Think Group Media Newsletter

Just Think Vol.40

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


Upcoming Events


Super Bowl Party At Opera
Presented By Coors Light and 790 The Zone
February 7th, 2010
Atlanta, GA

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

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




New Music Release

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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

Just Think Vol.38: Are We Awake Now?

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...

Last week we were informed of a catastrophic event that cannot be measured or understood merely by what has been presented to us on television. It is something that most overlook until it hits close to home. I find it hard to even begin to imagine the level of devastation that this earthquake has caused. I feel the pain directly by being around my friends who are all Haitian, yet I still can't fathom the depth of their grief, yet alone the grief of their elders, and those who are in Haiti. Here in the States we tend to sugar coat things that have no immediate affect on our well being, we take our clothes, accessories and technology for granted. How quickly do we get upset when our internet connection is slow or lost? We never really take time to realize that there are places in this world who don't have a 1/4th of what we have initially so how are we to view life when those who are already without lose even more. How can we want to pop bottles and cop clothes and focus on the material gratification we have been programmed to love when there are people with NOTHING. We grieved over 9/11 because of its location because we could see it we could relate and yes it was devastating, so imagine the dynamic of what this quake has done. I'm compelled to ask, What if this quake would have taken place in NYC? Would we fully understand then? Would we finally wake up? When do we finally realize what's important? When do we wake up to REAL LIFE?
My Eyes Are Open
Yesterday I had the privilege of watching Avatar, and I immediately caught the message that was subtle yet blatant in the movie. I saw several things in this movie, I saw how what is considered sacred and spiritual to some is considered profitable to others. Think of the land we have invaded and caused destruction to in an attempt to either westernize their way of living or just flat out rob them of resources that greedy Corporations want. Hmm I guess oil seems a little bit more delicate now huh? I don't want to voice all my personal opinions for the sake of staying PC, and offending some of you who have yet to grasp the cosmic shift taking place on this planet, but I will say this if Corporations and Alphabet Gangs continue to tamper with the planet and try to strip it of its resources for profitable gain, expect for devastation to take place in your backyard in the near future. I guess my boy Fabe was right soon there will be advertising on the Moon for all to see, because they're sure running out places to take over on this planet. I refuse to believe a natural disaster of that proportion wasn't caused by something remotely tied to experimentation or deliberate testing.

Final Thoughts
As we grow closer to the age of unification I urge you all to do your research don't solely rely on what you see on the news. Investigate what really causes natural disasters investigate on all the testing and tampering that takes place instead of voting for the next American Idol, or taking shopping advice from Kim Kardashian, I urge you all to see past the distractions and WAKE UP there's more to life that what's being presented... As Always Peace & Love

What Do You Think?




Marketing Buzz: Yele Haiti

By Steve Canal
http://twitter.com/SteveCanal
http://twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia



www.Yele.org


Yéle Haiti is a foundation started by Grammy-Award winning musician, producer and social entrepreneur Wyclef Jean that is changing lives in this desperately poor but optimistic nation.

Through Yéle Haiti, Wyclef uses music, sports and the media to reinforce projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development. In practical terms this translates to over 3,000 new jobs, close to 7,000 children being put in school, more than 8,000 people a month receiving food and approximately 2,000 young people a month learning about HIV/AIDS prevention.

Among the many who have responded to Wyclef's invitation to help are thousands of individuals like you, celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, as well as NGOs, world leaders and corporations.

Education
With little state support for education, Yéle Haiti has created a range of programs to improve the quality of education and ensure more children from poor and disadvantaged families can attend school.

Primary School Scholarships: sponsoring the education of 4,500 children throughout Haiti.

University Scholarships: sponsoring 12 top ranking students in Haitian universities.

Boy's Rehabilitation Center: giving imprisoned child gang members a second chance.

Yéle Cuisine: employing women to cater meals for children in six schools without kitchens.

School Feeding: dry food distribution to around 7,000 families of children in targeted schools.


Sports
With almost no public or school funding for organized sports, Yéle Haiti supports a soccer program for at-risk youth and a range of sports events for youth.

L'Athletique d'Haiti: supporting a soccer and tutoring program for 650 youth from the slums.

Sports Events: sponsoring tournaments, clinics and sports equipment for young players.


The Arts
With high levels of illiteracy, Yéle Haiti uses music and entertainment to inform the public about development and social issues, while at the same time providing training to at-risk youth. Celebrities are enlisted to help raise the country's international profile.

Music Studio: providing jobs and vocational training in a new state-of-the-art facility being built in Cité Soleil.

National Youth Orchestra: classical orchestral training and performance for at-risk youth.

Art School: support for an art school in Jakmel, including commissioning students for design work abroad.

Remember Haiti: scanning and making available rare historic books about

Haiti's founding.

Spotlight Haiti: engaging celebrities to help raise Haiti's international profile.

Yéle Cinema: free outdoor projection of Creole-dubbed films in slums without electricity.


Environment
With less than two percent tree cover left nationwide, Yéle Haiti is responding with a new community-based tree planting, environmental education and social marketing initiative along with ongoing support for an environmental education initiative.

Yéle Vert: community-based agroforestry, environmental education and social marketing that is in development in Gonaives.

Ecole Verte: environmental education camping trips and tree planting for youth.


Community Service
With little support available for vulnerable families, Yéle Haiti distributes food to those in need throughout the slums of Port-au-Prince and mobilizes emergency relief in response to natural disasters and humanitarian crises.

Food Distribution: assisting the World Food Programme in distributing rice, beans and oil to families in the slums of Port-au-Prince.

Emergency Relief: mobilizing relief following natural disasters and humanitarian crises.


North America

Yéle Student Outreach: college and university students rallying in support of Haiti.

Help Haiti: Canadian students giving 25¢ each to sponsor scholarships for Haitian students.





Real Talk: Two Wolves
By Cedric Shine

http://twitter.com/NativeNotes

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me" he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "the one you feed."

Who do you believe in I put my faith in God blessed and still breathing and even though it's hard that's who I believe in. The late, great brother Tupac Shakur imparted these words of wisdom on me through song. I read the above Cherokee philosophy this past Saturday when I was at the rites of passage program I volunteer with. It spoke to me because last week I was contemplating writing something about getting the 'hater' out of you. You know, ridding ourselves of the jealousy and envy that resides within us. Sadly we can easily recognize others ability to "hate" or be envious but we put blinders on when it comes to ourselves. In it's most humble form, jealousy and envy appears within one of us when we see someone doing something we deem great and we question how they got in that position. We are better suited for that spot, how in the world did that idiot get in such a position when we're smarter. We're more righteous, we are the better person. Etc. ect. Sometimes it's not as blatant but we know when ill thoughts creep up in our mind. I do it, it's unconscious sometimes and it takes a lot to admit such that such a wack trait lurks in my subconscious, but it's there and I shared it, I can't take it back.

So when I read the old Cherokee saying I found strength in knowing that I was not alone, that this fight goes on in every man and woman. It shows up in our fears, our insecurities, our inflated egos. It's a fight that goes on in every man and woman and I for one have not escaped it. I was feeling a little heavy today. Happy yet sad, I had a knot in my stomach. I had that heartbreak knot in my stomach but I haven't been dumped in a while so it couldn't have been heartbreak. haha. And it came to me while emailing a good brother of mine,a brother in Christ, a brother in Alpha, a brother.

Fear, somewhere deep inside my mind I was feeding the fear wolf instead of the hope and faith wolf. I recently put my testimony forth, talked about just how blessed I am and how blessed I feel. But if you've ever been down and out, you know that you never want to be in that position again. Happiness is something we must work at, we have to work at it every day, we have to nurture the happiness within us so that we can continue to experience it. Faith, faith is the unseen, just knowing that God will order your steps.

But that fear, it grips us. It can force us to remain in the status quo because we are too scared of risking our happiness. We want to horde what we have instead of working towards more internal bliss. But we have two wolves fighting this war within us. The one we feed is who will grow stronger and defeat the other. Don't feed your evil wolf! Don't feed the wolf who wants to sabotage you, the wolf who grips you up and lets insecurity and inferiority control you. Don't feed that wolf because that story has already been written. We know that desperate story, the painful portrait it paints.

No, I encourage you to nurture and feed that good wolf daily. Feed it with prayer, feed it with hope, feed it with a vivid imagination who sees you achieving your wildest dreams. Feed that wolf with positive energy, feed that wolf with thoughts of grandeur and happiness. Feed that wolf with the idea that 'yep things are great right now and they can and will get better'. Last week the preacher said that there would be trials and tribulations in our lives, this fact, we will go through ups and downs. However God made a pact to bring you through a long time ago. Feed your good wolf with the belief that your God will deliver you. They say it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile yet we see so many frowns when we look around. Start a trend and let your smile be the smile that helps someone else smile. Feed their good wolf because it's one heck of a world we are out here living in. We need some support. I support you. I pray you support me as well in starving that evil, hating wolf and giving my good wolf the strength to win this battle. It's going on in each and every one of us, I believe in you, I believe in us. Our good can win. 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: Lil' Melo
www.twitter.com/lilmel0
www.myspace.com/lilmelomusic


Randy Smith, professionally known as Lil' Melo is a hip hop star hailing from Washington D.C. Lil' Melo presents a style described as a raspy slow flow. Lil' Melo creates music that the people will love. Lil' Melo recently launched his career, and is promoting his smash single, "Models and Bottles." This single is guaranteed to rock clubs across the nation. Unlike most mainstream hip hop artists, Lil' Melo doesn't rap about killing or hustling. Lil' Melo stays true to himself by talking about what he knows, partying, money, cars, life, kid's clothes, and jewelry. Fans respect Lil' Melo, because he raps about things that they all can relate to. Lil' Melo is creating a presence through college radio as well as mainstream radio. He is also making his presence known over the internet. Lil' Melo does a number of shows in Washington DC, and the surrounding areas. Lil' Melo will soon be featured on a host of regional tours. "Models and Bottles" will be available for purchase on download and through several websites. The ringtone for "Models and Bottles," is currently being prepared.





Indie Film Review: I'm Reed Fish (2006)
By A. Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS

Staring: Jay Baruchel, Alexis Bledel, Victor Rasuk, Schuyler Fisk, AJ Cook, Tommy Dewey
Directed by: Zackary Adler

If Your Life Were a Movie Would Anyone Watch it?

I'm Reed Fish is a tale about the ins and outs of living in a small town where news travels quickly and everyone knows everyone. In this coming of age film we meet Reed Fish (Baruchel) a local radio host who took over after his father passed away. Reed is not exactly like his father, and is reminded every day by the locals, but tries his best to fill his father's shoes. In addition to the stress of following in his father's footsteps, Reed is engaged and soon to be wed to the town beauty that is until his former high school sweetheart comes back into town throwing him for a loop. Reed must decide what is important to him, and his future, before throwing it all away, he decides to make a movie about exactly what is taking place in his life and leaves your mind in a daze as you anticipate the outcome.

I'm Reed Fish is a definite feel good coming of age movie that we all can relate to, we all have to make difficult decisions, and sometime we are called to do things that question our integrity and character. No one really understands what it is like to be someone else unless we were able to see inside their day to life or if they made a movie about it, and that's exactly what takes place in I'm Reed Fish. This film has some funny parts, and some slow parts, but overall it's a pretty cool flick...enjoy.





Upcoming Events

Super Bowl Party At Opera
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February 7th, 2010
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February 12-14, 2010
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"Stay True To Yourself and Never Talk About It Unless You Lived It!"

Sincerely,

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www.ThinkGroupMedia.com

Just Think Vol.37: The Importance of Positive Thinking

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...

While watching a film titled Henry Poole is Here I found myself in a state of shock because I saw myself in the main character who was a jaded loner, not to say that I'm always like that but I do have my moments. Anyways this film definitely awoke something in me. The concept of the movie questions faith, belief systems, and positive thinking. What I begin to notice was, people all want something to believe in regardless of religion, we all want something to believe in even if it is ourselves. If that belief isn't present I truly "believe" the concept of feeling lost begins to arise. This week I would like to dance around the idea of faith, beliefs, and the importance of positive thinking.

What Do You Believe?
It appears no matter what you believe you are always right. Regardless of your belief system, religious figure etc. We are usually told that seeing is believing, with faith and positive thinking "believing is seeing". I say this because faith resonates from within not from without. Faith and positive thinking is an attitude and chosen perception to know that everything is already ok, or in progress. The mind is a very powerful instrument ad when it gravitates around negativity or nonsense the results can be very detrimental to one's well being. I'm not here to place judgment or question anyone's belief system nor am I here to tell you what to think, but I do believe ultimate whatever you think is what you will experience. If you believe you are having a crappy day you are, if you believe that smiling keeps you in a positive mindset, you are also correct, if believe the world is against you, you are also correct. With that being said, what do you think about? How do you think? What is your perception like? Who or What do you believe in? What is your belief system? How would your life be without it? What changes do you think would be useful in your day to day thinking?

Final Thoughts
Watching Henry Pools is Here, made me realized how important it is to have faith and a positive outlook. Negative thoughts are toxic and painful, I mean you can actually feel like crap when you think crappy thoughts, yet we tend to do this knowingly. In this film Henry refused to have faith in a positive manner, he had faith in a negative one, and in doing so he was correct, he continually thought his life sucked and that's exactly what he got. Faith isn't just belief in a religious figure, greater power etc... Faith is what we believe to be true right now so be mindful of what you accept as truth in your heart because it will show up. Meditation and Prayer or whatever you want to identify it as, is also important, in theory it is a series of concentrated positive thoughts. We give many labels and different names to these things due to our upbringings and backgrounds, but one thing remains universal and that is; faith and positive thinking is necessary, but at the same time your thoughts are your own. I urge you all to adopt a positive attitude outlook and perception this year... As Always Peace & Love

What Do You Think?




Marketing Buzz: Confusion Over Marketers Haiti Relief Donations Goes Viral

By Steve Canal
http://twitter.com/SteveCanal
http://twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia

American Airlines, UPS Use Social Media to Separate Fact From Fiction in Their Charitable Efforts

As marketers scrambled to assemble donations and matching programs for relief in Haiti, Twitter users began scrambling their announcements. By this morning, the airwaves were so flooded with news about who was making a donation, and how to participate, that consumers became understandably confused and it spread.

American Airlines and UPS became victims of their own benevolence, as consumers came up with relief efforts that sounded more fitting. UPS, which announced one of the more ambitious donation programs -- $500,000 in cash and $500,000 worth of in-kind donations to UNICEF, the American Red Cross, CARE and other relief organizations -- soon heard that it was also offering free shipping to Haiti for any box with a postage fee of $50 or less.

What marketers are doing
Below is a snapshot of the numerous marketers that have stepped forward to offer assistance in Haiti.

MICROSOFT
The company made an initial commitment of $1.25 million, including cash and in-kind contributions. Microsoft is also activating its disaster response team, calling for matching employee donations, working with impacted customers and partners and helping drive awareness for relief efforts through MSN and Bing.

NESTLE WATERS NORTH AMERICA
Estimating that 2 million people in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area are without potable drinking water, the company pledged $1 million in bottled water.

MCDONALD'S
The Oak Brook, Ill.-based company will be donating up to $1 million, including an expected $500,000 match from Arcos Dorados, the company that operates nearly 1,700 McDonald's restaurants in Latin America.
Through Arcos Dorados, the company will also donate 50 cents if any Big Mac or Big Mac value menu purchased between January 16 and January 22 in the 19 Latin American companies where Arcos operates. The company estimates that those efforts will generate another $500,000.

BANK OF AMERICA AND MORGAN STANLEY
$1 million in aid.

COCA-COLA CO.
The company's charitable arm is donating $1 million to the American Red Cross efforts in Haiti, in addition to bottled water and other beverages. In a memo to employees dated Wednesday, the company said that it is awaiting news of the 850 people who work for bottling partner Brasserie de la Couronne.

ABBOTT LABORATORIES
The Abbott, Ill.-based company and its foundation have committed to $1 million in aid.

KRAFT FOODS
Will be donating up to $500,000 toward relief programs through its foundation. The sum includes an expected $100,000 employee match.

WAL-MART
Will donate $500,000 in cash and $100,000 in supplies. The company has also launched a microsite for employee and consumer donations.

GODADDY
Donating $500,000 to Hope for Haiti.

FOOT SOLUTIONS STORES WORLDWIDE
On behalf of Soles4Souls, it's collecting gently used footwear at its 240 locations for distribution in Haiti.

T-MOBILE
Customers can make donations (free of charge) in $10 increments to the Red Cross by texting "HAITI" to 90999. Donations to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti fund can be made by text messaging "YELE" to 501501 in $5 increments.

GENERAL MILLS
The package food company has pledged $250,000 for earthquake relief through its foundation.

KELLOGG COMPANY
Has committed $250,000 to the American Red Cross. The company has additionally asked employees and retirees to participate in a dollar-for-dollar match.

CAMPBELL SOUP CO.
Has pledged $200,000 in donations, and is mounting an employee donation effort.

CON AGRA FOODS
The Omaha-based company's foundation has pledged $100,000 to the International Red Cross Relief Fund.

AMAZON.COM
Has established a microsite for donations to Mercy Corps.

WESTERN UNION
Will give $250,000 to earthquake relief efforts. The company's agents will also waive transfer fees on money to Haiti from the U.S., Canada and France for the first week after service has been re-established.

JETBLUE
Looking for ways to offer free travel for vetted non-profit organizations and officials that are working in tandem with the Haitian consulate.

YAHOO
Driving consumers to donation resources via web and mobile, including UNICEF banner ads going live Monday. In addition to a $25,000 emergency grant to UNICEF, Yahoo will match gifts from full-time U.S. employees, up to $1,000 per person.





Real Talk: Wake Up In Heaven
By Cedric Shine
http://twitter.com/NativeNotes

One day I'mma fall asleep and wake up in heaven
Not a worry, not a care in the world
The atmosphere, light and airy
The smog, the filth and troubles of nyc will be no more
No more wars being fought over oil
Children starving to death
Greedy bankers ruining the lives of millions of people

Yeah one day I'mma fall asleep and wake up in heaven
Sitting at the dinner table with God himself
Breaking bread with Jesus and all the prophets who have come to guide us Through troubled times
Building with Malcolm and Thurgood
Laughing with Billie and Dorothy
Admiring Adam and Gandhi

Yeah one day I'mma fall asleep and wake up in heaven
My grandmother and grandfather will receive me with open arms
Hopefully no discussions of my past transgressions I always knew they could see
I'll tap Sean and let him know the kids are good, Hov put together a trust fund for their education

But even in heaven where I thought I'd be without worry
I find myself looking down and seeing my people in hell
Praying for them still because I want them to make it here
I want to ease their fears and let them know to not be afraid of death

There's a better place up here, all the beds are heavenly
Sleep has never been better, happiness is bliss
No bill collectors, student loans, refinanced mortgages we can't afford
None of that

Yeah one day I'mma wake up in heaven, and I hope you're right there with me.




Ella Bleu Event Review
By The Fabian
http://twitter.com/TheFabe

Ella Bleu Events and EducateToday.org event at Chocolate Bar


The Ella Bleu Events Appreciation party at Chocolate Bar in Atlanta,ga also became the collection point for EducateToday.Org/Haiti for clothes, food and donations for victims of the earthquake that devastated Haiti. A laid back atmosphere, football on the tv and friendly people made for a successful event where not only did receive a good amount of donations some good networking also took place. Also on the scene was Christopher "YoungFace" James who is currently filming a documentary on independent women and this was the perfect place as there were many independent women in attedance. Congrats to the ladies of Ella Bleu for yet another successful event and the official launch of their website







Indie Film Review: HENRY POOLE IS HERE (2008)
By A. Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS

Staring: Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, Adrina Barraza, George Lopez, Richard Benjamin
Directed by: Mark Pellington

No Matter What You Believe You Are Always Right ...

Henry Poole is Here circulates around the life of a bitter, angry, and depressed Henry Poole (Wilson) who learns he has a rare disease and little time to live. In an attempt to live his remaining days in solitude Henry moves into a small house in his old neighborhood, with the hopes of being left alone to wallow in self pity junk food and alcohol. Henry's life begins to really get interesting when his neighbor Esperanza (Barraza) claims to see an image in a stain on the side of his house and claims it is a sign from a greater power. Henry refuses to believe that the stain on the side of his house is a sign, even after a mute girl speaks for the first time in years and a practically blind supermarket clerk can see clearly. Henry goes out on a limb to jade everyone's belief system, while at the same time refusing to alter his attitude and perception towards having a more positive outlook on life especially with positivity all around him, or does he?

Herny Poole Is Here delivers an insightful message regardless of religious practices beliefs etc. I recommend Henry Poole to everyone; this film confirms the notion that no matter what you believe in you are always right. I definitely saw glimpses of myself in Henry. Faith in something beats faith in nothing. Enjoy.




Upcoming Events
"Milk & Honey"
The sounds will be smooth and the scene will be thick...

The Obama Bash & Haiti Fundraiser

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January 23rd, 2010
79 Poplar Street
Atlanta, GA 30303


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Don't Waste Ink...Think

Keep Haiti In Your Thoughts and Prayers

Sincerely,

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

Just Think Vol.36: The Price of Fame & Money

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...

As I lie in bed at 1:45 am dwelling on the things that I want out of life and what genuinely makes me happy I began to think about the pro's and cons of being famous and having money. The pros appear to be some what obvious in the form of financial security and instant gratification, however, on the deep end money and stardom can equate to problems, that the average 9-5er could never handle. For starters your life becomes a public display for all to see place judgment on and dissect. I for one think that there are people in the world who have committed the same acts as Mike Vick, Tiger Woods, and Chris Brown, but due to their stature or lack there of, the situation was not blown into a circus. It appears we forget that those in the limelight are human just like us and are susceptible to the same human problems, mistakes, and emotional roller coasters as everyone else. Money can never change that.
Money Doesn't Erase Human Problems

While watching the Celtics-Magic Christmas game, I was reminded that money will never erase human problems. During the halftime show there was an inside look at Ray Allen's life and how his son is living with diabetes. Even though some may look at Ray Allen as a rich, successful athlete he is still a man with everyday problems. One can only imagine what it is like to play 82 regular season basketball games plus playoffs and having to be away from your son who may be in pain, especially when you have to keep your mind on your career, contract, and performance. I really had to sit back and ask myself if I were a millionaire what about my life would be different. Of course I could buy everything I wanted but would I be genuinely happy, would I attract the right type of people or people with ulterior motives? I challenge you all to ask yourself that question, try not to focus on what you would do with money because that's easy, ask yourself would you still seek information, enlightenment, would you still be stressed at times, would you still have everyday human problems?

Final Thoughts...
We all know the famous phrase "All That Glitters isn't Gold" the next time you see a celeb on television or in a magazine and wonder what life would be like if you had their money or fame, just think they could of gotten out of bed in a bad mood and as soon as they stepped out their house they're greeted with cameras, ask yourself would you be able to live like that on a day to day basis? What if you went through a rough break up or divorce would you want the whole world to know about it would you like every moment of your life documented for the world to see and critique? Its no secret celebs work hard to get to where they are in life but the price they once they make it seems to be a little bit more costly. Like Notorious B.I.G said "Mo' Money Mo' Problems"... As Always Peace & Love

What Do You Think?




Marketing Buzz: 9 Digital Marketing Mistakes I Won't Make This Year

By Steve Canal
http://twitter.com/SteveCanal
http://twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia

We all know about New Year's resolutions. We make these decisions about what we'll do in the next year with good intentions, but we also know that usually, one by one, they go by the way side. So this year, for a change, I've started to make "un-resolutions" -- things I am determined not to do in 2010.

1. I will not get seduced by any new digital marketing toy just because some industry pundit thinks it's the coolest thing to hit the street.

2. I will not abandon common sense in digital marketing and be blinded by digital agencies' promises that their "new" campaigns will go viral and get millions of people engaged. I will continue to listen to my gut and if it sounds too good to be true, that's a red flag warning I will heed.

3. will not abandon newspaper, magazines, radio and other forms of traditional media if it is the right vehicle. No matter how sexy digital media may seem because of the perceived lower cost, I will continue to create integrated programs that weave together the best of both the traditional and digital worlds.

4. I will not give up my attachment to e-mail marketing. Sorry folks -- but e-mail marketing done well drives real business results. If your e-mail campaign did not work, either you had a bad list or an inadequate call-to-action or maybe your agency did not know what they were doing.

5. I will not be fooled into thinking that the ad market is going to rebound in 2010. Nope. The ad market will continue to decline by the tides of an evolving economic landscape and by consumers' attraction to new tech toys like mobile devices. These trends will continue to dampen ad revenue for publishers for some time to come.

6. I will not blindly follow Google as they chow down every tech industry from telecom to digital publishing in their relentless march toward digital dominance. In the process, they stifle competition and kill real innovation by companies who deserve to succeed.

7. I will not diminish my slavish devotion to data-driven marketing no matter what new platforms come out that can behaviorally target any audience any way I wish. I know, I know -- the BT folks can slice and dice an audience so many ways that it makes a marketer salivate. But unless I can see, touch and feel the data, I will pass for now.

8. I will not start following every Tom, Dick and Jane to gain more Twitter followers. OK, so I only have about 370 folks following me but at least I know they read what I tweet. Quality, not quantity, is what drives social media.

9. And my final un-resolution: I will not try to appear to be 30 just because I love digital marketing. I know that the median age of people in digital marketing tends to be 27, but my depth in this space has yielded real-world, hard-won recognition. What you see is what you get.


Real Talk: GOD is you
By Cedric Shine

http://twitter.com/NativeNotes

Believing in the most high
Believing in Jesus Christ
For man
It's a struggle
We know that we are God
But doubt and insecurity consume us
So when we hear the miracles of Jesus
We quickly say, "how could this be"
This is untrue!
When we hear of a God
A supreme being who has brought us out of bondage
Healed our wounds
Created water where there was once a desert
The weakness in our minds can't fathom that this exists
How could this be

So it's a strugle
Then our different faiths divide us
Most are too afraid of their own spirituality to test it
So we criticize others
Belittling their beliefs
Afraid to own our own

God made us in his own image
They say when you are the leader
The creator
Who knows all
It's hard to know all
So God came to the world through the body of Jesus
To save us from our sins
But also to live amongst his ppl

Criticisms say why would a God do so much
Well a tyrant God would not
But a supreme being
A humble being
A leader of his people
The architect of mankind would
It's easy to believe that a king would
Brave the front lines and defend his army
Defend his people
Die for his people
Right Then why is it so hard to believe that God would brave this cruel world
That he would come to save his people
That he would serve as a living example
Leting man know that God is within
That if you follow the way
That if we lived a more holy life
We would showcase the divinity within us
The God within

Jesus said I am the way
He was showing us the way
There is a path we must walk
One of loyalty, love, faithfulness, courage and hope
The way...
Principles to live by
A way to be more God like
it's in you
God is in you
The only way to get to the father is through the way of the son, sun(light)

God was in Moses
Mohamed
Buddah
there's no huge difference amongst religions
At the core there is a spiritual base
Sure they practice differently
And read different texts
But all are rooted in the way
The path to righteousness
Transcending this here world
For as the pastor said
We are Merely travellers
Travelling this place for a short time
Don't let your fear and insecurity
Disturb you from overstanding that
Your God
Who made you in his likeness
In his image, is within you
Don't let fear, insecurty and doubt stop you from believing that you can be the best you!







La Familia: Don't Date Women Over 30!
By Shelli Tinae Price
http://twitter.com/EllaBleuEvents


"I had baggage but now I only take a carry on...I like to travel light"

A friend of mine told me that he is "almost" done with women that are 30 and over (what I like to call 30 plussers). He says they have too much baggage weighing them down and that greatly lessens their potential for "wifie" status.

He went on to tell me that he took a 30 plusser on a date and he complimented her on her perfume; then he asked her the name of the fragrance. She refused to tell him. The woman later confessed that she didn't tell him because she didn't want him to go out and buy it for another woman so he could smell it on her.

He's "almost" done and trying to maintain his liberal stance on dating. This is just one of his experiences with 30 plussers and he's getting fed up. I had to ask him: "So at what age does a woman have less baggage?"

"24-27...my research has shown that that is the range of optimal performance for a woman..in all aspects..she's at her best and brightest," he said.

He professes that yes, there are exceptions to the rule but, nonetheless, he still has lumped women over 30 into a problematic category that includes anger, baggage, and insecurities.

I will say that, the older a woman get's the more experience she has when you meet her - and that can either be good or bad. In fact, it's both good and bad. These experiences have shaped her current existence and a lot of women have let those experiences dictate how they interact with the men they meet. Ladies, not only is this unfair to them, but it's also unfair to you. No one wants to be tried in a court of law for someone else's crime.

I don't want to dog his point of view because I do think it's valid. Generally speaking, we need to add all of those experiences (good and bad) up and look at them as one GRAND lesson. There is no need to look back and dwell on the past because it is nothing more but the sum of this present moment and in theory should make you a better person because you will have learned who to BE and who not to BE.

On the other hand, this is not about age because age is relative. A woman 24-27 years old may have fewer experiences but they could have been severelydamaging to her character.

Men, before you start complaining about women, you need to take a look in the mirror because, after all...you are who attract. If you see reoccurring problems in your life, there is a lesson you are missing. So in the end, it's not about the women over 30, it's about renewing YOUR-SELF so your experiences with women reflect your renewed sense of self.




Sol Fusion New Year's Recap
By The Fabian
http://twitter.com/TheFabe

NewYear's Eve Party of the Decade with Sol Fusion, Hennessy Black and Coors Light (Recap)
It was a New Year's eve like no other, Instead of just one room, Sol Fusion put on an three room,themed party at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Buckhead to ring in the new year. The evening started with complimentary Hennesy Black while being entertained with live music from Eva Kennedy and band and after that is when things got into full swing as guests showed up by the droves. The Grand Ballroom is where the main action was centered but the other rooms offered different vibes but were still fun nonetheless



Room 1: music from 1989 to 2009 provided by Dj Doc and friends
Room 2: classics,anthems and music from the 80's and 90's provided by Eva Kennedy and the band
Room 3: the Coors lounge where everyone mingled in a more relaxed environment



One thing that stood out was the video yearbook that showed 20 years of memories from 89 till 2009. For many who may not have ever celebrated a new year at an event, this was the one to be at.Great location, great atmosphere and to top it off a great time. Congratulations to Sol-Fusion for making the start of 2010 very memorable


Indie Film Review: Away We Go (2009)
By A. Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS:

Staring John Kransinski, Maya Rudolph, Carmen Ejogo, Catherine O'Hara
Directed by: Sam Mendes


How Far would You Go to Start the Life of Your Dreams?

Away We Go is an insightful movie about a struggling couple Burt (Kraniski) and Verona (Rudolph) in search of a better a life not only for themselves but for their expected child. In an attempt to find a better life, Burt and Verona set out on an adventure across the US to visit family and friends in various States to figure out if the locations that have done their peers justice will work for them. Let's just say as Burt and Verona travel they come across some of the funniest and sad learning experiences which make their decision complicated yet clear as day in the end.

As Burt and Verona travel through Phoenix, Tucson, Madison, Montreal, and Miami, they learn what will work for them as a couple as oppose to seeking happiness in an environment that may work for others but not for them. Burt and Verona realize the problems they face are normal problems that could always be way way worse. In the end Burt and Verona realize that home is where the heart is and wherever that may be you know it, you feel it, and you are it.

I recommend Away We Go to anyone who has even been in search of a better life, to anyone who looks at their friend's life and sees all the glitter from afar not knowing their friends have problems just like everyone else. Away We Go is a touching movie with some great laughs that will literally have you on the floor, while other scenes will make you sympathize with the pregnant couple as they search for a place to call home. Away We Go is definitely a great film, I sure hope you enjoy it.



Upcoming Event
"Milk & Honey"
The Introduction of 2010
The sounds will be smooth and the scene will be thick...

@ The Mark (formerly Karma - The birthplace of Sol Fusion)
January 9th, 2010
79 Poplar Street
Atlanta, GA 30303

"Celebrating The King 2010"
International Edition
Steve Canal's Birthday Celebration
Puerto Plata, Domincan Republic
January 15th-18th 2010

Brand Ambassador Resumes Accepted at www.Thinkgroupmedia.com





New Music Release

RADIO WAVES PART.8 DOWNLOAD LINK -------->>>> http://usershare.net/e366ygjq2epy



DJ CHRISTION BLACKOUT RADIO 2!!!!-------->>>>> DOWNLOAD LINK http://www.zshare.net/download/702863009a006932/



Don't Waste Ink...Think

Happy New Year!!

"If You Want To Kill Time, Try Working It To Death."

Sincerely,

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