Moo.com, My Beef with Baby Carrots, Keeping Up with the Garcias & Black on the Runway: I'm Just Saying

Whatsup geniuses.

I have to apologize for the hiatus. When starting this blog I never intended on having such a lapse in time. Between moving to a new city (hell even a new region of the U.S), searching for an apartment, settling in to a new job and getting my social entrepreneur on I let the blog fall between the cracks and for that I’m sorry. Never again. I got some cool stuff planned for future installments and great guest genius interviews lined up so you can learn more interesting and useful stuff. All in a day’s work.

Thanks to Dee Dee for the encouragement and welcome back to the syndicate.

-elbj


MOO.com: Fly Business Cards for the Fly Business Person

Design can and should be applied to everything in life and that doesn’t exclude the all-important business card. If you’ve been in corporate America long enough you’ve witnessed the occasions where different employees from different companies exchange and compare business cards and it’s not a good look to be on the losing end of that comparison. You know what I’m talking about. The cards that make ordinary look like amazing. Picture a 3x2 thin stock piece of paper, Times New Roman font, monochromatic color scheme and some corny ass logo. We all can relate. Thanks to the people at MOO we can break free from business card monotony.

MOO is a printing genius that can print beautiful images you upload to their site or images from their bank on postcards, stickers, greeting cards, note cards, gift cards and mini business cards. I ordered a set of 100 mini business cards for $19.99 (28 mm wide x 70 mm wide on 350 g/m2 stock paper with a matt laminate finish) and selected designs from Marc Johns and Lara Cameron. To this day people pay more attention to my MOO mini business cards than any of my work business cards.

The cool thing about MOO is that the design of the card doesn’t take backseat to the functionality of it. Most times the size and image you select will definitely give your cards the advantage in the traditional card comparison game. Find out more about MOO and step your biz card game up. Go on now. Get!

My Beef with Baby Carrots…You Heard Me!

When you have a brother studying culinary arts you learn a lot of things about food. Like fancy French words like mirepoix (carrot, onion and celery blend), cool knifing techniques and the common sanitary practices of quick service restaurants (don’t get me started). All in all its cool having a brother studying to be a chef but one day he dropped a bomb on me that literally changed my life. I’m talking about baby carrots. Damn right baby carrots.

I was probably the only kid who used to eat a raw carrot as a snack. My love affair with carrots was just as natural as breathing. I still vividly remember asking my Grandma if I could have a carrot, peeling that thing over the trash can, rinsing it off, sprinkling a little salt on it and going to town. Yessir! So imagine my delight when baby carrots hit the scene. It was the bite-size blessing from above (or beneath) that allowed millions of us to get our snack on in a healthy and convenient way.

Convenient? Yeah.

Healthy? Wait a minute.

One day my brother told me one of his Chef instructors at school said there is minor nutritional value in a baby carrot. Basically they are just premature versions of carrots called Imperator carrots. “They are bred to grow faster and ripen quickly, and because of this, they only have 70% of the beta carotene of a normal carrot (Baby Carrots- The Frugal Idea That Isn’t 2007). I instantly went through all the stages of grief (shock/disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression and acceptance). During my further investigation I took another hit when I read that the idea of a baby carrot was basically an invention by farmer Mike Yurosek who figured out a way to prevent wasting massive amounts of deformed carrots (majority of carrots grow in ways unlike the typical carrot shape we are used to). Baby carrots even cost more than regular size carrots!!!

I’m not hating on Farmer Mike and I can definitely co-sign on methods that decrease waste but I can’t get down with paying almost $1 more for an under-developed product. I love my regular carrots too much to do that. So the only alternative is to say goodbye. Peace baby carrots and thanks for nothing b*tches.

Keeping up with the Joneses…make that Garcias

I’ve always been interested in the origin and meanings of surnames because I think they really can tell a lot about a person. Mine, for instance, always draws weird looks and questions about its derivation (I’ve narrowed it down to France or Germany) but I’m used to that now.

According to an article in the NYT it seems that Smith is still the most popular surname in the U.S but “for the first time, two Hispanic surnames — Garcia and Rodriguez — are among the top 10 most common in the nation, and Martinez nearly edged out Wilson for 10th place.” Now ain’t that a blip? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that the presence of Latinos has grown exponentially but the debut of Latino surnames on the Census’s list proves that the Latino American population and culture is continuing to add more texture and dimension to society. It really is a milestone. However, the census bureau’s surname list doesn’t only offer information on Hispanic Americans.

Although multiple Americans share the same surnames (“1 in every 25 Americans is named Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, Jones, Miller or Davis”) there are names that are closely associated with races and ethnicities. “Nearly 90 percent of the Washingtons were black, as were 75 percent of the Jeffersons, 66 percent of the Bookers, 54 percent of the Banks and 53 percent of the Mosleys” at the time of this study.
Now I see why I get the looks I do when people hear my name for the first time. See where you last name ranks on the 5,000 most common U.S surnames here.

Black on the Runway: I’m Just Saying

Fashion is cool. It just is. Plain and simple. Fashion speaks to everyone no matter your income, background or age. You’d think something that speaks to everyone represents everyone but that hasn’t been the case with the fashion industry. It seems that designers and fashion publications have become accustomed to being labeled racist and sizest (you know what I mean) but recently some funny things have happened to make black people in general tilt their head and raise their eyebrow in wonder regarding high fashion.

I’m sure you’ve read that the July edition of Italian Vogue features photos of only black models photographed by Steven Meisel and to some surprise Donatella Versace has created a line inspired by Barack Obama. In Milan the Dsquared fashion show featured a number of black male models including Tyson Beckford all tatted up.

The skeptical Capricorn in me can’t help but keep my eyebrow raised when I think about these “accomplishments’. Is this a new day in the (fashion) industry or a marketing ploy designed to garner publicity from media and favor from an under served and under represented consumer segment? Either way it’s good to see brown faces associated with an industry built on universal standards of beauty. We always knew that black was beautiful it just seems that the fashion world forgot about it…until recently.

The real testament is to see how or if black models will remain in the spotlight of the fashion industry from now on.

I’m just saying.

Quote of the Day

Universal though the instinct for revenge may be, it is much stronger in some of us than others. And those who have it in abundance apparently pay something of a price.

-Ellis Cose, Bone to Pick

Mini Installment: TGS is in the CHI and I'm Just Saying: BET

CHICAGOOOOO!!!!!!

Whaddup y'all. The Genius Syndicate has made a jump from one great city to another. I recently moved from Atlanta to Chicago and I'm loving it already. I really missed this city and it's dope all the way around. It's the next step in TGS' evolution and I'm definitely gonna make it do what it do.

Now back to our regularly scheduled installment.

-elbj



Come On BET!!: I'm Just Saying

Today I had the pleasure of sitting in on BET's 2009 Upfronts and, no disrespect BET, but once again I was disappointed. BET is like the cousin you grew up with whom you love and pray succeed in spite of their trials. Unfortunately, time after time again they keep falling short and letting you down in the process. BET is your crackhead cousin. No, BET is OUR crackhead cousin.

It seems like they are continuing with their "5 year later" plan of re-creating television programs that debuted 5 years ago {on other Viacom networks} for black viewers. I just can't get over the fact that BET has yet to realize their rightful place in American culture. Why hasn't anyone told BET that they are perceived as the expert of the Black way of life in America? Non-black Americans turn to them to learn about Black culture {which includes but isn't limited to music...damn people still don't get what culture is}. You'd think BET would put our best face forward because the world is watching but instead they are comfortable with just "entertaining". Because of this black people who know better {these people are older than BET's core audience which tends to be youth and teens...how else could you explain the initial success of Soulja Boy?} are constantly disappointed and non-black people consume half-truths of our culture.

I remember reading articles and listening to discussions about BET's lack of original and quality programming and I'm afraid to say that this discussion is still relevant today. Instead of trying to fill the void the other networks have created by ignoring and/or disrespecting the black viewer {more recently The CW} BET is forcing programs down our throats that aren't as original or authentic as the audience it serves or the culture it "represents". Damn I'm getting more and more depressed as I type.

Don't get me wrong, there are a few decent things coming on BET {shout out to Jeff Johnson and Iron Ring is pretty good} but unfortunately most of these descent things will air on BETJ and if you don't have that channel then you're S.O.L.

I say all of this to say I'm rooting for you BET. I can't turn my back on you because I remember how cool you used to be. When Rap City was the undisputed voice of rap and when Comic View was actually funny or when you could watch BET and get new music months before it aired on MTV or VH1. I hope you get back to what made you great. After today's presentation of the upcoming season of programming I'm starting to think those banned Boondocks episodes were 98% spot on.

And don't even get me started on that "Weggie Wudlin" impression.

I'm just saying.

Obama + Enlightened Youth = Yes They Can

Yes They Can: Politics from Future

I was initially going to save this clip for the next installment but it's so freaking powerful that I had to share it with the rest of TGS. Say what you want about Barack Obama but his presence has turned the face of American politics on it's head. Because he has managed to inspire and involve a younger and more diverse following this race isn't and has never been business as usual. You know what I mean with that phrase-- two politicians that pretty much speak to the same people {middle age, higher income, male and white} on every issue. It's been like that for as long as I can remember.


Barack's impact on the youth is definitely one of his strengths. His relationship with the future of our country is one other political figures envy and they have {on numerous occasions} tried to undermine Barack's supporters. Below is a clip from his website featuring a group of students from the Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft in the South Bronx, NY talking about a range of things including their opinion of Senator Obama, politics, race relations and what "Yes We Can" means to them. Two words: its' dope.

More like one word and a conjunction. Anyway, watch it.


-elbj

TGS Mega Installment: First Edition

Whatsup Syndicate,

I feel like it's been so long since I've walked on the blog side of TGS and because I have been distracted and somewhat neglectful I've decided to create a mega installment {guilt is a hell of a motivator}. About twice the cool stuff, twice the great information, twice the trivial crap (it's a gift) and twice the dose of my "in your face, witty, sarcastic, incredibly insightful and modest" repertoire.

The subjects of the mega installment are literally too numerous to type in the title bar of Blogger so here's a rundown of what you can find in this installment of The Genius Syndicate:

1. StartUp New Orleans
2. Beautiful Wife: Marital Bliss/ Ugly Husband: Lucky Bastard
3. Why I Like: Estelle
4. Signs to Quit Your Gig
5. The Beauty of Stimulation
6. Def Jam's Secret to Success
7. Polarizing Brilliance of The Boondocks' Banned Episodes

There you have it, a big heaping helping of TGS for you to sink your teeth into. So dig in.

-elbj

Start Up New Orleans

While in grad school {VCU Brandcenter} I worked with a group of friends {actually we were forced-- just joking-- nah really} to re-brand the city of Richmond, VA. That particular assignment had me ready to leave that school but by the end of the project we developed a powerful campaign that was about creating a dialogue between citizens and showcasing the city as a progressive and cultural destination. Too bad it didn't get picked up.

More recently my day job was re-branding the United States Virgin Islands. It sounds cool but when you look around at the competition and realize they offer the same damn things your brand does you respect the fact that creating a branded destination is a task that demands solutions to be strategic as well as creative and authentic. Branding any existing product is a challenge within itself but branding an actual place brings its own set of challenges to the table and I think no other U.S city has realized this more so than New Orleans.

Over two years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, New Orleans is slowly rebuilding itself {no thanks to vast amounts of crime and FEMA sickening people with poisonous trailers} as a new entrepreneurial hub of the south. Start Up New Orleans is a website created to exhibit the transformation New Orleans is making into an entrepreneur and creative breeding ground in order to draw new businesses and citizens into the city. Start Up New Orleans' co-founder, Sean Cummings, is passionate about repositioning New Orleans as the new entrepreneur's dream city and it seems to be working.



"Idea Village, a New Orleans nonprofit dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, has received 1,015 applications for grants, loans, or non-financial assistance since the storm. All but 2% or 3% came from existing businesses until this year, according to Tim Williamson, the group's president, but since January, 36% have been for new ventures {New Orleans: A Start Up Story, Business Week 2007}." Whether you want to admit it or not, from a branding point-of-view, New Orleans seems to be on the right track as far as carving out a new place for itself amongst the Creative Capital of today's workforce. I'm just waiting to see how the new New Orleans and all it's entrepreneurial glory is going to affect the returning of the one thing that New Orleans is more known for than anything-- the culture.


Beautiful Wife: Marital Bliss/ Ugly Husband: Lucky Bastard

Okay, maybe I was mean and presumptuous with the whole "beautiful wife/ugly husband" thing but we've all seen couples where {in our eyes} the beauty was kind of skewed one way or the other. Either the wife was drop dead gorgeous and the husband looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame {with the income of Bill Gates} or the wife was a homely looking mess like Senator Hillary Clinton about 10 years ago {sorry senator but it's documented} and the husband was a real stud. Personally, I feel attractiveness, much like household chores, should be equally shared among a couple but once again science has proved me wrong. Damn you science.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee tested 82 newly-wed couples for facial attractiveness and marriage quality and their results were exactly what I thought all along: "most men who married attractive women were happy to bask in the glory of their partner's beauty {Why Gorgeous Girls are Happier with Plain Guys, The Daily Mail 2008}." Okay, so what about unattractive women who marry attractive men you may ask?

"Professor Jim McNulty reported: "Men who were more attractive than their partner demonstrated a tendency to offer less emotional and practical support to their wives" and this can be explained by the fact that attractive men are presented with more short-term mating opportunities. In other words, homeboy has more cooch thrown at him than home plate at Yankee Stadium. {I just came up with that one...you can have it}. More details of the study can be found in the Journal of Family Psychology.

So the next time you see a couple and think the date/boyfriend/husband is way out his league just remember that "Men are rated as more likable and friendly when they have a wife who is very attractive." So either way it's a win-win for homeboy. He has you hating on him and his wife is adored and satisfied. All of this information makes you think twice about the following couples:





Beyonce and Jay-Z: Ain't nothing I can say about this couple that hasn't already been said. I'll leave it alone.

Baddest chick in the game, indeed.







Jermaine and Janet: Chris Rock said it best, "Finding out Janet Jackson is dating Jermaine Dupree is like finding out they were selling Bentleys for $5. Everybody had a chance to get one!"

I ain't mad at JD though. I'm still in love with Janet from her "When I Think of You" days.







Catherine and Michael: This one threw everyone for a loop but you have got to respect the old playa's game. Catherine is going to be a banger for a long time.











Porschela Coleman and Russell Simmons: Russell keeps a looker on his arm and now I know why.












Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and his Ex-wife: No disrespect to the former Mrs. Rock but you'd think she'd be a little more exotic, gorgeous and pretty....like her ex-husband. Maybe that's why they aren't together. {Read the article}.






Why I Like: Estelle

I like this chick. I really do and before you say anything it's not just because she's cute, incredibly talented and British. It's because she's cute and incredibly talented--her being British is a bonus though. {Stop hating}.

I read about her in a Rolling Stone article and hit the nail on the head when comparing her to a combination of Lauryn Hill {pre-crazy} and Amy Winehouse {pre-crack}. The girl {Estelle} is dope and so dope that John Legend scooped her up to be on his own label {Homeschool Records}. One thing that blew me away was the fact that she used to re-work secular music into gospel. "British singer-rapper Estelle spent her childhood "flipping secular music to gospel" with her eight siblings.”We'd take Brandy's 'Best Friend' and make it about God being your best friend," says the twenty-seven-year-old West London native, born Estelle Swaray {Artist to Watch: Estelle, Rolling Stone 2007}."

Now someone is listening to Estelle's great music and wondering how they can flip it. Check out videos for Estelle's singles "American Boy {Kanye KILLED his verses}" and "Wait a Minute, Just a Touch" below. I really like this chick.

Writings on the Wall, Burning Bushes and Other Signs You Should Resign

I think T.D Jakes captured it best when he said "I have the gift of good-bye". It's a powerful thing to be able to walk away from an unproductive situation but it's more empowering knowing WHEN to walk away...from anything especially a job. Like I mentioned before, I'm not one of those bloggers who passes along info that I haven't applied {Crown Ministries} and I can say that I completely co-sign on this advice because I recently resigned from a position and I think it was best for both parties.

Susan M. Heathfield, not pictured to the left, over at About.com {one of my absolute favorite websites} lays it out on the line with her article "Top 10 Reasons to Quit Your Job". Here are a few of the Top 10.

"Your relationship with your manager is damaged beyond repair. You have sought help to mend the relationship but you know it is too damaged for recovery. (Perhaps you were untrustworthy, missed work on too many days, or the manager acts like an untrustworthy jerk.) Whatever the reason, the relationship is irrecoverably damaged."

"You've stopped having fun and enjoying your job. No matter what changed, when you dread going to work in the morning, it's time to quit your job."

"For whatever reason, you have behaved in ways that are considered improper at work. You've missed too many days of work, slacked off on the job, failed to maintain needed skills, and/or just generally developed the reputation of a loser. That reputation, once earned, is unlikely to change; you might as well quit your job, while you have the opportunity."

Of course every job has it's bumps and every career has it's rough patches but I firmly believe that everyone has the right to work at a place where they are challenged, valued and happy. If at the core of your frustration you can honestly say that your current situation doesn't check those three boxes then it may be time for you to peace out. Check out the rest of the article {and more great info} when you get a chance.

The Beauty of Stimulation

If you are a creative professional or just a professional with a mean creative streak {like yours truly} then I have the perfect web-resource for you--http://www.behance.com/ This website/group/resource/network is amazing and one thing they aren't short on is inspiration.

One of my favorite teachers, ever, {Mark Fenske} used to say that if you want something good to come out of your brain then put something good in it. He used to begin each of his classes with a piece of literature or music and he often showed movies for us to watch. Now that I think about it those two years were the most inspired I've been in a while. Tangent. I'm sorry.

The people at Behance offer great advice for creativity and creative thinking and the tip I stumbled across reminded me of Fenske.



"Some of the most productive creative minds rely on a periodic self-administered dose of randomness to stay stimulated. Stimulation is not only necessary when developing new ideas, but is also critical when refining solutions to a particular problem. Every brain benefits from new angles that often escape your traditional point of view {Seek Stimulation from Randomness, Behance Mag}."

Good info, right? Here's more.

"Travel without a map. When we venture beyond our comfort zone, we often over-compensate with extensive planning, maps, and itineraries. Instead, consider traveling somewhere without plans. Behance has interviewed many prolific Creatives that cite getting lost as the best way to find new solutions." That's good stuff. Although I can honestly say that traveling without a map only pisses me off at first then I end up enjoying it. Kudos to Behance.


Def Jam's Secret to Success

Before you get all huffy this isn't a stab at Rick Ross or Def Jam...it's more of a jab at the entire music industry. Rick {Rrrrrawus} just happened to be the butt of this spoof because homeboy had the #1 album in the country. Congrats man. Anyway, I found this clip over at the Complex blog the other day and have been cracking up at it ever since. Makes you wonder.



The Boondocks - Network Television = Brilliance

I still can't believe there are people {black people} who have never heard of, read or watched The Boondocks. Aaron McGruder has made some of the most insightful commentary on black life in America I've come across in my generation. {He's working his way into the TGS Hall of Fame}. What started out as a comic strip is now an animated series on Adult Swim {Cartoon Network} and don't sleep on it just because it's on the Cartoon Network.

For two seasons in a row The Boondocks has been cleaning up with ratings while making people laugh and educating them all at once. Whether the main characters are tackling closeted gay rappers {Gangstalicious}, Katrina refugees, vengeful demons {Stinkmeaner}, eliminating the condition of black self-hate {Uncle Ruckus} or battling Killer Kung Fu Wolf Bitches {Killer Kung Fu Wolf Bitch} nothing, this season, has caused as much controversy as the two banned episodes.

I still am not clear as to exactly why these two episodes where banned but I'm sure some people, some where got really pissy, damn near salty {mainly Reggie Hudlin, former Boondocks executive producer and current BET head honcho}. BET {Black Entertainment Television} is the target for both episodes and...let's just say that the network and it's leaders come under some heavy and hilarious scrutiny.

Hey, Aaron and his crew may be tough but I never said they were wrong. If you watch BET you'll understand. Check out the two banned episodes. Thanks to the Complex blog for posting these. Y'all literally made my day.

Episode 14: The Huey Freeman Hunger Strike
















Episode 15: The Uncle Ruckus Reality Show

Quote for the Day

“Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.”

-King Solomon

Durand Bernarr: The New

Durand + J*Davey= Refreshing Artistry

Okay, aside from being hooked on the whole formula-thing {something I like + easy to do= you'll see it often} I'm also hooked on discovering "The New". You know what "The New" is. It's the combination of delightful anticipation and pleasure of experiencing the tangible thing that you never knew existed. I call it The New and yes I am an addict.

While reading reports about pest control {don't ask} I logged onto YouTube to listen to some of my favorite J*Davey music. Now don't take this the wrong way but don't feel so bad if you haven't heard about J*Davey. Truth is that most people haven't but when you finally hear their music you'll never forget it. I heard my first J*Davey track a few years ago {thanks FREE Magazine} and I've been on these kats ever since. As great as J*Davey is they are not the reason I'm posting this mini installment. I came across this dude named Durand Bernarr and I haven't been able to read another sentence within my pesky pest control reports since. Durand has officially made my train of logic jump off the tracks.

No offense to Durand but at first glance you wouldn't expect such a well-developed voice, full of character and control to burst out. It more than bursts it deceptively intertwines you and by the time you realize it your jaw has hit the floor. You might as well give up by then because he's gotten you. You're bobbing your head while being pleasantly amused. Well that's what happened to me.

There are a series of Durand videos online and he even has a few tracks on his Myspace page but I'm particularly smitten by the candid videos of him covering some of my favorite J*Davey tracks on YouTube. He's dope and silly which is a dangerous combination because he's always in the position to prove assholes wrong {I think most gifted people are always in this position...myself included}. Homeboy is the positive personification of why I don't listen to the radio {especially down here in ATL...more on that later}. I would've never found out about his fresh, untainted talent if I relied on "V 1-0-whatever " or "W-90-give me a break" to supply my "New" fix when it comes to music.

Keep singing...I mean sangin' D. It's {blessings, success, fame, artistic fulfillment, creative recognition, etc.} coming to you.


-elbj

Oh yeah and for those who know me if you hear me say/sing "And we're drivinnnggg" in the near future you'll know where I got that from.

And scene.

Hip-Hop Theatre Festival, Commonwealth, Black History's History, Social Atelier & TED's Sir Ken Robinson

Hip-Hop + Theater = Goodness

A month ago I was in church and a guest pastor was delivering his sermon. All in all he was pretty good but something he said kind of rubbed me the wrong way. He had a 5-8 minute monologue about language and more specifically how young kids have butchered the English language with slang. His examples (rather out-dated) were "bad meaning good", "dope meaning exceptional" and the phrase "sick, crazy dude" meaning a guy who is remarkably impressive. Funny, right? Some what. Although the entire church laughed and enjoyed his jokes about slang and his admittance to being out of the loop I realized that the entire church congregation was made of people at and over over the age of 40. Then something happened. When the pastor continued with another anecdote he said the word sucker-- "sucka" to be exact.

The inquisitive cultural observer and challenger of authority in me quickly pulled out my phone, got online and looked up the definition of sucker.

Sucker- A shoot which arises from an underground shoot or root of a plant. He didn't use sucker in that context. Here's the definition of sucker the pastor was referring to; Sucker- Slang: any person or thing.

I was shocked {and delighted} that the pastor who just finished passionately politicking about how we should denounce the use of slang and how we should come together as a country to reclaim our common language {which isn't really ours anyway much like everything else in this country} just dropped a big ole slang bomb without it even occurring to him he did so.

That's when it hit me. The issue wasn't with the use of slang, it was with the use and creation of slang words he doesn't understand. It wasn't a slang thing at all it was a generational thing. This chasm between my generation and the pastor's isn't anything new but I am impressed at how one organization in particular is bridging the generational gap in an artistic way-- the Hip-Hop Theater Festival. I know the theater may not be for every one but I would like to think that the number of potential theater-goers in my generation would increase if they knew depictions of relevant subject matter was being created and performed with them in mind. That's the beauty of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival.



I found out about this amazing initiative while watching Current TV {if you aren't watching Current by now you have missed the train} and my mouth hit the floor. I was so drawn to the connection this organization was making between hip-hip culture {CULTURE people not the corney "bling-bling, make it rain, rolling on dubs" simpleton antics crammed down our throats over radio stations} and performance art. To me the strength of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival is their understanding of their target. They work with and speak to members of the hip-hop generation while serving the young, urban communities across the U.S and around the world. Check out the website to learn more and if you have a short attention span jump over to the Hip-Hop Festival Current TV pod. Lazy rascal.


Commonwealth: Anything but Common

Anyone who knows me KNOWS I likes to look good which means I pay attention to clothes. All kinds. Personally I call my style "Project Preppy" because I switch it up from jeans and sneaks to loafers and a vest any day and pull it off everyday. Of course I stuck out like a sore thumb in my little small town and there really weren't too many places to shop so we all ways hit the malls up in VA. I wish Commonwealth was open then.




Commonwealth {owned and operated by cousins} is a fly retail space in downtown Norfolk, VA {not even an hour from my hometown} and they also have a spot in Washington D.C. If you value eclectic pieces, original design and underground street fashion labels then Commonwealth is the spot for you. In addition to dressing those who love to dress {including me in the near future} they also hold events so if you're in the area check them out. There is also a great interview of one of the co-founders {Omar Quiambao} written by Michael Bercasio with Inquiringmind Magazine. It's a great read so check it out and get your browse on at the same time.

VA stand up!!!


Black History's History

I, for one, don't relegate the accomplishments and contributions of my people to this country to 28 days {or 29 depending on the year}. I always find a way to celebrate Black history everyday. Hell, I even started the Black History Quiz Bowl at my high school {whether they continue it or not I don't know but your boy is to thank for that one *wink*}. Much to my surprise I was slightly disappointed and ashamed at how little I knew about the origins of Black History Month itself.

This is when my good friend Current TV {I told y'all don't sleep on Current} stepped in and gave me the rundown on the come up that was Negro History Day, then Negro History Week and eventually Black History Month. Check it out.




Social Atelier: Fashion as Change Agent

I've already confessed my affinity for fresh clothing {see Commonwealth} but the combination of fresh clothes and social change makes elbj a very happy boy. Social Atelier is a company that uses fashion to increase social awareness and increase change pertaining to key issues facing our culture(s) today like war, AIDS, global warming and poverty. The SA donates a portion of their proceeds to certain causes and this season's proceeds of SA sales will be donated to the Solar Cooker Project. "This project significantly improves the safety and survival of women in the refugee camps by alleviating the need for them to go out and seek cooking fuel, an action that puts them at severe risk for assault, rape, and even death. (http://www.socialatelier.com/Awarness.html)".

Check out video of Social Atelier's latest collection. Social Atelier is an example of social entrepreneurship and fashion at its best...that is until I step onto the scene. Y'all ain't ready for that yet.





TED & Sir Ken Robinson

I have to admit when I heard about TED I thought it was some dude who had an amazing ego and demanded people spell his name with all upper case letters. Don't ask where I got that from. Much to my delight TED is far from that. TED has been going on since 1984 and stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Since inception TED has been an organization and conference which brought bright minds from all three of those fields together to share their wisdom. Over the years what started as a humble conference has turned into a global powerhouse of intellectual, cultural, technological and inspirational resources. I really want to go to TEDAfrica later this year...hopefully a brother can get his pockets right. {Yeah I said it}.




Yesterday a good friend of mine {whatsup RoRo!!} sent me a link to someone who has the potential of being my next Man Crush {see last post}. A midst a daydream, reading about flood insurance and customizing my Legos Sir Ken Robinson {right} inspired me with his talk of children, creativity, intelligence and how we, as a people, teach the creativity out of our most precious resource. He was speaking my language and I watched his video 5 times in a row. It's the bomb but don't take my word for it. See for yourself. I may have to induct Sir Ken into The Genius Syndicate Hall of Fame.


If you are one who is motivated by insight and inspired by truth then you will absolutely enjoy what Sir Ken and the rest of the TED Talks have to offer.






Quote of the Day

“A fully functional multiracial society cannot be achieved without a sense of history and open, honest dialogue.”

-Dr. Cornel West

Barack Obama: My First Politican Man-Crush

A friend of mine helped me come to terms with what she called a "man crush" I have on Senator Obama. It never registered with me before but now in hindsight all the signs were there. I was just too smitten to take notice.

Everyday, for the past month and a half, I consciously spent at least 30 minutes reading articles on CNN.com, the NY Times.com and Reuters.com and listening to commentary about Barack Obama (his primary wins, endorsements from high profile Americans and campaign fund raising, strengths, weaknesses, appeal, etc.) and I can't help but get excited. Right now I'm flipping through a slideshow of the Obama campaign South Carolina primary win and its amazing to see the make-up of the crowd. Diverse in every way: age, gender and especially race. Its true that this man has managed to tap into the core of our generation and its beyond remarkable. I say all of this to say that Barack Obama is one of those majestic black men that we've heard about but never really seen in the public eye.

In the midst of "ambitious drug dealer turned music star", "the tragic hero ex-con", 'the marching civil rights celebrity", "angry brother man", "keeping it real dude", "black when it suites me" guy, "the professional athlete", the "I got mine so you get yours" black millionaire, "post millennium pimp" and other "characters" of black manhood I am ecstatic that Barack has elevated beyond the stereotyped limits of what a black man is "supposed" to be and has affixed himself (and those around him) to the blessing of what a black man may become. He's the manifestation of activated positive potential. This brother is bad.

Like Toni Morrison said, "In addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which, coupled with brilliance, equals wisdom."

Do your thing B.

-elbj

Okay enough pole riding. To see how B has managed to blanket pop culture to become the poster child of change agents, no pun intended, {you'll get it when you scroll down} check out what's below.

Roy Powell, 19, a first-time voter, called Barack Obama "humble and approachable."

Photo: Damon Winter/The New York Times

One of two Shepard Fairey designed posters of Barack Obama.
















Barack Obama designed Air Force Ones by Van Taylor Monroe. This kat seriously needs a store.









A Barack valentine card. Its sold out already so don't even think about trying to order any. Check out the Chicagoist for more Barack art or... "Barart".

Come on, you know it was coming.

One of many Barack themed tshirts over at Cafepress.com. No, I'm serious. There are over 13,000 designs and they're reasonably priced. Pick one up.

Shout out to Michelle O!