Do You Really Want It Forever?

Fame, fortune, Hollywood lights, and all the other things that make the "limelight" glamorous are the exact same things that turn into more problems, more stress and sometimes suicide (I know suicide may be a little dramatic but Hollywood has surely seen its share of celebs untimely demise due to the overwhelming pressure associated with fame).

Point blank, some people are not cut out for the fame and fortune especially at an early age, and although certain artist's "Genius and or talent" needs to be exposed to the world, the person on the inside may not be able to handle the pressure.

Everyday there is some new talent breaking their neck to get to the top only to find out its lonely up there. My whole purpose for this website was to find out if the life I chase is worth it? I mean who doesn't want to be successful, but at what cost does that Life come with?

I hear celebrities talking about they would trade all the fame, fortune and lifestyle for something they had before the fame. I myself, am at a crossroad, because I am on a quest to find that mountain top, but as I am searching for this treasure, I wonder is it worth it?

Is this journey to the top of the world worth all of the pain and anguish that you have to endure before, while and after climbing the ladder of success. If you were a regular Joe would you go through the same detrimental, life changing episodes?

I think about Kanye loosing his mother, T.I. loosing big Phil, Eminem losing Proof, and Jay-Z losing his nephew. All of these celebrities had fame, fortune etc but in living the life, they dealt with the shortcomings of fame by the money bringing more problems then they had before.

To break it down, I am saying, if they didn't have this "money", they wouldn't have bought lavish cars, expensive surgerys and have to worry about jealous and envious people trying to rob them of their "worth". Would they still have the lifelong family members had they not made it to the top. It sounds hard to do but these are things to think about, but not dwell on, because really all of those things could happen without having loads of money.

Without getting too deep, Drake has a new video featuring Eminem, Kanye and lil Wayne entitled Forever. Drake being a newcomer raps about wanting the "life" forever, while Kanye, a veteran in the industry says, I have this fame and you can have it back. Hmmmm, I wonder...

Drake - Forever feat Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Eminem

Obama Addresses Health Care Reform On Letterman

First off I want to say, everyone needs a David Letterman CBS Nurse! HA! Seriously, Love him or hate him, President Obama is on to something with trying to change how the health care system is setup. I know that some people fear change, but on the same hand the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over while trying to achieve a different outcome.

Obviously the majority of the country either doesn't have health care or pays out of the wazoo for it and if we continue to do the same things hoping to change health care, there won't be any health care affordable enough for any of us to have. Check out what Obama has to say about fixing health care for Americans. I don't know if you agree with Obama or not but SOMETHING needs to change or the country will go "insane" literally, with no affordable way to be treated.

President Obama On Letterman

(sidenote when I was in college, I wanted to be the next David Letterman, NOW I know why...interviewing the president is the epitome of being a talkshow host! Funny how times do change, now I just want to photograph him with an interview included in the photosession!)

Photo by: Doug Mills/The New York Times

Video Courtesy of www.WorldStarHipHop.com

ASR Afterparty with Brandon Turner

This weekend brought out the Annual ASR convention to San Diego. Pro-skaters and consumers alike could go to the convention center to pick up their favorite apparel. The after-party scene was pretty cool too. Brandon Turner, Tony Hawk and a few other celebrity pro skaters all hosted parties downtown in the gas lamp. With me having conflicting schedules with other events, I couldn't cover everything, but I did get a chance to check out Mr. Turners event.

Photos from Brandon Turner's ASR afterparty HERE.

Stone Him...Or Not..

Before the minutemen and militia come to MY house with stones, wooden picks and torches, I want to say I do NOT CONDONE Kanye West's actions at the MTV VMA's last night. But I have to throw the SSD flag. Although what 'Ye did was tasteless, classless and out of pocket I really wanna know HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ACTUALLY felt the same way he did about Beyonce being the winner over Taylor, but you Wouldn't vocalize your thoughts. HA!

Once again, speaking your mind makes you a cry baby or less of a person, but I think it takes guts to say what most people are thinking but scared to. Now obviously there is a time and place for everything and speaking your mind about something during someone else's time to shine is NOT OKAY or the right time! Kanye, I got mad love for you, but even I think you dropped the ball on this one, but I'm sure he already knows that and I'm not gonna focus on his mistakes. There is no excuse but he is still human.

Okay now that we have that out of the way, I want to really throw a flag at all of the judges, jury's and executioners out there that dictate who to condemn for making mistakes. Kanye screwed up big time there is no doubt about that and people will continue to make their judgment, but my question is why is it that when celebs are on top of the world, they LITERALLY are on top of the world and when they make a mistake, its OFF with his head?

I'm trying to figure out who is free from sin, or perfect or just never makes dumb mistakes? ALL of us have played the "Kanye role" at one point in time, (sticking your foot in your mouth or making unwise decisions) such as dating the person COMPLETELY wrong for you, getting a DUI, saying things you shouldn't have, muscular looking dudes wearing Jerry curls and skinny jeans. I mean we all make mistakes, so how can we condemn someone for making a mistake, only to later on put them back on the same pedestal we tossed them off of.

I remember, Robert Downey Jr. had continuous run-ins with the law because of his coke, drug addiction and people threw the book at him, Mel Gibson blurted out madness to the cops, Michael Vick had issues with dogs... All these celebs are still human beings, but yet they are treated like Gods and Devils depending on which time the jury wants to cherish or torture them.

Mike Vick is back in NFL playing football, probably going to START for the Eagles now seeing as McNaab is hurt again. Robert Downey Jr. IS IRONMAN, and Mel Gibson is still making multi-million dollar films.

Celebs fall from grace time and time again only to be right back in the spotlight. I mean Martha Stewart is RICHER than she was before she WENT to jail. Kanye will be condemned for a while then this will pass over and people will celebrate him later on.

Really, the only reason people are even making a fuss about this situation is because right now Taylor Swift is viewed as cute, a sweetheart etc but so was Lindsey Lohan until she became human. And we don't even want to talk about Serena Williams...

Everyone makes mistakes and who are we to not grant a second chance, because believe me if its you at the mercy of the court for your speeding ticket, I'm almost positive you want the judge to be merciful and not take your license away. What? I'm just saying...put the noose, torch and wooden pitch forks down people! Your favorite celebrity is still human.

All of The Above...

Trying to keep up with all the events in San Diego is like skate boarding on sand, almost impossible to do. What is interesting is, as a photographer, I atleast try to keep tabs on events that I have either not been to or actually peak my interest. I guess you could say I am a boss and can pick and choose what I want to shoot. Sounds cool, but it has to be like that or else I would be out every single night covering every event including the weekly local San Diego sensation taco tuesday.

Without being redundant, I try to cover events that have some type of substance meaning they are special events or one time occurences.

Labor Day, happens to be once a year so it holds some weight as it represents the last day of summer and the last official time you can wear white, but hey living in San Diego, its always warm which means you can always wear white. Well, don't tell that to Maino or he may just smack you while wearing his trademark black bandana...

Speaking of Maino, Ridiculous Entertainment and San Diego Native and Fan Favorite Show Magazine cover model Diznee hosted an event featuring Maino including a special performance with R and B singer Tommy Redding. To be real, Tommy Redding is becoming a sensation and is definitely someone to watch for.

To SSD, I have to report some people complained about the show saying it wasn't what they thought, but without selling dreams Maino only has three radio singles THAT he PERFORMED, so I don't know what more people could want. I guess firebreathing dragons and people suspended from 60 feet wires? Ha! Belo (the club where the performance was held) isn't THAT big.

Anyway,

Check out the photos from the

Labor Day Maino show

HERE.

Burger Lounge...

So, this past Wednesday Burger Lounge offered a free burger if you showed you were following them on Twitter. Ah, gotta love blackberry and smartphones with apps to make life easier. With this economy in turmoil, I'm starting to think the word free means having physical hard earned cash. Why? Because right now, businesses are literally giving the candy store away in order to get people to walk through their doors.

Having freebies now-a-days gives you the feeling that you have money even if you don't because subconsciously you KNOW money is scarce but you're still living like Prince Akeem, while sowing your royal oats provided by the fruits of the land. Or that could just be me?

HA! Anyway, I was more than happy to get a free burger especially when I found out they won best local Hamburger joint by San Diego Magazine. Oh wow, time for research!

Wait, SSD! It was a readers poll so I have to ask, even though I respect San Diego Magazine very much, how many of YOU all reading this article, read San Diego Magazine or voted in the reader poll for that matter? Nothing against SDM, but readers polls alone are biased based of the demographic by it self. I won't get into that dream sold, that is for another day.

The Burger was actually pretty good, but I did notice the regular price was kinda steep for a local burger joint, and to be real, although I did enjoy it, I could think of a few other Burger joints (LOCALLY) that I WOULD go to before traveling to Adams Street again. (There is also a location in Little Italy, which may be a better locale for me since I'm always downtown).

Don't get me wrong, it was good and if a group of my friends mentioned going to get a burger at Burger Lounge I wouldn't be opposed, but I define something "being the best" as, having a reoccuring CRAVING for that particular product, like the Firehouse Burger, hmmmmm, but that's neither here nor there. All in all, the Burger was good, and if you all are burger lovers you should at least give them a try.

My Fix...

Okay, so I have found a song that I really like so I decided to write some spoken word style to it, not really rapping just kinda vibing with the song. I know this isn't what a typically write about on SSD, but I'd be selling dreams if I said I don't like figurative songs, writing and poetry. I actually am working on a book full of my "Perspective". But thats a never ending story. Anyway...

Lloyd has a new song called "Pusha" and I was inspired to write "My Fix". So here it goes...

I have posted the songs from youtube.com so you can go check them out!

Lloyd - Pusha ft Lil Wayne

Lloyd - Pusha ft Juelz Santana

My Fix…

Sometimes things happen beyond your point of reach, meaning you have no sense of true certainty about the future which leaves you with but only a vague perception of the predetermined destiny you originally had planned for yourself while slowly beginning to realize that your sense of judgment has been warped, shielded and misdirected by a dimension solely to be recognized as your subconscious reality.

In trying to find focus because of all the world’s many distractions, I find myself looking for that dope, the opium that controls my soul, that pure cocoa leaf that knows I like it to assertively take control… its true, I’m an addict, I can’t get on with my life, until I get a hit than everything feels alright. She understands my needs and supplies me with no restrictions; keeps me warm when I’m cold. I’m free to use her with no convictions.

She’s Outside Checking for me before I even make that call, on the corner at all times she knows exactly when I need a hit, always in the right place at the right time for me to get my fix, could it be I keep coming back for more, maybe it’s great like the first time, I remember she let me get a little bit of that taste which is comparable only to an ageless beauty processed over time, she’s fine like wine…which becomes another personality trait sort of like an addiction…

…inhaling deep breaths of her like it’s a line of the white girl, my pusher has diplomatic immunity; safe from harm along any coast in the world. It could be a tropical hurricane full of flavor or devastation, but I’ll take the risk and pay the penalty to cross the border just to get that shot I need.

As time flies and the mental state freezes in complete utopia, it’s time to go back to work early, but before I go, I take a hit of this coke bottle shape ready to be devoured, I want, or more so, yearn to savor this injection straight to the heart to last throughout the rest of the day…and if I get a second taste, I’ll be floating on cloud nine.

One minute you can be minding your business and the next thing you’re caught up in a web of harmony, or so you think, with no escape. That controlled substance can be a monster or the one thing missing to make your life complete. The Substance is my addiction; she is my pusher. Quite frankly, I’m NOT talking about a prescription or medical drugs…The substance I’m referring to is love…Love is My drug.

© - I.$.H. for www.stopsellingdreams.com

Always Remember The Lives Of Our Loved Ones...

September 11Th 2001 was indeed a tragic day in American History. As my good friend Kalvin Reed always says, "one team, one dream" which means we are all brothers and if you hurt, then I hurt and if you succeed then so shall I.

On this day, many people lost their lives, family members and/or friends in the terrible terrorist attack on American soil. Even though I may or may not have known anyone personally from this violent turn of events, I as an American can only feel pain for my fallen brethren as my heart goes out to those that may have.

I realize this is a touchy subject for some people so I will try to keep it short. On the anniversary of 9-11, 8 years later, it still is a painful wedge in our side, society and our hearts.

I will mention however that I definitely want people to always remember the lives lost as and cherish this day as a memorial as well as to dig deeper into what 9-11 should also mean to us as Americans or human beings on earth for that matter. This valuable lesson is to always remember to not take life for granted because we are not promised tomorrow.

In all of its irony of this particular day, I lost a good friend two years later. Juan Jordan lost his life in senseless violence and ignorance on September 11, 2003. Although it wasn't in the same year, the day stands out because of its already horrendous relation. Either way, losing Juan was a terrible heartbreak because Juan was truly a good person.

Most times people only have good things about people after they pass away, but I honestly have to say, God forbid if anything bad would happen to any of my friends at the time, he would have been the last person I would think of for this terrible situation to happen to. Juan was the main one to continuously have a smile and usually be the voice of reason amongst our band of brothers.

R.I.P. to all those that lost a friend, family member or loved one on this horrific day. Keep your memories and cherish life as a celebration of life more so than a memorial.