is a Duty...Perform it
Life is a Love...Enjoy it
Life is a Tragedy...Face it
Life is a Struggle...Fight it
Life is a Promise...Fulfill it
Life is a Game...Play it
Life is a Gift...Accept it
Life is a Journey...Complete it
Life is a Mystery...Unfold it
Life is a Goal...Achieve it
Life is an Opportunity...Take it
Life is a Puzzle...Solve it
Life is a Song...Sing it
Life is a Sorrow...Overcome it
Life is a Spirit...Realize it"
--Anonymous--

Recently, I have been contemplating the meaning of life and what it is? I guess these questions have come from me questioning myself anf thinking about a lot of the decisions I have made in life. Sometimes we all run into an obstacle or fall into a hole and we have to battle ourselves to keep on moving and to not give up. There are so many things that pull at you and try to pull you off focus. It can be hard to not give in and it can be draining to not give in. A person's true character and determination is challenged when things in life come and try to stop us from achieving our goals. Anyways, I came across this quote and it speaks to what life is. It gave me some motivation. What do you think the meaning of life is? Or is there a meaning to life? What is life to you? I think answering these questions or attempting to make us better people in life or worst depending what way you look at it.

FANNIE PAK!!!

I have recently become a fan of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. I used to not like this show at all. Lil' Mama used to annoy me and I thought JC from 'Nsync was not a credible enough dancer to judge others on their dancing. However, this season, especially after the success and the popularity of last season's winners, The Jabbawockeez, I have paid more attention to the show. As I have been consistently watching the show this season, I have realized that these dancers are putting their heart into this art and how much work and perseverance these guys and girls put go through every week. I have definitely gained a new respect for this art.

From the beginning of the season, Fannie Pak, have been the underdogs and my favorite group. This group's style and persona is right out of the 80s and they received some hate for being a "gimmick". However, they stayed true to themselves and their style and each week have incorporated their unique style and creativity into their routines resulting,in my opinion, with the most consistent showing of all the groups in the competition. Last night, Fannie Pak, represented and gave one of the best performances the show ever had and got the first standing ovation from the judges in the show's history. The performances was truly creative, it stayed true to their style as well as full grasped the concept of Missy's "Get Your Freak On." I found the performance motivational and inspiring because this group has proved that they are not a "gimmick" despite all the hate and that they just might be America's Best Dance Crew. Goes to show that staying true to yourself can lead you on the road to greatness.

Quote of the Day --- "Individuality"

"Insist on yourself; never imitate...Every great man is unique."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson--

There is no greatness being the same as everyone else. To truly stand out and make something happen, we have to be different and have the courage to stand different and persevere. People are afraid of what is different, but when they overcome that fear and seek to understand they develop a love for you. Everyone wants to be recognized, but fit in at the same time. I do not think that is possible, to be great you must be unique and not be afraid of it.