Choices

Open your eyes, put your head in the game.
then you will realize
that this is just a shell game
what a shame keep on
keep on the sky is the limit
we can have it all it just
takes allot of hard work
we also need to make good choices
choices are the things that keep us going
making choices will hurt or help you
just keep in mind if you choice the dark side
you must deal with it
do not turn back your choices
go with the flow
because it is on you to change the bad
keep on making choices
it is you who has to deal with
them.
Life if choices
fear them no enjoy them
then move on

Too big to fail

Too, big to fail is a dumb statement made by dumb fuck politicians. nothing is too big to fail, if you fail at something failure gives you a sense of knowledge and problem solving skills. What I am trying to say is that failure is a giant part of business and everyday life. No one is perfect if they that they are , then in return i will show you a liar. I have personal failed at many things throughout my life but failure has made me a better person because I have failed. If we do not face failure head on we will never be use to facing grief in our own lives. Also, I feel that we drop our giant egos we will finally see the bigger picture. Get your heads out of the clouds it is not about you It is about the treatment of others. leave the ego's at the door and we will all see a more powerful nation that no one is ready for. i do not mean use violence I mean lets end all the conventional thinking that is not working, and lets start living the ways that we all know that we can. Peace , love and happiness to all who wants it keep your head up things get better when you work at them.

2009 top ten sneakers

10.Nike 1/2 cents royal blue
9.Jordan 12 flu game
8.Nike Air Griffey Max 1
7.Nike Air Yeezys
6.Jordan 3's true blue
5.Supra Tk's
4.Supra Sky tops 2
3.Jordan flu game
2.Nike Foamposites copper or eggplant
1.Jordan space jams

Capricorn Horoscope 12-31-2009

This may be a good year to take it easy on New Year's Eve. The skies could be a little bit stormy for you, and you've already had enough intrigue for one year. Something small and intimate may suit you better than a big affair with lots of mixed energy.


Your Lucky Numbers: 1, 27, 28, 44, 12, 42

Daily Message 12-31-2009

New Year's Eve brings a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in the sign of Cancer, kicking 2010 off to an exciting start! This is a good time to reflect on the past as you plan for the future, spending time with those closest to you before the year shifts gears.

Souls.

We are lacking the freedom of expressing ourselves. we feel that we must be accepted by all people at all times. That is so false we must like being in our own skin first then good things will follow. we all must look ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what do we really want from this life. We can get all what our hearts deserves but it takes time, space and a whole lot of energy. i know that i do not know everything but, I am willing to go and learn more so that I can finally have some sense of power. Power does not come to the one with the most money it comes to the one that the people feel a bond with. Everything I write comes from the heart with a lot of truth. I have seen a lot of shit with my eyes so I have the credit to go in depth into the soul. If we do not look in our own souls once and a while. The devil will take over and you will loose all control. Keep your eyes open and your hearts to the grind of your own path.

Daily Overview 12-23-09

The Moon in Pisces conjuncts exciting Uranus today, stirring up your emotions and instigating change. You may find yourself surprised at some of the feelings that arise today, as unexpected forces emerge to catalyze movement forward. This is a good time to connect with like-minded others to envision the future you want to create.

Quote of the day:
Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains.
Diane Ackerman

Come on

You ain't balling dog you calling your mama for a loan. Come on keep it real
do I still have to remind you dumb fucks money ain't shit. Come dummies stop sweating money if you are eating something has to be good. Get your heads out of your asses keep your eyes open. Realize that we are all pawns in this big chess game. Just try to make moves that are good for you. Stop judging me your name is not Judy maybe you should study more than we can finally have a conversation. Come on lets get on our grind stop wasting time thinking about the things that you want to have. It so last summer not to have a heart come on don't let no one run over you. We are all not in a permanent slumber open your hearts and minds and lets come on. Come on lets take this shit to a higher place that we all want come on.

An Og once told Me

An og once told me that
We must pay it forward
In this life of sin
It is not always about
Take some time out
Look around your problems
Are petty keep on keep on
An og once told me where’s
Your pride so you can
Glide others when they are falling down
Muth fuck having an attitude
You get more gratitude by
Being a real men
An og once told me that a man
Is not everything to be?
Be a man by doing the right thing
Fast money is cool at first
But you will be the dummy in the
End the wise up keep your
Head in the game
Remain humble
An og once told me we must
Always have fun
In this rat race we are just
Running in place
Be comfortable about yourself
But be willing to attack
When the time comes right
An og once told me
You will make it kid
You got a good head on
Your shoulders keep on
Fighting fighter till
You fill your hearts
Deservers

MadLib (One Voice)

Oops, I did it again gone
I’m off that lyrical vicodin.
Mutha fuck a gimmick I get
How I live coming
Down the middle like Emmitt
I ‘m in to win
So if you got it twisted
Don’t come around me
I ‘m tried of all the petty bullshit
I need a nice pretty young thing
To blow my mind
One Dimensional cat can’t feel
This I’m too real for you
So grab your mother’s hand
And get the fuck out my way
This is for all the so called
Loser and misfits
And misunderstood that is a little weird
Here is a voice for you
Peep it till the Casket
Drops.

JUstice, Truth and Values

Our country is in big trouble...huge trouble. It is time for Americans to take a hard look at our values, our conception of justice, and our standards for truth. This piece is intended as a first step in that direction. Values take Tiger woods as an example he admitted to having a affair, the liberal media is eating it up like a fat kid eats cake. Without strong values in the family sitting transaction are going to happen at a rapid pace. we must teach our kids more about values, than the value of having items. Next, it seems like there is no justice in America anymore. Justice one of the main principal that the founding fathers were huge on is gone. It is getting harder and harder to find a judge to hear you out. Without justice we are making criminals out of none criminals if that makes sense to you. We must have justice for the people who are really harming others. Stop faux arresting people who have not done a damn thing. Truth is key, for a society to thrive. If we are lying for personal gain we loose all sense of being. Truth is the backbone of a person charter if they are fast to lie what else are they willing to do. The lack of truth has to do with the lack of talking with each other from the heart. The main thing to remember when it comes to truth is: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Those are the words from John 8:32. The corollary of this brilliant piece of scripture should also be written. It would go something like this: "If you ignore the lies, then the lies will imprison you." Wake up, America. The time left for the truth to set us free is growing very,very short.

Corporate Lies

I am so sick of these corporate lies, how many soldiers have to die. All of my life I have been a victim to this game that these corporate fucks play. Devastation across this nation, kids thirsty for education but it is corporate lies that raise the prices so people can't dream. The satellite systems attracting the voices bar code GPS and the radiation from your cellphone, has a hold on you that you cant remove. Corporate lies have you seeing yourself as the bad guy, when it is them that is killing it all. Mass production equals depletion of the ozone Consumerism causing death to organisms. Mainly human and animal the war machine is cannibal. Why have you question the machine yet, are you sacred don't be. Military intelligence 2 words combined that can't make sense, The whole joke of JFK, this country has me going mad how many soldiers are going to die to make these corporate lies stop. Everyone with an accent be on the FBI's hit list. Homeland security an excuse to rule with an irony fist. Like Joseph Stalin economy collapsing bodies falling. The time is now we are here to fight back we don't give a fuck about you any more. No more soldiers will dieing, watch out, you don't when we are coming but we are . Lets end of these corporate lies and show them what hard workers are about.

Minor Threat.

I am here to express myself freely, fuck what you have to say i don't want to hear it.I am so over all of the bullshit, when it comes to push and shove fuck them all. I don't have to impress no one, i just want to make moves in this chess game. all of the test that the world has to offer I have past my share. I stand here waiting in the red room listen for the sonic boom to come. To that day comes I will always be a minor threat to you.

Stump speech

I know that my roots are planted in Africa. However i see my self as Black, my feet have not seen the pavement that Africa has to offer. This is my Stump speech I am here with a message that must be heard: Happiness starts with looking yourself in the mirror and telling yourself that you are not a big deal. We all want happiness but however,happiness does not come from books. Really go out search for yourself you are the only one that knows what is good for you. Drop the senseless attitude you will receive more gratitude by helping out others. Monetary gain is good but it does not last,be with the people who make you happy. slow your pace down all that you are doing is running place. This rat race is rough that is why we need to be together. Finally take a look around you and what do you see that this life is so beautiful. It only takes time and a sense of self that leads to pride. Share whats on your heart then everything will become clearer. It takes the lessons of someone who has fallen so others can learn.

Self-Inflicted

All of the pain your life is self-inflicted. All your troubles and all you do
All the evil you put out comes back to you. We are a evil species that preys on the weak so we can feel no pain. It's just another day for me I'm asking ya'll to pray for me, the gift of honesty is hurting me like a curse. People fear me because I am what they said that they were. We are all self inflicted. Let me tell you something about this life that you don't cherish you only live it once and through them hands you let it perish. This life is self inflicted.With all this pain in life I'm going through what the fuck you gonna do when this fate decides to come back on you. you realize your life has been self inflicted. From the pain that you living until the end of your visit on this earth.For what it's worth when your life don't mean shit
And all them lies that you telling it's a bottomless pit.It's kinda funny bout this life that we live. Terror remains positive and actions stay negative. This life is self inflicted.

From Carter to Reagan: Resurgence of the Religious Right

The source of anti-woman bigotry in the U.S. is not the particular capitalist party in power—whether Democratic or Republican—but the capitalist order that breeds oppression and bigotry as a necessary corollary to its system of exploitation. The emergence of the religious right in the late 1970s as the ideological leaders of the anti-sex witchhunt was integrally tied to the overall political and economic interests of U.S. imperialism at the time. Coming to office in 1977, the Democratic Carter administration kicked off an onslaught of domestic social reaction and a renewal of U.S. imperialism’s Cold War drive to destroy the Soviet Union, garbed in the call for “human rights.” The CIA’s war in Afghanistan was a key part of this.

Carter’s domestic policies reflected the attempt of the American ruling class to overcome widespread fear and loathing of the government following the explosive years of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the rise of the New Left, the women’s liberation movement and black radicalization, and finally the Watergate break-in that forced the resignation of Republican president Richard Nixon in 1974. For the American bourgeoisie, this all-sided social turmoil and defiance of authority were deeply disturbing, and the potential for an alliance of black militants and radicalized students with an increasingly restive labor movement was a threat that had to be stopped. Thus a major bourgeois ideological assault was launched to overcome the “Vietnam syndrome” and to instill an unquestioning acceptance of “free enterprise,” God and “family values,” including the desirability of dying for one’s country.

The Carter administration brought “born again” religious fundamentalism front and center into the White House. This was the national backdrop for an anti-sex witchhunt that cut a very wide swath: not only abortion was targeted but gay rights—for example, Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” anti-gay campaign of hate. Roman Polanski was first arrested at this time in the still ongoing 30-year witchhunt of this man. Under Reagan, all this rolled into a vicious persecution of AIDS patients, while day-care workers were targeted and jailed as “child molesters” in hysterical allegations of “satanic ritual abuse.”

As communists we oppose attempts to fit human sexuality into legislated or decreed so-called “norms.” The guiding principle for sexual relations between people should be that of effective consent—that is, nothing more than mutual agreement and understanding as opposed to coercion. All consensual relations are purely the concern of the individuals involved, and the state has no business interfering in human sexual activity.

Will The GOP win the House in 2010

The Democrats hold 258 U.S. House seats, the Republicans 177. In the last two cycles (2006 and 2008), the Democrats gained a net 55 House seats. To win back control in 2010, the GOP will need to pick up a net 41 seats. Can they do it?


It is likely that the GOP will lose some seats in the 2010 races. Even in the GOP sweep in 1994, when the party picked up a net 54 seats, Democrats won 4 GOP-held seats. The single most vulnerable Republican-held seat (in reality, the single most vulnerable seat for either party) is that of Joseph Cao in Louisiana-2, a district Barack Obama carried by 75%-23% in 2008 and where African-Americans make up 60% of the residents. The GOP will be hard-pressed to defend three open seats: Delaware's (Mike Castle), Illinois-10's (Mark Kirk), and Pennsylvania-6's (Jim Gerlach's). Obama won Delaware by 25%, Illinois-10 by 23%, and Pennsylvania-6 by 17%. Several Republican incumbents had tough races in 2008 and could face solid challenges again next year. Dave Reichert in Washington-8 and Ken Calvert in California-44 are two of a small number of such potentially vulnerable incumbents.


The reality is that the Democrats won most of the races they targeted in the last two cycles and in both 2006 and 2008. They had a target-rich environment. However, they have many fewer opportunities in 2010. Now, with sharply declining approval ratings for the president, increasing public unease about one-party rule, the Democrats' broad expansion of the federal government's role in many areas (the health care bill and the cap-and-trade legislation are particularly unpopular), high unemployment, and the growing annual deficit and accumulated federal debt, the Republicans are poised for a comeback. The question is not whether the GOP will pick seats in 2010, but how many.


For the GOP to win back control of the House, they will likely need to pick up at least 45 Democrat-held seats to account for a few lost seats of their own. That is no small order. But eleven months out, it is easy to identify enough vulnerable incumbents or open Democratic held seats for a GOP House takeover to be possible, if not yet classifiable as likely.


To come up with my target list, I identified vulnerable Democrat-held seats in four categories:


1) open seats;


2) Democrats first elected in 2008;


3) Democrats first elected in 2006; and



4) other vulnerable Democrats in Republican-leaning or tossup districts (based on votes for president in 2004 and 2008 and how competitive the last House race was in these districts).


Conventional wisdom borne out by recent House elections is that open seats offer the best opportunity for a pickup. Congressmen who have picked up a seat for their party (and are thus running for reelection for the first time) are also highly vulnerable. Given the strength of the Democratic waves in both 2006 and 2008 and the shift away from the Democrats that seems to have occurred in the last year, the 2010 races could be particularly challenging for Democrats elected in either of the last two cycles. The recent governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia suggest a dramatic shift in the political momentum between the two parties since 2008. President Obama won Virginia by almost 7% and New Jersey by almost 16%. The GOP won the two governors races in 2009 by 17% and 4%, a shift of 24% and 20%, respectively, in the margins in these states in one year.


Open Seats


Six open Democrat-held seats offer very good opportunities for the GOP. These are Kansas-3 (Moore), Louisiana-3 (Melancon), New Hampshire-2 (Hodes), Pennsylvania-7 (Sestak), Tennessee-8 (Tanner), and Washington-3 (Baird). John McCain won Louisiana-3 and Tennessee-8, and George Bush won both of these districts as well as Kansas-3 and Washington-3. Charles Cook rates Pennsylvania-7 Dem +3, New Hampshire- 2 Dem +3, and Washington-3 even. The other three open seats are Republican-leaning.

Of the six, Louisiana-2 is the most likely pickup, and Pennsylvania-7 is the least likely. But the GOP could win all six if the political environment in November 2010 is like it is now. Three of these seats opened in the last three weeks, and if more Democrats follow these three to the exits, the GOP's chances for a big gain in 2010 will increase.


First-Term Democrats


I have identified 31 vulnerable Democrats from the class of 2008 and from special elections in 2009. George Bush carried 29 of the 31 districts in 2004. 2010 could be a better GOP year than 2004 was. John McCain carried 14 of the districts. Seventeen of the 31 Democrats won by 5% or less in 2008. Charles Cook rates 24 of the 31 districts as leaning Republican. Of the seven Democrat-leaning districts, Cook rates three of them Dem +1, two of them Dem +2, one Dem +3, and one Dem +5.


The 31 vulnerable seats are:


Alabama-2 (Bright), Alabama-5 (Griffith), Arizona-1 (Kirkpatrick), Colorado-4 (Markey), Connecticut-4 (Himes), Florida-8 (Grayson), Florida-24 (Kosmas), Idaho-1 (Minnick), Illinois-14 (Foster), Illinois-11 (Halvorson), Maryland-1 (Kravotil), Michigan-7 (Schauer), Michigan-9 (Peters), Mississippi-1 (Childers), North Carolina-8 (Kissell), New Jersey-1 (Adler), New York-25 (Maffei), New York-29 (Massa), New York-13 (McMahon), New York-20 (Murphy), New York-23 (Owens), Nevada-3 (Titus), New Mexico-2 (Teague), Ohio-16 (Bocccieri), Ohio-1 (Driehaus), Ohio-15 (Kilroy), Oregon-5 (Schrader), Pennsylvania-3 (Dahlkemper), Virginia-11 (Connolly), Virginia-5 (Perriello), and Virginia-2 (Nye).


Of the group, Illinois-11, New York-13, Connecticut-4, and Oregon-5 are likely to be more challenging for the GOP than many of the others. Many of the seats in this category (as well as the category below) will be more or less competitive depending on the strength of the GOP candidates at the top of the ticket in senate and governor's races. If Rudy Giuliani or George Pataki is on the ballot, GOP challengers in the New York districts should do better in 2010 than GOP candidates did in 2006 or 2008. Pat Toomey is currently running ahead in the Senate race in Pennsylvania, and John Kasich leads in the Ohio governor's race. Republicans lost a net 16 House seats in these three states in the last two cycles, and big gains in them is essential for a chance at recapturing the House.


It is highly unlikely the GOP will win all of the 31 races in this category, or even nearly all of them. But all of them should be competitive. That means the Democrats will be on defense in far more races than those in which they will on offense, and they will need to raise and spend a lot of money to hold some of these seats.


Second-Term Democrats


I have identified 18 vulnerable Democrats of those first elected in 2006. George Bush won 15 of the 17 districts in 2004. John McCain won 8 of the districts in 2008. Charles Cook rates 14 of the districts as Republican-leaning, 3 as Democrat-leaning, and one as even. The three Democrat-leaning districts are Dem +1, Dem +2, and Dem +2. Clearly, in a wave year, incumbents in a virtually 50-50 district can be swept away. One of the 18 Democratic incumbents won by 5% or less in 2008, and five others won by 10% or less.


The 18 vulnerable seats are:

Arizona-8 (Giffords), Arizona-5 (Mitchell), California-11 (Mcnerney), Florida-22 (Klein), Indiana-9 (Hill), Kentucky-3 (Yarmuth), Minnesota-1 (Walz), New Hampshire-1 (Shea Porter), New York-19 (Hall), New York-24 (Acuri), North Carolina-11 (Shuler), Ohio-6 (Wilson), Ohio-18 (Space), Pennsylvania-4 (Altmire), Pennsylvania-10 (Carney), Pennsylvania-8 (Murphy), Texas-23 (Rodriguez), and Wisconsin-8 (Kagen). Minnesota-1, Indiana-9, Kentucky-3, North Carolina-11, Pennsylvania-8, and Arizona-8 will be more uphill fights for the GOP than some of the others.


Other Vulnerable Democrats in GOP-Leaning or 50-50 Districts


There are several districts that vote with big margins for GOP presidential candidates but keep reelecting their Democratic congressman. These seats are unlikely to turn until the Democratic incumbent retires, though the GOP may mount a more serious challenge to a few of the names on this list for the first time in years in 2010.


These districts include Utah-2 (Matheson), Tennessee-8 (Gordon), Tennessee-4 (Lincoln Davis), Arkansas-1 (Berry), Arkansas-2 (Snyder), Arkansas-4 (Ross), South Dakota at large (Herseth Sandlin), North Dakota at large (Pomeroy), Pennsylvania-17 (Holder), Kentucky-6 (Chandler), Oklahoma-2 (Boren), South Carolina-5 (Spratt), Mississippi-4 (Taylor), Missouri-4 (Skelton), West Virginia-1 (Mollohan), and West Virginia-3 (Rahall). Seven other, longer-serving Democrats could face tougher tests in 2010. They include Pennsylvania-11 (Kanjorski), New York-1 (Bishop), Pennsylvania-12 (Murtha), Texas-17 (Edwards), Georgia-8 (Marshall), Virginia-9 (Boucher) and Iowa-3 (Boswell).


In a wave year, there are always a few surprises -- a few incumbents thought to be safe who go down to defeat. That could be the case for several of the members listed above in 2010, as well as others not on any of the target lists.


In total, 62 Democrat-held seats are in one of the four categories (6 open seats, 31 Democrats first elected in 2008, 18 first elected in 2006, and 7 longer-serving incumbents). Winning 45 of these, or near 73% of the contests, will be difficult. A net gain for the GOP of 20-25 seats would be a more conservative forecast at this point, though this range, while lower, is by no means assured.


Charles Cook has come out with his ratings of vulnerable seats for both parties. He lists 84 Democrat-held seats as lean GOP (1), tossup (15), lean Democratic (23), and likely Democratic (45). Some of these likely Democratic seats can shift during the course of a year depending on whether the GOP finds a good challenger. This list came out before the announcement of the retirement of Brian Baird, which will almost surely move this seat from the likely Democratic to the tossup category. Only 26 Republican-held seats make Cook's list: lean Democrat (1), tossups (3), lean Republican (7), and likely Republican (15). Cook identifies three Democrat-held seats that I did not include in my list of 62 targets as only lean Democrat (hence very competitive): Missouri-4 (Skelton), Arkansas-2 (Snyder), and Tennessee-6 (Gordon). Throw these in the mix, and my list would contain 65 vulnerable Democrat-held seats.


Cook also compiled a list of Democrats who won with under 55% of the vote in 2008. Ohio-15 (Kilroy) and Virginia-5 (Perriello) were undecided at the time the list was completed, and including them, 30 Democrats won with these modest vote percentages in a very strong Democratic year.


If forced to answer my own question, I would say the odds favor the Democrats retaining control of the House. But the Republicans have a shot, maybe 25-33%, of coming out on top. If they manage to accomplish that, almost all of the turnover seats will come from the list in this article.

Be

Be, be here, be there, be that, be this
Be grateful for life, be grateful to life
Be gleeful everyday, for bein the best swimmer among 500,000
Be-nign, be you, be mom's mean pie, be little black sambo With bad hair
Be aware of what a lynch is, Be, be boundless energy
Be a four star ghetto general, be no one except I
Be a strong academic student, be an A student in Science
Be food for thought to the growing mind, be the author of your own horoscope
Be invited, be long-living, be forgiving, be not forgetful
Be a proud run, only to return to fight another day
Be peaceful if possible, but justice in ways (?)
Be high when you low, be on time but knowing to go
Be cautious of the road to college, taking a detour through the middle east
Be absent of wars at any past or present fought amongst themselves
Be visual of foreclosure over your shoulder while beggin
A nation built on free labor for reperation, Be a cartopogropher
Be a map maker, be able to find afro-american man
search thoroughly it may be close to black man
Be ammended 5/5ths, be ammended 5/5ths human
Be the owner of more land than is set aside for wild life
Be cupid, to world government
Be found among the truth, lost tribe
Be at full strength when walking through the valley
Be not foolish as tender 18 of the mountain tops
Be a brilliant soul, sparklin in the galaxy while walking on earth
Be loved by God as much as God loved Ghandi and Martin Luther King
Be that last one of 144,000, be the resident of that twelfth house
Be....eternal!

There are two kinds of people who stand out in the United States today: sheep and wolves. Sheep stay in their herd and follow their shepherd without questioning where he is leading them. Sheep trust that the shepherd looks out for their safety… Wolves, on the other hand, do not aimlessly follow a shepherd… Wolves question the shepherd and act in a way that forces the shepherd also to question his decisions. Wolves challenge government regulations, reject government assistance, and demand that the government recognize and protect their natural rights. They are rugged individualists who make the country go around and around. Without wolves all of the weak sheep's could not have work, it is the wolves who are the backbone of this great nation. Stop the hating on hard working individuals who want to see there nation at the greatness which we once had. The sheep are some what getting what they want government help. but the help from the government will hurt them in the long run buy raising taxes, stop the production of jobs, and last but not least we will loose freedom. You can call me a fear monger but, I do not care, i am here to state the truth. The truth hurts, but with all the rapid lies in D.C. right now it is our jobs to get them out, and to bring in some new blood the really reps us. In my final words I am a Wolf who is on the hunt,and i feel that change is on the way, and all of the fake leaders are going down. This is our time and the fake leaders know it. That is what they are trying to past fast bills that do nothing. Move on, tune in tune out of the misleading information.

History of Jordan Brand

In the beginning
Early in 1984, Nike was a struggling shoe company. The running shoe phenomenon that has fueled their sales in previous years was slowly dying and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in order to appeal to another segment of the market. At the same time, rookie player Michael Jordan was already endorsing several products, but Nike hoped that his appeal would generate sales. Jordan, though, had other ideas. He had always preferred Adidas or the Converse shoes endorsed by North Carolina Coach, Dean Smith, and hoped to sign on with either company. Converse, with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on board as spokesmen, were not interested in offering a better deal than Nike, and Adidas wasn't interested at all at the time; perhaps due to Kathe Dassler's death the same year. While Jordan, himself, did not initially see the significance of Nike's offer, his agent, David Falk, saw a golden opportunity in Nike's offer to create a new line of shoes called "Air Jordans." and urged him to give Nike a chance.

Really Not That Interested
At that time, there was not a tremendous impact from a shoe endorsement, and few companies were willing to risk so much of their marketing budget to bet on one athlete to promote their products. An athlete as paid for wearing the products but little else resulted from an endorsement. It's possible that Jordan's reluctant attitude stemmed from this fact as much as his allegiance to Converse and Adidas products.

Nike saw something special in Michael Jordan, though. They saw a chance, an opportunity. He was a champion with personality, charisma, and heart, and they were willing to put the company on the line. They knew from the beginning that he would be a star and wanted to help him get there. Finally, after much persuasion from his manager and parents, the reluctant rookie agreed to fly to the Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon to view a special video presentation and proposal though he later stated in retrospect that he went with no intention of signing with Nike.

The video presentation featured slow-motion clips of Jordan's college career and some of his high-flying Olympic moves with a background of then hit music "Jump" by the Pointer Sisters. Nike Head Designer, Peter Moore presented sketches of AJ1 shoes, jumpsuits, and sports apparel, all in black and red. Michael's remarks upon seeing the designs were less than enthusiastic. He is reported to have said,

"I can't wear that shoe, those are Devil colors"

Throughout the entire meeting Jordan was reported to seem disinterested and bored, but as he and Falk left the meeting, Jordan said to his agent, "Let's make the deal."

A Legacy (and a Controversy) is Born
With those four words, the Air Jordan legacy was born. Nike signed Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits. Peter Moore created the first AJ Logo with a basketball with wings lifting it. The introduction of the Air Jordan I turned the athletic shoe industry upside down. Before the AJ I, most basketball shoes were white, but the bold black and red styling of the Jordan I flouted this convention. The NBA banned the shoe from the league in response, but Jordan wore them anyway, racking up serious fines of up to $5000 a game. Nike, of course, was more than happy to pay these to keep the shoes on Jordan's feet and in the public eye. All this controversy and Jordan's spectacular numbers that year served to put the Air Jordan line on the road to becoming a household name.

Changes
After winning 1986-87 Slam Dunk competition at Seattle Coliseum, the Jordan logo changed to the familiar Jumpman logo of today, but when it came time to talk about the Air Jordan III, Michael was ready to bolt. Reaction to the Air Jordan II, due in part to the high retail price, hadn't been stellar and designers Peter Moore and Rob Strasser had left Nike to start their own company. They began to court Jordan, hoping to develop the business around him This was a turning point for the line; a make-it-or-break-it moment. It was at this time that Tinker Hatfield stepped in to help the struggling shoe line. Immediately, Hatfield did something completely new and unheard of. His first instinct was to sit down and talk with Michael one on one and ask for his input about the design. Hatfield has stated that this was a very tense time. No one had ever approached the business of designing a shoe like this and Jordan had never had anyone ask his opinion until that time. Ultimately, though, it was the good advice of Michael's father that saw it through. It's reported that he advised his son to stay with the people who had done a good job for him. Eventually the process of designing the shoes and matching apparel drew Jordan in and helped reinforce his commitment to Nike. At Jordan's request, the Air Jordan III was a three-quarter cut basketball shoe made of high quality, lighter than average materials. This non-standard approach to the process of designing basketball shoes led the Air Jordan III to rocket off the charts with its popularity, and Tinker went on to design all the Jordan models up to the Jordan XV. With the release of the Air Jordan XV and Jordan's second retirement, both Hatfield and Jordan stepped back from the Jordan line and other designers took the reigns to continue to the legacy.

Moving Out
Air Jordan Shoes were a part of the Nike, Inc. family until late in 1997 Nike unveiled a new marketing plan and Jordan became its own sub-brand of Nike. To mark this change, the new Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan XIII, Air Jordan Team, and Air Jordan Trainers. From this point on, Jordan Brand products no longer featured the Nike name or Nike Swoosh, and their only connection to Nike,Inc is a fine print address for Nike headquarters to be used for insurance purposes.

The Shoes Changed the World
Air Jordan shoes have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The Jordan brand is a household name and people of all ages and social strata line up eagerly for the release of the latest model. Some of this success can be attributed to the fact that the shoes, from the Jordan III to the most recent model, have always started with their namesake, Michael Jordan. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account and incorporate these feelings into the shoes. A number of Jordans have been designed after Jordan's cars and some of the more recent models, like the Jordan XXI (Jordan 21) on the way, some wonder when the Air Jordan line will be retired while others speculate that, in honor of the man, the last Air Jordan will be the Jordan XXIII (Jordan 23). No matter what happens to the signature Air Jordan line, it's a good bet that the brand and its tradition of quality, high-fashion basketball and athletic shoes will continue long after Air Jordans have retired.

Obama Five Fails

The Obama administration burst onto the presidency with a historic wealth of good will, hope, and change. It is now marked by one failure after another. Unfortunately, these failures are not without costs. The burden is borne by consumers, taxpayers, and generations yet to come. Nearly one year after Obama's inauguration, we have an economy heading in the wrong direction, unemployment rising, a deficit that will double, banks failing, a war command which is virtually ignored, 9/11 terrorists given Constitutional rights at a civil trial, and an administration hell-bent on destroying -- not "reforming" -- the world's best health care system. Not a bad turnout for an experienced community organizer.

1) Bank Bailout. The banks were bailed out to the tune of trillions of dollars with no oversight. The result: Banks continue to fail all over the country and lenders are not making any commercial loans, causing more business failures. Obama's score? Fail.


2) Auto Bailout. GM was given billions of dollars, and the government hand-picked its board of directors. Result: GM is still losing billions. A simple bankruptcy would have allowed GM to emerge with leveled books, without the need to have invested a single dime of taxpayer money. Fail.



3) Cap and Tax. This boondoggle is more commonly known by the misleading name "cap-and-trade." This scheme caps all CO2 emissions at a level 83% below the current level and punitively taxes any additional emissions. Even the left-leaning Brookings Institute predicted dramatic job losses, particularly in certain energy industries, of between 35%-40% as soon as 2025. I'm guessing this legislation was the brainchild of China, as there is no better way to encourage the few American manufacturers we still have in this country to pack up and manufacture overseas.


This discourages manufacturers from expanding their companies...not a great idea in the midst of a global recession. This will not only be a jobs-killer, it will force a huge tax on the consumers, who will have this tax burden passed on to them via higher costs. Trucking, flights, gas, electric, and everything else that is moved or manufactured will go up in price. Obama fail.


4) Health Care Reform. According to a Kaiser Foundation study, 89% of Americans are very satisfied with their current insurance plan. Creating a government-subsidized plan to compete with private insurers is not competition at all. It will destroy private insurers until only the taxpayer-subsidized government option is left standing. We all know how successful other government-run programs are: Social Security (failing), Medicare (failing), post office (failing), Fannie Mae (failing), GM (failing), bank bailout plan (failing), and creating more jobs after trillions in "stimulus" (failing). Even the Obama-touted but poorly planned Cash for Clunkers unexpectedly ran out of money in the first week.


Obama said he would veto any health care reform bill which added to the deficit, yet he believes the bill that's working its way through Congress will insure an extra 40 million people without a loss in quality or increase in costs. Was I the only one who saw The Wizard of Oz and the fraudulent wizard behind the curtain? "Nothing to see here." How exactly does costs for insuring an extra 40 million people not equal costs to the taxpayers? Of course they will. The bureaucrats will just juggle their books and pass the added costs to both the states, by getting them to cover the cuts in Medicare, and directly to taxpayers (particularly to the younger Obama-supporters) through new mandates.


Moreover, forcing insurance companies to take anyone with any preexisting condition sounds pleasantly populist, but what if you bought your car insurance only after you had an accident? How long will insurance companies stay in business? They won't stay in business at all, and that's where we have another "government rescue"...and another fail. Connect the dots on all of Obama's other big successes.


5) Global Warming. Anthropogenic CO2 makes up about 3.2% of greenhouse gases. New Zealand atmospheric scientist Augie Auer wrote that three-quarters of the earth is ocean, and 95 percent of the greenhouse effect is governed by water vapor.


Of that remaining 5 percent, only about 3.6 percent is governed by CO2 and when you break it down even further, studies have shown that the anthropogenic (man-made) contribution to CO2 versus the natural is about 3.2 percent.


So if you multiply the total contribution 3.6% by the man-made portion of it, 3.2%, you find out that the anthropogenic contribution of CO2 to the global greenhouse effect is 0.115 percent ... that's like .12 cents in $100. It's minuscule ... it's nothing.


Finally, the Obama administration would like to sacrifice business growth, at an astronomical cost to both the taxpayer and the consumer, while slowing down our economy further, in order to reduce our carbon emissions by 20%. But it's not a total waste; he will be satisfying his left-wing base. Assuming the entire world cooperates with Obama's plan -- which it won't -- this initiative will have a negligible effect on global warming. Another Obama fail.

Under the Rain

It's been a long time coming
and we stop singing We Shall Overcome and negro spirituals,
we are no longer humming
Just what are we becoming?
It pulls a piece of life up out of me
that for little or nothing you willin to battle me
and actually it's not an act
We unruly, shootin up schools, doin the fool, we got a knack
I been carryin guns since I was knee high
Till it all stopped, I stoped and now I'm watchin all my dogs die
This is the beginning of armageddon
We get high regardless, we Godless so how high are we gettin?
And we stay iced out in this land we on
See errantly on you, losing your arm over the diamond
Try em on, here go my shoes
Now check the ways of racism and be the first one singin the blues
Gods children are on every land we rhyme on
We share the same sky and gotta die, that's just what we got in common. Come on

We livin up under the rain... can't stop it from fallin down
They say you can not judge a book by it's cover
but it seems somehow we be judgin one another because of cover
Thinkin about the prejudice that plagues the human race
Even in God's grace, the people ain't safe with all this hatin that we face,
now check it
They say that Martin Luther King, he had a dream
But a dream is all it was because a race still comes between us
We never did learn, watchin the crosses burn
In his grave he would toss and turn
How many times can he return? Now we must..
Learn to stick together
and whether the stormy weather
We can never survive unless we can coexist together
A nation that is united, but all of its people divided
No more, we can not hide it, politically tryin to justify it

We livin up under the rain... can't stop it from fallin down

Freelance

With all of this anger we can not progress. If we take a minute to sit down and think about what is worrying us, we will see that it is all dumb. Look at the world around you we are just a small piece, and it takes a movement to really change things. Our own personal problems should be taken away from us. However, we do not try we as people we just mask our problems. If we face everything head on we will loose all of the dear in the headlights dumb looks on our faces, because we can finally see. When I say finally see, I mean that we will see that in this game of life nothing comes quick it all takes time. We all do not know it all we may seem like we do, but in the end that is just a away to hide our fear. I am not saying lets hold hands, but i am saying change is in the air. I can feel, I see it on the television and I know some of you outside is seeing the same things I am. This is our time we can make a difference like no other. This is our time we can really change things for the best all we have to do is try. drop your ego and let the good times roll.

Capricorn Thought of the Day 12-3

An opportunity may arise to help put on a children's Christmas pageant. This could not only fill an emotional need but possibly also fulfill an artistic one. Be open to laughing at yourself. It's the best way to show children that you aren't looking down on them.

daily Overview 12-1-2009

The Full Moon in Gemini today makes this a great time to get your point across. Say what you need to say to whomever you need to say it to, as this lunation favors communication, talking, and words, words, words. Now is the time to make your thoughts known.


quote of the day

There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
Oscar Wilde

It's that Silly, Politically Correct Holiday Season

It happens every year at this time: the battles of political correctness. When a community puts up a Christmas tree, one of two things happens. Either there is a battle to take it down totally, or someone fights to get a Chanukkiyah (that's the real name, not Menorah), Kwanzaa candles, or a symbol of some other religion's holiday placed right next to it. Then Fox News follows by running stories about the latest battle in the "war against Christmas," and the ACLU starts suing any town whose mayor ever went to a church, mosque, and/or synagogue. Hey, ACLU: Give it up. America is a Christian country.


People who see December as an opportune time for the celebration of politically correct multiculturalism have to stop! I understand that people are trying to be fair, but it just doesn't make sense.


I can't speak for the other holidays, but I can tell you that nothing goes more against the true meaning of Chanukah than placing a Chanukkiyah near a "holiday tree" or using a "Jewish star" as an ornament.


The true meaning of Chanukah is the exact opposite of that multicultural rubbish. The Maccabees fought for more than getting the Greeks out of Israel and the cleansing and dedication of the Temple. The Chanukah Story also includes a civil war in Israel. Judah and the boys were fighting other Jews who had turned away from their faith by combining it with Greek/Hellenistic practices. The resulting assimilation caused a loss of Jewish faith and tradition. It's almost like today's Jews trying to celebrate Chanukah as the Jewish Christmas.


Let me suggest that if Matthias and his sons were alive today, they would be fighting every Jew who wanted a six-foot menorah next to a Christmas tree, a star of David next to a cross, or even the term Judeo-Christian values. There is no such thing! There are wonderful Christian values and wonderful Jewish values, and there are similarities, but there are also major differences (besides the obvious Messiah thing). For example, Jews "shalt not murder," whereas Christians "shalt not kill." This has millions of implications relating to war and to the death penalty. Some Rabbis interpret "Love thy neighbor as thyself" as a command to love yourself, whereas Christians emphasize the neighbor part. As Americans, we must celebrate those differences, not merge them into one hodgepodge of progressive mediocrity that celebrates absolutely nothing.


I would also suggest that all Jewish and mixed-marriage people who celebrate both holidays are also missing the meaning of Chanukah. The Maccabees were horrified when an idol was placed in the holy Temple. Rather than trying to fit with "modern" culture, they wanted to make sure that the House of God was a Jewish household. To remember the Maccabees, we should do the same with ours.


The Rabbis tell us that we are not to use the Chanukah candles for reading or seeing, as we would with a regular candle or a light bulb. The Chanukkiyah is supposed to be placed near a window so the light of God and his miracles will shine outward into the world. Mixing up Chanukah with other people's traditions diminishes the light and message of Chanukah as well as those other traditions.


And to my Christian friends: Please don't go get assimilated on me either. That tree in the mall is a Christmas tree, not a holiday tree. Santa is not a secular character; he is Saint Nick. You have a nice tradition. Don't try to make it politically correct by taking away its religious nature. Or as Judge Judy would say, "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining!"


America is a great country. It is great not because everyone celebrates the same, but because we can all celebrate our differences.