Valerie M. Russo
NYC - http://Literanista.blogspot.com

Valerie M. Russo holds a degree in Anthropology and another in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Her work has been published in The New York Resident, read aloud from the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe and was recently published in an anthology, Regrets Only edited by Martha Manno.

Valerie M. Russo
NYC - http://Literanista.blogspot.com

Valerie M. Russo holds a degree in Anthropology and another in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Her work has been published in The New York Resident, read aloud from the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe and was recently published in an anthology, Regrets Only edited by Martha Manno.

I have reposted here my experience on Sept. 11, 2001, archived at http://911digitalarchive.org/parser.php?object_id=19929.

That morning my boyfriend, a NYPD officer, dropped me off at work at P.S.11 (on West 21st Street), where I was an assistant teacher at the time. Shortly after my students got to their classroom, while I left to retrieve something from another floor, another staff member told me a plane had crashed. On my way back to my classroom, someone said, "You need to turn on the T.V." I heard someone else say "The World Trade Center is gone." I went upstairs and shared the news with the other teachers in my room.

I left the room again to call my boyfriend since no one's cell phone was working. He was awaiting my call desperately, as he was being called in to duty. He told me we were in a state of emergency, and that I should try to make it to my mother's place in Spanish Harlem and not come home. He promised to call me. I told him I was to remain at school until all the parents came and that my kids were still unaware of the news. Parents began streaming in, tears falling from their eyes as they tightly hugged their small children and took them home. The children in my special education class sensed our anxiety and sadness and began to ply us with questions. What was happening? Why were the parents coming so early? Was it a half-day? I simply said the train was out of service, which was true, because I didn't want to frighten the kids.

It seems Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) got the message: A lot of people think those plastic clogs are pretty ugly, even if they are as comfortable as promised. In a move to expand its clientele, the company unveiled a new "You by Crocs" line of nine cozy boots and shoes.

Great, a new line of comfy boots and shoes from a popular name, right?

Not so much. While the plastic, brightly hued clogs are favored for their distinctive Mario Batali flair, the You by Crocs footwear line seems, well, bland in comparison .

The Wall Street Journal reports [subscription required] that CROX shares have risen 262% in the past 12 months to close today (June 6) at $85.05, up $2.88. Will this new line be the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow or will it be a crock of another kind? Unless there are some You by Crocs-shod celebrity sightings soon, Crocs might end up flat on the face.

For a view on all the new styles and a history of Crocs as the ugly duckling -- has it transformed? -- see our gallery, below.

Gallery: Crocs, from ugly to boots

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and watch out for more Battle of the Brands posts.

Recently, someone told me that only 1% of all Louis Vuitton handbags in the world are authentic, which is quite surprising considering how many people, young and old, tote the luxury status symbols. I guess what most of them don't realize is that some of these bags are the real McCoy, while it seems a lot more are just reproductions. Several weeks ago, I posted Coach bags: You're just not worthy because Coach Inc. (NYSE: COH) was stepping up their luxury handbag game with a new, more exclusive line of bags priced from $10,000 to $500 and adding hoity-toity boutiques to bring in a more elite clientele.

While both Coach and Louis Vuitton (LVMH) (EPA: MC) already have classic and luxury goods status among many, it seems that both companies are grasping for the top rung of the handbag ladder. LVMH may seem to be ahead of the game, since A-list celebrities such as Uma Thurman, Naomi Campbell, Scarlett Johansson, and even rapper Snoop Dog often travel in style and are photographed with LV bags. In comparison, I can't even think of an instance where I've spotted a celebrity with a Coach bag. After a quick Google search, I did however find a picture of Jessica Alba holding a cute Coach Daphne Straw Top Handle Bag ($168), which surprised me because most women I see with Coach bags tend to be older and middle class. In fact, a budding fashionista once told me that Coach bags were "mom" bags. So then it's understandable that Coach would spring this new Legacy line on us in a not-so-veiled attempt to lose its "mom" status.

This morning I was shocked to read that the rate of functional illiteracy in America is 21%. Of the six countries that participated in the study, only Italy has a worse rate. What's more, the study found that the rate is 36% in our country's capital -- what does that say about our country, our educational system and the children we are allowing to fall through the cracks?

Reading was fundamental at my house, it was never a chore nor a punishment. Instead, my mom delightfully recited her favorite poetry to us and allowed us to lay up and read as much as we wished. While I recently read that reading books has increased amongst teenagers, I know from my own experience that the publishing world is quickly losing ground with older boys and teens who are lacking the sort of books that are needed to keep them grounded in reading. Not all boys are into sci-fi or Eragon or Harry Potter.

In addition, with public libraries shutting down their doors due to budget cuts and buckling educational system, it's no wonder that so many Americans can't read this post. So what do we do?

Well known as being on the affordable end of designer handbags, Coach has become almost iconic when it comes to women's accessories. Coach, Inc. (NYSE:COH), the leading marketer of modern classic American accessories, is making a bad move by going upscale with its bags, jewelry, sunglasses and more. Just earlier this month, it announced an increase of 36% in earnings, but with what I consider to be a wrong turn in marketing that might leave a bad taste in the mouth of loyal consumers, who knows what will happen next.

Coach is rolling out a more exclusive line, called "Coach Legacy" aimed at higher-end consumers. The Coach Legacy line includes an alligator bag (retailing at $10,000), and leather bags that range from $495-795. It also will open concept boutiques in LA and NYC that according to the press release will "feature cream and mahogany awnings with a new horse and carriage logo, unique to the concept store... will be about 1,200 square feet, on one floor with two entrances, and will feature original restored copper façade," in addition other high end "layering of stylized visual and decorative elements will also reinforce the lifestyling of the brand." Except that hasn't been the lifestyling of the brand until now.

Suzi Picasso has managed to do almost the impossible, she's gotten her independent cosmetics line, Suzi Q Cosmetics into Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT). The line was previously sold only at her California boutique, Picasso's Passion Inc., a makeup studio that also employs a hairdresser, offers eyelash extensions, and sells clothing and accessories too. Suzi Q Cosmetics is relatively unique in that it caters specifically to Hispanic women. In fact, its ad line 'the girl with beautiful brown skin tones," speaks to the spectrum of Hispanic complexions.

Picasso landed the gig when Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) officials asked the Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to make a presentation about Hispanic buying trends. The chamber in turn invited a couple of small business owners, one of which was Suzi Picasso. Apparently, her audience liked that the year-old line was not carried in any department stores, and that Wal-Mart could have an exclusive.

The Suzi Q Line will be sold in a few Wal-Mart stores, then regionally, and if successful will go nationwide. I like to hear success stories like this and I think it's commendable that Wal-Mart is paying attention to consumer demand.

Some people hate him, some people love him, and that's just the way it is for celebrity gossip blogger, Perez Hilton. The native New Yorker has made quite a career out of star-watching, a la supermarket rags/tabloids.

But the difference with Perez is ultimately his delivery and of course its medium -- the internet. His blog, PerezHilton.com, was just named No. 2 in the Forbes Web 25 list.

Why does it work so well? The same reason any blog does: Perez offers tons of snarkiness and flair with his commentary. His constantly updated site make his readers feel in-the-know as he delivers news, gossip, sightings and pictures.

Of course, the experience is often vicious for those under his scathing scrutiny. And, he often displays photos before they are published in other arenas, which has netted him a lawsuit as well as the fervent dislike of photo agencies and PR people.

In addition, Perez is known to be play favorites as he has started rubbing shoulders with celebs he once heckled, like the other P. Hilton -- Paris herself. Paris Hilton has a huge internet following where she is both loathed and loved, except by Perez of course. Perez often posts pictures of him and her together at parties.

He's now becoming a Hilton celeb in his own right. He has become a regular commentator on TV shows, which just goes to show all of us the power of the blog.

While sadly observing the craziness that has surrounded the death of the late, legendary soul singer, James Brown, it seems timely to post a friendly and necessary reminder about the importance of having wills and other financial and legal work in order.

The 73 year old musician passed away on December 25th, and has yet to be buried due to a legal family feud in which his companion, Tomi Rae Hynie, and their 5 year old son, were not only locked out of they home they shared on the morning of the singer's death, but also apparently left out of the will completely. Now, a battle between his six children named in the will, his estate's trust, and Ms. Hynie's attorney has become fodder for an insatiable media circus.

I cannot imagine sharing a home and a child with a man and coming home and finding myself locked out of my very home, grief-stricken and now engulfed in an ugly lawsuit. I also read about how the family of 88-year-old evangelist Billy Graham is already at war over where his final resting place will be. How terribly tragic is that?

My advice is to get your financial affairs in order now. You can't fix nor alter them once your dead, unfortunately so the time is now. Not only do they need be in order, they also need to be consistently updated to reflect divorces, births, etc. Findlaw has a pretty good estate planning 101 overview, which should at least you lead you in the right direction.

In reading some of James Brown's more popular song titles; like Get On The Good Foot, I Don'T Want Nobody To Give Me Anything, Christmas In Heaven, and Sweet Little Baby Boy, the irony of it all is quite upsetting. Don't allow this to happen to you or yours.

Today's New York Times article notes the latest trend in self-improvement fads, products that help improve your life while you sleep.