I always try to Give back to The People. From small, humble gestures around Christmas time, to handing out Turkeys to the less fortunate during Thanksgiving. And I always do these things Custom Suited Down while smoking grits. For Style points, of course.
Whenever you give back to The People, you should never expect anything in return. You should do it because it is the right thing to do.
If you give, without expecting anything in return, a curious thing happens: You become more G.
It will help make you the best person you can be. And that person swoops mad fly girls.
“While you’ve been reading this three Haitians have died under heaped-up stone unrescued and an AIG executive has earned two hundred dollars for helping wreck the world economy, and he’ll earn three thousand more in the next hour while twenty more Haitians die.”
In light of the earthquake in Haiti, now is good time to start giving, if you haven’t already.
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
The Five Stairsteps performing “O-o-h Child” on Soul Train
Here are the 2nd G Manifesto Awards. The 1st G Manifesto Awards, are here: The G Manifesto Awards, The Best of 2007. I missed 2008 as I was busy swooping girls and had a little street War to contend with at the time. (Also check out the Outlook for 2008, where I was like the Nouriel Roubini of this Game s*it, of sorts).
Again, these Awards are places or things that I have been to or experienced in 2009. So don’t get itchy if your local nightclub in Cleveland doesn’t make the list.
Best Comeback City: New Orleans. My love affair with New Orleans is well documented. This year was the first year since Katrina where the swagger seemed to return. Do as a G does; visit often and drop CASH.
Best High-Action City: Tijuana, Mexico. I wouldn’t exactly call it a love affair with Tijuana, but I have spent mad time there and turned mad dollars there. The place is actually a lot safer now than the papers would lead you to believe.
Best Day Game City: Buenos Aires. The volume of fly girls for Street Game makes it hard to ignore.
Best Beach Locals: The Somali Pirates. These guys made the boys from The North Shore and The Bra Boys seem tame. They made mad dough, raged hard, protected their coast, swooped mad girls and even caused real estate bubbles in other countries. Hell, I have been seriously considering rolling down there and joining the fun. I wonder if there are some un-crowded points to be had to the brain?
Best International Restaurant: Restaurante Arzak in San Sebastian. Spain is really kicking out the best grinds right now. And Restaurante Arzak is top rank. I am frothing at the mouth thinking about it. Will be there again in May.
Best US Restaurant: Galatories. The best goddamn restaurant in America. I love how they even make President’s wait for a table.
Me?
I get top tier service.
Honorable Mention: Gramercy Tavern. I have to include this spot because of the first class treatment, pro-bono wine pours and the sweet breads. Nothing about it the meal was “so-so”, more like “fabuloso”. Additionally, I was politicking with this fly chick and digging her moves because she smooth and she choose to pay dues.
Best International Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, France. Decadence since 1928. I really like the indoor pool surrounded by tromp l’oeil murals of the Versailles gardens.
Best US Hotel: The Waldorf Towers, New York. The one bedroom Grand suites with the separate entrance are style and elegance defined. They are not cheap (about 5k), but they really do pay for themselves.
Best Fight: Juan Manuel Marquez VS Juan Diaz. Marquez proves once again how he is The G in a come from behind devastating knockout of an 80’s baby.
Most Masterful Performance: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. VS Juan Manuel Marquez.
Best Blog: Roissy in DC. I would have said The G Manifesto, but that would have seemed rigged, right? In all seriousness, Roissy kicked out gem after gem almost every day of the year and truly transcended.
Best Forum: RooshV Forum. If you like traveling and swooping fly foreign girls, then this is your forum.
Best Hip-Hop Track: I Hate My Job, Cam’ron. Nothing captured 2009 better than Cam’s “recession rap” track when most American’s were coming out with a pitiful rookerful of money.
Funny too.
Ayo I’m lookin’ for a job, ain’t nobody hiring,
Then I ask the boss, “when y’all doin’ firing?”
Great sample from Barbara Mandrell’s “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed”.
Best Break out Hip-Hop Artist: No, not Asher Roth or Drake. It’s Black Milk. “Losing Out” was enough to do it.
Best Soul Track and Album: Maxwell – Pretty Wings and BLACKsummers’night. The cat was gone for eight years. No wonder this decade was terrible. Come to think of it, anyone seen D’Angelo?
Woman of The Year: Ashley Alexandra Dupré. It is truly amazing how this girl has kept her mouth shut (so to speak) for the entire year. She deserves all the props in the world, and a shining beacon of hope for her self-absorbed peers of her generation.
Honorable Mention: Sonia Sotomayor
G of the Year: Joaquín Guzmán Loera. No one did it bigger in 2009 than “El Chapo”. Untouchable like Elliot Ness. Hell, he even came in at #701 on Forbes’ list of richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of $2 billion. A low estimate if I have ever seen one.
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Sol Price, a retail magnate who three decades ago altered both the American landscape and the American way of shopping by founding Price Club, the first nationwide members-only discount warehouse, died on Monday at his home in La Jolla, Calif. He was 93.
With Robert, Mr. Price started the first Price Club in 1976 in a cavernous former airplane parts factory in an unfashionable part of San Diego. The business, which offered consumer goods as varied as tires, books and household appliances at extremely low prices, proved to be the leading edge in the multibillion-dollar influx of discount big-box stores, among them Costco, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Sam’s Club.
I am a couple of days late on this story, as I was busy swooping fly girls in the Caribe, getting mad shoulder rubs, while puffing on Marlboro Gold’s.
I was deeply saddened by the news of Mr. Price’s passing, as I have some ties to the family. My heart goes out to them.
A True G, top tier biz cat, Democratic powerhouse and always gave back. And did it with Style. People’s Champ if the ever was one.
The main lesson from him: Keep overhead to an absolute minimum.
You know your G when Sam Walton bites your steez:
One of the chief beneficiaries of Mr. Price’s legacy, Sam Walton, acknowledged the debt in his 1992 memoir, “Made in America” (Doubleday, 1992; with John Huey). Mr. Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, wrote, “I guess I’ve stolen — I actually prefer the word ‘borrowed’ — as many ideas from Sol Price as from anybody else in the business.”
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
One of the things I respect most about Pernell Whitaker (and for that matter Roger Mayweather) was the fact that he would do whatever it takes to win.
I remember the Pernell Whitaker vs. Roger Mayweather fight from back when I was a young cub running all kinds of hustles. I was shocked with the violent beauty of it all.
I was even more impressed with both fighters will to win at all costs. No holding back. Rules are meant to be shattered.
Check it:
Pernell Whitaker vs. Roger Mayweather
• Even before the fight starts, Whitaker is landing blows (0:15). Mental Warfare.
• Uses Impeccable Technique in Round One to score a knockdown (1:18) with a sick right hook – left hook combo.
• Throws five punches after the bell (1:30). Mayweather, dazed goes to the wrong corner. Referee has lost all control of the fight.
• Throws a punch on the break (2:01) and lands it on the referee’s mug.
• Whitaker and Mayweather go to war and exchange heavy shots.
• Whitaker fights like a demon possessed (3:30).
• Sweet Pea not afraid to use an occasional elbow or two (4:20).
• Pernell notices that The Black Mamba is having trouble with his trunks, and takes advantage (4:47). First rule of boxing: Protect yourself at all times.
• Then taunts Mayweather (4:56).
• Much respect to Mayweather for channeling his energy to dropping Whitaker then hitting him while he is down (5:27).
• Whitaker is hurt, and is smart enough to hold.
• Regaining his head, Whitaker throws bombs back (6:49). Wobbles Mayweather.
• Mayweather plays possum (7:20).
• Whitaker “spins” Mayweather (8:10).
• Both fighters pour it on till the closing bell.
• Mayweather lands a late punch.
• Whitaker wins.
Apply these lessons of “winning dirty” to your own life.
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
Tracklisting
# Title Producer(s)
1. “Triumph” Dave Sitek
2. “Mama Told Me” Best Kept Secret
3. “Mirrors” (feat. Bun B) Mark Ronson
4. “Pretty Girls” (feat. Gucci Mane & Weensey) Best Kept Secret
5. “World Tour” (feat. Jazmine Sullivan) Cool & Dre
6. “Let It Loose” (feat. Pharrell) The Neptunes
7. “90210” Mark Ronson
8. “Shades” (feat. Chrisette Michele) Best Kept Secret, JuJu
9. “Chillin” (feat. Lady Gaga) Cool & Dre
10. “TV in the Radio” (feat. K’naan) Dave Sitek
11. “Contemplate” Syience
12. “Diary” (feat. Marsha Ambrosius) The Sleepwalkers
13. “Beautiful Bliss” (feat. Melanie Fiona & J.Cole) DJ Green Lantern, Mark Ronson
14. “Prescription” Best Kept Secret
The Rest is Up to You…
Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA GFK, Jr.
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life
http://www.thegmanifesto.com
