FratMusicWorkEtc

So everything has been going ok this week, already on that humpday. To start off the week, it was Happy Founders Day to my frat of Phi Beta Sigma Frat Inc, The Frat of leaders, difference makers, game changers, & history makers. Over 7 years in the frat & it still one of the best life decisions Ive ever made. If you dont understand how our frat rolls, check us out: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

Speaking of facebook, this morning, I saw a request on there about my high school trying to get an alumni football team together. Meaning the whole 9; pads, helmets, and high school rules. So far I heard the nearby schools (Lakeside & Lake Hamilton) are also getting teams together, so Im debating it. I was a linebacker in high school yet if I plan to go out there, could coach have me play some safety because Im still short but I still steady working out.

But on Monday as well, I gotten an interesting job. My boss pulled me aside & she wants me to teach a session in Foreclosure Prevention next weekend during the next homeowners workshop. Im reading up a lot on the subject & planning to get some full stuff reading & studying this week & all this coming weekend. Even trying to do a slide presentation & might make my own handouts.

As Im tying this, Im banging that new Rick Ross - Rich Forever, I wanted to check it out, I know Im a jazz person, but with a mixtape to gain over 500K downloads in a couple of days, I'll try to check it out. Saw the track list, he got some allstars on this: Diddy, Wale, John Legend, Nas, Kelly Rowland, Styles P, Drake, & a few others. But on mixtapes, Almost every monring Im banging that Ludacris 1.21 Gigawatts, waiting on his new album to come out.

But my closing thing as well: Whether or not if you are in a frat, sorority, or just an individual, what are YOU doing to make you community better?? Think about it.

Happy New Years

I know, I know, I know.............

Happy New Years from me & my family. Been a good year so far, just started this year off running. So at work I have been getting stuff ready for 2012. Now involved w/ writing a grant to help out w/ my job & also getting ready to help out w/ another homeownership class for the month of January, I thought we wasnt gonna have a class in January, but there have been a few people want the class because they are about to close on some homes. Also helping w/ planning a Meet & Greet in February for our company & a few of the city officials.

So just reflecting on 2011, I know I have dealt w/ some losses, yet I notice that there have been some more structure on my life. Going from 2010 to 2011, all I really cared for was that I was getting a shot at moving to Tampa/St. Pete in January so I can fully start over, but things somehow fell apart & I had to deal w/ some stuff in Arkansas. During this year, I ended up losing 2 uncles (one on each side of the family), my great-grandmother, my cousin in a car wreck, and my grandmother that lived w/ me while I was in high school. But there somehow been a gain in our family; got to meet my grandfather for the first time in 10+ years, saw him in March for my great-grandmother's funeral. So me, my mom, & my sister been getting closer to him & his family (found out I also had 2 aunts I didnt know about) & we even got to go to Houston in August.

But also in work & in life, it seem like things are coming together. Now w/ my job, Im taking on more responsibilities, including handling more of educating customers & the develoment of our program. I even took on a 2nd job for a few months during the summer at a theme park to get me some extra dollars for Christmas. But just thinking about it, this is the first calendar year since 2000? that I have not step foot in Memphis an entire calendar year. I also saw what it means to have meaningful friends, somehow felt I was having a smaller circle of friends, yet they all are positive people. Now I thought I was not gonna be dating anymore, yet had some close calls where I might be near that time. I remember earlier this year when some girl 3 years older than me hit on me (Later found out that she was a mother & she had a bad rep w/ some people, basically looking for a guy to “save” her). I back to where Im social w/ females more & even talking to one over the phone everyday. But now I see that God want me to get back out there & make sure I make the right decisions. But with everything, just gotta pray for guidance.

My plans for 2012: Feed off the successes I had from the 2nd half of 2011 & create more structure in life & continue to learn to be that better man. Me & my mom are bumping heads less often yet I hope we get better w/ being around each other. I want to do more traveling in 2012, thought about going to London for the Olympics yet still have to get my passport. I also want to look into moving, my neighbor's son had me fix my resume, he spent about $600 just to fix his & he giving me pointers, so there are at least 150 new resumes hitting companies this week alone. Im also looking to buy a new gaming season, havent really had a working on since mid-August. But basically whatever God has for me, I'll be ready for it.

Deuces & holla at cha boi...............

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You are NOT the father, yet you still gonna pay for it

So the other day, I was going over some Youtube videos and I came up on this one:






I really think this is a messed up situation, having the court make you pay for a child that not yours. 2 Things come to mind:

1) The women involved. Would a woman really want to take child support from a man that is NOT the father of the child in question?

2) The Biological Father. Where is this guy?? How would he feel about another man taking care of his child? Does he know he has a child with this woman?

But is this a way for the governing system to save money on public assistance? I know that a man has to be there to take care of his child, but have we been desperate enough in our country to where we will pin the responsibility on other men? Just some random thoughts………….

Over the Time

So I know I have been busy w/ some stuff. That last blog I did about the Homeowners Workshop, Im helping to do one this weekend, just now Im having my hand in more stuff.

Didn’t say much about Thanksgiving but it was interesting. In all, I think I went down to Texarkana a day too early. Or I should have stayed at a hotel. Got there Tuesday morning, I was moving furniture, helping cooking, & running errands. Mom & sis didn’t come down because of work & my sis wanted to spend the holiday w/ the boyfriend. So Wednesday morning, my aunt wanted me to go from sleeping on the bed to sleeping on the couch. I was on the bed Tuesday, then Wednesday, she changed the sheets & pillows so her daughter & her boyfriend could have the bed. Thursday was a good day, The Cowboys & Texas Longhorns both won that day, yet Friday went downhill. My aunt who wanted me to do all that stuff for her, left out early that morning & didn’t even wake me up to say goodbye. Me & my cousins watch Ark vs. LSU that day, only to see LSU blow out Ark. We had so many people in for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday night, we didn’t have any food leftover for the next night so we bought our own food. Also, we were supposed to have went to this club in Shreveport, yet we couldn’t because we didn’t have a designated driver. Everyone basically left on Saturday, so I left on Saturday. Overall, it was a cool feeling, but I still need to shake that feeling that Im getting treated differently from the others, like Im still being treated like a child even when I show that respect & have accomplished things in my life.

But back to my job, my sup was happy with what I did in the last presentation, so she has me doing more stuff. This weekend I had to redo the brochure for the presentation, also this week gonna be busy because people gonna want a slot for this presentation, especially those that want to become homeowners. Also today, Im having to look over some stuff to possibly submit a grant proposal for 2012. But the good thing is that I have deeper experience & if I really do stick in Ark for 2012, I’ll be fully in training to become a financial coach rather than just an assistant.

But let me leave you all w/ something for the start of the week:

Saving & Doing what you have to do

So the weekend was good & it was business (and more) as usual. Been doing both work & some community service. My sis is doing well, have her 2nd basketball game coming up on Monday. So for Thanksgiving, Im going to Texarkana w/ the family, want to actually go back to the city w/o having to deal w/ death this time. I was planning to go to New Orleans for the classic first, but my cousin who stays in Baton Rouge says she wanted to meet up in Texarkana saying we have a “tradition” we have every year. My aunt & uncle are already in Texarkana, Im trying to get my paid days off so I can make it there Tuesday morning.

So on Saturday, I got to help out w/ a Homeowner workshop for people that were interested in buying a home for themselves. Ive been working w/ this woman who works at a Housing Department, been helping her set up her presentation most of last week. She have been trying to recruit me to be a financial consultant/coach, to try & help people bring their credit scores up & make sure they are able to put themselves on the right budget. But when I saw the presentation as it was presented, I learned a few things. I learned that you really do have to learn to save your money. Also, make sure you know your resources. For each person that completed this class this past weekend, they have gotten a certificate of completion. When they show that certain certificate & if they have that right credit score, they are able to get a soft loan to cover both the down payment & closing costs of up to $10,000, and if they live in their house for 5 years, they don’t have to pay off that loan. But also there were 18 people in this class, and of that 18, there were 6 black people, all women. Talked to the trainer, she told me that not many black men in my age bracket are looking to buying houses because we are comfortable where we are. So for myself, I know I got work to do, but I want to make adjustments to myself to try to own a home in the next few years.

(Written on last week, edited a bit)VVV

So the Saturday before, I ended up going to a friend’s house and we kicked it a bit, and also got to head downtown. This is a friend that I once worked w/ at my 2nd job. Flashback to Monday, during lunch, I picked up my check from my 2nd job & I ran into my homie. He showed me his check, it really wasn’t much because the government took half of his check for child support. Back to Saturday night, I talked to homie & he said he was gonna go out on Tuesday to buy the new Assassin’s Creed (Its for xbox 360 so its around $50-60). But the last check he gotten from that job was his last one, that only job was seasonal. But then what he tells me is that his daughter is coming in Thanksgiving weekend to see him.

I understand that we are in hard times, yet if you not making those necessary steps to improving yourself, you could be the blame for you in certain situations. I think that some of us just don’t put our needs in front of our wants. Its that we avoid what we NEED to do. Like my homie did, he knew there were things that needed to be done, yet he putting things on hold just for a video game, and from what I heard, he had a bitch-fit because he didn’t go get the game on that day it came out. But if you gonna try to improve your situation, know what your priorities are.


But I hope everyone has a great Holiday & drive carefully

Drew Brees' Coming Back Stronger (quotes)

I just finished reading Coming Back Stronger & I liked the book. If you dont know who Drew Brees is, he presently is the starting QB for the New Orleans Saints. Years ago, he had played for the San Diego Chargers, but suffered a season ending injury. He was supposed to have been the future of that franchise but it got to where people were saying he was never gonna throw a football ever again because of that injury. Instead of signing back w/ his team, who because of the injury wanted him to become a backup, he ended up going through a harsh rehab & signs w/ the Saints, a city at that time going through a rebuilding process because of Katrina. Four years later, Brees wins a championship w/ the Saints. But what you learn from this book is that sometimes when we go through certain things in life, there are gonna be times where people count us out, but will YOU count yourself out or work harder to comeback?? Here are some interesting quotes from the book that I loke & thought they were key:


"It is the fear of failure that drives you, but it is visualizing sucess that gives you the positive mind-set & confidence to feel like you can accomplish anything" - D. Brees

"One of the worst things you can do when you've been laid low is to try to come back too quickly. You have to see the truth about your situation & accept it in order to heal right & then return stronger. You need to learn the lessons while you're still down in order to put yourself in the position to make a comeback" - D. Brees

"Trust is the cornerstone of every meaningful relationship" - Marty Schottenheimer

"The most important game of the season is always the next one" - D. Brees

The worst thing that could happen in life is not getting knocked down; its getting knocked down & then staying down

Commitment is when you refuse to give yourself an excuse

The greatest opportunities in life are the ones that test us the most