Dear Tiger...From Ron

Ron Artest is at it again, this time with an open letter to Tiger Woods on his blog. What will this guy come up with next? Funny thing is, he seems to have his thoughts in order and is actually correct, but it's still funny nonetheless


Dear Tiger,

In reading the statements you have made, I can tell you are a stand up guy. Please remember only Jesus is perfect. You made a mistake and you admitted your infidelity. I have made the same mistakes. Before I got married to my wife, I had a baby with another young lady, after I already had two by my girlfriend who is now my wife. We also had another baby which makes three for us and four for me. Two boys and two girls.
My wife is a much better wife than I am a husband. We still argue and disagree after being together 16 years. and I still cope with the fact that there are so many women out there and I choose to stay loyal to my wife.
I want to be home every night, but with traveling I can't, and sometimes I might want to go to a bar or club and be one of the fellas. Most of the time I stay in, because I have my kids and wife. I cannot sit here and say the thought to have many women has never crossed my mind. If I were Jesus I could. I have known my wife for 16 years- since I was 14 years old. She was my first. On the way to 2010 we had many ups and downs on the way, mostly my fault. But I really choose to work hard and play ball to support her and my kids. The same reason you are building your legacy. I have been disturbed by this because there are many people who are happy that this bad news has come out. There are a lot of sports announcers and regular reporters who are not perfect in their own homes, yet they want to bring you down. You have done so much for people, the sport of golf, and your family and you gave your wife a life that people can't even dream of. I thought you were 36 or 37 until I read the news today. A 33-year-old man who has been a model citizen with so much at stake. This is your first publicly known issue since you started your career, compared to my 50 or more publicly known issues and mistakes. You have been the perfect role model for me and my sons for longer than anyone I have known. With the exception of a few legends. As your fan, I can't wait to see you golf again. And us athletes know how much you personally love your family.

One love,

Ron Artest

This is just a fan mail letter to Tiger Woods fans and indirectly to Tiger himself. Please, everyone support Tiger in these tough times for his family.Also if you are a sports announcer or regular everyday reporter or blogger please step up like Tiger and tell your wife or husband if you have any skeletons in your closet. Especially if you were one of the few attacking TIGER!!

One Love People

Thank You COB

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

NY vs. LA Part 3

Ok after today, I'm done comparing NY to LA...I promise. But how could I forget to compare the cities by their sports teams? We all know the Yankees are the World Champs (beat the Angels on the path to champions), and would have beat the Dodgers if they made it to the World Series. Los Angeles doesn't have a professional football team, but if the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49er's or San Diego Chargers are any indication, both of the New York teams would win those battles. The Rangers, Islanders and Kings all sucked last season, but the Rangers are showing the most improvement this season. And in the NBA, we all know the Knicks are patiently waiting for a miracle, but for as good as the Lakers are, and they are good, the Clippers are...

Fatal Staples Center Collapse Brings Merciful Early End To Clippers Game

...I think I'm going to go ahead and stay a New Yorker forever

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

NY vs. LA Part 2

Yesterday I compared some aspects of New York to those of Los Angeles. Andrea Grant of Copious Magazine did the same thing and I thought it was worth the read,...

New York Versus L.A.


One night I met some friends for drinks at the Bowery Hotel in Manhattan.  Among the crew was a renowned young film director who had just wrapped up a major feature in Los Angeles.

Having just returned from a relaxing trip to L.A. myself, where I walked for hours along Venice Beach and shopped for trendy halter dresses on Melrose, I asked him which city he preferred—New York or L.A.
He considered his response for a moment.

“I see America as a huge carpet. One day a giant decided to shake out the carpet, and he grabbed it from the North East, right where New York is, and shook with all his might.  The really resilient people clung on for dear life and managed to stay in Manhattan.  The ones who couldn’t hold on went flying across the country and ended up in L.A.  It’s a higher quality lifestyle out there, and the beach is great, but I miss the toughness of New York.


It’s true that New Yorkers live fast and hard—we’re like warriors with our guard up. Constantly assaulted by jewelry vendors and sidewalk performers, we walk hurriedly through the noisy streets with our Bottega and Goyard bags stuffed full with things we’ll need to take day into night, including Cle De Peau concealer to hide the dark circles of our sleep deprivation.

Our clothes are our armor. We try to look attractive even as we bundle up to conquer artic winds and snow flurries in winter, or strip down with a calculated sleekness during the suffocating humidity of summer.   The downtown set favors layers: Mike & Chris or Philip Lim leather or tweed jackets underneath a heavy wool or down-filled coat.  Exquisitely tailored Valentino and Chanel jackets in both elongated and cropped lengths and calf-length minks dominate the Upper East side—perfect for a day of shopping at the boutiques along Madison Avenue.

Because New Yorkers don’t have cars, we are more exposed. We cannot walk through the city without becoming part of it. We must be deliberate in protecting ourselves from the black slush, the hard rain, the heat emanating from the subways and from the buildings—and from the army of briefcase-laden businesspeople, the wide-eyed tourists and the wayward teenagers haphazardly bumping into us on the streets.

Because we know that white will get dirty from all of this accidental human contact and our 12-hour workdays, we favor black, navy and dark grey.  Dark colors never look too morbid in the city that bred American punk rock.  Especially since we’re in Prada or Gucci.


We are ready for anything.  We have to be, because you never know who you will meet. Strangers talk to each other in bars in New York and models like Natalia Vodianova and Gemma Ward can be seen in Soho, wearing skinny jeans and carrying Balenciaga handbags, surrounded by hopeful suitors with ample trust funds.

Fashion Week is monumental, and we all celebrate by going to the after-parties for the open bar. We drink a ton without worrying about the carbs, because we know we’ll burn it off by walking everywhere.  In fact, we consider walking our primary form of exercise because the gym is rather boring, and if we can’t manage to walk around at night in our Manolo Blahnik stilettos because we’ve had one too many Patron shots, then we simply fling our arms out and hail a cab.

We pay insane amounts of money for tiny apartments that are beautifully decorated, and which only our closest friends and lovers will ever see, even though everyone will always ask us EXACTLY where we live, right down to the cross streets, because in New York we are judged by address.

The light quality in New York is unique:  bright sun muted by tall buildings, considered one of the best cities in the world for photographers. The light is flattering to the skin, and the women tend to wear less make-up, especially in summer because it will just sweat right off.  Overly bleached hair seems frivolous here somehow, and brunettes dominate.

But even the most die-hard New Yorker makes their way to California at some point or another, usually on business because when we vacation we tend to go South rather than West.

And even though we know the West Coast is far more relaxed than the East Coast, when we get there, we are still taken aback by people wearing their yoga pants and bare tops to lunch at trendy outdoor cafes, delicately picking at salads with avocado on the side, drinking water instead of wine.  Don’t these people have to work?  we wonder, with a pang of envy.

In Los Angeles, a New Yorker will have frequent flashes of self-consciousness.  Our clothes feel a bit too formal and hot once the morning smog evaporates.  Our skin looks alarmingly pale and tired, and although we try to blame jet lag, it’s really that we need a tan or more make-up to look healthy in the blazing bright light.
We become hypnotized by all the glitter.  We walk down Melrose, with its sparkly sidewalks, and are attracted to flashy clothes shining in the windows.  Silver lame tops and white sundresses fit here, and look good on these lean muscled bodies. Sex sells, and it sells hard in L.A.  Because of the warm climate, it’s natural to wear less clothing.  New York women tend to only show off one body part at a time, either the legs in a mini or their shoulders in a strapless gown, whereas L.A. women are comfortable showing all their assets in a bustier and very short shirt.

The Rockabilly/Punk style is signature, but it’s a softer, better tailored punk than the hard punk of metal studs and safety pins in New York.  Along with various shades of blonde hair, the two-tone look is common, especially dark with bleached out platinum or red.  Tattoos are abundant and proudly displayed with sleeveless shirts rather than hidden under sleeves.  The vintage is amazing, and costs a lot less than in New York—where authenticity is another commodity.

Having a car changes the way people construct their day, because they can carry a change of clothes or leave an extra jacket in the trunk for the evening.  Because the homes are more spacious, there is no hesitation in bringing friends back after a daytime activity and getting ready to go out for the evening together.  There are always rumors of parties and it takes a bit of work to find out where the good ones are on a Saturday night, and if there is a pool someone always has an extra bikini to lend.

The glamour of Hollywood also affects the tone of Los Angeles.  This is a city where it’s possible for starlets to become movie stars overnight, where hopeful actors and actresses frequent celebrity hotspots like the Green Door, hoping to be noticed.

Hollywood is a place of mythic proportions, where our favorite childhood stories and fantasies were brought to life. LA feeds off of that promise, that somewhere amidst the palm trees a fairy tale can come to life.
Even in New York, we are seduced by that promised glamour of Hollywood—by the beautiful people in long gowns, with megawatt smiles reflecting the bright California sky. No one knows how to create an epic red carpet event like Los Angeles. We hold Oscar-viewing parties in our tiny living rooms where only 4 or 5 friends can fit, enticed by the frenzy of Heidi Klum in Galliano or Cate Blanchett in Dries Van Noten as much as by the awards themselves.

People love to compare things:  a new lover to an ex, a quiet confidant versus the life of the party, New York versus L.A.

“Well are you going to live in L.A. and work on your film career or stay in New York?”  I asked the director.
“I’m going to do both,” he answered.  “Being bi-coastal is the solution.  I’ll live in my beach house and work hard during the winter months, and come back to New York in the spring before I lose too much of my edge.”

Perhaps that is the ultimate solution, the best of both worlds.

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

NY vs. LA

One of my teammates is a New Yorker who went to Stanford, and I love to give him sh*t for it. As much as I like this dude Taj, everytime I hear him say "hella" it eats away at my soul. Luckily, he's never said "gnarly" or "rad" because I'd probably punch him in the face. In either case, he got me thinking about comparing and contrasting New York and California. I knew I'd lose the New York University/Stanford debate so I decided to just compare the cities of New York and Los Angeles.

Transportation and Housing

Californians say: You can't compare .... NY'ers ride around on old trains and live in small apartments, with humid , hot , overcast summers and frigid winters. Angelenos live in single family houses with palm tree lined streets, and rely on their own hard-earned vehicles to get around(more convenient) ... with mild winters and gorgeous summers , complete with sunshine

New Yorkers say: We don't ride on old trains. Yes Cars are more convenient sitting in long traffic, polluting your already polluted air, isolated from any socialization, can't really do anything but listen to the radio, having to worry about parking, accidents, insurance, paying for gas, etc.... during the summer all the plants look dry and winter is very boring. Those palm aren't doing much but look good. They don't provide enough shade and they don't help the environment. Here NY we ride new subways that are hard earned money goes into, we live in apartments that architecturally better, we great views many trees and parks, with our beautiful summers with our well nourished, lush plants and trees, clean air, beautiful winters for the holiday spirit with a white christmas season, etc.

Nightlife

Californians say:  LA's nightlife scene is legendary, and with good reason – from swanky cocktail lounges to frenetic dance clubs, from themed bars to laugh-out-loud comedy clubs, this city has it all. The vibe varies widely by neighborhood, so plan your night in advance. Hollywood traditionally supplies the hottest action, whether it's at über-trendy clubs like LAX and Mood or at the elegant, celebrity-riddled Chateau Marmont. Head west to Venice, Malibu, and Santa Monica, and a mellower atmosphere pervades neighborhoods by the beach. Catch an exceptional acoustic show at McCabe's Guitar Shop, or gaze at the sunset over cocktails at Moonshadows. Downtown and the Valley also have their fair share of hot spots; the Golden Gopher and Firefly make their homes here. With a seemingly endless variety of bars, clubs, and lounges, you'll have no trouble tailoring a night out to suit your taste. -- Kelly Sigmon, Senior Editor

New Yorkers say: Whoever decided that nightlife had to be confined to the darker hours of the day wasn't using their imagination. "Nightlife" in New York City is as much a state of mind as anything, and there are bars and restaurants open somewhere at all hours of the day. Want a beer with your morning bagel? You can do that here. Need a steak and a scotch at 10am? That can be arranged as well. Feeling the need to burn off some energy on the dance floor at 6am on a Saturday morning? No problem. No matter what your nightlife style is – laid-back neighborhood watering hole, swanky lounge, high octane dance club, old-fashioned Irish pub, posh pool hall, dive-y music club, sophisticated piano bar – New York's sheer variety is astounding. Add in all the Broadway and off-Broadway shows, art gallery receptions, free public concerts, and impromptu sidewalk entertainers, and you have a full 24-7 schedule of goings-on. Even the "regular" bars and clubs usually stay open until 3 or 4am. Let your hair down, have fun, and don't be afraid to call for a cab home. -- Kim Goodin, 10Best Editor

Dining and Restaurants

Californians say: For fine dining, Los Angeles once ranked among the world’s big city bargains, with stiff competition keeping a lid on costs at many upscale establishments. But waves of visitors from far-flung corners accustomed to higher prices have spawned significant cost creep on L.A. menus. Fortunately, first-class ethnic restaurants in abundant supply remain suitable for tighter budgets. Los Angeles also has a reputation for catapulting its top chefs like Wolfgang Puck onto the international culinary stage, assuring that innovation remains a standard on local menus. As a culinary melting pot, items from persimmons and wasabi are no longer limited to the ethnic or fusion cuisine scene. For that matter, just “going out for Mexican in L.A.” often leads to consideration of which region to choose -- Oaxacan to Yucatan.
New Yorkers say: It has all the eating options covered and you can find almost every type of food available and every cuisine of the world represented. There are literally tens of thousands of restaurants, ranging from dingy $2-a-slice pizza joints to the $500-a-plate prix fixe sushi at Masa. Thousands of delis, bodegas, and grocery stores dot every corner of the city and DIY meals are easy and cheap to find. Street food comes in various tastes, ranging from the ubiquitous New York hot dog vendors to the many middle eastern carts at street corners in mid-town. Fruit stalls appear at many intersections from Spring to Fall with ready to eat strawberries, bananas, apples, etc. available at very low cost. Vegetarians will find New York to be a paradise with hundreds of vegetarian-only restaurants and good veggie options in even the most expensive places.

I'm impartial but what do you think?

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...