R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

A lesson that I've learned in love came from the world's wisest man alive... my father.

Ladies, when it comes to loving a man there is one thing that you must understand. It's all good and dandy to feed him, spend time with him, whisper sweet things in his ear and "love him"... but without RESPECT you will not have a long lasting relationship.

Women want and long for love,
men are prideful beings... RESPECT them.

I always had an issue with that unfortunate verse in the bible where it says : "Wives, submit to your husband as to the Lord..." Ephesians 5:25-26. I always remember the day when I first read that verse because I got kicked out of Sunday school that day. Who would've guessed that I was the Pastor's daughter? The minister was not focusing on that one line that I had immediately memorized and sworn to white-out of my future husbands bible, yet I made a huge fuss and began a fight with one of my male friends. 'Clearly,' I thought, 'God didn't get this one right.' I remember saying: "It's the 21st century, not the 50's." Yea... I was an angel.

At a young age, I was the brat of the house, my father's baby girl, and I generally said what I felt. Until I started dating did I find that the way I spoke to men (as if they were my slaves) ruined my relationships.

Try it out: If you begin to show the utmost respect to your man, you will reap the benefits. Don't be his slaves, but try these tactics.

• 1. Don't fight in public. Even if you get in a disagreement outside of your home wait until you are alone to address it.



• 2. Don't embarrass him. Don't call him "teddy bear" or any other cute name in public. Don't force him to say "I love you" when you know he's around his friends.



• 3. Ask him input when you are making decisions for yourself or the two of you. This will let him know you care what he thinks.



• 4. Don't call him stupid, dumb, annoying, N-word, idiot, etc. Although some men tolerate it, it is not acceptable. Don't call him any other name but nicknames and whatever is on his birth certificate. Believe me, if you're speaking to him any ol' way around his friends, they're asking him "Why do you let her talk to you like that?"



• 5. Don't boss him around.
  

Remember how they've always taught us that "you can judge how a man will treat you by how he treats his mother?" That doesn't apply to women. I know for myself, I treat my father as if he is a king (because he is), but when it came to the other men in my life it did not apply. That mindset is wrong. So... women, respect your men. Treat and speak to them like they are (not Kings unless there's a ring involved) ... let's say a Prince.

Good luck and God bless. Happiness and uh... Love?

_Coco Elle_

Where'd he go?

To all my ladies out there who are clingers... you love your boyfriend, he's your "world," if you could you'd spend every minute of your day with him (minus your toilet sessions) you would, and he's met your fam and friends. Here are a few tips on how to cut back before you unintentionally push him away.

By the way ladies: Even if he doesn't complain to you, you don't know what he's telling his friends or exactly what he's feeling (he may not complain to you just yet because he doesn't want to hurt your feelings). And you don't want to ever become the girl that calls her man over and over if he doesn't answer. That's what we call harassing, and that’s what I call crazy!

1. Make time for yourself. Having a designated time for yourself will give you sometime to 'discover yourself' (I hate clichés... I apologize). Hang out with friends, read a book, do something other than think of him. Unless you have a wedding band on your finger, he is not your life!

2. Get a hobby. Apparently you were doing something before you got into this relationship. You had a life, your own set of friends, your own schedule and plans. Keep them! Aside from the casual dating and excess partying that you may have stopped or put on hold, continue to do the things you were doing before this man. When he's not around you don't want to be bored, and the last thing you want to be is a woman who cannot live without her man.

3. Make time for family. One thing that I've noticed is that many females in my family who have boyfriends rarely see their family. Of course as you get older you have a life outside of your relatives, but make sure you keep in touch. If by any chance you break up with your man in the future, nothing is more therapeutic then a day with your girlfriends, and spending time with your family. They love you unconditionally and fortunately for you... they're stuck with ya. So make time for your family, go see your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters and brothers. Don't forget the people who matter most.

4. Meditate. It sounds crazy, but enjoying peaceful time alone with no interactions can truly help to clear your mind. Use this time to listen to soft music and relax. If you're a Christian, use this time to focus on God, read his word and pray. Take time for you and only you. It's your day off from the world. Enjoy it.

5. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing. This is one thing that I struggle with. If you're on Twitter or Facebook, and reading other people's statuses, you can begin to envy them and wish you were out and about on town, with your significant other, on vacation, etc. If you find that you always want to do what everyone else is doing, check your Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. less. Instead focus on what YOU are doing.

6.Give him some space! This one is basic. Don't question him, you're not his parent. If he's hanging out with friends, let him call you back when he has time. If he doesn't call you back (when you want) do something else. Occupy your time with activities, work, etc. Don't wait on a call, let the man be.

7. Encourage him. If you are not telling your man how great he is, someone else will.

When he's down, you want to be the person that he calls and talks to. Whether he's happy or sad, he needs to know that you believe in him. Understand that when he's acting differently, it's not always because he's around someone, cheating, or any other thing our emotional selves come up with on a whim. Always ask if everything is okay, and give him time to speak. Remember: If he doesn't call you and you already know he's not feeling his best, text him and let him know you care, but don't harass him. He needs comfort, not you constantly speed dialing his phone. Don't complain when he doesn't have time to speak with you because he's working or searching for a job. You'll only sound selfish and stupid. Let him be and give him space.


Seven is the number of completion so I'll end here. I ended with encourage him because you're in a relationship, I'm not going to give you a list filled with only things to do outside of that relationship. In order to improve your relationship you need to find time for yourself, but also keep your man happy.

God bless all of those in the relationship world (and no one else... jk) and good luck :-)
_Coco Elle_

Third times a charm...

Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Brett Favre will be retiring from the NFL, leaving the Minnesota Vikings after last years spectacular season. For Viking fans... oh well... let's hope this is all speculation. But as a Jets fan myself, I'll be happy to see him go.

Bye bye Brett!!! Purple doesn't look good on you anyways.

Favre should hold a press conference and apologize to all Green Bay, Jets, and Vikings fans who had faith in him. After all these years Favre is doing what he does best, calling it quits before he can acquire a ring - with the exception of the Superbowl he won in Green Bay. So much for the Vikings 2010-11 winning season. At least now he'll have time to focus on his family and future.

The end of his relationship with the NFL should be like a mutual breakup in a romantic relationship with no more of this 'breakup to makeup' crap. It's better for all of us. We'll easily get over him... but we'll never forget Brett the Jet, Packer, Falcon, and Viking.

I'm SMH at Usher Raymond

Usher is releasing a second installment of his album Raymond Vs. Raymond entitled Versus (he really thought hard about that name... smh).

After I listened to his Raymond vs. Raymond over and over for a weeks, I've come to the understanding that Usher's music has changed over the years. He went from classics like Nice & Slow to Yeah! and Burn. Now... he's selling albums and making money by singing songs like OMG! When I first heard the single I couldn't believe that it was Usher, I admit I love the song but come on... Usher is a mature artist, he can do better than club songs! I love R&B... and Usher has seriously let me down. I completely have lost faith in him. He has not been able to release a solid album in too long.

Anyways, one song from his new installment has been released. The song entitled Hot Toddy features Jay-Z and Ester Dean. I'm a big Jigga fan, but he's scaring me. I don't give in to all that Mason or Illuminati business, personally... I could care less. But on the track with Usher he calls himself a "god" and "King Hova." I hate to sound religious but... there is only one King Jehovah. And his name is Jesus... not Sean Carter.

Check out the song below.

The songs catchy... I'm not sure if it's Hot Toddy or Hot Tottie... 'Toddy' sounds like a male name so I hope it's not that. In my opinion the track is alright... but nothing great. He did need a few new additions to Raymond Vs. Raymond, it had a total of three good songs besides for his extremely commercial and club singles (which compared to his album Confessions is blasphemy).

Usher needs to take a nap, finalize them papers and come back with something more phenomenal. When it comes to R&B... Usher is failing me.

Troubled Star

Think of any word to best describe rapper and producer Kanye West... It's no surprise if ass hole comes to mind. Yet I'd like to refer to him as a "troubled guy."

Kanye West recently performed at the Facebook headquarters, giving them a sneak peak of some of the work off of his new album. The album was previously said to be entitled Good Ass Job. But today West announced via Twitter that "The album is no longer called 'Good Ass Job'... I'm bouncing a couple of titles around now."

Even though he is crazy... I'd like to think of myself as a Yeezy fan. He has had his share of bad moments, and on top of all that his last album could've been the soundtrack to a movie directed by Zoloft users...

Here's the clip of him at Facebook. Viewers beware, as my mom would say: "He sounds like he lacks vocabulary." He uses the N-word quite a few times.

Kanye West is the living and breathing example of the saying "money cannot bring you happiness." Let's just hope that he did a good job with his new album... from what we've heard already I think it's going to be great. His music career is clearly on the rise... and I'm praying that his personal life follows suit as his public and very embarassing outbursts are on the decline.

Btw... doesn't he sound like a poet? I love it! Check out another clip below.

__Coco Elle__

*** Coming up soon my review of Big Boi's new album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty (what's up with that title? lol) ***

You Reap What You Sow

So this week I'm the moral police? I think not. But in all honesty... if you allow someone to die than... you deserve to die.

Jason Green, an emergency medical technician (EMT) and his girlfriend (a fellow EMT) made headlines last year for ignoring the pleas of co-workers of Eutisha Rennix as she was suffering from an asthma attack. The reason for not assisting the dying woman: Green and his girlfriend claimed they did not have the proper equipment and instead of helping, insisted that they call 911. Rennix, who was 6 months pregnant, later died at Long Island College Hospital.

This past weekend Green was shot and killed after an altercation near a club in SoHo. Karma anyone?

Who cares?

As I go to read my morning news I scan across the page and read a name that I despise: "Glenn Beck." Recently, his doctor diagnosed him with muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a rare genetic disease that could possibly cause blindness... and the headline to the article: "Glenn Beck: I could go blind."

Not to say that I have no sympathy for this man, but come on... this is what's making news? I could care less.

I do sympathize with the blind, my beloved grandfather is blind. Even with my dislike for Glenn Beck, I pray that he is healed of this healed of this disease, and does not go blind. If he's not on television who will be there for me to hate?

But with all this said... is this really news? What happened to the oil spill and the Tea Party vs. NAACP debate? That was actually starting to get really good!

All Black People Are Not The Same!

It's not February but I'm feeling a little bit of "Soul Power." We call our selves unnecessarily honest... so I'm going to speak some truth about something that is forever driving me crazy!

Only in New York do you meet a fellow black person and ask them "What ethnicity are you?" It's as normal as asking someone their name, and more common than asking a person "Can I have your number?"

I grew up in Jamaica, Queens. My neighbors were Jamaican-American, and the only issues we had with them was their music being played too loud and too early in the morning, and their car. For some reason, they would block the driveway and wash their car about four times a week.

Across the street was a family that moved from Brooklyn, they were African-American (AA) like us. They had six kids and were like family to us. Most of the other people who lived on the block were AA's besides for this one family on the corner. The first time that I can remember meeting a Haitian person was around the age of 10. His name was Peter, and he was one of the nearly 15 people living in that house on the corner. He was sweet, and although I couldn't understand him most of the time, I knew he was a nice guy. At this time I didn't know where Haiti was located on the map, I didn't know anything about them other than this family on the corner.

During the beginning of my freshmen year in High School my family moved to Rockland County, NY (next to Westchester County) and I feared one thing: I thought I would be the only black person in my school.

To my surprise the majority of the school was black, and most of the blacks were Haitian. I grew to love Haitians, but at times it was like being the only dog in a room full of cats, I missed my own kind... so much that as a senior I enrolled into a historically black university in the south, where the only questions I'd be asked were: "What's your name?" "What state are you from?" "Which dorm do you stay in?" "Who's your roommate? "Is that your real hair?" "Do you know Kristen?" And so on.

Now I'm back in New York, transferred to a SUNY (State University of New York) because I was tired of paying too much for school, and I'm back into the madness [that I love]. There's one thing that I love and at the same time hate about New York... the diversity.

If I'm called "regular black" or "plain black" one more time, someone is going to get the history of my people stamped onto their forehead!

A few weeks ago I went to a Haitian barbecue where I was asked to grill. My response: "What the heck?" I had to pull back and realize this is not my family. I began yelling at the men in the house: "What type of man are you? What kind of man can't use a grill?" I was peeved to say the least. I silently wished for my people and our barbecues, where the men grill, the women prepare and make the side dishes, the beer and drinks are in the cooler, and the Kool-Aid (red flavor) is sitting in a punch bowl. Motown and other old school hits are blaring from the speakers, and me and my cousins sit and relax while watching the kids run around like wilderbeasts. Now that's a barbecue!

I have had too many run ins where people at my school ask me: "What nationality are you?" Here's how the conversation continues:
I reply: "American."
Idiot: "American? We're all American. Where's your family from?"
Cece: "America."
Idiot: "Nobody's from America."
Cece: "I'm from America. My family is from Georgia and North Carolina."
Idiot: "Oh so you're just black?"
Cece: "I'm African-American."

If they piss me off enough with the questions and comments I go to remind them that if not for Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement, which by the way their people were not a part of, they would not be in this country being lynched, hosed down by the police, and discriminated with my people. And if not for my people they'd be in their beloved country that they ran away from. I usually rant, I don't like being disrespected.

I move on to say that all black people are not the same, we are all a part of the African Diaspora, but our history and cultures are very different. Sometimes I feel that I relate to white Americans more than I relate to other blacks in this country.

When it comes to love, my father advised us to date other AA's. He doesn't discriminate, he just understands the difference between cultures. I like soul food, someone else may like Jamaican or other Caribbean Cuisine. Some like fried chicken, others rather beef patties. Of course there are other differences besides for food, but it's all relative, and neither is right or wrong. My boyfriend is African-American, and what I love most about his family is that we both share a unique and similar past. Both of our families are from Georgia and the Carolinas.

I love diversity, America is a melting pot and that's one of the things that make this country great. I love black people, regardless of where they are from. But if anyone calls me "plain black" one more time I'm going to have to whip out a pistol and show them how my people and the rest of the Union ran down the darn Confederacy!

By Coco Elle -- "I love all people, black, white, yellow, green, Puerto Rican, Haitian, Asian, etc. But this is just the truth. Don't hate me because I'm honest."

I Hate These Guys

So here they are on the cover of the newest edition of Sports Illustrated, my favorite sports magazine.

I don't know about you all... But I really can't stand these guys. Not because theres a possiblity that they can be the new best team in the NBA, not because Chris Bosh is funny looking and Dwayne Wade smiles like a female... but simply because of the huge media frenzy they are creating, with Lebron James leading the way.

What I'm looking forward to? Someone, anyone, whooping their but. If I was a part of the Italian Mob, I'd have a hit list out and at the top of this list would be this Cleveland raised son of a gun. He went from being a beloved NBA star to one of the most hated NBA players in one night.

If he went to Chicago would I have been upset? No, but theres no way he could live up to Michael Jordan. That would've been a smart choice, but of course he chose Miami, James wants an easy win.

Would I have been upset if he went to New York? Nope, I promised the world that I'd fall on the floor and cry, happy that for once I'd be able to watch my team win more than 40 games in a season (I wasn't even asking for a championship, I just want a winning team). Would I have been upset if he stayed in Cleveland? No... who would be? It's his home town. But Miami? He's a punk, and thats all I have to say.

If there's anything new going on about this our boy Aaron Hilton will be blogging on it, I'm done with Lebron and the Heat.

Coco Elle

Rest In Peace Steinbrenner

Today, the most successful team in baseball history, the New York Yankees, mourn one of their own.

After suffering a heart attack, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died 6:30 a.m. this morning in Tampa, Florida just 9 days after he celebrated his 80th birthday.

Whether you are a Yankee fan or a Mets fan, a New Yorker, or from New Jersey, the death of Steinbrenner is unexpected and sad, and on this day we pay tribute to him.

R.I.P. George Steinbrenner
July 4, 1930 - July 13, 2010

George Steinbrenner on Seinfeld

(one of my favorite episodes)

By Coco Elle (A Met Fan)

In Relationships... Men Are Idiots

"Why are you so emotional," he asks as I breathe deeply, trying to keep him from hearing me cry. What I'd love to reply is: "Why are you so stupid," and quickly hang up the phone, but instead I stay on the line and continue to pull myself together as he insists that I was wrong (as always) and he is right.

There are five things that men need to understand:

1. Women are emotional creatures.
2. For some odd reason, women play games. We can't help ourselves. We can be mad at you and we won't tell you. Instead we'll try to give you signs, answer questions with short answers, hang up the phone without saying 'goodbye,' etc.
3. You can't understand us completely, mostly because you are simple, and we are complicated.
4. As my boyfriend says: "We are on two different brain waves." Translation: We don't think the same.
5. There are up to five days a month where if you piss us off, we are bound to either breakdown, throw a fit, run away, ignore you, etc, and we are justified. Who cares if we are wrong, who cares if you "didn't mean it that way." We are justified for being a bitch because it is God's fault... wait... I was wrong. It is Adam and Eve's fault. That darn mango!

You may read these tips, but you still won't understand your partner... why? Because that's the way it is. Why do I say that all men are idiots? Because it's true.

Okay... so I'm being kind of mean (after a tough few weeks in my relationship world.)

So there are also several things about men that women don't understand, such as:
1." After being with me for this long, why do you still not understand me?"
2. "Why is it so hard for you to understand what I want?"
3. "Why every time we go out to eat do you sit facing the television? Oh the Heat game? Guess what I don't care."

The list goes on and on, but at the end of the day... the fact still stands: Men are idiots.

Coco Elle


<<<< Can I edit the "I married" out and replace it with "I'm dating?" JK. I love my boyfriend.

Bad Boy of the Week

In matters of love vs. money, singer, songwriter, and producer Terius 'The Dream' Nash (right) chose the latter. This man can't love.

First Nivea, then Christina Milian, for such an unattractive man, I don't know how it's possible... but The Dream seems to be a heartbreaker.

After nearly a year of marital bliss Nash is divorcing his wife, singer Christina Milian. With no wedding ring in sight, and rumors circulating that his marriage with Milian is on the rocks, you'd think that Nash would lay low. Regrettably, the singer was photographed coupled up with a woman at a beach in the Caribbean.

A rep for The Dream spoke with USmagazine.com and made this statement:
"Terius 'The-Dream' Nash is saddened to announce that his marriage to Christina Milian was unsuccessful. The couple reached this decision in late 2009, but decided to keep the news private in efforts to protect their baby daughter Violet. They ask for consideration and respect for their family moving forward."
(Check out the article)

The Dreams' marital life seems to be a nightmare... but at least he's having fun at the beach!

Dear Mr. Nash,
Shame on you!

Coco Elle

Old School Movie of the week: Cliffhanger

The best part of this movie was definitely the beginning. The New York Post referred to the movie as “an avalanche of thrills,” and I must agree, during most of the movie I was sitting at the edge of my seat. The movie takes place in the Rocky Mountains, and gives a breathtaking view throughout the entire movie. The movie which in 1993 was rated R, would surely be rated PG13 today.

Sex? None.

Hot guys and girls? None… unless you’re into Sylvester Stallone.

Killing? Yea, we see a few ketchup packets burst.

But without all the stimulation, sexiness, and high technological advances of movies made in the 21st century, this one has what I love most about old school films. It has a plot, action, and an ending…. Simple yet spectacular, it's about love, death, theft, and most importantly the Rocky Mountain rescue team saving lives. And I can’t believe how young Stallone is.

Check out the clip below, which has a few of my favorite scenes from the movie (editted by a Youtube user who is non-affiliated with this blog).

By Coco Elle

Ms. Jackson is still NASTY!

She may be 44 years old but Janet still has it going on!

After losing her brother a little over a year ago, and playing Patricia in Tyler Perry's hit movie "Why Did I Get Married Too," the singer rocked the stage at the Essence Music Festival this past weekend.

Check out the video below, it's a little blurry but you'll get the point around a minute in. (Silent prayer: I hope my but looks that good when I'm over 40.)

One writer, Mark Marino, posted that Janet is channeling "Rihanna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga," etc... little does that author know that Janet was doing this before Gaga or Ms. RiRi turned ten years old.

Dear Mr. Marino, get your facts straight honey... who do you think influenced some of these ladies? Performance wise, she has them beat. There is no way they can top her Velvet Rope concert at Madison Square Garden. Beyonce has the voice. Rihanna has the? Management team and writers??? And Lady Gaga has the talent and weird factor. But Janet Jackson is a born performer, amazing entertainer, and is still fabulous and over 40.

To Mr. Marino and the haters who are telling Janet to 'sit down,' do me a favor and shut up. Now... stare them down Janet. And do like your brother and keep showing them who's bad!

My Obsession

I have a new obsession and his name is B.O.B.

He’s seemingly attractive, andhis looks are not the only thing that has me clutching my iTouch as I run down the stairs towards the subway.

I’m not a hip-hop fanatic, most of what I know comes from the simple fact that I live in New York, loved Nas as a kid, my brother is “true hip-hop’s” biggest fan, and I took a hip-hop class to fulfill my Arts Gen-Ed requirement sophomore year.

B.O.B. came into my life out of the blue while I was searching through my cousins computer. I came upon his album, added it to my iPod, and since then it’s been love.

The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which was released in April of this year, is a unique collection of songs that you will either love, hate, or not understand.

I became his biggest fan after watching Janelle Monae’s video for the remix to ‘Tightrope,’ which features B.O.B. and Lupe Fiasco. Wearing all white and a sailors hat, he looks his all time best. And in my opinion, the remix would have been a total fail without his verse.

(Check out the video below)

Besides for his good looks and impressive rhymes, B.O.B. demonstrates his singing voice on several songs on his album, including my favorite, "Lovelier Than You," an almost-ballad with one rap verse towards the end, that describes his love for his lady, as he sings“I could never find a lovelier design than you.”

Below is a video of him performing "Lovelier Than You" at Jimmy Kimmel Live.

After watching one of his earlier videos from 2008, it is hard to believe that this is really B.O.B. The rapper, whose real name is Bobby Ray Simmons, has been compared to the likes of Andre 3000 (of OutKast) and Lupe Fiasco. In the video "I'll Be In The Sky," Andre... I mean Bobby Ray shows off his musical skill, he can play the piano, sing and rap. A multi-talented southern rap artist who isn't solely selling albums, making good beats, and doing the batman... B.O.B. is a contender for... well... a title I just made up "a real hip-hop artist." And I like the sound of that, I like it a lot.

... clearly I'm a B.O.B. fan.

Coco Elle

Alicia Keys Takes a Fall

The majority of Americans knows these things:
1. Pregnant women are not supposed to drink anything with caffeine.
2. Pregnant women are not supposed to wear heels.
3. And lastly, pregnant women are not supposed to smoke cigarettes.

The list goes on and on, but clearly Alicia Keys did not get the memo.

When your heels don’t match, I’d rather you go barefoot… but clearly A. Keys loved the pair of red pumps that she wore during her first performance at the BET awards.

Many gasped as she climbed on top of the piano, regardless of the fact that she took off her heels… that is dangerous. A fall could’ve severely hurt her and/or her unborn child.

And as if all that was not enough, the R&B singer performed at the Essence Music Festival while wearing guess what? Heels.

Note to A. Keys: It is summer time… flat sandals are in.

They say the mighty shall fall, well Ms. Alicia Keys, soon to be Mrs. Swizz Beats, took a tumble, and bounced right off of her butt and continued belting out one of my favorite songs from her album, “Love is Blind.”



I will not comment on her relationship with Swizz, some call her a home-wrecker, but who am I to judge? They’re in love and flaunting it… as far as I’m concerned… Keep making music, and please don’t put yourself in a situation like Brittney Spears, I’d hate to see you dragged away from your home with charges like “Reckless Child Endangerment.”

Do me a favor Alicia, take off the heels.

By Coco Elle

What A Lovely Draft

In case you missed the NBA Draft that took place on June 24th, let me fill you in. There is a new class of NBA Players, the rookie class of 2010-2011… and they are looking mighty fine. Below is my list of five up and coming NBA rookies who could be delightful to watch.



5. Xavier Henry

Born in Belgium, where his father played professional basketball, Xavier Henry is a sight for sore eyes. The caramel pretty boy out Kansas may be young, but the Memphis Grizzlies believe that he has what it takes to play against the big boys. The 12th pick in the 2010 draft, Henry averaged 13.4 points per game last season for the Jayhawks, and had a total of 157 rebounds, 53 assists, and 54 steals. He’s an all around good player and great looking man.


4. Evan Turner




Evan Turner is my definition of pretty boy. Out of Ohio State, he looks like he should’ve pledged Kappa Alpha Psi during his three years at Ohio, but of course he didn’t have the time… he was too busy playing basketball. The 21 year old guard was the second overall pick this year, and was drafted to the Philadelphia 76ers. What am I looking forward to? Allen Iverson (my childhood crush) and Turner on the court together. The rude boy and the pretty boy… I like the sound of that.




3. Paul George


This 20 year old guard out of Fresno State is milk chocolate at its finest. His most notable feature other than his height is his lips. LL Cool J better watch out, George will give him a run for his money. His only notable flaws are his weight (he’s a little on the linguine side) and unfortunately he has to play for the Indiana Pacers (I hate the Pacers… even without Reggie Miller). But with all that said he seems like a pretty good catch. Last season he averaged 16.8 points per game, 2.21 steals per game, and in his freshman season at Fresno State he was named to the All-WAC second team.


2. Damion James


Standing at six feet seven inches, this dark chocolate wonder was the 24th overall pick and was in a three team trade where he ended up with the horrific New Jersey Nets. Let’s hope his average of 18 points last season will lift the Nets to win at least 15 games. Not only does the state of New Jersey have a foul odor, but their team stinks. After winning 12 games last season, they should no longer look to move to New York, save your money and build a team. James is a good pick for them, but unfortunately he’s not Lebron. If they can get Lebron… maybe they can win 30 games. As for Damion, regardless of if they win or lose, he’s a nice treat… even if he does sit on the bench for his first year. But the way the Nets are looking… he has a good chance of getting in the game.

1. John Wall

The number one overall pick is also my number one overall pick for the finest in the 2010 draft.

He hails from the great state of North Carolina, and was drafted out of the University of Kentucky to the Washington Wizards. Wall averaged 16.6 points per game, has an amazing smile and a keen sense of style. He looks like your average guy playing basketball at your nearest neighborhood court, but it’s that real aspect about him that ensured him a spot on my list. His family looked so proud as his name was called, yet Wall seemed pretty calm and collected.Hint: He already knew he was at the top of his class. The Wizards will be looking much better this year, and hopefully Wall will help them win at least more than 30 games.




By Coco Elle

My MTA Budget Proposal

Outside it’s a beautiful day in New York, but a horrifying reality for many who depend on public transportation.

Today the updated New York City Subway and Bus Map went into effect, and the new changes and cuts have taken place as planned. At 7:34 a.m. the loud speaker outside of the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island continuously announced the bus routes that were discontinued and routes that have been changed.

Onto the ferry, the overhead voice of a male speaks for thirtyseconds, reminding the riders to be aware of life jackets andbeware of the stairs while docking. Lastly he states: “Thank you for riding the Staten Island Ferry.”

Known as one of the free alternatives to view the Statue of Liberty and a destination for millions of tourists every year, the Staten Island Ferry should be a goldmine for the city of New York, and its riders should be thanking God for the free trip. The city that never sleeps begs the question from me: “Why the hell is the Staten Island Ferry free?”

I have a proposal for Mayor Bloomberg and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), here’s how we attempt to lessen the MTA deficit: Charge riders on the Staten Island Ferry.

60,000 people ride the ferry every day (not including weekends), if we charged every passenger a token of $1.00 the city would make approximately $300,000 during the week. The city charges for every other mode of transportation, also must pay the ferry crew and captain and is spending a tremendous amount of money revamping the Whitehall St. Ferry Terminal in Manhattan. Therefore, why not charge the riders?

Staten Islanders have a few options on how to get into the city:

1. Swim.

2. The $5.50 Express bus into Manhattan.

3. Driving the expressway to the Goethals and then through Jersey, etc.

4. Driving across the Verrazano Bridge for a whopping $11.00.

5. The crowded and inconvenient S53.

6. The $0.00 Staten Island ferry to Lower Manhattan.

Taking the ferry is a necessity and God-given gift to many New Yorkers, charging a nickel and few dimes may sicken some, but it could help heal the MTA’s dying budget.

Why $1.00? Simply because it sounds nice. At least is a concrete andeffective option… Unlike our brilliant Mayor who proposed what? Charging public school kids… what a bully!

By Ivanna M. Elliott

Originally posted on June 28, 2010. Reposted due to technical difficulties... Translation: Ivy sucks with computers.