Clarity

 

Clarity is an interesting word. It means the quality of being easy to see or the sharpness of an image. In the business world, both concepts may be difficult to decipher. I find perception of one's self to be vulnerable to the outside opinions of others. The problem is most people internalize their own failures and project their feelings of jealousy through hate or disbelief. "Every time someone rises up in this world, there's always some ******* trying to bring him down." -Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street)

The world today is very serious and can be extremely cruel. It is important to have a good sense of humor to get through difficult times. I consider myself a playful person who is often sarcastic and laughs at most things. Just because I happen to be funny, does not mean that I can not conquer my goals and be successful... Yes, I am aware that the name of my blog is pretentious. Yes, I know that some phrases I use such as "old sport" is silly and it is supposed to be. Yes, the Wolf of Crestwood is meant to be amusing but it is still awesome either way! Yes, talking about money is tacky but we all do it... The key is to not take yourself too seriously. People have many sides to them and it may be hard too see someone's true talents just by having a light conversation with them or by judging what kind of car they drive. 

A friend of mine recently appeared on a reality television show where he was portrayed as a snooty rich man. When I finally asked him about said portrayal, he said that he hated it and that his words were taken the wrong way. I have noticed that this happens quite a bit when talks of money, religion, or politics arise. Take the boxer Floyd Mayweather for example... He flaunts his money and that kind of attention causes ill feelings from many people. I however, enjoy his money persona. I do not take it seriously as it is a performance for the world's stage. Now allow me to clarify something, I am not saying that it is just a show. Floyd has real money and does actually live a certain way. I do bet that there are days when he is not showing off his money and simply sits at home on the couch watching funny videos and eating cereal. Does that make him fake? Does he HAVE TO be Money Mayweather 24 hours a day? The answer is no... Each person has a many characteristics of themselves. He is allowed to be silly and loving with his kids and serious when he enters the ring!

What is my point? Clearly the public only gets to see a fraction of someone's life and the assumptions fly uncontrollably. There are days where I wear a power suit to an important business meeting and there are days where I wear sweats to visit my niece and nephews. At night I can playfully joke around like a teenager and in the morning build a 1.5 million dollar mansion. (Insert my Bruce Wayne smirk here)
Some people find it interesting that amongst my many careers, I teach theology during the day. They think the guy who talks money and watches Scarface every month can not also be about theology. The real interesting part comes when their facial expression changes after I flex my knowledge in the subject area.

There is a scene from the film American Gangster where Frank Lucas is trying to find out who shot at him. Dominic Cattano says, "Success. It's got enemies. You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends."
That is a very powerful line that I am reminded of everyday at one of my jobs. With that said, I believe that being kind, being honest, and being a good person will shine through any situation to the right people. I have a talent of making situations more special. The way I see it is, you can have a simple birthday cake or you can have an entire birthday party. A nice car to me symbolizes the party! A big house to me symbolizes fun! I am just trying to make my time here as much fun and special as possible. Success is not saying that you are better than someone else, it can be as simple as a kid who liked rap videos and gangster movies and wanted to prove to his pop that he could make it!
As long as you be yourself and be every funny, serious, rich, silly, professional version of yourself, it does not matter what others think of you.

"The Wolf does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep!"  

Powerball

People always ponder the thought of what the wealthy life would bring...
Are you imaging yachts, brunch in Monaco, and a service staff of a hundred or more just patiently waiting on you hand and foot? If so, you must have fancied yourself to a Powerball ticket!
If you have not already heard, the Powerball winnings are up to over a billion dollars. Yes, I did just say a billion old sport! Just to put that into perspective, the future winner would double the net worth of boxing's money man Floyd Mayweather. According to Celebrity Net Worth, my good friend Floyd is worth an estimated $400 million. If you have had the pleasure of seeing how Money May lives, you would be more than excited to win this amount of cash!

I have my tickets handy for the life changing announcement. My very good friends always ask me what I would do if I won the Powerball. Some have even suggested that I would spend it all in a matter of weeks. I would argue that point and I am personally insulted that they think it would take me that long! I am indeed kidding, kind of...

Let us get down to it, shall we? First thing I would do bright and early in the morning is travel to Greenwich Connecticut to purchase my new Rolls Royce Phantom in pristine white. This has always been my most favorite luxury automobile. From there, I would drive into lovey Westchester where I would visit Tourneau Luxury Watches and pick up the new Rolex President in 18 karat gold. Did I mention the diamonds in the face of the Rolex? That's cause I shouldn't have to...

My main purchase would be to buy a large property. On this property I would build my own town. Picture this, a beautiful gated community of large estates occupied by all of my good friends and family! Everyone showered with only the finest things that money can buy. There would be a great pool in the center of town where fountains would spray a rich mixture of pool water and Cristal. I am also thinking a few statues of myself throughout the private gated community. Did I say a few? I meant over a thousand or so... One statue portraying each moment of genuine happiness!

Best of luck tonight to all the players who wish upon a star.

P. Diddy always says, "Dream BIG!" Well Mr. Combs, consider it done!

One of my favorite commercials of all time! Watch below.

Bringing Classy Back!

I was attending a dinner party late Friday evening and a discussion arose about how people used to dress back in the good old days. I had a picture of my grandfather on my phone and showed it to the table to point out how well dressed he was. It was easy to see that even the most expensive of t-shirts could not compare to a fine tailored suit. Why did I choose a photo of Sean Connery to head this blog? This photo spoke to me on many levels. First and most obvious, this is a clip from a James Bond film. From the bow tie to the brandy decanter, you can get a sense of how gentlemen were portrayed years ago. In old movies, everyone is dressed well and manners were present at all times. You can still see this behavior today but it is often acted out by those of royalty or old wealth. What happened to the cool classy things people used to do? Can we bring classy back?
For example, there is something to say about a person who has a library in the home or a wine cellar in the basement. It adds a sort of sophistication to the house. Playing a competitive game of chess or sipping tea in the afternoon has high class style to it. I love the simple idea of having my hands wrapped around a cherry wood steering wheel surrounded by gold trimmed accents on a 30' bowrider on the open water. I find playing a musical instrument shows culture and work ethic to one's life resume. In fact, I am currently in the beginning stages of learning the piano. While conversing with my good friend Brian last week, he asked me if I was playing the piano because I thought it was a "fancy" thing? I wasn't thinking of it that way but the old sport was spot on! I do believe that it is a very classy skill to add to my repertoire. What beautiful sophisticated woman wouldn't mind a nice glass of Harlan in front of the fireplace while the sound of a piano filled the room? Beethoven once said, "Music should strike fire from the heart of  man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman."
Have you ever asked yourself why the opera is so special or why giving a fancy name like caviar to fish eggs makes it a delicacy? It may not be the contralto you're attracted to from the balcony of the Royal Opera House in London or the crisp pop of wild sturgeon roe from the Russian Tea Room in New York City. What draws you in just may be the representation of these things. We like fancy. We want exclusive. It is quite expensive to enjoy the finer things in life but the feeling you can get from it is priceless.          

Dress To Success

Filthy Rich Entertainment is back to blog for a new season!
I would like to personally thank my readers for following my articles and taking interest in my world!
Filthy Rich Ent. is the official blog for D-Star Entertainment LLC.
My first blog post was viewed by only 21 people. Now I average about 200 views per post. That 's over 3,300 views on just 17 blog posts.

You should have heard the term "dressed to impress" a few times in your life. In order to be successful, one must project success at all times (American Beauty 1999). Perfection may be difficult to reach but the simple act of reaching may be all you need to become successful. Simple changes in attitude and perception may help a person get on the right path. John Gotti used to always have his car washed, a fresh hair cut and a clean pair of shoes on. He took pride in his attire because his appearance meant something. Donald Trump said, "Remember one simple rule: dress for the job you want to have, not the one you have." There are constant fashion trends that can confuse a person on what to wear and how to look. I fancy the old money look. My motto is: "If what you're wearing goes well with a Rolex on your wrist, you're fine." Everyone knows that I 'm a fan of James Bond. Where do you think the Scott Disick's and Leo DiCaprio's got their fashion sense from? The timeless style of polo shirts and slacks have been a staple of the wealthy since the 1800's. From Wall Street to the golf course, this look is accepted as an everyday wear.
Designer Ralph Lauren made it easy for men and women to look good with his popular clothing line. We have been seeing his famous Pony logo since the 1970's. In fact, it was the recognition he got as the clothing designer for the film The Great Gatsby that secured his upper class image. As we all know, Gatsby is the poster boy for the mysterious, rich and successful. When I was a child, my father used to wear pajamas around the house. At the time I thought it looked uncomfortable and I couldn't understand why a t-shirt wasn't his choice of lounge wear. When I got older I began to understand that that's what gentlemen used to wear in the good old days. The classy pajama and pipe or cigar in hand look was a very Bond like back then. Playboy owner Huge Hefner still sports this look today! Fellas, don't be scared to wear your church clothes on a Monday, your lady will appreciate it.

"It's amazing, this suit actually makes me feel like a better person." -Nick Cage (The Family Man)

   

Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist

The number of billionaires in the world have reached an all time high. According to Forbes, there are 1,426 reported billionaires and most of them are from the United States. As of September 2013, Microsoft C.E.O Bill Gates graced the list with a reported net worth of $72 billion dollars. What is the obsession with money, power, and respect? Do rise to the top movies such as Scarface and Wall Street fuel the fire of up and coming power players? Welcome to the world of riches, where a nice cigar and a glass of Louis XIII can represent success and social standing. What could be better than the feel of a sharp tailored suit and the sound of a luxury car engine that you alone worked hard for?
Millionaire hip hop artist Meek Mill said it best with his lyric, "It was something about that rollie when it first touched my wrist!" Many musicians flash expensive jewelry such as Rolex watches in music videos to show off their wealth and promote their popularity. In fact, you shouldn't be surprised to see many music videos staged as a scene straight out of the movie Scarface. Rick Ross, Drake and Jay Z have used the Tony Montana fantasy right down to having a tiger on a leash in the music videos. Movies, music, and even comic books glorify wealth and power. When money tycoon Bruce Wayne isn't fighting crime as Batman, he sits in his mansion (Wayne Manor) and is served drinks by his butler Alfred. Billionaire Tony Stark is better known as Iron Man. Tony Stark coined the phrase, "Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist" during the filming of The Avengers. Celebrities such as Hugh Hefner, Charlie Sheen and George Clooney have embraced the playboy lifestyle and make it look nothing short of fabulous. It is not a life for everyone, but it seems to work for the James Bond type! "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." -Napoleon Hill