From the Plane to Happy Hour (Jetsetter Style)

Jetsetter Style – by jnabongo on Polyvore.com

This is a perfect outfit for ladies of the jetsetting lifestyle. It is practical for travel, yet still allows you to head straight from the airport to happy hour. The black sweater dress is comfortable enough to survive a run to NYC, LA, or even London. The teal colored tights are a great interruption between the dress and the practical flat black boots. And if you’re anything like me, you need that scarf to keep you warm on the plane when your neighbor refuses to turn off their AC. With the failing economy and airlines charging you for your first piece of luggage (apparently you shouldn’t pack anything if you are traveling domestically), this black Tumi roller bag is durable and the perfect size for the overhead bin. Marc Jacob’s Grafitti Shopping Bag is big enough to carry anything that doesn’t fit in the roller, including your MacBook Air, Canon point and shoot, iPod, and M.A.C. makeup. And finally, never leave home without your Gucci aviators. A must for any frequent flyer.

“Is that what I think it is?”

I walked into a room and the scent in the air tickled my nose and sent shock waves through my loins. I knew what this scent was. The all familiar scent reminded me of passionate nights. I glanced around the room to see who the owner was. I spotted him, I walked over and whispered in his ear, “Is that what I think it is?”

To all the men in the world, if you want to bring a woman to her knees (no pun intended) I highly suggested a purchase of Jen Paul Gaultier’s “Le Male” cologne. All of my girlfriends agree that you can get their numbers with minimal effort if you dab a little on the wrist and behind the ear.

Backstage at the Inauguration

Here is some footage from the stage following the inaugural concert on Monday, January 20th. The video shows footage of Beyonce, John Legend, Queen Latifah, and Mary J. Blige. Its really interesting to see celebrities in their normal element. John Legend is all about the promotion, he also seems to act a bit snobbish towards Michele and Grandma. Maybe its me. This video also shows President Obama’s human (read: black) side. Its a bit long but enjoyable nonetheless. Enjoy.

Single Ladies Craze: Obama’s Turn

I was reading one of my new favorite blogs, The Anti-Pop (link is on the right side of this page) and I came across this video. Hilarious.

Visiting Japan? Skip Tokyo and Head to Kansai

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine Kyoto, Japan

Japan is not in the top slot on many travels itineraries, but if it is lucky enough to get added, most people think of heading straight to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. I say, please readjust your flight plans.

After living and traveling in Japan for the past year, I highly suggest that you hop on a non-stop from SFO (San Franciso) or DTW (Detroit) and enjoy the ride to KIX (Kansai International Airport, in Osaka). Traveling in Kansai allows you to see more of what Japan has to offer. Kansai is the name of a region in western Japan that is inclusive of Kobe, home of the world famous Kobe beef, that melts in your mouth and not in your hands, Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, and Kyoto, Japan’s traditional capital. Kansai’s location also puts you much closer to Hiroshima which should be on any itinerary.

KYOTO

If you have the pleasure of visiting Kyoto, I recommend three temples that I think are must sees. The Golden Pavillion, or Kinkaku-ji, is probabaly the most famous, and yes its golden!!! Kiyomizu-dera, which is my favorite because of the awesome views of Kyoto from the top. I recommend a visit here in April for sakura (cherry blossoms) or in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. If you have never appreciated nature before, Kiyomizu will change that. My third recomendation is Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. If you are familiar “The Gates” art installation in Central Park, this is where the inspiration came from. With several hundred orange torii lining the walkways, Fusjimi Inari is a breath taking experience and a great photo opt. My other recommendations in Kyoto are Pontocho, which is a very narrow street one block west of Kamogawa (The Kamo River). On this street you can find cute hidden restaurants and bars and you can spot the occasional geisha!!

OSAKA

I must admit, I haven’t explored Osaka very much outside of my favorite area, Shinsaibashi. Only about a seven minute Subway ride from Osaka Station, Shinsaibashi is an easily excessible playground. With loads of shopping, you can find all your favorite flagship stores, i.e. Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior, smaller stores that boast Japanese fashions, on the shotengai (a covered shopping area), and loads of restaurants and bars that will satisfy any craving. Shinsaibashi is my number one pick in Japan for nightlife. With a variety of bars, clubs (house, hip hop, top 40) everyone can find something that suites your taste. Shinsaibashi also gives you the “Cheers” feeling after being there for awhile. Whenever you walk into your favorite bar, the bartenders will address you by name and all of the patrons are generally very friendly. My two favorite bars are Cinquecento, the only place in Osaka that I can get a variety of martini flavors, with everything on the menu only 50o Yen (about $5), and Zerro, a very friendly bar with friendly bartenders and awesome food. If you are really nice, they may even let you dj from your iPod. My club recommendations include Onzieme, on Fridays, which is a bit posh and usually the djs spin a mix of house, electronica, hip hop, and top 40. Azzure, which is a great Saturday night spot, which spins hip hop. And if you still have a bit more energy on Sunday, head to Don Flex, which spins hip hop and top 40. Azzure and Don Flex are more casual but still a great time.

KOBE

I don’t have much to recommend in Kobe except for Kobe beef, if your budget allows it. While I am not a huge beef eater, I could not pass up the opportunity to try this famous dish in its place of origin and like I had been told, the beef melted if my mouth, like butter. I spent around $130 USD for my meal but there are always cheaper option. The restaurant which remains everyone’s favorite is, Mouriya (http://www.mouriya.co.jp/indexe.html). It is located in the Sannomiya district of Kobe. If you have the time and money, it is a must do!!

Since I have been in Japan for a year, I have loads of recommendations, but these are all of my list toppers, if you want more info please google the recommendations or leave a comment and I will respond. I hope I have interested everyone in traveling to Japan.

Mac and Black, How I Love Thee

I love the way that Apple is beginning to increase its gains in the personal computer market (most recent estimates put Apple’s share at about 10%). Much of their recent success is tied to the lifestyle associated with the brand, i.e. cool people use Macs. So anyone reading this post on a PC, I hate to be the one to inform you, but you are definitely not one of the cool kids. Even in the advertisements they put out, Mac clearly displays the difference between Mac and PC users. I included an example of a commercial below.

This next video is a spoof that TrueNuff, a comedy organization, did with regard to the new black Mac. Hilarious.

i’ve been cool since 2005. make the switch.

Affirmative Action 2009

Here we are, two days after President Barack Hussein Obama has been sworn in. the United States has officially elected and installed its first African American President and now the debate is, what does this mean for race relations in America. Too many people are under the impression that Obama’s presence in the white house will change the nature of individual citizens. Let’s all remember that Obama only received 52% of the vote. Over 59 million people voted for John McCain. I am not suggesting that all of those that voted for McCain are racist but I am saying that the election of Barack Obama does not mean as much for race relations as everyone wants to think that it does.

A friend recently shared with me an NPR: National Public Radio broadcast on which they discussed Affirmative Action. The conversation was actually had on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. How fitting. The two major contributors to the discussion are Shanta Driver, chairperson and national spokesperson of By Any Means Necessary, who advocates for affirmative action and John McWhorter, an author and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, who is against affirmative action.

McWhorter brings up a valid point of affirmative action needing to be based more on class as opposed to race which I can agree with. I have been saying for years now that the challenges being faced in America are the disparities between the working class and the upper middle class and upper class as opposed to race wars. McWhorter loses me when he states that “there is no documented benefits to diversity.” After he said that, I assumed he was an idiot, or some delusional white washed black man. After some googling, I think I’m correct. No benefit to diversity? Do we really need statistics and official legislation to tell us that diversity is good? The benefit of diversity is tolerance. Imagine if every American had five Muslim friends. Haha. If this was reality, then Americans would be more tolerant of Muslims and would not allow the media to sensationalize them as terrorists.

McWhorter also argued that a minority not being allowed to attend an Ivy League university is not the end of the world. He claims that his or her quality of life will not be diminished. He uses the example of a minority getting a degree from UC San Diego as opposed to UC Berkley. This coming from a man who attended NYU and Stanford for his post-graduate studies. If it is good enough for him, why is it not good enough for the masses?

This post was not supposed to be all about John McWhorter but after listening to the show, I just got caught up in his ridiculousness. I suppose the question that I pose to readers is, is affirmative action still necessary, and who is it necessary for?

Please take the time to listen to the broadcast. It is about 30 minutes long.

NPR: What is the Future of Affirmative Action?

Big Brother and the Bully

I will never attempt to present myself as an expert on politics, world news, international relations, or anything of the sort. I can merely present my ideas and encourage you to think about things that don’t necessarily involve or affect you, but things that are affecting someone else in the world and if nothing else, you can try to empathize.

When I first drafted this post, missiles were still flying in the middle eastern skies, over Israel and Gaza. As of now, a cease fire has been declared. A good friend of mine who works in the development arena predicted that the cease fire would be declared right before Obama’s inauguration in order to maintain the new relationship. He was right.

I have always been confused as to why no one has ever questioned the US’s unwavering support of Israel. Israel’s name is in every politicians mouth. Even on the campaign trail, many people were afraid that Obama’s election would equal “the death of Israel”. I would go into my conspiracies about the governments sympathy and protection of Israel (cough: Jew’s control most of the assets in the US), but most people would dismiss my thoughts as mere conspiracy.

Up until this war in the middle east started, my annoyance with the protection of Israel was only in passing, but now that they have launched an all out war on their tiny enemy, my annoyance has been brought to the forefront. On the few CNN clips that I have been able to see, the unwavering support of government officials almost made me puke. Some people were quoted as saying that “Israel had to defend itself”, etc, etc. I’m not saying that Hamas is totally innocent but just to be fare, Gaza Strip is a tiny strip of land about 25 miles long and 7.5 miles wide at its widest point for a grand total of 139 square miles, whereas Israel is an incomparable 8,522 square miles. And while size doesn’t matter, one can safely assume that Israel has an excessive amount of military power compared to that of Hamas. As a result I am totally against Israel launching a full out attack on a tiny strip of land where one must have known that most of the fatalities would be that of civilians. After seeing pictures of dead babies and children from the conflict, I threw my hands up and begged the universe to save the innocent people caught in the middle of this political conflict of ideologies.

According to an article on CNN, dated January 14th (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/14/israel.gaza/index.html), the death toll in Gaza has reached 1,010 with another 4,700 have been wounded. On the other hand only thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have died in the operation in Gaza and from rocket strikes on southern Israel, according to the Israeli military. More than 100 soldiers have been wounded, most of them not seriously. These numbers show the uneven war that has been waged. A war that would be equivalent to the US launching an attack on Cuba or more precisely, South Africa declaring war on Swaziland.

I hope that if nothing else, Obama is able to help to ease some of the international conflicts, while it won’t be that easy, I’m definitely crossing my fingers and toes.

I included the image below because this solidified the nonsensical nature of it all for me. Sorry about the graphic nature of the photo.

Hotel Review: Westin Book Cadillac, Detroit, Michigan

During a recent trip to Detroit, I had the chance to stay at the Westin Book Cadillac which is Detroit’s newest four star hotel. I generally do not stay in hotels when I travel but sometimes I like to spoil myself. And as a lover of all things luxurious, I always opt for, four stars.

As I drove up to the Book Cadillac with the snow falling consistently around it, I felt like I had been transported to Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. The structure is amazing and its age shows the architectural prowess of the 1920s. When I pulled up to valet, I was immediately disappointed by the fact that they did not open my door and even more upset when I struggled to pull my luggage out of my trunk with absolutely no assistance from the two valet employees standing by. The last straw was when I opened the door to the hotel myself. Upon entering the hotel, I was wowed by the beauty of it all. Quite a magnificent site. My friend Crystal and I, headed up the escalator to check in. The staff was very friendly and after receiving our key we were on our way. We entered the room and were both impressed. It was cold so I immediately ran to turn up the heat. After about ten minutes of the temperature remaining at a cool 59 degrees, Crystal called down and was told that an engineer would call us to walk us through the problem. After fifteen minutes and no call back, she calls again. They decide that they will move us to a different room and someone would be up to get us shortly. After waiting about ten minutes, my patience is shot so we decide to head downstairs, check out and head for a different hotel.

When we reached the front desk, we tell them the situation and the manager comes out. By this point, I’ve already confirmed vacancies at another hotel. When the manager goes in to issue a refund she informs us that she cannot because the room was booked through a third party website. Ugh. At this point I’m losing it. I’m stuck in silence because of my anger so Crystal handles the move to a new room and the manager offers us complimentary breakfast. We get up to our new room and things seem to be intact. There is heat and after a quick phone call complimentary breakfast turned into complimentary dinner. After we ate, I head to the shower to prepare for our evening out on the town. I turn on the water and begin to search for the shampoo. None. Conditioner. None. Four stars? I think not. I forgo the washing of my hair and hop in the shower. To my surprise, the water was somewhere between lukewarm and cold. I don’t have much time so I soap up and rinse off as fast as possible.

On our way out I tell the employee at the front desk that we have no hot water, shampoo, or conditioner and that I expected it to be fixed by the time we got back. Upon our return I noticed shampoo and conditioner, but no hot water. So at about 2:30am a very nice and apologetic engineer comes to fix our hot water. Upon check out the next morning I shared all of my disappointments with another manager who in turn offered me two complimentary nights in a suite. And while I was amazed by the gesture, first impressions are lasting impressions.

Overall, The Book Cadillac gets a thumbs down from me. I would never stay there again, it is a gorgeous hotel masqurading as a four star establishment, but it is not quite there yet.

Artist Spotlight: Sia

WHO: Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, Australian Pop Singer

WHY: Several months ago, my friend Keondra introduced me to Sia. My first introduction to this fanciful singer was her song, “Breathe Me”, which helped to catipult her to the international stage. While the song is not for the faint of heart, as it is a tale of loneliness, self-mutilation, and low self esteem, it somehow it manages to be so beautiful. I must admit that I’m only familiar with two of her albums, Colour The Small One and Some People Have Real Problems, both of which have four star ratings in my iTunes library, which is pretty hard to achieve.

Colour the Small One, which is her second album is great for background music, but offers a little something extra with its colorful lyrics. Songs such as “Sweet Potato”, which is about two lovers who want to know everything about one another and “Moon” which is an ode of admiration, offer words that make you want her music to be more than just in the background. And while I don’t find myself singing along to many of her songs, I appreciate the lyricism and fantasy.

Some People Have Real Problems, Sia’s latest project has actually edged out as my favorite of the two albums. A little more upbeat and equally as random, I love listening to it as a ride my bike to work with a huge grin on my face. Her music manages to take me to another place. Imagine an all white room with splashes of color. Somewhere light, free, and fun. The songs range from running away from an abusive relationship, to messing up a great relationship, to the comaprison of lovers to binary codes and calculators.

With song titles like, “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine”, “Death By Chocolate”, “Academia” and “Little Black Sandals”, how can you not listen, at least once.

ALBUMS:  Healing Is Difficult (2000)

Colour The Small One (2004, re-released in the US 2006)

Lady Croissant – Live LP (2007)

Some People Have Real Problems ( 2008 )

WEBSITE: www.siamusic.net

This is the video of her performance on the Late Show with David Letterman on 13 November 2008. Her excitement at the end of the performance shows her humilty and made me love her as an artist even more!