This was amazing. Don't ask me why I got the sudden urge to look into tourettes syndrome. I don't have it and I don't know anybody with it, but I found this success story truly remarkable. What really caught my attention was when he began talking about how hopeless he felt about life while he was dealing with his muscle tics and was even pessimistic about the treatment that he was about to get. He followed that statement with the fact that he now has great aspirations, high hopes, and lofty goals. He said he feels something like an infant with so many things to explore and not enough time in the day. It touched me a lil bit after thinking about the time we waste doing frivolous things and the moments where we start to feel bad about ourselves or become depressed when really we have so much to be thankful for and so much that we can achieve if we just take a moment to rid ourselves of doubt and choose instead to focus. At any rate, peep the video.
The Republican jobs plan
Saw this on AJC.com and figured I'd share... I wonder how many Republics actually have this exact motive? Hmmm... It DOES seem plausible but there is no way any of them will ever confess to us that they think this way.
Grinding...
Now the REAL question is... how do the BLACK girls and guys feel about this? No African American teenagers were allowed to speak in this video... I have questions...
Warren Buffet speaks against lower taxes for billionaires
Finally, a rich person with some common sense and some heart. Warren Buffet speaks out about how the people in this country need to wake up and see that cutting taxes on the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans isn't going to create jobs or spur investment; a rich investor will invest no matter what the tax rate. He also said that there is no reason he should be paying "a lower tax rate than my secretary". He suggest that there should be 2 additional tax brackets: one for those who make over a million and those who make over 10 million. Sounds like a good idea to me...
I say if you can afford to pay more, then you should. If they can't come up with a fair system then just make everybody pay the same rate across the board. Greedy people will always find a way around the system to create a higher bottom line for themselves. And while on one side, they work hard for their money and deserve most of it, there is no reason for them to get a higher percentage of their income to play with when the people on the bottom of the totem pole have to dance on a pole to get gas money and a loaf of bread.
The guy in the video below speaks on how cutting taxes for the wealthy in our nation has led to calamity more than it has lead to prosperity. Seems like our "scholars" in Washington would recognize that, if the foundation crumbles, the entire house will collapse with it. But instead, people are more concerned about pushing their political agendas than saving the entire nation... all for the sake of getting their hands greased and keeping a few extra dimes in their pockets. Hopefully, somebody somewhere will listen to Warren and make some changes to their personal philosophies so that 90% of our population can move from "struggling" to being "relatively comfortable." We will see...
I say if you can afford to pay more, then you should. If they can't come up with a fair system then just make everybody pay the same rate across the board. Greedy people will always find a way around the system to create a higher bottom line for themselves. And while on one side, they work hard for their money and deserve most of it, there is no reason for them to get a higher percentage of their income to play with when the people on the bottom of the totem pole have to dance on a pole to get gas money and a loaf of bread.
The guy in the video below speaks on how cutting taxes for the wealthy in our nation has led to calamity more than it has lead to prosperity. Seems like our "scholars" in Washington would recognize that, if the foundation crumbles, the entire house will collapse with it. But instead, people are more concerned about pushing their political agendas than saving the entire nation... all for the sake of getting their hands greased and keeping a few extra dimes in their pockets. Hopefully, somebody somewhere will listen to Warren and make some changes to their personal philosophies so that 90% of our population can move from "struggling" to being "relatively comfortable." We will see...
Killer YoYo-ing
Maybe its just me but, I thought this guy was AMAZING! It ain't gone thrill everybody, but ANYBODY whose ever tried to yoyo before knows that the stuff this fella does is no easy task... Check him out.
Sand Castles
I sat down and watched this lil video on yahoo and, at the very end, one of the fellas said something that caught my attention. He said "Its a dream job!" Then he kinda chuckled - seemingly coming from the simple joy he gets from sculpting sand for a living... First question: How can this be a job? You're in a public place, on a beach, doing a form of art that cant be sold in many places - art that only last as long as the weather holds up and free running kids dont accidently tackle your masterpiece. Moving on to our second question: How can I apply? I promise this would be an awesome job! You have a PAID excuse to be at a hotel on a beach all the time making art with sand. Setting your own hours + sand castles + enough money to live comfortably = win.
On another note, it sounds like these guys were pretty successful financially before they started this venture. I imagine that "old" money is being used to help them make new money and allowing them to live out their dreams now. I applaud them and their good works.
On another note, it sounds like these guys were pretty successful financially before they started this venture. I imagine that "old" money is being used to help them make new money and allowing them to live out their dreams now. I applaud them and their good works.
The guy in the SmartCar
Headed into work, I saw this rather large, older guy in a SmartCar and I began to ask myself some questions... The first question I asked myself is "Where is the trunk? I couldn't carry anything in that." I immediately followed that up with "Why did this huge guy buy this car that's about the size of his t-shirt?" And then I asked myself a real question: "If a younger black man showed up to his date's house in that car, how long would it be before the thought 'Oh H*LL naw!' popped into her head?" Not that she would say it, but the thought would probably happen.
True enough, its good on gas and it gets the job done by safely transporting a person or two from one area to another... but I wonder how many women of color would look at this fact and say "Now, there's a man who is financially and environmentally conscious. I think he will be a good father to my kids..." (kids who, by the way, couldn't fit in the car as it has no back seat)? It would be different if the cars were attractive, but they aren't. I know there are women out there who really care about the environment and stuff, so the car could possibly earn some cool points in certain crowds, but I can't honestly say I know a lot of them who wouldn't pay just as much attention to the guy in the hybrid Honda - which has a trunk AND a back seat.
In all honesty, there's nothing wrong with the SmartCar. But something about a man choosing it when they can afford other, possibly just as efficient, cars just screams "I'm single, I have no kids under the age of 30, and I want to stay that way..." I couldn't do it...
I'm just rambling tho... Enjoy your day! *straps on helmet and rolls off into the sunset on a Segway*
Never too late...
Meet Ida Keeling - the fastest 95 year old on the planet. She inspired me. Not because she was so blazing fast, but because of the underlying message in the video: You're never too old to get started... But you do have to start if you wanna finish.
On another note, the lady who tried to swim to Cuba didn't make it. The conditions got too bad and she had to call it quits about half way through. Nevertheless, I applaud her efforts for even having the heart to get out there and try.
On another note, the lady who tried to swim to Cuba didn't make it. The conditions got too bad and she had to call it quits about half way through. Nevertheless, I applaud her efforts for even having the heart to get out there and try.
The "End of Days" Stranger
A stranger talked to my sister the other a few weeks ago and professed that the prophesied time known simply as "the end days" are actually upon us... The economy was reset on 9/11. This debt issue, which ultimately led to a downgrade in our country's credit score, is further giving our nation an excuse to increase the tax rate on EVERYTHING - making a comfortable life even more difficult to obtain than it already is. He said that an economic collapse would occur in about 6 months - putting the ETA for calamity around January. This calamity would lead to the system that incorporates "the mark of the beast" that would hold all of our information and allow us get food and stuff. (Sidenote: there are some groups that believe "the mark" is already amongst us in the form of the QR Code, which IS everywhere and has been incorporated into our daily lives through the barcode readers on these new smart phones. Further, while looking into this I found this article, which gives a completely different point of view...) He noted that Obama wouldnt be re-elected and would be replaced with someone who would further facilitate the "tribulation".
Could this be true? The stars are lining up.... It would be sad to see the first black family in the white house be used as just a pawn in a grand scheme only to be forgotten in the history books or remembered as failures. Nations are crashing. Greece, Ireland, and Portugal seeking large bailouts; Spain and Italy are trying not to be next on the list. And now we have America, the land of opportunity, in financial bondage; being controlled by someone's opinion based on what they THINK may POSSIBLY happen.
Meanwhile, Obama continues to preach hope... Faith. And while most of Obama's words fall on the deaf ears of the people who have abandoned him and deemed his efforts to achieve anything against a Republican house (that won't let him pass gas) as futile while becoming hostile and angry, as a Christian, I can't worry about it. I'll prepare to the best of my ability and I firmly believe that God will provide where I fall short.
Considering what the stranger said, if its true, this would be the ideal time for a deadly alliance of a few nations to be created. If a collapse happens as he has predicted, struggling people will be in search of any aid they can get... Even if it means getting the mark...
The Sedan Bugatti - 16 C Galibier
Father in heaven... This car isn't necessarily on my wish list, but if you did decide to bless me and my future family with this $1.4 million, 800 hp, hybrid, family sized sedan with the matching luggage... I promise to stunt in Your name.
Put on a happy face
A while ago I posted a video that detailed habits of millionaires that made them successful. One of the habits that really stuck in my mind was their ability to rebound from defeat. It's somethin that I really use to struggle with. In the past, if somethin that I was solely responsible for didn't go according to plan and I suffered an embarrassing defeat, it took me MUCH longer than it should have to rebound - often re-living and analyzing every detail in my head and thinking of things that I could have and SHOULD have done better instead of re-focusing that same energy towards getting up and trying again.
Looking back at the year 2010, which I consider to be one of the most difficult years of my short life, and examining how my thought process is now, I can see that I have completely transformed my way of thinking from the way that I use to think when I was younger. I did so by realizing the following few things:
1. There will be a better opportunity in the future - hindsight is 20/20. After you've lived for a while, you'll start to see where history will try to repeat itself. The key here is to use that 20/20 to learn from your errors; don't let them handicap you.
2. Its really not that serious - Nothing matters unless we make it matter. It was only a brief moment in time and, for most situations, as soon as it happened, it was over. Its our own mind that takes that one moment in time, that may have lasted all of 5 minutes, and makes it seem like it lasted an ETERNITY! The sooner you accept the fact that the past has passed, the faster you can begin dealing with the present and building a better future.
3. Praise God for EVERY single victory you get and downplay your temporary defeats - it is IMPERATIVE that a positive disposition be maintained. If you believe you are a loser, you will probably put forth a losers effort and, as a result, obtain loser results. (Thanks to the cousin for that talking point!)
4. It's alright to fail; its not alright to be a failure - to fall and get up is one thing; to fall and stay down is a completely different thing.
5. Laugh at EVERYTHING - anything you find remotely funny needs to be laughed at. Take a moment each day to be silly. Laughter is a cure all for both depression and stress. You see, while you're laughing, your mind is focused solely on whatever it is that is making you laugh. The complex thought processes that are stressing and depressing you can not co-exist with laughter. Thus, the more you laugh, the less time you spend beating yourself up over past failures and the quicker you get back on the path of conquering the world.
I don't have all the answers for every situation; I'm just telling you what helped me. Hopefully it'll help you. In the end, always remember to never let any level of defeat stop you! It's only over when you die... And I've heard stories of people coming back from that so... I guess its never over. Keep smiling!
The Ultimate Spider-Man - Miles Morales
Well, will you dig the heck out of this... As a part of Marvel's comic book line up Ultimate Spiderman, which occurs in an alternate universe where Peter Parker dies, Spider man, one of the most recognizable superhero on the planet, is a black kid from Brooklyn. Axel Alonso, the new editor and chief of Marvel Comics, pulled the trigger... Never thought I'd see the day. I honestly ain't the biggest comic book reader but I can't think of ANY mainstream character of Spiderman's caliber EVER becoming anything CLOSE to black - not Superman, not Batman, not Iron Man, not Captain America. Nobody. Yes, there are black characters in the comic book worlds but this is the first time, in my short life, that I can recall this happening. Check out the video after the jump.
There have been some comic book "purist" already up in arms about this, which is expected, but according to the new editor, many are welcoming it with open arms. Read the full write up here. The Ultimate Spiderman 4 is on stands now!
Old for New
Alright, I'm gonna connect two things that don't have any connection whatsoever so... read the entire post!
You ever heard of the term "old for new"? Its something you might here an older person say when describing how the latest punishment of a person may seem too severe for their most recent wrongdoing; The person is getting heavily punished for all the old stuff they did even though the new "crime" wasn't really that bad. Example: You're 15 years old and you break your 10 o'clock curfew. Your mother comes downstairs and LOOSES CONTROL ON YOU! What you didn't know is that 2 weeks ago, your school had called her cell phone and told her that you have been late to school every day this year... and SHE drops you off... Yeah... She's been holding that in for a while now - Old for new. Example 2: Michael Vick did the "Ron Mexico" stuff, allegedly had weed in his water bottle at the airport, and murdered people on the football field (sorry, I couldn't resist). When he got caught up with the dogfighting ring, rather than getting some rehab and a slap on the wrist like MOST celebs of his caliber would have gotten, he gets prison time. They made sure to make up for the other stuff he should have went down for - Old for new.
Why did I start thinking about this, you ask? I was reading this article about an accused cop killer and, a lil more than half way down the article, they started going into his legal records... He started out by bringing a knife to school at 10 and has been having legal troubles ever since. I said to myself at that point "even if this guy DIDN'T kill the cop, which he more than likely did, he is going DOWN!" But that thought doesn't make sense... If he didn't do the crime, should he be punished for being perceived as a "bad" person? Isn't it possible that he may have changed his life for the better since the last time time he appeared in court?
And then I got to thinking... We do this to people in relationships ALL THE TIME!
Honestly ask yourself this question, if you've been in multiple relationships where lying was the norm, wouldn't that alter how you deal with the new person? Wouldn't you at least watch them with a more careful eye even though they hadn't done anything? Let's get extreme but real at the same time: Is it fair to become suspicious of the new person who chooses to keep their phone locked just because the last person had messages from other people they were "getting to know" when they were currently in a relationship with you? Does the new person get screamed at about taking too long to get home because the last person used "working late on a project" time to cheat? Is the new person automatically accused of lying about wanting to wait a while to get to know you before they allowed you in their home because the last person who didn't invite you over immediately for "late night rendezvous" had another family? Its kinda sad, but we often harshly punish the new person for a new "crime" that they may not even be guilty of because of repeat offenders who have gotten away with old "crimes" that have occurred in our past.
So how do we fix this? How long do we give somebody the benefit of the doubt for all this questionable activity? I say use the number 2 for new people. 2 months is about the time that it takes to differentiate what's a part of a person's every day lifestyle/character and what is just an act of kindness/foolishness done by that person at a particular moment in time. Please understand that learning from your past is ABSOLUTELY necessary; just remember not to allow your past to consume your thought process and, as a result, destroy your future.
You ever heard of the term "old for new"? Its something you might here an older person say when describing how the latest punishment of a person may seem too severe for their most recent wrongdoing; The person is getting heavily punished for all the old stuff they did even though the new "crime" wasn't really that bad. Example: You're 15 years old and you break your 10 o'clock curfew. Your mother comes downstairs and LOOSES CONTROL ON YOU! What you didn't know is that 2 weeks ago, your school had called her cell phone and told her that you have been late to school every day this year... and SHE drops you off... Yeah... She's been holding that in for a while now - Old for new. Example 2: Michael Vick did the "Ron Mexico" stuff, allegedly had weed in his water bottle at the airport, and murdered people on the football field (sorry, I couldn't resist). When he got caught up with the dogfighting ring, rather than getting some rehab and a slap on the wrist like MOST celebs of his caliber would have gotten, he gets prison time. They made sure to make up for the other stuff he should have went down for - Old for new.
Why did I start thinking about this, you ask? I was reading this article about an accused cop killer and, a lil more than half way down the article, they started going into his legal records... He started out by bringing a knife to school at 10 and has been having legal troubles ever since. I said to myself at that point "even if this guy DIDN'T kill the cop, which he more than likely did, he is going DOWN!" But that thought doesn't make sense... If he didn't do the crime, should he be punished for being perceived as a "bad" person? Isn't it possible that he may have changed his life for the better since the last time time he appeared in court?
And then I got to thinking... We do this to people in relationships ALL THE TIME!
Honestly ask yourself this question, if you've been in multiple relationships where lying was the norm, wouldn't that alter how you deal with the new person? Wouldn't you at least watch them with a more careful eye even though they hadn't done anything? Let's get extreme but real at the same time: Is it fair to become suspicious of the new person who chooses to keep their phone locked just because the last person had messages from other people they were "getting to know" when they were currently in a relationship with you? Does the new person get screamed at about taking too long to get home because the last person used "working late on a project" time to cheat? Is the new person automatically accused of lying about wanting to wait a while to get to know you before they allowed you in their home because the last person who didn't invite you over immediately for "late night rendezvous" had another family? Its kinda sad, but we often harshly punish the new person for a new "crime" that they may not even be guilty of because of repeat offenders who have gotten away with old "crimes" that have occurred in our past.
So how do we fix this? How long do we give somebody the benefit of the doubt for all this questionable activity? I say use the number 2 for new people. 2 months is about the time that it takes to differentiate what's a part of a person's every day lifestyle/character and what is just an act of kindness/foolishness done by that person at a particular moment in time. Please understand that learning from your past is ABSOLUTELY necessary; just remember not to allow your past to consume your thought process and, as a result, destroy your future.
Its too HOT!
The first day back to school and the school bus catches on fire... Is this a sign? It's been RIDICULOUSLY HOT this summer! The AC isn't helping. Being naked is inappropriate attire for work. I can't swim... This is all bad. The even scarier thing is that, every time we have an extremely hot summer, our winters tend to be just as brutally cold... And I am definitely NOT looking forward to that. BUT... There is some good news.... Cause I have a plan...
Until that cold front comes, I'm thinkin about changing up the swag completely to keep cool. Its time to introduce what I call "Scottish Deacon Dashiki on the Beach" swag. Might look a lil bit like the picture below, but made out of the softest white linen and worn commando with the Stacey Adams sandals and matching extra thin, sheer church socks.
PLUS
EQUALS
SWAG!!!
(or not...)
Of course I'm being silly, but I'm kinda starting to feel like I know how the world will really end now... No mass catastrophe or anything like that; just a random, unstoppable California wildfire that will spread one summer. Now wouldn't that be crazy? Hopefully no time soon though...
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