Kickin' it Old School

Ever listen to old songs often times? There's nothing wrong with enjoying some of today's music, but many people often prefer listening to old songs and old artists. Some people can't even stand most of today's music that they always fall back on older songs. I began to think about this a little bit as I burned some songs to my MP3 player. I thought about this for a bit when I was ripping music to my MP3 player. I was listening to "Red Light Special" by TLC (T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chili), a rhythm and blues group I normally don't like all that much, in preparing this blog post. "Red Light Special" is perhaps my all-time favorite song from TLC besides "Baby Baby Baby" from 1992. In today's circles, people would look at me funny if I said that I was listening to songs not from this timeframe. Either that, or someone would say, "that song is SO old." Almost as if I am severely not with current times just because I like certain past songs or listen to past songs than some of today's hits.

Is it okay to be more fond of older songs than be into today's music? Do you feel irked when someone prefers listening to old songs more than today's hits? Does it speak volumes when someone loves certain older songs than today's hit songs? Does the value of older songs mean more to music listeners than most of today's songs? I'll try to address these topics and more in this blog post. This post is more intended to be more of a quick digest-type post than something seriously detailed. However, I may edit it to be more detailed in future edits.

--- Kickin' it Old School: Why? ---

Fact is... not everyone listens to or prefers listening to today's music. A lot of people feel that today's music is more noise than actual music. Older songs even have certain levels of character devoid in most of today's music.

Take Houston radio, for example in terms of old songs. I don't usually listen to KBXX 97.9 The Box here in Houston (a hip-hop and Rhythm and Blues station here in Houston), but they usually have Way Back Wednesday during the late morning or early afternoon hours. This station plays a lot of old hip-hop and rhythm and blues songs as part of a mix. The Choice 90.9 KTSU usually plays traditional jazz music among a number of song types. However on Fridays and Saturdays, they usually play a variety of old rhythm and blues songs as well as blues.

There is obviously interest in listening to old songs. For many people, hearing an old song brings back memories or takes people back to different eras in music. Some songs just remain classic to most people even if they are old to very old. I swear some people talk like I shouldn't even be listening to old songs. And for the record, I like almost any kind of music as long as it's something I actually like. My preferred genre of music is often times electronica and electronic dance music. Even with that genre, I have my favorites.

--- Kickin' it Old School: My Own Thoughts ---

When you listen to older songs, you get to experience the past through music. I tend to like a good bit of melodic music. A lot of rhythm and blues songs from the 1990s (back when the genre was still fairly relevant) have good melodies and some great singing. Those of you who know rhythm and blues and hip-hop genres in the '90s may remember some of the past names. You know... Boyz II Men, Toni Braxton, TLC, SWV, En Vogue, Blackstreet, Keith Sweat, Babyface, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston... need I go further?

I think we are a people who value today's music, but still have ears for the past. Many of today's talent wouldn't be possible without the support and inspiration of past artists and groups. Like sports, music is about reinventing and evolving. People love music. People want to push music to the next level. Only so few can be driving forces that push music to the next level, then go a few levels upwards. But before anyone can push music to the next level, past talent has to set standards to be bettered by future artists and groups. Take inspiration from the past, take account of today's talent, add your own musical twist, and try to put everything together to where your material becomes distinctive. That is one such way to become the next best music star or group.

I think people who truly enjoy music are the ones who can appreciate the past and present. Some people just listen to music; some others appreciate music and can equally enjoy a past song as much as, if not more, than any current songs. Doesn't matter if a song is only a few years old or decades old- some songs just remain enjoyable for ages to come.

--- Kickin' it Old School: "That's So Old!" ---

People get looked at and talked about funny for liking older songs than current ones. Same goes for those who are into past trends rather than current times. I honestly don't care if something is old. I was never a person about keeping in tune with current times anyhow. I've been late to the Twitter party, and I don't consider myself any kind of mobile device person. When was the last time I admit to being a fan of texting and having a cool smartphone?

The blog post mostly concerns listening to old songs, but there are just people out there more into past material and are not really much into current things- including music. There are people who'd rather listen to Madonna than Lady Gaga. There are those who'd rather listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers than My Chemical Romance. Some would rather listen to Ice Cube than Lil' Wayne. There are even people who'd rather listen to The Beatles than the Jonas Brothers. You don't have to enjoy older songs, but it helps to enhance your musical knowledge by going back in time.

Pop and Rhythm and Blues.

I find myself thinking more about '90s pop as a child of the '90s. I personally get sick of the '80s fandom. I just connect better with the '90s than I do with the '80s (speaking as someone born in 1983). There are few pop songs that really resonate with me than most of today's music. Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton delivered excellent songs in the R and B realm. And with love songs? One of my all-time favorite love songs is "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" from Michael Bolton. I know there are people who would cringe knowing that I like a Michael Bolton song, but the song is just so powerful while also being a singing masterpiece. I also sort of missed the group aspect of '90s pop. These days, it's more about individual gain rather than a group coming together to make one great song. You can stand out even if in a group. Backstreet Boys did it. 'N Sync did it. Oh- that's ANOTHER aspect of this genre. Today's "boy band" is the Jonas Brothers. Well, them and rivals Big Time Rush. Other than these, I've remembered some of the many love songs from "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" that I liked. A number of them to name, so I'll just leave it as that. Today's pop is MUCH different from the pop I've liked from the '90s.

Electronica and Electronic Dance Music.

When I did my blog post on "Cream Trance Anthems: Ibiza 2009," I noted the second of the three CDs to be my favorite and most-listened to because of the past songs in the genre. The second CD is mostly a collection of classic trance songs. It doesn't mean that today's trance is "blah," but more that many of these songs are classics for a reason. These are also mostly modern mixes of past trance songs. Still, everything is of great quality. I am not afraid to say that I still listen to Robert Miles' Dreamland CD and its songs. Two of the best songs I've ever heard in the genre are very long and from the same duo- Underworld ("Born Slippy" and "Pearl's Girl"). "Firestarter" from The Prodigy remains one of my all-time favorite songs in the genre. The singing of Amber remains strong with her '90s hits like "This Is Your Night" than most pop dance songs of today. I just resonate more with the '90s more than with 2000s or 2010 electronica.

Hip-Hop.

What about hip-hop? Same thing. Many feel hip-hop is more about bling and killing people. In its past, most of hip-hop was about having fun. Maybe there were some hip-hop songs and artists/groups that dared push the issue of violence and raunchy sex, but a lot of past songs didn't go to serious extremes as most of today's hip-hop. Also, some past songs just remain great to listen to compared to hip-hop in today's genre. "Jump" by House of Pain is a classic. Still is.

Rock.

Most of you know I am not much into rock music. However, I do have a fondness for old rock. I remember when me and my brother listened to "Black Hole Sun" from Soundgarden. Groups like Nirvana and Tool were favorites of mine as well. Just another example of my '90s child ways. I remembered playing "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and liked "God Blessed Radio" from Alcatrazz. If I had a favorite classic rock group, I guess you can say that I dig Van Halen. Hearing "Panama" in Gran Turismo 4 is always great. Otherwise, I am no professional or authority in rock music. I'm trying, though.


Showing some love for past songs in addition to today's music shows your appreciation for music as a whole. The reasons why people listen to and prefer listening more to old songs vary. The main point is that there are other songs worth listening to even if they are old. You shouldn't look at someone funny or poke fun just because their taste in music is stuck in the past as opposed to liking today's music. It just mean their tastes in music are different. So don't hate... appreciate! :)





How do you feel about having fondness for older music as opposed to always being fond of current songs? Do you feel funny when you or someone you know prefers listening to classic songs more than current ones? Feel free to comment! I need you to get more involved with my blog posts! Feel free to express yourself in my blog posts if you enjoyed my material. So go ahead and comment if you enjoyed your read and want to contribute to my discussions and posts.

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Bully Beatdown

(UPDATED: Febuary 15, 2012)

Sometimes, you want to watch certain shows to see what they are about. Sometimes, you want to give something new a try. So judging on this blog post's title, you know what I'm talking about. This is a show called "Bully Beatdown." This is basically a show where people who get bullied on have people get put into a mixed martial arts (MMA) cage against a real MMA fighter. What do I think about this show? That's what you're about to find out in this blog post.

This is the yet another blog post I did concerning an MTV show since talking about "My Super Sweet Sixteen" and "America's Best Dance Crew" in past blog posts.

--- Bully Beatdown at a Glance ---

^ from: www.mmagospel.com - Bully Beatdown - where bullies meet their match against MMA fighters.

I've watched only two shows. Well actually, 1.5 episodes. I was watching wrestling and switched over to MTV2 when wrestling was off. The first episode I saw was of a bully girl named Amanda that bullied a girl named Keiko. Then, it was this (first time I ever used this word in my blog) douchebag named Kevin who has a pompadour hairstyle with greased-over hair who bullied two guys. Amanda had to go against the "karate hottie" Michelle Waterson, and Kevin had to go against Tyron "T-Wood" Woodley.

The venue is somewhat like an underground fight club as a King of the Cage octagon is where the action takes place. Anyone who may watch MTV2 (especially in recent times) may know of MTV2 showing the Bellator fighting tournament. So this would be a nice tie-in for promotion of mixed martial arts on the MTV networks. The host of Bully Beatdown is Mark Burnett, who often confronts these bullies as well as root on the MMA fighters.

--- How Bully Beatdown Works ---

Here's how the show breaks down:

The bully beating down takes place in two individual matches at five minutes each. The first round is grapples only (no striking allowed). The second round is a straight-up kickboxing match. In the first round, the bully starts with $5K USD and loses $1K each time the he/she taps out to the MMA professional. The $1K goes to the bullying victim(s) for each tapout within the five-minute frame. In the second round, if the bully manages to last five minutes against the MMA fighter in a straight-up kickboxing match, he/she wins $5K. But if the bully gets knocked out, gives up, or if the referee has to stop the fight; the bully gives up $5K USD to the bullying victim(s).

So this is basically a challenge of if a bully can stand a total of ten minutes against a real MMA fighter. Sort of like the MMA fighters being enforcers to people whom have been bullied. Everyone is at least 18 years old for what I know. Therefore, it isn't like Elementary and Secondary school kids are called up to be beaten down by MMA fighters.

--- Personal Opinions of This Concept ---

"Bully Beatdown" is different as a concept. Rather than verbally confront bullies on most shows, bullies are confronted by MMA fighters in a test of toughness. This is more like a reality check for bullies who think they are tougher than everybody else. This show is different since there is actual physical contact against such perpetrators as opposed to a talking-to on most other shows.

There are two dynamics that concern me here. The first dynamic pertains to not being able to defend for yourself or try to handle someone according, and the other is on showcasing MMA fighters in this sort of way "Bully Beatdown" does.

"Bully Beatdown" Concept: Can't Fend for Oneself.

I'd personally feel bad knowing I could have handled somebody myself without needing to bring someone to a national TV show to go against an MMA fighter. I've dealt with my own share of idiots at school and in life. Even if at the expense of getting into trouble, I have to fend for myself.

"Bully Beatdown" Concept: MMA Promotion.

If anything, MMA fighters are being seen more as enforcers in this show. MMA involves both striking attacks in addition to graples. One has to have agility as well as good upper and lower body strength. The dynamics of MMA are much different from boxing because you have to utilize an equal balance of lower and upper body strength. Of course in boxing, it helps to be quick on your feet.

Also, it isn't like the MMA fighters are doing any tremendously serious contact to (essentially) unconditioned athletes. The contact and everything is real, but not any of the serious contact grapples and strikes you would normally see in a proper MMA fight. There are some more intense manuvers (not that I am a regular watcher of MMA fights) that can really cripple and badly injure any unconditioned person or athlete.


If anything, this is a show where people who think they are so tough meet their match against conditioned fighters. This is a radical concept to showcase the toughness of MMA fighters while also teaching lesser folk not to mess with MMA fighters. It would be strange if a show like "Bully Beatdown" can encourage average folk (like you and I) to stand up for ourselves better against bullies and against other would-be foes through hand-to-hand combat. That potential and that drive are certainly there. It isn't some show with whiny people who have nothing better to say than "what the hell!?" So it's a pretty cool concept. I just feel sorry for the bullies who get called out to be on "Bully Beatdown" to take a pounding they so deserve.

My YouTube viewers may remember my "Abusive and Controlling Men" video (as well as my blog post of the same name). If I were the producer of "Bully Beatdown," I'd change the theme of the show from handling bullies to handling men who treat their women like slaves/garbage/property. Otherwise, this is a completely different concept from what one would normally see in justice served to guilty parties for their actions.

"Bully Beatdown" is a show to check out if you want to see something a bit different on TV. Take it from yours truly.





Learn more about Bully Beatdown (as well as other MTV and MTV2 shows) by visiting www.mtv.com and its full list of shows.

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Starting a Restaurant

When you make recipes and dishes, you feel you could service many more people, especially if you feel more people will enjoy your food. Those who feel their cooking can be enjoyed by more people often open restaurants and kitchens. When starting any business, you start a business with the intent of servicing others and treating them well. Starting a restaurant or diner is no different. Those who start their own restaurant are confident that their brand of food and cooking can serve many consumers. Long-time readers of "John's Blog Space" may have read my blog post on 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, whereas two teams open their own restaurant. They have a set budget and 24 hours to set everything up. The only help teams will get is a kitchen staff. Of course, the teams have to manage that staff.

When it comes to opening your own restaurant or diner or whatever, you trust that your food will please multiple consumers. This blog post concerns those who open their own restaurants, whether it's a small eatery or cafe all the way up to national (and even international) restaurant chains.

Before I Begin...

I mention restaurant, but this can mean any sort of eating place. This can mean restaurants, cafes, diners, ice cream places, candy stores, snow cone vendors, grills, etc.

Also, I have NO experience in preparing food. I am NOT any kind of cook! I can barely microwave food! Last thing of any kind I've cooked or prepared with a stove was either pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich back in 1998! So therefore... this is mostly a digest of info based solely on personal commentary.


So let's begin!

--- Starting a Restaurant: Why Do It? ---

^ from: www.arteuz.com - Establishing a restaurant or some other eatery takes a lot of dedication and effort.

Every now and then, people need to eat to fight off hunger, fill their bellies, or sometimes just eat something tasty and/or healthy. There are many eating venues dedicated to treating others' mouths with great food, tasty drinks, and indulgent desserts. If these reasons aren't good enough to want to start off in the food business and in making your own restaurant or eatery, I don't know what is. This deal goes back to a common theme expressed in my blog- offering a service to others and executing on all fronts with that service. Those who specialize in preparing and serving food and/or drinks want to be able to offer their flavor and skill to others.

So why start a restaurant or some other kind of business catering to food? Let me answer this question in a different way. Why did I start blogging? It was because I felt I could service people worldwide with my insight and commentary. Why did I set up a YouTube channel? It was because I felt the need to express myself in video as well as provide transparency in expressing ideas. So why do restauranteers do what they do? It is because they feel their cooking and other expertise is so good, that they feel their cooking can be enjoyed by a greater audience. Those who are this confident (or at least hopeful) start their own restaurants and diners and such. To everyone who loves preparing food, don't you feel like your food can be enjoyed by a greater audience than loved ones and a couple of friends?

The most important element of almost any craft is to make things with the ability of being distinctive and unique. Think about fast food restaurants, for instance. I LOVE chicken. Popeye's is one of my favorites for their delicious chicken as well as their great dirty rice. Their buttermilk biscuits are among some of the best biscuits of any fast food chain. Kentucky Fried Chicken has some great-tasting chicken as well. I have also loved their KFC Snackers back in my college days. Besides traditional chicken eateries, I am BIG on Chick-fil-a and their chicken. I sometimes just have their chicken sandwiches and even some of their chicken fillets. What was the point of mentioning these three fast food restaurants? Simple- if you want to be regarded highly in any craft you devote yourself to, always look to distinguish yourself from others.

--- Starting a Restaurant: Distinction ---

There are a number of different eating venues with different levels of specialization. Some people just have one unique location where they can properly serve their customers with quality food and service. Some are fortunate enough that their work is so good that restaurant chains and separate locations are opened across cities and across multiple regions. What constitutes a restaurant becoming so successful to even where chains are started? Distinction.

Some restaurants and eateries are distinctive for preparing certain dishes and items for people to eat. For example, a casual diner can serve hamburgers with big patties. A certain restaurant may be famous for its famous drinks. Much like how professional wrestlers have their own signature moves and finishing manuvers, restaurants and other eateries have their own signature treat to service to their customers. What famous food(s) and/or drink(s) can you offer in offering a lasting impression for your customers? Is there a certain dessert you can offer that is distinctively yours? Depending on your signature dishes, people may come back to your restaurant for these things and more. It's all about being distinctive in any craft, including food.





Are you enjoying your read so far? If you are not reading the full blog post and want to continue, please click on "Read More" to enjoy the rest of this blog post!

--- Starting a Restaurant: One or More Locations? ---

In any business or craft, your ability to be unique and offer something others will love lends itself to lots of demand. Interested parties will want to follow in your footsteps and take part in expanding your restaurant's appeal.

Multiple Locations.

So do you feel that your cooking can benefit a greater audience? You may choose to have just one primary restaurant that others can flock to for your cooking (even if they have to travel from afar), or you can try to set up multiple restaurants to try to establish your own empire. It takes responsbility to manage more than one restaurant. In addition, people have to be convinced it will do well in a certain location. Especially if trying to be a national or international chain, it would help to be in major markets. Or maybe you want to have a famous eatery unique to your people and location. That in itself is perfectly fine.

Here in the Houston area, we have local restaurants and eateries such as Kelley's Country Cooking (which my mother often jokingly calls "Big Food Kelley's") and Cheddar's Casual Cafe. Kelley's is all about down-home food. I usually have their chicken strips with country gravy. I usually have some of the chicken sandwiches from Cheddar's, mostly the World Class Chicken sandwich and the Hawaiian Chicken sandwich. My family and I have been to that specific Cheddar's ranging from casually eating out to certain special occasions, including the day I got my Associate's in the Arts back in 2008.

Multiple locations for eateries depend on one's restaurant being so good that more people should be able to enjoy the food offered. With more restaurants comes more responsibility in all of them preparing food and servicing others the right way. It also helps to have them all perform well without having see one location get shut down because of poor performance. I'd say it's more challenging having an international chain (or at least, restaurants with international locations, such as McDonald's) because you have to have chains doing well in your native nation as well as other nations doing well preparing such food.

Just One (or More) Locations.

Sometimes, though, it's best to be unique and just offer your fine cooking as a great local business. You can always be a quality eatery of some kind by offering to your local audience. You can even have a local eatery that has a few more locations across town or within the greater metropolitan area of your city. Especially if you offer good food and don't care much about trying to be a national (or even international) chain, you care more about knocking out other peoples' hunger than try to chase big money. Sometimes, being distinctive means offering food that is so good that they'll need to personally travel to one location for great and unique food. In other words... if you live in Seattle (for example) and want to enjoy great food even if you have to travel very far, and if you think it's worth the trip because of their great food, you'd be willing to travel to that restaurant even if it's in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Honolulu, Toronto, or wherever. Or maybe it is a great restaurant in a smaller city. If you're not thinking about making your own restaurant chain nationwide or internationally, and if you make and serve great food, getting people to visit around the nation and around the world only adds to the appeal of your restaurant.

If you can afford to do so, you may have one major restaurant also serve as a school. Here are two examples- the national chain, Olive Garden, has a school in Tuscany, Italy where students learn certain dishes. Another example is The Lady and Sons restaurant by Paula Deen in Savannah, Georgia, USA. Paula Deen has her own school within The Lady and Sons where people can learn to prepare her recipes as well as just being able to prepare food in general. It's perfectly fine to have a single restaurant as well as expand upon it.

One final note about having a single or major restaurant is that you are able to generate some traffic. People may know nothing about your city except that it has a great restaurant. This alone can help to bring people to your city. Imagine if you owned an eatery of some kind in Wichita, Kansas, USA; and people would be willing to travel internationally to visit and eat at your restaurant. This adds appeal to your restaurant and gives you some international appeal. Since I'm focused on American eateries, international means more than just Canada and Mexico- imagine people from Japan, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, South Africa, Pakistan... you name it, all visiting and eating (and hopefully enjoying) your single location. ULTIMATE swagger there in promoting your restaurant.


However you choose to play this deal, at least know that you have something to offer to many people. How far do you expand your audience? Do you feel it is best to offer your dishes and recipes to others in other locations in hopes other locations can prepare your dishes the right way? Or, do you feel that your food is so unique, that the best way to enjoy your food is to come on down to your restaurant? Responsibility is the key concept regardless of whatever decisions you make in making/expanding your restaurant.

--- Starting a Restaurant: Servicing the Masses ---

There is no greater responsibility of any eating venue than servicing the masses. It can be a person looking for a casual eat, someone celebrating a birthday, a couple on a date, a family gathering at a restaurant, a local non-professional sports team celebrating a big win or a championship, or whatever. You could even be welcoming famous people as well as political leaders. The responsibility of servicing the masses is critical depending on whom is being serviced. Just the notion that someone special is coming to your restaurant only adds to the level of importance of making sure your food and other items are of the highest quality. You have to perform great, and so does the crew who help make food.

Those who enjoy your restaurant will likely come back for your food and may even recommend others to visit your restaurant. Conversely, those who disliked your restaurant may not ever return and likely not recommend it to others. A boost in morale and motivation are up for grabs in these situations. Will you deliver or crack under pressure?

--- Starting a Restaurant: Catering ---

Catering involves taking your dishes out and about apart from the restaurant. Think of it more like taking your show out on the road. Responsibility reigns supreme here too since you are offering your dishes to others. You have to prepare food, drive out safely to the location, make sure the food is all in good eating condition, and stuff like that.

If any restaurant or chain caters to people in need, I kindly salute you. No person or group of people make me happy than those who give back to the community or to greater causes.





To everyone who started their own restaurant or are thinking of starting a restaurant of some kind, my best of luck goes out to all of you. We all need to be fed throughout the day. You all are among the ones who help make it possible. Many of us aren't afraid to pay a great deal just to feed our bellies. If you are of a catering service, your work is even more valued because you trust that you and your crew can prepare dishes and other items abroad outside of the kitchen. The key concept and word of this blog post is responsibility, because it takes responsibility to start and maintain any sort of business. If your job is in feeding people, it's best you make great decisions to help your cause. Do your absolute best in making and maintaining your restaurant. You may even win awards for your work if it is valued by a more discerning audience.

As I have mentioned before, I've mostly mentioned restaurants. However, this blog post can apply to any sort of eatery or any such place where food and drink items are prepared and sold for consumption. You may own an ice cream shop, a restaurant offering certain ethnic foods of some sort (like Indian food, for example), or even a buffet-type restaurant. Most of the material I've expressed pertains to you as well. There are likely different circumstances and responsibilities different from an average restaurant. Still, no one person or entity can start a business without the responsibilities of servicing a greater audience and servicing that audience with class and respect. Anyone can feed anyone; but only the truly devoted and focused can feed people with responsibility and focus.

A Quick Salute:

This blog post was semi-inspired by my blogging and online friend Gabirella of Principessa Gabriella. Feel free to drop by her blog by clicking on Principessa Gabriella.


Well, eat on, folks! :) And uh... thank you for reading!

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Sneaker Obsession

Some wear sneakers; some are obsessed with them. Such people obsessed with sneakers (sometimes called sneaker freakers) are those who just find something enjoyable and comfortable about wearing sneakers as opposed to any other kind of footwear. There are guys out there who think there is nothing cooler than sporting a cool pair of kicks while heading out the door. There are girls who probably enjoy wearing sneakers more than wearing sandals (even including the ubiquitous flip-flop/thong sandals), pumps, flats, or whatever. Whatever the case, there are some people who love their sneakers and love having multiple pairs of sneakers. This blog post kind of highlights on the obsession of sneakers.

--- Sneaker Obsession ---

^ from: www.myairshoes.com - Too many sneakers? Some obsessed with sneakers would say, "not enough sneakers."

There are many sneakers of many styles. However much sneakers mean to people depend on their creativity and their drive in owning sneakers. A number of guys have a pair of sneakers for them to wear proudly with their outfits. These can be sneakers for casual days, days playing sports, even certain guys who wear sneakers to the nightclub. Girls have many styles as well for sneakers. Many prefer simple leather sneakers while many more favor canvas sneakers. Some girls love skimmer sneakers (which I have blogged about before), some wear a regular pair of low-top sneakers, and some others even prefer a pair of high-top sneakers. Some girls even are appealed by high-heel sneakers and various chic sneakers (which I have also blogged about previously). Males and females love wearing sneakers so much that many feel they could do EVERYTHING in sneakers- go to work, go to school, get married, etc.

I am not obsessed with sneakers much to be honest. Though I wear sneakers often, I am not so casual in my dress that I'd rather wear sneakers than any other kind of shoes. I have only one pair of sneakers I commonly wear. I had a flat pair of American Eagle sneakers once. I stopped wearing them for the most part. In case you didn't know, I am not a brand-name guy. So I have these (dare I say) no-name athletic sneakers I mostly wear as far as sneakers are concerned. I have had pairs of sneakers from American Eagle and Skechers before.

--- What Makes Sneakers to Obsessive? ---

To me, there are a number of reasons depending on what sneakers we're discussing. The sneakers that come to mind most for me are Converses and Vans slip-on laceless sneakers. I have seen many a customized pair of Converse sneakers. Some people put all kinds of designs and color up their Converses. The ever-popular Vans slip-on canvas sneakers serve as works of art. In fact, the fact these are canvas sneakers mean they can serve as your own personal masterpiece... and you can WEAR these works of art! Just as much as there are many painters who paint pictures on canvas, there are people who like to create all sorts of designs on sneakers. I have certainly seen a handful of canvas slip-on sneakers and Converses that have been designed and colorized in so many ways. One pair I saw a girl wear once was some laceless sneakers that looked like they had comic strips on them.

Leather sneakers are often customized as well. I've seen a few old K-Swiss commercials where males and females showcase their K-Swiss sneakers in various styles ranging from customized to clean white. Everyone really into sneakers have their own unique style and what they look for in a pair of sneakers. For many, sneakers are more than just shoes- they are a reflection of one's style and character. Sneakers make statements about ourselves that we may otherwise not utter from our mouths.

Another part of sneakers and their obsessive character is the fact you can trade shoelaces. If you have a unique pair of shoelaces, you can take out the ones that came with the sneakers and put in the new shoelaces. Some girls even have ribbon shoelaces to go into their sneakers. With a wide variety of sneakers for both males and females, certain sneakers benefit from being able to replace the shoelaces with a unique pair.

There are many reasons why sneakers are so well-liked and so obsessive. These are just a few ideas. What are YOUR reasons if you love wearing sneakers?

--- What to Wear With Sneakers? ---

Sneakers are all about casual charm. Almost anything is worn with sneakers for both males and females. Guys have worn sneakers with all sorts of outfits (including suits). In fact, I've seen award shows where guys wear these show-appropriate suits and outfits while wearing sneakers. Girls certainly have many clothing options to go with sneakers. You have girls who simply go with the T-shirt and jeans look while wearing sneakers. Shorts are often worn with sneakers as well. There are also a handful of dresses and skirts worn with sneakers. I once even posted a blog entry regarding wearing sneakers with a blouse and dress pants. I have even seen celebrities such as [Texas' own] Demi Lovato, Sarah Silverman, and recording artist M.I.A. sporting sneakers with fancy dresses. Both Demi Lovato and Sarah Silverman wore fancy mid-length dresses with Converses while M.I.A. wore some high-top (or maybe low-top) leather sneakers to the Grammy awards while pregnant. Many (myself included at times) see wearing sneakers with a formal dress as a fashion no-no. It's different wearing sneakers with formal dresses, but not often liked by many people.





So proudly wear your sneakers if you so love them! If you think sneakers are or can be obsessive, I have a few websites for you sneaker fans to check out. Most of these sites may mostly pertain to just men's sneakers. Have a look:

* SneakerObsession - (this blog post was NOT named or inspired after this website!)
* Sneaker Files
* Sole Redemption
* SneakerHunt
* Simply Sneakers
* Sneaker Freaker Magazine
* NiceKicks.com
* Sneaker News
* My Kicks on Fire

* bebo group for girls who love sneakers called "Chicks with Kicks"
* flickr group called "Sneaker Freakers"


As usual, I may work to find more resources for all of you. Thank you for reading!

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Circuit de Monaco

The city-state of Monaco is home to the most prestigious street course that has hosted the Grand Prix de Monaco since 1929. It is the shortest track on the F1 calendar at 2.075 miles in length. The track itself is a punishing grind on narrow city streets with many elevation changes. While it may be just over 2 miles in length, laps seemingly feel long enough as most proper F1 circuits considering the punishment that cars go through racing this course. It is commonly referred to as Monte Carlo since the majority of the course is through Monte Carlo. However, this track utilizes both Monte Carlo and La Condamine. Monte Carlo, though, is only part of The Principality of Monaco. This blog post is a continuation of my Race Tracks blog label as it's all about Circuit de Monaco.

Information Credit:

Most of my information taken from Wikipedia's entry on Circuit de Monaco.

--- Circuit de Monaco ---

Monaco is a playground for the rich, but it also makes for a great racing facility. Here is today's facility:


^ from: www.skysports.com - Monaco's rich and exotic appeal takes on a different character when it's Grand Prix weekend. It's been this way since 1929.

The original Circuit de Monaco was run between 1929 and 1972 and was 1.954 miles in length. The circuit has since gone through four different variations. Today's Circuit de Monaco is the fifth variation of this course. Circuit de Monaco is a 19-turn racing roller coaster ride with lots of stop-and-go action. The beauty of this course lies in all of the lovely urban scenery whizzing by while at speed. Many beautiful buildings and views make this track truly spectacular. Just the feeling of racing full speed in a very rich locale like Monte Carlo is enough to get any racing fan excited. The most iconic element of this course is the high-speed drive through the tunnel. As soon as you come out of the tunnel, it's like a light being turned on right in your face. I think that many tracks (especially fictional ones in video games) were certainly inspired to have tunnels because of Circuit de Monaco's tunnel. I think the coastal parts of the track (Turns 10 through Turn 17) that make up part of the Port of Monaco are iconic in the character of Monaco and this course. This watery view likely have been inspiration for the Yas Marina Circuit to have its own pier and harbor. So in a lot of ways, Circuit de Monaco is very much a godfather for inspiration for many different courses, both fictional and real.

Having played this track in a number of racing games including Gran Turismo games (where it is called Côte d'Azur), you need the best of EVERYTHING to make the most of lap times around Circuit de Monaco. That includes aerodynamics, tires, suspension, and especially brakes. You'll have to get up to speed quickly while also taking on the undulating roads and sharp corners. The very first corner is very abrupt and tight. Be thankful there's no guard rail to make this corner blind. Otherwise, crashing would be guaranteed! The parts of the track I've struggled the most with are Mirabeau Haute (Turn 5), the super-slow Grand Hotel Hairpin (Turn 6), and especially the Nouvelle Chicane (Turn 10- the first turn after the tunnel). The Nouvelle Chicane is too easy to overshoot. And sometimes, you can't help but overshoot the chicane. It just comes up too abruptly to where you wish this corner wasn't even there. La Rascasse (Turn 17) can be super-slow as well. There is not one easy section on this track except for maybe the deceptive kink in the tunnel. This is NOT a track for novices.

Video Preview.

It's now time for you to experience what many an F1 racer has experienced. The narrow and twisty streets of Monte Carlo are here for you to experience in this video lap. This is Mark Webber in 2010:



And here is a bonus video! Several games were inspired by, or feature Circuit de Monaco. One of them was "Super Monaco GP." This game features a fictional race track inspired by Circuit de Monaco. For some funny reason, you have to qualify on a shorter configuration, then take on the full track for three laps. To be able to complete the race, you must be placed higher than the Position Limit. You need to constantly improve your position to avoid having to retire. This is a video showcasing the arcade version of this 1989 Sega game:



If you want to see a longer video featuring this game, check out this longer video of the arcade version of Super Monaco GP.

Lap Record.

The current lap record around the current Circuit de Monaco was set by Michael Schumacher in 2004. Racing for Scuderia Ferrari, he clocked a lap of 1:14.439 around Circuit de Monaco.





Thank you for reading this blog post! More info on the Monaco Grand Prix can be found at this link at www.yourmonaco.com. Thank you for reading!

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The Impact of Hosting F1 Grands Prix

The impact of a nation hosting a Grand Prix race is immense. Formula One is the world's premier motorsport. Being able to host a race featuring the world's most sophisticated race cars with some of the world's greatest drivers speaks high volumes. I began to think about this topic somewhat and decided to blog about it. I am blogging about this topic to answer this question: what do YOU think it means for a nation or a certain city to host a Formula One Grand Prix race?

I don't consider myself an F1 fanatic, but I do welcome all racing fans including the F1 fanatics. Most of this blog post pertains to Formula 1 Grands Prix. However, this can also apply to MotoGP Grands Prix as well.

--- My Initial Thoughts ---

^ from: www.topnews.in - Hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix is ALWAYS a big deal considering the scope and appeal F1 racing provides internationally.

Hosting a Formula One Grand Prix race at a competitive venue means that you invite the best drivers and best race cars to an intense racing challenge. As long as the venue is a homologated FIA Grade 1 facility suitable enough for F1 racing (some tracks are FIA Grade 1 facilities, but for testing only), just being able to host a round of the Formula 1 World Championship in whatever country or city is always something to be pleased with. A number of tracks and venues make provisional or preliminary schedules, but never actually get raced. I blogged once about the Autopolis Circuit on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The track itself is very challenging (as are most Japanese courses). But... it just didn't get to be raced as part of the F1 World Championship.

Obviously, if you're going to bring some of the best race car drivers in the world with some of the most sophisticated racing machines in the world, it is best have a track long enough and challenging enough to test the limits of an F1 racer. I have always wondered what makes Formula 1 so challenging (and I mean this in a respectful light). I mean, is it the fact you have to have such incredible reaction times to handle an extremely fast circuit racing car? Is it the challenge of the tracks themselves? Is it about building the ultimate racing car... up against the ultimate racing cars as other teams see fit? The ultimate test of F1 drivers and teams is to take part in Grands Prix around the world as well as in addressing individual challenges F1 provides.

--- Hosting F1 Grands Prix ---

Let's take a look at some of the nations to host F1 Grands Prix this past decade (2001-2010). Here were some of the nations to host F1 races either for the first time or first time in a long time: Turkey (Istanbul Park), Singapore (Marina Bay Street Circuit), Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit), Bahrain (Bahrain International Circuit), China (Shanghai International Circuit), and the Korea Republic (Korean International Circuit). Let's not forget the return of F1 to the United States at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Before that, the United States had F1 Grand Prix action in a number of places- Sebring, the streets of Dallas, Las Vegas, Riverside International Raceway, the streets of Detroit, Watkins Glen International... all among other places. You can add India and Moscow (Russia) to the list of future F1 racing venues for when the Grand Prix races for these locations are run proper.

The impact is huge to host an F1 Grand Prix race. I sometimes like to think of F1 Grand Prix races to be like the World Cup. All the attention is usually paid to one place as the sport's or league's stars all converge to do battle on the track. In today's modern F1, most everything has to be modern or futuristic. At no point was this more apparent than when the streets of Singapore hosted Formula 1's first ever night race (or at least the first-ever F1 race run under artificial lighting. A lively and energetic city-state like Singapore provides an outstanding setting for which to host something exciting like the Singapore Grand Prix.

I am someone who believes that money talks. If you can throw money at something, you can do almost whatever you want. Evidence of this in racing is when tracks in the Middle East started coming up. Think about it- there were hardly any Middle Eastern racing venues until recent times. One of the first venues to come to mind in this subject matter is the Dubai Autodrome. The Dubai Autodrome is evidence of this. There is already lots of money with oil and tourism in the United Arab Emirates, so having a world-class racing facility like this is wonderful for racing fans in Dubai. Sadly for Dubai, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi seems to mostly overshadow a great track like the Dubai Autodrome.

So I think if there is a good enough financial base and a fairly decent population, you could almost basically take Formula 1 anywhere. But ANYWHERE? I'll put that to the test in the next section!

--- What If... Future Nations/Cities to Host Grands Prix? ---

The previous section involved hosting F1 Grands Prix. This section, though, pertains to what if certain nations or cities had their own F1 Grand Prix venues. Some of the nations and cities you see mentioned here may have never had F1 race there or even had drivers from these nations compete in Formula 1.

What if nations and/or cities like the following hosted F1 Grand Prix events? You may see some surprising and interesting choices for F1 Grands Prix (hypothetical names used):

Grand Prix of Mexico?

The last F1 race in Mexico was back in 1992 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The new Circuit of the Americas is sort of a de facto course for Mexico, even though this track is based south of Austin, Texas, USA. There was once a planned venue for Formula 1 to race in Mexico on the streets of Cancun. Whether or not this deal is on or not is beyond me.

Grand Prix of Venezuela?

Though there are racers from Venezuela, Autódromo Internacional Pancho Pepe Cróquer (or better known as Turagua) is about the only proper racing facility in Venezuela. Turagua is more like a club-level circuit from pictures I've seen. Surely not an FIA Category 1 course. However, it would be interesting to see Formula 1 in the country where the world's largest waterfall (Angel Falls) is located. I think the Caracas market would be the biggest market to potentially have any major racing facility and the biggest market to perhaps host such a major racing event.

Grand Prix of Iceland?

You want crazy? This would be it! This country does bear a touch of relevance because there was a planned race track to be constructed in Iceland called Iceland MotoPark. Haven't found anything to suggest this track was actually created or not. This would likely be a course that would have been home ground for the Iceland A1GP team. The only city I (or most other people) know of is Reykjavik, so that HAS to be a primary market in considering an F1 venue.

Grand Prix of Portugal?

The Formula 1 World Championship once considered Estoril home. A recently-built track in Portugal is the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. This track is certainly long enough to host an F1 race at about 2.9 miles in length. However, I think F1 teams use Portimão as a test venue. It's a very nice track from what I've seen in pictures and video.

Grand Prix of Sweden?

Swedish folk have a lot of great race tracks. Mantorp Park is the one I know best of and love most. I am familiar with Anderstorp from playing the very first GTR. I know Sweden in racing for the wonderful Rally Sweden.

Grand Prix of Finland?

With so much racing on and off road, it's sad that Finland doesn't have its own F1 Grand Prix. You can name just about any Finnish racing talent. I get a lot of traffic from Finland, so I wonder how my Finland readers would feel about seeing today's F1 in Finland. Finland does have a good amount of proper racing facilities. To me, though, only the Helsinki Thunder street course from the mid-1990s comes to mind as far as the only tracks I can readily think of in Finland. I would have to imagine that a proper track capable of hosting a modern F1 race would probably be based in southern Finland or southwestern Finland in terms of a general market.

Grand Prix of Estonia?

A country I have recently grown to love is Estonia. Especially with cities like Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia is a very beautiful country from what I have seen in pictures and video. The only Estonian in racing I've heard of is Markko Martin. There is a permanent facility in Estonia called the Pärnu Ring, but it seems a lot like a club-level circuit.

Grand Prix of Switzerland?

There hasn't been much motor racing in Switzerland unless you go back in time. Many people will immediately think of Alain Menu as far as Swiss racing talent is concerned. I read of a former race track called Bremgarten in Swiss motor racing history. It was a 4+ mile race course mostly on public forested roads. Its danger made this course basically go defunct after a while.

Grand Prix of Austria?

A1 Ring last saw F1 action in 2003. Since 2004, A1 Ring has been mostly disused. I've heard two different reports on this track- either it's been completely deconstructed and gone for good, and another source says that this track has been reconfigured mostly to host touring car racing. The best thing about the A1 Ring was the beautiful view of the Austrian countryside provided. It was also a very tough track with lots of elevation changes and some very decisive sharp turns.

Grand Prix of Croatia?

The beautiful country of Croatia doesn't have any really major series racing on tracks in Croatia. Really, Croatia has the Automotodrom Grobnik in Rijeka, Croatia. I wonder if Croatia would be a good enough place to maybe host an F1 Grand Prix race.

Grand Prix of Azerbaijan?

Azerbaijan is Europe's southeasternmost nation. It is a country whose coastline makes up part of the northern half of the Caspian Sea. There is no motor racing of any kind that I'm aware of in Azerbaijan. However, its capital city of Baku (which is a Sister City of Houston) is a lovely place and is even an oil capital. This alone could be either possibility to host an F1 race on the streets of Baku or some modern F1 track near Baku.

Grand Prix of Egypt?

Back in the mid-2000s, there was a track to be called Ghazala Bay that would host Formula 3 racing. That track, for what I know, NEVER materialized. What if Formula 1 wanted to race in Egypt? The only three major cities I know of in Egypt are Cairo (the capital), Aswan, and Alexandria.

Grand Prix of Morocco?

The streets of Marrakech have been the recent home of racing in Morocco. Even well before this, Formula 1 used to race in Morocco decades ago. Would it be possible for Morocco to maybe have a permanent racing facility to host a round of today's F1 World Championship? Tell you what- the Marrakech street course was made for touring car racing. It would be too boring for F1 cars.

Grand Prix of Kenya?

Kenya is better known in racing as the home of the Safari Rally. I would not be sure if there would be enough financial backing or space to come up with a modern Formula 1 track in Kenya. It would be entertaining to see F1 race there considering the possibility of a heavy rain storm in Kenya for an F1 race.

Grand Prix of Israel?

I started a thread on GTPlanet.net regarding the Middle East's emergence into motorsport. One person posted something about an attempted Formula Two (not F1) once racing in Israel in 1970, but the race was canceled because of poor crowd control. The race was held during Sabbath, which probably made things worse trying to control crowds. A motorsports law was approved in Israel last year or some five years ago. Would Israel be a candidate to host an F1 Grand Prix? It would be yes if there was enough interest and a lot of financial backing to build a quality modern F1 circuit.

By the way, if you're interested in that thread I started regarding the emergence of motorsport in the Middle East, check out "Emergence of Racing in Middle East" on gtplanet.net.

Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia?

To begin the Middle Eastern swing of this blog post, I start with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a track called Reem International Circuit that is 2.36 miles in length. A number of racing series have some major races here for both cars and motorcycles. I'd imagine that Saudi Arabia would be a significant market for any such motorsport in the Middle East besides Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Grand Prix of Qatar?

The Losail International Circuit is the only real contribution to motor racing unless Losail somehow isn't good enough for Formula 1. Now, this track was basically made for motorcycles. This track plays host to the Doha 8 Hour race as part of the FIM Endurance World Championship. Qatar will play host to the 2022 World Cup. If you think Qatar is on the rise, then you can say that Qatar would be a nice market for F1. The only exception is if F1 doesn't want to host three races in the Middle East.

Grand Prix of Kazakhstan?

The reason why I mention Kazakhstan is because Hermann Tilke had a planned racing venue for the Middle Eastern nation called Kazakhstan MotorCity. Not sure about the status of it, but it made me wonder if Kazakhstan would make for a future country for F1 to visit and hold a race at.

Grand Prix of Vietnam?

It would be most interesting if Vietnam had a Grand Prix. Remember how I said that if you throw money at something, you could make any kind of statement you want? Well, imagine this happening to Vietnam. I have created a number of fictional race tracks; four of which in Vietnam. The premier one I've envisioned was a racing facility not far away from downtown Hanoi (the capital of Vietnam). Again- would be interesting if there was a sparkling, modern, FIA Category 1 racing track in Vietnam. The chances of it actually materializing? Very unlikely.

Grand Prix of Thailand?

Staying in Southeast Asia, I've somewhat pondered if there was an F1 Grand Prix of Thailand. There was an arcade-only F1 racing game from Taito called "Ground Effects." In the 1992 arcade game "Ground Effects," one of the venues is a fantasy course based in Thailand. Thailand has two real tracks to my knowledge- Bira International Circuit and Thailand Circuit. So I have to wonder what if Formula One wanted to hold a Grand Prix race in Thailand. It would either have to be some really modern F1 racing facility or maybe a race around the streets of Bangkok. I think the key market has to be Bangkok.

Grand Prix of Indonesia?

The world's largest archipelago in area is Indonesia. The Republic of Indonesia has a great racing facility that has played host to A1GP racing at the Sentul Circuit. Indonesia even played host to a round of the World Rally Championship in the mid-1990s. The two biggest races in Southeast Asia are the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang and the street course around Marina Bay in Singapore. If there was a third F1 Grand Prix to be held in Southeast Asia, Indonesia would be a pretty nice candidate.

Grand Prix of Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is a lively city. If you have played Gran Turismo 4, you may have ran a number of laps around the Hong Kong circuit. Hong Kong at night would be insane to have an F1 race around. Hong Kong looks spectacular at night. This could be a race to maybe outdo (or try to) Singapore's F1 course. Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China would be interesting if it did materialize. I don't think it will, though.

Grand Prix of the Philippines?

There is racing that goes on in the Philippines. Perhaps the toughest Filipino race track is the Batangas Circuit. Only other racing track I've heard of in the Philippines is Subic Bay Raceway. Would there be enough to have a major racing circuit in the Philippines? Not likely, but it would be interesting to see one such course there to host F1 if it were ever to happen.

Grand Prix of New Zealand?

World Rally races in New Zealand. The Australian V8 Supercar Series has rounds in New Zealand at Hamilton and Pukekohe. One of the biggest off-road races is the Taupo 1000. There is a tough targa rally called Targa New Zealand. New Zealand was an A1GP country with races at the beautiful Taupo Motorsport Park. The Millen racing family is from New Zealand. So... what if there was an F1 Grand Prix of New Zealand? There used to be a Pacific Grand Prix in the 1990s in Japan as well as this being a non-championship race in the 1960s at Laguna Seca. Well, imagine if New Zealand joined the F1 circus. A Grand Prix race in New Zealand would be a great South Pacific F1 deal, perhaps even one that could possibly lure some New Zealanders into F1. From one website I visited, there have been eight drivers from New Zealand to compete in F1. One of the most famous was Bruce McLaren from Auckland. What if young Shane Van Gisbergen (who is also from Auckland, New Zealand) wanted to step up to Formula 1 and perhaps challenge Australia's Mark Webber for Australasian pride in F1? There is not much motor racing culture in the South Pacific besides in Australia and New Zealand. Either a modern circuit would have to be constructed, or perhaps Taupo Motorsport Park gets a whole lot of money to be renovated severely to host an F1 race. It is an FIA Grade 2 track at present.





There were some places I didn't mention. One of them was South Africa because there is a rumor that F1 may return to South Africa, but race on a street course rather than renovate Kyalami. Only street course I recall before this possible new F1 street course was in Durban with the A1 Grand Prix. So I didn't mention them. I also didn't mention a few other places because I wanted to be realistic in showcasing certain nations in motor racing.

Your comments are welcome involving the impact of Formula 1 Grands Prix for the nations that host these events. That even pertains to creating courses that would greatly compliment today's Formula 1 racing. Thank you for reading!

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