The Scavenger Hunt Contest (part 2)

I will like to start by saying a big THANK YOU to everyone who submitted an entry and thoroughly flooded, and nearly crashed, my inbox for THE SCAVENGER HUNT contest!

The answers to the 2 questions are:

Question 1
Annuit Cœptis (in Anglicized Latin pronounced /ˈænjuːɪt ˈsɛptɨs/) is one of two mottos (the other being Novus Ordo Seclorum) on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. Taken from the Latin words annuo (nod, approve) and cœpi (begin, undertake), is literally translated as "He (GOD) has approved (or favored) our undertakings".

Novus Ordo Seclorum can be translated as "A new order of the ages." It was proposed by Charles Thomson, the Latin expert who was involved in the design of the Great Seal of the United States, to signify "the beginning of the new American Era" as of the date of the Declaration of Independence.

(There are also other translations of these two phases that you might find interesting! You'll have to search. It's no mistake that our motto is READ BETWEEN THE LINES)

Question 2
ExxonMobil broke the record it previously had set for profits by any U.S. corporation, earning $40.6 billion last year (2007). They are also well on track to surpass their 2007 world record this year! Let that marinate in your mind for a minute!

I Hope that everyone who entered learned something new and intriguing. Now you can stump your unsuspecting friends with more useless knowledge!

The Scavenger Hunt Contest Is On!

Here at Secret Agenda we are all about reading between the lines, so in the spirit of being in search of the truth we have created a scavenger hunt contest. Answers will be posted on our blog after the completion of the contest. Two winners will be chosen!

THE PRIZE
The winners will receive one FREE tee shirt of their choosing from our website. Just tell us the design you want and in what size, and it will be shipped out to you.

RULES
* You can only enter once!
* Both questions MUST be answered correctly in order to earn a chance at the random tee shirt give-a-way.

* All replies must be entered by July 7, 2008. Two winners will be chosen randomly. The two winners will be contacted later that week, and their names will be posted on our website.

* Please send your entries from a valid e-mail address because that is the address we will use to contact you if you win.

SCAVENGER HUNT QUESTIONS

1. On the back of the one dollar bill there are two Latin phrases (one over the pyramid and one under it). What do these two phrases mean in English?

2. The country's largest oil company, reported a 2007 profit that no American business has ever scored in history! What is the name of the company and what was their record profit (2007)?

e-mail your entries to thesecretagenda@gmail.com GOOD LUCK!!

New World Water

I recently was reading an article about the effects that past oil spills are still having on our environment. The article went on to outline the dire situations that some countries are currently facing. In many countries there is an extremely limited amount of fresh water available, and oil spills are endangering this precious resource.

When I was reading this article Mos Def's song "New World Water" immediately sprang into my mind! Mos definitely dropped some knowledge about the world's current water situation on that record. Exxon and some of these other oil companies have been reporting record profits, even after their majorly destructive oil spills!? To quote Mighty Mos (from New World Water) "they're the type of cats that pollute the whole shoreline, then purify and sell it for a $1.25".

If you haven't heard the song, you need to take a listen and get educated.

Have you ever noticed that EVIAN is NAIVE spelled backwards! Let that one marinate on your brain for a minute.

Are McCain and Bush related?

We all agree that Bush is not intelligent (our country is currently paying the price for his ignorance). To prove this point examine one of his recent, and numerous, Bushisims:
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.... They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
At least Bush is finally on his way out, but in walks McCain. McCain seems to be cut from the same cloth as Bush. Both McCain and Bush seem to speak faster than their brains can think. They both tell ridiculous lies on a regular basis. Is this an ironic coincidence? Or are the two of them related or something?

Anyone who plans on being the president of the United States needs to be intelligent, educated and well spoken. McCain is NONE of these things! Watch the video to see for yourself.

I got one word for you.... CHANGE!

Jay-Z and the Euro

I know that this story has been floating around for some time now, but it is still drawing attention. Jay-Z is known for flossin' whenever the cameras are on him. In his videos, exotic cars, hoards of women, diamonds, gold label champagne, basically anything that expresses ridiculous wealth are all synonymous with Mr. Carter. So when shooting "Blue Magic" off of the American Gangsta album, Jay-Z is seen flashing money... nothing out of the ordinary for him right. On closer examination you'll notice that they are wads of euro 500 notes he's flashing.

Is this the new sign of wealth? Oh sure Jay-Z can afford to convert large sums of his money into foreign currency to capitalize on the strong value, but what about the rest of us? We work hard for our money too, but what could we do? I know I don't have a high priced investment banker who oversees my finances. It's a sad day for our country when Americans don't even want to use the dollar because of it's declining value. Just some food for thought.

Remembering the Good Ol' Days

I personally have been into "streetwear" since the late 80's. I started out with my Karl Kani, FUBU and Cross Colors (I couldn't afford Polo, Tommy or Nautica). Back then clothing companies were putting out such diverse products that I didn't know what to buy, everything was hot! Even Nike was putting out amazing product on a regular basis (don't get me started talking about the Penny Foamposites). Back then being original and innovative was how you earned your street cred, and here in NY that is very hard to do! Wearing a style that represented you and your personal taste was the only thing that mattered. There was no specific name or term for the way we dressed. Just being "fly" or "fresh" was what it was about!

Fast forward to today, and the term "streetwear" is everywhere, almost like a warning label! Everyone has heard of the term, but most people couldn't define it for you even if their very lives depended on it! Many of the companies that were pushing the envelope in terms of style and creativity in the late 80's-90's, have lost their way. It seems like everything looks the same now-a-days! These days when a trend becomes popular, everyone jumps on it, including many established companies sadly.

I miss the days when society, as a whole, encouraged forward thinking and individuality. When blogs and websites didn't leak product images and release dates months in advance. When seeing a certain sneaker or article of clothing gave you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside, and you knew instantly that you must buy it. I'm talking about the days long before "hype", "retros" or "resellers" were even part of our vocabulary. Man.... I wish I could go back! Do you remember those days?

The News Sucks!

The more I watch the news the more I realize that it SUCKS! Now let me clarify myself more maturely. I have noticed a steady decline in the quality of the stories that major new channels are reporting on. They basically are just reporting on "SCARE-stories" that make people want to pack their belongings and run for the hills. Ever wonder why we are now seeing so many anti-depressant drugs being advertised on TV? There is always some silly story on the news like: Why living in the city is KILLING you ? What foods may be DANGEROUS to your health (according to some foreign researcher) or Why driving is DEADLIER than ever?

Although there may be truth to these stories, who wants to hear this everyday? Why not report on people or organizations from our area, nation or even worldwide that are making a real difference. Don't tell me that Oprah has completely cornered the market on positive and motivational stories! News stations need to get back to reporting NEWS-WORTHY stories again. I challenge you to watch the news today, and tally the amount of negative stories to positive stories. You'll be surprised at the enormous disparity between the two.

THEY'RE HERE.... AGAIN!!

That's right our entire Spring/Summer line is here and fully stocked. Due to the overwhelming response to our "Pigeons Love NY" we had to reprint another run of these tees. Also, I want pictures of you guys in our tees so I can post them on the blog. Peace

WAR, What is it good for?

Edwin Starr came out with the song "WAR", that Jackie Chan completely butchered in Rush Hour, in the 70's in response to the Vietnam War. But their question still stands to this day: WAR, What is it good for? As of today the death toll in Iraq stands at 4, 380+ American soldiers! This number does not count the numerous innocent people that have been killed, the families that have been shattered, or the toll it has taken on our nation. We are all caught up in this 5 year mess. One of the biggest oxymorons I have ever heard is: The Fight for Peace. FIGHTING and PEACE are as opposite as CHEAP and GAS. When are people, in particular governments, going to realize that peace CAN NOT be attained with violence. I leave you with the question that Starr asked in the 70's: WAR, What is it good for? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!

PROPAGANDA ADVISORY

Propaganda by definition is a set of the messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people.

We are literally bombarded with various forms of propaganda daily! Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage an emotional response rather than a rational response to the information presented. Don't believe me, watch the news and listen for the scare tactics they use. In this day and age we have to be in search of the TRUTH. That is way we say READ BETWEEN THE LINES.

The Revolution Won't Be Televised...

Gil Scott-Heron coined the phrase, but it is absolutely true. As a matter of fact, it is even truer today than it was back then! If you are not familiar with his spoken word lyrics here is a link www.gilscottheron.com/lyrevol.html . The revolution won't be televised... it will be blogged, streamed, podcasted, downloaded, YouTubed and e-mailed all over the world. Technology is bridging the gap between people and making the world smaller (not literally, but that is another story). If 10 to 20 cops decide to beat someone, while they're handcuffed, in the street you know that someone is going to record it on a cellphone or camera and upload it immediately... just ask the Philadelphia police department. The revolution won't be televised... the revolution will be live!

Micheal is THE MAN and you know it!!!

Michael Jackson is THE MAN and you know it! Even your mom and dad know it! Not the "Wacko Jacko" of recent years who holds babies over railings and looks like an alien from the X-Files, but the "King of Pop" from the 80's to about mid 90's. I'm talking about the Michael Jackson who made flocks of teenage girls pass out with a mere pelvic thrust or grab of the crouch. Don't even get me started on the Moonwalk, which I never could do! We all know about his mega-hits like Thriller, Bad, Billy Jean, and the list goes on and on..... but my personal favorite is Smooth Criminal hands down!

The movie "Moonwalker" really shot Smooth Criminal into legendary status for me. When I saw Michael do the "MOVE" (as me and my friends refer to it as), you know the one, when he seems to defy the laws of physics by leaning all the way forward.... let me tell you I must have rewound that move until the VHS tape nearly popped! More than 10+ years later and I'm still trying to figure out how he did that? We all need to stop and give people their props while they are still alive... so Michael if you read this YOU ARE STILL THE MAN!!!!

The War on Pigeons

Aside from the war on terror, there is a second war being waged... The War on Pigeons! Recently here in NY councilman Simcha Felder has proposed that the city impose a $1,000 fine for anyone caught feeding pigeons.... come on? He figures that this will control the number of them in New York? If I were to list the top 5 things that people identify with New York... pigeons would have to be on that list. Here's my list:

1. Times Square
2. horrendous traffic
3. street meat and pretzels
4. skyscrapers and...
5. PIGEONS !!!

These foul birds have been here long before the gangs of NY or Ellis Island, and will be here long after we're gone. They have been holding NY down for generations; these birds are as old as New York itself. Our state bird is the Eastern Bluebird... WHAT? I have NEVER seen an eastern bluebird walking around the sidewalks of NY, but I've seen plenty of pigeons! Our new state bird should be the Manhattan Pigeon! Send a letter to Mr. Simcha Felder demanding to make the pigeon our new state bird. This shirt is for our dirty feathery friends. Visit our site: http://www.secretagenda.net/ for purchasing details.