thankful

I don’t know about you…but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

It always has been.

In my opinion, it’s the best holiday.

What could be better than getting together with family around a big meal and giving thanks?

I’ve always used this holiday to take a moment for personal reflection. I use it to reflect on life. I also use it to remember how blessed I truly am. I think sometimes as we go through our lives we tend to forget the little things that have gotten us where we are. The things that have helped mold us into who we are. So today, I’ll do that…

I’m thankful for – an opportunity at life. Each day is a blessing and I get another chance to make it better.

Thankful for – Deion, Kameron, and Brandon. They are three of the best gifts that any man could have

Thankful for – my wife. She stole my heart years ago. She has been everything. She has helped make me a better man

Thankful for- Mom and Dad. They are my role models. I strive to be the parents that they have been.

Thankful for- Damon and Cara. They are the best . I’ve tried my best to be the best big brother that I could for them. I think I’ve done that.

Thankful for – My family. Eham, Mike, Aja, Tammy, and the rest of my cousins. I could name em all but I’d forget somebody. LOL. There’s nuffin like family. My aunts and uncles. They have all been like parents. I feel fortunate to still have them around. (RIP Uncle Sonny…We miss you)

Thankful for- The Crew. There is no stronger bond than a man and his crew. Not many people can say that they’ve been running with the same group of fellaz since elementary school and middle school. The bond shall never be broken

Thankful for- Wilson High School and South Carolina State University. You molded this boy into a man. I will forever than you.

Thankful for- da Boyz from SC State. We did more than just played football for our school. We shed blood, sweat, and tears together. We formed a brother hood tighter than any fraternity. If you cut us, we all bleed Garnet and Blue

Thankful for- Florence, South Carolina. I love my hometown.

Thankful for- My close friends. You’ve always been there. Ride or die.

Thankful for- wisdom, knowledge, and understanding

Thankful for- employment. The job doesn’t make any man but I like mine. And in this day and time, it’s good to be employed

Thankful for- hip hop. Nuff said

Thankful for – love

Thankful for- football. I love it. And it loves me

Thankful for- Norwood Lane/Spaulding Heights. Best neighborhood to grow up in.

Thankful for- the Internet

Thankful for- The 12th Planet. I’ve been doing this blog for 2 yrs. Thank you for reading. Thank you to the friends who I’ve made through this medium. Thank you for those who comment. Thank you for those who never comment but read it.

Thankful for- Bloggers. Y’all are like family. Like my cuzzins who I’ve never met

Thankful for- good food

Thankful for – mixed drinks

Thankful for- Central Dekalb Jaguars (Gold) 6 and under- I love those kids. It was a pleasure coaching that football team.

Thankful for- Wilson High Class of 1991. We’re gonna make it happen. Believe that!

Thankful for – clean air

Thankful for – a beautiful house and cars that will get me around. Material possessions come and go so I don’t put much stock in them. Nevertheless, I am still thankful.

Thankful for- Atlanta, Ga. My adopted hometown. Forever I love Atlanta

Thanful for- Orangeburg, SC. Home of SC State. O’burg made me a man. It also made me appreciate air conditioning.

Thankful for- the ability to reason. It is one of the things that help separate humans from all other animals.

Thankful for- clean water

Thankful for- GOD. It is HIM who awakes me and allows me to be who I am. It is HIM who protects me. It is HIM who is good to me every day of my life. And for that…I am eternally grateful.

teach and learn

When it comes to school, I don't play.

I demand that my sons do well in school.

Mediocrity is not an option.

A few weeks ago, my oldest son, Deion came home with a "C". He's 10yrs old and is in the 5th grade. He's an A student. So, I was NOT happy to see a "C" on his progress report. I realized that he had gotten a C because he had 3 homework assignments that he did not turn in. The strange thing is that he DID the homework. He just didn't turn it in!!!

Huh?

That left me scratching my head. How can you do it but not turn it in?

I happened to be out of town when my wife called me and told me about the grade. I was furious. I told her to put Deion on the phone. My wife tried to tell me to take it easy on him but I wasn't trying to hear her. When Deion got on the phone, I went off! I didn't curse (my sons have never heard me curse) but I let him have it. When he tried to explain, I told him that I didn't want to hear it and I didn't want to talk to him.

Should I have said that? Probably not.

My wife called me the next day and she said that after we got off the phone he cried as if he had gotten the worst spanking in the world. He was hollering! She said that he woke up the next morning and he was crying uncontrollably. She tried to cheer him up but he wouldn't snap out of it. He was hurt. I had no idea. After she told me what happened, I knew that I had to say something. I asked her to give him the phone. She tried but he didn't want to talk. What? He doesn't want to talk?

I told my wife to put the phone in his hand and to FORCE him to talk if she had to. After a few moments, he finally took the phone from her. I began the conversation by apologizing. Apparently, when I told him that I didn't want to talk to him...he thought that meant that his Dad didn't like him anymore...didn't love him like I love his 2 younger brothers.

I quickly reminded him that I DID love him. I reminded him that he was still my "main man". However, I was disappointed in what he had done. There was no excuse for not turning in his work. I reminded him of the many hours that he spends doing his homework and he should have turned the work in as soon as he walked in class. I reminded him that I needed him to be the leader for his brothers. You can't lead if you aren't doing the right things. He said he understood. I told him that I loved him and he said "I love you too, Daddy."

Lesson learned...sometimes words can hit harder than a fist. Always be mindful of what you say and how you say it.

Always remember that kids don't come with instructions. Parenting is a constant work in progress.

Even when you come down on a child, you should always end the conversation with a positive thought or a word of encouragement. It's usually the last thing that they hear...


Holla!!





Also check out a post that I wrote on Sista Sports...http://bit.ly/5PiM7L

off tha dome

random thoughts...

Open toed shoes in the winter time? why?

I wasn't surprised that Bill Beli-cheat went for it on 4th and 2. That's what he does.

I'm convinced that some folks really talk...just to hear themselves talk.

Sarah Pale-lynn was on Oprah? *yawn*.

soooo...now 50 Cent wants to diss Jay Z? it doesn't pay to diss Jay Z? Who's the last dude to effectively diss Jay Z? Game...no. Joe Budden...nope. LL...oh no. Nas...yes...but he later ended up working for Jay Z. That dude is on another level. Period

I always chuckle when I hear sportscasters, when describing a player's injury, that he is "day-to-day". Aint we all day-to-day?

Why do people at work print copies and KNOW when the printer runs out of paper but they wait for YOU to add more paper?

Regina King...Regina King...Regina King

Why do women give out their phone number but don't answer the dude's phone calls???

Oprah is calling it quits? Well, I think she has enough money to retire. She prolly won't need to live off her social security benefits

Just saw the movie 2012. Good movie. It was about the world coming to an end. But why did they have a black president? I chuckled at that.

Scientist say that most boys get most of their intelligence from their mother and not their father. Note to the fellas...don't mess with those dumb chicks. No matter how good they look

Brett Favre...I was wrong

The Jacksons are doing a reality show? *crickets*

Frozen vegetables or canned? I like em in the can

Not sure what this dude ate at breakfast...but it knocked him out!

Sup with people putting their Christmas lights up BEFORE Thanksgiving?

I often wonder why some lesbians go OUT OF THEIR WAY to look like men. Baggy clothes does NOT make you a man.

Wonder how many of y'all will be at those stores at 4am on black friday???

Health care bill...read it

I think...we all get a couple of shots at true love in a lifetime. What do you think?

bling dynasty

Over the years, there have been several dynasties that have ruled the world

Some dynasties have been more popular than others.

But all dynasties must come to an end.

There was one dynasty that recently died...very quietly. Honestly, I wasn't sad to see it die.

The BLING DYNASTY is dead...thanks to this 2 year recession that we've had. I'm glad to see it go. The bling dynasty had a lotta people fooled and confused. People thought that it was here to stay. They were wrong. Too much flossing. I'm not saying that it's not cool to have nice things. I'm not saying that at all. You just have to be more practical about how you spend your money.

Why buy a $50,000 car that you have to park OUTSIDE in your apartment complex? If you spend that much on a car, you should park it INSIDE your house (garage). Why spend that much on a car note when AND rent when you can use that money to own a house?

Why spend a ton of money on clothes? Well...I know that most people shop and buy clothes and feel good while doing it. Most people aren't practical about what they buy. For example, I may be one of Michael Jordan's biggest fans ever. But at age 36 (soon to be 37), why would I spend $200 for a pair of Air Jordans? I don't wear sneakers to work. I only wear sneakers when I go to the gym. And when I go to the gym, I wear a different kind of sneaker. It's the same with jeans. I wear jeans to work but to spend $200 on a pair of jeans that DON'T jump on my legs by themselves...makes no sense. It's just not practical. Can I afford it? Sure I can. But that's not wise spending.

I'm not here to preach to anybody. We just have to be more practical about how and what we spend our money on. I know that there'll be people who'll spend tons of money over the next few weeks on Christmas gifts. Be practical on what you spend money on. Make sure that it has a net tangible benefit. I mean, when you look back at your purchase, you see that you actually gained something in what you bought. Most of us aren't getting a raise at work. Expenses are increasing (has anybody seen how much a box of cereal costs). Incomes are decreasing. It would be asinine to keep spending like you used to do. That makes no sense. Eventually, you're gonna get hit in the pocket.

Remember, the bling dynasty is over.

Good riddance.

laff 101

This is an old video but I crack up EVERY time that I watch it!

You gotta love James...even tho he was drunk.

http://bit.ly/UI3Vq

worldsthinnestbook

Every now and then, I find something funny on Twitter. One day last week, there was a trending topic that I found to be hilarious.

The topic was called #worldsthinnestbook...a sarcastic play on "would-be, short written books."

With hilarious selections like...

Puppy Love by Michael Vick

and

2nd ammendment rights by T.I

I had to join the fray. Here are my creations.

Virgin Chronicles by Madonna

Talent Unlimited by Vanilla Ice

How To Win A Title Without A Star by Phil Jackson

Panty Raid by Tim Tebow and AC Green

Check My Rhyme by Memphis Bleek

Good Hair by Jermaine Jackson

Quiet Storm by Lil John

Straight Talk co authored by Eddie Murphy, Wanda Sykes, and Ellen Degeneres

Keeping Quiet by Joe Wilson

Why I Still Love Bill by Hilary Clinton

Father of the Year by Joe Jackson

My Talent by Souljah Mane and Gucci Boy

Staying Clean by Amy Whitehouse

Mommy Dearest by Brittney Spears

Bulletproof by 50 Cent

Vacation Hideaways by Bin Laden

Safe Sex by Evander Holyfield

Room Service by Kobe Bryant

Marriage Material by Oprah Winfrey

Teen Spirit by RKelly

Thoughts of a Scholar by George W. Bush

Sincere Thoughts by Sarah Palin

How To Catch a Man by Superhead

Let Me Speak to You by Emmitt Smith and Tim Hardaway

Walking Away by Brett Favre

Through My Eyes by Stevie Wonder

This is Why I'm Hot by Khloe Kardashian

I've Got Something to Say by OJ Simpson

The Art of a Deal by Bernie Madoff

The Mack in Me by Flavor Flav

Just Say No by Roger Clemmens

The Value of a Dollar by Adam "Pacman" Jones

16 Bars by Amil

Champion by Patrick Ewing

How I Became a Great Intern by Monica Lewinsky

UnLiKeAbLe

We said that 2009 would be the year of CHANGE.

CHANGE is definitely needed.

I'm proposing a new CHANGE.

One of the great things about hip hop and it's lingo is that is forever changing. I propose that we make a change. A few years, the hip hop world adopted the word HATER. We took the word and ran with it. We could immediately identify a HATER (short for playa hater). There's no need for me to define HATER because we all know what it means. We all know HATERS. Or do we?

I propose that we change the word from HATER to the word UNLIKEABLE.

For example, I heard a female say that she didn't think that Beyonce could sing. People immediately labeled her a HATER. Just because she didn't like Beyonce's vocals? HATER? Not so. To her, Beyonce's vocal's are UNLIKEABLE.

Personally, I don't quite a few things/people. For example, I grew up hating the Dallas Cowboys. I don't know any of them personally. To me, they are UNLIKEABLE. I'm not a Kobe Bryant fan. I'm not a HATER. He's UNLIKEABLE to me. I don't know him personally. From afar, he seems to be very aloof and arrogant. Would I have a drink with him? Nope. I've been labeled a Kobe HATER. Not true. He's just UNLIKEABLE to me.

I'm a Yankees fan. If you're a Red Sox fan, I don't expect you to be happy that we just won a title. You're not a HATER. The Yankees and your view is UNLIKEABLE. And it's ok.

It's the same in your personal life. Ladies...if you don't like your co-workers mini-skirt...don't HATE...just say it's UNLIKEABLE. LOL. Got it?

It's ok NOT to like something. You feel me?

Though some of that shit y'all pop true it, I ain't relating. If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean that I'm hating - Common (6th Sense)

do remember!

Do remember!

Do remember the first time that you heard about him!

Maybe it was when you heard that he was the star quarterback at Bethel High in Hampton, Va who led the team to the state championship as a junior? He was an all state basketball player AND football player. In fact, many people went as far to say that he was better at football than he was at basketball. Maybe you heard that he was involved in an altercation at a bowling alley during his senior year. The fight was between black kids and white kids. During the fight, he allegedly struck a woman in the head with a chair. He, along with 3 of his friends who were also black, were the only ones who were arrested. He served 4 months in jail before being granted clemency by then Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder.

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Maybe you saw him explode on the college basketball scene at Georgetown University under the legendary coach John Thompson? For two years, he dominated foes on the basketball court. He was the Defensive Player of the Year twice in the Big East Conference and he was Georgetown's all time leader in career scoring average (23 points per game). He led Georgetown to the NCAA Tournament both years. He was the first overall draft pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 NBA Draft.

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Maybe you saw his "killer" crossover dribble? Isolation at the top of the key with the ball in his hands. Standing in front of him was Michael Jordan. The greatest player to ever play the game. He dribbles left...dribbles right. Pause. Dribbles left...dribbles right and causes Jordan to stumble. He fools Jordan and makes him look silly. The move is called an "ankle breaker". To make matters worse, he hits the jump shot in Jordan's face. SWISH. Two points and an instant highlight reel. He was not gonna back down to his basketball idol. He was gonna show him. He did! Peep the video...

http://bit.ly/DOEPW

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Maybe you saw him win the 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year Award? He out shined the guys other guys from his draft class...(Marcus Camby, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic, Steve Nash, and Jermaine O'Neal). He showed up to receive his award dressed in a sweat suit with a doo rag and a baseball cap. He set the NBA on fire with his speed and quickness. He had the uncanny ability to score at will. He was listed as being 6 foot 1 but he's probably closer to 5-10 and 175 pounds soaking wet. Despite being small, he was able to dominate a big mans game.

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Maybe you saw him with the tattoos and the cornrows? He had a few run-ins with the police. He had more than a few run-ins with his coaches. He had a love/hate...then love again relationship with Sixers head coach Larry Brown. He showed up to the games dressed like a rap star. Baggy jeans, Timberlands, baseball caps, jerseys. You'd never catch him in a suit. You heard him go on a tirade about "practice". You saw him get killed in the media because he didn't play by their rules. You saw him be worshipped by millions of kids who looked up to him. A lot of these kids loved him because he was a poster boy for "keeping it real." Loved. Hated. Very misunderstood.

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Maybe you saw him lead his 76er team to the NBA Finals? He won scoring titles, made numerous All-Star teams, named All-Star Game MVP. He took a team of scrubs to the NBA Finals only to lose to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. He still averaged 31 points a game, including 48 points in the 1st game victory. He grew and matured before our eyes. He became a father. He became a husband. He became a better teammate. He gave his best every night that he hit the floor

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Maybe you saw him get traded from Philadelphia to Denver. Then traded from Denver to Detroit. This past summer he signed a contract to play with the woeful Memphis Grizzlies. He wants to keep being the dominant scorer that he used to be. However, Memphis feels the need to develop it's young talent and they would be much better suited with him coming off the bench. He doesn't want to. The team has granted him a "leave to sort out a personal family matter." Word on the street is that he is mulling retirement. Retirement for the dude nicknamed The Answer? No, not BubbaChuck. Is it his time to go? Not sure. No other NBA teams wanted him except one of the worst teams in the league. He's not satisfied with his role as a bench player. Is this the end of the road. If it is, remember what you've seen from him over his career. The good and the bad. Remember how he played the game...as if it was his last.

Do remember, Allen Iverson!

Do remember!

Do remember!

Do remember!

igottastory2tell

It was coming and you could see it

Hell...Stevie Wonder could have seen it.

Vulnerability can easily be sniffed out. Especially by a member of the opposite sex.

On the surface, it appears that Rachel had it all. She was a successful rising attorney. She was a wife (12yrs) and a mother of 4. Her career was blossoming. She had plenty of money in the bank. She was in good health. And she was a pleasure to look at. To say that she was an "eye catcher", it would be an understatement. She was a stunna. But there was something missing. Rachel and Jalen's 12 year marriage was falling apart.

She had grown tired of being treated like a second class citizen by Jalen. Over the past few years, he had become verbally abusive to her. Their loving relationship had turned to a relationship that she could no longer recognize. She wasn't sure when things had gone wrong. Was it the time that Jalen punched her in the face...despite her being 8 months pregnant with their 4th child? Was it the time she found out that he was secretly talking to another woman behind her back? She could never confirm if he was cheating but her heart was broken. Nonetheless, things were different between them.

One day while at work, Rachel was asked to serve on a new government program. She felt honored to do it. The only drawback to being involved with the project is that she'd have to leave New York City and work in Washington, DC for 3 weeks. She didn't think it'd be a problem. She didn't want to be away from her kids but she knew that she needed to be away from Jalen. Her older sister lives in DC and she hadn't seen her in about a year so she looked forward to the trip. When she got to work, she met another team of attorneys. Everybody seemed to be cool. Except one guy. His name was Amir. She didn't know what it was but there was something about him that she DIDN'T like. After a day of working with Amir, she found him to be arrogant and self centered. Amir thought Rachel was cute but he wasn't feeling her at first. He knew that she was married. He wasn't...but he wasn't going to pay her any attention.

One day after work, Amir asked Rachel if she wanted to grab a bite to eat after work. She wanted to say no because they had worked for 15 hrs that day. She just wanted to go back to her hotel and go to sleep. But she needed to eat so she said yes. They went to dinner and saw a different side of Amir. He was charming, caring, and very intelligent. She liked how he hung onto her every word. She liked how he opened the door for her and pulled her chair out for her before they sat down. They had a great conversation over dinner. After dinner, Amir asked Rachel if she would go to a salsa club with him. She immediately said yes because she didn't want the night to end. They danced the night away. She didn't return to her hotel until 3 am. She had a ball. For the next week, she spent every night with Amir. They were really enjoying each other's company. She felt a connection. Amir was so different from her husband. He treated her like a queen. She was feeling him. And he was feeling her. Then...it happened.

They slept together.

It happened just before their work on the new program was over. While they both knew that they were wrong, neither could deny the passion that they shared. They were inseparable after that. Amir, who was already in a relationship, was really into Rachel. They were always together. Even when she left and went back to New York, he would come to New York to see her. And she would come to DC to see him. Their sexual relationship continued. It continued for the next 9 months. Amir had a girlfriend. Rachel knew that. However, he neglected to tell her that she was pregnant. When she found out, she was disappointed but she kept seeing him. They would spend hours on the phone. They would spend weekends together because she would tell her husband that her sister was sick and she needed to go to DC for the weekend. In a way, both Amir and Rachel were committed to each other despite being in committed relationships.

Rachel and Jalen's marriage was falling apart. She decided to come clean and tell him about the affair. When she broke the news, Jalen was devastated. He could not believe that his wife of 12 years was cheating. He was furious. He grabbed her Blackberry and found Amir's phone number. He also found text messages and emails. He called Amir and told him to stay away from his wife. He didn't stop there. He found the name of Amir's girlfriend and eventually found her cell phone number. He called her and told her EVERYTHING that happened. She was devastated. She was 8 months pregnant at the time. She couldn't deal with the stress. She wanted to kick Amir out of their apartment but she couldn't. Amir confessed his love for Rachel to her. Amir had told Rachel that he loved her and wanted to be with her...but he didn't tell his girlfriend that.

Rachel called Amir's girlfriend, Valerie. Valerie told her that she also found that Amir was seeing some other female who lived in Richmond, Va. In a strange twist, Rachel felt betrayed. She had planned to dissolve her marriage and move forward with a future with Amir. She couldn't. She said that Amir wasn't honest with her and she could never trust him. Amir tried hard to show Rachel that he loved her despite the fact that he had a child on the way with Valerie. In Rachel's mind, it was too late. She tried to reconcile with her husband, Jalen. She asked for his forgiveness and tried to show him that his actions led to her infidelity. Too late...

Rachel found out that she was PREGNANT with Amir's baby! She knew that it was Amir's child because she had not slept with Jalen for months. She had to tell Jalen. She could not keep the secret from him. Jalen was furious. He grabbed his 9mm handgun and locked himself in the bathroom. She thought that he was gonna kill himself. The news didn't go over well with Amir when she told him. He asked her to get an abortion. She said that she couldn't. She wouldn't. She was determined to reconcile (if she could) with her husband.

Her husband is not in favor of reconciliation. He has not asked her to terminate the pregnancy nor does he support her efforts in the pregnancy. Amir's girlfriend gave birth to a son. They are still together but she doesn't trust him. Meanwhile, Rachel STILL doesn't know what she wants. She loves her husband and she loves Amir. She's 9 weeks pregnant and she's confused as to what she should do.

She asked me what I thought. All I could do was shake my head and reply..."Maybe you could make this a movie b/c if I didn't know you, I wouldn't believe this story.

this is a true story...the names have been changed to protect the innocent