Just Think Vol.34: The Santa Clause?
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...
It's the most wonderful time of the year; it's time to get ready for the second round of holiday fights with the family. It's time to go crazy over purchasing gifts, running through malls, Target, Wal-Mart and maxing credit cards online, its almost Christmas again. While watching the Bernie Mac show, every commercial that came on was gravitated towards Christmas and definitely was suggesting and / or encouraging one to spend money. Phrases like "Get them something they'll really love" is permanently stamped on my brain, along with the image if and xbox 360 being on sale for $199.00. I couldn't help but think about how capitalistic holidays are used in an attempt to convey affection, adoration, and love. It's to the point where we have been programmed to feel bad if we can't give or receive a Christmas present. We all know Santa Claus isn't real so why do we tend to carry on a tradition that is spiritually corrupt and completely void of real love? This week I want to discus the concept of Christmas.
The Winter Solstice Theory
We all have different ideologies, religions, and ways that we view life. Some people associate Christmas with the birth of Christ, while others associate it with the purchasing of gifts, capitalism, Santa Claus, and some who doesn't celebrate it at all. I for one have in the past associated Christmas with the same images, thoughts, and concepts until I discovered something called the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere it is when the sun is closest to the earth and farthest away hence the longest and shortest days of the year. The winter solstice takes place between December 20th and 22nd in which the Sun is farthest away from the Earth leading to what is commonly called the death of the sun. After the Sun has reached its farthest point away from Earth the journey begins again to where a "new sun" is born and the days begin to get longer again until June 21rst hits. The birth of this new sun usually takes place around December 24th or 25th*. Not to question or crush anyone's beliefs but it seems that this solstice might be the cause or creation of certain stories. My question is Why teach Santa Claus and carry on a tradition that has absolutely nothing with either the birth of Christ or Winter Solstice?
What Should We Teach?
Why do we still allow children to believe in Santa Claus, especially in a recession? Why do we give credit to someone else for our work? Why do still carry the concept of Santa when it has no relevance in our lives. Whether we decide to carry on traditions or open our minds to adopt new ones we should all be mindful of what we carry, pass on and teach others. False information and or toxic practices are not the way to go. We have all seen relatives stressed out about purchasing gifts for people; we also have gone through these occurrences ourselves. We have witnessed people who are ungrateful and unappreciative for the gifts they received on Christmas as well. I find myself wondering why we go to such great depths to celebrate or participate in this fashion when it causes more stress than happiness. In some cases people get trampled on to get a gift from a toy store, how pathetic is that? Sure the gift of giving is a great feeling, but what at what cost? What if we took the money we planned on purchasing gifts with and invested it every year towards something a child can benefit from as they enter adulthood? That's real love!!! I urge you all to teach each other the importance of knowing truth and eliminating the obsession of Christmas gift from your psyche... As Always Peace & Love
What Do You Think?
Marketing Buzz: What Google Wants With Its Own Phone: Control
By Steve Canal
http://twitter.com/SteveCanal
http://twitter.com/ThinkGroupMedia
Search: Giant's Move Is An Attempt to Pry Open the Mobile Ecosystem
With all the attention Google's plan to launch its own phone is receiving, a sensible question remains: Why, when it makes billions off the high-margin business of search and online advertising, would it get its hands dirty launching a mobile handset?
Google's fortunes come from advertising, making money off eyeballs and user experience. As the online world matures and growth from advertising revenue slows, Google is looking to reap ad dollars from mobile. EMarketer has online advertising revenue growing 6% next year, compared to 40% for mobile.
If Google can successfully bypass wireless carriers and sell its phones directly to consumers, it would be testing the same waters that Apple tread before but without much success. When Apple tried to sell its first-generation iPhone for upward of $400, it didn't move many units. It wasn't until AT&T subsidized the handset that the iPhone became a mass device.
Google has already hinted at how it plans to be the go-to service on Android handsets for everything from local search to the ability to retrieve coupons. Already services such as Google maps and Google voice are on every Android device. To activate the inaugural Android handset, the T-Mobile-exclusive G1, for example, users were required to have a Google e-mail account.
And yes Google will be able to bypass Version, AT&T and Sprint. And pay as you go is a approach I would use. But I would go a step farther and implement what they use in Europe, only charge the person that makes the call... This will be the U.S. Carriers downfall.
Real Talk: The Creator is Not Like You
By Cedric Shine
http://twitter.com/NativeNotes
Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?
Psalm 71: 19
I truly believe that God guides us to things, like he will put it right in your face where you can't deny that it was meant to be. A few weeks ago I was supposed to write a Pardon me with the topic about how good God is, how we are lucky that we are made in his image but that he is not like us. So, maybe two days ago I was sitting on the F train reading my little pocket thin new testament bible (umm no names here, this ain't a free marketing ploy lol.) I ran across the words Who, O God, is like you? I closed the book right then because I knew that the original message I wanted to write would be formed based on my interpretation of this scripture.
Think about it, I'm glad that God does not mirror me, I got some crappy ways. For instance, if you tell me, Cedric, this is what I'm going to do and you constantly don't do that, I'm going to pay you absolutely no attention. If you keep telling me this is your last time lying to me, and you keep lying to me, I'm going to be like yo wrap this dude up. Your human and so am I, but my humanly flawed way of thinking is that you are not a person of your word and I'd rather cut my losses early.
Do you see where I'm going with this? If God was like us, all of us would be cut off. We get caught up in a jam, we go to the Lord and we plead with him, tell him how much we are going to change and then before we even get across the street we're doing the same old thing. If God treated us the way we treat each other, there would be no source of redemption for us. God continually allows us to be imperfect beings, and never turns his back on us, even though sometimes we turn our backs on him. I'm not speaking about some mythical figure Bill Maher and George Carlin would have you to believe doesn't exist. I'm speaking about experiences that we have all had when we 'just know' that had it not been for the grace of God, who knows where we would have ended up.
What can we do but be thankful. This is not church, so no collection plate will be passed around but I do think that there is something we can do to show our thanks to God. It's the holiday season right! Many families go without all year but the holidays are especially hard for families. Studies show that many of our neighbors and co-workers get depressed around the holidays. How beautiful would it be if you took some of your time and did something nice for someone or some family and did it in the name of our God. Let us give thanks to God who continuously bails us out of our messes and let us spread his gift of giving in his name to others who are less fortunate so that they may know that our God is constantly in their corner even when the going gets tough. Peace and Grace be unto you.
La Familia: Natural Born Lovers
By Shelli Tinae Price
http://twitter.com/EllaBleuEvents
Kissing is an art; understanding a woman's body is an art. Love making....well, love making is an artistic fantasy.
Michael Jordan wasn't born with a basketball in his hand, but once he learned to play his natural talents just shined. He found his rhythm and the pure essence of his game was undeniable. I look at love making in the same way; we weren't born having sex but some people are....NATURAL BORN LOVERS.
Have you ever been with someone and they did everything right? They are a NBL - and you're probably not the only person who's discovered their splendid talents. They are passion extremist, engulfed in their sexual fantasies. These lovers have an uncanny way of pleasing their mate at all cost and understand the rhythms of their bodies - as well as their mates. Some things can not be taught - they have to be felt on an unconscious level and as much as we are spiritual beings - we can not deny these physical bodies that our soul in habitats. Natural Born Lovers understand this concept more than anyone else. If you are not a NBL then just hope that you have the opportunity to get lessons from one of these sexual beasts. Everyone can't be Michael Jordan but you can still suit up for the game and get some playing time.
WARNING: A Natural Born Lover may not love anything more than the act itself. After all, it is a fantasy inspired virtual reality. So be careful with your heart if your body has been sacrificed for the experience.
Indie Film Review: 500 Days of Summer (2009)
By A. Evans
http://twitter.com/AdotEVANS:
Staring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Minka Kelly
Directed by: Marc Webb
Sometimes Love Comes and Goes Just Like the Seasons
500 Days of Summer is about a Greeting Card writer and hopeless romantic writer named Tom (Gordon-Levitt) who has a great life but sets himself up for failure and total self sabotage when he falls a temp named Summer (Deschanel). Summer is a free spirit who doesn't believe in true love and ends up taking Tom on a crazy ride that he'll never forget. Tom ends up going from being on top of his game to slacking at work, eventually quitting and getting drunk after Summer dumps him. Just when Tom thinks life can't get any worse Summer resigns from her position and ends up getting engaged.
Like most relationships Tom soon discovers that the end of his relationship with Summer is a blessing in disguise and was merely preparation for him to meet the girl he is supposed to be with Autumn. The loss of Summer motivates Tom to find himself and do the things he loves like Architecture, which enables him to meet Autumn at an interview for a new job of all places.
Director Marc Webb does a remarkable job in the order of which 500 Days is presented. Not in the usual chronological order that movies are portrayed, 500 Days of Summer is arranged in a scattered timeline displaying the highs and lows of the relationship and Tom's life by jumping from day 5 to 200, from day 200 to day 350 and back to day 1 and eventually day 500.
I recommend 500 Days of Summer to anyone who has ever found themselves in "like or love" with someone who isn't the right person for them, yet the experience liberates them and pushes to them becoming a better person. 500 Days of Summer is definitely a classic.
Upcoming Events
* Thursday December 17th @ The ADIDAS Store at Lenox Mall (7pm-10pm). Sol Fusion Presents the 30% OFF everything ADIDAS Shopping Spree. Live Music, DJ, Complimentary bites and drinks and 30% off all merchandise. Ho Ho Ho. Discount NYE tickets will be available here as well. rsvp at adidas@sol-fusion.com
* Saturday December 19th - Sol Fusion's FREE Holiday Party @ Straits! Starts at 7pm. Please bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots and receive discounts from the kitchen and bar. DJ KEMIT is spinning, so the party is SUPER-official!! rsvp at rsvp@sol-fusion.com
LOCATION CHANGE
* Thursday December 31st - The 1st Ever Sol Fusion New Years Party... TwentyX! At the Super Exclusive GRAND BALLROOM AT THE RITZ CARLTON BUCKHEAD 3434 Peachtree Road, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30326
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE - TwentyX We have discount hotel rooms at The Intercontinental ($159) and the St. Regis ($300 - expires this Thursday!!)
Brand Ambassador Resumes Accepted at www.Thinkgroupmedia.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment