Think Group Media Newsletter

In This Issue
Just Think Vol.43
Marketing Buzz
Real Talk
Event Recap
Upcoming Events


Just Think Vol 43: Ballin or Buffoonery?

by A.EVANS

twitter.com/AdotEVANS



Disclaimer: As always, I write these articles to stimulate minds and to get the thought process in motion.... 

Vol 43: Ballin or Buffoonery?
The title says it all, our people spend entirely too much money on things we don't need. Our people have been targeted as the number one consumers in the world, imagine if we started our own movements with the money we spend, and I don't mean your bum ass record label either...
Today I was on Media Takeout eating my breakfast and I saw something that isn't a gigantic deal but non the least I feel it was pretty silly. NBA player Marquis Daniels has a chain or piece that is a replica of his head, and it is estimated at 500K. Listen, I'm far from a hater but 500K on a chain must be nice, umm there are a million other things Marquis could've done with that, but since it isn't my money and the brother does earn his pay I won't target him directly, however I do want to speak on the concept of ballin vs. buffoonery, when is too much just too much and why are we being soo damn foolish?
Quit Posing First of all let me start by saying I have done some really silly things when I was younger so I never act holier than thou, we've all popped bottles, wore outfits once and left them in the hotel and overall just blown money excessively on dumb things, but when do we learn from it? When do we say “Let me save this money instead of posing in the club tonight?” When do we take the stacks we wanna blow on a chain and start a business and hire our boys so we all can make money? There is nothing wrong with celebrating and buying nice things for yourself if you work hard, but people please don't try to make it rain with your rent money, and secondly stop trying to copy rappers who don't really have it the way the videos may lead you to believe, because chances are if his percentage of royalties isn't on point, and he don't have any control over his masters...he's broke so not only are you imitating something you saw on TV, you;re imitating a broke ass poser. At 23 I thought it was cool to pop bottles, at 28 I think its the dumbest (sh*t) I've ever heard of, “Look at me I got a $400 bottle that's gonna only last 45mins.” What else could you have done with that $400 people?
You ever ask yourself why would a bottle that's $50 in the store be $200 - $500 in a club? Here's a lil piece advice from a childhood friend of mine who owns a club in NYC and it's dope one... “We overcharge for bottles in clubs because we know there are people out there who wanna be seen, they wanna feel like a celebrity even when they're not, we make back the cost of the bottle on two shots” - Ballin or Buffoonery you tell me? So while your stunting with you bottle and making rain like you're pimp, you're really just a flashy hoe cuz you went and got all that money and brought it to the club owner who in return buys a house that you could've bought !!! survey says...(buffoonery)

Final Thoughts
Like I always say I just speak food for thought, live your life do what you want, but if you're wasting money foolishly in 2010 I hope you know what you're doing? I hope you have a game plan and a great strategy. As usual for the sake of remaining “P.C” I won't go too deep unless requested, however I will say this; Kings and Queens deserve nothing but the best, but if we need to have the best to feel good about ourselves or to attract attention, then we're nothing more than peasants, just my humble opinion. Get fly feel great but don't over do it for the wrong reasons, if you don't need it don't do it, because at the end of the day you're making someone else rich and that isn't ballin that's being a slave. Yeah Melo is the MVP but the dude who cuts his check is the real baller. I think we have all truly been brainwashed and poisoned into thinking we gotta be flashy(guilty), or we gotta be the flyest, we're competing with each other over things that really hold no weight. You ever seen what a real billionaire wears? He wears new balance sneakers with holes in them, Levi jeans and a flannel shirt and the only time he makes it rain is when he presses the HARP button, get your mind right people....As Always Peace & Love


What Do You Think?




Marketing Buzz: Nevr2Late (N2L)
By Steve Canal
Twitter.com/SteveCanal
Twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia



Christian Apparel Store
Owners: Virgil and Dawnne Amey
Hours of Operations: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-6pm

Address: 1065 Olde Town Morrow Rd.
Suite 400
Located in New Olde Town Morrow Development behind Southlake Mall (On Macy's JCPenny side).

Phone 678.422.1020

We are a boutique shop specializing in fashionable nontraditional Christian Apparel and Accessories. We believe you can represent your faith without compromising your style. We also believe your outward appearance should reflect your inward values.




Real Talk: A Friendly Game Called Russian Roulette
By C.Shine
Twitter.com/NativeNotes

Have you ever played Russian Roulette? If you're not familiar with the game; one places a single bullet in the barrel of a handgun and then twirls the chamber. You then raise the gun to your temple and pull the trigger. If you're lucky, the gun just clicks and your anxiety reaches a peak you never knew existed before. If you're unlucky, well sucks for you, you just committed suicide and you're dead, laying Kennedy style with your memory out to quote a notable rapper.

So have you ever played Russian roulette, are you interested in playing this weekend? Probably not, but you might be more familiar with a different version of the same game. It goes a little like this ---- "ooohh you feel so good, I just need to be inside you" sans condom. We play Russian Roulette every time we have unprotected sex with our partner(s).

We're taking a chance with our lives. I've done it and God has spared me. I've even promised never to do it again because I was fortunate to hear the gun click and I'm still here. But others have not been so "lucky".

Nearly 40% of new HIV infections are among African Americans ages 13-29. I'm in that age group, I'm African American, I have sex; so it's reasonable to assume that I am at risk every time I sleep with a new partner. When I read this statistic it frightened me, confusion consumed me. Deep down I ask myself "how do we combat HIV."

Prevention. We can teach abstinence, the benefits of safe sex and the dangers of unprotected sex, i.e. STI's. We can work with groups who help get folks tested so that they know their status because most who spread std's don't know they have an std. But really all of this has been done, is continuing to be executed and still we have these breathtaking numbers. Some of us are missing the message.

Then I thought about it. How do we teach someone to fight his or her lustful desires? I've heard stories of men going to Brasil looking for hot sex with beautiful women. An area that we all know is being ravaged by the HIV pandemic. Yet brothers still come back with the virus. Why? They knew the risks down there, why didn't they take the proper precautions to safeguard their lives?

Son she looked so good, her ass was so fattt. It clouded my vision. I've never been with someone so beautiful, I just wanted to feel her. These are the responses but like Snoop said "ain't no p**** good enough to get burnt while I'm up in it". How do we teach men and women that they're not invincible, that they are playing with their lives every time they engage in unprotected sexual activity? How do we tell them that an act of lust can have life long repercussions? I don't know the answer, I'm wondering how to tell myself this because as I have already stated I have made the mistake myself. Please feel free to respond and maybe we can brainstorm effective ways to reshape our community's outlook on sex and the reality of contracting STD's. If we don't we're risking not only the health of our neighbors but ourselves. Let's Make it Happen.



Sol Fusion iRock Recap
By A. Evans
Twitter.com/AdotEvans



Just when I thought I couldn't have any more fun after a vacation in the Dominican Republic, J. Carter indirectly told me to "think again". March 5th 2010 kicked off the first Sol Fusion of the New Year at Aja and definitely lived up to its expectation. For those of you who aren't familiar with Sol Fusion, it is one of the biggest parties that takes place in Atlanta, whenever you hear the words "Sol Fusion" you better make sure you are in attendance. In the past the theme of this event has been "I heart NY, Miami vs Atlanta, and Milk & Honey", but this one was different, this one was special. The theme of this soiree was titled "iRock" and that's exactly what everyone did. At the stroke of midnight free tequila shots started flowing and folks begin to cut loose.

DJ WrekinEyez set the tone for the entire night with just one set, as soon as he threw on a throwback track by Jay Z titled "Rhyme No More" the energy grew and the madness began. Wall to wall dancing and beautiful people, What else could you ask for? Big Pooh of Little Brother was in attendance doing his 1.2 thing, but the night belonged to two guys who really need no introduction. If you have ever been to an underground spot in Atlanta called MJQ's then you are familiar with the insanity that is Alien and D.R.E.S Tha BEATnik, these geniuses took over the party and the rest was history. Not only did they get the crowd hype as usual, they played live instruments; in essence iRock wasn't just a party, it was a concert, it was a movement, it was an experience that will be spoke of for the rest of the year. If you didn't attend the legendary Sol Fusion iRock Celebration you definitely getting the screwface.



An Exclusive Interview with Consequence and StephLova of Power 105.1
By Stephanie Gergeres
juicyhighlights@gmail.com



Last night, DigiWaxx Hosted Consequence's Music Meeting and in that Exclusive interview Consequence made it clear that he isn't going anywhere, but to the top. During this private listening session, Steph Lova of Power 105.1 interviewed Consequence to fill us in on his latest projects. During their chit chat, Consequence introduced a few songs from his new mix tape called " Movies On Demand" which is set to be released on March 15th, while his album " Cons TV" is set to drop between May Or June.

At the session, Consequence showed a lot of passion and excitement about his mix tape and album . I mean on the real, Consequence was so hyped about his project, he literally jumped up performing and spitting each rhyme as the songs were being played. Steph Lova was so thrilled to see his love for his music seeping through, that she interrupted his mini performance, and comically stated " Wow, I know you love your own shit and that's wassup". Now in my opinion, that was hot to see, because today many artist don't even show their excitement about what they are working on, let alone vibe and spit with their own music, so that example right there, should tell you all about what true passion for your music is.

As Steph Lova continued the interview, Consequence dropped the bomb by letting us all know that two of Hip Hop's biggest hitters Kanye West and Q-tip, which have never worked together decided to team up and produce his whole album " Cons TV". Now, when I heard that, all I could think about in my head was , wow this man is definitely coming out with some man power behind him and I know you guys are thinking that too!

Not only did Consequence fill us in about his background work with other artist such as, producing on Kanye's College Drop Out album, but he also spoke about all the influences that he had for each track on " Movies on Demand" and "Cons TV". As we all sat in the intimate session and listened to each track, everyone definitely had their head bopping, including myself. Now here is the kicker about this hot new album, Consequence is really collaborating with some heavy hitters: John Legend, Kid Cudi, Rick Ross, Music Soul child, Asher Roth, Maino and Diddy. So in the words of Consequence, " I am working with best of both worlds and ain't no MC better than me."



La Familia: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
By Shelli Tinae Price
La Familia Blogspot

If you want your relationship to be everlasting, then you need to recognize that love and respect go hand-n-hand. We can easily be in love with someone and have an affair at the same time but what stops us from making that pesky move? RESPECT. Respect for ourselves and hopefully we realize that we don't want to disrespect our mate at any cost. I feel if you can't control the urge to cheat - then just break up with your mate. Temptation is in all of us but humans have the ability to make choices. Now I'm not saying breaking up with someone you love is easy because there is no way to avoid the hurt and pain - but you could at least say that you were mature enough to recognize that the change taking place inside of you required a change in the current status of your relationship.

If we cheat on mates then we are disrespecting them for the sake of our own self indulges. When you love someone beyond your own selfish pleasures, then you can truly say you love them. When you keep it one hundred first and foremost and you don't lie to them - then you can say LOVE respectfully...and not egocentrically. The ego can keep us seeking self gratification and over look the need to be with one with all there is.

Love me respectfully, not egocentrically.




Tribute to Christopher "Notorious Big" Wallace
by The Fabian
twitter.com/thefabe


Today marks the anniversary of the death of Christopher "Notorious Big" Wallace,artist, father and inspiration to many. I remember like it was yesterday walking home from school with headphones, downtown brooklyn listening to his first album "Ready to Die". A favorite of mine was "Gimme the Loot" , a graphic depiction of two stick up kids catching unsuspecting victims or vics. Big ushered in his own style of rap, describing himself as black and ugly as ever, he embraced his size and blackness but still had a player's smooth demeanor with his mastery of words, painting pictures every time he touched a track. Prior to Big's arrival on the scene, i will have to say that west coast rap dominated for the most part but after him the focus shifted back to the east. Big was one of the few rappers who could give you a grimy tale,make you laugh and impress the ladies all on one album. His greatest strength was storytelling which literally could put you right there in the as clearly shown on tracks like Juicy,I got a story to tell and Somebody's got to die. Big only was able to release Ready to Die before his death but all his music has still been able to touch fans as if he were still here today.
Rip Christopher Wallace aka Notorious Big aka Frank White the Rap Phenomenon

Download Rap Phenomenon, a mixtape with Big's classic verses,freestyles and interviews
Click Here

View the full post at www.TheFabian.com






Upcoming Events

Tuesday Jam
The Havana Club
3112 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA
1st Tuesday of Every Month

Milk & Honey
The Mark (formerly Karma)
79 Poplar Street
Atlanta, GA
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of The Month





Brand Ambassador & Model Resumes Accepted at www.ThinkGroupMedia.com



Don't Waste Ink...Think

Keep Haiti In Your Hearts

Stay True To Yourself...

Sincerely,

Steve Canal
CEO
Think Group Media, Inc.
www.ThinkGroupMedia.com

In This Issue
Just Think Vol.42
Marketing Buzz
Artist on the Rise
Remember When?
La Familia
Upcoming Events


Just Think Vol.42:The Groupie Epidemic
By A. Evans
Twitter.com/AdotEvans

Disclaimer: As always, I write these articles to stimulate minds and to get the thought process in motion.... Please read the disclaimer twice on this article.

By now we have all seen video footage of Groupie Bowl, I mean Super Bowl Weekend in Miami, as well as Reggie Bush's jump-off giving her own personal tour of his crib as if she owns it. On a daily basis we see the most outlandish things on Media Takeout and Bossip regarding women and the ever growing trend of being a proud groupie, and attention whore. If you were in Miami during the festivities, or have ever attended an All Star or Super Bowl Weekend, then you already understand my reasoning for bringing this topic up. What I tend to hear if that women claim they go to Super Bowl and All Star Weekend to "find a Baller", imagine that.Imagine a group of young women putting money on the side planning a trip for the sole purpose of meeting a professional athlete, or entertainer. Why would one have a mentality as such, where does it come from, and where does it end? This week I wanna briefly discuss the groupie phenomenon, proud jump-offs, and those who crave attention.

Why Is It Cool?
When did it become so cool to be a groupie yet alone a proud one? Where does the groupie mindset begin, is it taught inherited or passed down? What would your mama think? Or is she with you trying to get her groove back? Are we not in the age or era of the Superwoman, the independent strong woman? Is it the spotlight that does something to us, and that include fellas, cuz let's face it there are dudes who are groupies too (smh). Why? Why do people actually plot on trying to hook an athlete or entertainer? Is it the money, perks, or attention? Do these groupies actually think the person they're after is going to take them seriously? Here's a little reminder ladies, "If you start out as a jump-off don't ever think that you will be wifey, no matter what you are being told, it's not gonna happen."(Please read again)

The craziest thing to me in jump-off, groupie culture is how women constantly put themselves out there dealing with or trying to get with a dude who is in a position of power and already has a main chick, but gets mad and wants to put him on blast on facebook, or nowadays on the side of a billboard in Times Square when things don't work out the way they had planned. However, on the flip side, I can honestly say that the fellas who entertain these women are to blame as well, they cater to the fantasy and make it seem cool to entertain these groupies and jump-offs, maybe it's an ego thing, maybe it comes with the territory. Or maybe its deeper than that.

Final Thoughts
As usual for the sake of remaining "P.C" I won't go too deep unless requested, however I will say this ladies try not to get too starry eyed in an attempt to fulfill some sort of fantasy, keep in mind just because someone tells you they play for the New York Giants, doesn't mean they actually do, they could be a red shirt freshman that goes to Morehouse. Fellas if you're gonna entertain these jump-offs let it be known up front what their role is don't sell em a dream and then end up on a billboard on i75 north. Don't put yourself in a position to catch a charge, or an STD. Let's have a little more respect for ourselves as well as each other. We're quick to call ourselves Kings and Queens lets act like it then, because all the princes, and princesses emulate everything we do... As Always Peace & Love

What Do You Think?




Marketing Buzz: JaWAR
By Steve Canal
Twitter.com/SteveCanal
Twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia

COACHING, CONSULTING & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING ON

JaWar, Motivational Speaker, Author and Business Consultant has given informative seminars in Atlanta, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New Orleans, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas and many others.


He created the presentation to identify and share vital information in a step-by-step process necessary for success and ultimate longevity in business with aspiring entrepreneurs and those willing to demand more out of life. JaWar shows the attendee how to be a successful entrepreneur and arms them with the tools necessary to prosper in an extremely competitive business environment.


JaWar has assembled a workshop that merges extremely valuable information with his own personal style to deliver easily understood and empowering information. He challenges conventional views of how to succeed life and business by seriously exploring and promoting independence using his three step success system -THINK, PLAN, EXECUTE.


He inspires aspiring entrepreneurs to aim high, create windows of opportunity and persevere through challenging stages of a budding career. In addition, he encourages networking so that those who attend the presentation may build alliances to work together toward a more prosperous future.

Follow JaWAR's Movement Here







Real Talk: Tiger Woods and the death of side chicks
By Cedric Shine
http://twitter.com/NativeNotes


While I was walking to the train this morning I read a Daily News headline about our beloved Tiger Woods, it said "this better be good". I asked myself, 'what better be good?' , obviously they were referring to the statement Tiger is said to make today regarding his infidelities and sex addiction rehabilitation.

Who really cares? This was supposed to be a personal matter that was made public by our sensational media where a who's who of who's cheating is more important than the 2 wars we're in right now or our crummy economy.

I'll tell you who else is to blame, THE SIDE CHICK. It's Tiger's several side chicks who helped speed up his demise with the American public. Many a side chic spent Valentines Day alone this past Sunday and for the cheating man who left them in their solitude, you my friend are creating a ticking time bomb!

There are no morals in America anymore. It's all about who gets who the fastest. With the history of our country I wonder if we ever had morals but that's a topic for another day.

There used to be a sacred trust between a man and his mistress. Mistresses knew their role, they were number 2, never to be number 1. That's it, end of story. They were happy to spend the little time they could with the man because they understood that they were not his priority. These women held themselves accountable for their actions because it was by choice that they were someones mistress.

In today's sick world of cheating, the mistress has betrayed her lover, who is betraying his family. She's really become more of a Robin Hood for hoes. She steals from the rich, (women with a man) and gives to the poor. Meaning she takes the man, ruins his relationship with the wife and then he's available to have more of the poor, bitter single women who are glad to have anyone to warm their beds at night. Note: All single women are not the poor, be imaginative with this analogy.

The side trick has become the cape crusader, she finds herself in the spots where men who have significant others frequent. She plots on her prey. She warms his insecurities, she's an ear for his troubles in his failing relationship or marriage. In fact, I say that the mistress is the largest perpetrator of all. She betrays the man with whom she's built this superficial relationship and she betrays her women kind by manipulating their possible weakness as a mate.

Oh it's a dirty world out there and I for one believe that we have to fight these masked avengers. These women who spill the beans and ruin families creating a cycle of cheating men and bitter women.

I have the solution to cure men of the wicked side chick. One solution is for single men to act like there in relationships thus tricking the sneaky side chic into thinking she has a victim when truly she will be the victim. Yes I challenge single men to strike back for the sake of cheating men everywhere and bruise the sneaky side chic so much that she thinks it necessary to turn to women. We don't need those types of scavengers hiding themselves amongst the good women who have the potential to be a wife.

But the greatest solution of all is this. My brothers we have to stop cheating. Yes release yourself from the desires of your loins and chase the devil and his side chick apprentice away. There's a war going on outside no man is safe from and the side chick is winning. You can defeat her but first you must deny her. Death to the side chick!







Remember When?
By A. Evans
Twitter.com/AdotEvans




Reebok Pump & Reebok Classics (54/11's)
Before the Allen Iverson takeover, before retros were retros before chicks knew what Stuart Weitzman's and Manolo Blahnik's were there was a craze in New York, now I'm not sure if this craze spread like wildfire in a town or city near you, but I do remember in my native New York the fellas sported the Dee Brown Reebok Pumps and the chicks sported the Reebok Classics also known as the "54.11's". The Reebok Classics were called the 54.11's because that's how much they were after tax, they came in all types of colors red, purple, pink, black, yellow etc. Of course my sisters had every stinking color I'm talking green, blue, brown it was retarded. And it always seemed like ladies would get at least two new pair on Easter. The craziest thing about the Reebok Classics was the leather, the leather was soooo freaking soft that the front of the shoe would develop creases and wrinkles after like three weeks. Chicks use to put Vaseline on em to try and protect the leather lol comedy.

Now the Reebok Pumps were a new phenomenon because Dee Brown wore them in the Dunk Contest and won. Basically it was the Pierre Flyer effect "they will make you jump higher", now they were suppose to be specifically for basketball but you know how we do, we were wearing em to be fly. I remember seeing how many times could we pump up our sneakers before the pump would pop. I don't remember exactly how it went down but I'm sure somebody had to buy a second pair.






La Familia: My man, yes...but a husband you are not!
By Shelli Tinae
Twitter.com/EllaBleuEvents

I'm trying to get a clear understanding of what being "committed" means in these days and times. A piece of paper will undoubtedly legalize the union but, theoretically, you both were still monogamous prior to the ceremony. You use this time as a testing period to see if this person can hold your interest...for life. Guidelines and boundaries are established early on in the relationship, even if they are subtle exchanges of information.

Often we solely say, "Yes we are together," and just expect the other party to be on the same page; we expect them to act along the perimeters we deem feasible. So, I don't have this down to a science, but thank God for my blog family because now I want us to create a list: GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND rules vs. HUSBAND/WIFE rules.

But first tell me if you think the GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND titles are juvenile since we are no longer girls and boys.

Here I'll start:
I think I'd rather refer to my mate as my "man," because a boy, he is not! On the other hand I think, to hell with the technicalities and I just want to conform to the norm. Saying "boyfriend" will cut to the chase: "yes that's my dude, but we aren't married, and we aren't engaged."

GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND COMMITMENT GUIDELINE # 1:
Agree to an exclusive relationship

HUSBAND/WIFE COMMITMENT GUIDELINE # 1:
A formal commitment to an exclusive relationship

PLEASE ADD TO THIS SO WE CAN GET A GOOD LIST COMPILED AND FIND OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT'S EXPECTED AT THE START (GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND) AND THE END (HUSBAND/WIFE) OF A RELATIONSHIP.







Grub Report: Chow Baby
By Fabian
Twitter.com/TheFabe

The Real Chow Baby
1016 Howell Mill rd Ste A,Atlanta, Ga 30318
p:404-815-4900


Chow Baby: Atlanta's first do it yourself stir fry restaurant. This was my first time going here so it was all a new experience. The concept is pretty simple,you pick the ingredients,they cook it and hopefully whatever you chose went well together. Not to worry though you are allowed as many trips to the stir fry bar as you like until you are either full or found that perfect combination. The stir fry bar has choices of rice/noodles then you add vegetables/fruits to your bowl,then its sauces or spices then you choose whatever meat you would like to add, you also have the option of adding a colored stick to indicate wether you want your food prepared as a salad, soup or wrap.My first bowl was ok but nothing to brag about ,the second one however was the taste i was looking for : chicken, rice, broccoli, cheese, Thai seasoning and a few other vegetables hit the spot. Wether you're out on a date or just need to grab some lunch/ dinner i would suggest a stop at Chow Baby.





New Wave: AirThemOut.com

A community built to "Air Out" Anyone or Anything

Airthemout was created because we felt there was a dying need for
people to voice their opinions and concerns on a public forum!

We're committed to providing an open forum to Current events, new music, blogs, and or anything controversial or relative in nature! We will not hold back or pull no punches! We are AIRTHEMOUT!

www.AirThemOut.com


Upcoming Events

Sol Fusion -The iRock Edition
Hip-Hop & Rock Fusion
Aja
3500 Lenox Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA
March 5th, 2010

F.A.M.E. PR WORKSHOP
10:00am - 1:00pm
Taught at Perimeter Place Towers (South Terrace) 115 Perimeter center place, Atlanta GA, 30346
March 6, 2010
To Register Click Here

Tuesday Jam
The Havana Club
3112 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA
1st Tuesday of Every Month

Milk & Honey
The Mark (formerly Karma)
79 Poplar Street
Atlanta, GA
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of The Month
Brand Ambassador & Model Resumes Accepted at www.ThinkGroupMedia.com



Don't Waste Ink...Think

Keep Haiti In Your Hearts

Stay True To Yourself...

Sincerely,

Steve Canal
CEO
Think Group Media, Inc.
www.ThinkGroupMedia.com

In This Issue
Just Think Vol.41
Marketing Buzz
Remember When?
Artist on the Rise
Upcoming Events


Just Think Vol.41: The John Mayer Interview
By A. Evans
Twitter.com/AdotEvans

Disclaimer: As always, I write these articles to stimulate minds and to get the thought process in motion.... Please read the disclaimer twice on this article.

By now we have all heard about or have read the infamous John Mayer interview. The first time I read it I was confused about what he was trying to say and how he was trying to come across. I didn't want my emotions to interfere with logic, so I went and played called Call Of Duty (Gamer Tag AdotEVANS) and eventually went back and read the interview again. Now I'm still not sure what John was trying to say, but I think I have an idea.(That's a lie, I've created ideas that might explain) My question to you all is "What do you think John Mayer was trying to say in his interview that led to him using the ever controversial "N" word? Is an apology enough or should this be blown out proportion like a Tiger Woods scandal or Kanye rushing the stage during an acceptance speech? Which scenario is more offensive? A word that supposedly disrespects an entire race or isolated incidents that only involve a few individuals? Could it be the "N" word loses power if we all use it or does it still have the vibe of hatred and disrespect it once had?
What's "N" a word?
Whenever a Caucasian person or someone outside of the African American race uses the"N" word does it automatically mean they are racist? Or does the usage or intent determine the level of sensitivity? Since Mr Mayer used the "N" word with an "er" at the end do you think he was trying to imply something or was "Mr. Waiting for the World to Change" trying to deflate the intensity of the word, as well as the concept of having a ghetto pass since he has a nice African American fan base? What are your thoughts and ideas? Should people outside of the African American community be able to use the "N" word even when trying to make a point? Whats in a word? I won't voice my Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Paul Mooney views for the sake of staying on your good side(as if I cared), but as always I will dish out a dose of food for thought. I honestly feel that in 2010 we need to realize that words are merely sounds that have the power we give them. We write words and speak words, they are "OUR" instruments. Words are merely an attempt to describe us and our experiences. As humans made in the likeness of a higher power, how could we be subjected to the limitation of a word? We are soo much more...

I'm in no way saying it is OK for anyone to use hurtful and hateful words, or at least run around like Michael Richards, but what I am saying is if we continue to let the mere words of an individual upset us, then we might as well only use 5% of our brains.(Please read again)

On the flip side when does enough become enough? Sure there's nothing new under the sun but when do we at least try to evolve? When does using the "N" word and then publicly apologizing for saving face become expired? When does it become played out ? When does that type of behavior lead to national exploitation and criticism? Can it? Will it? Or is there a privilege or level of exception in America? Or should we just accept that there are some things in this country that are acceptable as long as you have money? Hey we can always blame it on the rappers and athletes right?

Final Thoughts
Aside from the usage of the "N" word John Mayer referred to his genitals as "White Supremacist" and then proceeded to name African American women he thought were attractive, of course they were in Hollywood. The way Mayer said these things was in the same fashion as John Turturro in Do "The Right Thing". It was so similar to the scene where Turturro looked at the average African American as inferior but looked at Prince and Michael Jordan as what a black person should be. Is that what Mayer thinks of African American women? Let me guess he has "Black Friends" so what he says is not offensive in any fashion or form nor does it seem a bit outlandish. If I said I had "Militant" private areas how would that be taken? What if Kanye said that in an interview what would happen? I see the tabloid covers already, tweets would quadruple, and Perez Hilton would start a petition. My point in bringing this up is to point out how these things are accepted in society (I mean it did get published right?). It appears even in 2010 things are a little one sided, how can you honestly promote yourself as a hippie waiting for the world to change and then make statements as such? Regardless of the words and or of its usage, it appears some people can get away with saying things while the rest of us have to kiss the ass of the people who are allowed to say these things, I for one think we need a "WHY Part 2" from Jada ... As Always Peace & Love

What Do You Think?



Marketing Buzz: What "ThugLife" Can Teach Us About Twitter
By Steve Canal
Twitter.com/SteveCanal
Twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia
Advertising Age Article

This Ignored Demographic Shows What You Can Learn When You Look Beyond Social-Media Elites

While most in the social media bubble would have you believe that Twitter's output consists solely of links to "relevant articles," "breaking news stories," "unique insights" or retweets of all three (along with the occasional "what I'm having for dinner" tweet from the latest Asian-Fusion-locavore bistro) a look at Twitter's Trending Topics reveals otherwise.

While the aforementioned geek patter is certainly in there, it's generally dwarfed on the trending topics list by tweets about Disney Channel stars the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus (put out, one can safely assume, by middle-school-aged females) and tweets from another demographic, 20-something African-Americans tweeting in what can best be described as ghetto slang.

And what's fascinating is a.) how large and active this demo is; b.) how much their notion of how to use Twitter differs from that of the tech and media crowd; and c.) how much the self-proclaimed "Twitterati" like to pretend they don't exist. The Twitterati -- the digital/tech/social media specialists who "discovered" Twitter back in 2007 -- will grudgingly debate the existence of tweens on Twitter, as if there were a real possibility that 31-year-old programmers in Palo Alto were tweeting endlessly about Miley Cyrus -- but I have yet to see any mention of this young African-American demo.

And that's too bad, because the way these folks use Twitter is more universal, more inclusive and more fun than the way the experts generally suggest using it; most of their tweeting is around broad topics that invite clever responses, rather than current topics that invite the sharing (or, more accurately, showing off) of knowledge. As I write this article, the hashtag "#ThugLife" has been in the top 10 all week, and a poster on the Brizzly app describes its popularity thusly: "Users are tweeting their 'baddest' things they've done, as like a thug."

Which is sort of half right. The tweets are not serious nor are they meant to be taken seriously. They're jokes, and the hashtag serves as a sort of "can you top this" repository of over-the-top "thug" behavior.

So @Quenette_VA, who describes herself as a "college student & music lover," tweets: "I'll fil a zip lock full of baby powder & throw it into a crowd of crack heads #thuglife via @o_so_bad) LMAO!!!"

And @iPutYouOn, who says he is "Gods son...MyMothers child...and my Brothers Keeper," notes: "I just cut the sleeves off my snuggie #thuglife"

@Ghostwrita® of East Atlanta, goes for the literary allusion with "I read a Clifford the Big RED Dog book out loud in front of a group of Crip gang members. #thuglife"

The main thing to note here is that, unlike many of the Silicon Valley and Alley Twitterati, who take themselves and their tweets oh-so-seriously, this crew is having fun. The tweets are meant to be funny, and the funniest and most outrageous of them will wind up getting retweeted. Yet despite the fun and the humor, the flow of the hashtag is uniquely Twitter-like in that it mixes people who already know each other with strangers who are interested in the same topic -- or joke, as the case may be.
It's an interesting use of the medium, and the people participating in these hashtags seem to be getting as much value out of them as the Twitter-Is-a-Serious-Business-Tool types who busily append words like "Genius!" to their retweets of a fellow blogger's "Top 10 Reasons Location-Based Services Are the New Twitter."

So then why won't the powers that dominate the tech and business press admit that this demographic exists and that they use Twitter as much, if not more, than the stereotypical power user? Could it be because they're actually having fun with Twitter and that's a no-no? Twitter is, after all, supposed to be serious. So while the Twitterati trip all over themselves to point out the noble Iranian students using Twitter to further the revolution, a bunch of trash-talking 20-somethings from a markedly different social group are just not the image they want to project. Even if they do dominate the trending topics list week in and week out?

It's too bad, because there's a lot that both technology and marketing types can learn here.

To begin with, technology consistently evolves in unpredictable ways. And in the same way YouTube was supposed to be a place to share videos of your kids' birthday parties with grandma and grandpa, we now see how Twitter can be a way to share something other than "valuable links" or "crowd-sourced information." In fact, it can even be a passive medium; for every person posting to threads like #thuglife," I'm sure there's someone else just sitting back, reading the tweets and laughing.

That leads us to another valuable lesson, this one for marketers: People like to have fun and be entertained wherever they are -- even Twitter. Given that the conventional wisdom is that Twitter is only good for customer service, to share information or to run giveaways, the news that it's also a great way to entertain the troops is a real breakthrough. One that can lead to expanded use for the medium in more creative ways than just issuing press releases as bit.ly links.


Remember When?
By A. Evans
Twitter.com/AdotEvans



Before the era of PlayStation and Xbox, there were two gateway consoles that were very popular in the 80's. One of these devices might seem foreign to some of you, some of you probably had an older sibling, cousin, or uncle who had the first device to left, this dinosaur (Atari) was the gateway to the device to the right. It's crazy to think we found hours of enjoyment playing Asteroid, Battle Zone, Space Invaders, and of course Pong, but by far the game that everyone remembers is Pac Man.

Now for all you real "80's babies" you definitely remember the device to the right(Nintendo), this was the console that changed the way we would look at and play video games. Remember blowing into the cartridge to get them to work? What was your remedy alcohol, saliva, or did you go and buy the Nintendo cleaning solution? Remember when you first played Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt and all the games that would follow? Excite bike, Kontra, Blades of Steel, Mike Tyson punch out etc... For those of you who would like to relive these day simply go online and google Atari or Nintendo emulator and time travel back to your youth...The good ol days.



Artist On the Rise: Ben "CrushEndo" Marc
a.k.a. Crush
Music Producer/Songwriter/Vocal Arranger
www.crushmusicgroup.com
www.twitter.com/crushmusic

"Don't just hear it, Feel it!"

In a world flooded with so many self-proclaimed "beat makers", Ben "CrushEndo" Marc, better known as "Crush", is way more than just that. He has been producing music since the age of 16. Now at age 25, Crush has produced over 500 tracks for various artists and has also done an abundant number of ghost productions for major producers. After graduating from Florida A&M University, Crush felt it was time to further his music career, which led him to move to Atlanta, GA. "The music industry is a very rough industry to get into, so all I can do is to continue to make good music until it takes." His love for good music seems to be what continues to push this young producer as heard in each of his productions.Crush founded 'Marc My Words Publishing' and 'Crush Music' in 2009, in an effort to give his creative works a home that they deserve. Crush's major work began when he executive-produced Hip-Hop artist Keith Units first project entitled, "Servn My Purpose". Raved by critics as "a breath of fresh air", (Indie Magazine), Keith Units and Crush went on to move over 10,000 copies. Now currently working other projects, Crush is showing a great deal of versatility with production in genres such as R&B, Pop, and Alternative.What many people did not know about this young music producer is that Crush is also an exceptional songwriter. "My definition of a music producer is being able to compose, write, arrange, and bring the artists voice and vision to life", states the musical savant. So far Crush has written over 40 songs for artists, many of which have been published, and there are definitely more to come. With a big smile on his face as he talks about future projects, it's obvious that CrushEndo's love for his craft is genuine.

"I'm currently working with artists in genres such as Country, Rock, and Techno. I just love music that much."

Look out world because this music genius is hungry and nothing will stop him from taking a big bite out of the music world. One thing you should remember though; Crush does not want you to just hear his music, he also wants you to "feel it!"






Grub Report: Burger Joe's
By Fabian
Twitter.com/TheFabe


It's a cold windy day and hunger is setting in. The question of the moment is Soul Food or Burgers? Either option sounded great,but time was of the essence. Opting for the latter choice, we went to Burger Joe's. Their menu has something for everyone: veggie burgers,turkey burgers,salads,ribs and even fish. Choosing to keep it simple, went with the Bbq bacon cheeseburger with fries. For the true burger fans and folks who don't care about eating "pretty" this is for you, word to the wise,keep some napkins handy. Burger Joe's may not be a large restaurant but the flavor and menu options certainly rival many. Check them out whenever you're in the area.



Upcoming Events

Ella Bleu Presents: Buddy Pass
Vino Libro
933 Garrett St. Atlanta, GA
4:00pm-7:00pm
February 21, 2010

Sol Fusion -The iRock Edition
Hip-Hop & Rock Fusion
Aja
3500 Lenox Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA
March 5th, 2010

Tuesday Jam
The Havana Club
3112 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA
1st Tuesday of Every Month

Milk & Honey
The Mark (formerly Karma)
79 Poplar Street
Atlanta, GA
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of The Month

Brand Ambassador & Model Resumes Accepted at www.Thinkgroupmedia.com


Don't Waste Ink...Think!

Keep Haiti In Your Hearts

"Stay True To Yourself and Never Talk About It Unless You Lived It!"

Sincerely,

Steve Canal
CEO
Think Group Media, Inc.
www.ThinkGroupMedia.com

In This Issue
Just Think Vol.40
Marketing Buzz
Real Talk
La Familia
Indie Film Review
Upcoming Events



Exclusive 1 on 1 with Donell Jones
By Stephanie Gergeres
juicyhighlights@gmail.com

I recently had a Juicy One-on-One with Mr. Donell Jones and I must say he definitely has been on the grind. Although, we haven't heard from Jones in a minute he has definitely been keeping some secrets up his sleeve and is definitely coming back with a big bang. Even though I am a very big Donell Jones fan, I really wanted to know what he has been too and also find out the 411 for his curious fans that still has love for him. Check out the interview and let me know what you think.

Juicy Highlights: What is the definition of a true R&B artist and do you feel that you represent that?

Donell Jones: Umm, I definitely feel like I represent that, I think the definition of a true R&B artist is someone who perfects their crafts and who is really serious about their music. Someone who won't change just because there is a different style of music that's out and they will stay true to themselves and just represent R&B to the fullest and I definitely feel like I am one of those type of artists.

JH: I asked some of your fans on Facebook some questions and they want to know what inspired "A Portrait Of A Woman" and "Knocks Me Off My Feet"?

DJ: A portrait of a woman was inspired by, umm this young lady, that I was in a relationship with and I wasn't doing the right thing and at that particular time, I just felt like, we had broken up and I had thought about all the things and the reason why we had broken up and I wanted to write a song and I kind of wrote the song to apologize and kind of letting all the other women in the world know how special they are even if they are with men who aren't showing them respect, even at the end of the record I did say "or you'll end up like me," so I mean, it definitely was something that I just kinda of wanted to send that message out there to her and to let her know that I was sorry and basically that is where that song came from.

JH: Are still friends with her today?

DJ: Oh! Definitely, were still friends.

JH: Do you feel that you are given enough credit as an artist, because I feel that you are underrated and so do you feel the same way?

DJ: I do, I do, but I don't let it bother me, I think the reason why I've gone so much under the radar is because, the record companies that I was under never took me as priority to them and so they had other artist that they wanted to push more than me, even though I continued to make good music and you know, I just wanted to keep my fans happy but I don't think that they felt that my music was important to them as it is the people that listen to me.

JH: Are you an independent artist now or are you still with jive?

DJ: Oh no, I am definitely not with Jive. I am definitely independent, I have started my own music company called "CandyMan Music Inc" and you know I just feel like there is nobody out there who can push me more that I can push myself.

JH: Are you in the process right now of starting your label?

DJ: Yes, were in the process right now, I have a great team of people behind me and we are going full fledge this year and umm, I am really happy about this new label and I am also really happy about this new album to come with it and one of them being that my fans don't have to wait 3 or 4 years between albums any more. Now I can release albums as I see fit because, back in the day I had to wait because the other artist were coming out around the same time as me or something like that so now I just feel real good about the opportunity that's coming around.

JH: What can the fans look forward too as far as the new album?

DJ: Hits, top to bottom. If you follow my career, I always try to make albums that I didn't focus on singles I've always try to focus on making an album that you can always play from beginning to end.....this one is going to be the one , that you put on and you relax to it, you know. If you're going to drive a thousand miles you can listen to it or you can make love to your significant other and you can just listen to the music. It's going to be an all purpose music , and it's going to be that feel good music and I can't wait for my fans to get a whiff of what I've been doing for the last couple of years ....

Click here for full interview

What Do You Think?



Marketing Buzz: The OBM Group
By Steve Canal
http://www.twitter.com/SteveCanal
http://twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia



The OBM Group is a Boutique Digital Marketing agency specializing in Search Marketing, Email Marketing, Banner advertising, Social Media and Mobile Marketing Campaigns .The OBM Group Work with Brands in Developing On-line Marketing strategies, spearhead projects from concept to completion. We Implement, execute and manage Digital Marketing Campaigns for brand awareness or lead generation, delivering industry-leading performance for branded response advertisers by combining industry standard methodology and custom behavioral modeling strategies using quality and advanced analytic insights. Our Strategies is unique for advertisers looking for measurable performance and ROI from all online campaigns.


Real Talk: When The News Shuts Off
By Cedric Shine
http://twitter.com/NativeNotes


When the news shuts off
All the problems of the world fade away
No more thinking about
Blacks vs. browns and the war in LA
Dead mothers and sons
Resting back in Iraq
When the news shuts off
We're not worried about that

When the news shuts off
All the problems of the world fade away
Remember Hurricane Katrina
Oh I guess now all them people are ok
But I know that they're not
But unfortunately this breaking news report
Isn't about them and it's not about you
It's about this here news and what sells to me and you
And what sells is only destruction
Framed as truth through blatant lies
I was a media major
Trust I see through their disguise

When the news shuts off
All the problems of the world fade away
Genocide what
In Darfur
NO WAY
Well why not Ced
There's people there dying everyday
I say no way
Because the news won't tell me
And we the people
Of this united states
Love it
You know why
Because it doesn't affect our day

Well turn the corporate news off
Turn your consciousness light on
It's not a black or white thing
We're all weathered through the storm
So when the news turns off
You've already been informed
That action is now
The news is for entertainment .... later on



La Familia: To Wear or Not to Wear a Scarf to Bed
By Shelli Tinae Price
http://twitter.com/EllaBleuEvents

For black women hair is ALWAYS an issue. Whether it's fried, dyed or laid to the side, hair is a focal point. We decide on all activities based on whether or not our hair will get messed up. I want to work out but my hair...I want to go swimming but my hair...I want to be sexy in bed but my hair...These challenges are the reason why I chose a natural hairstyle so it didn't interfere with my active lifestyle. Most black women haven't chosen the natural route so the men who love them need to be more understanding. Look at it this way, if you want her to sleep without a scarf more often - then offer to pay for some of those expensive hair bills. A compromise has to be found because I guarantee you she will not abandon the scarf completely.

Since I was a toddler a scarf was apart of my nightly wardrobe. From blue bandanas to momma's old nylon stockings, to silk scarves and bonnets - the head wrap was a staple in my house. When I was younger it was easier on my mom so she didn't have to do anything on a busy school morning but re-twist my ponytails that were flattened like pancakes during my nights sleep. As I got older and did my own hair, I continued wrapping my hair at night because without them my hair would be all over the place.

The scarf became a ritualistic necessity.

Before I locked my hair, I can remember not wanting a man to see me in my scarf at night so I would sacrifice more hours in the mirror the next morning just to save myself from embarrassment but after a few rendezvous' that scarf was put to use. Is the scarf sexy? Maybe not but neither is a dew rag or snoring in bed. Women - black women in particular, make sacrifices at night to maintain our sexy during the day. I know some men feel like women should be damn near perfect for them all the time but that's neither fair nor realistic. If it bothers you that a woman needs to wear a head wrap every night and you are starting to find her unattractive, then you may be best dating a woman with natural hair. She is more carefree about her hairdo and seldom wears a scarf to bed. The other option is to remember that wearing a scarf is not a character trait so remember the reasons why you chose her in the first place.

Ladies, do you wear a scarf to bed? Guys, does it bother you to see a woman sleep in a scarf?




Event Recaps
by Fabian
twitter.com/thefabe

Fulton County Revitalization Forum

Fulton county Board of commissioners, Atlanta Technical college and the Georgia department of labor came together to hold The Fulton revitalization forum to discuss reclaiming african american males in the community.The panel consisted students currently enrolled who had went through trying times just to make it to college and were an example to the younger kids in the audience. Guest speakers were Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, John H. Eaves (chairman,fulton board of commissioners), Gary A. McGaha, Phd (president, atlanta metro college),rapper Mike Bigga (aka Killa Mike),John Lewis(US house of Rep) and many others. Everyone made great points and suggestions but the star of the night was Mike Bigga who presented to the parents that it not only takes a village to raise a child but engaging your children or their friends doesn't cost anything. Simply talking to your kids is not enough but being an active participant in their daily lives is required.

The reception was prepared by the culinary student of Atlanta Tech and was prepared to perfection.

To see video of the speeches and more photos of this event, please visit the photo section



Stewper Bowl at Opera

by A. Evans
twitter.com/adotevans
Super Bowl Sunday 2010, I attended The 2Live Stews Second Annual Stewper Bowl sponsored by Crown Royal, State Farm Insurance and Coors Light, held at Opera Nightclub in downtown Atlanta. Inside were three levels of seating, plasmas everywhere as well as a giant projection screen to accommodate everyone in attendance. Outdoors on the patio was a buffet, and assortment of food, as well as handful of vendors. Of course Konsole Kingz were in the building with plasma screens and X-box 360 consoles enabling attendees to engage in John Madden 2010.

Before the doors opened the line was backed up to the parking lot, in anticipation of the collision between The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. As soon as the doors opened it was on, fans poured in ready to cheer for their team while the legendary Don Cannon got everyone in their zone prior to kick off. There were a few celebrities in attendance who didn't feel like making the trip to Miami and decided to kick it in the "A".

Overall the Second Annual Stewper Bowl was definitely a great expereince, the food was on point, the bar service was great, the music was on point, and the game was more than exciting.
Aside from the New Orleans Saints winning Super Bowl 44 I'd have to say the highlight of the Stewper Bowl were the Halftime Festivities, as the always delightful, Coors Light Girls took the stage completely covered in silver body paint entertaining the crowd dancing, posing for pictures and tossing tshirts and other branded gifts into the audience. Even if you aren't much of an NFL buff you would've enjoyed this.

To see all the pics and video from this event please click here


*Photo's Courtesy of "The Fabian" twitter.com/thefabe, Think Group Media



Indie Film Review: The Brothers Bloom (2009)
By A. Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS
Staring: Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, and Robbie Coltrane
Directed by: Rian Johnson

Am I My Brothers Keeper?

The Brothers Bloom is a movie about two well renown con artists Steve (Ruffalo) and Bloom (Brody) who have been conning people and cleaning them for money since their childhood. Stephen and Bloom have always executed fool proof plans, Stephen has always served as the brains of the operations while Bloom is the actor, Stephen writes out the blue print and Bloom acts it out, their formula is priceless. Bloom has the ability to transform into anyone Stephen needs him to be, there's only one problem Bloom wants out. Stephen convinces Bloom to take on one last gig after tracking him down in Montenegro, Bloom considers the offer as long as it's agreed that this will be his last job with his brother. The mark is an unsuspecting kooky heiress named Penelope (Weisz) who is seeking thrill and adventure after growing up in an overbearingly sheltered environment. All Bloom has to do is seduce Penelope and get money out of her. Things appear to be going well and The Brothers Bloom appear to be on their way to successful con, That is if Bloom doesn't fall in love with the mark.

The Brothers Bloom is hilarious, yet brilliant, this film displays the power of ambition, as well as the power of love. Life is what you make it you can either chose to live a lie or live truth and make the best of it. A great watch, goes well with a sandwich and fries and kool aid lol.




Upcoming Events


NBA All-Star Weekend At Third Space
Glamour Life Presented By Coors Light
February 12-14, 2010
Dallas, TX

Sol Fusion -The iRock Hip Hop Edition w/ @Wreckineyez. Hip Hop & Rock Just Had a Baby
March 5th, 2010
Atlanta, GA

Sol Fusion's Milk & Honey
The Mark (formerly Karma)
79 Poplar Street
Atlanta, GA
Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of The Month


Don't Waste Ink...Think

Keep Haiti In Your Hearts
"Stay True To Yourself and Never Talk About It Unless You Lived It!"

Sincerely,

Steve Canal
CEO
Think Group Media, Inc.
www.ThinkGroupMedia.com
twitter.com/thinkgroupmedia
Brand Ambassador Resumes Accepted at
twitter.com/thinkgroupmedia

Just Think Vol.39: Empower Yourself
By A.Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS

Disclaimer: As always, I write these articles to stimulate minds and to get the thought process in motion...

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of attending The Fulton County Revitalization Forum at Atlanta Technical College. The purpose of this forum was to assess and focus on the Replenishing, Repositioning, and Reclaiming of African American males in Georgia and ultimately, America. During this forum those in attendance heard words of wisdom from Mayor, Kasim Reed, House of Representatives member John Lewis and Hip Hop Artist Killa Mike. In addition to receiving words of wisdom from these great minds there was a panel of young men from different backgrounds who were still in college, and were moving towards goals and dreams. The purpose of this forum, and panel was to empower young Black men to realize there is more to life than what we see on TV, there is more to life than what is glorified and embedded in our minds to peruse. There is more to us than music and sports. This week I wanna discuss empowerment and how it will change us all if we allow it to.
What Are You Doing?
We look at the clock, we look at our watches and we look at calendars and it appears that the days and even years are flying by in the blink of eye. Time waits for none of us, everyday is an opportunity to discover something great about ourselves. Everyday is a new opportunity to begin a new journey, a new path, a new legacy. With that being said we all must reach a crossroad in our life where we ask "What Am I Doing?'" If any of you have ever asked that question be grateful, because it truly means you want more out of life than what you have. When asked What do you define as success, a young man replied that to him "Success is the ability to be content yet not complacent." In other words it means to be happy with where you are at yet "empowered and energetic" enough to challenge yourself to reach new heights. With that said what are you doing with your time, how can you be a better you? Are you willing to take those weekend courses toward another degree? I know I am, in fact I enrolled three days before attending this forum so in essence it was confirmation that I'm on the right path. What path are you on toward empowering yourself? What productive habits, activities, and people are you engaging in? What are you doing to be more than just a carbon footprint?

Final Thoughts
A good friend of mine told me people who make excuses could actually use the same energy that towards doing something as oppose to conjuring up reason not to. In a time where jobs are unavailable, and things seems dark lets us use this opportunity to develop as people, and prepare for the light. Nothing is better than being prepared for any challenge and obstacle. If the job market picked up tomorrow would you be ready? Let us use this time to empower ourselves to take our abilities and strengths to new heights, let us transform our weaknesses into strengths, let us make ourselves qualified, let us develop new plans, goals and put them in motion. If we all look in the mirror, and when I mean mirror I mean within our selves we all can find something that we want to polish up on, there is something we want to do that we keep putting off. There couldn't be a better time than now to do it, you are the question and the answer, you are your problem and your solution, you can be your own burden or your own savior, its all in you; feel inspired feel motivated be empowered ... As Always Peace & Love


What Do You Think?


Marketing Buzz: iPAD
By Steve Canal
http://twitter.com/SteveCanal
http://twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia
Media Will Work Great on the the Device, but Your Ads May Not

We've known for quite some time about the iPhone's inability to render Flash content within the mobile Safari browser, and based upon Apple's announcement of the iPad last week, it looks like that device isn't going to do it, either.

Touted as a savior for the publishing business, this device will potentially revolutionize the delivery and commercialization of content.

But most publishers are publishing their content to the web. Via websites. And for those that don't yet have paywalls, they support their websites with advertising. Those ads are almost 100% rendered in Adobe's Flash. So when people use the iPad's web browser to visit their favorite newspaper (as Steve Jobs did in his keynote; see photo at right, courtesy of Engadget), they won't see the ads at all. That either means advertisers will need to stop building ads in Flash (no chance) or publishers will need to build app versions of their publications upon the iPad SDK (software development kit), resulting in a lot more work, a lot more time, a lot more resources.

Now, creating a parallel platform to the web may be the right thing to do if a $499 tablet becomes as ubiquitous as the iPod, but this is another classic example of Apple making development and distribution on their platforms more proprietary. It also makes publishers more reliant upon, in all likelihood, Apple's own ad-serving platform which was created through the acquisition of Quattro Wireless.

Whereas the iPhone created a marketplace for new content (apps), the iPad seeks to revolutionize existing ones (content publishing). If the company that owns the platform also owns the ad network, the ad format, and the ad tracking, is that too much control?



Real Talk: Testify
By Cedric Shine
http://twitter.com/NativeNotes

I normally don't have the courage to stand up in front of the church when people give their testimonials of how good God is and has been in their lives, prayerfully one day I will so allow me to share my testimony with you.
2009 was one heck of a year. I turned 26. I officially left Penn State and my apartment in Carlisle. I went to Brasil for a month and experienced another culture. I spent most of the year unemployed, freelance writing as a way to survive, it's a recession! I felt lead to re-apply as a transfer to a few law schools however by the time I made this choice my options were limited and I really just put my faith in God and went with it.

Throughout, some of these times that seemed troubled, I found enormous amounts of support from my friends and family. My line brother opened up his home to me when I left Carlisle, when I got to NY my best friend opened her home to me, as well as other friends and brothers who believed in my success despite my hard times. All cribs had food, heat (sometimes) and internet access, something I desperately need.

When I started applying for schools, I had saved a little money and what I did not have, people contributed for me. I found a church home, and I got back into the swing of attending service regularly. I re-connected with my father, I went upstate and visited him, while also re-connecting with his family in Florida and South Carolina. Hopefully we can mend the years we have missed as a family.

I got a job with Oasis Community Corp that started off as an internship and has turned into an enormous learning opportunity. In the midst of this, I received several rejection letters for school. But I believe that God does not close one door without opening another. He made sure I was gainfully employed when I received the bad news. He gave me the courage to venture out and start building my own company and more courage so that I could devise a plan to finish the education I started in 2007. For God's good grace in my life I am eternally grateful.

My father had a car accident, but he was not harmed or injured at all. To God goes the glory. My younger brother was accepted into St. John's University and St. Rose College. To God goes the glory. My sister is well, healthy and working in her chosen field as an RN. To God goes the Glory. My baby brother is using his eccentric personality and pursuing acting in the school play, possibly a career. To God goes the Glory. My mother still has her sight, and continues to be the anchor in our family. To God goes the Glory.

Disaster struck in Haiti and I was able to give what little I could to the benefit of our people. To God goes the glory. I recently joined an intensive mentorship program in Harlem that has a strong spiritual base and looks to educate our young people and make sure that they are equipped to deal with this world we are living in. I know that I will gain so much more from this program than I will be able to give. To God goes the Glory. I sent out an email asking for support for my younger brother and within 24 hours we had received $200 in donations. To God goes the glory.

I can honestly say if not for God, I would be curled up in a ball somewhere wondering where I went wrong and how I can get right but lacking the courage to do so. Instead I stand tall as a testament to his will and grace hoping to only be strengthened in my walk and talks with God. I pray that you recognize your triumphs despite your troubled times too. To God goes the Glory. Peace and Grace be unto you.



La Familia: Straight Men in Atlanta "Saving" Women from the Gayest City in the Country
By Shelli Tinae Price
http://twitter.com/EllaBleuEvents

By now most of you have heard about the article in Advocate Magazine that voted Atlanta as the gayest city in the country. Okay, I will admit I'm surprised it's worse than San Francisco but it explains why the heterosexual men here feel they have something to prove. I believe living in a city as gay as Atlanta, the straight men here feel (an unconscious feeling) they have to over compensate to prove their straight. The way they go about doing this, is a good majority of them flaunt their heterosexuality to and with every woman in town! I think they believe they are the single woman's SAVIOR. Like, "it's either you date me non-exclusively or you're left with the gay men at Bull Dogs." Men are very protective of their rolls as the leaders and providers and living in Atlanta has caused that natural instinct to become elevated and thus out of whack.

There are A LOT of eligible bachelors in Atlanta. Successful, own homes, nice cars, 401k's with stock options, etc...living the American dream but the American dream doesn't seem to come equipped with the idea of settling down. Now, I do believe people should be single until they are ready to make a commitment but the men here have no desire to settle down because they are too busy "saving" all the women from the gays. I remember I met a guy from DC who was here visiting and he was quick to say, "Man if I lived in Atlanta I would be not have a girlfriend." It's like Atlanta is the land of the lost single men who are in no hurry to grow up; in no hurry to find just ONE woman to spend their time with. I can't say that I'm blaming these men because a big part of me feels they are a product of their environment. If I were to transport these same eligible bachelor's to Minnesota, they'd probably all be married or at least engaged.

The battle of the testosterone is at its peak here in Atlanta because the straight men here don't EVER want anyone to think they are a member of the high Gays population. These men aren't making excuses for being straight - but they are acting them out in their dating life to prove a point and the point is being well received by single black women here; IF I WANT A SINGLE, STRAIGHT MAN IN ATLANTA, I HAVE TO SHARE HIM.



Artist On the Rise: Salomes
www.twitter.com/Salomes7
www.myspace.com/salomes7

Music is an ever changing source of pleasure and artistic expression. It serves as a passage to temple of ones soul, which harbors the beat to their heart. Once expressed, the melodic sounds infuse with the current rhythmic backdrop, creating a personal harmonious ambiance for all to enjoy.



Over the years, music artists have overlapped and cross-pollinated to create a hybrid of music and musical genres. Such melodious Darwinism has occurred with the infusion of electric beats within the classic rhythm and blues. Salomes, the female vocalist of this New Age, is a pioneering artist in the dawning of a new resonating era. With her unique synergy of Pop, Rock, and Hip Hop, Salomes is music's newest singing spectacle who is revolutionizing the entire entertainment setting.

Born in Houston, Texas and raised in throughout the bouroughs of NYC, Salomes Jackson derives from African American and Columbian ancestry and has embraced both heritages and cultures within the base of her musical composition. Despite her musical influence by artists such as: Michael Jackson, Prince, Sade, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz and Hector Lavoe, Salomes's inspiration to become a performer was not by such mainstream entertainers, but rather by her mother and grandmother. At the youthful age of 9, both women who are singers and songwriters encouraged her musical empowerment.

Known for her Hip Hop and Rock edginess, Salomes has garnered a steady crescendo of dialogue amongst the influential cabinet within entertainment through her unique and eclectic style. While being sought after by rapper Missy Elliot, DJ Tomp, and music producers Wonder (Wonderful Music) and Jason Perrie (partner of Polow Da Don) Salomes was discovered by the Soul Diggaz, who have worked with major recording artists such as; Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Monica. Performing as a solo artist now, Salomes was once the third and only female member in a group named 33ana3rd. Although the group worked well together, Salomes's musical sound and appearance made her stand apart from the collaboration.

Observing her talent and potential within the Souldiggaz along with heavy hitters Rob Fusari, who is known for recent work with Lady GaGa ((Paparazzi) and Balewa Muhammed a.k.a. The Clutch eventually pulled her from the group and set forth working on her solo project. Nearly six months later, Salomes has written work for numerous artists with the most recent being Sean Diddy Combs' Dirty Money.
For Booking Salomes contact Fireworkent@gmail.com




Firework ent's documentary film on Independent Women
written by Fabian
twitter.com/thefabe

Firework Ent ceo, Christopher "Youngface" James is currently working on a documentary about independent women and what is the true definition of an independent woman.

This project will not only feature interviews of independent women but what their friends and clients think of them. A few of the names already on the project are the ladies of Ella Bleu(www.EllaBleuEvents.com), Drexina Nelson (celeb photographer) and even Universal/Motown r&b artist LonDon makes appearance.


For more info on this project contact Christopher James (director/exec producer)
fireworkent@gmail.com
www.FireWorkent.com
www.twitter.com/IceCreamFace



Indie Film Review: Extract (2009)
By A. Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS
Staring: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, J.K Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by: Mike Judge

Life is All About The Flavor

Extract is a dry dark comedy about Joel Reynolds (Bateman) a successful extract entrepreneur, who is considering selling his business to spend more time with his wife, but realizes how lousy his marriage has become. Day after day Joel ends up at a bar taking advice from his bartender pal Dean (Affleck). Dean usually gives Joel drugs, drinks, and bad advice, like hiring a gigolo to pose as a pool boy to see if his wife will cheat on him (and of course she does). To add to this insanity, Joel develops a wandering eye for a new employee Cindy (Kunis) a scam artist who goes from city to city looking for a come up. Cindy is only in town because she has caught wind of a potential lawsuit against Joel's company after one of his employes, Step (Collins Jr) was injured on the job. Cindy pretends to have feeling for Step in an attempt to be around for the pay day. What follows is a rather hilarious series of events that promise to have you wondering what will becomes of Joel's company, marriage, and more importantly what will become of Joel?

Extract is a dry comedy with dark humor, not the usual witty comedy of a Woody Allen film or goofball scenarios you would see in a National Lampoon's or an American Pie. Extract is in a category of its own. The story line is just flat out ridiculous, but it works, watch this with pals or on a date with someone who is really down to earth, this film could either make a date or break it...good luck


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