Just Think Vol.21: What Do We Really Want?
By A.Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS
What Do We Really Want ?
A few hours after writing Article 19 I began to watch Vicky, Christina, Barcelona, and immediately found myself inspired to write yet another article. In this film the two main characters Vicky and Christina are best friends with two totally different ways of viewing the world. Vicky is the practical, play it safe cookie cutter who claims to know exactly what she wants, while Christina is the radical spontaneous wild heart whose theory is "I don't know what I want, I only know what I don't want.
While watching this Woody Allen film I immediately identified with both characters and found myself wondering do any of us really know what we want or is it that we too only know what we don't want. No one wants to fail, lose a job or embark in a toxic relationship, but the truth of the matter is it happens. So do we play it safe like Vicky or go with flow like Christina? Is anything we choose really what we want or a safe decision be it planned or passive? We tend to change our minds with the seasons so...What do we really want? And when we get it are we really happy?
What Make Us Happy?
The pursuit of happiness appears to be the ideal goal in life, whether it is something of material value, a poetic concept of love, or something as remarkable as enlightenment. We all in the end want to be happy. I have to ask though, What really makes up happy? What do we really want? When people are asked "Where do you see yourself in five years?" you'll get millions of different answers. How many of those people changed their mind about what they want and where they would like to be with a year of making their initial statement? Lets be honest; numerous times we find ourselves not too thrilled about the things we thought would essentially make us happy once acquired. In this magic pill society our wants and desires change rapidly. For some its being married with 2 kids and a dog, to wanting a divorce. For others its as simple as changing shoes.
In the film Vicky, Christina Barcelona; Vicky, thought happiness would be marring her fiance who was safe and reliable, only to feel the total opposite after falling for someone who normally would not fit the mold of what she thought she wanted. How many times has this happened in relationships, where the person we thought would make us happy doesn't? How many times does this happen with a certain major while enrolled in school, career choice or just in life period? I wonder if it is the thought of what will make us happy that encourages pursuit to begin with? What if we were more like Christina who didn't know what made us happy and just hoped to stumble upon it, would we be more successful by indirectly seeking happiness with a passive attitude?
Is Being Open The Key?
Is it possible that structure can lead to unhappiness? What if you have life all planned out and nothing turns out the way you expected it? Should you have had a plan to begin with? Do we really get what we really want and do we really want what is meant for us? It makes you wonder are our choices and decisions really what determines our level of happiness?And if not then what does? Should we be open
to all possibilities instead of being selective?
What Do You Think?
For comments please visit www.ThinkGroupNewsletter.com
Marketing Buzz of the Week
By Max Rivers
http://www.Twitter.Com/MaxRivers
Presidente, USA True Live Inn
PRESIDENTE BRINGS THE CULMINATION OF ITS TRUE LIVE INN SUMMER PROMOTION TO THE MAGICAL CITY - TRANSFORMING MIAMI'S PREMIER LIFESTYLE VENUE INTO THE ULTIMATE CARIBBEAN-THEMED PLAYGROUND
Presidente Imported Beer will host the ultimate finale to its highly successful summer-long promotion - True Live Inn - with an exclusive VIP party on Friday, August 14, 2009 starting at 8:00 p.m. at Plunge at The Gansevoort South Hotel located on 2377 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL.
During the invitation-only event, Miami's top VIP's, celebrities, media and socialites will celebrate the culmination of the regional, summer-long 2009 promotion offering consumers the chance to win the True Live Inn Grand Prize: four days and three nights worth of red carpet VIP treatment at Presidente's luxury resort in the heart of the Caribbean.
The renowned rooftop pool area at Plunge at The Gansevoort South Hotel, infamous for its steamy soirées filled with South Florida's most beautiful people, will be transformed into Presidente's signature haven of Caribbean cool. Guests will be taken on a memorable journey inside an exotic playground featuring an eclectic mix of music and entertainment accented by the smooth golden taste of Presidente beer being offered as a complimentary taste of the tropics between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. along with light hors d'ourves.
Up until August 16, consumers will have a chance to register for the opportunity to win the True Live Inn Grand Prize - the ultimate vacation at Presidente's luxury resort in the heart of the Caribbean. For more information on the summer promotion or to register, log on to www.trueliveinn.com
In true Presidente style, the music and entertainment for the night will reflect a taste of True Living in the Caribbean with eclectic beats provided by the impresario of smooth groove and Latin beats, DJ Brass King, with a special guest appearance by The Miami Heat Dancers and other surprise celebrity guests.
Presidente Beer is a proud sponsor of The Miami Heat as its official imported beer. As the Caribbean's favorite beer and the most prestigious brand in the Dominican Republic, Presidente beer has a pleasing golden color and refreshing flavor. Presidente Light Beer, introduced in the United States in 2007, is a top-quality, smooth and rich-tasting pilsner beer. CND exports Presidente throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe.
Friday, August 14, 2009
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. complimentary Presidente tasting
9:00 p.m. - VIP Party
Plunge at The Gansevoort Hotel
2377 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139
The Grub Report
By Ronnell Rock
Restaurant of the Month
Doll's Soul Kitchen
624 Southside Commercial Parkway
Jonesboro, GA 30236
This restaurant has been getting pub in the Think Group Media network for a couple of weeks. It's brand new, in our neighborhood, and owned by one of our homies. There it is the disclaimer.
Showing support was a strong motive for stopping by but my culinary curiosity was what pushed me to load up the kids on a Sunday afternoon and take the trek down to Jonesboro to see what all the fuss is about.
In route, I had to remind myself not to get too excited. In my three years living in Atlanta, I'd been disappointed on more than one occasion by the lack of quality soul food.
Luckily Southside Commercial Parkway was on the GPS, because this spot could easily get lost in the combustion of Tara Blvd. If you're from Jonesboro, you can find Dolls in the same plaza as the Howard Johnson, and Mr. Clean Car Wash. Outside of the city made famous by Gone With The Wind, you should take the Tara Blvd exit, pass Hooters make a U-turn and open the windows. Before you get to the door, you can smell the aromatic combustion of barbecue sauce, mac and cheese and traditional southern sides.
The sound of the fans blowing, soft leather booths and plastic covered tables stir up memories of grandma's kitchen. It's obvious this is a family restaurant. Everyone from the take out cashier, to the wait staff, and kitchen crew shares a noticeable resemblance to the restaurant's namesake Mrs. Doll.
I was immediately put at ease by the welcoming environment and preceded to a table to begin my analysis of the menu.
Doll's Soul Kitchen offered most of the traditional soul food items, fried chicken, fish, and oxtails (Sunday only) with choices of collards, mac & cheese, yams, green beans, corn on the cob, lima beans, yellow rice, cornbread dressing, etc.
I ordered from the kids menu for my kids and figured the Soul Kitchen Combo, collards and much would provide me with a fine sampling of a variety of menu items.
Noticing my food jacking by my kids, one of the owners came out and offered to fix me a sampling of some of the other items. I selected ribs (crazy!), green beans (awesome!), and yams and scarfed them down as if it would be my last supper.
I cleaned the last bone just as my phone was ringing. It was another buddy who was supposed to meet for dinner and couldn't swing by. That was fine; I figured I can at least grab another few pieces of fried tilapia, some German Chocolate cake and another half rack with the money I was going to spend on him.
My review of Doll's? I'm back here again being treated like a food critic and writing this review ;-)
Follow Doll's weekly dinner specials on www.Twitter.com/Dollsoulkitchen
Real Talk: Who Got Game?
By Cedric D. Shine
http://twitter.com/NativeNotes
Who Has More "G"
Thoughts take me to when we were close, addicted to your love feel I need another dose. -Common
G, game, mack, the Jones -- many have pondered the question Who Has More G; men or women? Societal myths paint us a picture of the articulate, spiritually fed, playboy bachelor whose knack for words, soft-spoken demeanor and inviting eyes make the ladies melt like Hershey Kisses in the palm of your hand. The arrogant male who has yet to realize that the true game comes from the woman who allowed him to believe that he and his suave approach are what sealed the deal has boasted this falsehood. Fellas we've been hoodwinked, run-a-muck, led astray for the true game, the real macks are the beautiful women whom we chase.
Law 21 of Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power clearly states 'Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker. Seem Dumber than your Mark'. What women have done is created this mirage where they allow us to lead. It's not because we're more intelligent, it's because when men think they are in control we are blinded to the fact that really we are being controlled. Think about how the inflection of their voice changes when they talk to us. How they look into our eyes and our ego tells us that we have them in the palm of our hands. It's not that they're not genuine but what they are doing is playing on our vanity. Making us love them because she's different, considerate and just makes him feel at home in his castle.
Think of how many wars have been started, how many men have slaughtered over women. We men have no claims to wars that we've started, maybe 3-way phone conversations that end up putting all our business in the streets, but no wars. If men really had more G, then said phone conversations and gossip would cease to exist because women would know their place in the overall scope of said situation. A woman's sidepiece never gets out of line. He's got too much to lose, if she gets caught out there he'll lie for her, now that's true G. Men's jump-off's always get out of pocket, why, because they can. Between the power of the p**** and their innate abilities to express love and reel us in a woman's jump-off could end up wifing her because she makes him believe that the other man didn't appreciate her not the other way around. Now that's G.
Here's an example of the G of women. Man walks woman through the forest as the moonlight shines through the trees. As they talk he tells her how he feels about her, they smile and laugh together. She caresses his face, looks into his eyes and assures him that what he thinks is weird is actually what makes him unique.
Now who had more G? The man with the fantasy walk through the dark forest while the moonlight shines onto her face. He told her how he felt, even if it was a lie, he set the mood for her and set himself aside from the rest of men who just wanted to bang her anywhere that they could.
Or did the woman have more G? Remember the guy created that dark, sexy walk but really she had subconsciously put that type of walk in his mind. Not just her but men's mothers and women in general who challenge men to treat ladies differently than the average dope. Point. She used her hands to caress his face while appealing to his vanity and making him feel as if at that very moment he was all that mattered.
The person with the game is the person who left the other feeling empowered. Having done that, that person has secured that this person will continue to act in a way that pleases them and pleases their inner beauty.
So the next time your laying in the bed, after some feel good sex, kool-aid smile and all like 'I just tore it up'. Pay attention to the conversation after the sex, see who empowers whom, see whose mood is natural and calm, comfortable and ready to discuss what ever comes to mind. If you're already asleep before all that then you my friend got G'ed not the other way around.
La Familia: You Are Who You Attract
By Shelli Tinae Price
http://twitter.com/ShelliTinae
www.themindofshellitinae.blogspot.com
A friend of mine had this status on Facebook recently: "I find myself attracted to the same type of women." My response to him was..."because you are the same man."
A good test to see yourself for who you REALLY are is just look at the people you date. The people we attract are a direct reflection of who we are - the good, the bad & the ugly. Most of us are stubborn and blind to our own fallacies and the only way to acknowledge them is to see them in someone else.
I dated a man who was so nonchalant about EVERYTHING - and that was me; he was my reflection because that's the way I've always treated men (and I think that's why men liked me because I was a challenge but that's another blog for another day). He was in my life to show me that my nonchalant attitude implies that I didn't care - and I really didn't, but how could I want a man to care if I never cared? I vowed never to treat men that way again - and I haven't...and in return I got a man who is attentive and far from nonchalant.
The subtle, positive changes we make within ourselves allow us to meet people with the same qualities. It's all about growth. Are you ready to grow? Then you will recognize your-self in others. That's the best way to denounce attributes that no longer suit you. It also allows you to give thanks for the positive characteristics you see in your loved ones. I look at my friends in my circle and I thank God for surrounding me with Good people. I'm like, "Hey, that's me - all of you are me!" So thank you God for showing my growth as a woman and a spiritual being by sending good people to share this journey with.
If you find yourself attracted to the same type of man or woman, first discover what it is they all have in common; then analyze whether those traits are still suitable for where you're at in your life; then see how those traits are directly connected to you. When you see THEM in YOU, you can praise them for being a life lesson. From there, you either embrace them or release them.
To listen to a podcast go http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ellableu/2009/07/08/Straight-Talk-with-Ella-Bleu
Artist On the rise: Danica The Morning Star
For more information and bookings visit www.myspace.com/stardanica
Purchase Danica's Album at www.itunes.com/danicathemorningstar
DON'T MISS OUT DOWNLOAD MY BEST I EVER HAD DRAKE DUET http://www.sendspace.com/file/min2dm
BORN OCTOBER 26TH IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, DANICA THE MORNING STAR BEGAN DISPLAYING HER SCORPION-LIKE PASSION FOR THE ARTS AS A YOUNG GIRL. HER IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCES DURING FAMILY GATHERINGS LED TO A LIFE-LONG DESIRE TO ENTERTAIN. AT TWELVE YEARS OLD, DANICA SHOWED A UNIQUE INTEREST IN JAZZ AND BEGAN VOCAL LESSONS. UNLIKE MANY OF HER PEERS, DANICA KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED OUT OF LIFE AND SHE WAS ALREADY WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE IT.
HER FIRST MAJOR OPPORTUNITY CAME IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SINGING BACKGROUND FOR VANESSA WILLAMS ON DAVID FOSTERS NBC CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. IN A PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH WILLIAMS, SHE ENCOURAGED DANICA TO PURSUE HER PASSIONS AND GET HER EDUCATION. DANICA FOLLOWED HER ADVICE AND ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOCUSING HER EDUCATION ON THEATER AND CINEMA. DANICA MADE HER TELEVISION ACTING DEBUT AS A GUEST STAR ON THE WB NETWORKS MULTI-SEASON SHOW "SISTER, SISTER" ALONG SIDE TIA AND TAMARA MOWRY. SHE HAS MADE HER FILM DEBUT IN THE MOVIE "WALK HARD" DIRECTED BY JAKE KASDAN AND PRODUCED BY JUDD APATOW ALSO CO WRITING THE SONG "HARD" FOR THE FILM. SHE HAS ALSO WORKED ON TRACKS WITH MAJOR HIP HOP ARTISTS SUCH AS ALOE BLACC,OL DIRTY BASTARD, THA ALKAHOLIKS, AND IS CURRENTLY ON YUKMOUTH'S "MILLION DOLLAR MOUTH PIECE".
DANICA HAS ALSO WRITTEN AND DEVELOPED SONGS IN COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS PRODUCERS. HER UP AND COMING R&B/ HIP HOP ALBUM "THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE LOVE~LY" PRODUCED ENTIRELY BY BOSS BEATS (WHO YOU CAN FIND ON TIMBALAND'S SHOCK VALUE) WAS WRITTEN ENTIRELY BY DANICA ROZELLE, TELLS OF HER STRUGGLES WITH LOVE AND LIFE, AND EXPOSES HER DEEPEST EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS OF DANICA ALL GROWN UP. SHE ALSO PRODUCED THE VIDEO FOR HER SINGLE FABULOUSITY WHICH YOU CAN FIND ONLINE ON YOUTUBE AT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR2RiUJn2H4 . HER MUSICAL WRITING TALENTS HAVE LED HER TO PLACEMENTS ON TELEVISION AND FILM, "THE SECRET LIFE OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER" AND THE NEW FILM "THE MESSENGER" WITH WOODY HARELSON. DANICA'S TREMENDOUS SKILL IN CREATING CAPTIVATING MUSIC IS A TALENT BEYOND HER AGE, BUT IS DEFINITELY INDICATIVE OF THE TIME AND EFFORT SHE PUTS INTO HER LOVE OF MUSIC AND LIFE.
For more information and bookings visit www.myspace.com/stardanica
Purchase Danica's Album at www.itunes.com/danicathemorningstar
YouTube Interview on IHipHop.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XevnDTzqR7g
DON'T MISS OUT DOWNLOAD MY BEST I EVER HAD DRAKE DUET http://www.sendspace.com/file/min2dm
Don't Waste Ink...Think
Sincerely,
Steve Canal
CEO
Think Group Media, Inc.
www.ThinkGroupMedia.com
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