Blog 4: Movies

My favorite movie from 2013-2014 would probably be Captain America 2. 

1. because I can't think back to 2013 well enough to recall whether there was a movie I saw that year better than any I've seen this year, and 2. It's the first movie that came to mind considering I haven't seen too many new movies this year. But aside from that, it was actually a pretty good movie. Considerably better than the first one and of course, I take pride in the fact that it was shot in downtown Cleveland, (my hometown). Also, I enjoyed this movie because I'm a fan of all Marvel movies. I love superhero movies just as much as a 10 year old boy does, so it was quite enjoyable. I saw this movie in theaters I believe it was this past summer.

My all-time favorite movie is Brown Sugar. This movie has inspired me for YEARS. It's a perfect depiction of my love and admiration for writing and hip-hop. The main character is someone who've I've always looked up to. She's a hip-hop journalist for a magazine and her best friend, who's also another main character, is a hip-hop producer. Together they make a perfect balance of two of my favorite things in this world - writing and music. But it's not just about their careers, it's about finding love and following your heart. Overall, this movie fulfills my every interest and every time I watch it, it fills me with motivation, and it also has some of my favorite African-American actors in it, Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs.  It's the one movie I never get sick of watching. I watch this movie whenever I see it on HBO, otherwise, I have it on DVD and it's available for free onDemand. 

Blog 3: Magazine Proposal

The Name of my magazine is Cleveland Sports. I chose to create a magazine focusing on Cleveland sports and how much each team has improved this past year with the help of their latest members. This magazine will focus on Cleveland's Basketball team, The Cavaliers, The football team, The Browns, and the Baseball team, The Indians. All of which have made some drastic improvements this past year in each of their seasons. It will include the latest updates and news of all the teammates, teams, and coaches. It will also talk about the future of Cleveland, and what this means for the city as a whole, now that we have some of the best athletes in the world representing our city. This magazine will also discuss the possibilities and potential this city now holds, considering all the money and business the sports teams will be bringing in.

I think this magazine is different than anything ever created because well, it's yet to be created. Cleveland doesn't have a magazine particularly focusing on Cleveland sports, that also discusses the new changes concerning the city and its people. It will not only attract sports fans, but also residents of the city as it pertains to their hometown and the new changes taking place. It will include interviews from athletes, advertisements for local businesses, new local job openings, and various articles concerning the news from the teams, brands, businesses, and community. I'll also do interviews with the mayor of Cleveland, and some of Lebron James' business partners, Rich Paul and Maverick Carter concerning their new business endeavors and their plans for the city and for Lebron moving forward.

My five advertisers are:
1. The Cleveland Browns Website which provides the latest talk and news about the football team.
2. The Cleveland Cavaliers Homepage via NBA.com: discussing the latest news of the Cavaliers.
3. The Cleveland Indians Homepage: concerning the latest news and topics of the baseball team.
4. The City of Cleveland Homepage which offers a wide variety of news concerning the city and community.
5. The Official Website of Lebron James: concerning all the latest news on Lebron, his management team and businesses, and also offers news about Brown's football player, Johnny Manziel.

Five Articles included in the magazine:
1. "The Cavaliers Welcome Back Lebron": Discussing the transition the Cavaliers teammates had to make and are still undergoing now that Lebron is back, what this means for the team and athletes, and what's to be expected of the season.
2. "Cleveland on the Uprise": Concerning the new changes being made to mprove the city as a whole.
3. "Lebron and His Quest for a Championship": Includes a personal interview from Lebron and a few of his teammates and their hopes for this new season.
4. "The Browns Welcome Johnny Manziel": The Cleveland Browns welcome their newest member to the team. In this article, it provides an interview with the man himself and the expectations he has for his team this year.
5. "New Cleveland, New Money": Regarding the new businesses being brought the to city of Cleveland and the new job opportunities this will bring to the city.

Blog 2: Books

Three books that I have read that have had the most influence on my life are:
1. The Wall by Pastor Rick Hawkins
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Wall,  by Pastor Rick Hawkins is a book that was recommended to me by my own church. Rick Hawkins is a pastor in San Antonio, Texas and also a dear friend of my Pastor who recommended the book to all of us one night at bible study. That same night, I purchased the book and went straight home to read it. At first, I was a bit apprehensive, judgmentally assuming that any book recommended by a Pastor, that was written by a Pastor, would be a boring, subjective, and a controversial analysis of the bible that would somehow convince me that my behavior is "sinful", in which I would then feel shameful and unworthy. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn as I read the book that it is a real, relatable, and raw story. It is nothing like what I had anticipated it to be. It is a moving story about a Pastor who like all of us at some point, "hit's a wall" (figuratively speaking) and how he overcame the many obstacles that were thrown his way. This book is about endurance, strength, and the test of your faith, not only in God, but in yourself. It provided me with a great sense of relief, revealing to me that I am not alone, that we all struggle, regardless of how intimate your relationship with God is, and it gave me the strength and motivation I needed to push through at such a pivotal time in my life.

The second book that I found to be very influential was of course, The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. For years my friends had recommended this book to me, ranting and raving about how life-changing and clarifying it was. I finally decided to read the book this past summer and was very impressed. It definitely lived up to all the talk and feedback it had received. This book contains so many profound quotes and parables that have truly moved me. It is a powerful story that inspired me to stay true to my purpose, to follow my heart, and to never lose faith regardless of how hopeless life may seem at times. It gave me that extra push I needed to do the things that I didn't have the courage to once do before, and helped me develop the self-confidence I needed to achieve my goals. One of my many favorite quotes from this book is, "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." - The Alchemist.

The third most influential book I have read is the ever so popular, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I also read this book this past summer after listening to everyone tell me how great the movie was, which I decided to wait and see until after I read the book. In my humble opinion, the book was significantly better than the movie. Surprisingly, the book made me cry, but the movie didn't. The book invoked many emotions in me... Laughter, sadness, love, hope.... Yet the movie, well... It did nothing. I was rather displeased. I highly recommend you read the book. If you liked the movie, you'll LOVE the book! It really shifted my whole perspective on life and reminded me that death is inevitable, therefore there is no sense in fearing it. All you can do is be present in the present and make the absolute most out of your situation. It made me realize that it could always be worse and that regardless of how hopeless your situation may seem, there is still hope to be had and love to be felt, and given. Sometimes, it's within the most hopeless situations where hope is revealed to you, which the book definitely did a great way of illustrating within the stories of these two teenage lovers.