Marbury is THE MAN

For a long time, I've wondered why basketball stars (specifically Jordan) have never created an affordable sneaker for the underprivileged consumer. When people were killing each other over the newest $200 Jordans in the projects, why didn't Jordan deliver a truckload of new shoes to them. It would have been a great tax write-off for him and he would have been a hero. Now, after all this time, Stephon Marbury is stepping up to the plate by offering a shoe that costs only $15! Kudos to him. He just gained major cool points and should be considered a modern day hero and inspiration to his colleagues and us all.

Knicks star Stephon Marbury is putting his name behind a pair of $15 basketball shoes that he's hoping will give underprivileged kids the chance to wear sneaks fit for the pros.

The black high tops drew rave reviews yesterday from the critics who matter most - young hoopsters.

"They're comfortable," said Mylique Owens, 13, a seventh-grader from midtown, after he tried on a pair of the sleek kicks at the famed basketball court on W. Fourth St. yesterday.

Owens couldn't believe his ears when told the price of the lightweight sneakers.

"Fifteen? Not 5-0? 1-5?" he asked, incredulously. "This shoe could easily go for $70 to a $100."

The groundbreaking sneaker, the Starbury One, is Marbury's attempt at combating the trend toward astonishingly high-priced basketball shoes.

Air Jordans, the sneakers that revolutionized the industry, now go for as much as $180.

The Starbury Ones are far less expensive than even the second-tier Jordans.

"I paid $130 for these Air Jordans that I bought four months ago," said Lenart Williams, a 20-year-old from Harlem. "To get them for $15 from Marbury, I think these shoes are fly."

The sneakers, which will be sold only at Steve & Barry's sports apparel stores, will go on sale tomorrow.

Produced in China, the shoes are constructed using the same materials as the other top-end basketball sneakers on the market, said Howard Schacter, chief partnership officer for Steve & Barry's.

"[Marbury] had a vision. We had an expertise. And together it became a match made in heaven," Schacter said.

Marbury has vowed to wear the shoes he's hoping will enable disadvantaged kids to feel like stars.

The mercurial guard's benevolent intentions were not lost on the young players assembled at the W. Fourth St. court yesterday.

"I feel him for doing something like this," said Mamadou Harvey, 18, of the lower East Side. "Not everyone can afford $80 or $90 shoes."

View the article:New York Daily News

Preconceived Notion

My cousin sent this email out a while back, and I thought it was so cute and provocative that I had to post it for all to see!

Thought for the Day

I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, start out dead and get it out of the way. Then you wake up in a nursing home, feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, then, when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day. You work 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You drink alcohol, you party, you're generally promiscuous and you get ready for High School. You go to primary school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a baby, then, you spend your last 9 months floating peacefully with luxuries like central heating, spa room service on tap, larger quarters everyday, and finally you finish off as an orgasm.

I rest my case.

Sounds like a plan to me!

Phew, I Can Still Vote!

Members of the CBC Attend White House Signing Ceremony of the Voting Rights Act

In Congress, members of the CBC and the civil rights community, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Urban League (NUL), led the effort in the passage of the VRA. The bill recently passed the U.S. House by a vote of 390 to 33 and the U.S. Senate by a margin of 98 to 0.

Amidst applause and a gathering of prominent Civil Rights leaders, President Bush signed the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 on July 27, 2006. This event passed quietly, like a private party, but has a tremendous importance and responsibility attached. Many young Black Americans were not born when this hard-fought victory was won. And many do not understand the significance of the renewal of certain provisions of this act, which were due to expire in 2007.

Why was the act renewed in 2006? It is a key mid-term election year. There are Governor’s races in Ohio and Pennsylvania where Black Republicans are running. There are important races that could shift the balance of power in the House and the Senate. The importance of this renewal has to do with your response to support issues of importance to Black people all over the country. The Congressional Black Caucus has identified a set of issues that represent an agenda that is important to Black constituents. Do you know what these issues are? Will you register and vote? The CBC has its annual meeting in September, and is facing a turnover in leadership.
This is an opportunity focus on the national priorities of our Black congressional leaders.

SEPTEMBER 6 - 9, 2006

Changing Course, Confronting Crises, Continuing the Legacy
Washington Convention Center
Washington, DC
Our rights are only secure if you register and vote.

For more information, see:
CBC Foundation Annual Legislative Conference.

Let's Say Thanks

For those of you who might be interested:

If you go to this website: www.letssaythanks.com

you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. It is FREE and it only takes a second. A friend of mine has a husband in the armed forces and she personally knows for a fact that the single soldiers really appreciate these kind gestures that only take a minute of our time.

It's the least we can do when they're over there fighting a senseless oil war, and we're over here knowing how terrible the world's situation is. Since we can't bring them home ourselves, we can at least let them know they aren't forgotten and that they are in our thoughts.

Rise and Shine

Saul Williams posted this poem this morning on MySpace and I'd like to share it with you:

every morning
I rise and face
the firing squad

every morning
there is one
who holds his fire

his dilemma
is my system
of belief

they fire rounds
but I am seldom
in their circle

a quiet mind
is labeled "sound"
and colored purple

my little boy
has not yet learned
to color within lines

his jumbled diction
has not yet learned
our contradiction

we speak of art
with flaming passion
then do work
void of compassion

and wonder why
reality is bleeding fiction

My Beef with Hemingway

OK. I've finally read an Ernest Hemingway book, A Farewell to Arms, and let me tell you, I'm quite disappointed. At first I thought, maybe I'm just not getting it. Why is he considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century? I really didn't like his writing style, although I eventually got used to it. I mean, if I wrote like that in school, I never would have graduated. What made it acceptable for him to write with improper grammatical form? Not fair.

Secondly, I can appreciate his view of the Great War, since he actively participated. However, what makes his perspective so great? His portrayal of the war was so bland, I found it hard to finish the book. I can understand the sentiments of the war being unnecessary, the feelings of defeat and even complacency, but did it need to sound so droll? I was like, gimme a break already!

Another major gripe I had was with the female character. How annoying and flat was she really? And once again, I am bearing in mind that this book was written by a man way back when, but good googly moogly! If I ever came across such an ingratiating, spineless, clueless wretch, I'd strangle her! "Do you love me? Say you love me. Do you find me pretty? Please say you do." "I like whatever you like all the time." "I want to live on an island with you and only you so you don't have to see any other woman but me." Come on already. This kind of talk makes me want to throw her worthless butt in a feminist boot camp run by Susan Powter. Stop the insanity! If this is the view men have of women, then women, we need to do something about it. Screw a farewell to arms, we need to pick some up and strengthen our spines. This is ludicrous.

My final beef with Hemingway was the unnecessary passage in which he uses the word, "nigger" when the main character's love (who, as I said previously I couldn't stand) compares him to Othello having his one possession taken away (his love for her). It comes so suddenly, and then a different conversation ensues out of nowhere. That passage, albeit it was written long ago, was probably still as unnecessary as it is now, no matter who read or reads it.

After reading this one work of Hemingway, I'm not very motivated to read anything else by him. I keep vacillating on whether or not to give it another go, but, so sad to say, I'm leaning toward not reading anything else. We'll see.

That is all for now.

The Little Black Man's Book

Came across this press release and found it quite interesting that someone has compiled this research and put it in a book "to help, to discipline, and to uplift the African-American Man-Child." I'm really interested in what my black male friends will say about this one. Actually, I'm curious to see what everyone has to say about this: parents, single parents, future parents, no matter what the ethnic background is. I will definitely be looking further into this one! I've checked out the website and it seems pretty good, so far. As I've said before, I'm always supportive of anything that will uplift and educate our youth. So, so long as this book isn't something that just sounds good, I hope it means and does well, too.

THE LITTLE BLACK MAN’S BOOK

Gardena, CA -- June, 2006 -- The Little Black Man'’s Book: 10 Strategies To Help, To Discipline, and To Uplift the African American Man-child is needed to assist parents (especially single female parents) to reach their man-child. Written by educational consultant John P. Hamilton, Ed.D, this mini-book discusses everything from "Building Structure," "Male Role Models," "Hip-hop," to "Access & Resources."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The purpose of The Little Black Man‚’s Book is for parents to use the ten recommended strategies to assist with molding their man-child into a responsible and productive man. Moreover, this mini book assists parents to help their man-child focus on creating a positive mindset, reframing negative issues, and promoting high expectations. This mini book reaches out to the single female parent, who needs guidance, assistance, and the will to reclaim her man-child or foster strategies to keep him on the straight and narrow.

This is an excellent resource for parents; schools; parent educators; parent advocacy groups, mentor programs; youth groups; Upward Bound; and any TRIO programs.

What are people saying about The Little Black Man's Book?

"The Little Black Man's Book allows me to be interactive with my man-child through dialogue."
--Single-Female Parent

"AT LAST--a guide for single parents‚—especially single female parents as well as educators filled with easily accessible information on connecting with young African American males."
--Master Teacher

To place immediate orders for the book, a book signing, and/or interview contact:
Hamilton & Associates Consulting
PO Box 2627
Gardena, CA 90247
(323) 309-2502 Fax: (310) 538-0760
e-mail: johnphamilton@aol.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press Contact
John Hamilton, Ed.D.
Website:www.hamiltonandassociatesconsulting.org

Let me know what you think, everyone! And remember, this is the same man who brought us "The Elevator Is Broken." Dr. Hamilton seems to be making very positive moves... Right on!