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.