I've been in the market for a new set of wheels for the last few weeks. Truth be told, I have no intention of buying anything until the begining of next year... but after a long, stressful week, it's nice to check out the available options. I want something rare, fast and with four doors (Maseratti Quattroporte?). Then, just when I though that I had seen all of the most beautiful vehicles that humans could make, Lamborhini used the Paris Auto Show to unleash it's 2013 Estoque... wow.

Jokes about cancer, adultery, gay stereotypes and sex with mental patients. Yesterday's long awaited Curb Your Enthusiasm season premiere showcased a decidedly darker and edgier tone than usual. Thankfully, it worked.

I don't consider myself a TV critic, nor is this a TV blog. So, I won't harp on this for too long. But, after 2 years of waiting for new episodes, how could I not share my excitement?

If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon (or worse yet, haven't forked over the extra 40 bucks for HBO), now is the time. If last night's season premiere is any indication, season seven of Larry David's Curb is set to be one of the best to date. Did I mention that the entire "Seinfeld" cast will be making guest appearances this season?

Go buy a TiVo and set it.

Cheers,

-JM

You know that old saying "when it rains it pours?" Well, it has been ringing true for me this past week.

I have been getting quite a few emails asking where I have been. No blog posts? No Tweets? No Facebook? No Myspace? Nothing? Unless you are in my immediate family (or work for me) chances are you haven't heard much from me in the last few days. So, I will use this post as a platform to address the million dollar question: "Where have you been??"

DISCLAIMER: This story involves no death, disease or divorce. Just a string of expensive, obnoxious and irritating annoyances.

Here's the abridged version of the story:

I come home at about 12 am the other night and decide to do a quick load of laundry before I hit the sheets. My washer and dryer are in my garage, so I put on my sneakers and head down the steps. When my foot hits the ground in the garage...SPLASH! My garage is totally flooded. After some searching, I noticed that my hot water heater had busted and was streaming water all over the place. This was just the beginning ofof my string of bad luck.

Eventually, I got everything cleaned up and got a plumber to come out and replace the water heater. Just as the guy gets there to replace it, the power goes out (that means no AC in the 98 degree Virginia summer). Once the power company came out and fixed the power, I realized that my laptop wouldn't come back on. So, after heading to BestBuy (who told me my warranty expired one month ago), I spend all day trying to get it repaired. It couldn't be. My laptop has breathed it's final breath at the ripe old age of one year. I did the only thing I could: I grabbed my backup data and headed to the Manselle Media offices only to find out that our network has just crashed. Believe it or not, that's not the end of the story, but, I have satisfied my need to boo hoo like a baby. So, I will end this post here. Long story short, everything is back to where it needs to be (except my poor laptop).

We all have days/weeks/months/years like these. Sometimes it really feels like fate is out to get you. Like the world is testing you. But, those are the times when we need to find that inner strength and say "Fate, you will not defeat me." After all, your ancestors endured the likes of slavery, genocide, the holocaust, plague, famine and every disadvantage imaginable. But, somehow they got through it. The human spirit is a funny thing. No matter what the world throws at you, you always have two options: defeat it, or let it defeat you.

-JM

Greetings Readers,

Welcome to Life is Nothing Without Style. This blog is something that I have considered starting for a long time. If you are reading this post, I presume this is your first visit to my little corner of cyberspace. If so, here's some background on me, this blog and the perspective that you should expect to find here...

Who is Jai Manselle?

I'm a Virginia based entreprenuer. I run a brand development firm called Manselle Media. I also work as a consultant and own or co-own a number of other companies. For years I worked as a full time music producer and I still love the craft.

What is this blog about?

Look at this blog as a view of the world from my perspective.

Why the name, Life is Nothing Without Style?

Life is Nothing Without Style is a trademarked slogan that we have used at Manselle Media for a few years now. It is a loose refrence to the idea that every great brand is based in "lifestyle."

That's all for today. Stay tuned.

Cheers,

-JM