This and That!

This has been a very busy week for me. Not only is my real estate business jumping...yes even in Manhattan but we produced two events this week.

First we want to thank all of the guests of the "Hip Hop in Harlem" event. Another amazing turnout of a variety of invited people who showed up to support the Ali Forney Center for gay & lesbian homeless youth.

If you were not able to attend you can support this worthwhile organization that works so hard to make sure that many of the these homeless teens have somewhere to live with dignity. Donate here.

Terrance Dean was on hand to read a passage from his book "Hiding in Hip Hope..." and he sold and autographed his book. He raffled off one book for a lucky winner. The event was hosted at the N Boutique located on 116th Street in Central Harlem. This high end duplex boutique with a outdoor patio is owned by three African Americans.

We were honored by the presence of Singer/Actress/Songwriter Alyson Williams who raffled off two tickets and drinks to her weekly Tuesday show "Alyson Williams & Friends" at Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar on 72nd Street in NYC. Donations came from a variety of giving individuals: The Spirit of New York offer two tickets to their nightly dinner cruise, New Concept Travel donated a $500.00 travel voucher, Nubian Dreams resident massage therapist, Mkono, offered two free sessions, fire island blackout offered a 60 minute massage from "I've Got Your Back" Therapeutic Body Massage Company, Walker Communications offered up two tickets to the hot Broadway production of Laurence Fishburne's
"Thurgood"at the Booth Theatre 222 West 45th Street/Shubert Alley (bet 7th/8th Ave), James Saunders offer two tickets to his upcoming "White Party Moonlight Cruise" on August 1 and we also had a Nubian Dreams Cruise Sun Pass up for grabs. All that for just $5.00

The beverages were provided by JTE Spirits who served an interesting cognac and a mix of wine and cognac that we delicious. JTE Spirits is an African American distributor. The buffet was prepared by the chef magic of Kazan who donated her services to this humble endeavor. Rod Patrick Risbrook was our videographer for the evening. We will posting clips on You Tube soon. Check out all of our sponsors for the raffle here.

The night after was the homegoing celebration for Kevin G. Mason who was a well loved member of the community. I was asked to produce the services and the wake and tried to make sure he had a tribute that reflected the man. The services will posted on You Tube soon for all of his friends that didn't even know he passed. Kevin was only 54 and just dropped and passed on in a lobby of a building. Goes to show how fast we can move on. It's best to let the ones you love know your feelings before it is too late. The family refused flowers and requested people send money to the Ali Forney Center in Kevin Mason name. I salute the family for that gesture.


Finally I got to relax last night and stumbled on to the sneek peak of the new Usher CD, Here I Stand. This is one of the best CD's I have heard in years. My brief review of the CD will be posted on an upcoming GBM News edition. Stay tuned.


Stay tune for the next and final Nubian Dreams Lounge on June 29th from 6pm-11pm on Pride Sunday at the Taj Lounge. Mark your calenders.

The Interview and the Miracle

The Alyson Williams interview with John Frazier for GBMNews.com came out today. Read Here. She will be performing a song on the main stage of the Carnival Miracle with the full orchestra during the amazing Christopher Alan Graves show during the Nubian Dreams Cruise. We met Christopher last year when James and I went on the Songmaster Cruise to Panama and Costa Rica. He blew us both away. I have worked Vegas, Atlantic City and Tahoe for years with major superstars in my younger years. We I saw Christopher it reminded me of all the grand productions I worked on. His show was about Sammy Davis and Frank Sinatra complete with old slides and films. It was wonderful. Christopher invited Alyson to perform a number for the whole ship during the Nubian Dreams Cruise. That is one show you don't want to miss.



Check out the Carnival Miracle Casino manager talking about how to win at the casino. Are you excited yet?



If you are looking for a shorter cruise than the Nubian Dreams 8 night cruise you might want to check out the Ebony Pyramid Cruise out of Miami to the Bahamas.

The Nubian Dreams Story Part II

Today was D day for our cabin selections. What that means is that we had to tell the cruise ship how many quests we were going to be hosting and put up a sizable amount of money to back that up. Now that that is done we are happy to say we have reserved a few more cabins to accommodate the latecommers. For those that have not reserved their space on this fantastic voyage there is still time but we only have a few left. We have been promoting this cruise for over 7 months now. Today alone we received 20 inquiries. Don't miss out because you think there will be a cabin waiting for you next month. We doubt it.

The fun part begins for us now. Here is what has been happening.

-The Sun Passes have been selling well boosted by the concert of Alyson Williams, the parties, the land events, our host comedianne Tammy Peay, the seminars and the HBO film festival. The beauty of the islands we will be visiting is breathtaking.

-Nubian Dreams is participating in the Hip Hop in Harlem benefit on Wednesday, May 21. Along with author Terrance Dean and the N Boutique we will be raising funds for the Ali Forney Center that provides shelter for homeless LGBT youth. To request an invitation please contact maito:rsvp@nubiandreams.com and leave your full name and we will accommodate you if possible.

-HBO has selected two films for the festival but we are still seeking one more independent film to show on board. If you are a filmmaker and would like to be considered please send your weblink or info to info@nubiandreams.com

- We are planning the final Nubian Dreams Lounge for 2008. It will be held on Pride Sunday, June 29 at the beautiful Taj Lounge. Save the date. The event is from 6pm-11pm. Get away from the crowd to mingle, network and party with friends from all over. Stay tune to the Nubian Dreams Lounge blog for more details.

So much more to tell you but we will catch up later.

LP & JS

Alyson Williams Preview & More

For full story click to blog

Happy Mother's Day. Celebrating Mother's past & present.

Looking for something special? - visit our new events page.

Here is a sample of what you might find.


"Just Call My Name" singing diva and Nubian Dreams Cruise entertainer Alyson Williams brings a wonderful preview of her show during her Girls Night Out & A Few Good Men series at the beautiful Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar in NYC.

This Tuesday May 13th, Alyson celebrates her birthday with many of her industry friends. Hear Alyson and her celebrity friends turn it out.

Sugar Bar
254 W. 72nd Street, NYC
For Reservations call: 212-579-0222

For more events check out the Events page on the Nubian Dreams Cruise website. Email rsvp@nubiandreams.com for an invitation to the "Hip Hop in Harlem" benefit for Ali Forney Center on Wed. May 21, 2008 in Harlem, NY

It's Still Time to Sail with Nubian Dreams

If you are receiving this blog by email, you might want to read the actual blog for videos. Click here.

Great news! The Nubian Dreams Cruise keeps selling. There is still time to get your cabin. We have a waiting list for the Ocean Balcony (category 8A) and Interior (category 4A). Just pick another available catergory, pay the $400.00 deposit and fill out the registration form and if the 8A or 4A becomes available you will be offered the opportunity to purchase it. We still have Interior (4E category) Ocean View (6A category) and 3 mini-suites left.

Want to save some money? Call our travel agent Veronica(212) 944-2121 x2233 (leave message on weekends) with your credit card or mail you payment made out to JS Marketing Group, LLC to PO Box 2006, NYC, NY 10009-2006

Save the Date - we are planning in invitation only special event on Wednesday, May 21at the fabulous N Harlem New York store. Email us if you would like to attend.

Please check out our events page with information on upcoming events around the country. We try to keep up to date but are always looking to help promote events by our fellow nubians.

Nubian Dreams Announcements
- Alyson Williams weekly Tuesday event at Ashforth & Simpson's "Sugar Bar" in NYC

- Special $50.00 tickets to Laurence Fishburne's "Thurgood" in NYC from Black2Broadway.

- Mel Greenwich has his weekly Jumping Jazz & Classical Music Too! at one fish - two fish - on Sunday's as well as a pre-Mother's day free concert.

- So much more on the events page. Click here for details.