Sneaker Boutique finds Auction Niche

When one hears of an auction, they would typically think of an old white man standing on a podium talking extremely fast and yelling out numbers as rich older businessmen bid on cars, houses, and boats or other luxurious items. However, Rich Franklin, the owner of Mount Kisco, NY sneaker boutique has found a niche auctioning sneakers. According to statista.com, sneaker company Nike’s revenue sales totaled 8.84 billion dollars in 2014. Forbes.com reported that in 2013 the Jordan company revenue was 2.25 billion. Statistics that show the sneaker culture and alive and thriving more than ever. As a result, sneaker boutiques, consignment shops, and conventions have popped up scattered all across the nation. All of which live off the idea of reselling shoes most cannot get due to the exclusiveness of the shoe. This has created what one could perceive as an over-saturated market. Since everyone began to jump on the ban wagon. An industry that can be hard to separate yourself from the rest.
Franklin re-opened and re-named the store Rich & Faded on April, 20th of 2014. He soon conceived the idea of a sneaker auction. Attenders would buy, sell, or trade their sneakers. Every shoe entered in the auction would pay a fee of five dollars and assign each pair of sneakers a number from one to ten based on the condition of the sneaker. Most importantly the shoes would be given an initial bidding price or a starting bid price. Here is where things get interesting in these Mount Kisco based sneaker auctions. Many of the attending demographic is one of two type of sneaker collectors. The first being, young kids about eleven to sixteen in age from local and neighboring schools and towns. Most of which have just recently started collecting and are less acquainted with the culture that some say began in 1985 with the release of the first Jordan sneaker. Some of which unknowingly enter shoes that are worn, beaten and battered to say the least. In some cases younger attenders ignorantly price shoes way lower than their true value. On the other hand, are older more mature attenders who are avid collectors and have an abundance of knowledge about the culture. With this concoction of attenders put together, many shoes are prices appropriately and some even at ridiculously low prices. While some of the older attenders enter shoes not much younger than some of the younger attenders. Shoes some would never see that adds an excitement to the auction.
Franklin says his auction has created a wonderful niche for him. Even streaming the auction live for those who cannot be in the auction physically in presence. The boutique owner calls the auction, “the only place where you can find Jordan’s for under 100$.” Franklin spoke about after the first auction he hosted many of the attenders asked when the next auction would be. He felt it was a no brainer to make the auction monthly. Fervent collector Chet claims,
“ You can't beat it, great people, great vibes, I love it!"
Chet has been collecting since the late 1980's, since the culture began. He claims he has a storage unit containing shoes up to 15 years old! Collector such as Chet bring a wonderful dynamic and knowledge to the auction.
The Dynamic of cheap shoes, a vast knowdlege of the culture and the sourrounding youths contagious energy, this auction sets itself apart from the rest. The only place where you can score a pair of Air Jordans for less than 100$. Although they may have been worn once or twice, this is a part of the culture. A culture this is still growing and evolving as week after week new release drops. The people at Rich & Faded are doing more than theyre fair share to keep your sneaker game on point. Just attend their monthly auctions.

50 Shades of Controversy

The New York Times best seller "50 Shades of Grey" caused controversy when it turned into a movie. The plot centers around Christian Grey. Who is an emotionally damaged billionaire and sadist who seduces a seemingly innocent woman named Anastasia Steele. The two fall in love in a short amount of time and form an unconventional relationship that includes BDSM. Though sexually inexperienced, Ana plunges headlong into an affair and learns that Christian's sexual conquests push boundaries. A BDSM relationship goes beyond whips and chains and opens a grounds for trust between two partners. This is where the misconception about the movie's concept begins.

Upon the release of the movie many people gathered outside of movie theaters to protest against this film. Many of these protesters didn't read the book so they are only judging the film by what is said in the media. People claimed that the movie romanticized domestic violence and glorifies abuse. In retrospect, it is about the total opposite. It is all about trust and pushing limits.

But viewers could not see past their biased judgment. I asked a movie goer at a theater in Manhattan their opinion on the film and although they did not want to filmed they gave me a quote, “It kind on rebrands violence as romance. And what concerns us in society where 1 in 4 women are sexually abused we have a film that is eroticizing, glorifying and basically legitimizing violence against women.” Quite a few people agreed with this statement. This is a person read the book and watched the movie which caused them to change how they felt about the message afterwards.

Despite all the flak Fifty shades of Grey received, they movie pulled in over $500 million dollars worldwide after being in theaters for little over a month. Director Sam Taylor Johnson could not be more proud with the outcome and 50 Shades is said to come back with two more films (Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed).

www.fiftyshadesmovie.com  

Shade tree mechanics, the 120 second oil change.

So most people when they think of oil change they cringe. They think Oh it's gonna be really difficult and messy and they'll need a bunch of tools. Let's stop those negative thoughts right now. It takes maybe 30 minutes to do an oil change for a newbie. All somebody would need is as follows.

1: oil and oil filter  (this will vary)
2: wrench (this will vary)
3: Floor jack   (not the giant slayer)
4: Jack stands
5: Bucket
6: 30 minutes
7: a rock

Instead of paying $60-$100 or even more for high performance vehicles those people should invest in those tools and save that money over time.

There are plenty of videos all over the net for every single car under sun out there in case anyone needs more specific guidance and forums will have people willing to help anyone willing to put in the effort.

Corporal Punishment : A Necessary Justice or Child Abuse?

           Spanking isn't parenting; it's child abuse, this was the article published on CNN.com by Mel Robbins on September 16, 2014. This Publication was about one of the NFL's (National Football League) and United States most prolific athletes, Adrian Peterson. The athlete was indicted in a child abuse case in which he allegedly spanked his 4-year old son with a switch . This process of discipline can be called Corporal Punishment or in other words child abuse.

              Corporal punishment has been a form of discipline for years especially in the African American, or Caribbean Black community for generations. The ability to inflict pain to correct an offense is one of the few ways these cultures satisfy their dominance as parents or a parental figure. It is also labeled as child abuse mainly because of the wounds and scars that it leaves on the body of its victims. Many people, mainly in the African American culture say that it is necessary and that it was imposed on them by their parents and they became outstanding citizens of society because of it, while others think it is an out of date practice that needs to be extinct because of the implications that it leaves on its targets.

              The question still lingers, is this type of punishment a justified pain or just plain child abuse?

Sports Dynasty in Ossining High School?

Sports dynasty in Ossining High School?!

     Ossining High has never been known to produce amazing sports teams. Yes there have been sensational athletes that have come and gone, but no team to hold its on in a regional/state tournament. That was until a couple years ago, and the birth of a dynasty.

      Of the last 5 state tournaments, Ossining Girls Basketball has won 4 of them, consecutively. Now, because of this, the village of Ossining is known for their excellent Girls Basketball team. Some may say this is wrong because it takes away from the academic excellence going on in Ossining as well. So, the community and people of Ossining needed to be heard and really listened to.

      The community had nothing but positive things to say about the team in its entirety. A graduate of Ossining High, Jorge Torres (23), kept his firm belief that this team impacted the community in a positive way and really "brought the community together" and the town of Ossining now "stands behind the team". Also, adding that the team is  a dynasty because of the girls that left from the first state championship team, and there not being really much change in philosophy and chemistry between the girls and as a team as a whole.

     Speaking to Joseline Mendez, junior at Ossining, gave a more inside approach to the team and what the school thinks of the team. After speaking about the increase in school spirit, she also noted that there is no bigger turnout for any school event than when the Girls play vs Peekskill or any other big name school at Ossining High.

    FC Barcelona, NY Yankees, New England Patriots....Ossining High School Varsity Girls Basketball? Guess these teams aren't all so different after all.

Does Andy Pettitte deserve to have his number retired?

      Andy Pettitte is set to have his number retired by the New York Yankees on August 23rd of this year. This has some people scratching their heads including his former teamate Chuck Knoblauch. In 2007, Andy Pettitte was caught in the middle of a steroid scandal when his name showed up on the Mitchell report. This put Pettitte in an uncomfortable situation, baseball was in a dark age, it was a tainted sport full of players abusing performance enhancing drugs and his name was on the list. This had many baseball fans confused, Pettitte was one of the league's most established veteran players, a pitcher who didn't throw very hard to begin with, something didn't add up.

      After his name showed up on the list, Pettitte confessed he took HGH in 2002 to help speed up his recovery from an arm injury he'd sustained. Unlike most players taking banned substances, Pettitte was simply using his to recover and get back to the sport he loved (most use it to improve their performance). With all that said, it doesn't exempt him from breaking the rules of America's past time, Andy Pettitte cheated, he took a substance that was banned from baseball. However, how he handled the situation is what saved his legacy.

     Unlike his good friend Roger Clemens, who's name was also on the Mitchell report, Pettitte owned up to his mistake and continued to thrive as a starting pitcher for the Yankees. Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens shared similar legacies with the Yankees, yet only one of them is getting their number retired by the Yankees, and that's Pettitte. But does he deserve this honor?

    I visited Yankee stadium to see if I could find some Yankee fans to give me their incite on this situation. After a handful of conversations the overall consensus was that Pettitte deserved it. He's made up for whatever mistakes he's made in the past and is still considered to most, a Yankee great. This goes to show how forgiving baseball fans can be, as long as you own up to your past mistakes. Pettitte is set to join an elite group of former Yankees, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra along with 14 others to have their number retired.

Perseverance Is The Only Word She Knows

            When you hear someone has cancer, you think one of two things:  Whoever has it must be going through a tough time or that they’re an incredibly strong person to deal with it.  Both of which are very true.  Cancer isn’t easy and neither is being able to beat it.

            Marjoriet Matute was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1999 when she was 17.  Over the course of a year she received an extensive and intense amount of chemotherapy and radiation, and lost her sense of taste because of it.  When we discussed what it was like to have cancer she made it clear that she didn’t let it get in the way of doing what she wanted.  She wasn’t going to let it interfere with living her life the way she thought it should be.  “At 17 you live that life that, you know, you’re the strongest thing, you know everything and you can’t tell us anything.  But when you’re told you can’t live and you can’t do something, now you’re going to do it and you’re going to do it to the best of your capability and you’re going to go really hard.”

            Because of the cancer and chemotherapy, her doctors told her she would never be able to have children even after it went into remission.  She had accepted that she would never be a mother, but then a miracle happened.  That miracle came September 2009 and August 2011 by the names of Devin and Tristan Matute-Gueche.

            She had promised to always give back to her community after her cancer went into remission, and now with two sons, she wanted to teach them to do the same.  In 2013 she started a nonprofit organization called Devin & Tristan Give Back (DTGB) where they try to inspire ordinary people to give back to their communities.  Since it started, Marjoriet has held a multitude of events and fundraisers to help give back to communities far and wide, covering a variety of issues—childhood obesity, AIDS, bullying, domestic violence etc.

            Between her busy schedule as a mom and philanthropist, she also takes time to write for TheHuffington Post and CNN.  “How do you go to college to be a writer?  You know, I didn’t graduate from college.  I wasn’t intentionally trying to be a writer; it kind of happened and I was successful at it.  Had I know with my track record that I was always successful in writing; maybe I would’ve paid attention to it.  But all through school…all the credits that I did take were all for writing.”  She enjoys writing and whenever a story pops up, she jumps at the chance to take it.  Since she’s started writing for Huffington Post she’s interviewed the likes of LL Cool J, Angela Simmons and Brian McKnight.

She didn’t let the curveballs life threw at her stop her from achieving the success she always knew she would have.  Marjoriet says, “Having cancer gives you a totally different sense of life—you live fearlessly, you take risks and you try everything.  You go hard, you go epic.”