No Harm, No Foul

Professional athletes are often scrutinized in the media for commenting on current events, breaking news headlines, and pop culture. Their opinions are ones average, everyday citizens may have in common yet their public persona tends to generate controversy in the media more often. Why do we place Olympic and professional athletes on a pedestal of perfection only to ridicule them publicly when they make statements we may or may not agree with in social media? The cliché, "to whom much is given, much is required" is the answer to this perplexing question.

Pro athletes do not have lives like you and I. They are making millions of dollars playing a sport that several of us look up to and admire. They are being paid based on their athletic ability, public appearances, and interviews. The league they work for and their endorsers expect them to be professional at all times, which is even a requirement of those employed in the corporate world. The main difference is these athletes are constantly in the public eye, making it easier for a slip of the tongue to offend non-profit organizations and industries worldwide. With one wrong tweet or status update, professional athletes can lose contracts and endorsements with companies like Reebok, Adidas, Nike, or Gatorade.

Lolo Jones is a perfect example of an Olympic athlete who often gets carried away with social media. She is an Olympic athlete who manages to stir up controversy in the public eye and is often scrutinized for her Twitter commentary rather than praised for her athletic accomplishments. Where shall I begin? Let's start with her Twitter remark she made in October of 2012 when she challenged another athlete to a race waging a light hearted bet of $40,000. Her challenging wager was like the notorious line from the film The Godfather: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse", leaving fans questioning who the real Lolo Jones is.

 

To add fuel to the fire, her 'Las Vegas style' betting skills were not only the focus of controversy. What was astonishing was she challenged Eric LeGrand to a race, who is now confined to a wheelchair. Eric LeGrand, a retired football player, suffered a spinal cord injury in a Rutgers versus Navy game which paralyzed him in 2010. LeGrand tweeted Jones in a playful manner asking Jones to race him, which to Jones' defense she quickly responded without knowing the football player's incredible story of recovery. Jones tweeted in reply, "Get checked for a concussion. Clearly, u've been hit in the head... cos u arn't beating a track athlete." Fans became outraged at her seemingly insensitive tweet and also responded with disdain. Ryan Hudson of SB Nation hissed, "There's no reason to get too upset, because it was a lowest common denominator joke, made by a lowest common denominator person."

As an Olympic athlete, surely she should have known of LeGrand's injury since he was featured in Sports Illustrated Magazine and was honored at the Espy awards. However, Jones publicly made a mistake we all could have made in a moment of passion that potentially derailed her career or at least made people highly dislike her. Then there is the recent controversy with Jones' Twitter response to Rachel Jeantel's testimony in the Trayvon Martin trial. 8 months later after making headlines for abruptly commenting on Twitter, she repeats offensive remarks without any regard to the Martin family. Making more lighthearted banter Jones blurts out, "Rachel Jeantel looked so irritated during the cross-examination that I burned it on DVD and I'm going to sell it as Madea goes to court."

As playful as her tweet may have been it did not go over well with her 300 thousand followers who struck back calling her "classless" and "privileged". The troubling fact is that she is still determined to tweet at leisure without taking responsibility for her actions. How an Olympian can go from the most adored to the most hated merely from a few tweets is mind boggling to me.

 
Jones was an Olympic hopeful to medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games although she fell short placing 4th in the 100m hurdles. Her inspiration to return to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is a story that should outshine any negative one in the news. Despite her infectious smile and jovial personality, she manages to become the center of negative attention that overshadows her talent. Social media may be to blame for her troubles, although Jones has contributed to destroying her image by posting daily updates on Twitter and Facebook.

Her recent alleged bar brawl has made her the subject of an FBI investigation that can be attributed to her recklessness and previous history of backlash in the news. Through all of the turmoil, hateful messages, disgruntled remarks and police reports Lolo Jones manages to do what we all continue to do in order to keep up with trending conversation. She tweets to her followers in 140 characters or less: "I don't have a 'Hater's list'. I have a forgiveness one." To Lolo Jones' defense, indeed forgiveness is a great list to have.


  

Ride the Social Media Wave

 

 

 

Marketing a product through social media is the easiest way to increase revenue in 2013. Before social media was introduced, bookstores made a huge profit from customers purchasing paperback and hardcover books over the counter. Before 2011 bookstores generated a substantial profit; however statistics have shown a decline in sales due to new innovations such as Kindle, iBooks and even free library resources online that make purchasing a book quick and easy. Bookstore sales have plummeted 9.6% since 2007 causing companies like Borders to go out of business. Barnes & Noble and Half Price Books have managed to keep above water mainly due to both companies’ loyal customers. With Barnes & Noble merging with Starbucks, they are able to bring in customers who are willing to come into the cafe and drink a beverage while reading their favorite novel.

For individuals like me who love to purchase books through iBooks, downloading is the fastest way to avoid standing in lines and worrying about receipts. The best part of purchasing an e-book is the ease of highlighting and bookmarking directly on an iPad. Keeping up with your favorite author either on Facebook or Twitter is easily accessible as well. I was interested to see how many authors advertise and market themselves on Twitter and examined a list from the NewYork Times best booksellers of 2013. The top 5 booksellers of 2013 were: Inferno, by Dan Brown; Second Honeymoon, by James Patterson; This Man Confessed, by Jodi Ellen Malpas;And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini; and Affliction, by Laurell K. Hamilton. The list was comprised of sales from printed and e-book sales combined.

I was so intrigued by the top selling 5 fiction authors, several of them renowned, that I searched for their Twitter handles to examine how much marketing is left up to their social media sites. Out of the 5 authors, 100% of them market and advertise their products on Twitter. Dan Brown's Twitter is @AuthorDanBrown while James Patterson is a little more difficult to find @JP_Books. Interacting with Twitter followers is the most successful way authors make a profit from book sales, which James Patterson has done an excellent job at connecting with followers. He has 37,500 followers and even has a photo of himself and NBA star Grant Hill at an event benefiting children. The more followers he can interact with on Twitter, the more viewers will see his book advertised and will more likely purchase his book via e-book.

This type of marketing is brilliant and more profitable than ever before. In fact, we all should be moving toward writing and publishing books with the intent to market via social media. The fastest way to get rich has moved from bookstore purchasing to the online social media frenzy.

A Moment of Silence…

 

A ‘not guilty’ verdict and a gloating smile. This was the final glimpse of George Zimmerman before he walked out of the courtroom a free man. After one month, 6 jurors decided that there was not enough evidence to prove the defendant was guilty of second degree murder. In Florida, the Stand Your Ground Law law allows a person to justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat without an obligation to retreat first. When the story first hit headlines in February 2012, the media sensationalized every component of the news involving the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. Race and gender played immense roles in the opening of the trial and remained a defining issue at the conclusion of the trial. In a poll taken at the beginning of the case, 91% of African Americans saw the shooting as unjustified whereas only 59% of Hispanics and 35% of whites believed it was unjustified. Heated debates on Facebook and Twitter incited passion and anger from parents of children who believed their son(s) could have been a target of violence in the same manner as the 17 year old victim.

Even the President of the U.S. publicly stated, “I can only imagine what these parents are going through, and when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.” In response to the President’s statement, I agree that we should all think about kids who are gunned down in our communities and remote communities as our own kids, regardless of race. Upon first hearing of the incident and the 911 calls I was outraged. I almost felt the incident was as surreal as a fictional character in a novel written by Walter Dean Myers. The elements of the story seemed fabricated, surely there had to have been more than iced tea and skittles in Trayvon Martin’s hand?

A harsh reality is several people who questioned the motives of the slain victim felt there was a justifiable reason that led to his death. His hoodie, his skin color, his prior aggressive behavior in school led to a widespread belief among supporters of Zimmerman that Martin was guilty before the trial had even taken place. Trayvon was portrayed by a portion of the media as a weed smoking hoodlum who towered over Zimmerman by 2 feet. By other sectors of the media, he was portrayed as a black kid who went skiing, loved to horseback ride, and enjoyed participating in fun activities. Zimmerman was also portrayed by the media in two different roles, one role as the innocent neighborhood watch guard and the other as an abusive white/Hispanic male with a prior criminal record of assault.

The media added fuel to the fire, leaving out pieces of the case which kept building over time as evidence unraveled on both sides of the defense and prosecuting teams. The “media hype” is a familiar one often seen in criminal cases making national headlines. We are all stirred by controversy because it evokes emotion that hits our hearts to the core. Whether you were in favor of either individual you were involved and immersed in the trial.

To know there was under-representation of minorities on the jury and on the team of attorneys, I feel the trial was a slap in the face to all concerned with providing Trayvon Martin a fair trial. Hearing defense attorney, Don West recite knock-knock jokes was especially insulting and disrespectful to the family of the deceased. West stated after the trial, “Myknock knock joke was still funny.” How is the death of any human being funny? The trial wasn’t a press conference for an election neither was it a political arena for jokes, yet Don West was arrogantly slapping supporters of Martin in the face with his pride. In reviewing the jury selection, interestingly women were over-represented on the jury and men were under-represented. 6 jurors instead of 12 were selected which seemed skewed and unconstitutional for a criminal case, in my opinion.

The breakdown of selected jurors (which they were labeled more like lottery numbers or the electronic game battleship) was presented and televised: E6, E40, B 37, B51, B29, and B76. Juror E6 was a female who heard minimal news about the case but stated the media always fails to provide factual news. By her statement alone she should have been eliminated from the jury based on biased opinions toward the media and her awareness of the trial via news. Her view seemed to have already been swayed before she entered the courtroom, yet she was chosen. There were three other males who could have been selected as jurors to add diversity to the jury although they were also omitted from the selection process. One was African American, one Hispanic, and the other was Caucasian. Neither man was selected, which raises several eyebrows about the justice system in Florida. How do you symbolically annihilate an entire race and gender of individuals who should be represented in the courtroom for due process to occur?

The manipulated court process in Florida proves time after time that minorities, especially minority men are being tried unfairly in front of judges and juries without fair representation and without lawful consistency. The final thought provoking question that is something to consider is what can we learn from the trial as a whole to unite everyone rather than divide? Do we ignore race as a thing of the past or confront underline issues within the state of Florida and other states? Do we pray as a nation for change? One thing for sure is if we continue to be spectators of laws rather than take action and work to change the laws, the individuals who lose their lives either to imprisonment or are unjustly killed will suffer along with their families.

99 Problems

                               

We are all living in an age where privacy is nearly extinct. Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, and Pinterest make all our information available to the public free of charge. Mark Zuckerberg said it best when he declared "the age of privacy is over". Being able to access an individual's private information at the click of a mouse or a finger scroll over a touch screen smart device is exciting, yet frightening at the same time. There is something about having a potential stalker appear when you check in on Facebook or Foursquare. Can you imagine standing in line waiting to pay for your caramel apple cider at Starbucks only to have a stranger approach you by asking you "aren't you the one who Tweeted you were at Starbucks about to buy a caramel apple spiced cider before you head home?" It seems pretty comical, however if the same person showed up 3 times at a different Starbucks location you were checking in at it could seem like a serial stalker was following your every move.

With readily accessible information online it is easy for identity thieves to steal personal documents, social security numbers, personal records, and bank routing numbers within seconds. Phishing attacks are most known to affect e-mail users who are unfamiliar with fraudulent websites and links, I myself have been targeted by phishing sites. All of these scams are growing more prevalent because more people are updating their information online to keep up with technology. 

 So what is the solution to keeping up with the age of technology and keeping a reasonable amount of privacy? Limiting the amount of information is key depending on what you hope to achieve using social media. If you are advertising and networking in the business world, personal information should be kept private. If social media is for personal networking to keep in contact with college and high school alumni, or being put to use in the entertainment industry all privacy is expected to be "thrown out the window". According to Zuckerburg, "Privacy is no longer a social norm" which is absolutely correct.

In fact, if you are a private person unwilling to indulge in social media you may even be suspected of hiding something--like a clandestine fugitive. It is the norm to publicly share your most inner secrets, even those you may have trouble sharing at the dinner table with family and especially with an entire congregation at church. Topics that you may be embarrassed to discuss around family events are becoming easier to post about online to complete strangers. Why is this? Will this eventually cause more harm than good in society? That is a question to think about. Then there are also individuals who hide behind comments on You Tube accounts who say controversial statements that can be seen worldwide. How does a computer and a mouse, or an iPad or a mobile device give people abundant courage to reveal anything and everything? If we think back to 10 years ago, the idea of exposing yourself to the world was seen as reckless abandon that only celebrities engaged in, not every day internet users.

In the world of Facebook, You Tube, Blogger, or Twitter the more you share online with friends and complete strangers, the more followers and friends you obtain, but if you are apprehensive about throwing out that line without reeling it in slightly then finding a balance is the best answer to social media networking and communicating. It all comes down to a person's own decision to post as much or as little as intended and that will vary based on one's preference and personal judgment.

                                        

 

                                              From Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”

Taco “Finer” by Ashley Murphy

Photo by Ashley Murphy

Taco Diner is one of the finest taco restaurants in the area giving you dishes to “dine” for. On Wednesdays, my particular dish of the day is the Los Cabos salad. The Los Cabos salad is a Parisian-Mexican Cobb salad with grilled chicken breast, avocado, topped with bacon and garnish. The salad sits on a tortilla, giving it a tostada effect. The reddish sauce surrounding the tortilla is not solely for decoration; however it adds a zingy, spicy zest to the entire dish. It’s light enough to keep you fit and in good shape, but filling enough to leave you full and satisfied. The Mambo Taxi specials are the reasons for large crowds during the middle of the week. Wednesdays are usually packed due to the all-day Happy Hour Mango Margarita specials, Mambo Taxis, and Mojitos.  Whether you drink cocktails or simply prefer to dine with ‘no wine’, there is always something on the menu for everyone.

The Bistec tacos are probably the best brisket tasting tacos I’ve had, at least since last week. The tender meat combines brilliantly with the olive oil, garlic and salt. Exactly, only three simple ingredients make for an excellent taco. There are not a lot of fancy ingredients to impress the customer, which would be too over the top in my opinion. All I need is to sit and relax, listen to live music out on the patio after a long day of work, and chow down on my favorite meaty tacos; although I must caution you to wear a shirt other than a blouse or a suit and tie when dining in. The juice from the tacos is delicious and a bit messy. If you do not lean over your plate to protect your clothing, the juice will hit you like ink oozing from a pen. Taco Diner is a branch of the MCrowd group which Mi Cocina is affiliated with the group as well. Both restaurants are equally exceptional and equally packed with customers.

The prices are pricier than a lot of fast food chains or the popular Mexican food restaurant chain On the Border, which is to be expected. The Los Cabos salad is $9.95 and the Bistec tacos are similar in price. However, the price should not deter you from enjoying the perks of the restaurant. The best thing about Taco Diner is that usually there is no extended wait to be seated. It has that “walk in and out” feel, where you do not have to be bothered with lines wrapped around the building just to enjoy a decent meal. I always enjoy loosening up after work, calling up a few friends, and heading over to the diner for a good time. I’m sure you will want to return once you visit the restaurant and come to enjoy the menu too!

                                                   

Taco Ocho by Ashley Murphy

On Friday, May 20, I ventured into an intriguing little taco joint only four days after the grand opening. On Saturday, May 21, I found myself returning to the same taco restaurant with a party of three because the food was so tasty. What was so intriguing about a taco place with a name as simplistic as every other fast food eatery? Taco Ocho! It had begun to rain; lightning and thunderstorms would have kept any sane person from busting a u-turn and parking in front of a Mexican restaurant. I surely should have continued on my merry way and stayed on my route without deviating from my routine, however it was the sound of my stomach growling and the excitement of exploring a new cantina that prompted me to throw caution to the wind.

Unlike the popular Mexican restaurants like Chipotle or Freebirds, this restaurant does not serve burritos and margaritas. So if you are expecting a menu within your comfort zone, then you should keep your distance from Taco Ocho. If you have a taste for a blend of Mexican, Cuban, and Caribbean flavors then dart toward this taco haven. At first glance, I thought the restaurant was owned by NFL football player Chad Ochocinco. There are a few hamburger and wing restaurants owned and advertised by two well known Dallas Cowboys players, so I only assumed this was another football player franchise. If you mistakenly walk into Taco Ocho frantically looking for Mr. Ochocinco, you will be somewhat disappointed to discover he is not the owner of the place. Although you will quickly realize that the restaurant has its own personality distinguishable from others and the vibrant colors of the decor, a friendly manager, and cultural blend of menu items trump the Rusty Taco franchises and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop locations. The name Taco “Eight” (in Spanish) is centered upon the tradition of handmade food, inspired by the cooking styles of 8 Latin women. The Cabo fish tacos are authentic and zesty! They are tiny tacos filled with your choice of grilled or fried and beer battered tilapia wrapped in a flour tortilla, stuffed with cabbage and topped with a zesty chipotle cream sauce. The Jalapeno pork tacos were just as appealing to the palate, almost melting in your mouth instantly. The Mixteca torta is just as flavorful, filled with avocado, lettuce, queso fresco, shredded pork (carnitas) and tomatoes. My personal favorite is the Cuban torta or Cubana, which is a common type of torta that contains pork, ham, chorizo, jalapenos, spicy mustard, and Oaxaca cheese. It is a little saltier than the other types of tortas, but very tasty as well. I even tested the “authenticity” of the tortas at Taco Ocho and planned a taste test between my friend and I. We both ordered a Cuban torta from a small hole in the wall called La Paloma Taqueria and compared the freshness and flavors. Taco Ocho’s torta tasted as good as the traditional tortas at the taqueria. The bread of the torta was not quite as soft as La Paloma, however the meat was tender, the vegetables were fresh, and the jalapenos added a nice kick to the sandwich.

The Sampler trio was probably one of my favorite dishes combining Caribbean culture to the menu. I had the pleasure of sampling three different tostadas: Sonoran, Caribbean, and Americana. Each tostada provided a unique blend of flavors that I have never had before on a tostada. They were all very light and refreshing, especially after devouring a huge Cuban torta.

The Sonoran was an interesting blend of tender cactus, grilled jicama, red onions, pickled jalapenos, tomatoes, cheese, lime & cilantro vinaigrette. If you have ever gone camping and tasted cactus before you will have discovered it tastes exactly like bell pepper. This particular tostada reminds me of the desert because of its blend of vegetables. If you were to be stranded on an episode of Survivor, the Sonoran tostada would be the most sought out cuisine. The Americana stands out among all other tostadas visually because of its presentation. The drizzled chipotle ranch dressing almost makes the tostada resemble a striped zebra only without the black and white stripes. The refried black beans, pico de gallo, roasted corn, cotija cheese, and chipotle give it a Tex-Mex texture. It is pleasantly light as well. The toasty crunch of the corn tortilla makes for a nice appetizing snack. The last tostada I sampled was most memorable because if its Caribbean accented flavor. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore plantains. The most basic tostada of them all, the Caribbean, has rice, baked plantains, refried black beans, lettuce, and cream agria sauce. Its sweetness is a perfect contrast to the other semi salty items on the menu.

The owner of the restaurant is the nicest manager you will ever come to meet. He will greet you with a smile and a warm welcome every time you enter his restaurant. Invite your friends, family, or choose to go solo to visit Taco Ocho. As long as there are empty stomachs to be filled, this restaurant seems like it will be around for awhile.

Rear View Mirror by Ashley Murphy

photo by Ashley Murphy

As we enter into summer, leaving spring behind, let us take a glance back into our rear view mirrors at a restaurant praised for its pastries. Main Street Bistro & Bakery is located in the lavish, upscale Shops at Legacy in Plano. From delightful lemon pastries to sinfully delicious Nutella French toast, the sweet and savory flavors are the best items on the menu. Le Pain Perdu Decadence is covered in chocolate hazelnut and strawberries. Although in French, it means the lost bread decadence, there is nothing lost when you take your first bite of this delicious breakfast dish. The French toast is so rich in flavor that I could eat it for breakfast as well as for dessert. The lemon citron tart is as silky as an expensive couture blouse leaving no question unanswered. The contrast of sweet and sour blend with the sugary crust on top. It is cooked to perfection and topped with a naughty drizzle of chocolate. The final dessert of the hint of ‘chocolate trio’ is the Chocolate Nun. Devouring this dessert will create a bad ‘habit’ of coming back for more. It is filled with vanilla custard and glazed with a chocolate finish, an almost impossible temptation that I promise you will not want to resist. You might as well throw up your hands to surrender and ask the russet nun to say a prayer. Fully submit yourself to a possible death by chocolate. It’s that tantalizing!