OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

 "Only the Strong Survive" does not necessarily refer to being physically strong, but mentally. In tough times one has to be mentally strong in order to overcome life's many obstacles. I like to say "As the Brain Goes, so Goes the Rest of the Body". Be sure to Read, Relax, and Rejuvenate your mental on a daily basis...This should allow one to stay focused on their goals while traveling down a clearer path.


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The Stoop: The Atlantis of the Far East - "Songdo, SK"

Sooooo am I the last one to hear about Songdo, Korea? Actually, I'm not and by far. I'm still trying to figure out why I hadn't heard anything about this place prior to a couple of weeks ago. Personally, in my opinion.. any place mentioned comparitively in the same sentence as the Atlantis of Dubai, UAE is something worth my attention! Songdo, is a new City being constructed. It has been referred to the Atlantis of the Far East!! BIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGG things set Songdo apart from Atlantis. Songdo is the most expensive private owned property, not of the East or what have you but IN THE WORLD... Songdo, boasts a 40+ Billion dollar initiated budget. Talk about $tupid money... but rest asured that there are no dummies conjuring up this plan.


The second thing that sets Songdo apart is its projected outcome goal, to become the preeminent business hub of Asia, which will inevitably set the plate for Songdo's place as a global economic delight!!! So, who is behind this hugantic construction? The Korean government sought out, for a whole year, the perfect match to work with the highly esteemed Korean construction giant POSCO E&C. Gale International must have made a hell of an impression as they were the chosen partners with POSCO E&C and the City of Incheon, can we say (as Harlem's Jim Jones puts it) Baaaaaaliiiiiin!?!?! For those of you who are not familiar ( don't feel bad, neither was I lol) with Gale they have been behind projects such as One Lincoln of Boston, MA and IBIS Golf and Country Club of West Palm Beach, FL ... get familiar :-).

>
Finally, what is Songdo.. well, I guess you can say (now) that its reputation has preceded it (SMH @ global economic news on CNN). Songdo is an international business hub located in South Korea, more specifically it is located along Incheon's waterfront and about 50 miles west of Seoul. It is being constructed with the sole purpose of providing a City equipped with every desirable aspect of urban living. The master collabo between Gale and PESCO will produce a City to be known, respected, and duplicated because of its integration of the most updated technology available (computers will be in everything everywhere) love this idea alone! 


Songdo will comprise of state of the art villas/condos, shopping centers, restaurants of all kinds, hospitals, convention centers, museums, art centers, concert halls, private and public schools.. just to name a few things... what excites me the most about the 1,500 acres of land aside from the fact that this will truly be a ubiquitous City is the redolent of NYC's central park, Venice' modern canal system, boulevards very similar to Paris, the Jack Nicklaus championship golf course etc... there is literally something here for everyone, no stones were left unturned!!! The estimated date of completion is set for 2020. With the plans construction starting back in 1994 I am very much impressed that something to this capacity could have been in motion in the early 90's (when I was just getting into high school). People have been able to move into the new condominiums beginning in August of this year (2009). Don't get too excited unless your rolling in the cash if your thinking of moving into the villas or condos.... they are starting off at a whopping 500,000 dollars YIKES <--- and many are going for twice or three times that price.. Believe it or not, which came as a surprise with the global economic crisis, people have bought up the available villas and condos and there is a waiting list unrolling as more and more living space is built..


Let's take a quick look at the down side possibilities of Songdo.. some are weary that this could become sterile urban theme park that will just put a lot of people in ignorant amounts of debt because of the inability to sustain itself while others exert that this is not meant to sustain itself nor will it have to. Large corporations are already bidding on space and location.. Sheraton opened its first hotel there and its grand opening was just this past August. I guess we will have to see how everything unfolds but I'm hoping for the best and I'm also hoping that we can hear a little more about this place in the US based media. There is no question that there is so much more to learn and know about this beautiful place. It has gained great recognition for being mindful and taking action in going green.. 40% of Songdo is green, now that's serious given all they want to accomplish.. 

I encourage you to take a look at the new City and get familiar.. maybe one day you will have the opportunity to travel abroad and check it out.. I am confident we will hear more about Songdo as it's success progresses...




Written By: Always Inspired
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the WALKMAN: Mister Cee and Hot97 Presents - Wyclef Jeans: PATWA SWAGGA WARRIOR GANG

Free Download from here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?tujyjyutrzy
www.wyclef.com 

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OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

Just Love Life...Live it to the Fullest... Live it with No Regrets....


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the Flat Screen: "Project Runway" Ep 3 - Surf Tag Team

The designers go on a field trip to the heart of Cali, "The Beach", and are greeted by Tim in flip flops (aka mandals), slacks, a blazer and some fly shades in typical Gunn fashion. The challenge this week is a Surfwear Look - with Garnier in the building where this week the focus is not only, the challenge but a fab hairdo as well. This week they are also forced to be in teams of two. So much dreadful Project Runway drama has been due to 'TEAMS'. Teams can be the death of many people and throw in a reality show where creative people who are not used to working with people have to work together and WIN?! Sweet drama...anyhoot, immediately Ra'Mon freaks out from the thought of teams because he knows.

Soooooo...Shirin is an automatic team leader because of her win last week and despite, immunity Shirin pulls no punches that she is in it to win it by choosing Carol Hannah as her partner.

The other teams were:

• Logan and Christopher
• Nicolas and Gordana
• Mitchell and Ra'Mon
• Althea and Louise
• Qristyl and Epperson
• Johnny and Irina

They get 20 min to consult with the surfer girls to brainstorm and get an idea of what they "really like". Nicolas, as team leader, could care dayum less what the surfer girls have to say and Epperson treats Qrystyl like she's beneath him despite her being the team leader- which shows in their immediate clash when they are choosing the fabric. Mitchell mentions that he chose Ra'Mon to "carry him" but questions his choices of fabric and concept.

The tension between Qristyl and Epperson GROWS completely out of control and Ra'Mon quickly sees that he clearly is going to have to pull the weight. With all of this and this already big challenge, Heidi raises the stakes because obviously the surfer look is super easy so she makes them create a second look AND--->> in the words of Ra'Mon, "CAPITAL W T F!" ...Second Look is Avant Garde / Surfer Comparison look.

It's clear that Epperson and Qristyl are still struggling with their "partnership" ....Carol Hannah's Model bailed out on them due to a commercial and they seem happy when they bring back sports built model, Valerie. Tim hearts Johnny and Irina's, Avant garde concept. But then again, pretty much, Tim loves everybody's starters UNTIL yes, you know it...he reaches Mitch and Ra'Mon and FINALLLYYYYYY, Ra'Mon takes the reigns to try to avoid the chopping block and makes every piece while Mitch is perfectly ok with making the swimsuit but wait, isn't Mitch the leader? Yikes. All good signs that Mitch is on the way out. Epperson and Qrystl actually have a blow out on the floor! Like a 'you said, I said' blowout, I loved it! It tickled me inside and truly showed us all just how weak Q is and how controlling Epperson is....hmmmm

To the runway we go...............................

The Judges this week: Fab Max Azria, Nina Garcia, Rachel Bilson, and of course, the lovely Heidi.

I truly love that dude Ra'Mon! Shirin and Carol Hannah's look was super hot - the surfer look with dress was very wearable and cute. The avant garde piece looked like something fit for a queen and I mean that in a good way...totally wearable and fashion forward. Nicolas had two great concepts but wouldn't have been nothin without Gordana. Logan's and Chris' avant garde piece was fab and Chris is great as a lead showing versatility. Max Azria is immediately impressed by the work done on Johnny's dress.

To sum it up, the motto of this week thanks to Max Azria, becomes "If you're not a team player, you can't be a designer". Epperson's and Q's "bad marriage" almost cost her but the verdict was in....... Heidi calls Mitch out on his pure laziness so dear friends, Mitch finally got the boot for only making the swimsuit yet he left with a little dignity with a big ol' flunkie smile on his face. Ra'Mon got his well - deserved WIN which I had to cheer towards the TV because he totally deserved it. See his winning looks at the top.

@TheAutty on Twitter

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OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

When life deals you lemons are you going to:

         1) Suck them and get the Sour Face?
         2) Squeeze them and make Lemonade?
         3) Say Thank You for the Start Up and Open a Lemonade Stand

The choice is ours, we can either start living or continue to merely exists. Enjoy the "Better Life Riddim" to get your day going this morning




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the WALKMAN: Trey Songz "READY" Album Review

YUUUUP! Ladies and Gents the R&B album you’ve been waiting for is here… YES!!! im talking bout Trey Songz’’s “READY”. I’ve been a musical supporter [term I use instead of fan] of his music since “I Gotta Make It”. His lyrics are like a love story to me…regardless if they are happy or sad. That’s why I was truly excited when “READY” came out yesterday after months of anticipation.

As a musical supporter, I have his mixtapes, every remix and every feature. Regardless of how many albums he does, he will validate his career with “Ready” which is Instant Vintage.

With the recession and all, it’s hard for people buy CDs anymore, and I know mostly hit the popular music download blogs,

||

O

||

BUT THIS ALBUM RIGHT HERE …

BUT THIS ALBUM RIGHT MY NINJA

||

O

||

needs to be bought definitely!!!!!!! It’s so worth the money and I promise you will not be disappointed.

My favorite songs at this moment are “Neighbors Know My Name”, “Jupiter Love” and “One Love”. If you heard or have his mixtape you will remember “Anticipation” some song from that project, but I personally fell that his song “Scratchin Me Up” should have been on “READY” because that song is

+++ AWESOME +++

and the world needs to hear it.
Overall the album is wonderful and I appreciate Mr. Songz for blessing us with his talent.

Written by: Cee Nicole
Follow Cee Nicole on Twitter @jussxcee
Edited by: Ran
Follow Ran @rannyran on Twitter
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BLOC NEWS: If Your Kid Won't Shut Up, I Will Shut Them Up!!!!

True story, I can't make this up. The AJC.com is reporting that a elderly gentleman was arrested and charged with felony cruelty to children.

See what had happened was a parent and child were walking through Wal-Mart and the toddler was crying. According to the victim's mother, the elderly man approached the family and says "If you don't shut that kid up I will shut them up for you". The kid continues to cry and a moment later...[envision the batman bubbles above this blog for the next few moments] SMACK *SMACK*SMACK*SMACK*. Yes you are reading this correctly, the gentleman snatched up the child and delivered on his promise. After he smacked the kid about 4-5 times, a few bystanders grabbed the elderly gentleman and held him until the Police arrived. Needless to say, everyone was problem in shock including the now quiet kid...lol *clearing throat* , but I digress.

If this was my child, two people would have been arrested. One would be the elderly gentleman for hitting my child and the other being me for attempting to break every bone in the elderly gentleman's body. It was rude to even make the comment, but to deliver on the threat to a 2 year old, he deserves every a*# whipping he will get behind bars. OK!OK!OK! violence should not beget violence, but I am saying, what is a parent supposed to do when his child was just assaulted by a stranger.

All you can say is only in Wal-Mart...

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Written by: Ran
@rannyran on Twitter

The STOOP: Heck Yea I Won the Lotto, but Now I'm Broke

I didn't actually win the lotto, but I wish I was the one who hit that Mega Millions Jackpot last week...lol. No seriously, this is an all to common of a story for many lottery jackpot winners. They hit, they celebrate, they live and then their broke several years later. On Yahoo.com today they posted yet another one of these typical stories.

In the article, there was a young lady at 16 that won $3 million in the UK lottery 6 years ago and now she is flat broke. She informed the interviewer that she spent the money on drugs, sex, clothes [$738,000 on clothes alone], cars and is now left with only $32,000. What's interesting is the lotto winner said if she had to do it all over again, she would give the money back. So that leads to the question of the of the day:

If you won the lottery for several million dollars, What would you do with the money? Would you give it back? Would you spend it wisely, or live like a Rock Star?

For me, if I hit for $3 + million I would drop it all into a series of investment accounts that net a 10% annum return and live off the interest. That is $300,000 a year, yea I can make that money stretch right there. What would you do?

to our feed readers, feel free to visit http://www.ourbloc.com/ and post your comment

Written by: Ran

@rannyran on Twitter

OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

Our goal in life should not be to merely exist, but to make some sort of positive impact in our immediate surroundings. That could mean greeting one extra person to make them smile, or giving a homeless person a burger from the local fast food spot, or becoming a World Leader. Whatever it is, make it more than merely going to work and coming home to the family. - Jouran Crosby

- Carpe Diem Week is still in full effect. Are you seizing every opportunity around you?

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the Internal Memo: We Will Not Review or Listen to Jay-Z's BP3 album Early

It's no surprise that Jay-Z's new project "BluePrint 3" has leaked to the net 2 weeks early. What's crazy is, Jay went through extreme measures [flying to London to complete the project with the hard drive only in his possession] to try and avoid leaks from happening. Well it did happen and I am sure the illegal downloads have probably moved enough units to be considered for platinum status by now.

Yesterday, I received several emails to download the project early, but why would I want to do that? If you know me you know that I am not a fan of bootleg and downloading full albums. Have I bought bootlegs in the past and I will stream or listen to single tracks, but I haven't bought one in years. Most bootlegs are not crisp, the arrangement is off, or it is completely different from the final project. I much rather pay the artist for his/her craft and if I don't like it, just take the L for it. I guess what blows me to no end is that fact that many unsigned or striving artists bootleg or download the projects of signed artist, but they expect people to buy their project. I guess its all relative to the unsigned; they figure since they are not making money off of their project, why should anyone else make money huh? Don't hate just grind and if you have a quality project, you will move serious numbers as well.

I like the fact that N.O.R.E. stepped up yesterday and called the Hip Hop game out in a SOHH.com interview. NORE stated in the article that "...Jay-Z deserves better than this..." and has asked all of Jay's fans to wait until 9/11 to buy the album; I totally agree with NORE on this one. Honestly, I haven't been overly excited about some of the leaks thus far, but who is to say that any of that will actually be on the final project. Patience is a virtue and on 9/11, I plan on downloading the album from my spot… AMAZON.com lol.

For those who want to listen to the final project early, Jay-Z authorized MTV and Rhapsody to begin streaming "BP3" today on Real Rhapsody's website.

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Written by: Ran
@Rannyran on Twitter

OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

Regardless of how much we want things to stay the same or go back to what they once were, change is inevitable. Change potentially ushers in an evolution of greatness or epitome of demise. It's up to us to make the decision which path we will stroll down...Regardless Change is Going to Come- Jouran Crosby

Fashion BLOC: How to Soften your Jeans...

I've heard of this tip before but honestly never tried it until I got these awful jeans from Tarjay (Target) ...anyhoot, the jeans are the perfect fit but so stiff that I couldn't help but think of this tip...SO if you have a stiff, itchy pair this is what u need to do...
What you need: Fabric-softening dryer sheets (doesn't matter the brand - most sites say Bounce but I've tried them all).
How it's done: Rub the dryer sheet all over the surface of the jeans. Of course, for darker washes or black denim, turn those inside out to keep them from ruining the way it looks. You'll feel the difference supa fast, but keep going till they're as soft as you like.
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@TheAutty on Twitter

The Stoop: Want to Save on New Clothes? Look in your closet

Before you go out and buy new clothes for this upcoming season or because you hate what you have. Go to your closet, pull out all the clothes you like but there may be one or two things wrong with it that could use a little tweeking.
There are soooooo many shirts you love that you wear all the time and some you keep pushing further back in your closet, why not add a cute necklace to that shirt or put a vest on it? or have you tried to add a belt to that old dress? or have you ever thought about putting new buttons or adding studs on that coat or blazer?
Its all about the minor details that go a longggg way, besides, who couldn't save a buck or two?....How do you spruce up your old gear?

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@TheAutty on Twitter

The Stoop: + so this is on my mind .

+ basically ,

im tweeting and the homie tweeted this

RT @NikkiLynette I dnt like the word "freak." Yuck. A grown woman who luvs sex SHOULD NOT be called a freak. She should be called a catch

^

now - if THIS sht isn't the truth ,

then hunny ...

slap me .

we're women ,

GROWN ass women .

so therefore -

terms you learned in junior high should NOT be used to describe a sexual woman .

and thats honestly what it is .

go FUCK YOU if you have a problem with so called " freaks "

fuck the bland btch ....

its fine -

because when you try to run back -

we'll be fucking the dudes with the good dick who you sent us to ...

and guess what ??!

he's WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY more freaky than you .

=)

OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

The most beautiful thing about life is that you can make it whatever you want. - Jouran Crosby


- Remember this is Carpe Diem week ... Seize every positive opportunity that comes your way--- just open your eyes to your surroundings and you will see them ----

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OURBLOC.com: Quote of the Day

When I see someone doing better than me I don't get envious or jealous, I get inspired to learn what they are doing. - Zig Ziglar