3 Cyber Kings?

As you may already know or heard rumors about, Skype a proprietary software application that allows users to make voice call over the internet. Any who the recently announced their IPO (initial public offering). This means that the company wants to sell its share to the public. They plan to raise $100 million in an initial public offering. I am no Wall Street guru, but I would put money on this one.


There are concerns about Skype's ability to raise money and be a valuable company moving forward. Skype offers free services and has no real advertising backing. This means that they depend on a small group of paying customers to keep the lights on....


Moving on - I think that Skype and a few key tech, digital, and wireless services are about to pull a Miami Heat, three Kings deal. In the year part of the year, Verizon Wireless made it spoke about what phones could be used with Skype Mobile - many of these phones were smart phones


Sometime between February and now Verizon or Skype or both had a change of heart and today there are a few select phones in the Verizon data based that are compatible with Skype Mobile.

Today Skype announced the collaboration with Verizon. Mergers and business collaborations is nothing new. Everyone does it. What is my point?

AT&T struck gold when it joined forces with the IPhone. AT&T is helped by the iPhone, for which it is the exclusive U.S. carrier. AT&T said it once again activated a record number of iPhones: 3.2 million. That was boosted by the launch of the iPhone 4 in the last few days of the quarter.

It has been rumored that Iphone will cancel their exclusive contract with AT&T and move to Verizon.

Since Skype announced its IPO, the word on the strazzy (street) is that Apple may purchase Skype.

So we have two wireless companies and two three digital, tech, interactive power players on deck. I can't say for sure what all this will turn out to be, but mobile is King and if Skype wants to play with the big-boys...they need to focus their efforts on the mobile product. I predict that Skype is going to be the next VIOP-mobile King.

If they play their cards right, I am sure you will hear Skype used a verb. ‘Skype me’ sounds like Google me.

The truth is...There is no competition. Sure, Google offers VIOP, but not as well as Skype. Cable companies are trying to get into the VIOP action, but again...they don't have the brand that Skype has. There is no real competition. Do you need an iPod, or do you need an MP3 player? It is all about the brand and Skype has a damn good one.

Playing Poor...

I recently read an article in Essence that high-lighted the sick social experiment that the media and affluent-America is playing with poverty. The media has turned the idea of being poor into a social experiment. Think about it, when was the last time you turned on your television and heard of a mid to -upper class executive giving you tips on how to save money by living on a tight budget?

The money saving tips may include:

1. Biking, instead of driving to work to save gas money


2. Sticking to a budget of x-amount of dollars per week for food and eat leftovers


3. Cutting back on luxuries such as cable, eating out, drinking, and going to the movies


4. If you are fashionista, don't by from Nordys or Barney's. Shop at a thrift store or Target to save money on clothes. Or, my favorite just by things on sale.

I am sure that you can think of plenty money saving tips that will help you save $100,000 per month, like the Laura Hollings, writer for Elle magazine did.

According to the Essence article, Laura "cut back" on spending for a year. As a result she saved, $100,000, just enough money to afford an "upscale" vacation to Aspen. Well, poor little Laura, in total all of her yearly savings amounted to a little less than a salary for a minimum wage worker - if she worked full-time.

Let's say, by chance the media grew some BALLS and started reporting on the facts. For example, according to Essence more than 430,000 jobs were generated in 2010. However, more than 400,000 of those jobs were temporary positions for Census workers. Don’t believe the hype people!

Don't get me wrong, I believe that poverty and strife is all relative. Unemployment is unemployed, no matter how you look at it. If an affluent executive, with a stay-at-home wife, a couple kids on private school, a mortgage of 5K /month, and he lost all of his money in the stock market last year. You don't have to be an accountant to see, that a person like this is SCREWED!

Same thing for a GM worker that lost his job, he was barely paying the bills with his full-time job, his sick child's healthcare bills equal more than his mortgage and his wife works two jobs just to keep the lights on. Again, SCREWED!

You want to walk a mile, in the poor man's shoes? Okay...let's deplete all of your accounts, stocks, bonds, real estate, savings, checking and drop you off in the deep-end of one of America's poorest neighborhoods – now, swim for your life.

Oh, but, keep in mind:

1. You can't bike to work, because your job is across town. It is the only job you could find to support your family and you work long nights.


2. You can take your lunch to work, but there aren't any leftovers at home. If you eat for lunch there's no food for dinner. Your family has to eat too, you know.


3. Don't worry about cutting off the cable and eating out, you couldn't afford either luxury in the first place.


4. Shopping for clothes, please. You better learn how to sew.

This is not “Trading Places,” "this ain't no major motion picture." There is no happy-ending. Poor people can't just yell, "cut." Poverty is a harsh reality for a lot of hard-working Americans; Americans that are one paycheck from living in a shelter and Americans that has to choose between food or gas money, Americans that lost their jobs, because of corporate greed and Americans, Floridians that are losing tourist money every day, because BP had a little “spill.” Oooops! Sorry about your luck. Being poor is not trendy, you jerks.

As a student of journalism, I’m truly ashamed of the cowardly and reckless behaviors of the industry. In this case, the “messenger’ should be shot, because the media is using their talents for evil not good. I am waiting for Parker Brothers to come out with a board game called Playing Poor, "Tying to make a dollar out of 15 cents," The Welfare Addition. But poverty is a board game; it’s more like Russian roulette.

Do you NEED a SWAG Coach?

"I only sit on things that are PURPLE." Ya DIGGG?

Watch the 2010 MTV Movie Awards at MTV.com!

Dear Cleveland

I am sorry that you lost one of your super heroes last night. King James has moved on to his new gig(Miami), to his new chic, to sunny beaches and championship dreams. Be proud of him and if you are truly a fan of James and basketball, you won't boo him at hometown games, but be proud of his success and is ambition to build an empire in his name. Be glad that your state gave birth to and was able to route for this basketball legend.

Let's hear it for the boy! Think about it like this, he would have been looking like Karl Malone in his last years, suck, with no ring. Let this be a lesson to everyone in all aspects of life, 'if it ain't poppin' where you are now... on to the next one, keep it moving.' you only have one life to live. Dear Summer.

Hamberger Fantasy & Salad Orgy

Detox Day 3 - Last night was the hardest. I really want to eat something small. Fantasies of a Five-Guys cheeseburger dressed in a pair of cargo shorts with no shirt, running through a field crossed my mind. I know strange, right?

The funniest part was when I imagined a salad orgy. In my mind, I saw lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, beans, olives, and cucumbers in a nice condo over looking the NYC skyline. The scene was posh and chill. The veggies were all hanging out on modern furniture with animal skin rugs. There was a red beat sitting on top of the piano as the head of romaine lettuce played "Smooth Operator." I started to laugh, because I imagined that the next morning, after the party, when the house cleaner came in...there was salad everywhere. It looked like a nice, freshly, tossed salad.

My roommate added that a cutting board and chopping knife came to the party. All of the veggies were attracted to the cutting board and chopping knife. As the board and knife started to mingle and dance with the veggies, they started to "cut up" and it was a great time. Then the salad dressing came in over and spread their love all over everyone. There was music playing. I think that it was Jay-z and Beyonce' "Hollywood." For some reason, Rick James was lying on the couch eating strawberries.

Any who...it was long night needless to say. I was tempted and tested to eat until I went to bed. As I feel asleep I listened to meditation and calming melodies on Pandora to take my mind of off the cheeseburgers, salad, and Rick James.

Today I feel fabulous. The girl next to me is eating a Starbucks breakfast sandwich, and I have no desire to eat. In fact I think that I am going to work out this evening.

Mind & Body

I've been thinking about detoxing for a while. All of my life I've been skinny and in shape. I've been playing volleyball since I was eight. My parents walked, biked and provided a healthy diet for my brother and I. I never got in trouble for having my hands in the cookie jar, because my parents didn't keep sweets in the house. When I went to other kids' houses their parents used to "open" and "close" the kitchen to regulate when their children were allowed to eat. At diner, some of my friends weren't allowed to eat and drink at the same time. They had to eat ALL of their food first then they could drink. All these rules and regulations that I watched my friends and family members follow as a child seemed stupid. My parents never denied my brother and I food. Today most of my friends that had strict food regulations are fat, out of shape and have bad skin.

As an adult I see food as a need not a want. I still don't keep cookies, cakes and pies in my home. When I was in grad school in 2003, I was an emotional eater for about 10 months and I gained about 10 pounds. I ate everything in site. I didn't pay attention to my weight because I had always been skinny. It wasn't until I moved to NYC that I realized that I was eating too much. So I started to take working out and eating right more seriously than I ever did before.

As I started to work out and eat better. I realized some things about me started to change. I was happier, my sex drive was above average, my clothes fit perfectly, I felt sexy, my skin and mind was clear. All of these positive and good feeling came from my change in lifestyle.

My sister-in-law gained a lot of weight when she was pregnant and after she spent a lot of time loosing weight. She cut out all sodas, watched her carbohydrates in take, started to change her eating and exercise habits, and she doesn't eat sweets during the week - only on the weekend.

2day, 6.22.2010 is my second day of doing the master cleanse. Not too bad. Of course I feel a little weak and my mind is a little loopy, but my body feels good. This cleanse is also a spiritual fast for me. Last year I started to read and try to understand the ways of Buddhism . Since, my personal / spiritual mission is to be more calm, patient and enlightened. For the next four days, I plan to reflect on my goals, focus on and be thankful for the life that I have, denounce my one-again-off-again smoking habit (not many people know that about me), and try to find my spiritual zenith.

CHEATERS

Since the beginning of time men, not just men with money and power have felt the need to cheat on their wives. Lately in the media there have been reports of male celebrities, Tiger Woods, Jessie James, Sen. John Edwards, Steve McNair, Matthew Knowles (singer Beyonce's father) that have cheated on their families. Recently, footballer, Tiki Barber decided to leave his pregnant wife of 11 years for a 23 year-old woman that he was dating and sexually intimate with. Sen. Edwards, lied and cheated on his wife (who was terminally ill with cancer) about his affair with a female c0-worker.

CERTIFIED SCUMBAGS

It is reported that Tiki's new women is a "model-thin," blonde woman. I am sorry, but the fact that she is blonde and "model-thin" is no longer a shock. White women have been the prime picking for men of power forever in this country. Lately, women of all colors are falling victim to infidelity from men that they trust.

However, I do find the latest trend of what I like to call 'Out-of-the-closet' Infidelity sad and disgusting. There are cultures around the world where men date, marry and bear children with multiple women. Thus, there are no expectations of monogamy. Women in other countries understand that they are not the "the only one." They expect it, are taught to handle it and accept that as their reality.

However, there are unwritten codes in life that we used to abide by. Just like the "mafia code", under the code, a mobster wasn't allowed to kill a man if his wife and children were around. You Scarface fans know just what I am talking about. Today, people have no respect for the "code," the mobsters/gangster will kill a man in front of his parents, children, and wife.

Which brings makes me wonder, since when is it cool and or acceptable to embarrass your family with your cheating ways? Where is the respect? Fellas, where is your honor? Clearly, men have been dipping out on there wives for centuries, but they kept it on the low. Even when things fell a part in a relationship, the children weren't aware of their father's infidelities. Men didn't flaunt their side-dish(es) in from of their main-course. And don't spend your time apologizing to people that don't matter (i.e. your fans and your sponsors, Mr. Woods). Apologize to your parents, your children and your wives for lying and cheating.

I leave you with two quotes from Mr. Carter

1. "If my hands in the cookie jar, know one thing...I'ma take the cookie not leave my ring ...If my hands in the cookie jar know one thing"

2. "if ever you mad about something it won't be that, oh no it won't be that i don't be at, places where we comfy at with no be-atch, oh no, you won't see that..."

Fellas, you've got to do better. It is worth the shame and the hurt that you put your families through? Think about your children. Nothing is wrong with moving on, but have some decency.