Sean at The Sundance Film Festival


Mr. Combs was in Utah for the Sundance Film Festival chilling in his usual Diddy freshness.

Lost Soles: A history on shoe flinging

If your from the hood, I'm sure the sight of sneakers hanging from power lines is no unfimiliar sight. So I thought it would be interesting to do some research on the subject.

"A number of explanations have been proposed as to why this is done. Some say that shoes hanging from the wires advertise a local crack house where
crack cocaine is used and sold (in which case the shoes are sometimes referred to as "Crack Tennies"). It can also relate to a place where Heroin is sold to symbolize the fact that once you take Heroin you can never leave a reference to the addictive nature of the drug.

Others claim that the shoes so thrown commemorate a gang-related murder, or the death of a gang member, or as a way of marking gang turf. A newsletter from the mayor of Los Angeles, California cites fears of many Los Angeles residents that "these shoes indicate sites at which drugs are sold or worse yet, gang turf," and that city and utility employees had launched a program to remove the shoes. These explanations have the ring of urban legend to them, especially since the practice also occurs along relatively remote stretches of rural highways that are unlikely scenes for gang murders or crack houses.

Other, less sinister explanations also have been ventured. Some claim that shoes are flung to commemorate the end of a school year, or a forthcoming marriage as part of a rite of passage. In Scotland, it has been said that when a young man has lost his virginity he tosses his shoes over telephone wires to announce this to his peers. It has been suggested that the custom may have originated with members of the military, who are said to have thrown military boots, often painted orange or some other conspicuous color, at overhead wires as a part of a rite of passage upon completing basic training or on leaving the service

Others claim that the shoes are stolen from other people and tossed over the wires as a sort of bullying, or as a practical joke played on drunkards. Others simply say that shoe flinging is a way to get rid of shoes that are no longer wanted, are uncomfortable, or don't fit. It may also be another manifestation of the human instinct to leave their mark on, and decorate, their surroundings". -Wikipedia.com

Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson

Harlems' Original Gangsta

Dapper Dame


Dame having a little fun with fashion designer wife Rachel Roy.

"Paradise life relaxing" Costa Ricas' Black Stallion Hills



Lots in Black Stallion Hills range from $120,000 for 1.5-2 acres, to $350,000 for your own exclusive hill. (dime piece not included)


In Costa Rica the fruit is fresh and RIPE all year round.




Adios!



"Game recognize Game"


Virginia's Crown Prince Pharell, enjoying himself with New Yorks' Royal Family.

Gaziano & Girling



What do the shoes say about the man? EVERYTHING!

Take your shoe game to a level supreme, with bespoke shoes from Gaziano and Girling. If you don't know what the term "bespoke" means in reference to shoes, don't worry... if you can afford a pair, you can afford someone else to know for you.

Cabbage & Cavier

Professor Melvin B. Tolson and his debate team became the first to represent a black college in a debate against a major white University. But it was against the University of Southern California, and not Harvard as portrayed in the movie "The Great Debaters".

From 1930 on Tolson began creating poetry, and in 1941 Dark Symphony, often considered his greatest work, was published in Atlantic Monthly. In 1944 Tolson published his first poetry collection, A Rendezvous with America. The Washington Tribune hired Tolson to write a weekly column, Cabbage and Caviar after he left his teaching position at Wiley in the late 1940s. In 1965 Tolson's final work, the long poem Harlem Gallery, was published. The poem concentrates on African American life and is a drastic departure from his first works. (below) Tolson as a youngster


As depicted by Denzel Washington in the movie "The Great Debaters"


Highlights From Ralph Laurens' 2008 Spring Collection

Ralph Lauren is definitely one of my favorite designers. His loyalty to classic cuts makes his pieces always practical.
Black is a color I'm noticing in a lot of designers' Spring collection this season.

This is classic Ralph Lauren at its' best.
Simple yet elegant, he could wear this look off the run-way into the board room.



Gordon Parks: A True Renaissance Man


I don't think many people will argue that Gordon Parks was one of the greatest photographers of our time. He was the first black photographer to work for Life, and Vogue magazine. In the 1940's he became the first black to direct a major studio film "The Learning Tree" followed by "Shaft" one of the most popular black crime thrillers of all time.

On Friday January 25Th the Chrysler Museum of Art, in Norfolk, VA, will exhibit some of Gordon Parks' most famous works. Being a native of that area, I thought it would be a fitting time, as well as a honor to use this occasion to give tribute to a great pillar of black genius. Photographer, Film maker, novelist, poet and composer, Parks was a true Renaissance man. Here are a few of my favorite photographs.


I really like this photograph of the women. Gordon had an impeccable eye. It's perfect, the lighten, the way the lady and the skyline are framed. The contrast between the masculine buildings and her femininity is amazing.

He was a real master at capturing the pureness of a moment.




This image was used for the album cover of hip-hop recording artist Common "Like Water for Chocolate" released in 2000.