SheNotes

Introducing Boone!

2011-09-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

BOONE

'Club Like' was the #1 most downloaded song on Digiwaxx last week. He is blowing up the charts in Philly with his new single 'Nanas' and you will soon be able to see him in select markets on the Chris Brown Fame Tour speaking to our youth. The video for 'Nanas' will be shot withing the next 4 week so we will certainly keep you posted. See YouTube videos below!

Philadelphia has always been known for its raw, authentic talent. Artists that come from this entertainment jewel are adorned by greatness and a stellar work ethic. Such is the case with Philly’s latest and greatest Hip Hop artist, Boone.
Marquis Boone was born and raised in South Philadelphia, PA. After playing college ball at Steven’s Technical College in Lancaster, PA, one would assume that Boone was a sure win for a career as a pro baller. Turns out that they were right, just not on the basketball court. Falling in love with music while in college led Boone to form the hip hop group Fly 4 Life. Although short lived, the experience catapulted the young artist into the next phase of his life as a solo artist.
It all started at a talent show in front of a small crowd at an event sponsored by Sneaker Villa in Philly. He won the opportunity to perform at Unity Day in front of a crowd of 50,000. Here he caught the ear of Wayne “Big Wayne” Montgomery, a bodyguard for Kidd Rock, Black Street and Teddy Riley. This relationship permitted Boone to experience a national tour with Black Street and to work in the studio with Eric Williams of the group.
Being inspired by his contemporaries such as Jay-Z and Philly’s own Beanie Siegal, Boone continues to align himself with people that see his greatness. Palmieri Jeans, a Philadelphia based clothing company, met the rising star and he can now be seen in some of their branding and promotional campaigns. They in turn support his shows and other musical efforts.
Last summer Boone’s club banger “Club Like” featured hip-hop super star Waka Flocka and had a big impact on dance floors and radios across the globe. He has followed suit with his latest single “Nanas” ft Gillie Da Kid, another base filled, catchy head knocker that is currently climbing the charts as well as taking the clubs by storm.
As Boone’s music and likeness continues to expand beyond his hometown his golden personality and relentless talent continue to lead the way. Soon you too will be able to find him on a radio, a dance floor or a stage near you.

Current single - Nanashttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXPXaA6YvM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Single ft/Waka Flocka - Club LIke http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdcHuOVVx4o&feature=share

www.Chapter3.TV Launches with Original Mobile 5 Minute TV

2011-07-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release Contact: Raychelle LeBlanc
shenotespublicity@gmail.com, 201-855-9188

Two BET and Sony Music Studio Producers Launch Online Network with Branded Entertainment

Detroit, MI, June 23, 2011 – Www.chapter3.tv - the creative collaboration between Detroiter, Darralynn Hutson and New Yorker, Michael Negri launched this week. The new network boasts both original and branded programs, specifically produced for mobile device viewing. The first 3 shows to launch are TAWTK-The Audience Wants to Know, a Live movie Q&A show, WTF? A lunch time wrap up of videos on the www and The Girl’s Bathroom, a show that eavesdrops on four black teenagers preparing for 1st period.

Veteran journalist and TV producer, Darralynn Hutson states, “Www.chapter3.tv is leading the charge to confirm to our competition that WE are a viable market for ANY brand.” She goes on to say, “Chapter 3 TV is just in its infancy. We plan to secure 24/7 mobile programming. Some of the shows, we'll create from acquired footage while others will be conceptualized with our client brands in mind.”

The Branded Entertainment concept sprung out of an immediate need to engage their corporate relationships with their wealth of experiences developing audiences for film, TV, events and publishing. The first set of brand partners to be integrated in the first 3 programs include Bronner Brothers, Upscale Magazine, Heys Luggage, Radio One, 102.7 FM and Faygo soda.

The first season of slated shows include:
• WTF? : A daily short and sweet look at some of the most ridiculous videos, news & sightings on the web; presented in a scripted satirical and relevant way.
• The Girl’s Bathroom: A weekly bird’s eye view of four black teenagers entering their first semester of Senior year.
• TAWTK-The Audience Wants to Know: A live stream series with exclusive never before seen footage from a soon to be released movie or TV Show. A sexy yet simple Q&A session that give fans the chance to engage live with Cast and Crew.

About The Partners
Darralynn Hutson
Darralynn has written on the African American experience for more than 20 years for publications that include but are not limited to The Source, Upscale, Vibe, Hip Hop Weekly, Black Enterprise, Rolling Out, People Magazine, The New York Times, The Detroit News and Free Press.
She worked as a production coordinator, manager and writer for networks in the Viacom family that include MTV, VH1 and BET. She also held the title of Production Manager and Producer on three TV One shows including “25 years: The Color of Success on the Color Purple’s 25th Anniversary”, and “Get the Hook Up” and “Renovate My Home”. Last month, Darralynn was asked to head a Film Advisory Board at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history for the purpose of creating a film evolution exhibit.

Michael G. Negri
Michael has been working in the television and music business since 1987. During a 13 year run with Sony/BMG Music, he has had the opportunity to work with a diverse array of programming including music video, long form concerts, live 2 way broadcast television, game shows and documentary. Amongst the many shows he had a hand in at Sony/BMG are the very first season of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” for ABC, and several unplugged performances for MTV including the legendary Nirvana show. After leaving Sony/BMG, Michael has continued his career at AMV, where he has had the opportunity to line produce, tech manage several large budget high end broadcast projects for major networks and cable outlets. Among the many credits at AMV to be counted include Stereography on the 2010 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and Billy Joel’s epic 2009 “Last Play at Shea”. Michael is looking at Chapter 3 as the natural progression to utilize his experience and talent on the front end of new original production assets. Additional info: www.chapter3.tv
###

Karina Smirnoff: “The Situation” is Opposite of the Jersey Shore

2010-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Dancing with the Star’s Karina Smirnoff dishing about Jersey Shore’s “The Situation”!

http://stupidcelebrities.net/2010/09/27/karina-smirnoff-the-situation-is-opposite-of-the-jersey-shore/

We got a chance to interview Karina Smirnoff of Dancing With The Stars this morning as she was getting ready for the show. In the interview she talks about Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, her dancing career and what the future holds for the beautiful and talented dancer.

So Karina, who is your biggest competition?
Every celebrity has their strong points and this whole competition is a growing process. We try to get better and we are our own toughest competitor.

What’s it like to dance with the situation?
It’s a lot of fun and I didn’t know what to think, thought he was going to be a handful. But he’s completely the opposite of what you see on Jersey Shore. He’s sweet, funny and hard working. We have a great time together. Tonight we are doing the “quick step.” It suits Mike’s personality. We created the dance with a storyline with a beginning, middle and end. It’s perfect for Mike. It’s about a hot guy who can get any girl he wants…just listen to the lyrics.

Have you heard of the situation before you partnered up with him?
I’ve heard of Jersey Shore, I’m from jersey. Mike lives like 5 minutes away…we’re neighbors. When I heard I was partnering up with Mike, I researched him…googled him.
So, has Mike flashed you “The Situation” a lot during practice?
No, he comes in and sweat… learns his steps. There’s no time to mess around.

What do you think of his abs?
They are spectacular. I got to see in person…he has an amazing body. I’m pretty judgmental when it comes to abs…but he’s got pretty good abs.

Do you think the judges are picking on him?
They are reasonably harsh on him because of his reputation…but this show is funny and entertaining. We took their criticism and worked on it.

How has Dancing with the Stars changed your life?
It’s an amazing ride, a blast, we’re like one big dancing family. It has openned doors, avenues for me. People love dancing now. This has brought dancers to a different celebrity status. People in the streets recognize us for our skills.

Will you return to regular competition some day?
I love it. I just love dancing…but not necessarily go back to regular competition.

How do you keep your body in shape?
(As she bites into a donut) I work out 6x a week. I have my own fitness program. It will be out on DVD in a couple of weeks. Dancing is an unbelievable workout.

Are you nervous about tonight’s competition?
I am always nervous…but the extra adrenaline helps me to compete.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us karina!
Interview done by contributer Jenn Yu
Images: Wenn.com

A Message to My Sistas by Assata Shakur

2010-09-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

At this time I'd like to say a few words especially to my sisters:

SISTERS. BLACK PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE FREE UNLESS BLACK WOMEN PARTICIPATE IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR STRUGGLE, ON EVERY LEVEL OF OUR STRUGGLE.

I think that Black women, more than anybody on the face of the earth, recognize the urgency of our situation. Because it is We who come face to face daily with the institutions of our oppression. And because it is We who have borne the major responsibility of raising our children. And it is We who have to deal with the welfare systems that do not care about the welfare of our children. And it is We who have to deal with the school systems that do not educate our children. It is We who have to deal with the racist teachers who teach our children to hate themselves. It is We who have seen the terrible effects of racism on our children.

I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT OUT TO EXPRESS MY LOVE TO ALL OF YOU WHO RISK YOUR LIVES DAILY STRUGGLING OUT HERE ON THE FRONT LINES.

We who have watched our young grow too old, too soon. We who have watched our children come home angry and frustrated and seen them grow more bitter, more disillusioned with the passing of each day. And We who have seen the sick, trapped look on the faces of our children when they come to fully realize what it means to be Black in Amerikkka. And we know what deprivation is. How many times have We run out of bus fare, rent money, food money and how many times have our children gone to school in hand-me-down clothes, with holes in their shoes. We know what a hell-hole Amerikkka is. We're afraid to let our children go out and play. We're afraid to walk the streets at night. We sisters, We have seen our young, the babies that We brought into this world with such great hopes for, We have seen their bodies bloated and aching from drugs, scarred and deformed by bullet holes. We know what oppression is. We have been abused in every way imaginable. We have been abused economically, politically. We have been abused physically, and We have been abused sexually.

And sisters, We have a long and glorious history of struggle on this land/planet. Afrikan women were strong and courageous warriors long before We came to this country in chains. And here in Amerikkka, our sisters have been on the front lines. Sister Harriet Tubman led the underground railroad. And sisters like Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hammer, Sandra Pratt and our Queen Mother Moore have carried it on. Sisters, We have been the backbone of our communities, and We have got to be the backbone of our nation. We have got to build strong family units, based on love and struggle. We don't have no time to play around.

A REVOLUTIONARY WOMAN CAN'T HAVE NO REACTIONARY MAN.

If he's not about liberation, if he's not about struggle, if he ain't about building a strong Black nation then he ain't about nothing. We know how to struggle. We know how to struggle and finagle to survive. We know what it means, sisters, to struggle tooth and nail. We know what it means to struggle with love. We know what unity is. We know what sisterhood is. We have always been kind to each other, brought each other hot soup and biscuits. We have always helped each other through the hard times. Sisters, We must celebrate Afrikan womanhood. We don't want to be like Miss Ann. She can keep her false eyelashes and her false, despoiled image of womanhood. She can keep her mink stole and her French provincial furniture. We will define for ourselves what womanhood is. And We will create our own style and our own ways of dress. We can't have no white man in France telling Afrikan women what to look like. We will create our own New Afrikan way of living. We will create our own way of being and living our own New Afrikan culture, taking the best of the old and mixing it with the new.

SISTERS WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES AND OUR FUTURE WHEREVER WE ARE. AND WE HAVE GOT TO ORGANIZE OURSELVES INTO A STRONG BODY OF AFRIKAN WOMEN.

Hip Hop 4 Life Hosts 3rd Annual YOUTHFEST

2010-09-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Media Alert Contact: Raychelle LeBlanc –shenotes@gmail.com

Onsite contact: Nicole Tucker – nicolemtucker@gmail.com

Celebrities and Professionals Join Together to Educate and Empower youth at a Free Summit In Brooklyn

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, Hip Hop 4 Life will host its 3rd annual YOUTHFEST youth empowerment summit from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm at St. Francis College in Brooklyn. This a FREE event for youth 11-18 and this year's title is "Let's Talk About Sex -Sexual Health, Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV/AIDS, Birth Control, Abstinence, Responsibility, Prevention, Sexual Pressure, and Teen Pregnancy.” A parent workshop on how to talk with young people about sex will be available to the first 50 parents to register.

This year’s panelist include: K‐Foxx - Hot 97 Cypha Sounds and Rosenberg Morning Show, Just Blaze - Producer/DJ, Datwon Thomas - VIBE, Kwame - Producer/Artist, Amanda Diva - Artist/Actress, Demetria Lucas - Essence/ABelleInBrooklyn.com, Thuy‐An Julien - Apple iTunes, Kearse - Niche Median, Quan Lateef - Avenue Pink, Tia Brown - Life Coach and Dr. Monica Sweeney – New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. YOUTHFEST will feature special performances by Def Jam artist Bryan J and teen poet Ne-Ne Ali. Sponsors for this year’s event include Hot 97, 98.7 Kiss FM, Wade’s World Foundation (NBA star Dwyane Wade), Pop Chips, Sprite Green, National Basketball Association, Apple iTunes, Dr. Miracle’s, Adidas, Pepperidge Farm, Raychelle LeBlanc for SheNotes Entertainment and the Oceanhill Brownsville Youth Leadership Council, to name a few.

About YOUTHFEST

YOUTHFEST is an educational, exciting and highly interactive “back‐to‐school” empowerment and prevention initiative for New York City’s youth. Every year young people, ages 11‐18, gather at this annual free event which provides an environment of communication, education, entertainment and positive messaging.

About Hip Hop 4 Life

Hip Hop 4 Life is a champion of positive youth development and empowerment, serving young people, ages 11-18, with a special emphasis on those residing in at-risk environments. They are committed to building self-esteem, confidence and sound judgment in young people so they can achieve their utmost potential and become proactive members and leaders within their communities. This is done through year-round mentoring, social and educational activities and interactive life skills training/health-risk prevention workshops which incorporate celebrities, as well as health, corporate and entertainment professionals. Since its inception in 2003, Hip Hop 4 Life has partnered with youth community service organizations, schools, and the New York City Department of Education to execute workshops and events that have reached thousands of young people throughout New York City and nationwide.
Other programs include The Empowerment Team Mentoring Program, Shades of Beauty-an empowerment program for girls, and Man UP!-an empowerment program for boys.
For More info: http://www.hiphop4lifeonline.com/

Gerreddi and his new single "What's Happenin" has DC back on the map.

2010-04-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

GERREDDI

When DC, Maryland and Virginia natives want to know the latest and greatest they have an expert in their mists. DC Native, Delante “Gerreddi” Hines, has made quite a splash in the DC, MB and VA area with his new smash single “What’s Happenin”. In addition to taking DC radio by storm you can also here the song as an opener for the Washington Wizards basketball games.

Born in Washington, D.C., Gerreddi discovered his passion for writing poetry at a very young age. It became an early escape route for the only child and helped him get thru the daily struggles of life. Eventually the temptation was more than he could resist and he reverted to a fast lifestyle of violence. This led Gerreddi to incarceration where he realized that he was on a road to nowhere.

It didn’t take long for this young soldier to realize that he had a way with words and his talent was soon evident when he would engage in ciphers against other competitive rappers in the hood. Fascinated with the art of Hip Hop, he would enter every contest that he could while actually researching the music industry. He competed and won the Roc the Mic Tour Battle Championship held at the Nissan Pavilion. He was to receive a recording contract with Rocafella Records but that never came to fruition but this did not stop this rising star.

Gerreddi has met the music game head on and it has been paying off big time. In addition to winning endless rap battles on WPGC 95.5, DC’s radio station, he has performed at a host of clubs throughout the area. Most recently he opened for 3/6 Mafia at the Rockville Sportsplex and was featured on a recent Cornerstone Mixtape hosted by Big Tigger.

True to the grind, Gerreddi has put out six mix tapes and his current, “Got Bars”, hosted by Big Tigger and DJ Redz and has been well received in the DMV region and beyond. He has sold over 20,000 units in the Washington-Metropolitan area and there is a continued demand. Gerreddi is currently completing his independent album entitled, “READY OR NOT” which includes features from Scarface, Devin the Dude, Bonecrusher and more.

The Women's Media Center Honor Women Nominees for 2010 Academy Awards

2010-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Women Nominees for 2010 Academy Awards and Support Women in Filmhttp://bit.ly/oscarwmc

Women are 51% of the population but are losing ground in Hollywood. Even as we celebrate Kathryn Bigelow's "Best Director" nomination, in 2009, women comprised only 7% of all directors, 8% of writers, 17% of all executive producers, and 35 percent of 2009's top films had no female producers at all.

As Women's Media Center honors the women who have been nominated for Oscars in 2010, we are working to ensure that women are both recognized for their work and given equal opportunities.

Sign onto our campaign, and we will deliver your signature to the Academy and studio heads to ensure an even longer list of nominees next year! http://bit.ly/oscarwmc

For more info visit the Women's Media Center: www.womensmediacenter.com

Michael Willis of Too Loaded Records Inc. & T L R Entertainment

2010-01-28T08:02:00.001-08:00

Michael Willis, President and CEO of
Too Loaded Records Inc. & T L R Entertainment

When we think about the long list of talented musicians that have been nurtured in the city of New Orleans we would be remiss not to acknowledge the incredible business sense that is behind it. For that we can look to Michael “Money Mike” Willis. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Michael was raised in the Algiers section of the “Big Easy” in the Christopher Holmes Housing Development, known as “Da Chris”, by his mother and his grandparents.

As a drum major at both L. B. Landry High School and O. Perry Walker High School, his talent and love for music were evident. Living and breathing music certainly paid off in a big way for young Mike Willis. He was on the front lines of the industry by time New Orleans started leaving its imprint on the world of Hip Hop. In 1994, Michael met with Percy Miller, Master-P owner of No Limit Records and together they completed the production and distribution of Michael’s first artist Tre-8, the album titled, Ghetto Stories.

His first label, Smoke-1 Records dissolved after a difference in direction with his then business partners. Branching out on his own and with a small investment from Percy Miller, Michael started his own label; Too Loaded Records Inc.

True to the expectation of all that New Orleans has offered to the world of music, Too Loaded Records was birthed in 1998. It has become the launching pad for some of the South’s most talented artists. In 2003, Michael with his business sense and industry know-how landed two P & D deals. The first deal was with Malaco Music Group and another with Fontana, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.

Too Loaded Records & TLR Entertainment welcomes a diverse roster of Hip-Hop, R&B and Gospel artists. They boasts of such artists as Jai Reed, a Stellar Music Awards Nominee, Missippi, a Big Easy Award Winner, Toez-Pacino, Lil Jinks, Ms. Kim, and just recently J-Gunna & Camden.

In addition to his business sense, Mr. Willis is just as known for the love that he displays for his community at large. Super Sunday is a mega, yearly event that he produces that serves as a celebration of great music, fantastic food and community among the people of New Orleans. He is endeared for the continuous contribution that he makes to his community and appreciated for the mark he is making in the music world with his label.

Michael Willis believes that hard work is more than a notion and with his business skill and top tier talent, Too Loaded Records Inc. and T L R Entertainment will continue to evolve as one of strongest independent owned music companies in the World. And so far, they are right on course!

What Does Oprah Have That You Don't?!

2009-12-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

by Kelly Green(Email: kelly@holisticbrandingcoach.com)

What does Oprah have that you don't? Well besides 1 billion dollars, the one thing that all successful people (and companies), like Oprah, have in common is a commitment to their brand. They have firmly established the message they want to send to their target consumer and have consistently maintained that message. Although it may need to be tweaked over time, the basic essential message remains the same. Think of some of the most popular brands you know - Oprah, Coca-Cola, Mercedes Benz, Tina Turner, etc. With each of these brands you know exactly what to expect when you buy into their product - an informative, entertaining talk show; a cool, refreshing beverage; a quality, luxury vehicle and a high-energy, electrifying concert. By staying true to the brand message they want to convey to their target audience, these people/ companies have been able to turn their passions into profits!

You too can build a successful practice by considering the commonalities of those entities. Start by doing the following:

1) Identify your brand early in the business development stage. When developing your business plan, the mission statement should reflect the image you wish to portray to the public; ie, your brand. Once you have a solid business plan, constantly refer to your mission statement when devising any business strategies. This will greatly increase the chance that all marketing campaigns going forward will incorporate your brand objective. Furthermore, by staying committed to that brand, you solidify a standing with your ideal clients/ customers. Staying committed means nothing more than believing in your product or service and presenting it in its' most authentic form. In a previous article I wrote about identifying your personal values while developing your brand. With every marketing message you put out, constantly refer to those values. Making sure that once again the core message is the same.

2) Re-evaluate, re-evaluate, re-evaluate! Is your product/ service reaching your ideal consumer? No? Then clearly you are off-the-mark with your branding. One of the ways in which to get back on track is to re-evaluate your marketing strategy. Now normally I wouldn't advise doing any marketing without first establishing your brand. However, in this case marketing can be justified. Depending on your type of business, doing a simple, inexpensive marketing campaign such as creating a blog, circulating a newsletter, offering coupons or discounted services allows you to get feedback as to what your customers like and dislike. You'll also recognize what campaigns garner the desired sales results. The ones that work can be tweaked and used to attract your ideal client.

3) Research, research and more research! You should always be current with any trends that are taking place in your industry; in other words, stay ahead of the curve! The best way to do this is to stay connected. In today's climate of social networking, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., makes it easier than ever to connect with potential customers and others in your industry. You will want to be very specific with your networking endeavors; not all of them will get you in front of your target audience. Some other strategies include joining industry specific associations, getting involved with community activities that will get your name publicized and trying a referral partnership with other local entrepreneurs that can send business your way.

Many people tend to overlook the value in doing research of your direct competition. It's one thing to look at the competition who are doing well and envy their success, but it's quite another to take that information, dissect it (research how, why and the ROI) and utilize it to benefit your bottom line. In some industries it's perfectly acceptable to collaborate with your competition or even form an affiliate relationship. If that's not possible, pay attention to their marketing campaigns and take note of the factors that caused sales to spike or slump. Bottom line in research - track the trends and capitalize!

Staying committed to your brand is sometimes daunting especially when your business does not take off right away, but don't despair - think Oprah! If this is your passion, stay the course! Happy Branding!

(To contact this author, Email: kelly@holisticbrandingcoach.com)

Filmmaker and Director Bobby Yan Wraps Commercial for Ford Motors

2009-10-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Local Talent Continues to Make National Impact

Last weekend, in Atlanta, Ga., director Bobby Yan added another national campaign to his very successful stint of recent projects. He was chosen to shoot a Ford Motor commercial featuring the new 2010 Ford Taurus for a strategic partnership to promote TV One's new premiere program, "Unsung".

Two weeks prior, in Los Angeles, he directed the first two videos off of the Oscar Award winning group, Three 6 Mafia’s forthcoming album, "Laws of Power" including the first single, "Shake My" featuring Kalenna (Diddy's new group, Dirty Money).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_OgbjO6pp4

The second single is titled "Lil Freak" and was shot in Three 6's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUcB0Vkwn

Just a few months prior, Mr. Yan directed videos for 2 Stellar Award nominees, GI, “Get Up” and the James Fortune’s smash single “I Trust You” which is still in heavy rotation on radio and has been deemed the most played Gospel song of the year.

When asked what inspires Bobby to be so steadfast and relentless in his approach to his craft, he responds, “My passion for filmmaking both on and off the set keeps me going.” He continues, “I always want to outdo myself on each new job, growing leaps and bounds and continually evolving my look and style. It keeps me fresh and always on the forefront of creativity and technology.”

Other video projects include; Super 400, “Flashlight”, Hurricane Chris, “A Bay Bay”, Mecca/ft. Raheem Davaughn, “Doggstarr” remix and Julius Petty, “Get Out Of My Way”.

About Bobby Yan

Asian American filmmaker Bobby Yan was born and raised in Washington Heights, moved to Hollis Queens, and later spent his very formative college years in New Orleans, La. His rich background surrounded by a diverse melting pot of cultures, people and experiences have had a major impact on how he sees the world and the filters by which his creativity flows. His artistic eye is influenced by living and breathing the Hip Hop culture in New York City as well as the spirit of the South and his Chinese American heritage. This true hidden talent recently graduated from NYU with a Masters in Digital Design, honing his visual skills with CGI and EFX. With a passion for change, Yan's commitment to film is to create works within the Hollywood system, as well as outside of it.

For Bobby Yan’s reel and other clips: http://immigrantfilm.com/directors/Bobby%20Yan/

Contact: SheNotes Ent, Raychelle LeBlanc, shenotes@gmail.com

Top 7 Ways to Create More Productive Hours in Your Day

2009-09-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

1. Use the 80/20 rule. We all know that 80 percent of our results come from 20 percent of our efforts. Figure out what the top 20 percent of your activities are and concentrate on them. Delegate the other tasks or put them off until later.

2. Reduce the Time You Spend on Email. Set up electronic file folders and flag messages from clients and other key contacts. Avoid the urge to check your email every few minutes.

3. Put Fun Names On Your Daily Activities. According to Lisa Nichols, one of the teachers in the Secret Movie, we need to put fun names on our tasks. Instead of checking email, she calls it "Finding money." Instead of working out, she calls it, "Bringing sexy back."

4. Work with a Timer. Buy a kitchen timer and turn it on when you start a task. When I'm editing corporate sponsor proposals for my clients, I put the timer on for 20 minute intervals. Just knowing the timer is on, makes me more productive.

5. Take Frequent Brakes. Avoid working for hours on the phone or your computer with no brakes. Get up, stretch and walk around every hour. If you're in a home office, you could take a walk around the block. If not, you can just go outside. Breathing in fresh air and looking at nature will re-charge your battery.

6. Strive For Completion, Not Perfection. This is a favorite mantra that I use with my clients. Too many of them are perfectionists and it blocks them from completing tasks and moving on to the most important cash flow activities in their businesses.

7. Reward Yourself For Completing Tasks. I love chocolate, so after completing a task, I eat a piece of chocolate and savor the flavor. I eat the good quality chocolate, so I my hips haven't gone condo yet.

Good stuff right?? As seen on www.WealthyBagLady.com.

10 Words to Delete from Your Vocabulary - By Barbara J. Henry

2009-09-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Words are powerful because they shape our thoughts, determine our actions, and chart the course of our lives. This is true whether the words are positive, giving hope and encouragement, or negative utterances that steal our joy and confidence.

Wherever we are in our lives, personal relationships, or careers, the words we have used consistently are partly responsible.

This fact should prompt us to become more aware of our words, and when needed, to change them so that we can begin to get the results we really desire.
Recently, during a particularly challenging period, I discovered that I was using some of the following words far too often to get the favorable results I sought.

1. Can't The use of this word is primarily responsible for countless hopes and dreams lying dormant on the "drawing boards" of our lives. Completely eliminate your use of this word and you will see a significant positive change in your life.

2. But When used as a conjunction, "but" negates whatever statement that precedes it." I want to study law, but it will take a lot of hard work." Your mind does not focus on your desire to become a lawyer or judge; it only sees the hard work you will need to perform. Replace "but" with "and."

3. Should Any statement that uses the word "should" generally elicits guilt. "I should go to the gym," makes you feel guilty for not going. Replace this word with "choose," as in, "I choose to go to the gym, or I choose not to go to the gym today."

4. Maybe This word indicates indecision, doubt, or uncertainty as to a course of action. For example, "Maybe I'd better wait to..."
For those of us interested in personal development, "maybe" should be used very sparingly. Use "I will" or "I will not" instead of maybe. The mere sound of the more positive words emits feelings of confidence and resolve which are so important to our personal well-being.

5. Soon or Later Both are indefinite references to time. They are also non-committal. They should be replaced with a definite time and date. When someone tells you he or she is going to do something "soon" or "later," there is no way to determine when whatever it is will get done. Imagine what could happen to deadlines and your integrity when these words are used frequently.

6. Someday Someday, like soon or later, is much too indefinite, and when it is used, it shows the same lack of commitment. Replace "someday" with a specific date and time.

7. Never This word is absolute, and there are only limited situations when "never" is absolutely true. The use of this word, in my opinion, suggests a closed mind, which seriously hinders our self-growth efforts. The word "never" should be replaced with a non-absolute term.

8. Won't The word "won't" implies an unwillingness, reluctance, or closed mindedness, and like the absolute term "never," it is quite harmful because it closes the door on many of the actions we need to take to reach our goals.

9. If This is a small word that carries large doubts and uncertainties, and when used often, it gnaws away at our confidence and intended actions, two qualities necessary for any type of success.

10. Try or (I'll Try) I don't know about you, but each time someone has said these words to me, or the few times that I have used them in conversations with others, whatever the subject of "I'll try" was, rarely, if ever, got done. Replace "I'll try" with "I will."

These words must be given serious thought before we use them in our "self talk" or in the conversations we have with others.
We must remember this: Our words affect our thoughts, our actions, our very lives, and because of their power, we must choose them with the utmost care.

An article fromSelf Growth.com http://www.selfgrowth.com/

Parenting 101 - Contract included. :-)

2009-06-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

OK, these rules, in the form or a contract, that were set forth today by my cousin Rose to her 2 boys ages 7 and 12. The family is in full support so they will be held accountable to this contract by EVERYONE!

I laughed hysterically but she is absolutley correct in setting guidelines. You would have to know her (and the boys, especially the youngest one) to understand but none the less, here is a contract for all of the parents out there that have just had it!!!

This should be interesting. :-)

*********

The Rules

Grades
You must maintain a c average, as well as citizenship. If you receive any grade below a C you will be put on restriction for 30 days, B’s will receive $5 dollars each and A’s will receive $10 each and every progress report. If teachers call home for any negative reason you will be restricted for 2 weeks, for every additional phone call that is negative, a week will be added on. Example: one phone call 2 weeks, two phone calls 3 weeks etc. One book will be chosen by me weekly for you to read during family reading time.
Home work is to be done before 7pm unless circumstances do not allow it. If it is not done by this time, $1 will be deducted from your allowance, if it happens twice in one week you will be restricted for the week

Duties at home
You will have days and chores assigned to you, the chores will need to be completed before you do anything else other than home work, there will be a certain amount of time that you are given to complete these tasks, if you are asked to do additional chores or something different you will comply immediately with out question. Upon completion you will receive $5 every Saturday night, if they are not completed or you do not do them in the allotted time you will be restricted for the week and $1 will be deducted for every day that work is not done. If you see things were they don’t belong or messed up fix it clean it up take pride in your house and your things.

Restriction
When you are on restriction (or grounded) you will NOT be allowed to watch television, talk on the phone, play any video games, play on the computer, go over any ones house, have company, you may have extra chores, and no extra snacks. I will talk to grandpa, and other family to make sure we are all on the same page and your restriction follows you. If you break any of these rules while grounded like sneaking on the phone or computer, a week will be added on to your time and you will loose your allowance for that week. Although you are restricted you will still be able to earn your allowances if you follow the rules while grounded.

Punishment
Punishment consist of: staying in your room only, spending time on the wall, push ups, running, writing, reading the dictionary and writing sentences, washing walls steaming curtains or clothes, and anything else that is asked of you. If you back talk, or do not follow anyone’s instruction you will be immediately punished, by the adult in charge of you. Let’s not forget you are not too old for corners and there is nothing to do there.

Respect
Treat people how you want to be treated;
I have noticed that over this past year the disrespect giving to me by my children has gotten completely out of hand it has also been brought to my attention and mentioned by many other family members, teachers, and friends that my children are very disrespectful regularly, to others, and mostly towards me, this is going to end, I work too hard and do too much for you guys, and am too nice a parent to be treated badly by my children. I have tried to be more than fair and the methods that I have been using to discipline you so far and you are just not mature enough for. You are not to speak to ANY adults disrespectfully not teachers, or anyone whose care you are under. If I have a friend or anyone that I have given authority over you, you are to listen to them the first time they speak without resistance or back talk. When an adult gives you direction or orders you DO NOT need to check the with me or double question what they have asked of you even if I am home there is no need ask me the same question, also you both have a habit of undermining people and being sneaky or manipulative this will also stop. If you do not listen, or you attempt to take advantage of a person or situation you will be punished and put on restriction. If I or any other adult gives you direct instructions, you are to respond with yes ma’am or yes sir. Let’s understand that we are not equals and I do not have to follow your rules nor do I have to answer any of your questions, you both need to learn to stay in a child’s place and when to shut your mouth. I am the boss

Changes And Other rules
These rules will be posted implemented and followed, so you can not say you didn’t know.
You will not be left alone at home, neither of you are mature enough for that, also you will not be around adult conversation.
If the week is good we will have family night were we can go bowling play games have company, watch movies, go swimming, family work out time, play time, reading time and other fun stuff. I will listen to your ideas for that. Also we are going to begin going to church again I expect you both to participate with an open heart. I want to be able to have fun with you and do things with and for you but you have to work for it and your behavior MUST be respectful, appropriate, and deserving of these privileges. You must ask to watch movies or shows, listen to music, with cursing or anything else not for children and you must ask to use the phone, computer, or get something to eat or drink, also eat at the table unless told otherwise.

There are no sides with kids only right or wrong and what we say, so I do not want to hear any negative comments about anything if you do not get your way, this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
OK here are some examples of reasonable response to instruction that are acceptable:
Yes ma’am, or yes mama, here I come, I will get to in one minute, and I am working on it.

You will come directly home from school unless you have permission or you are after school with a teacher. Do not talk any family business out of the house; also do not talk negatively about any adults or discus adult business with others. No wrestling in the house or at school it is not always play time you need to learn self control, if you are not getting along with someone even your brother then you need to take time away from that person. There will be no cursing, rolling eyes, mean faces, or sucking teeth. When any one calls you, your response should be yes or yes ma’am nothing else. Also unacceptable behavior is slamming doors, storming off, talking under your breath, making unnecessary comments, speaking out of turn, getting smart, making faces, taking about adults in a negative manner, and just blatantly doing what you want when you want, this behavior will be disciplined, if you break these rules you will face punishment and restriction. There maybe rules added on as well. And if you should forget you can sit in the corner and re read the rules.

This is not a democracy and the things that I or adults tell you to do are not up for discussion and we are not in need of your opinion, you both learn how to keep your mouth shut we don’t always care to hear what you have to say.

What have you learned that you would want to pass on??

2009-06-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

“If you had the chance to impart your wisdom to the world to leave as your legacy, what lessons have you learned that you’d want to pass on to humanity?”

Jen Blackhert's Top 10 Lessons for Humanity

1. TRUTH: Let go of all your inner struggles or fights by accepting what is. What IS the truth? When you accept what is, you can then choose to keep what you may not want or change it. So be impeccable with your true word, so you can accept and see what is – this will allow you to make conscious decisions to change it what you don’t like. “..the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

2. PASSION: Listen to the desires and passions in your heart. There is reason for these passions – you see — your passions are your divine path. Spirit guides us with our feelings within – go within or go without.

3. SEE: See yourself living your dreams now. Hold the vision and make your decisions based on what you see. It really is that simple.

4. EXPERIENCE: Too often we find ourselves “doing” things and not “experiencing” life. Be in life and stop “doing” things to get things done. The great Taoist master Lao Tzu said, “Do without doing.”

5. GIVE: When you give yourself, your gifts and gratitude the universe send opportunities and rewards in abundance for all areas of life.

6. RECEIVE: When we can do both give and receive openly — life flows with ease. Be open to every opportunity to give and receive.

7. LOVE: Fall in love with everything that is in your life. This includes the people you interact with, your environment, work, life and even how you operate you. Take time to take inventory of what you tolerate and what you don’t love, then remove what you aren’t in love with.

8. POWER: We are more powerful than we may ever know. Too often we allow illusions such as fear, doubt and worry to creep in. When you understand these are just feeling in your human body and they are not you — you can shift your emotions positively and stand in your power.

9. JOY: Allow life to be simple, easy and FUN. Do what you want. Love the life you lead. Stop following the rules of the world and march to your drummer.

10. PRACTICE CHANGING YOUR MIND: Know the techniques you need to change your subconscious habit and behaviors so you can live a life of personal freedom.

Super 400’s Future Looks Bright with New Single “Flashlight”

2009-06-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Response Records Releases Junior Album, “Sweet Fist” in Fall 2009

Super 400 is slated to hit the airwaves this month with their new single “Flashlight” from their forthcoming junior album. Denver, Colorado based Response Records is releasing the album in the fall of 2009. Sweet Fist will be manufactured and distributed through Rock Ridge Music with an exclusive license.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Response Records to distribute and promote Super 400” , says Jason Spiewak, Rock Ridge Music. He goes on to say, “Sweet Fist” is a tremendous rock record, one that will please the band’s current fan base and surely make them new ones.”

Lifelong fans of the influential Memphis sounds of Stax Records and Big Star, Super 400 chose the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee to record their third album, Sweet Fist. As much history museum as functioning studio, Ardent has captured the essence of such greats as Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, ZZ Top, Isaac Hayes, & Big Star, to name a few. As the legends before them, they recorded the album entirely on tape, capturing most final cuts on the first take.

Hall of fame mastering guru Larry Nix, along with son Kevin, refurbished the one and only Stax Record Lathe that before being moved to Ardent, created the first copy and master for every Stax Record and later classic albums such as Led Zeppelin: III, Stevie Ray Vaughn: The Sky Is Crying and ZZ Top: Afterburner. Months of valuable time and unmentionable resources were spent to insure that the historical lathe made its’ return debut to cut the new Super 400 album. It can humbly be said that history has been made.

Adam Anderson, Response Records states, “The new album Sweet Fist marks a magnificent pinnacle in the sonic evolution of Super 400. Both powerful and soulful, the band took the analog Memphis sound and gave it a shot of adrenaline on this record."

The band has become one of the most loyally followed rock bands in the Northeast, and the fan base is growing; last year's national tours started a chain of bootleg recordings that have been traded and coveted around the world. Back home, the mayor of Troy gave Super 400 their own official holiday, 'Super 400 Day', to recognize the band's musical achievements as well as the love and support the city has shown for them.

Each of their completely unique performances evokes the raw, euphoric essence of Rock and Roll. Their upcoming release, Sweet Fist, truly reflects the light and dark of this new millennium; it unravels the tales of this modern world with an analog tongue rarely heard in the digital age. It represents both homage to their influences and an insightful progression of the dynamic power of Super 400.

For more info visit: www.responserecords.net or http://www.super400.com/

Define Your Values, Then Yourself

2009-06-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Another great tip from our friends at Daily Launch
http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/magazine/daily-launchtip-june-4-2009/3260

In the same way that losing 10 pounds is not a panacea for depression, manifesting what you want won’t make you happy unless what you are manifesting is what you truly want. The only way to get clear on what you want is to take inventory of your values. In their simplest sense, values can be defined as “what you spend time on”, “what you focus on”, and “what you devote your energies to”. There is a short exercise you can do that will give you insight into what you say your values are versus what your actions indicate. First, make a list of the top 5 things you value and put them in order of the most important to the least. Be honest with yourself and keep your list private. Next, spend one week recording the time you spend on every activity from talking on the phone, to walking the dog, to picking up your child, to the thoughts you think. Compare your top 5 list to the record you created of your activities. How do they match up? For example, if one of your top 5 was “traveling with my family”, how much time in the last week did you spend around this value (doing it, researching it, talking about it, even daydreaming about it)? Notice the gaps or the disconnects between your list and your actions. Ask yourself: Am I spending time on the things I listed as values or am I unconsciously exerting energy in directions that don’t serve me or my life goals? Only you can know the answer and then make changes accordingly.

Swine Flu Virus - Pharmaceutical Cartel Up To Its Old Tricks

2009-04-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

This article is from Dheyuty Ma-at Ra. I frequent the site and was really interesting in hearing what he had to say about the "Swine Flu". Well...here it is.
The site is a great resource for detoxing, alternative medicine and everything holistic.
Enjoy~
***************

by Djehuty Ma'at-Ra.
www.dherbs.com

So here we are again faced with another man-made and concocted swine flu virus scam and scare. First of all let me say that I don't believe in so-called viruses such as the HIV virus, AIDS virus, or herpes virus. From my research these are not the same kinds of things (alleged viruses) that are concocted and stored in virus banks and purposely let loose on the society.
Herpes appears to be a microorganism infection (especially genital herpes) and blood disorder, AIDS is the result of dangerous medical drugs impairing the immune system, and HIV only exists in name only.

Viruses such as swine flu are concocted by bio-chemical warfare specialists in laboratories. They (bio-chemical engineers/specialists) have been doing this for a very long time.
This most recent swine flu frenzy is a public health scare tactic to terrorize the fragile-minded public and push the government-Big Pharma agenda. This is all this is, folks!
Swine flu virus is nothing but an attempt to get a national flu vaccine program legislated. Since the American people won't vote for it, government and the pharmaceutical industry will simply attempt to scare the people into accepting their national flu vaccine program which will bring in billions of dollars (or Ameros) for the pharmaceutical companies.

NOTE: The Amero is the proposed new currency for the North American Union that is in the works. The North American Union will replace the sovereign de facto nations of Canada, the United States, and Mexico and the Amero currency will replace the currencies of all three nations including our Federal Reserve Note (dollar bill). The North American Union is basically a corporate merger between three major corporations called nations or countries. To learn more about this, watch the video "The Cause and Effect of Hijacking Humanity" available from www.meanmore.com

There was an attempt back in 1976 under the Gerald Ford Administration to launch a national flu vaccine program. The public didn't fall for the BS back in 1976! But a lot of chemicals have been added to the food, water supplies, candies and gums, and commercial beverages and what we listen to on the radio and watch on television since 1976 has become more toxic (degenerate) so the Leaders/Rulers (of the Matrix) think we may be ready to buy into their BS because our minds have been so conditioned and our brains so impaired.

Since a flu vaccine program is based upon a vaccine, who would manufacture that vaccine? Would it not be some pharmaceutical company? Of course it would! And would the vaccine serum be made for free? Hell no! It would cost money! Health care, medical treatment, and medical research are big money makers in the world, especially in the United States where people are so successfully conditioned to pop a pill for every little ailment.
Another thing the people need to know, in case they don't know already, is that pharmaceutical companies purchase their influence using the media. After all, they have the mega bucks - all thanks to the loyal pill poppers of drugs.

I mean, after all, pharmaceutical companies couldn't remain rich absent profit that happens to be the lifeblood of business. It is people who keep these pharmaceutical companies in business and power. That's right! People! People who are not responsible for their own health! People who are ignorant! People who blindly trust! People who are frightened and scared to death! People who are, simply put, unconscious! People who are oblivious, apparently, that the human body is not made up of any drugs. No part of the human body is made up of drugs. No part of the human brain is made up of aspirin. No part of the female reproductive tract is made up of the drug 'Midol.' No part of the male reproductive system, including the penis, is made up of 'Viagra.' We are not made of chemical drugs, people!

Pharmaceutical drugs, unlike Nature's herbs, are not carbon-based and thus cannot be assimilated into the body.

Right now in the media you are purposely hearing these words: "Right now there is no vaccine for this strain of swine flu." You are hearing this on purpose! The government and the pharmaceutical cartel (a/k/a Big Pharma) want the people to demand that a vaccine be created and ultimately that legislation be passed whereby the vaccine is made mandatory, perhaps even for newborns in hospitals. The entire nation would be made to follow the model of the criminal enterprise called the State of Maryland which forces vaccinations on all schoolchildren, even against the parent's wishes, and at gunpoint too. Read about this more in detail in my upcoming Dherbs.com article entitled "Beware the New Childhood Vaccine Agenda." A lot more American children born to unconscious, ignorant, confused, and in some cases, "stupid as hell" parents (that really had no business birthing a child into the world) will develop autism and other neurological disorders.

Don't mind my words, those of you with overly sensitive ears. Focus on the content!
Again, in the media you are purposely hearing the words: "Right now there is no vaccine for this strain of swine flu." But would a new vaccine really have to be created? Knowing the criminal and sinister antics of the pharmaceutical drug companies and how they do things, they already have vaccines waiting and all they would need to do is simply select one or two vaccines and put them on the market. Big Pharma via the corporate sponsored and controlled media are already prescribing two drugs for this scam including the drug "Tamiflu," a/k/a/ Oseltamivir.

Just as AIDS (as a scare tactic) was created to reintroduce a deadly cancer drug, AZT, they're at it again attempting to create an epidemic (swine flu virus) in order to introduce a new vaccine for the virus, and that new vaccine may be an old one, one already in existence but not yet marketed to the public.

"But Djehuty, what about those 2000 cases of swine flu virus reported in Mexico?" What about them? Who are these people? What is their medical history?

According to Brasscheck TV:

"Many millions of them [in Mexico] live in crushing poverty, poor health and with poor sanitary conditions. 1,000 "cases" (which is higher than the so-far reported number) equals 0.005% of the population. 60 deaths equals 0.0003% of the population. And, of the few deaths, no one has mentioned who these casualties are. Are they elderly or infirm people who could just as easily be killed by the common cold or a slip and fall? It makes a difference."
For real news, I highly recommend you sign up for Brasscheck TV

There's no need to be frightened by swine flu virus. It's nothing but a media scare tactic promulgated and financed by Big Pharma so as to introduce a national flu vaccine program and thus a new swine flu vaccine. God made your defense (immune) system to ward off foreign invaders. Just focus on keeping your so-called immune system healthy, fortified, and boosted and you'll be all right! Just remember: "What you fear will appear!" Job the Prophet of the Bible said: "The thing I have feared has come upon me!" People, we attract what we fear!
Fear, worry, and stress also weaken and impair the immune system. You've probably already heard about this but I'm here to tell you that it is factual.

Stop listening to idiots on the radio airwaves like Tom Joyner and others of his ilk that propose taking a loved one to the doctor. For what? To keep the doctor in business and rich while the loved one stays sick, weak, and incapacitated?

I'll say it again: doctors, hospitals, pharmacists, and drug companies cannot and will not tolerate health and wellbeing, for these states threaten their livelihoods and threaten to put them out of business. THEY NEED YOU SICK TO STAY IN BUSINESS!

Well or healthy people don't take drugs. Conscious people don't take drugs because they know all drugs are poisonous. The drug container (box or bottle) has written on it in fine small print: "IN CASE OF ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE, CONTACT A POSION CONTROL CENTER!"
Now why in the world would you be contacting a poison control center if you weren't consuming poison? Shouldn't you be contacting a "medicine control center?"
It's time to start thinking, People.

Pertaining to swine flu virus, as rap group Public Enemy said: "DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!"
Eat healthy, preferably organic raw foods and vegan foods. Drink good drinking water, preferably alkaline water. Detoxify your body with herbs at least 2-4 times per year. Think positive! Have a positive attitude! Live righteous! Stay away from negative and toxic people! Start thinking independently! Operate from love, knowingness (knowledge), and self-power and not fear, ignorance, and powerlessness.

Dherbs.com is always here for you and we will always bring you the raw truth in the form of information.

If you're interested in eating better, i.e. becoming a vegan or raw foodist, visit our "Dietary Choices" section or order our e-book "Alternative Diet and Lifestyle Manual."

To learn more about alkaline water, read our article "Alkaline Water" in our Articles section.

To learn more about herbal detoxification, visit the "Full Body Detox" section.

To learn about naturally boosting the immune system, read the article "Immune System and Immune Health" in our Articles section.

Thank you for reading!

This particular article is the exclusive property of Djehuty Ma'at-Ra and expresses the sole and exclusive sentiments, opinions, and research of Djehuty Ma'at-Ra as an individual, expressed pursuant to U.S.Const.Amend.1

Have You Uploaded Your Video Yet?

2009-04-24T09:49:00.001-07:00

What are you waiting for?? This is a direct connect between you and your fan base. Upload your video and blast it to the masses!

Enjoy~
*********

PowerPlayed.com Becomes Go To Site For Unsigned Artists Video Uploads.

New York, NY – April 11 - PowerPlayed.com, a cutting edge music video portal, and more, explodes onto to the new media scene as the “go to” website offering amazing visibility and promotional opportunities to seasoned artists and leveling the playing field for independent artists and bands. It has quickly become the website for “first looks” at videos, interviews and happenings of today’s most popular artists from all genres of music including, R&B, Gospel, Rock, Pop, Country and Hip-Hop. The site is a win, win for all artists as it is designed to promote and maximize their creativity to the masses.

Independent artists have found Powerplayed.com to be a viable tool because it allows them to upload their videos to the site for free. Unsigned artists can send their video link out to the masses and will be eligible for Power Play Video of the Week depending on the number of views they receive. As a result they can be included in the e- blasts, be added to any play list and are visibly aligned with today’s hit makers.

PowerPlayed.com has a direct connect to consumers and music video enthusiasts through the element of technology. With massive weekly e-blasts, videos are sent virally to thousands of eager fans, heat-seeking DJs, first-to-know On Air Personalities, Radio Station Music & Program Directors, and the Industry's Elite. The site is modern technology at its finest.

For more info: http://www.powerplayed.com/

Contact: SheNotes - shenotes@gmail.com

.

Seven Habits of Highy Defective People (humorous)

2009-04-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

This excerpt was taken from the Facebook Group: The Happiest Days of Your Life by Nithya Shanti. Nithya always has a message of inspiration and so naturally I am compelled to share most of the time. Who doesn't need inspiration? :-)
Enjoy~
*********

You may have heard of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Sean Covey’s 7 Habits to Highly Effective Teens. The lessons are profound.
According to Sean Covey (that's Stephen's son), the key to understanding the seven habits is to examine what they are not. So here's presenting the humorous, but also not uncommon...

Seven Habits of Highly Defective People
1: React
Blame all of your problems on your parents, your boss, your lousy neighborhood, your partner, the government, or something or somebody else. Be a victim. Take no responsibility for your life. Act like an animal. If you're hungry, eat. If someone yells at you, yell back. If you feel like doing something you know is wrong, just do it.

2: Begin with No End in Mind
Don't have a plan. Avoid goals at all costs. And never think about tomorrow. Why worry about the consequences of your actions? Live for the moment, but never 'in the moment'. Sleep around, get wasted, and party on, for tomorrow we die.

3: Put First Things Last
Whatever is most important in your life, don't do it until you have spent sufficient time watching reruns, talking endlessly on the phone, surfing the Net, and lounging around. Always put off your homework until tomorrow. Make sure that things that don't matter always come before things that do.

4: Think Win-Lose
See life as a vicious competition. Your colleagues are out to get you, so you'd better get them first. Don't let anyone else succeed at anything because, remember, if they win, you lose. If it looks like you're going to lose, however, make sure you drag that sucker down with you.

5: Seek First to Talk, Then Pretend to Listen
You were born with a mouth, so use it. Make sure you talk a lot. Be first off the mark, and never lose an opportunity to express your side of the story first. Once you're sure everyone understands your views, then pretend to listen by nodding and saying "uh-huh." Or, if you really want their opinion, give it to them.

6: Don't Cooperate
Co-operation is synonymous with compromise. Let's face it, other people are weird because they're different from you. So why try to get along with them? Teamwork is for the sledge dogs. Since you always have the best ideas, you are better off doing everything by yourself. Be your own island.

7: Wear Yourself Out
Be so busy with life that you never take time to renew or improve yourself. Never study. Don't learn anything new. Avoid exercise like the plague. And, for heaven's sake, stay away from good books, nature, this Facebook group or anything else that may inspire you.

Wasn't that funny!? As you can see, the habits listed above are recipes for disaster. Yet many of us indulge in them regularly (yes, you and me included). And, given this, it's no wonder that life can be really unpleasant at times.
Now now lets look at this another way, what are the seven characteristics that happy and effective people the world over have in common.

Here they are, followed by a brief explanation:
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Take responsibility for your life.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Define your mission and goals in life.

Habit 3: Put First Things First
Prioritize, and do the most important things first.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Have an everyone-can-win attitude.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Listen to people sincerely.

Habit 6: Synergize
Work together to achieve more.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Renew yourself regularly.

I feel we can all benefit from reading and re-reading the two books mentioned above. Whether we choose habits that make us feel miserable and trampled by life or we those that make us feel magnificent and strong - the amount of work is the same. Why not emphasize effective habits over defective ones?? The important thing is not really where we are, but in what direction we are moving.

The Four Agreements

2009-04-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

I saw a post on FaceBook today that talked about the Four Agreements. It was absolutely accurate in saying that adopting these principles will change your life. They are from the book The Four Agreements by Don Miquel Ruiz. I recommend this book to everyone and have given it as gift time and time again. It is an easy ready and you walk away some great tools for life's little tool box. :-) #s 2 and 3 were life altering! Enjoy~

SheNotes
***********************

1. BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST Your best is going to change from moment to moment. It will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

To check out the author's page go to: http://www.miguelruiz.com/

Here is a powerful video to go along with it:http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=PX90DZq2OLA

South African Reggae Star's Killers get Life

2009-04-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

He is truly missed. RIP Lucky
SheNotes
*************

April 2, 2009, 6:07 AM EST
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- A judge sentenced three men convicted of murdering an internationally known South African reggae star in a botched carjacking to life in prison Thursday.

Lucky Dube's 2007 killing drew worldwide attention to crime in South Africa, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.

Sifiso Mhlanga, Mbuti Mabe and Julius Gxowa were convicted Tuesday in Dube's death. Hours before the verdict was announced, Mabe and Mhlanga assaulted police officers in a foiled bid to escape from the court.

Thokozani Dube, who was in the car when his father was shot, broke into tears as the sentences were announced and was comforted by his mother. Later, family members and their supporters gathered outside the courthouse and sang South Africa's national anthem.

Dube, who launched his career in the 1980s with criticism of the apartheid regime, went on to become a huge international star. He recorded more than 20 albums and shared stages with the likes of Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Ziggy Marley and Sting.

As seen on MSN.com http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=402166&GT1=28102

Daily LaunchTip, April 1, 2009

2009-04-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

From Victoria Colligan, Founder, Ladies Who Launch

Many self-help book authors espouse the values of expressing gratitude on a regular basis. Being grateful for what you have, they say, paves the way for more good things to come, puts you in a positive frame of mind and causes you to attract opportunities and positive energy to keep you moving. One easy way to express gratitude that takes less than 3 minutes, even 10 seconds, is to say “thank you” to someone directly. Every day, I thank at least one person (and often many more than one). Some of my thank you’s are for big things: a partnership that materialized or a revenue opportunity that was successful; more often than not, however, my thank you’s are for the little things: Help from a fellow mom driving my children to an activity, phone call from a friend just to say “Hi” or a complement from someone close to me on what I’m wearing or some advice I gave that worked. Saying “thank you” without any extraneous information, caveats or hesitation is the simplest way to express gratitude on a daily basis and bring more positive vibrations into your world.

Check out Ladies Who Launch @ http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/magazine/daily-launchtip-april-1-2009/2970

Ethnicity Models CEO, LaShawnna Stanley Clears Diddy’s Name.

2009-04-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

I am not a Diddy fan but LaShawnna is a friend that I have had the pleasure of meeting while speaking with on a couple of panels. She is very passionate about her agency and everything that is represents. I posted this blog in support of her. :-)

Check out her sites below to learn more about her agencies.

SheNotes

***************************

Apparently the blogs have been having a field day, her name got thrown into all the mess so she clears the air!

Ethnicity Models CEO LaShawnna Stanley who has casted for Diddy for the past 8 years clears Diddy’s name.

“First let me start of by saying I have casted talent for Diddy and Bad Boy for the past 7 or 8 years and Puff has NEVER EVER requested only a certain type of model. He just wants beautiful models of all ethnicities. However I was contacted by an affiliate agency that I work closely with in Miami requesting models for the Ciroc Promotion, this email is NOT from Diddy or Ciroc. Here is the original email:

---------- Forwarded message - Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:06:55 -0400

Subject: CirocTo: <>

Hey,We are doing Ciroc promo this Friday from 3pm - 7pm and from 12m - 3am. If you have any girls that want to do it? It will be cash at wrap and He really wants white, Hispanic or light skinned black and at least 5'6 or taller and must wear a size 7 or smaller. Let me know if you have any girls that want to do it because I will be booking 13 girls.

Ramona

Diddy is NOT a racist and has NEVER only requested white, Latin or light skin models in the 8 years that I have been casting for him. However someone on his promotional staff reached out to an agency in Miami that I have a close working relationship with, which in turn reached out to me via email requesting what she THOUGHT Diddy would like based off of what she has seen in his previous videos, ad’s etc. The assumption that he only wanted white, Hispanic or light skinned black models was an assumption from that affiliate agency ; not a request of Diddy or Ciroc. All castings that come to Ethnicity Models or Ethnicity Talent are legitimate and exclusive castings http://www.ethnicitymodels.com/ and http://www.ethnicitytalent.com/.

Imperative management based in Atlanta, GA was not authorized or contacted to post the casting on their website, they have no access to my clients, they copy castings from other sites in order to lead talent to believe they can book them on certain jobs that they have no access to. First the fake show on E! Candy Girls trying to swagger jack Ethnicity now this drama! Models of various ethnicities were booked.

<>>

Black 'Idol' viewers drop by almost a third after Jasmine Murray's exit

2009-03-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Black 'Idol' viewers drop by almost a third after Jasmine Murray's exit (March 17, 2009) Fox's "American Idol" went from a big black audience gain to a serious drop off after last week. The show, which saw the exit of African-American contestant Jasmine Murray, had a 28 percent decrease from the previous week's black household figures. Lil Rounds is the only remaining black contestant.With "Idol" out of the top three, ABC grabbed the No.1 spot with "Dancing With the Stars," followed by CBS' interview with President Barack Obama on "60 Minutes." ["American Idol" was still No.1 and No.2 with white audiences]. CBS had no trouble holding on to the title of most watched TV network in black households, posting 18.6 million for its Top 25 shows. ABC knocked Fox out of second with its 10.2 million, compared with Fox's 6.7 million.The total number of viewers watching the Top 25, according to Nielsen Media Research was -- again -- 38.2 million.

Top 20 Broadcast Shows in Black Households
Rank Program Network

1 DANCING WITH THE STARS ABC

2 60 MINUTES CBS

3 CSI: MIAMI CBS

4 AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY FOX

5 AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY FOX

6 CSI: NY CBS

7 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES ABC

8 CRIMINAL MINDS CBS

9 THE MENTALIST CBS

10 WITHOUT A TRACE CBS

11 NCIS CBS

12 DANCING W/STARS RESULTS ABC

13 CBS NCAA BSKBL CHMP-SA-4 CBS

14 GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM ABC

15 LAW AND ORDER:SVU NBC

16 COLD CASE CBS

17 PRIVATE PRACTICE ABC

18 THE UNIT CBS

19 THE GAME CW

20 CBS NCAA BSKBL CHP-EVETH1 CBS

Source: Nielsen Media Research. Number of viewers ages 2+ shown in millions. Rankings are based on share of black households. Representing more than 13.45 million television households in the U.S., the African-American television audience is the largest minority segment in Nielsen measurement samples. All times eastern.

Nonprofits Collaborate to Send New York City Teenagers on African Volunteer Mission

2009-03-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Another worthy cause! If you can not attend please visit the link to make a donation. :-)

SheNotes
*******

About the March 20 NYC Fundraiser

WHAT: Assorted Flavors Entertainment Presents "Downtime" Benefiting Project54Tour

Brings GSWS Harriet's Heart to Kenya

WHERE: Katra, 217 Bowery Street (between Prince & Rivington Streets)

WHEN: Event Time: 5 to 7 p.m./After party 7 to 11 p.m.; Cocktails: 5 to 6 p.m. 2 for 1;
VIP Red Carpet and Press Interviews: 5:00 to 6: 00 p.m.

WHO: Naomi Silie, Esq, Commissioner, The Bronx Democratic Board of Elections;
Angelo Ellerbee, CEO, Double XXposure Media Relations; Surayya Barbee, Proprietor of SVNTN Below Restaurant & Lounge and Board President GSWS, Inc. Harriet’s Heart

NYC FUNDRAISER TO HELP YOUTH MAKE A JOURNEY OF THE HEART
Nonprofits Collaborate to Send New York City Teenagers on African Volunteer Mission

NEW YORK, NY (March 12, 2009) – Two nonprofit organizations have joined forces for a March 20 New York City fundraiser to help send Harriet’s Heart on a missionary trip to Kenya. Seven, of the nineteen, young women of African-American, Latina, and Caribbean decent, known as “Harriet’s Heart,” are part of a four-year effort that selects and guides girls into womanhood -- helping young women develop leadership and life skills, and provides assistance with completing high school while helping families with the money and other resources to fund college.

Founder, Pamela Salaam Jaha, gave birth to Harriet’s Heart as a revitalization of the principal, “it takes a whole village,” challenging corporations, athletes, entertainers, professionals, civic leaders, elected officials, and ordinary people to be a part of the solution, preparing leaders of tomorrow by embracing the role of educating and investing in our children today. “I believe it is the responsibility of all of us to lead our children and our communities to social leadership, economic strength, political promise, and academic excellence! I know that ordinary people can make a change, such is when and how we become Extra-Ordinary, says Salaam, the proud surrogate mother of 19 girls.

Project54Tour, and GirlSpirit WomenSong Inc., (GSWS) have united to help support Harriet’s Heart, an extraordinary group of young women whose name pays tribute to civil rights leader Harriet Tubman. Each girl represents one of Tubman’s nineteen courageous journeys on the Underground Railroad. “We have a responsibility to help young girls become successful confident women,” said Naomi Silie, Esq., Commissioner, The Bronx Democratic Board of Elections who will provide remarks at next week’s fundraiser.
Project54Tour Founder and Executive Director, Chris Surrey added, “The upcoming missionary trip will offer a meaningful volunteer opportunity that will help engage, empower and educate the citizens of Africa by improving the socio-cultural benefits that change lives for the better.”

The fundraiser scheduled for Friday, March 20 at Katra located at 217 Bowery Street in New York City will bring together a “village” of professionals from all fields and backgrounds to help raise additional funds for the mission – keeping Salaam’s vision and promise alive. Celebrity guests and community leaders have been invited to attend the affair and provide remarks.

Each of the two nonprofit organizations involved in the March 20 event will continue to serve those in need despite the tough economy and a drastic decline in volunteers and donations. Anyone interested in making a contribution to support the cause can do so online at: www.project54tour.org (under Contact Us) or by sending a check made payable to “Project54Tour Aid Program, Inc.” at The Buzz International Group, Att.: Chris Surrey, 419 Lafayette Street, 2nd fl., New York, NY 10003. Every dollar given to Project54Tour will be to help improve the lives of developing communities and empowering the youth. All donations are tax-deductible.

Guests must RSVP to info@precisionpluscommunications.com to attend; and please note that space is limited. The suggested donation is $5.00 for the nonprofit. Attire is Red Carpet Ready.

About GSWS
GSWS is a 501(c)(3) serving as the “Social Responsibility Arm” of Salaam Arts & Inspiration. GSWS is most commonly known for its annual Bring Me Your Daughters Empowerment Conference in New York City, every first Saturday of March, in tribute to Women’s History Month, with a savvy mission to enhance the mind, body and spirit of girls & women, by introducing healthy behaviors & attitudes of self-awareness, self-respect, self-determination and self-reliance, encouraging independence, responsibility and the elaboration of basic human competencies for healthy growth and development, across global hearts!

About Project54Tour
Project54Tour is a non-profit community development aid program inclusive of music artists, sports figures, member countries of the African Union, global communities and corporations dedicated to community development. It encourages a movement to help rebuild Africa’s most under developed countries and supports the United Nations’ eight (8) Millennium Development Goals.

View the video http://www.youtube.com/PaintBoxLabs to learn more about the mission.

Larry Woodard Blogs About NAMD's Marketing Mondays.

2009-03-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last night NAMD hosted another informative and engaging Marketing Monday titled "New Media and How to Use it to Create Engaging, Results-Oriented Advertising Campaigns".

On the panel was Denitria, The Dnyree Group (Blue Flame, WalMart); Mike Street, Zezza Network (Beam Global Wine & Spirits); Alissa Jenkins, Wieden & Kennedy(ESPN) and Larry Woodard, Vigilante Advertising (Heineken, General Motors, Sprint).

As you can imagine the information that was shared was invaluable! I was thrilled to see that out panelists were just as excited to be there as we were to have them.

Below it the blog from Larry Woodard's blog, The Idea Machine.

Thanks Larry!

SheNotes
www.namd-nyc.org
*******************

As seen at http://www.theideamachine.com/blog/

A Glimpse at the Future of Advertising & Marketing

My parents moved to Alabama when I was 27 years old. I was recently married and had started my own firm after working for a local advertising agency. A few years later, I sent them tickets to come up and visit us as well as some of their old friends. I’ll never forget the look of pride on my father’s face as we drove into the parking lot of my office. It was located in a suburban office park. Once inside he walked slowly through each office taking everything in. He put his hand on my shoulder and said approvingly, “You’ve passed me!”

That was 22 years ago. Neither I nor my father could have envisioned what great things the industry had in store for me, but I have never forgotten that look he gave me or the words he said. Today, our economy is faltering and the advertising industry is being challenged by Cyrus Mehri and the Madison Avenue project to become more inclusive. I often find myself wondering where the industry is headed and where the next generation of leaders is.

After tonight, I have no more questions. I was part of a panel discussion hosted by the National Alliance of Market Developers (NAMD) New York Chapter. I could not have been more impressed by the young people in attendance. They were bright, inquisitive, determined and undaunted. I witnessed in them the same fire I had more than 25 years ago that allowed me to forge a career out of hope and determination even when I rarely saw anyone who looked like me. They have the same fire but they are smarter and have more information than I did.

I caught a glimpse of the future of marketing and advertising tonight. It was a brilliant white light and hot to the touch. It was a group of young people who will take what you will not give them and leave it for future generations better than it is now.

Thriftonista Blogtspot, Where Vintage And The World Of Fashion Meet.

2009-03-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

Cute, cute, cute! Vintage deals at your fingertips.
************

Thriftonista (TM- trademark) is a term coined by the TaRosa Jacobs to describe anyone who recognizes that being fashionable is not about how much money you spend but about spending your money on clothes that allow you to express your own unique sense of style while looking great, feeling fabulous and still being able to pay those bills!

TaRosa says,"I am so excited to be embarking upon this enterprise! I can't wait to help you thrift, shop, live and share love--cheap!If you see something you'd like to buy or have any questions or comments, you can contact me at thriftonista@gmail.com."

Check out http://thriftonista.blogspot.com/

Two Arizona Female Teens Accused of Pimping Other Girls

2009-02-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

This is really sad!!! My mouth is still open from reading this article.
Our youth are out of control. Does it go back to the messages of chasing paper and "hustlin" and getting money and stackin chips and did I mention "GETTIN MONEY"?????? (Broken record!) Not to mention the images of sex that have been branded into the brain of our babies and has most of them feeling inadequate. Solution time!

As seen on http://www.blackpower.com/

The grandmother of a 16-year-old Arizona girl accused of prostitution — and recruiting and pimping other teen girls — said Wednesday she hopes to fight the charges in court.
“I really want to take it to trial,” Linda Tye, grandmother of Tatiana Tye told CNN Radio. “She needs to meet her accusers.”

Tatiana Tye and a second 16-year-old girl, Jazmine Finley, were indicted earlier this week by a grand jury, Maricopa County, Arizona, prosecutors said in a statement. Although the girls are juveniles, prosecutors released their names and said they will be tried as adults.

Tye is charged with one count of child prostitution and three counts of pandering, or serving as a go-between or liaison for sexual purposes, prosecutors said.
Finley faces nine counts of child prostitution; two counts of receiving earnings of a prostitute; and one count of pandering. All the charges are felonies, prosecutors said.

The two were arrested last week after a five-month investigation, Phoenix police told reporters. Authorities believe Tye and Finley recruited at least five girls, ranging in age from 14 to 17, on the campuses of their high schools, police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said in a Monday news briefing posted on the Web site of CNN affiliate KTVK.

“We have a situation of two girls, 16 years old, who are, in essence, pimps,” Hill said. “And they ran their own brothel.”

Police believe the girls had rented an apartment used solely for acts of prostitution, he said.
Prosecutors, citing a police probable cause statement, said the teenagers recruited girls by telling them of “all the money they would be making. Additionally, they were told that it was better working for them as opposed to male pimps because they would not get beat up.”
Hill said, “I think we were all surprised at, you know, were these 16-year-old girls that were arrested, were they running this business? And the answer is yes, they were.”

In a jailhouse interview with KTVK, Tatiana Tye blamed Finley for introducing her to the world of prostitution, and said she was “a follower, not a leader, following whatever Jazmine does, and those were bad things.”
She denied recruiting anyone or receiving any money, although she did acknowledge she was scared at times.

“All I’m saying is, before (Finley) came into my life, none of this stuff was going on,” Tatiana Tye said. “I don’t even know much about prostitution and stuff. I’ve seen it before, because Jazmine had a pimp.”

However, she refused to answer questions about whether she had worked as a prostitute or about the apartment.
KTVK said it attempted to interview Finley, but her guardian failed to show up at the jail to give permission.

Accompanied by her grandmother, Tatiana Tye told reporters she didn’t want to talk to them initially, but “then again, I thought about, people need to know the truth. I mean, I would never, ever call myself a pimp or a madam.”
Asked what she would say to other teens, she said, “I would just tell them, don’t hang out with people that you know are doing bad stuff, because they’ll drag you down with them.”
Linda Tye said she had custody of her granddaughter, who moved in with her after leaving her mother’s home.

She said Tatiana Tye “admits to knowing Jazmine, hanging out and being with Jazmine. That she admits to. The rest, she doesn’t really want to talk about before she goes to trial and talks to her lawyers.”

As of Wednesday, she said, attorneys had only visited her granddaughter briefly, but longer visits are planned.
She said she is worried about Tatiana Tye’s health in jail, as she is eating only grapefruit and refuses to drink the water. The girl’s younger sister, 13, misses her and hasn’t been able to see her, she said.

She told CNN she does not understand how prosecutors can try her granddaughter as an adult.
“I want (people) to know that my little granddaughter, she is a loving person. She smiles all the time … she’s a little confused, but that’s no reason, and people shouldn’t sit and judge people. I just don’t like that. You don’t know the facts, you don’t know the truth, don’t do that,” Linda Tye said.

But asked whether she had any advice for others, she said, “Pay attention to your kids. If you’re a grandparent, pay attention to your grandchildren, because you never know what they’re up to. This is a big mess, and that’s what it is.”

(CNN)

Happy Super 400 Day!!!

2009-02-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

Today, February 25 is Super 400 Day in the band's hometown of Troy, NY. Mayor Harry Tutunjian began the holiday in 2006 (see attached proclamation), in honor of the love and support the band has given the city throughout their career. This year, we invite you to celebrate with us as we offer a glimpse into the new Super 400 sound!

Visit http://www.super400.com/ all day to hear a clip from the new record!

The past year has been explosive for Super 400. After coming off the US and European tours of 2008, the band recorded their new album at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN, and penned a deal with Denver based Response Records. Last week, the band experienced another career highlight, when they cut their first vinyl record on the original lathe from the Stax Records studio! This is the lathe that cut all of the legendary Stax recordings, as well as Led Zeppelin, Big Star, Stevie RayVaughan, and ZZ Top, just to name a few.

The band is preparing for the release of their new album on Double Vinyl this spring, so check back for updates and release info. Thank you all for your continued love and support.

"In This Low Economy, It's High Time To Get Your Product Right..."

2009-02-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

Enjoy~

Another gem from Victoria Colligan, Founder and CEO, Ladies Who Launch

Instead of being anxious about the economy and submitting to fear, try the reverse: Take a step back, take a deep breath, and use this time to get your product right. You’re not the only one struggling right now, but you CAN be the one who takes advantage of the economic slow down. Now is the perfect time make changes you would be too busy to bother with if business were booming. Tweak your product, lay a proper foundation, and set yourself up for success down the road by moving slowly, being methodical, and putting a carefully thought out strategy in place. To do this, solicit feedback, the good, the bad, and the ugly, in every way possible. Embrace it as your personal challenge for growth. The more you can accomplish right now, the less work you will have to do when this economy turns around. At that point you’ll be perfectly positioned to leverage the better times.
http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/magazine/daily-launchtip-february-23-2009/2870

NY Association of Black Journalists Calls On NY Post to apologize!

2009-02-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

It amazes us that in the year 2009, in what was supposed to be the beginning of a new era of race relations, a picture could get past editors to disgrace the pages of a major metropolitan newspaper, during Black History month nonetheless.

We, at the New York Association of Black Journalists, take offense to the New York Post cartoon depiction of two officers shooting a monkey and then saying, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill" The history attached to racial slurs connecting people of color to monkeys isn't new. In fact, the issue was brought up during the Obama campaign and clearly characterized by him as offensive. Yes, it is true that former President George Bush was often depicted as a monkey, but historical context is what makes this different.

How do you think the Jewish community would feel about the use of rats in any depiction of them? How do you think the Italian community would feel about being generalized with mobsters? Monkey slurs against Africans and African Americans go back to the days of early colonialism, when Anglo Saxon, Spanish and Portuguese conquerors used these types of drawings and descriptions to dehumanize black people so that their mistreatment and enslavement would not be viewed as wrong or sinful. The practice also took on more sinister roles later in history including during the slave trade here in the U.S. and in Hitler's Nazi Germany.

We, at NYABJ, demand both an explanation and an apology from Sean Delonas of the New York Post. We find it unconscionable that such a depiction, especially during this time, would be used in an attempt at humor or political satire. Would it be a leap to suggest that it is funny or ok to shoot the President, if this is who the chimp in the drawing is suppose to represent? We are not laughing.

We often hear Elinor Tatum, publisher of the NY Amsterdam News and Chair of the NABJ black media committee, say that incidents like this "underscore the need for more black-owned media in this country, to counteract the actions and insensitivities of right-wing or even so called mainstream media outlets".
We could not agree more. Shame on Mr. Delonas and shame on Mr. Rupert Murdoch who has allowed something like this to happen.

Gary Anthony Ramsay NYABJ President

Zachary DowdyNYABJ VP-Print

The New York Post Jumps the Shark (repost from Huffington Post)

2009-02-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

WOW, I could not believe this when I saw it. So blatant and disrespectful. Some may question why we expected something different?? Because it is time to not only expect but be proactive in change! Of course ya boy Al Sharpton is all over this but let's see who else steps up to rectify this wrong?

If you would like to protest write a letter or you may contact the New York Post @ 212-930-8000. YES WE CAN!

SheNotes
****************

The New York Post today ran a cartoon that splashed classic dog-whistle racism (in black and white no less) depicting two cops, one with a drawn firearm, and a dead chimp. The kicker: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Whose stimulus package is it? Come now. There's no room for the innocent shrug. Over at Air America, we have a special dog-whistle racism decoder: Racists have a long history of referring to African Americans as monkeys. This cartoon panders to that notion. Once upon a time, the New York Post editors called me (and to be fair Time Magazine) moral cretins for a book project I was working on. It wasn't true. Today I'm calling the Post a bunch of moral cretins, and it is true.

Payback's a ten-year affair in this instance, but oh so sweet.
In a different cultural setting this cartoon would have brought death threats already. Remember the Danish paper's depiction of verboten Muslim folk? Is it more acceptable in this instance? Not at all. We live in a tolerant society. That does not mean you have to buy the New York Post. Don't go to the site. Send people to good sites to see the bad journalism. It's that simple. Don't reward bad media with what they need--your eyes and ears.

You can act in the even older (than American racism) tradition of wu-wei--the spiritual boycott. Do nothing. At least when it comes to reading this rag and for that matter any Rupert-owned lie-machine. Spread the word about this American media atrocity. Mete out the penalty with loyalty to sites like Huffington Post, Air America and other progressive voices of truth and justice.
Have a nice day.

As seen online on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beau-friedlander/the-new-york-post-jumps-t_b_167892.html

Jan Marie Dore's Top Seven Business Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

2009-02-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Enjoy

**********

Over the past thirteen years, I have worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs as their business coach. I've noticed that many women small business owners experience the same challenges in growing and running their businesses, such as feeling overwhelmed and isolated, having difficulty keeping focused, not enrolling enough support, and not planning for growth.

Here's a summary of my best advice for any woman running a small business - my top seven tips for women entrepreneurs:

1) Focus on your strengthsThere's an old saying - 'Do what you do best and delegate the rest.' Know what your top strengths are. Delegate or drop anything that you're not exceptionally skilled at, and focus at least 80% of your time using your key talents that bring you income.

2) Put yourself firstYour growing business needs a lot of time and attention. Many women in business put themselves third or fourth on their list of priorities. Put you and your business first and everything else will fall into place.

3) Learn to say 'no'I ask women who have started a business to drop anywhere from 25% to 50% of their time commitments when we start working together. Most women are too over-committed with non-business related activities. Be strategic about what you say yes to, especially in the first few years of your business. Guard your precious time as the valuable asset that it is.

4) Plan for successLack of planning causes more businesses to fail than anything else. Planning is very valuable because it causes you to think ahead to your vision and next steps to reach your goals. You can create a simple one page marketing plan that outlines your business objectives and how you will achieve them.

5) Ask for supportDon't try to figure it all out by yourself. Notice where you are stuck and could use some help, and ask for it. Ask colleagues or others who have been in business and could mentor you, hire a business coach, or form your own mastermind support team.

6) Delegate or drop your weaknessesGet clear on what you don't enjoy doing or don't do very well. Either stop trying to do it, or find someone who will do it for you. A perfect example is bookkeeping. If you dislike it, give it to someone else to do, and free up your time to earn money doing what you do well.

7) Keep an eye on the bottom lineYou don't need to have complex financial statements, but setting targets and tracking some key indicators every month will help you understand how you are doing. You'll know sooner what's working and what's not working so that you can make strategic adjustments.

Implement at least three of these tips, and watch your business flourish!

© by Jan Marie Dore of Femalepreneurs.com. Jan Marie Dore mentors coaches, speakers, consultants and other solo-professional women to work fewer hours and make more money with online businessbuilding strategies. Get your free 'Professional Women's SuccessKit' and other marketing resources at http://www.femalepreneurs.com/ezine

Singer Chris Brown Under Investigation In Alleged Assault

2009-02-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

OK..straight from the LA Times!
**************

R&B singer Chris Brown, one of the biggest-selling performers in pop music, was booked tonight in Los Angeles on charges stemming from an alleged assault on his girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna, according to police and other sources familiar with the investigation.

An official police statement did not name Rihanna, but said the woman in the incident “suffered visible injuries.”

Details of what took place between the two were sketchy, but authorities and sources said that about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Brown and a woman got into an argument in a rented Lamborghini on North June Street in Hancock Park. Brown stopped the car, the two got out, and the argument escalated. A witness called 911, but police said Brown was gone by the time officers arrived at the scene. The woman identified Brown as her assailant.

Authorities did not describe her injuries or whether she was treated for them.
The sources said the woman was Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Brown was booked on a charge of making criminal threats, and police said he remained under investigation for felony charges of domestic violence. “The exact charge was criminal threats and it is going to be investigated as a criminal threats investigation,” said Police Sgt. Bridget Pickett, who spoke to reporters at the Wilshire Division police station, where Brown was booked. “There may be domestic violence charges added later, but that will be up to the district attorney’s office.”

Pickett defined a criminal threat as “a threat that is made to a person with the likelihood that it may occur.” She said that Brown arrived at the police station about 6:30 p.m. dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. “He was very professional,” she said. Brown was joined at the station by his lawyer, Mark Geragos, and Geragos’ investigator, Scott Ross.
After posting $50,000 bail, Brown left the station before 9 p.m.
Both Brown and Rihanna had been scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards, which began at 5 p.m. at Staples Center. Neither appeared, and Grammy officials issued a statement just before the show saying, "We have just been informed Rihanna will not be attending tonight’s 51st Grammy Awards. Rihanna will not be performing. We are sorry to see she is unable to join us this evening.”

A publicist for the Barbados-born star, who sold more digital song downloads than any other in 2008, with nearly 10 million tracks, said Sunday night, “Rihanna is well. Thank you for your concern and support.”
Her song “Disturbia,” which she’d been scheduled to perform at the ceremony, was the sixth best-selling digital track of the year. She was replaced by veteran soul singer Al Green, who was accompanied by country singer-guitarist Keith Urban.
Brown and Rihanna had appeared together Saturday night at producer Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills.

A spokesman for Brown’s record label did not respond to The Times’ request for comment. Brown finished 2008 as the fourth-best-selling artist in the digital realm, posting 6.8 million tracks sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

--Andrew Blankstein, Randy Lewis, Ari Bloomekatz, Mitchell Landsberg

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/02/chris-brown-boo.html

BET Networks Acquires Rights To Air Hit Series 'The Game'.

2009-02-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

(February 2, 2009) BET Networks announced today that it has acquired the off-network cable rights to the sitcom "The Game" from CBS Television Distribution.

"The Game," currently in its third season on The CW and produced by CBS Paramount Network Television, is the #1 show on broadcast television among African American adults 18-34 and African American women 18-34, beating out powerhouse shows such as Grey's Anatomy, House and Law & Order: SVU.

"We're excited that "The Game" is joining our line-up," said Barbara Zaneri, Executive Vice President, Programming, Strategy, Scheduling & Acquisitions, BET Networks. "As the #1 rated show amongst African American viewers in broadcast television last season, it's a series that resonates with our audience, and we're thrilled with the long list of fresh stars associated with the series."

"The Game", which will debut on BET in February 2009, stars Tia Mowry (Sister Sister) as Melanie Barnett, who is thrust into the world of professional football when her boyfriend becomes a wide receiver for the San Diego Sabers. The series follows Melanie as she struggles with the ups and downs of having a "famous" other half and a new group of friends - the other players' wives. "The Game" also stars Coby Bell (Third Watch), Pooch Hall (Miracle's Boys), Hosea Chanchez (For Your Love), Brittany Daniel (White Chicks) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Steve Harvey Show).

"The Game" is a production of Happy Camper Productions and Grammnet Productions in association with CBS Paramount Network Television. Kelsey Grammer (Frasier, Girlfriends), creator Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, Moesha, The Jamie Foxx Show), Kenny Smith (One on One, The Jamie Foxx Show) and Steve Stark serve as executive producers.

** As seen in Target Market News www.targetmarketnews.com

Confidence: The First Step Toward Career And Life Success

2009-01-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

As seen on Self Growth.com www.selfconfidence.com

************

By Bud Bilanich

In my work as an executive coach, I have found that the single biggest mistake that people make is assuming that competence and performance are their ticket to success, when in fact they are merely the price of admission. Most people are good performers. It's a huge mistake to think that good performance is the only element of a successful career.

All executive coaching consultants will tell you that it takes a combination of self-confidence, positive personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills, and interpersonal competence to succeed in your career and life. People who are successful in their lives and careers have mastered all of these five elements, and excel in one or two of them.

Outstanding performance is very important to career and life success. It's at the heart of the five success elements. No one can be successful without being a highly competent, outstanding performer. The incompetents and poor performers get identified and asked to leave or are placed in marginal positions pretty quickly. However, as I always remind my executive coaching clients, don't forget the other four.

You also have to be self-confident, make a positive personal impact, have highly developed communication skills, and act in an interpersonally competent manner if you are going to succeed. These four elements are necessary complements to outstanding performance and are at the core of my executive coaching services.

This article is about Self-Confidence.

As an executive mentor and coach, I always tell my clients that all self-confident people have at least three things in common:
1. Self-confident people are optimistic.
2. Self-confident people face their fears and deal with them.
3. Self-confident people surround themselves with positive people.
Let's take a look at each of these in a little more detail.

Optimism
Max More says optimism is "the fuel of heroes, the enemy of despair, the creator of the future." Optimism is the opposite of pessimism, which Denis Boyle says is "as magnetic as any black hole, swallowing one good day after another until there are no good days left.
" In a very interesting article in AARP, The Magazine (yes, I'm old enough to be a member), Mr. Boyle makes some great points about optimism and pessimism:
"The essential truth about optimism: the opportunities for it are everywhere. They just get ignored... Pessimism though, is the default state of our psyche, and the easy way out. We tell ourselves there is nothing we can do because life sucks, black holes abound, Murphy's Law rules. Meanwhile, optimism takes effort. Despites tons of information provided by zealous pessimists, optimists believe everything will turn out fine. They are able to do something no pessimist can: they do their part to make sure tomorrow will be better than today. To subscribe to optimism means that you have a role in shaping your own future (italics added). Why is this important? Because it's how stuff gets done. No successful individual could conduct business with a set of pessimistic assumptions... Work, progress, great ideas all are fueled by optimism.

"I agree. I am an optimist. I admit that sometimes it is difficult being optimistic, but I am relentlessly optimistic. I believe every day is going to be a good day -- and set about making it so. I believe I will succeed in every project I undertake. This optimism fuels my self-confidence, and my self-confidence drives my performance.

Tal Ben-Shahar teaches a course in Positive Psychology at Harvard. He had 800 students in his course last year.
He offers the following three tips for becoming more optimistic:
1. Give yourself permission to be human -- don't beat up yourself about mistakes.
2. Express gratitude often.
3. Engage in activities that give your life pleasure as well as meaning.

Fear
Fear is the enemy of self-confidence. It's also very normal. We're all afraid sometimes. Usually it's a fear of failure. Fear can be debilitating, paralyzing us into inaction. Over the years, I've found how to face up to my fears and to conquer them. Indecision, procrastination, and inaction feed fear. Action cures it.

Here are my four easy steps for dealing with fear.
1. Identify it. Figure out why you're afraid. Is it fear of failure? Is it fear of making the wrong decision? Is it fear of lost opportunity? Are you afraid that you aren't up to task? Once you identify the reason behind your fear, you are well on the way to overcoming it.
2. Admit it. It's OK to be afraid. You wouldn't be human if you were never afraid. A common definition of courage is the ability to feel fear, but to go ahead and do what you need to do regardless. In 1988, I faced a very frightening decision. Should I stay in a comfortable but ultimately unsatisfying job with a large corporation, or should I start my own business? I definitely was afraid of failing. Failing meant that I would lose my savings and have to start over again -- looking for a job in another corporation. However, once I identified and admitted my fear, I was able to take the next step -- acceptance.
3. Accept it. Accepting your fears is important -- because it shows that you know that you are human. Once I accepted that I was fearful of failing, I was able to start my business, and succeed. In fact, I embraced my fear of failure -- it made me work harder. In some ways, my fear of failing pushed me to work long hours and learn the lessons of entrepreneurship necessary to be successful as an independent consultant, coach, and speaker.
4. Take action to deal with it. Action cures fear. You have to identify, admit to, and accept your fears first, but action is the most important of these four steps. Do something! The worst thing that can happen is that you'll find it was the wrong thing to do -- and you will have eliminated at least one thing from your list of possible actions. Action is the antidote to fear. In most cases, you'll choose wisely and your fears won't be realized. In the cases where you choose poorly, you'll find that failure isn't as catastrophic as you imagined. Stars learn from their failures. So, by taking action on your fears, you win on both counts. You win if you make a good decision and things work out. You win if you make a bad decision and things go poorly because you have an opportunity to learn from your decision and the subsequent problems you faced.

Positive People

Successful people surround themselves with positive people -- people who are both positive by nature, and positive about their success in their life and career. Positive people are optimistic -- and as I've discussed above, optimism is the first step in building self-confidence.

Positive people help you feel good about yourself because they feel good about themselves and life in general. Positive people are there when you begin to doubt yourself. They help you build your self-esteem because they have a strong sense of self-esteem. People with a strong sense of self-esteem are not threatened by others. They realize that self-esteem is not a fixed pie. There is an unlimited amount of it to go around. Therefore, you can build your self-confidence just by being around upbeat, positive people.

Self-confident people take the time to identify and build relationships with mentors. Wikipedia defines a mentor as "a trusted friend, advisor, counselor, or teacher; usually a more experienced person... Today mentors provide their expertise to less experienced individuals in order to help them advance their careers, enhance their education, and build their networks." Mentors are positive people by definition. You cannot be willing to lend your wisdom and expertise to another person without being hopeful about that person and his or her future.

I have had several mentors over my career. Bert Phillips, Maggie Watson, Dick Pelton, Bill Rankin, Howard Sohn were all trusted friends and advisors at one time or another in my career. I believe that mentoring is so powerful that I have engaged the services of Tom Antion, a professional mentor, to advise me as I embark on turning over 30 years worth of intellectual property that I have developed into products that can be sold online.

Mentors challenge you to do better. That's why they are so important in building self-confidence. As they challenge you, they are also telling you that "you can do it." Having someone who believes in you -- like a mentor -- is a one of the best ways I know to build self-confidence.

Self-confidence is a big part of my executive training and coaching. As an executive mentor, I work with the people I coach to help them develop their self-confidence, as I believe self-confidence is a necessary prerequisite to success.

Bud Bilanich, The Common Sense Guy, is an executive coach, motivational speaker, author, and blogger. He helps his executive coaching clients succeed by applying their common sense.
Dr. Bilanich is Harvard educated but has a no-nonsense approach to his work that goes back to his roots in the steel country of Western Pennsylvania.
Bud is a cancer survivor and lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife, Cathy. He is a retired rugby player and an avid cyclist.
In addition to helping people succeed in their lives and careers, Bud likes movies, live theatre, and crime fiction. Visit him at http://www.budbilanich.com

Check out the Experts page for Bud Bilanich, the Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to Executive Coach and Executive Coaching.

PREDICTO ASKED AND AMERICA ANSWERED WITH THIS WEEKS ENTERTAINMENT PREDICTIONS

2009-01-20T07:05:00.000-08:00

As rumors swirl in the entertainment industry, PredictoMobile (predicto.com) brings you the latest forecast. Predicto’s track record speaks for itself and they are sure to not disappoint with the accuracy. From a new cast member joining The Real Housewives of Atlanta to a legend joining next season of Dancing with the Starts, Predicto brings you America’s perspective on what’s to come in the world of entertainment.

200,000+ members of the public has weighed in on each and every week on Predicto Mobile (www.predicto.com), a leading online and text message based survey company.

Recent examples of Predicto users getting it right!:
87% accurately predicted that Metallica would be inducted into the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
69% accurately predicted that a ‘Gossip Girl’ spinoff would be before the end of the show’s second season.

Here’s what America had to say this week:
• Will Usher's wife Tameka Raymond join the cast of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta' this season? 65% YES
• Will more than 30 million people watch William Peterson's last 'CSI' episode on 1/15? 76% YES
• Will Stevie Wonder compete on the upcoming season of ‘Dancing with the Stars’? 52% YES
• Will Hollywood super couple Brad and Angelina present an award together at the Oscars? 76% YES
• Will 'High School Musical' star Vanessa Hudgens join the cast of 'New Moon', the sequel to 'Twilight'? 77% YES
• Will Paris Hilton win the Razzie for Worst Actress for 'The Hottie and The Nottie'? 80% YES (More than 14,000 people have answered this question!)

So who is Predicto?Predicto.com has established itself as one of the most sought after web sites that provides live feeds and information for people and the media to discover what the country really thinks about current issues. With more than 1.8 million visitors/month, the company challenges Americans to predict the right answer to a wide range of pop culture questions, with possibility to win prizes along the way.

DJ Premier on Thermal Soundwaves

2009-01-15T11:09:00.001-08:00

Click link below for Podcast

http://thermalsoundwaves.podomatic.com/entry/2009-01-11T16_21_37-08_00

Texas native, Brooklyn crafted hip hop icon DJ Premier of Gangstarr dropped by to share his jewels on sustaining a successful career in the music game. Premier also reminisced on the early days of Gangstarr and having fist fights with his partner Guru who are still close to this day. However, Premier was not too fond of Solar who runs with Guru now, find out why. In addition to that get Premier's thoughts on D'Angleo, Angie Stone, being a hip hop artist on a major label before that was the norm, staying fit, pressing vinyl, his group NYG's, running a label, how the video for Dwyck came about, working & hanging with Christina Aguilera, turning down Limp Biscuit at first, getting drunk with Notorious BIG in 1992, and how his beef with Wynton Marsalis got settled. There is a whole lot more but you have to listen to find out exactly what. Give your ears some entertainment. Then log on to: http://www.thermalsoundwaves.com/ for what's to come in the future. Cheers!

My YOU Cube in the New Year.

2009-01-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Can you already believe that it is 2009. Middle of January at that.

I am so excited. Just because.

There is something to be said for new beginnings. The best part is that NEW beginnings can happen when ever we want, not just yearly or quarterly. While moving through life it's real easy to fall it the same old physical and mental patterns. We get stuck and before you know it, other's are defining who you are and what you need to be.

Just because others keep us in a box doesn't mean that we have to stay there. We are often times the worst offenders! No one limits us more than we do. Free yourself and bust out of the YOU Cube! It's a beautiful thing. It's so liberating and it works.

Now....beware, the folks that keep you in that cube will be thrown for a loop but it's all good. Your best buds move and grow with you so don't fret. Once the dust clears the folks that are supposed to be there will still be there.

So I have committed to make ME a project. Each day I am going to examine something that is in my YOU Cube that needs to be removed! My commitment to starting fresh every day. My objective is not to carry over any grudges, hard feelings, negative thoughts etc. into the next day. All fresh and new..lol. I'm working through some things! :-)

I have chosen to share this so that the people closest to me can keep me honest and make me accountable. This will be a real challenge for me but I am looking forward to the growth.

Wish me luck!!!

SheNotes

So..wish me luck. I will check in from time to time.

Emmy Nominated Karim Orange Shares "Going Green" Cosmetic Tips!

2008-12-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

I believe that in heaven we will be able to go to any cosmetic or makeup counter and not have to worry one bit about all of the additives and ingredients involved. Ingredients that cause us an array of diseases. BUT, we are not in heaven. So how about in a perfect world? Can we find ingredients that won't harm us but still keep us the divas we aspire to be?

Nowadays divas need to be just as concerned with not only what we put on are bodies but what we put in our bodies. And as we know, if it goes on your skin it goes a whole lot deeper.

So lets try and make this Holiday season a green one.

Start with a good foundation. Even if you must apply your current foundation or powder with all of its toxic chemicals, lay down a organic compound first..your skin will love you for it.

My picks:

*For glowing skin try Barleans The Essential Women. This is a supplement you take orally for the skin to make you glow glow glow and it contains omega 3-6 and 9 essential fatty acids.

*Suki pure facial moisture in formula sited for your skin type. It contains ingredients such as jojoba, sunflower, grape seed, rice germ, evening primrose, rose hip seed & carrot seed oils*, 100% natural non-gmo vitamin e, organic apricot kernel oil, calendula, lavender, rose & carrot seed extracts*, aroma (pure premium steam distilled essential oil) *organic
This lays a good foundation available at Whole Foods Market

*Powder by ZuZu Luxe- they are totally out of this world,very soft blendable. Available at Whole Foods Market

*Foundations in your shade try Nvey- This is one of the only certified organic lines out there available at Macy's

*Blush by Dr Hauschka-in color appropriate for your skin

* Eye shadows try Zuzu for some fun-hip colors try Gabriel Cosmetics for some basics both available at Whole Foods

The rest is all about lips this season...lipstick and its ingredient's are the most important cosmetic product you place on your face since we end up eating most of it....Make it organic..

*Nvey to the rescue great ingredients and color

367 is a wonderful lip color for most shades except the very very fair and the very very dark.Go bold and pucker up by adding gloss in Amour Rose

370 is a wonderful peachy color perfect for blondes everyday, intensify with Fresh gloss

359 is also great for blonds or anyone who desires a bit of pink

351 wonderful on deeper skin tones

356 is a beautiful, beautiful color for deeper skin tones, very rich like velvet, make it pop more by adding coco honey lip-gloss

355 I love, purple is in! red red red

369 is a true orange red, add temptress gloss for evening for deeper skin tones start with lipstick 354 and add temptress gloss to make it a red for your skin tone.

seduce me- is a wonderful everyday gloss with a little color great on someone with natural pink lips

Karim Orange is a nationally known natural cosmetics expert, celebrity make-up artist and two-time Emmy Award nominee whose work graces the faces of countless stars in television, music, movies and the theater. But Karim is a make-up activist as well -- and one of the most respected pioneers out there, leading the charge for more transparency in make-up ingredients and more choices for real women who want to look fantastic without fear of harmful chemicals and additives. By opening Organic Orange Studio, Karim is fulfilling both a professional goal and a lifelong calling: to educate and empower every woman to look like the star in her.

Fullback Ovie Mughelli Upclose & Personal

2008-12-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Eddie Rhodman his publicist for sending this over. I like Ovie, he is a real sweetheart!
SheNotes

*******************************

Getting to know Millionaire Fullback Ovie Mughelli
December 16, 2008 by belleniba

28 year old Ovie Mughelli is single, handsome, the highest paid fullback in the NFL and one of its hardest working athletes. In an interview with African Vibes Magazine’s Amabel Niba for the Jan/Feb 2009 Issue, Mughelli talks about his experience growing up in the US with Nigerian parents, their cultural differences and some of the challenges he had to overcome to become one of the best fullbacks in the NFL.

The Interview Preview:

Amabel Niba: Did you feel any different from the African American kids?
Ovie Mughelli: I always knew I was different from the African American kids. My mother would usually say “you are not like everyone else. You are an African child”. Some of the things that the other kids could do, I wasn’t allowed to do.

Amabel Niba: You took a tough journey and are now the highest paid Fullback in the NFL. Did you ever doubt yourself?
Ovie Mughelli: I doubted myself in college. Wake Forest was a very distinguished school. I was the only football player there who tried to go Premed. I was taking all the hard classes such as Organic Chemistry, Biology… I even took Anatomy. The students in the class were not athletes so they had twice as much time to study; to prepare and to be involved in the class. Being a student athlete, I didn’t have as much time. I was flying to Texas, New York … all over the place to play games and then I had to practice. It was difficult for me. I would go to class sometimes, tired and sleepy drinking coffee trying to stay awake. I would sit in the class for an hour and have no idea what the teacher was saying yet the test was tomorrow.
There are times when I would say “Am I even good enough to try to be a doctor like my Dad? Am I even good enough to be a Premed student? The stuff is so hard. I can’t even understand it.” Whenever I got into situations like that, I would go back to what my parents taught me as a child. I would look at everyone in the class and say “If these people can do it, I can do it too. I just have to work hard. There is no reason I can’t do it. I just need to calm down, work harder, get more help and properly schedule my time.” Time management is what my parents preach. That’s how they got to where they are today. I had to cut out the partying, cut out hanging out with girls so I could spend more time on my major which was Sports Medicine. If I wanted to be good, I had to work at it.
The same thing goes to football. When I got into the NFL, I doubted myself so much. I thought to myself “I was good in College. I was actually great in college but can I make it in the NFL? The guys are so big and so fast.” You had Guys like Ray Lewis … I could beat linebackers in college but in the NFL, the line backers were monstrous. They were beastly. They had veins popping out of their arms. They were like gladiators with red eyes. That’s how they seemed to me at the time; Like these immortal monsters. I felt like there was no way little old me could block them. I remember going up against Ray Lewis who is a perennial pro baller and one of the best in the league and he knocked me down. I went up again and he knocked me down. I got up again the third time and he knocked me down. It took every bit of courage that I had, to get up again and say you know what? I’m going to keep on coming at this guy full speed until I knock him down. It took me a couple of weeks of getting into the weight room working out and working on my technique but eventually I was able to not get knocked down. Soon I was able to hold my own and push him back.
It’s just about working at it. I would never have gotten to the point where I could knock him down, where I could take on any linebacker and feel like one of the best at what I do if I had given up. It’s all about persistence, sticking to it and not giving up on yourself because if you give up on yourself you will not have a chance to know how good you really are.

Read the entire interview in the upcoming digital and print edition of the African Vibes Magazine coming out January 1st 2009.

Holiday Eating Tips

2008-12-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, these tips are just as relevant as the business tips. We need to know these things!!!!

Enjoy & Happy Holidays ~

*********************************

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or
get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Top 10 Things You Should Know As An Unsigned Artist!

2008-12-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Tips Given By "Reality". Check it out, he is droppnig jewels!!!!

1.) Network - Networking is one of the major keys to success if you’re an unsigned artist. "Your Net Work often determines your Net Worth." Find out who some of the major players are in your area and start establishing relationships that can help you on your road to success.

2.) Unique Material - Often times artists try and make music that sounds like or similar to a record that is currently successful. This has had a major effect on the creativity in music. If you create your own unique material, and make it quality it will be a whole lot easier for you to stand out of the thousands of artists that are out there.

3.) Work Ethic - You must have a tenacious work ethic, if you want totake your career to the next level. If that means you have to work a 9-5 job during the day and work on your career immediately after, then so be it. I always say if you work 8 hours for someone else, you should work at least 8 hours if not more for your own dream. This not only will help you make progress in your career, it will also be motivation to those on your team.

4.) New Media - The internet has caused a revolution in the way we operate. It is one of the best ways to market yourself for the least amount of money. You can create a movement online that can span around the globe. Make sure you develop your website as well as sites like, Myspace, Facebook and work the internet like it is the streets.

5.) Teamwork - Team work is one of the main keys to success. Many great artists have had teams that believed in them and supported them before anyone else. Make sure you have a strong support system that will help, motivate, and support you through out your road to success. It is tough to be every where and do every thing by yourself. Work smarter not harder and team work is the smartest way to work.

6.) Be able to take Criticism - If you are an artist you have to have thick skin. You will constantly face criticism and rejection on your road to success. Once you make it and become successful you will face twice as much criticism. Therefore, be open to helpful criticism that can help you grow as an artist. The flip side to that is to not feed too much into constant negative criticism from people who don't see your vision. Those people might not see what you see yet.

7.) Performing - Artists performance skills often dictates the growth of his or her movement. Remember people want to see someone on stage do what the average person in the audience can't do. If you are a great performer you will help create fans. Fans often results in sales and so forth.

8.) Marketing - Artist should market themselves in a way that is believable and genuine. If you are an artist from the suburbs but you try to come off as an artist from the hood, people will eventually see through your image. You want to market yourself as much as possible. However, make sure it is unique and authentic. Stay true to yourself.

9.) Learn The Language - Unsigned artist should understand the terms that are beneficial to them. Artist or management should understand common terms such as BDS, Sound scan, Media base, and etc. A lot of artists even neglect setting up publishing with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. They are critical and beneficial to them receiving royalties for your music. Understand the language and use it to your advantage.

10.) Never Give Up - If it is your dream to be in the music business then you have to be committed to achieving your dream. Like the legend Bob Marley said "When one door is closed, another is open." Don't give up if you get rejected, focus on your dream and push forward.

Jamaal "Reality" Meeks is currently an A&R for SRC/ Universal Records.He is also Co-CEO of All Is One Entertainment that puts on monthly showcases called Faces In The Crowd for the unsigned community. So far they have helped 4 artist get major label deals in the last couple years. One artist we have helped get signed threw our showcase is "Chrisette Michelle" She is currently featured on Jay-Z new single "Lost Ones" This is the premiere showcase in NYC. Jamaal is also a talented producer and has produced music for many of the shows you see on MTV and VH1 (TRL, Direct Effect, Cribs, Real World, VH1 Hip Hop Honors, Made, Sweet 16, 50 cent House Party, Shady National Convention, to name a few. I have also produced and worked with the likes of Bishop Lamont (Aftermath Records), Camp Lo (SRC/ Universal Motown Records), Majic Massey (SRC? Universal Motown Records), Posta Boy, Prodigy (Mobb Deep), Taje (Thug Life), Yung RZ, Killa Mike (Purple Ribbon Records), D-Lou, Big Tuck (Universal Records), Tyree (MTC/ Universal New Zealand), and Flashy (Ruff Ryders/ Interscope Records) Jamaal Meeks is also CEO of Future History LLC which is an umbrella company for a management company, production company and clothing line.

Barack Obama: 50 Facts You Might Not Know.

2008-12-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

Fifty things you might not know about Barack Obama
By Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 3:40PM GMT 11 Nov 2008

• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics
• He was known as " O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball
• His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili
• His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini
• He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father
• He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed
• He has read every Harry Potter book
• He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali
• He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream
• His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars
• He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia
• He can speak Spanish
• While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead
• His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea
• He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't
• He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia
• He can bench press an impressive 200lbs
• He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his full name
• His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
• He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's fiancé, but left when a stripper arrived
• His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy
• He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming from sales of his books
• His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck
• He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee.
• His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees
• He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first date
• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker
• He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol
• He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician
• As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine
• His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia, 10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)
• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside
• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal
• His house in Chicago has four fire places
• Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita
• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry
• He uses an Apple Mac laptop
• He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300
• He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits
• He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes
• He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21 (£13)
• His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire
• He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers
• He was nicknamed "Bar"by his late grandmother
• He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds
• His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso
• His speciality as a cook is chilli
• He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins"
• He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life
• His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government

It's The Holidays Ya'll!

2008-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

If I Had My Life To Live Over

2008-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Erma Bombeck wrote the following before she passed from cancer. I felt compelled to share this because we are often preoccupied with things that are so insignificant. We are attached to what things look like, we make up stories about people that are just that....made up! We inject our "stuff" into the air that others breath and it is stifling! And of course, a conversation could clear the air but it seems easier to breath the pollution. We talk ourselves into feeling better to go to jobs that we hate and we are not patient with one another.

She is right, how much time do we spend trying to figure out why this person doesn't like us, or what did we say to make this person stop talking to us, or what did they mean by that email. It goes on and on....

When I read this it was like a breath of fresh air! And as usual, Erma Bombeck has a point.. it doesn't really matter. Live life!

Enjoy~

SheNotes

************************

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

by Erma Bombeck

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'

There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute. look at it and really see it . . live it and never give it back.

STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!! Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

If you don't mind, send this on to all the women you are grateful to have as friends. Maybe we should all grab that purple hat earlier.

Barack Obama Becomes The 44th President In Historic Election

2008-11-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive.
Mr. Obama's election amounted to a national catharsis -- a repudiation of a historically unpopular Republican president and his economic and foreign policies, and an embrace of Mr. Obama's call for a change in the direction and the tone of the country. But it was just as much a strikingly symbolic moment in the evolution of the nation's fraught racial history, a breakthrough that would have seemed unthinkable just two years ago.

Mr. Obama, 47, a first-term Democratic senator from Illinois, defeated Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, a former prisoner of war who was making his second bid for the presidency.

Mr. McCain offered a gracious concession speech at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix shortly after 11:15 p.m. Eastern time, quieting his booing supporters more than once when he mentioned Mr. Obama's name. "Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself, and for his country," he said, adding that he was sorry that Mr. Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who helped raise him during his teenage years, had not lived to see the day; she died on Sunday.

"These are difficult times for our country, and I pledged to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face," Mr. McCain said. "I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together."

To the very end, Mr. McCain's campaign was eclipsed by an opponent who was nothing short of a phenomenon, drawing huge crowds epitomized by the tens of thousands of people who turned out to hear Mr. Obama's victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago.
Mr. McCain also fought the headwinds of a relentlessly hostile political environment, weighted down with the baggage left to him by President Bush and an economic collapse that took place in the middle of the general election campaign.

The day shimmered with history as voters began lining up before dark hours before polls opened to take part in the culmination of a campaign that, over the course of two years, commanded an extraordinary amount of attention from the American public.
As the returns became known, and Mr. Obama passed milestone after milestone, winning Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Iowa and New Mexico many Americans rolled into the streets to celebrate what many described, with perhaps overstated if understandable exhilaration, a new era in a country where just 143 years ago, Mr. Obama, as a black man, could have been owned as a slave.
For Republicans, especially the conservatives who have dominated the party for nearly three decades, the night represented a bitter setback and left them contemplating where they now stand in American politics.

Mr. Obama led his party in a decisive sweep of Congress, putting Democrats in control of both the House and the Senate by overwhelming numbers and the White House for the first time since 1995, when Bill Clinton was president. The president-elect and his expanded Democratic majority now faces the task of governing the country through a difficult period: the likelihood of a deep and prolonged recession.
The roster of defeated Republicans included some notable party moderates including Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire and Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut signaling that the Republican conference that convenes in Washington next January will not only be smaller, but more conservative.

Mr. Obama will come into office after an election in which he laid out a number of clear promises: to cut taxes for most Americans, to get the United States out of Iraq in a fast ifand orderly fashion, and to expand health care. In a recognition of the difficult transition he faces, given the economic crisis, Mr. Obama is expected to begin filling White House jobs as early as this week.
The Democratic sweep took down some well-known Republican senators, including Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and John E. Sununu of New Hampshire. But Democrats failed to achieve the 60-seat majority required to prevent Republican filibusters.

Mr. Obama defeated Mr. McCain in Ohio, a central battleground in American politics, despite a huge effort that brought Mr. McCain and his running-mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, back there repeatedly. Ohio was a state Mr. Obama lost decisively to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in the Democratic primary.
Mr. McCain failed to take from Mr. Obama the two Democratic states that were at the top of his target list: New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. And in addition to Ohio, Democrats captured two other Republican states, Iowa and New Mexico.

Mr. Obama comes into office with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Delaware, his vice-presidential running mate. Even before the final results were called, there were indications that Mr. McCain's advisers were in fact unhappy with their vice-presidential candidate, Ms. Palin, who was announced by Mr. McCain to an explosion of enthusiasm and interest by conservatives and since caused a series of embarrassments for Mr. McCain.
Mr. McCain's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, demurred when asked whether he thought in was happy with Ms. Palin's performance. "I'm not going to go there," Mr. Schmidt said. "There'll be time for the post-mortems in the race."

Initial signs were that Mr. Obama benefited from a huge turnout of voters, but particularly among blacks. That group of voters made up 13 percent of the electorate on Tuesday, according to surveys of people leaving the polls, compared with 11 percent in 2006. In North Carolina, Republicans said that the huge surge of African-Americans was one of the big factors that lead to Mrs. Dole's loss.

Mr. Obama also did strikingly well among Hispanic voters, beating Mr. McCain did far less better among those voters than Mr. Bush did in 2004, suggesting the damage the Republican Party has suffered among those voters over four years in which Republicans have been at the forefront on the effort to crack down on illegal immigrants.

As thousands of people gathered in downtown Chicago to celebrate their hometown candidate, the audience erupted in bursts of applause each time a state was called for Mr. Obama. The party took on the air of a drive-in movie theater, with his supporters remaining eerily quiet until a new development flashed across giant television screens. A thundering roar sounded when the roll call of projected Democratic victories suddenly included Ohio.

Senator Barack Obama stood on the brink of an historic victory Tuesday after he appeared to have won enough electoral votes to defeat Senator John McCain for president and to become the first African-American to serve as the nation's chief executive.

Mr. Obama won Ohio, a key battleground in American presidential politics, and held off assaults by Mr. McCain in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the top two states that Democrats won in 2004 that Mr. McCain had fought to take back.
The exit polls found that a broad majority of voters considered the economy to be the most important issue facing the nation. And Mr. Obama was viewed as much more qualified than Mr.McCain to deal with that issue.

Blacks made up 13 percent of the total electorate, up from 11 percent last time, the polls showed. More than 95 percent of them said they had voted for Mr. Obama, an African-American. Mr. Obama was also winning overwhelmingly among Latino voters. Mr. McCain was faring much poorer among those voters compared with how President Bush performed in 2004, suggesting a long-term problem for the Republican Party with a rapidly growing demographic group.
Mr. Obama held on to the two top Democratic states that Mr. McCain had targeted to win back, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire.

Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain were in their home states late Tuesday, awaiting final results. Tens of thousands of Mr. Obama's supporters gathered in Grant Park in his hometown, Chicago, to greet him. Mr. McCain was planning to address supporters at a ballroom in the elegant Biltmore Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Phoenix.

In what was shaping up as a good night for the Democratic Party, its candidates knocked off Republican senators in New Hampshire and North Carolina, while picking up an open Senate seat in Virginia with the victory of Mark R. Warner, a former governor, to succeed John W. Warner, a Republican who is retiring.

Senator John E. Sununu of New Hampshire was ousted by former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, while Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina was beaten by a Democratic state lawmaker, Kay R. Hagan.
Reflecting Mr. Obama's ability to draw new voters to his side, 70 percent of people voting for the first time said they had backed him. A similar percentage of voters under 30 years old also supported him.

The only age group that went for Mr. McCain, who is 72, were voters 65 and older, according to the exit polls conducted by Edison/Mitofsky.
One in eight respondents said that age was an important factor in their vote; of those, three quarters voted for Mr. Obama.

The election ended what by any definition was one of the most remarkable contests in American political history, drawing what was by every appearance unparalleled public interest. Throughout the day, people lined up at the polls for hours ? some showing up before dawn ? to cast their votes. Aides to both campaigns said that anecdotal evidence suggested record-high voter turnout.

Reflecting the intensity of the two candidates, Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama took a page from what Mr. Bushfull first reference to President Bush did in 2004 and continued to campaign after the polls opened.
Mr. McCain left his home in Arizona after voting early Tuesday to fly to Colorado and New Mexico, two states where Mr. Bush won four years ago but where Mr. Obama waged a spirited battle. These were symbolically appropriate final campaign stops for Mr. McCain, reflecting the imperative he felt of trying to defend Republican states against a challenge from Mr. Obama.
"Get out there and vote," Mr. McCain said in Grand Junction, Colo. "I need your help. Volunteer, knock on doors, get your neighbors to the polls, drag ?em there if you need to."

By contrast, Mr. Obama flew from his home in Chicago to Indiana, a state that in many ways came to epitomize the audacity of his effort this year. Indiana for a Democrat since President Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in 1964, and Mr. Obama made an intense bid for support there. He later returned home to Chicago play basketball, his election-day ritual.

Mr. Obama cast his ballot at 7:36 a.m., Central time, at the Beulah Shoesmith Elementary School in Chicago, accompanied by his wife, Michelle. "I noticed that Michelle took a long time though," he said afterwards. "I had to check to see who she was voting for."

Mr. McCain voted later, at 9:08 a.m., Mountain time, at the Albright United Methodist Church in Phoenix. He and his wife, Cindy, were greeted there by supporters with cheers of "Senator McCain" and "Thank you, senator."

The nation's faltering economy seemed to weigh in voters' minds: A survey of voters leaving polling places found that 6 in 10 said this was their dominant concern, a reflection of the economic collapse that provided the backdrop for the general election contest.
Six in 10 voters said the economy was their top concern. In a sign of how much the terrain of this election changed since Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain started campaigning in their party caucuses and primaries more than a year ago, only 1 in 10 cited the war in Iraq.

The first exit polls suggested a spike in voting among blacks that had been a source of concern among Republicans: 13 percent of the electorate, compared with 11 percent in 2004.

Across the country in Florida, Georgia, New York and North Carolina, to name a few places polling stations reported overflow crowds, with long waits and packed parking lots. Mr. McCain's advisers had predicted that 130 million people would vote, compared with 123.5 million who cast ballots four years ago, reflecting the intense interest in the race.

Mr. Obama waged in many ways an improbable campaign. He is a first-term United States senator from Illinois who just five years ago was serving as a state senator. It was because of that rumor that his main opponent in the battle for the Democratic nomination, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, thought that he would not last.
But Mr. Obama proved to be a phenomenal campaigner, drawing huge and excited crowds and defeating Mrs. Clinton in Iowa, an overwhelmingly white state. That outcome, more than any other single vote, signaled to Democratic leaders the potency of the Obama appeal. But the two candidates battled through the very last primary battle in June before Mrs. Clinton, bowing to the inevitable, pulled out of the race.

Mr. McCain also won his party's nomination improbably after he had, a year ago, appeared doomed when his campaign ran out of money. He persevered through a combination of scrappiness and a field of primary opponents who each had problems with the fractured Republican electorate.

In his campaign, Mr. Obama offered some fairly ambitious promises, including tax cuts for most Americans, a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and an expansion of health care coverage. Mr. McCain pledged not to leave Iraq without a victory and promised to continue Mr. Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.
Early exit polls suggested that Mr. Obama was receiving the support of half of men. If that continued, he would be the first Democratic candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976 to do so. Seven in 10 voters under 30 backed Mr. Obama, and voters over 65 supported Mr. McCain.

Insight To Music Labels

2008-10-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

My girl Lesvia posted this on her Facebook! (Thanks mama)

I thought it was worthy of sharing. For all of you independent artists out there trying to find your way, do some research. There is nothing more frustrating then answering questions about the state of the business and then they decide they want to buck the system...FROM THE OUTSIDE!!!

Get in first, learn the game, do the research understand that when you pick up the phone to dial my # you are getting a professional opinion, it's not personal! Whew.....just had to get that out. :-)

Enjoy~

Some Of McCain's Black Relatives Support Obama

2008-10-29T09:53:00.001-07:00

In the rural Teoc community of Carroll County, Miss., where the ancestors of Sen. John McCain owned enslaved Africans on a plantation, black, white and mixed-race family members unite every two years for their Coming Home Reunion, on the land where the plantation operated.

Some of McCain’s black family members say they are not sure exactly where they fall on the family tree, but they do know this: They are either descendants of the McCain family slaves, or of children the McCains fathered with their slaves.

White and black members of the McCain family have met on the plantation several times over the last 15 years, but one invited guest has been conspicuously absent: Sen. John Sidney McCain.

“Why he hasn’t come is anybody’s guess,” said Charles McCain Jr., 60, a distant cousin of John McCain who is black. “I think the best I can come up with, is that he doesn’t have time, or he has just distanced himself, or it doesn’t mean that much to him.”

Other relatives are not as generous.

Lillie McCain, 56, another distant cousin of John McCain who is black, said the Republican presidential nominee is trying to hide his past, and refuses to accept the family’s history.

“After hearing him in 2000 claim his family never owned slaves, I sent him an email,” she recalled. “I told him no matter how much he denies it, it will not make it untrue, and he should accept this and embrace it.”

She said the senator never responded to her email.

Although Charles is uncertain who will get his vote for president, several of John McCain’s black and white relatives are supporting his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.

“I am absolutely supporting Obama, and it’s not because he’s black. It’s because he is the best person at this time in our history,” said Lillie McCain, a professor of psychology at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan.

“We simply need to look at the economy, and McCain’s campaign does not take us there,” said Joyce McCain, Lillie’s sister, a retired engineering manager with General Motors who lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan. “He is my cousin, but we are in dire times right now and people are hurting. Sen. Obama is clearly the best choice to be president.

’’Charles McCain and his wife, Theresa, who still live in Teoc, started the reunions over a decade ago. Charles is the deacon of Mitchell Springs Baptist Church, the only black house of worship in the area.

When Theresa McCain started the family reunions in the late 1980s or early ‘90s (neither he nor his wife is sure of the exact starting date), only black family members attended. But as word spread about the gatherings, white members of the McCain family got involved. Today, the reunion has expanded to the point where it is becoming a community event.

The reunion’s website, teocfamilyreunion.ning.com, has pictures, postings and other information about the family gatherings. While Sen. McCain’s brother, Joe, and many of his other white relatives attend the reunions, family members say Sen. McCain has never acknowledged them, or even responded to their invitations.

“Well, a lot of the people who had moved away and were living up north, would send money to help us maintain the church,” said Theresa McCain, 62. “Myself and others began inviting them back home for picnics, just to show our appreciation.

”The McCain campaign did not respond to repeated questions about John McCain’s black relatives, or about his relatives of both races who support Obama. Pablo Carrillo, a media liaison with the McCain campaign, said the senator was aware of his African-American relatives, but asked the reporter to put his questions into writing, and that someone would get back to him.

After the reporter sent questions in writing, and made repeated follow-up phone calls, neither Sen. McCain nor anyone else from the campaign responded.

Based on information obtained by the South Florida Times, the senator has numerous black and mixed-raced relatives who were born on, or in, the area of the McCain plantation. The mixed races in the family can be traced back to the rural Teoc community of Carroll County, Miss., where his family owned slaves.

Sen. John McCain’s great, great grandfather, William Alexander McCain (1812-1863), fought for the Confederacy and owned a 2,000-acre plantation named Waverly in Teoc. The family dealt in the slave trade, and, according to official records, held at least 52 slaves on the family’s plantation. The enslaved Africans were likely used as servants, for labor, and for breeding more slaves.William McCain’s son, and Sen. John McCain’s great grandfather, John Sidney McCain (1851-1934), eventually assumed the duty of running the family’s plantation.

W.A. “Bill” McCain IV, a white McCain cousin, and his wife Edwina, are the current owners of the land. Both told the South Florida Times that they attend the reunions. They also said the McCain campaign had asked them not to speak to the media about the reunions, or about why the senator has never acknowledged the family gatherings.

In addition to distancing himself from his black family members, John McCain has taken several positions on issues that have put him at odds with members of the larger black community.

While running for the Republican Party nomination in 2000, he sided with protesters who were calling for the rebel battle flag to be removed from the South Carolina statehouse, only to alter that position later.

"Some view it as a symbol of slavery. Others view it as a symbol of heritage,” John McCain said of the flag. "Personally, I see the battle flag as a symbol of heritage. I have ancestors who have fought for the Confederacy, none of whom owned slaves. I believe they fought honorably.

’’Novelist Elizabeth Spencer, another white cousin of John McCain, noted the slaves the family owned in the family’s memoirs, Landscapes of the Heart. Sen. McCain has acknowledged reading the book, but claims to have only glossed over entries about their slaves.

“That’s crazy,” said Spencer, who also attends the reunions in Teoc. “No one had to tell us, because we all knew about the slaves. I may not vote, because I don’t want anyone to think that I have an issue with John, but I don’t want to see him become president because I think Obama is entirely adequate, and it’s time for a Democrat.

’’Spencer acknowledged donating money to the Obama campaign and to what she called “Democratic causes.”Sen. John McCain was born in 1936 at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station, a segregated military installation in the Panama Canal, where his father was stationed in the U.S. Navy. His family returned to the states shortly after his birth; where he went on to attend segregated schools in the Teoc community and elsewhere around the country.

He served in the Navy, where he was a prisoner of war during Vietnam, before being released and eventually running for Congress.

After he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, McCain voted against the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday in 1983. When he arrived in the U.S. Senate in 1986, he joined North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms in opposing the holiday again, and voted in 1994 to cut funding to the commission that marketed it.

John McCain also aligned himself with former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham.

Mecham was the governor in McCain’s home state of Arizona from January 1987 to April 1988, when he was impeached and removed from office for campaign finance violations. As a state senator and governor, Mecham publicly used racial slurs against black people and other minorities. He was also a member of the John Birch Society, which opposes civil rights legislation.

In 1986, Mecham campaigned for governor on a promise to rescind the state’s recognition of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which he did in 1987.

Earlier this year, during the 40th anniversary recognition of King’s assassination, McCain, by this time a presidential candidate, said he was wrong for opposing the national King holiday.

Politics in America has long been steeped in the dynamics of the country’s myriad cultures, diverse ethnicities, and varying religious beliefs. Several of Sen. McCain’s black relatives say Obama’s candidacy represents progress.

“He is denying his black and white relatives in Teoc,” said Joyce McCain, 54. “I think he may not want the country to know his family’s full history, but times have changed and we need to move on, and that’s why I’m supporting Obama.”

As seen in the South Florida Times:

http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2041&Itemid=42

Email:EJones@sfltimes.com

Photo: Lillie McCain, left, and her husband, Jack Vickers, right, pose with Joe McCain, center, during this year’s family reunion.

NAMD New York Chapter Update

2008-10-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

What is NAMD?

The National Alliance of Market Developers is an organization of professionals engaged in marketing, sales, sales promotion, advertising and public relations who are focused on the delivery of goods and services to the minority and urban consumer markets.

Established in 1953 as black marketing specialists networked to search out new ways to cope with the challenges in cultivating the "Black Market," the National Alliance of Market Developers is committed to being a catalyst for positive and progressive change for African-Americans.

To accomplish our goals we create local networking opportunities, provide professional development and form alliances within strategic market segments and the general market. NAMD also provides research data that helps educate consumers and marketers, allowing both audiences to make better market decisions.

Market development is essential and the NAMD represents one of the nation's finest marketing and networking organizations. We assist our members in capitalizing on the inherent opportunities and successfully addressing the challenges of navigating this market.

Check out the website http://www.namd-nyc.org/ and make sure that you stop by our member of the month Rochelle Hill. Here is what she has to say about NAMD.

"Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I want to encourage my smart, gifted, intelligent mover/shaker friends and colleagues who live and/or work, in the NY area, to join the National Alliance of Market Developers.....

If you are in the marketing communications field from 9a to 5p, or after 5p and on the weekends as a good hustle, you should join. If you are not in the marketing communications field but marketers use your products or services then, you should join. This is a chance to be associated with the some of the best movers of the marketing industry and an opportunity to further hone your craft within the strategic planning, public speaking, event planning/marketing, sponsorships, public relations, and strategic alliances disciplines (just to name a few) by joining, as there are committees being formed as we speak--to work on some fantastic projects!"

"The NYC chapter is poised to be the strongest chapter in the nation and I know you are like me--you want to be ahead of the curve and up on what is next--well, this is it."

"I forwarded the first fall NAMD-NYC chapter Marketing Mondays information to you and if you did not attend well, you definitely missed out. For only $10., the panel of experts shared a plethora of information on financing your business, what not to put in a marketing plan, how your web site can bring money to you, and other tools beneficial for starting a new business or to make you shine in your current job. A few of the panelists, even agreed to accept emails form those in the audience who wanted to forward their business plan for free feedback. But, you will never get that information now because you did not attend. Oh yeah, and there were great snacks, as well! So, again, do not miss out on your next opportunity to participate.
Be sure to check out this link http://www.namd-nyc.org/events.html for the upcoming events in November. Thanks and let me know if you would like to chat and learn more or ask any questions. I look forward to seeing you as a MEMBER, at our next event. Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Rochelle Hill"

A Song For "Misses Palin".

2008-10-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

These two "Russian guys" have created the best tribute to Palin that I have seen to date. It's all about the dance at the end! Absolutely hilarious!!!!

Enjoy~
**************

Beyonce Changes Her Name To Sasha Fierce.

2008-10-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ummmm.......

Just like the Seinfeld episode where George wanted everyone to call him T-Bone, Beyonce Knowles would like to be known by a bold new name. The R&B singer has christened herself Sasha Fierce for her new double album, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, due in US stores on November 18, and has released a lengthy justification for the comical moniker.
She insists Sasha Fierce is who she really is, and is more fun, sensual, aggressive, outspoken and glamorous.

Beyonce has forged a hugely successful solo singing career after the girl group Destiny's Child (which she headlined) parted ways and has also had small roles in feature films, most notably as Foxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers Goldmember.
She married hip hop producer Jay-Z in a private ceremony in New York this year after dating for several years.
Singers have in the past changed their name after enjoying great success, most famously of course is Prince, who became an unpronounceable symbol and Puff Daddy, who became P Diddy.

As seen as on http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411423/2227394.

Pay It Forward

2008-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Daily LaunchTip

From Ladies Who Launch

This launch tip comes form Gail Goodman, founder of Constant Contact. I can not agree with this more. I am so thankful for those that did it and continue to do it for me! :-)

SheNotes~

****

"Many accomplished entrepreneurs gave generously of their time and wisdom when I was just starting out. I could never have gotten where I am today without them. That’s why I help other entrepreneurs when ever I can. I pay it forward, giving my time and advice. Once you’re successful it’s all too easy to forget those uncertain early days and the people who helped you through them. Don’t fall into this trap. What goes around comes around."

Gail Goodman, Constant Contact.

http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/

Start Your Monday With Creme In Your Blog!

2008-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

When you start drifting today, as we all do on Mondays, take a second to check the Creme Magazine Blog. Lots of cool stuff there and some great editorial by my girl Dominga.
http://www.creme-magazine.com/

SheNotes
*****************************************

The Birth of Barack
By Dominga Martin

What an amazing time in this country! I step into my Brooklyn neighborhood and feel the buzz all around me. People wave and say “hi” that never have before. The tide is shifting and there’s a sense of power and spirituality resonating in the city…in your city…in the world.

On November 4th, Barack will do more than “Make History” he will give birth to a million more Baracks. As I reflect on the monumental leaps in this election, it made me think about a documentary I just produced called “fiche di identite” a term which means “request for ID” used in by police officers in France when people seem suspicious. The doc is a story of 7 friends from Paris and Africa. One of the main characters (Olivia Senghor) is the granddaughter of the First President of Senegal (Leopold Sedhar Senghor); another Mariama, the daughter of a former New Guinea Governor.

Although they are royalty in their own country, they come here to fight for the rights we all should have. Rights black men and women fought for, not so long ago. Mariama said something so profound when we were filming; “We are not criminals, we come here to build the economy, why make us go through so much for a piece of paper?” Isn’t that ironic? How everything boils down to a piece of green paper; whether money or a validation card?

I supported Olivia and her friend’s story because I also come from a long legacy of artists and activists. My family has a 120 year old family collection opening at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum in a few years; consisting of an uncle who was the founder of Boston’s First Victorian Orchestra, who traveled from Paris to France in the late 1800’s to encourage race relations in music. A cousin who trained to be a Tuskegee Airman and an Uncle who’s a WWI Hero–and no he wasn’t captured! He blocked a fellow soldier, taking 11 bullets and survived. He received a Purple Heart and later went to work for President Franklin Roosevelt.

I grew up with a mother who’s the recipient of the Martin Luther King Drum Major for Justice Award; yet, lost a lot of male friends due to the injustices of this country and gang violence.

I often wondered when black men would get their hour…well, their hour is now! We have to support Barack and the future Baracks and stand beside our men. Support their dreams. Root for Michelle who represents the essence of a woman. We have to support the First Family that represents all of our families. We have to support each other. All of us who stand in the reflection of our fathers.

I encourage all of you to do your part in this election process no matter what happens on November 4th. We must stay active and continue to make our voices heard, because from November 5th on…life will be different!

Please pick up the current issue of Black Enterprise YES WE MUST! The Presidential Election Special. On Stands now!!!

Special THANKS to George Alexander (Editor-At-Large) for including me in the feature “What this Election Means to America.”

Daily Tips from LadiesWhoLaunch.com

2008-10-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

This email was so timely this morning. Often when doing business especially with one another (women), we have to be mindful of our intent and purposes. I think that these 3 tips are a great way assure that we are really just about our business and are not allowing other non relevant feelings and emotions to interfere.

SheNotes~
******

Daily LaunchTip
From Victoria Colligan, Founder, Ladies Who Launch.

"Whenever I draft email communication I find that checking myself for any passive aggressive indications is essential to maintaining and building solid business relationships."

Here are three easy that I use to check myself:

1. Read each sentence and ask yourself: Am I saying exactly what I mean or am I intending for someone to figure out an alternative meaning that I have not explicitly stated here?

2. Is any part of my communication being driven by emotions that are outside of the scope of this business relationship. Try to develop an awareness of your emotions in every situation.

3. Is this communication better done in person or by phone even though I might feel uncomfortable? If the answer is yes, pick up the phone. Email often distorts meaning and can work against you in getting to your goal.

http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/

Ladies Who Launch is the first new media company to provide resources and connections for women entrepreneurs. Women are launching businesses at twice the rate of men, and they are doing it primarily for lifestyle reasons–they want more freedom, flexibility, and creativity in their lives. The Ladies Who Launch mission is to make entrepreneurship accessible to any woman with a project, dream or aspiration to start her own business and be successful. We have found a definitive link between launching a business and higher self-esteem and happiness; it is our hope that women will come to Ladies Who Launch and take advantage of our trusted community, tools, resources and success stories and live their dreams.

October Is Breast Cancer Month

2008-10-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

October is Breast Cancer Month!!

Harlem World Magazine Against Breast Cancer

At The Breast Cancer Site, every day is a chance to make a difference.

It's fast, free and easy - remembering to click is usually the hardest part! Help make a difference in someone else's life, make sure to click daily for the month of October.

By clicking free mammograms are donated to an undeserved woman when their daily quota is met. It takes less than 30 seconds to go to the site and click on "FUND FREE MAMMOGRAM" button.

This doesn't cost you a thing. Corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising. Spread the word, tell ten friends to tell ten more friends today.

Here's the web site! Breast Cancer Site

Please pass it along to 10 people you know or more Thank you!!!

***Stay Tuned For Bowling For Breast Cancer Details: Sat., October 25th, Harlem Lanes 6PM*****

Friday Morning Debate Reaction!!

2008-10-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the email Donna. This sums it all up. :-)

SheNotes

*****

Friday Morning Reaction: VP Debate

Fri Oct 03, 2008 at 02:08:05 AM PDT

As seen on http://kula2316.dailykos.com/

The reviews are in! The media consensus seems to be that Palin survived - exceeding her incredibly low expectations - but that Biden won by illustrating his superior command of the issues and relentlessly going after John McCain. Definitely not a game changer by any means, and any day that maintains the status quo is a bad day for McCain.
The even worse news for McCain? Today the economy is going to be front and center again, as the House votes on the bailout bill and the September unemployment numbers are announced, after the government announced yesterday that jobless claims are at a 7-year high.

Kula2316's diary :: ::
Before we get to the debate reaction, I wanted to point out this quote from John McCain yesterday - given all the discussion recently about his anger problems. Heck,
even Krauthammer today is saying that Obama has the superior temperament to be President.

Now this presents a real problem for McCain. He feels that in order to win this election he has to bring Obama down and the only way to do that is to attack him. But, attacking - especially in McCain's way - makes him look angry and he therefore reinforces the whole temperament issue. McCain has already said that he plans to go on the attack on Tuesday, reported by CBS News'

John Bentley:
"When are you going to take the gloves off and just go at him?" a woman asked, to loud cheering from the audience.
"How about Tuesday night?" McCain answered to more applause, referring to his second debate between Obama next week.
But how does he do that without reinforcing this gathering perception that he is angry, hot-tempered, irritable, sarcastic, etc.?
::::::

On to the good stuff! The New York Times editorial board agrees that Palin was too reliant on her prepared talking points:
But Ms. Palin never really got beyond her talking points in 90 minutes, mostly repeating clichés and tired attack lines and energetically refusing to answer far too many questions.
Senator Biden did well, avoiding one of his own infamous gaffes, while showing a clear grasp of the big picture and the details. He left Ms. Palin way behind on most issues, especially foreign policy and national security, where she just seemed lost. It was in those moments that her lack of experience — two terms as mayor of a tiny Anchorage suburb and less than two years as governor — was most painfully evident.
::::::

Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal compliments Palin's folksy, populist tone but has a back-handed way of doing it:

She is not a person of thought but of action. Interviews are about thinking, about reflecting, marshaling data and integrating it into an answer. Debates are more active, more propelled—they are thrust and parry.
Not a person of thought. Hmmm. Using Noonan's logic, Palin does badly in interviews because they are "about thinking." I don't know about you, but I think that is a pretty important quality in the potential President of the United States.
::::::

The Denver Post editorial board thinks she held her own, but might have lacked enough specifics to sway undecided voters:

She hailed Israel as an important ally, but didn't get much beyond calling for a two-state solution with Palestine. She called for cutting taxes to create jobs, but failed to counter Biden's outlining Obama's tax cuts for the middle class.
Bottom line: Palin's biggest task is convincing undecided voters that she could lead should she have to, and it's hard to see whether her performance, as clean as it was, held enough substance to sway them.
::::::

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial calls it a draw:

In this debate, Biden clearly had a better grasp of the issues. Palin skillfully sidestepped questions she didn't want to answer from moderator Gwen Ifill and, in so doing, did manage to sidestep that media filter she talked about.

But if the gauge is whether Palin could go toe-to-toe and present herself as genuine and an alternative, she clearly did her ticket a favor in this debate.
::::::

Diane Francis, one of our neighbors up North at the National Post is spot on:
She wasn't present. She wasn't real. She was Sally Sound-byte. (hilarious)
This debate was more revealing than the Presidential one last week because it became very clear that she simply doesn't have the substance to be VP much less President which reflects badly on John McCain's judgment. Obama will crush McCain. Said that months ago. Truer than ever.
::::::

Headline of the morning: Sarah Palin ignores questions she doesn't like in debate (NY Daily News)
::::::

Best quote of the morning (Douglass Burns, Iowa Independent):

For her part, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin – speaking with the programmed cadence of a GPS navigation system — used forced folksiness to deliver crammed material in the manner of a high schooler looking to score a good grade on a Spanish test. The kid may escape with a B-minus, but he wouldn't be able to order a cup of coffee in Spain a week later.
::::::

Mike Madden of salon.com says
Sarah Palin exceeds expectations - and still loses:

She might have undone whatever good will she earned with her "aw, shucks" Wasilla hockey mom ways, though, when she utterly failed to react after Biden choked up while discussing the death of his first wife and their daughter.
Palin's response was ice cold: "People aren't looking for more of the same. They are looking for change. And John McCain has been the consummate maverick in the Senate over all these years."
It was at this moment in the debate when Biden showed real authenticity and Palin showed just how programmed she was. She clearly did not know how to react - because she hadn't prepared for it - so she launched back into the talking points.
::::::

John F. Harris and Mike Allen of Politico declare Biden the clear winner:

To the contrary, it is hard to count any objective measures by which Biden did not clearly win the encounter. She looked like she trying to get people to take her seriously. He looked like he was running for vice president. His answers were more responsive to the questions, far more detailed and less rhetorical.
On at least ten occasions, Palin gave answers that were nonspecific, completely generic, pivoted away from the question at hand, or simply ignored it: on global warming, an Iraq exit strategy, Iran and Pakistan, Iranian diplomacy, Israel-Palestine (and a follow-up), the nuclear trigger, interventionism, Cheney's vice presidency and her own greatest weakness.
::::::

Scot Lehigh of the Boston Globe,
Biden's ready for the job:

You can say this about Sarah Palin: She did better debating Joe Biden than she did being interviewed by Katie Couric.
But that sets the bar very low indeed. So let's pay Palin the respect of treating her exactly as a male candidate would be treated. And that means saying this: She was simply nowhere near as good as Joe Biden
::::::

So what did you think? I have to admit I was disappointed that Ifill did not follow up on any of her questions that went unanswered by Sarah Palin. Maybe that was part of the debate negotiation, but Palin clearly avoided probably about half of the debate's questions and I thought that deserved some attention.

Also, I think we could get a much better understanding of the candidates if we spiced up the questions a bit. I mean, we all know the topics - Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, the bailout, taxes, health care, etc. I want to see some questions that they obviously haven't prepped for as extensively... how about asking what their plan is for fixing our nation's crumbling infrastructure? Or how they would engage with China in their administration? Or their opinion on the India-US nuclear treaty? That's why Couric's Supreme Court question was so illuminating - it showed that on answers that aren't prepared in advance, Palin is out of her league and Biden is thoughtful and knowledgeable. I'd like to see more of that.

Tags: John McCain, anger, temperament,
Sarah Palin, Joe Biden, VP debate, morning reaction, editorial, Recommended (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Men's Grooming Tips From Celebrity Barber "Marv The Barb".

2008-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's something about a well groomed brotha! Preach Marv!!!!
SheNotes~

MEN’S GROOMING TIPS

By Marvin “Marv the Barb” Church

As seen on Head Bussa http://www.headbussa.net/

This is Marv the Barb with your first of many grooming tips for today’s multi-dimensional man. Too many times we as men will pick up a razor and start hacking away at our face with what result? Intense razor burn and a shoddy shave that has the 5 o’clock shadow creeping faster than an Anderson Silva strike. Today’s edition will focus on the fundamental part of being a man, SHAVING.

This is the right way to shave and can be applied to all men regardless of skin type:

Shaving Face

1. Wash your face with a facial cleanser.

2. Massage the face with pre-shaving oil. This will relax and protect your skin from the razor

3. Apply a hot towel to the face to relax the bearded areas

4. Apply warm shaving cream to the face. Optional: Shaving Brush (badger brush)

5. Apply a hot steamed towel to the face to relax the hair bristles, for an easier shave

6. Apply razor to the face, stroke with the grain of the hair growth.

If necessary, re-lather the face for a complete shave.Optional: straight razor or disposable razor

7. After hair has been shaved, use a cool towel to remove any hair and shaving cream residue

8. Apply an after shave lotion or balm to the cleaned shaved areas.

Recommended Products: Art of Shaving, Clubman, Gentlemen’s Refinery, Woodys.

Marv the Barb is a celebrity barber stylist based in the District of Columbia. Working just minutes from the White House, Marv has styled everyone from Secret Service Agents to Stevie Wonder. He travels to the West Coast frequently to style celebrities on sets, magazine photo shoots and annual events such as ESPN’s ESPY Awards. For more info go to http://www.marvthebarb.com/.

Coach 2008 Winter Collection

2008-09-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Coach 08!

Between the grey sueade cape and the winter green patent leather bag I would have to agree that they are doing it big for Winter 08. Thanks Briana for the link! (Clink the link below the pics for more of the collection)

http://www.coach.com/content/CollectionListView.aspx?categoryId=1790&cm_sp=TopNav-_-WhatsNew-_-view%20all%20new%20product

Pastor Jamal Bryant on Sarah Palin

2008-09-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Pastor Jamal Bryant of Baltimore, Maryland speaks..I mean preaches on Sarah Palin. :-)

The Daily Dandy

2008-09-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

Check out my friends new blog. Now...I have to admit that he blogs waaaaay more than I do and has some really neat stuff on his spot but I am willing to share my readership with him! :-)

I have taken the liberty of posting one of his latest....enjoy.

Raychelle

Benjamin Andre to Be Exact...

Benjamin Andre, on half of the the downsouth rap group Outkast has launched his clothing line Benjamin Bixby. I know what you are thinking, WTF!!! Didn't he already have a clothing line. The answer is yes and no.
The Outkast line with the big "O" on the front was kinda weird and I remember seeing this homeless guy with one of the hoodies on recently. Mr. 3000 has redeemed himself with his latest entry into the fashion world.

Can You Handle Your Haters?

2008-09-12T06:31:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday!!! This was sent to me by one of my blog readers. He felt like it was one of those things that should "absolutely be posted". :-) Thanks MW.....

A HATER

by Maya Angelou

A Hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time, trying to make you look small so they can look tall. They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough!

When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters...That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed... It's dangerous to be like somebody else...If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what he gave them!right?

You never know what people have gone through to get what they have...The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don’t know my story... If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!

We've all got some haters among us! People envy you because you can: Have a relationship with God. Light up a room when you walk in. Start your own business. Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn't about the right thing). Raise your children without both parents being in the home.

Haters can't stand to see you happy;Haters will never want to see you succeed;Haters never want you to get the victory, most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side?
How do you handle your undercover haters?

Eusonia Records & Painting It Red Presents....

2008-09-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

TONIGHT , September 11th, 2008

Eusonia Records and Painting it Red present:

This Much is True the official album release after party Starring:Maiysha www.maiysha.com www.myspace.com/maiyshamusic
@
France Origine 71 Spring St.

(between Crosby and Lafayette)
doors open at 10pm

Hosted by
Ford models http://www.fordmodels.com

Music by: Beverly Bond http://djbeverlybond.biz/ & DJ Toni K

Open Bar sponsored by Seraphin Cognac http://www.seraphin-cognac.com/

please RSVP no later than 9/11 at 3pm : rsvp@hustlemode.com

powered by:
FORD MODELS
HustleMode
Sweet Cheeba Brand
MB&ASSOCIATES

THE BLACK MALE HANDBOOK: A Blueprint for Life -- Edited by Kevin Powell

2008-08-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

THE BLACK MALE HANDBOOK: A Blueprint for Life

Edited by Kevin Powell

Available in Stores September 9th

From Writer, Activist, and 2008 Democratic Congressional Candidate KEVIN POWELL comes a "Must-Read" Guide and Call-to-Action for Black Boys and Men to Redefine Their Manhood for the Greater Good of Themselves, Their Communities and the World
Bad news surrounding the fate of Black boys and men is frequently reported in the media. They're not graduating from high school. The numbers of Black men dying as a result of violence perpetuated by another Black male continues to increase in alarming numbers. The consistently growing numbers of Black children being born to single mother households is at a crisis level in the Black community. Everyone is offering the reports, but no one seems to be offering any answers or, more importantly, guidance and solutions. THE BLACK MALE HANDBOOK offers a collection of intimate, deeply personal and prescriptive essays by influential Black men on surviving, living and winning.

As seen on http://www.optimumcapitalmanagement.com.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Presents TRACE Black Girls Rule Launch Party

2008-08-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Presents
TRACE Black Girls Rule Launch Party
Guest editor Spike Lee Attended and a Blazing Blue Carpet
Featured Keri Hilson

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE spotlighted TRACE Black Girls Rule Launch Party on Tuesday, Aug. 19 in the meatpacking district. This annual issue featured guest editor Spike Lee, who showed up at this blazing blue carpet event. Singer/song writer Keri Hilson graces the cover that is proclaiming and reclaiming what those in the industry have come to realize—black girls truly do rule.

Throngs of paparazzi and glamour seekers showed up to the soiree to see and be seen. Those who were on the elite guest list, entertained those who were not, by stopping by the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE blue carpet and giving the fans the wave or the smile they were seeking.

TRACE’s editor, Claude Grunitzy, was the “proud papa” of another successful cover party celebration and he definitely enjoyed himself with guests Homeschool/Atlantic Records UK recording artist, Estelle, celebrity spinner, DJ Saigon, Mark Baptiste and throngs of models and New York City style divas. The models were not the only style icons that made an appearance. The venue was styled out with BOMBAY blue, and a VIP pour played with the guests’ pallets as they sipped on complimentary beverages such as the Sapphire Collins and the Sapphire Madras, all made with the premium gin--an alternative to the old vodka standards.
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE was proud to honor the accomplishments of TRACE magazine and its daring, true approach to beauty.

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the best selling super premium gin in the United States. The combination of its ten unique botanicals, vapour infusion process and authentic British heritage secure BOMBAY SAPPHIRE as a leader among gins, as well as a symbol of style and sophistication. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE strongly supports inspired adult individuals who create passionate work in design, film and other artistic arenas. For more information, please visit http://www.bombaysapphire.com/.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE & Rick Ross Partner For Charity.

2008-08-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Rick Ross for his charity work. The sad part is that if you were to Google this even you would only see the negative. This event was peaceful and everyone had a great time!
Thanks to Rochelle Hill, Precision Plus communications for sending this info over for me! Ya'll know that SheNotes LOVES the kids! :-)
*********

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Hosted Rick Ross Charities Party at B.E.D.
The Benefit Supports the Distribution of Free Backpacks for Students and
Complimentary Health Screenings for Families

Miami Beach, Fl. - BOMBAY SAPPHIRE spotlights Rick Ross, Slip N Slide Records recording artist, for his support of the communities in need. Through its sponsorship of the benefit party, which took place on Wednesday, Aug. 6, more families will be able to receive free health screenings and more children will receive backpacks and school supplies to kick off the school year. Rick Ross Charities was able to serve over 2,000 children and families as a result of this year's efforts. That night, Rick Ross gave an impromptu, 45-minute performance (after jumping up onto the highest bed) of mostly all of his songs, which the fans loved him for. The crowd joined in and sang along in the background. Of course, he came with celebrity friends, including Webbie, Mass Pike Myles (of Ross' own label Mayback Music), Torch and recording artist Brisco of Poe Boy Entertainment. Even White Boy from VH1's " I Love New York 2," was in the house.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE rewarded Ross' hard work and quenched his thirst and those of the fans with a VIP cocktail hour presentation featuring specialty drinks, such as the " Miami Breeze" and the " Sapphire Collins." But more importantly, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE supported positivity and Rick Ross' community service efforts and was honored to highlight his accomplishments by sponsoring the good ol' fashioned, fundraising, fun jam with MCs on the mike. Awareness and support of this nature, from hip-hop and rap fans, is greatly needed.

About Rick Ross Charities, Inc.
Rick Ross Charities, Inc. is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3), founded by Rick Ross in 2006. Rick Ross Charities' mission is to strengthen the lives of today's at-risk youth from all backgrounds and create diversity by providing solid resources through education advocacy, mentoring programs and financial resources to deserving students. Rick Ross is committed to having Rick Ross Charities, Inc. serve as a catalyst to inspire positive change by creating and supporting programs that uplift the well being of todays youth. Rick Ross Charities provides community support through various programs and projects such as the annual " Rick Ross Be Out Day", Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, holiday gift giveaways, a college scholarship fund financial seminars and a host of others.

About B.E.D.
B.E.D. has attracted South Beach's creme de la creme as well as leading celebrities from Paris Hilton, Simon Rex, Shaquille O'Neal, Jamie Foxx, Wilmer Valderrama, Lennox Lewis, John Mayer, Scott Storch, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Will Smith, Larry Johnson, Timbaland, Johnny Knoxvillle and Gwen Stephanie. The new and improved B.E.D. is proud to show off its enhanced look and boasts all that South Beach has been craving in the social and gastronomic scene. For more information, please call 305.532.9070 or visit http://www.bedmiami.com/

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the best selling super premium gin in the United States. The combination of its ten unique botanicals, vapour infusion process, and authentic British heritage secure BOMBAY SAPPHIRE as a leader among gins, as well as a symbol of style and sophistication. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE strongly supports inspired adult individuals who create passionate work in design, film, and other artistic areas. For more information, please visit
http://www.bombaysapphire.com/

Should You Pay For Press???

2008-08-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

I found this article to be very interesting. I found it on the Unsigned Underground site http://www.bluecavestudios.com/wordpress/. Check it out!

Would love to hear your feedback on paying for reviews and press?? I personally don't agree with it but it happens.

SheNotes

**************************

Press Clips: How to get a good one?

Should a review be free or should you pay?

By:Darryl Gregory

In the scramble to get your press kit completed you want to have several essential things included: a good head-shot or picture of the band, a snappy description of your album, a short bio and some press clips. Ah the press clips. Where do they come from and how do you go about enticing some unknown author to write something nice and constructive about your tracks? Can just anybody write something about your work? Does it matter if the byline of the author is Rolling Stone or Podunk Weekly? And, should a review be free or should you pay?

So how do you get a decent review of the music that you have just released? After spending a year in the studio and thousands of dollars you don't want to have some bozo just say something like - Nice effort-. You want substance and you want a review that you can pull a nice blurb from to put on the front of your press releases and you website. So where to turn? Chances are, unless you have a really good PR person with connections, you're not going to get a review from a major publication for your first or second album. So here are some simple, easy places to look for a review.

You may be living with, went to college with, or work with a reviewer and you didn't even know it. Those same people are probably your fans as well, so why not ask them for a quick review? The best reviews I have read come from fans because if I really want to know whether a CD is going to be good, I'll ask someone who really knows the artist. There is usually space on the pages of digital distribution sites (like CDBaby, iLike, etc.) for your fans to write a quick review, so why not get yours to write a few? It's free and your fans will be flattered when you ask them.

Another free source for a music review are bloggers and podcasters. There are a lot of people out there trying their hands at both and they need material. Often bloggers and podcasters are one in the same so they can play your music and write a review. If you ask one of these new media people to review your work, look at theirs first. Read a few of their reviews to see if they 1, can write well and 2, are generally positive. You don't want to send your CD to a curmudgeon who just wants to cut things up. Also send your CD to a reviewer that understands your genre of music so they can say something insightful.

Seeing my name in print, ink print that is, is still exciting to me. Don't totally focus on web-based media as they are still a thin slice of the pie. Try to get your CD reviewed or at least mentioned in a print periodical that can be passed around and accidentally picked up at the doctor's office.

Your local newspaper is a great resource for reviews. You can often just call up and speak directly to the writer and ask them for a quick review. Local papers love doing articles on local talent. I live in a small town in Connecticut and I have been in the local paper several times with out really trying.

Magazines are still in circulation last I checked and there a few that do reviews of indie musicians. Again, check to see which ones review your genre of music and then usually you can check their website to find out where to send a copy of your CD for review. The ones that immediately come to mind are Performing Songwriter, Alternative Press, Paste Magazine, and Blender. To find more, do a search at www.world-newspapers.com.

Now here comes a question that I can't seem to resolve in my mind because I am part of the conundrum. Should you pay someone to write a review for your CD? How much is a review worth to you in dollars and cents? And does a review that you pay for carry any more cred than a review written by a friend?

I recently came across a new site ReviewYou.com where, for $34.95, you can have an experienced music writer pen a 500 word review. A few of the writers on this site had had articles in Creem and Rolling Stone so you would expect their writing standards to be quite high. So in essence you are hiring a professional writer and not your brother-in-law Sid who never finished a term paper.

Here is where I get into the fray: I write reviews for indie-music.com and yes, I get paid to do so, not a lot, but I get paid. Because indie-music.com is an eZine and a resource for indie musicians and a place to post mp3's you get more for your membership fee than just a review. Yet, it is still a paid review and the rule of thumb at this eZine is that no one gets trashed. I try to find constructive criticisms that point out a CD's weaknesses and yet don't make it sound like the artist is incompetent. The whole idea is to help the indie musician, not to stick daggers into them with nasty phrases. But I ask myself sometimes when I do get a clunker to review: Would I be more ruthless if the person wasn't paying for this review?

I feel that, like anything else in this business, you really have to do your homework and spend some time researching avenues for your music to get reviewed. There are services like submitmusic.com that will, as their name suggests, submit your music to many more outlets than you can. You can also hire a publicist that can use their connections to get a review for you. Then again, here you are paying for it and who has cash these days? I just did a Google search on the words: indie, music, review. The search came back with over 900,000 related sites, so I'm sure that there is someone in there that would be willing to give a free review that you can use.

Good Luck!~

Darryl

Unsigned Underground is all about the indie artist and the music waiting to be heard. Please subscribe to the podcast and support the artists by purchasing their music, going to their live shows and telling your friends you heard 'em here on Unsigned Underground!

Happy Listening & Peace,

Darryl Gregory, Blue Cave Studios

Summer Songstresses

2008-08-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Summer Songstresses
Dominga Martin

Girls just want to have fun and this Summer and beyond, the ladies are taking over the music scene. Press play on some of these new releases and those who continue to rule the radio.

Estelle

Hailing from the Westside of London, Estelle broke out with her debut album Shine after signing to Grammy winner John Legend’s Homeschool Label. Her hit single “American Boy”, featuring Kanye West continues to invade music charts all over the world including the UK. Check out Estelle in the new Levi’s campaign “Unbuttoned” and as one of the stars participating in the Candie’s Foundation fall/winter campaign.

Keri Hilson

Ms. Hilson made her mark as the writer behind numerous hits including “Take Me As I Am” (Mary J Blige) and Brittney’s come back hit “Gimme More.” She made her singingsong writer debut with super producer Timbaland’s video “The Way I Are” and joined the Pussycat Dolls in his savvy track “Scream”. Now it’s her turn! Her current single “Energy” is burning up video-waves, paving the way for her debut album In a Perfect World…this September.

Janelle Monáe

Bad Boy has a new Bad Girl and she’s an Atlanta native that goes by the name Janelle Monáe. When she received an inquiry on Myspace by Diddy himself--of course she didn’t believe it was him! As fate would have it, he found her and offered her a deal. Her Afro-Punk feel is both chic and electrifying. Release date: August 12th.

Little Jackie

Giant Step’s new artist Little Jackie is a fun blend of sass and style. The hip-pop sound is a combination of singer-songwriter Imani Coppola and programmer Adam Pallin. Together, their July release The Stoop is perfect for cruising to the beach or chillin’ at a cook-out. Songs “Black Barbie” and title track “The Stoop” are catchy and full of attitude.

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has come out with a banger! Tracks like “Hungover”, “Stop this Car” and “Thank You” are ‘odes to the independent woman mantra Destiny's Child set out to create. However, Ms. Williams is trailblazing into a lane all her own. Poppy, clubby and slick are a few words that describe this unexpected release. Although her August release has been pushed to October, she is bringing the heat just in time for winter.

As seem onGLAM.com's newly launched section called BLACK LIFE...only a few weeks old. !

http://scoop.glam.com/articles/detail/summer_songstresses/

PLUS, lots of other cool stories. Check back every week and comment!!!

Dominga's other links

www.creme-magazine.com d

htt p://www.honeymag.com/modules/creme

http://www.honeymag.com/modules/hollywoodstars/

CNN: Black In America Pt 1

2008-07-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well...it's not even noon and I have had numerous conversations and ready many emails regarding the CNN series, Black In America. Although the views vary, I am glad to see that is has opened a flood gate for communication and more importantly SOLUTION! I have taken the liberty of posting a couple of emails below for your review.
So now what? Did you see it? What do you think?

SheNotes
**************************

Dear CNN:Tell me something that I don't know. Black women raising children, got that. Young black men not finishing school, got that. Successful black women with no men, got that. Oh, and of course I was not aware that many black families could trace their roots back to a white man in the 1800's. That must have taken Soledad months to uncover! And, what's up with the quasi-spoken word, stereotypical dude? You could have put hard-hitting results reporting and investigative finds in those slots! Anderson's post dialogue was more insightful and interesting than the 2-hour special! Perhaps your report tonight, on black men in America, will shut my mouth that has been hanging open in shock.
Signed,Disappointed in Harlem

I did not watch the show after the embarrassing drivel of the first 45 minutes. Not only because she is pretty but also because of her sensible and accessible manner, Harvard-educated Soledad has been one of my favorites for about five years.But in recent years I have thought less of her as she struggles through her awkward career. After she got fired as morning anchor, her assignments have been more for junior reporters. Last night's much-hyped broadcast was akin to an elephant experiencing nine months of pregnancy only to give birth to a mouse. Having spent decades focused on improving opportunities and readiness of Blacks, in recent years I have become concerned with truth and reconciliation. In this model I concern myself with discomforting the comfortable white beneficiaries of unearned privileges and exposing the evil deeds of their racist ancestors that bring Black America to its present state. CNN tonight: soft core video porn. Good grief, Soledad.
Signed Anonymous in Pittsburgh

I respect your point of view. I don't know all there is to know about Black history or our people's contributions to society. But this show wasn't about our history. It was a snippet of the Black experience. Was it everything that you could possibly get? Absolutely not. How could you show everything in 2 hours with commercials. I applaud Soledad for taking a first step. Perhaps other networks or people-for that matter-will do it better. That is the challenge to anyone who is casting a stone right now.
Anonymous in New York City

"OK, CNN. You got me. I must admit that I have been bamboozled. You're a sly fox, you news network. You are clever, and you have proven an old myth to carry some weight: Put something bright and shiny in front of the Black person, and they'll follow it. CNN, you're genius in an idiot box.
Here I was thinking that "Black in America" was going to shed some light on parts of the African American experience that are often omitted from the news, special reports, Hollywood, etc. Like the Negro Millennial fool I am with an abundance of youthful optimism fighting to still keep hope alive, I thought you might do right by me, Black people and America, but you fell short CNN. And in my moment of vulnerability, I was positioned to be wiser, and now I know that I didn't need to watch the first night of that special, and I definitely will not be watching the second. No one did, and nobody should. It's just going to get worse.
CNN's Black in America was a "NO" all around.
No mention at all of Black Muslims or Negroes of a faith outside Christianity or perhaps without a practicing faith at all.
No commentary on the experience of many immigrants to this country who are third, fourth and fifth generation and very much a part of Black America (although I expected as much).
No serious look at the lives and legacy of Black middle-class people. No good news. No hope. No chance. No pride.
If you are a Black woman who has somehow miraculously transcended the almost inevitable hot mess of a life most Black people are destined to endure, you had better do us all a favor and mate with someone outside your race to end the vicious cycle. To assist you in your decision to take our advice, allow us to point out how few choices you have within your own community for a suitable mate. Speaking of mate, have you considered the penitentiary pen pal program? We'll tell you more about that tomorrow when CNN tells you all about Black men. Oh, but let us not forget that if you'd prefer to have a Black man, they are available for the position of "baby daddy."
However, I cannot leave on a sour note. It is clearer now than ever before that we have to be the agents of our own storytelling. We can't leave this important task to CNN, mainstream media, textbooks, white people the government. It won't get done, and if it is done, it won't be done well.
New Millennium Negroes it is on us! We can make this happen because of all the resources we have. The revolution may not be televised, but it can be uploaded. Post your story on YouTube. Post your story to a blog.
And perhaps it's my characteristic millennial optimism that has me feeling so foolish because I really believed and I still believe that we can fix this. Even though I know the statistics and see the disparities, I just feel it in my heart that we are broken, but not unfixable...
If the reality was what was presented last night, then we'd be dead. There has to be something keeping us alive, and I just don't think we've tapped into that thing... that very Blackness in America... in a way that is constructive and restorative. Will I grow out of this feeling?"

As seen on http://www.newmillenniumnegro.com/ (see full article there, great site!)

Video Music Box Celebrates 25 years!

2008-07-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

See you TONIGHT !

Congrat's Unkie Ralph!!!

See links below for more on Video Music Box and Uncle Ralph's 25th year anniversary.

New York Post link:http://www.nypost.com/video/?vxSiteId=0db7b365-a288-4708-857b-8bdb545cbd0f&vxChannel=NY%20Post&vxClipId=1458_351509&vxBitrate=700

Village Voice link:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-07-16/music/a-hip-hop-pioneer-still-inside-the-box/

Timeout New York link
www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/music/40541/and-it-hasnt-stopped

SheNotes Spotlights Jamal "Reality" Meeks, A&R at SRC.

2008-07-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. Here is another one of my homies that is near & dear to me (My CREOLE brotha) and making his mark in the entertainment business!

Jamal "Reality" Meeks, A&R at SRC, is one of the coolest cats that I know. Although I consider him a friend, I still appreciate him taking the time to do a Q&A with me.

And for all of you indies...it is a MUST that you see him regarding the Faces In The Crowd Showcase. He really does deliver the industry professionals and the possibilities are endless. See info at the end of the Q&A.

Enjoy~

SheNotes

*************************************
SN: On the SRC side, who are you currently working with?

Reality: I am currently working on Shire' (pronounced Sha-Ray) she is from Baltimore and she has a real soulful voice and a distinctive sound. She is definitely a name to look out for. Her album is coming out in 1st Quarter 2009.

SN: Where do you feel that you have made the biggest impact in the entertainment business?

Reality: I feel like I make the biggest impact when helping artist get to the next level in their careers. That goes for helping a new signed artist put together a great album and set up that artist to become a huge success as well as unsigned artist who want to develop their music so that they will be able to get to a deal with a major label.

SN: How did you get started?

Reality: I got my start in the music business from an initial internship with Universal Records working with Katina Bynum and Ayanna Williams in the Marketing Department. That was in 2001 and I was in my Junior year of college at Hampton University. Once I finished that internship and gained a lot of knowledge, I came back to school to finish up my Senior year. During my Senior year I was a college rep for Universal Records and helped promote their artist on my campus. Upon finishing my college career I moved up to New York and ended up landing a position with Steve Rifkind and SRC Records.

SN: Do you believe it is WHO you know or WHAT you know that will get you in the door as an artist? And why?

Reality: I do believe that it is partially WHO you know, because relationships count in this business. You have to have people open doors for you and vice versa. Nevertheless, a lot of it is WHAT you know as well. You can have the best connects in the world, but if you don't know a lot of about the business and your job requirements, you will soon be without a job. So make sure you have great relationships and strive to know more than the next man once you get a position in the business.

SN: What is your take on artist development? Does it still exist?

Reality: Artist Development exist to a certain extent. It is not really done by major labels these days. I believe the reason is because labels don't have the time and money that they used to have to have a artist development system. However, a lot of labels do production deals with artist and producers because they know that the artist can be developed to a certain extent with a great production team around them. This is a less costly way to have an artist develop a unique sound that could end up leading to revenue for the company.

SN: What is your favorite type of artist to work with?

Reality: My favorite type of artist to work with doesn't really necessarily have a particular genre. I just like to work with artist who are highly talented and most importantly highly motivated. They have to be open to criticism and have thick skin. If they are a hip hop artist they really have to be original and charismatic. If it is a R&B artist they have to be able to be a great performer in the studio and on stage.

SN: Is there is a formula for discovering talent?

Reality: I think the best formula for discovering talent is being able to see artist perform live. This to me is where you truly see an artist at his/her best. The definition of a star is someone who can get on the stage and do something that the people in the audience can't do. If an artist is a great performer on stage more than likely he/she will be great at recording in the studio. However, sometimes it doesn't work the other way around.

SN: What was your objective when you first came into the business?

Reality: My objective when I first came in the business was to find unique and talented artists who could bring quality music to the main stream. I was on the outside looking in for years and I felt like a lot of the music that I grew up on was not really what labels were looking for these days. I really wanted to find out the reason why that was happening. I wanted to know if that was based off what the labels wanted, or what the consumers wanted, or what the actual artist wanted to put out.

SN: Tell us about Faces In The Crowd?

Reality: Faces In The Crowd Showcase is an event that me and my partner Chalant produce once a month in NYC. It is for signed artist as well as unsigned artist. We have a competition with unsigned artist where they get a chance to win a prize package that will enhance their presence in the music industry. We have signed and unsigned artist perform on the same stage in front of a large crowd (400-500 people) of music executives, A&R's, producers, publishing companies, taste makers, and consumers. We have been the catalyst for 4 artist getting major record label deals. The most notable of those artist was Chrisette Michelle (Island/ Def Jam) who was scouted out at our showcase by Shalik Berry (A&R for Def Jam).
Faces In the Crowd is the premiere showcase to get your artist seen and heard by the right people.

** You can check them out at http://www.faceshowcase.com/ and the You Tube channel (www.youtube.com/facesinthecrowdtv

SN: What's next?

Reality: I am currently working on Shire' pronounced Sha-Ray debut album called Picking Up The Pieces. I am also working towards making Faces In The Crowd Showcase bigger to help more artist get record deals. I am also part of Rock NYC with my partner Matt Maroone. Rock NYC is a company that puts together Premiere Rock Showcases in NYC. We currently have a exclusive deal for our showcase with Universal Motown. I launched my company, Future History LLC, which is an umbrella company for a production company, clothing company, and management company. My goal is to bring quality music to the masses and leave a positive legacy in the entertainment business.

I Believe

2008-07-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

More great stuff to jump start my Monday ! :-)

Thanks Patrice.

Enjoy...
********************************

I Believe

A birth certificate shows that we were born; a death certificate shows that we died; pictures show that we lived! Have a seat . . . Relax. And read this slowly.

I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you cant.

I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

40 Tips For A Better Life In 2008

2008-07-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

40 Tips for a Better Life - 2008

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile . It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep .

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to ... today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy .

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice prayer. It provides us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn . Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16 . Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more . It will keep the energy vampires away. 18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD heals almost everything.29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33 . The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel , get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36 . Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I'm thinkun of ya! =)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Pass this on.

CNN Presents: Black in America

2008-07-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

When programs like this are shown on national television it always surprises me the number people that don't know about it. I am taking this opportunity to spread the word. You can view the trailer by clicking on the link at the bottom of the blog.

SheNotes
*****************

"CNN Presents: Black in America" a six-hour television event, examines the complex issues, successes and struggles of black men, women and families.

On July 23 at 9pm and July 24 at 9pm, CNN will premier a series, 'Black in America with Soledad O'Brien'. The series will focus on Women and Families and as well as dedicate an entire episode to the plight of the Black Man in America.

See link below for more information: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/

Did You Know THIS About Your Body??????

2008-06-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ok..so I came across this article on one of my favorite sites, as you all know is "HowStuffWorks.com". I pride myself on knowing "stuff" about my body but this.......this is some new stuff! So I figured, you needed to know these things about your body too. Some of it is TMI but oh well...caring is sharing! :-)

Enjoy~

*********************

16 Unusual Facts About the Human Body
by the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.

1. Don't stick out your tongue if you want to hide your identity. Similar to fingerprints, everyone also has a unique tongue print!

2.Humans shed skin the way our pets shed hair,typically about 600,000particles per hour.
Your pet isn't the only one in the house with a shedding problem. Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour. That works out to about 1.5 pounds each year, so the average person will lose around 105 pounds of skin by age 70.

3. An adult has fewer bones than a baby. We start off life with 350 bones, but because bones fuse together during growth, we end up with only 206 as adults.

4. Did you know that you get a new stomach lining every three to four days? If you didn't, the strong acids your stomach uses to digest food would also digest your stomach.

5. Your nose is not as sensitive as a dog's, but it can remember 50,000 different scents.

6. The small intestine is about four times as long as the average adult is tall. If it weren't looped back and forth upon itself, its length of 18 to 23 feet wouldn't fit into the abdominal cavity, making things rather messy.

7. This will really make your skin crawl: Every square inch of skin on the human body has about 32 million bacteria on it, but fortunately, the vast majority of them are harmless.

8. The source of smelly feet, like smelly armpits, is sweat. And people sweat buckets from their feet. A pair of feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day.

9. The air from a human sneeze can travel at speeds of 100 miles per hour or more -- another good reason to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze -- or duck when you hear one coming your way.

10. Blood has a long road to travel: Laid end to end, there are about 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body. And the hard-working heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood through those vessels every day.

11. You may not want to swim in your spit, but if you saved it all up, you could. In a lifetime, the average person produces about 25,000 quarts of saliva -- enough to fill two swimming pools!

12. By 60 years of age, 60-percent of men and 40-percent of women will snore. But the sound of a snore can seem deafening. While snores average around 60 decibels, the noise level of normal speech, they can reach more than 80 decibels. Eighty decibels is as loud as the sound of a pneumatic drill breaking up concrete. Noise levels over 85 decibels are considered hazardous to the human ear.

13. Blondes may or may not have more fun, but they definitely have more hair. Hair color helps determine how dense the hair on your head is, and blondes (only natural ones, of course), top the list. The average human head has 100,000 hair follicles, each of which is capable of producing 20 individual hairs during a person's lifetime. Blondes average 146,000 follicles. People with black hair tend to have about 110,000 follicles, while those with brown hair are right on target with 100,000 follicles. Redheads have the least dense hair, averaging about 86,000 follicles.

14. If you're clipping your fingernails more often than your toenails, that's only natural. The nails that get the most exposure and are used most frequently grow the fastest. Fingernails grow fastest on the hand that you write with and on the longest fingers. On average, nails grow about one-tenth of an inch each month.

15. No wonder babies have such a hard time holding up their heads: The human head is one-quarter of our total length at birth but only one-eighth of our total length by the time we reach adulthood.

16. If you say that you're dying to get a good night's sleep, you could mean that literally. You can go without eating for weeks without succumbing, but eleven days is tops for going without sleep. After eleven days, you'll be asleep -- forever!

As seen on http://health.howstuffworks.com/16-unusual-facts-about-the-human-body1.htm.

Kids Chase Lemonade Stand Thief

2008-06-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

When I saw this story I just had to share. It put a smile on my face and I felt rejuvenated. Kudos to them for standing up for themselves!! Not that it is safe to chase every thief but in this case it worked out the way that is was supposed to.
SheNotes
*************

Man steals cash from kids' lemonade stand

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - A group of Terre Haute kids were squeezed out of cash from their lemonade stand and now a man is behind bars. The children were running a lemonade stand in the Farrington Grove neighborhood when things went sour.
Dominique Morefield and her friends set up their lemonade stand at the corner of Deming and Center streets. Police said 18-year-old Steven Tryon came up to the stand and asked for their money.
"The guy comes up and was just like, 'give me your money,'" said Morefield.
He grabbed it from the girl's hands and took off running.
"I was just like, shocked. It was my immediate reaction to chase after him," said Morefield.
Morefield chased after Tryon and called police on her cell phone.
Tryon ran into a house down the street where police spent more than 45 minutes trying to coax him out. When he finally came out, police arrested him. The kids were able to identify him because they said he came to their street corner earlier that same day and tried to sell them a knife.
Tryon was taken to the Vigo County Jail. He's due in court Tuesday. He is facing a felony robbery charge.
The kids will be getting their money back, all $17.50, but they said they're just glad Tryon was caught.
"I didn't think anyone would come up to a lemonade stand and steal money. That's really low," 12-year-old Fred Erskine said.
The kids are moving their lemonade stand to a front yard and a parent will be helping them out.
Terre Haute Police said if you do see something suspicious don't hesitate to call them.
Report by Amanda Jarrett, WTHI.

Tim Russert of "Meet The Press" Dies At 58

2008-06-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

WOW..this was way more of a shocker to me than the R Kelly verdict.

Tim Russert will be greatly missed!

SheNotes
******************

NBC's Tim Russert dead at 58
He was the Washington bureau chief and moderator of ‘Meet the Press’

BREAKING NEWS
NBC News and MSNBC

WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after a sudden heart attack at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.
Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program when he collapsed, the network said. No details were immediately available.
Russert, the recipient of 48 honorary doctorates, took over the helm of “Meet the Press” in December 1991. Now in its 60th year, “Meet the Press” is the longest-running program in the history of television.
In 2008, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Timothy John Russert Jr. was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 7, 1950. He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.
Senate staffer before entering journalismAfter graduating from law school, Russert went into politics as a staff operative. In 1976, he worked on the Senate campaign of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., and in 1982, he worked on Mario Cuomo’s campaign for governor of New York.
Russert joined NBC News in 1984. In April 1985, he supervised the live broadcasts of NBC's TODAY show from Rome, negotiating and arranging an appearance by Pope John Paul II, a first for American television. In 1986 and 1987, Russert led NBC News’ weeklong broadcasts from South America, Australia and China.
Of his background as a Democratic political operative, Russert said, “My views are not important.”
“Lawrence Spivak, who founded ‘Meet the Press,’ told me before he died that the job of the host is to learn as much as you can about your guest’s positions and take the other side,” he said in a 2007 interview with Time magazine. “And to do that in a persistent and civil way. And that’s what I try to do every Sunday.”
Cuomo, Russert’s onetime boss, wrote of Russert: “Most candidates are not eager to present themselves for Tim’s incisive scrutiny, which is fed by his prodigious study and preparation. But they have little choice: appearing on ‘Meet the Press’ is today as vital to a serious candidate as being properly registered to vote.”
Russert wrote two books — “Big Russ and Me” in 2004 and “Wisdom of Our Fathers” in 2006 — both of which were New York Times best-sellers.
Emmy for Reagan funeral coverageIn 2005, Russert was awarded an Emmy for his role in the coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. His “Meet the Press” interviews with George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000 won the Radio and Television Correspondents’ highest honor, the Joan S. Barone Award, and the Annenberg Center’s Walter Cronkite Award.
Russert’s March 2000 interview of Sen. John McCain shared the 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television Journalism. He was also the recipient of the John Peter Zenger Award, the American Legion Journalism Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Journalism Award, the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communication and the Catholic Academy for Communication’s Gabriel Award. He was a member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.
Russert was a trustee of the Freedom Forum’s Newseum and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club, and America’s Promise — Alliance for Youth.
In 1995, the National Father’s Day Committee named him “Father of the Year,” Parents magazine honored him as “Dream Dad” in 1998, and in 2001 the National Fatherhood Initiative also recognized him as Father of the Year.
Irish America magazine named him one of the top 100 Irish Americans in the country, and he was selected as a Fellow of the Commission of European Communities.
Russert is survived by his wife, Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, and a son, Luke.

(As seen on MSNBC)

Black Music InThe Digital Age

2008-06-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!!

I will be sitting on this panel next week, check it out!!
Info below...

See ya!

******************

BPRSNY PRESENTS
BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2008
Black Music
In The
DIGITAL AGE

Wednesday, June 18th 6 PM
Burson & Marstellar
230 Park Ave. South (19thSt.), NY

$10 admission for BPRSNY members $20 for non members

RSVP at president@bprsny.org or 212-614-4599
Light refreshments will be served.

BPRSNY will host a panel discussion on how the web has revolutionized
the music industry. Industry experts will explain how technology and the
digital landscape have changed the creation, promotion, delivery and
consumption of Black Music in the digital age.

Panelists include:

Raychelle LeBlanc, Univ./Motown - SheNotes Entertainment

Amanda McIntyre-Chavis, Capitol-EMI, Musaic Entertainment

James Huggins, Orpheus

Lance Pope, Ascap

Joe Wiggins, Playfair Media

Lamonda Williams, Music Choice, Moderator

Thanks to Renee Foster from Black Public Relations Society New york (BPRSNY) for pulling this panel together! Besides being one of my favorite people she is a wealth of information and always makes herself available for the greater good. :-)

Public Relations Icon Succumbs To Cancer

2008-06-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

Pat Tobin

PATRICIA L. TOBIN, 1943-2008 Los Angeles, CA (June 10, 2008) - Diminutive in stature, but larger than life in the field of media, public relations and community service, Patricia L. Tobin, founder of Tobin & Associates and co-founder of the National Black Public Relations Society, lost her long battle with cancer today.

For 25 years, Tobin administered her unique brand of public relations that focused on building great long-lasting relationships in the community, corporate America and Hollywood. A dedicated activist for causes that impacted minorities, women and youth, Tobin created opportunities for under served consumers and communities that resulted in corporate investment and philanthropic support for a variety of important initiatives.

In 1988, when the Toyota Corporation sought to repair its relationship with African American consumers, Tobin seized the opportunity to educate the automotive giant on the power of the Black dollar. Her efforts began a 20 year relationship with Toyota that resulted in countless community partnerships. Whether working with high profile clients like Johnnie Cochran and Spike Lee or supporting nonprofit organizations like the Los Angeles NAACP and Urban League, Tobinâ€™s energy and tireless work ethic contributed greatly to the projects success. Her professional success is overshadowed only by her love and commitment to her family and the encouragement and confidence she instilled in everyone she encountered.

Tobin & Associates is one of the most prominent minority, female-owned public relations firms in the nation. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the following: Pat Tobin Scholarship Fund or Pat Tobin Memorial Fund, 4929 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 245, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Final arrangements for Patricia L.

Contact:

Tobin are pending. Darren Dickerson darrenpr@tobinpr.com

Tisha Newberry prmedia@tobinpr.com(323) 857-0869

(As seen in Elbow Grease Productions Newsletter)

Apple Stores Hold Black Music Month Concerts Across The US

2008-06-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

Apple Stores across country holding Black Music Month concerts
By Jeff Smykil Published: June 02, 2008 - 07:10PM CT

One of the things that sets Apple apart from other retailers is the in-house music events they hold at their stores, which include the iTunes Live concerts series. This month, in recognition of Black Music Month, Apple stores are hosting a variety of concerts around the country featuring various African American artists. The concerts are being held primarily in larger cities such as Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Santa Monica. One smaller venue will be getting a single show: the Apple Store, Somerset, in Troy, Michigan. Apple's recently opened Boston shop, now the largest Apple Store in the world, is noticeably missing from the list of venues.

Some of the higher-profile performances are from acts such as Wyclef Jean (Apple Store, Soho - June 9, 7:00PM), MC Lyte (Aple Store, Third Street Promenade - June 20, 7:00PM), Talib Kweli (Apple Store, SoHo - June 25, 6:00PM), and former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams (Apple Store, North Michigan Avenue, June 28, 7:00PM).
A full schedule can be viewed at the retail events page.

The concerts seem to be free to the public (no mention of admission) but are limited by space; attendees will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. There are 24 concerts total.

(As seen on http://arstechnica.com/)

Why Hillary Shouldn't Be Obama's VP...

2008-06-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

What do you think???
SheNotes
******

Why Hillary Shouldn't Be Obama's VP

Of Whiners and Poor Losers

By DAVE LINDORFF

It’s kind of bizarre reading about supposed “feminists” who are reportedly claiming they’ll vote for McCain rather than Obama, now that “their” candidate, Hillary Clinton, is out of the running for the presidential nomination.

First of all, John McCain is clearly the candidate of the anti-abortion crowd, but that’s not the half of it. He’s also the candidate who says Anthony Scalia, John Roberts and Sam Alito are his kind of judges. We’re talking here about guys (yeah, guys) who think a woman’s place is in the home, and who only recently ruled that if she’s discriminated against on the job, and doesn’t learn about it for a decade or more, a woman can’t do anything about it, because the original offense of underpaying her happened more than 180 days ago. McCain is also the guy who, after his wife suffered a serious car crash and became disabled, dumped her for a younger, richer woman. A feminist’s dream, this guy.

And how about Hillary Clinton? When she was supposedly getting her “White House experience”—you know, the “co-presidency” she was supposedly part of during the eight years her husband was president and she was First Lady—she and Bill oversaw the “end of welfare as we know it.” What that fine piece of legislation did was limit people to five years on the dole. That’s for life. It doesn’t matter what misfortune befalls you later on.
Now many single women left to raise kids by fathers who either ditch them or who never stepped up to the plate as fathers in the first place, have a hard time, between lack of adequate child care facilities and discrimination on the job, keeping the rent paid and food on the table. Many of them need government assistance well beyond that five years—a period of time not long enough to even get one kid into full-time school, much less two or three. That didn’t matter to Hillary, the great champion of women. She and Bill were busy triangulating and figuring out how to keep their White House position, and that meant selling out poor people, and especially poor women with kids. Welfare had to go.

Even on abortion rights, Clinton has been a waffler. In 2000, running for Senate in New York, she said she would be a staunch defender of the right to choose. But by 2004, she was saying abortion was a “tragic” choice, and was supporting parental notification laws for minors seeking abortion—a position she continues to hold. But abortion isn’t a “tragic choice” for everyone. For some women—rape and incest victims, or women who are victims of abuse come readily to mind—abortion may be a blessed relief. For some, it may be no more tragic than an appendectomy—and it should be no harder to get, or to pay for than one either. There is a reason why the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) voted unanimously to endorse Obama, who has said abortion rights are about more than just women’s right to control their own bodies, but are about basic issues of equality.
What the cries of “McCain, McCain!” by disappointed Clinton backers really represent is an example of sour grapes, as well as of a certain perhaps hidden element of racism. It is as if blacks, had Obama been the loser in this nomination battle, were to say, “That’s it, we’re voting for McCain!”

Obviously, African-American candidates have had to endure this problem for years. When their candidate, whether it was Jesse Jackson, or Shirley Chisolm, or Ted Kennedy, was defeated, they have had to look to their broader interests and decide whether to vote Republican, sit out the election, or just shrug and vote for the winning Democrat. Consistently, they have chosen the third option, disappointment after disappointment.

Blacks are supposed to stick with the Democrats, no matter what. Clinton backers, however, don’t feel handcuffed in this way. Some of them, apparently, feel free to abandon all their liberal principles and vote for a right-wing, anti-abortion, fundamentalist Christian-coddling warmonger if they don’t get the candidate they want from the Democrats.
If these grousers and poor losers in the Clinton camp thought honestly about it for even a moment, they’d realize that had Clinton won the most delegates, and if African-American and liberal, educated white backers of Obama, in response, were to adopt their position and bolt to McCain, Clinton would be a historical asterisk, with no chance of being elected.
In the end, I suspect that most of the whining and the threats to switch to McCain represent only a small, if vocal, minority. The truth is, in the course of 54 primaries, Obama won a majority of female voters—a point rarely made in media reports on this contest. The same can be said of those “white—hard working white” voters who supposedly went for Hillary Clinton in states like West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. In fact, numerically speaking, Obama won more of those white, working class voters than did either John Kerry or Al Gore before him. Meanwhile, many of those male voters who voted for Hillary Clinton are probably people who were going to vote Republican in the fall anyhow. There was an organized campaign, after all, by Republican activists, to throw the election to Clinton, who was seen as being easier to defeat in the fall than Obama. That effort almost certainly gave Clinton her narrow win in Indiana, and padded her margins in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

As for Clinton’s fallback position of trying to make herself the vice-presidential candidate on a “dream” Obama-Clinton ticket, Obama would have to be crazy to go for it. Clinton brings nothing but disaster to the Obama campaign. He doesn’t need her to win New York, New Jersey or California, all of which he will win by a landslide without her in November. He doesn’t need her for Illinois (her home state, whatever efforts she made to try to pretend she was a rural Pennsylvanian during that state’s primary). She certainly doesn’t help him in the south, with the possible exception of Florida. She doesn’t bring any “balance” to the ticket, given that both senators have almost identical voting records on domestic issues. And as for the swing states—Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, etc.—she may do more damage than good, given the number of independents and Republicans who have been drawn to Obama, but who have negative feelings about the Clintons. Moreover, with the right vice-presidential candidate—and it’s not Clinton—Obama may even have a shot at not just Virginia, but also North Carolina and even Mississippi—states where the percentage of black voters is high enough that, with an energized black voter turnout, the liberal Democratic vote could be enough to turn the trick.

The Hillary Clinton campaign has all along been about entitlement. She began her race for the White House acting as though it was a coronation—something she deserved after enduring eight years in the White House as second fiddle to husband Bill. Now, having been defeated, she’s acting like she deserves second fiddle. But the truth is, Clinton, by her shabby appeals to racist voters, by her resort to red-baiting of her opponent, and finally by her refusal to denounce and apologize for her shameless and calculating backing for the invasion of Iraq, has rendered her unfit for a spot on the Democratic ticket.

Obama can do much better than that. Yes he can.

Dave Lindorff is a Philadelphia-based journalist. His latest book is “The Case for Impeachment” (St. Martin’s Press and now available in paperback edition). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net

How Stuff Works.com

2008-06-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

I love this site! Check it out when you get a chance. Below is an interesting article from the site about what would happen if we didn't bath!

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Cheers!
SheNotes
***************

What if I never took a bath?
by Katherine Neer

Your initial thought as you ponder this question might involve the word "gross." Beyond the immediate ramifications involving odors and a marked decline in social invitations from friends and family members, are concerns of a more serious nature -- the health variety.

Think about what's going to happen if you decide to stop bathing:

You'll smell bad.
Your skin and hair gets dirtier and dirtier.
Your chance of infection goes up.
You'll probably itch a lot more, and this could lead to an even higher risk of infection.
Consider what's going to get and remain dirty if you never bathe. The average human body is covered by about 20 square feet (2 square meters) of skin containing about 2.6million sweat glands. In addition to sweat glands, your skin houses thousands of tiny hairs.

You are constantly sweating, even though you may not notice it. There are two kinds of sweat glands all over your body -- eccrine and apocrine. The sweat from apocrine glands contains proteins and fatty acids, which make it thick and give it a milky or yellowish color. This is why underarm stains in clothing appear yellowish. It turns out that sweat itself has no odor. Then why, you may ask, is a sweaty person so smelly? When the bacteria on your skin and hair metabolize the proteins and fatty acids, they produce an unpleasant odor.

An average person can sweat something like 1 to 3 liters per hour depending on the surrounding climate. Let's say you're sweating as much as 3 liters every hour. Because your skin, along with the hair all over your body, is sticky with sweat, it's probably picking up even more grunge than usual. Now we're just talking surface grime here -- regular old dirt. What about the other germs and microorganisms your skin regularly plays host to? For the most part, these bacteria, fungi and yeasts prove no major threat as long as they remain on the skin's surface. However, if they reach the bloodstream, that can be quite a different story.

There are a number of things that can make a person itch. Anyone can get chiggers or ringworm. Normally, this isn't such a big deal. Get some medicated ointment and you will be fine. But if you're on a bathing hiatus and you're already quite itchy, either one of these conditions could send you into a scratching frenzy. You might scratch so much that you break your skin's surface. Now, let's say you have some serious bacteria hanging around in all that grime -- perhaps, staphylococcus. If it were to enter your bloodstream through the open scratches, the situation could even become fatal. The chances of this happening, though, are probably fairly small.

All of that aside, it's highly likely the stink factor is enough to send you scurrying for the soapsuds on a regular basis.

Liz Trotta Apologizes on Foxs News for Obama Comment

2008-06-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

Below is the apology for Obama comment..

Outrage Over Comment Made On Foxs News..

2008-06-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

What in the world is going on here????

It's comments like these that continue to perpetuate this negativity. In addition, it is irresponsible journalism and I agree with the woman that wrote to Fox News in that we need to speak up on matters such as these in the press. It's NOT ok!
SheNotes
****************

On May 25, 2008 at approximately 10:57 AM, Liz Trotta on a Fox News political show made a vile and despicable threat that "Barack OBama and OSama both need to be killed".

2008-05-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Cake For ME Everyday!

Today I felt like celebrating. It’s not my birthday, or the birthday of anyone that I know, I just wanted to celebrate. I thought, “why not?” I have so much to be thankful for and my blessings are more than I can count. I am living my life by design and I continue to accomplish both my personal and professional goals. Doesn’t that sound like something to celebrate?

So I have decided to celebrate SOMETHING at least once a day, everyday. Cake everyday for me!!! J In theory of course but that’s what works for me since cake is one of my favorite things.

The way I see it everyday that I open my eyes, stretch my limbs and thank the creator for one more day, I can celebrate. That’s my cake! Exciting right??

Anything after that, like being able to work in a field that I enjoy, with people that I actually like is my icing. And the people that enhance my life: my family and friends that love me, they are my sprinkles. The cherry is me because all of these things help me to feel whole and brings me full circle.

This is not to say that everyday is happy, happy, joy, joy. Life happens and it can sometimes catch us off guard. Ending relationships, saying good bye to loved ones or losing dear friends is never easy. Falling short of our personal objectives and goals can be disheartening. If we don’t allow ourselves to become attached to the pain and suffering we will realize these things are circumstances that will pass AND we still have our cake and ourselves! Trust and believe that fresh icing and new sprinkles will come! And when you feel whole and complete again, you can pop that cherry right back on top and marvel at the celebration of YOU…just because.

True Control Fitness: Summer Boot Camp!!

2008-05-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have vowed to be in shape by the summer, it's not too late!!!! There are tons of other classes that are offered as well and this is just the place to do it.

It's all on the website listed below. Check it out! :-)

Dates: July 7th & August 11th

Duration: 3 Weeks

Time: 5:30am - 7:00am

Days: M/T/Th
Call or e-mail to register now!

True Control Fitness527 Lenox Ave., Ste A. @ 137th StreetNew York, New York 10037
http://www.TrueControlFitness.com/
bootcamp@TrueControlFitness.com

Using "Tipping Point" Concepts to Market Your Book

2008-05-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, "How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author" and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.doneforyouwriting.com/.

Below is a featured article from her site. For all of you writers out there, her website is a must!!! Check it out..

Using "Tipping Point" Concepts to Market Your Book .
By Sophfronia Scott

Ever wonder how trends get started? As much as we'd like to think that all trends are Madison Avenue creations propagated by the media, many times a movement is sparked by the action of a few. Then word of mouth makes it spread. Author Malcolm Gladwell examines this phenomenon in his 2000 book "The Tipping Point".

There's a chapter where he describes how this kind of movement by a few groups powered Rebecca Wells's 1996 novel, "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", to surprising success. When I read that I sat up and took notice. I realized I could use the same concepts to market my first novel, "All I Need to Get By". I did with great success, and I'll do it again when I launch my next book, "Doing Business By the Book", this fall. You can too!

Here's how:

1.) Write Your Book So It's "Sticky" Don't compromise your artistic integrity, but do ask yourself the hard question: how much will your story appeal to others? When a book is "sticky", it's easy to remember. The story stays with people and they want to talk about it and tell others to read it. "Bridget Jones's Diary" is definitely sticky. So is practically everything that Stephen King ever wrote and all of the Harry Potter books. The topic doesn't have to be upbeat either. Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" was a sensation when it was published despite its grim subject matter. Since I was writing about a family with a powerful father figure I knew a lot of people would connect and see themselves in the characters. What aspect of your book will draw people in?

2.) Be a Salesman Yes, be a salesman, but not in the way you might think. I'm not talking about being "in your face" like the stereotype of a used car salesman. As Mr. Gladwell points out in his book, it's the little things that can persuade others. For a writer, that "little thing" is confidence and a strong belief in one's work. I recently spoke to a writer having a hard time feeling confident about her work. She's trying to get up the courage to submit a manuscript to agents and publishers but, as I said to her, "How can someone get behind publishing your book if you can't get behind it yourself?"People are attracted to a person who stands for something, who believes in what they're doing. If you can be that person, people will want to buy your book. They'll know you have something to say. If you're dealing with low confidence, know that working on improving it is just as important as improving your craft as a writer. After all, no one is going to champion your book the way that you can.

3.) Use Small Groups To Spark Your Big "Epidemic" In the fertile soil of small groups, word of mouth grows. That's what happened with "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". It became a favorite for book groups, especially mother-daughter book groups. Those groups sparked a word of mouth wave that spread like wildfire. As Mr. Gladwell points out, "small, close-knit groups have the power to magnify the epidemic potential of a message or idea". I explored this concept with some success by contacting book groups across the country and offering to visit them if they read my novel. What groups can you reach out to in order to harness the power of those circles? And how can you fan the flame of your message so it will spread?

One Last Note: Why is all this important? Well, if you've gone through all the trouble to write and publish a book, your efforts won't stand up if you don't tell people the book is out there. And the concepts offered by Mr. Gladwell are so simple and organic that you may find the whole marketing pill easier to swallow. So take it--it's good medicine.

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Big Ced says "Rappaz R.N. Dainja!"

2008-05-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

As seen on TheIndustryCosign.com

It Needs To Be CED: Rappaz R. N. Dainja

Suge Knight getting knocked out! DMX arrested AGAIN! Remy Ma sentenced to eight years in jail! Foxy Brown pleads guilty! It seems like it’s a weekly thing for rappers to be in the headlines for their own ignorance, despite them acknowledging and complaining about the ‘Hip-Hop Police’. True, it may be so and there may be a task force targeting rappers, but knowing that, why are these rappers STILL being ignorant and thinking that they can get away with illegal activities?

Not only do you know you are breaking the law, you also know that you are being watched, so why continue ignorance, then complain when you are not only caught, but convicted of your crime? It’s not like Foxy Brown didn’t ignore the judge in her case after numerous warnings of her conduct. It’s not like Remy Ma didn’t know that shooting someone is illegal. It’s not like T.I. didn’t know that purchasing illegal firearms, especially being a convicted felon, will place you back in jail. It’s not like Prodigy didn’t know that the guns in his possession were against the law. You get my point?

And I am getting sick of the ‘FREE so and so’ campaigns that is immediately launched when a rapper gets arrested. More than likely, those same people knew the consequences of their actions, so they placed themselves in the position to be arrested and jailed. Yes, the system works against minorities, yes, the police seem to have a vendetta against rappers, yes, the ignorance affects our youth who look up to these same ignorant rappers. Will it ever stop?

Instead of complaining to the media about how the rappers are being unfairly targeted, why don’t the rappers just stay out of trouble, stop doing illegal sh*& and be smart about their careers? You can’t make real money in jail, especially if you are a high profile rapper. And another thing, stop being so damn angry!!

The Brooklyn Subway Music Series: Brand Nubian, DJ Premier & Others!

2008-05-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

The Brooklyn Subway Music Series

Thursday May 15th @ Sputnik

Be there or be SQUARE!! :-)

Plainclothes Officers In Trouble

2008-05-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Woooooow~

Plainclothes officers in trouble - didn't recognize off-duty chief
By ALISON GENDAR DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Three-star NYPD Chief Douglas Zeigler

At least one cop has been disciplined for ordering the NYPD's highest-ranking uniformed black officer out of his auto while the three-star chief was off-duty and parked in Queens, the Daily News has learned.
"How you can not know or recognize a chief in a department SUV with ID around his neck, I don't know," a police source said.
Chief Douglas Zeigler, 60, head of the Community Affairs Bureau, was in his NYPD-issued vehicle near a fire hydrant when two plainclothes cops approached on May 2, sources said.
One officer walked up on each side of the SUV at 57th Ave. and Xenia St. in Corona about 7 p.m. and told the driver to roll down the heavily tinted windows, sources said.
What happened next is in dispute.
In his briefing to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Zeigler said the two cops, who are white, had no legitimate reason to approach his SUV, ranking sources said.
After they ordered him to get out, one officer did not believe the NYPD identification Zeigler gave him.
The cops gave a different account:
When one officer spotted Zeigler's service weapon through the rolled-down window, he yelled "Gun!" according to sources who have spoken with the officers.
Both cops raised their weapons and ordered the driver out of the car, sources said.
Instead of saying he was an armed member of the NYPD, Zeigler shouted, "Don't you know who I am?" the sources said.
When one cop reached over to check the identification badge around Zeigler's neck, the chief pushed him away, sources said.
Only then did Zeigler tell the two officers his name and rank, those sources said.
Zeigler, in his discussions with Kelly, said the officers never yelled "Gun!" sources said.
One cop got into a heated argument with the chief even after seeing the ID, sources said.
That cop was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on modified duty last night, sources said. The status of the second officer was unclear.
The incident occurred as the NYPD is under fire for record numbers of pedestrians being stopped and frisked, the majority of them black or Hispanic. Some 145,098 people were stopped by the NYPD in the first quarter of this year.
Zeigler has headed the Community Affairs Bureau since January 2006. His wife, Neldra Zeigler, is NYPD deputy commissioner for equal employment opportunity.

Father Pfleger speaks on Rev Wright And Farrakhan!

2008-04-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this! It was sent by a friend and as he stated in his email, we will never see this plastered all over the news. Heavy duty stuff..you decide??? (Thank you Mr. C)

What do you think??

SheNotes

(As seen on Foxnews.com)

David Banner Reacts To Sean Bell Verdict!

2008-04-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Posted 04/29/2008 by Ozzie

(SOHH)

In the wake of Friday's (April 25) verdict acquitting three New York City cops who shot and killed Sean Bell in 2006, Mississippi rapper/activist David Banner, Compton rep The Game and Queens bred lyricist Prodigy have all gone on the record to voice their outrage.
Not one to bite his tongue, Banner has been vocal in his speaking up for hip-hop, as with his stance against Al Sharpton's criticism of rap lyrics as well the mishandled Hurricane Katrina tragedy. Today, he gave SOHH an earful about what he sees as New York giving African-Americans the middle finger, and the "cowards" who allow it to continue.

"I was outraged but I've gotten to the point where I don't get mad anymore," Banner told SOHH exclusively. "I have to think logically. I think one of the problems with America is that we've adapted Bush's cowboy mentality to everything. With the Sean Bell situation New York is basically saying, 'f*ck n*ggas.'"

Banner was shocked that while the three officers were brought up on eight counts, not even one charge against the cops stuck.
"[They] shot Sean Bell 51* times and they got eight counts and you can't convict on one count," Banner said. "Not even endangerment? You shot 51 times homie!"
The rapper said "cowards" allow injustices to go unpunished and he counts himself amongst the lot.

"They know that we not gonna do sh*t," he said. "We ain't gonna do sh*t but beef amongst ourselves. Our generation is a bunch of cowards and they know that and that's including me. All of us, we cowards and if you're not a coward then do something about it.

"All these tough ass rappers, where they at now," he added. "Where are the football players? The basketball players? Where are our senators? Where are the other black cops that work with them cops that shot their children? They're cowards!"
West Coast rapper The Game took his frustrations into the studio and recently recorded the track "911 Is A Joke," which debuts tomorrow on ThisIzGame.com.

"This could have easily been me, my brother, my family," Game said via a press release. So this song is for Sean Bell from my heart. My deepest condolences go out to his family and wife Nicole Bell."

"The NYPD is just a branch of corruption connected to a giant corrupt tree called the United States government," Prodigy of Mobb Deep said via a press release. "Right now we have a government that controls the people, instead of people that control their government. Until we can do that, there'll be several more incidents like the murder of Sean Bell."
And until then, Banner said he has reason to fear.

"It pisses me off, I'm hurt and to a certain degree I'm scared, too," Banner said. "I got to be enough of a man to say that." Sohh

3 NYPD Detectives Acquitted In Sean Bell Hearing

2008-04-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

3 NYPD detectives acquitted in groom slaying
Sean Bell, 23, killed in hail of 50 bullets on night of his bachelor party

NEW YORK - Three NYPD detectives were acquitted Friday of all counts in the 50-shot killing of an unarmed man on his wedding day.
Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper were charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault in the 2006 slaying of Sean Bell.
Justice Arthur Cooperman delivered the verdict in a Queens courtroom packed with spectators, including the victim's fiance and parents. The ruling brings an end to a nearly two-month trial.

Bell, 23, was killed and two friends were seriously wounded early on the morning of Nov. 25, 2006 — Bell's wedding day. The shooting sparked protests and raised questions about police firepower and undercover tactics.
During the trial, defense attorneys painted the victims as drunken thugs who the officers believed were armed and dangerous. Prosecutors sought to convince the judge that the victims had been minding their own business and that the officers were inept, trigger-happy aggressors.

"This F-Troop of a unit caused the death of an innocent man and caused the injury of two others," prosecutor Charles Testagrossa said, referring to the classic TV sitcom. "This was a slipshod operation, with no real planning."

Community supportBell's fiancee, parents and their supporters, including the Rev. Al Sharpton and other activists, have demanded that the officers be held accountable. Sharpton said he has sought to temper outrage over the shooting of three unarmed black men and let the trial take its course. Two of the three officers are black.

"We gave the city an opportunity to show that we would be a new city of fairness," he told reporters at City Hall earlier this week.

The defendants, who were investigating reports of prostitution at the Kalua Cabaret, say they became alarmed when they heard Bell and his friends trade insults around the 4 a.m. closing time with another patron who appeared to be armed. In grand jury testimony, Isnora claimed that he overheard one of Bell's companions, Joseph Guzman, say, "Yo, go get my gun."
Isnora responded by trailing Bell, Guzman and Trent Benefield to Bell's car. He insisted that he ordered the men to halt and that he and other officers began shooting only after Bell bumped him with his car and slammed into an unmarked police van while trying to flee.

Guzman and Benefield both played down the dispute outside the club. They also testified that they were unaware police were watching them and that the gunfire erupted without warning.

As seen on MSNBC.com