Good-bye 2011, you were amazing #Lineup

The Lineup: December ‘11

#EpicFail: Government.  No one thing was clearer to me this year than the disgust that people have had with government.  In the Middle East, we saw several revolutions that directly led to three dictators being ousted from their thrones.  Even stateside, we saw our fair share of protesting.  Whether it was the Tea Party or Occupy [Enter City Here], Americans were simply unhappy with the people that run our country.  Despite me being an avid Obama supporter, I too am disappointed with my government.  Shame on the Republicans for holding this country hostage and prolonging the economic crisis for the sole purpose of setting the table for the 2012 election and shame on you, President Obama, for allowing their antics to be paraded around as democracy.

(Related: Kim Jong-Il died this month. Not a great year for dictators.)

Okay you've eaten, now Line up!

The Lineup: November ‘11

What I can’t live without: Nostalgia.  Earlier this month, I along with my mentee and her family, visited my Alma Mater.  My mentee is applying there and she went for a visit.  Aside from reconnecting with old friends, seeing my University through her eyes really allowed me to re-live those years.  Those four years were special and it made me fall in love with those memories all over again.  The only thing that would make things better would be for her to get an acceptance letter. J #GoWC

(Related: A great conversation that I had with some fellow alums over Thanksgiving break.)
(Related: Thanksgiving dinner... yummm!)

My car broke down!

99%

The other day I was running some errands and was on my way to get a haircut when I found myself having to parallel park on a busy street.  As I pulled up, I noticed that the light behind me had turned green and in a few short seconds cars would be flying by and a) I didn’t feel like waiting for all these cars to pass and b) I didn’t feel like having one of those cars clip me trying to pass.  So like dozens of times before, I cut the wheel fast and surgically snaked my car into that spot.  As I was getting ready to get out of the car, I noticed smoke coming from the hood and seeping through the vents.

Landon Pigg knows what he's talking about

Coffee Shops

As I write this, I’m sitting at a Cosi.  For those that’s never been there, its like a combination of Starbucks and Panera Bread where you can get everything from a latte to a flatbread pizza.  It’s definitely a destination spot with comfortable chairs, warm color schemes and of course, free WiFi.  The good folks at Cosi expect you to purchase a few things and then spend a few hours taking care of whatever business that you want.  Usually around this time, if I’m not eating, I’m watching television or playing Playstation.  Spending a few hours at Cosi is definitely not on my short list of things to do; yet I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.  Why?

What do you expect?

Great Expectations

I feel bad for Tim Tebow.

It’s hard to feel bad for someone who gets paid millions of dollars to play a game but I really do.  After another miserable passing performance, Tim had to deal with a Monday morning firestorm of people talking about how he “sucks” and doesn’t deserve to be a Quarterback in the NFL.  It’s more than just your run-of-the-mill criticism – people are actually happy to see him fail and circle around him like vultures.  Someone so inexperienced is usually treated with kid gloves but unfortunately Tim Tebow is just the latest victim of a very dangerous and familiar epidemic.

You should be scared of this Lineup

The Lineup: October ‘11

What I can’t live without: Fear.  Nothing like the month of October for the cable networks to break out their horror movie marathons.  Although I didn’t go see Paranormal Activity 3 in the theaters like the rest of the world, I did enjoy bouncing around the tube catching old favorites like Saw, Texas Chainsaw…, The Shining, and Pet Cemetery.  Its still makes me laugh that once each year people will pay money and spend hours doing things that literally scare the hell out of them. 

(Related: The Walking Dead a.k.a. the most exciting show on television right now)

War Torn.

Casualties

32 people were shot in a hail of gunfire over a three-day span.  The 20 separate incidents left 7 people dead.

These kinds of headlines are all too familiar when your country has been at war with two countries for nearly 10 years. We’ve become so numb to it that these reports are just temporary hiccups between the gossip and sports columns.  Because shootings and killings go hand in hand with war, the shock and emotional attachment has all but worn off.  However the shootings that I described above did not happen during a combat mission, those 32 people we’re wearing army fatigues and not one of those 7 bodies were found on a street in Afghanistan.

Fall Back and get some of this Lineup

The Lineup: September ‘11

What I can’t live without: Beyond Scared Straight.  Or as I like to call it, crack for your eyeballs.  It’s a more intense version of the Scared Straight show that we used to watch when we were younger and thank goodness for that because Bad Ass Kids + Jail = Comedy.  There is nothing funnier than watching some wannabe gangster get reduced to tears at the hands of a criminal who threatens to sell him off for a pack of cigarettes.  The best part however, is watching these kids realize they are throwing their lives away with these bad decisions and making a change.

(Related: Breaking Bad – The start of this season could be misconstrued as being “slow” but those first episodes were only the fuses tied to the mountain of dynamite that’s about to explode.)

Henna tattoos are for sissies.

Inked.

My tattoos represent the essence of hard work – temporary pain and discomfort for a lifetime of pleasure and satisfaction.

My tattoos are not fashionable and are not a response to any trend. 

9/11/01

Nine Eleven. Ten.

Ten years ago terrorists waged war on our country.  Images of planes, fires and collapsing buildings forever burned in our minds.  Now, a decade later, our country mourns and remembers.  Newspapers dedicated weeklong spreads, exclusive interviews with President Bush and Mayor Giuliani and Facebook was filled with people’s feelings and opinions.  Even the hit show Rescue Me, which was in part dedicated to the lives of the 343 firefighters that died, had its series finale. While many felt sadness or anger, one particular emotion ran through me deeper than all others… Disappointment.

The best business advice ever... or the simplest

People Power

Business advice seems to take the same form nowadays – stripped down and covered in a shroud of lists and mystery.  There’s no real way to tell if the keys to managing your company can be narrowed to “5 keys” or a “secret formula” but there is genius in simplicity.  Removing the complexity of an issue allows us to focus on what’s really important and helps prioritize.  So in order to provide the best business advice possible with this post, I’ll attempt to explain how you can build and sustain a successful company with only one word.

No earthquake or hurricane can stop The Lineup!

The Lineup: August ‘11

What I can’t live without: E, Vinny, Drama, Turtle & Ari Motherf**king Gold.  The 8^th and final season of Entourage is currently on and it is the most ambitious season (in terms of writing) yet.  Gone are the adolescent jokes and pranks and instead we have actual drama (no pun).  Don’t get me wrong, you still get your fill of laughs but this season is the most emotional and personal.  Definitely going out on a high note.

(Related: Curb Your Enthusiasm – Larry David is simply operating on a higher level this year. Might be the best season ever.)

(UNrelated: True Blood – this will be the final season that I’ll be watching.)

Want to watch a movie?

Analyze This.

It’s kind of funny actually.  If I’m visiting someone’s place for the first time and I’m in their living room, one of the first things that I do is check out their DVD collection.  I’ll notice them from my seat and like a moth to a flame I’m pulled from my seat, eyes wide with excitement.  I can easily spend 5 minutes hunched, surveying each item. (If I know the person well, I’m liable to grab a few and read the backs of the cases.)  This quirky little habit of mine continues to entertain me because one, I am a movie buff, and two, I discovered that you can learn a lot about someone based on the DVD’s that they own.

An entire river of consciousness...

Blocked.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do in the world is write.  I’m not talking about adverbs or discovering a synonym to help articulate a particular thought, I’m referring to the simple concept of finding an idea to write about.  

The Lineup that's almost hotter than the past few weeks... almost.

The Lineup: July ‘11

What I can’t live without: Words With Friends. This game isn’t quite new but I finally got put on to it and its incredibly addicting.  Not sure how they don’t owe Scrabble a check but that’s for a lawyer to figure out.  This game is super competitive and if not carefully may turn your friend into an enemy.  The pic above is my boy Wiz from one of his other games.  If he dropped 112 on me, I would fight him in the street.

Go ahead, try it.

 New Horizons

Yes, that’s me in the picture above taking my 1^st golf lesson.

As recent as the last few years, I swore that I would never, ever play golf.  When "Tiger Woods" mania hit the black community in 1997, I did not hop aboard.  To me the sport was boring and for old people.  When I decided to start a business, I was told by many people that I needed to take up the game because “all the deals are made on the golf course.”  I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to play golf simply to brown nose and I would make it happen without having to grab my putter.  Yet here I am, working on my swing at the driving range and looking forward to my first round of 18.  I still feel like golf is boring, mainly for old people and I won’t be conducting business while I’m playing.  So why the change?

Getting married? Dude that's so gay.

Rainbow Power

With a 33-29 vote in the Senate and a signature from Governor Cuomo, New York became the 6^th state to legalize same-sex marriage.  Given the size and visibility of New York, this legislation is nothing short of historic.  As expected, many voiced their disapproval claiming that gay marriage tarnishes the sanctity of the institution. Whether or not you feel like marriage has to be defined as being between a man and a woman, the truth is, marriage rights extend way beyond saying “I do”.

Can you think of a better way to start the summer? Me either. Line up!

The Lineup: June ‘11

What I can’t live without: Lyrics, lyrics and more lyrics.  For those that know me, Hip-Hop runs through the blood in my veins.  I’m also an 80’s baby which means that I come from a time where what you said in your song meant everything.  For better or for worse, it seems that crafty lyricism is no longer a priority and rappers who put serious effort into the words are becoming endangered.  Enter Eminem.  Over the last decade, I could always count on Eminem to remind me why I fell in love with Hip-Hop.  This time, he partnered with long time friend and equally talented emcee, Royce Da 5’9 to form the duo Bad Meets Evil.  Although they started recording together back in 1999, this is their first album together and it is incredible.  To make a long story short, stay close to your rewind button.

"You See Right Thru Me"

Reflective Surfaces

Tall

Smart

Arrogant

Black

Funny

Stubborn

Passionate

Atheist

If I could turn back time...

Turn Back Time

“Getting old sucks.”

- My mom.

Getting old is an interesting concept.  At first you can’t wait to be “older”.  In elementary school, you loved being able to brag to your friends that you are older than they are as if being 9 puts you higher on the totem pole.  You can’t wait to turn 13 and officially be a teenager.  18 allows you to drive and finally 21 makes everyone happy because you finally get to drink (legally), gamble (legally) go to all clubs (legally) and are officially considered an adult.  For those years, getting old is awesome.  But around “24-ish”…

May I interest you in a Lineup #Wit

The Lineup: May ‘11

What I can’t live without:  Inside the NBA. Not so much for the fact that this has been the most exciting NBA playoffs in a decade but because there’s been so many games this month that I literally had no time for anything else.  Seriously.  So far this month, there’s only been 4 days where there hasn’t been a game on.  Thankfully, EJ, Kenny “The Jet” and my boy Chuck helped me "fish" (inside ("inside" joke (get it?)) joke) in these crowded waters. #Wit

Just in case you were wondering...

Yep...

Still here.

Have a great day!

I don't want to see you die.

Slightly Less Hypocritical

It’s been about 10 months since I made my personal pledge to stop texting and driving.  Last year around this time you could definitely see me glancing at my blackberry to read a text or twiddling my thumbs while trying to hold the steering wheel straight.  I would come up with all kinds of techniques to improve my texting skills: holding the phone above the dashboard so that my line of sight can stay straight, texting with one hand or doing it without looking at the keys.  If you asked me if I thought I had a problem, I would definitely say “no”.  But the truth is, I could have died.

Feeling down an out? Well I have the solution for just $19.95!

CONfidence

There is an industry out there that is guaranteed to make a profit.  It’s recession proof and has been successful for generations.  Although there’s a lot of competition, a seemingly endless supply of customers makes the pie large enough for everyone.  The supply of customers is endless because at one time or another, every man, woman and child suffers from the same problem.

Recording...

Start Time, Stop Time

When I want to record an episode of The Daily Show, all I have to do is press one button.  When Burn Notice returns this summer, I don’t have to lift a finger because I pressed a few buttons and recorded the entire series, 3 years ago.  DVR has made life so much better and has made something already awesome – watching television – even more awesome.  If you were born after 1989, there is a chance that you don’t totally understand the impact of DVR.  You probably can’t truly appreciate this “NASA-like” leap in technology.

The extra long form version of The Lineup

The Lineup: April ‘11

What I can’t live without:  Kratos.  I am about 5 years late to the party but I finally got a Playstation 3.  Now I am playing the 3^rd edition of one of my favorite games of all time – God of War.  Its been so long that I forgot just how fun video games are.  I really feel like a little kid all over again.  One of the best things about being 5 years late is that all the games that I want are now ½ price. Lol.

(Related: NBA Playoffs – this is seriously one of the best playoffs that I can remember. I am literally watching a game every night)

Look at me Now... I'm getting paper.

Supply and Demand

The people behind the greatest success stories come from all walks of life, but the stories themselves have many similarities.  One of the main traits is simplicity.  Stripping away layers of inefficiency and redundancy to focus on the bare naked truth almost always leads to a breakthrough.

A great month to dig Wizards and stuff... Line it Up!

The Lineup: March ‘11

What I can’t live without: Harry [Bleeping] Potter.  I can’t believe I’m saying it myself.  First Twilight and now this.  I’m on the 4^th movie and I’m actually into it.  The movies are well made and its really fun to root for Harry (who can’t sympathize with an orphan?)  I’m not sure if I’m going to see the last one in the theater but I’m all over it.

(Related: March Madness – crapped away another $20 but it was fun while it lasted.)

What Snooki and Flava Flav have in common...

You Coon Too?

In the span of about 45 minutes, I watched Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi appear in a commercial on WWE Smackdown (She will be competing in a match at Wrestlemania) and I watched Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino on Comedy Central roasting Donald Trump.  There isn’t a question mark large enough to capture the state of befuddle that I was in.  It appears that there is no end to the hurricane that is Jersey Shore and it makes one thing very clear.

Let the MAAADDDNNESSS begin!!!!

Bracket Busters

Pay attention.  You’re about to watch a billion dollars change hands over the next few weeks.  You’re also about to see companies lose millions of dollars due to lack of productivity from its workers.  And you’re about to hear a lot – and I mean a lot – about seeds, regions and Cinderellas.

February might be short but the Lineup is long...

The Lineup: February ‘11

What I can’t live without: NBA All-Star Weekend.  Its definitely my favorite weekend in sports.  I haven’t missed a moment of All-Star weekend since Harold Miner won his first dunk contest.  And I watched it all from Friday evening until the end of the game on Sunday.  (Yes I even used to watch 2 Ball but I’m glad they got rid of it).   I watch every second of the dunk contest just for that one “oh s**t” moment that makes me reconsider everything I thought I knew about athleticism.   But there is nothing better than watching the 12 best basketball players on earth play at the same time.  Nothing.  This weekend did not disappoint and I will surely be back in 2012.

(UNrelated:  I know he’s Chinese but if he only played in 5 games, you shouldn’t vote for Yao Ming out of general principle. C’mon Son.)

(Related:  NBA trade deadline this year was crazy. So many stars in new places. It will surely make for an interesting playoff run.)

Fight or Flight.

Decision Points

“I'm not Egyptian and don't fully comprehend the burden that's been lifted by Mubarak's decision to step down, but I can empathize with their joy.”

- D. Elias

The revolution in Egypt is nothing short of remarkable.  The power of a people united never ceases to amaze me; it can literally move mountains.  Watching a group of young and educated Egyptian citizens mobilize and convince an entire nation to stand and fight made me reflect on my grandfather’s generation and how they performed similar miracles in this country.  But throughout the weeks of articles, editorials and interviews, one person who deserves a lot of credit for this historic event, fails to get mentioned.

He's on FIRE!

WWJD?

No, not that one.

The Jesus that I’m talking about played for Lincoln High School and had a father that looked a whole lot like Denzel Washington sporting an afro.  Jesus Shuttlesworth’s real life counterpart is Ray Allen, guard for the Boston Celtics.  On February 10^th, Allen became the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history eclipsing Reggie Miller’s mark of 2,560 career 3’s.  This milestone further solidifies Allen’s case as the greatest shooter of all time.  Sure he’s 6’5” and blessed with incredible genetics and athleticism, but his accomplishments can be summed up in one word.

I drove by the fork in the road and went straight.

“B”

There are no shortcuts…

When I first got to Brandeis, I was on a pre-med track with hopes of becoming a pediatrician.  One of my first classes was chemistry lab where we had to conduct real experiments and document every step of the process.  Once we reached our conclusion we had to do a separate calculation to determine how far off we were from the correct answer.  It was bad enough that I was wrong but to have to analyze how wrong I was pained me to no end.  Needless to say, I didn’t last long in that class and soon after, I left the path of medicine.  That’s great for all of the future sick kids of the world because I would have been a terrible doctor.  My brain is not equipped for science because if you are at point A and need to get to C, you must analyze - sometimes ad nausea - B.

2011... Let's get it poppin'

The Lineup: January ‘11

What I can’t live without:  Decoded.  Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love and appreciate Hip-Hop.  I didn’t think it was possible to love the culture more... and then I read this book.  Jay-Z didn’t just write a good book for a rapper, he wrote a great book, period.  He beautifully weaved anecdotes, personal perspectives and autobiographical information while at the same time “decoding” the complex lyrics of his songs.  When you finish the book, you realize that Jay-Z is not only the greatest rapper of all time but one of America’s greatest artists and cultural icons.  Go get it.

(Related: PREDICTION – Jay-Z will one day win a Nobel Prize)

You deserve more but I hope these words are a good start...

Hero.

We love our heroes.  We love giving them medals and holding ceremonies in their honor.  We love watching movies about their lives, and having our children idolize them.  It’s why we give our soldiers their own holiday and lend our support to the police and fire department.  We even stretch the definition of hero to include teachers, doctors and philanthropists.   We don’t however include recovering addicts in the conversation of heroism.

Just in time for MLK Day...

Underdogs.

On January 10^th, the Auburn Tigers completed their perfect season by winning college football’s National Championship.  They beat the Oregon Ducks, who also had an undefeated regular season, in a hotly contested game that came down to the wire.  The Tigers held up the trophy… but they weren’t the only perfect team.

Vacation is over... Let's go get some money!

Homework.

A commonly used phrase, “student of the game” refers to the idea of someone so entrenched with her field that she literally studies it.  This applies to everything – music, science and sports.  So if you plan to own your own business, I suggest you grab your backpack and Trapper Keeper because its time to go back to school.