in my lifetime

Time flies

It really does...

And just like that...it's over!

As many of you know, I have been working in Minneapolis, Minnesota since last October but still living in Atlanta. Last week, I resigned from my job in Minneapolis to take a job in Atlanta. For the past 10 months, I'd work during the week in 'Sota and fly home on the weekends. Sometimes I'd stay for a 3-4 days and some weekends I'd stay in Minnepolis and work. Nevertheless, I was away from home. It was an adjustment to say the least. Being away from the family was tough but we all adjusted. The wife...gotta thank her for holding it down at taking care of our 3 little men. If the roles were reveresed, I dunno if I could've balanced work, baseball practice (Deion), potty training (Brandon), and running the house. She did a great job!

Believe it or not, it's gonna be hard to leave. The job was a great job. Aside from paying for the expenses and perks, I worked with/for some great people whom I'll never forget. It's rare that you find a "family like" atmosphere at a company...especially within the mortgage industry. But they are some cool people.


1. Weather or not

The winter time is BRUTAL. I've never been THAT cold in my life. It snowed on December 1st and I didn't see the green grass until March 5th. It would snow at LEAST 3 times a week. Despite the snow, the roads are almost always clear. They know how to handle it. After the 6th snow fall, I was tired of seeing the white stuff. The snow isn't the problem...it's the cold. I remember stepping out of my hotel one morning and it was so cold that it hurt to breathe! It was so cold that I tried the spit test (when you spit in the air and it freezes before it hits the ground) and it worked! Despite the days when the wind chill was -20 below...I got used to it. By January, I could step outside and guess the temp without looking at a report. People there don't spend a lotta time outside during the winter. But this is the time of the year is why people live here. Temps in the low 80s with very low humidity. I loved it! I spent plenty of time around Lake Calhoun and Lake Minnetonka (no...I didn't purify myself in it)

2. MOA

I'm not a fan of malls. I hate malls. I can't spend more than an hour in a mall. However, I grew very fond of the MOA (Mall of America). To say this place is HUGE is an understatement. You could literally spend a day in this place. Every store that you can dream of is in here!! And there's an amusement park that puts Six Flags to shame

3. Take care of the Fetus

Electric Fetus is a huge record stord. Yes...I said record store. It's a very eclectic spot that I loved to visit on a weekly basis. The music that you'd find in there fit my eclectic music tastes. It is a place were you could literally play a RECORD for the entire store to hear. Kinda like Darius in the movie Love Jones. I spent a couple of dollars on cds in here. If you ever get to Minneapolis, you've gotta check out the Electric Fetus

4. Let's go outside

The spring and the summer are why people live in the Twin Cities. This April marked the opening of Target Field for the Minnesota Twins. I went to a game to see my team, the New York Yankees, come to town. The people of Minnesota love their baseball team and they love this new state-of-the-art stadium. It is nice!

5. Sometimes you gotta get out

There are many sights and sounds in Minneapolis. You've gotta see for yourself...

6. It ain't me...

I learned that all of what I've done...all of who I am...all of who I'll ever be can only be credited to God. Every day, despite my flaws and mistakes, HE gives me another opportunity to be the man HE wants me to be. And I am eternally grateful.

7. Why you do what you do

Of all the pics that I've taken, this is my favorite. On this day, the wind chill was -15. I thought to myself..."Why is he riding a bike to work?" The answer was simple...he was doing what he had to do to provide for his family. In many ways...we are both alike

I really miss moments like this...

12 Radio

Tune in to this week's edition of 12 Radio.

Topic- Sports Wrap Up - A discussion on random topics in sports...
Paying college athletes, NBA/NFL Labor Agreements, NFL Training Camps, Groupies, and many other topics.

Show starts at 9pm EST.

(347) 215-7162

Show link...

http://bit.ly/cy9asC

freak it

I'ma keep it simple today

Just have a question for you...

What's the difference between a freak and a hoe? Or is there a difference?

I know some of you may be thinking at this point..."Kyle has lost his damn mind." I haven't. I'm still sane...i think. This subject came from a convo that I was having with my homegirl Silent Scorpion on twitter a few wks ago. We were on opposite sides of the fence. She said they are interchangeable. I say that we are ALL freaks. Some of our freak levels are higher than others. A freak (or freakiness) can be a description for what you do or like. A hoe (male or female) will do whatever...whenever...with whomever.

So I ask you the question without having you divulge your personal conquests (LOL)....What's the difference between a freak and a hoe? Or is there a difference?

Hollatchaboi

lost one

Chat rooms.

I hate em. Neva been a fan of them.

When I first got on this thing called the innanet, I quickly noticed that most chat rooms were filled with people who were pretending to be something that they were not. I mean, you're on a computer...who would know if you're being honest about who you truly are? I promised myself that I would be as truthful on this blog about myself on this blog as I am with anybody who knows me. I could tell you that I'm a 6ft 8 inch, self made millionaire, ladies man. I could tell you that I was the best wide receiver to ever play at South Carolina State and I TURNED down an opportunity to play in the NFL. I could tell you that I've got 6 kids from 5 different baby mommas. That's not my style. Instead, I choose to write about the stuff that I do and I let you into my world. Most of the people who read this blog have not met me yet they know me very well. They know about me and my love for my 3 lil boys, my wife, family, and crew. The picture that I've painted is one that is true.


"A lie don't care who tells it."

Now to the subject at hand. When I woke up on Saturday, I noticed that I had 67 friends on Blackberry Messenger. Strange. I had 68 on Friday. I thought..."No big deal. Maybe somebody left Blackberry for the iphoney." I didn't give it another thought until my boy Russ asked me if I had read my boy WisdomIsMisery's latest blog. I hadn't read it but I quickly read it. If you didn't read it, please do. It may not mean as much to you as it did to me and I understand that.

It was about my friend "Reina" who USED to write on the blog "Reinasong.com". To summarize it, "Reina" and her blog was a sham. The picture above does not belong to "Reina". The picture is of someone else. I won't get into too many details of how she "pump faked" me and the rest of her friends. Read WisdomIsMisery's blog. He breaks it down. And I gotta thank the homie for doing that. He told "Reina" that he knew she was fake and mysteriously...she disappeared. Suddenly...I had one less follower on twitter...one less Facebook friend...one less Blackberry Messenger friend. Her blog, Reinasong.com, is gone.

I'm not here to bash "Reina". Here's what I DO know about her. She was/is an intelligent woman. Her stories on the blog were very well written. She was an advocate of the fight against domestic violence against women. I know that "Reina" was mad cool. We chatted often...almost daily on twitter or blackberry messenger. She told me of her feelings for a fellow blogger. Like I said, mad cool. I would often tease her about her voice. She was Black/Puerto Rican but she sounded like she was from the backwoods of South Carolina. She co-hosted on my show, 12 Radio, 3 or 4 times. In summary, I considered "Reina" to be a friend.

Once I found out that "Reina" was fake, I was tempted to call her on her cell (we've spoken by phone) and try to get to the bottom of it. Why lie? Why be somebody who you aren't? Keep it real. You think you have to be a swimsuit model for people to like you? Do you! Be you! That's it! The fact that she disappeared once WisdomIsMystery found out who she was/wasn't speaks VOLUMES about who she is/was/will be. For all i know, "Reina" could be a 300 lb female Biggie Smalls look a like. It aint about a look because i guarantee that i look wayyyyyy betta than my pictures and my pics look great. It's about being who you are. It's about being truthful and honest about who you are. Am I hurt? Nope! Disappointed? Yes. I'm a loyal dude. If you're cool with me, then you are cool. She was cool with me. Now...I dunno know. She's got my info. I ain't hard to find. I'm sure she's reading this.

Get at me "Reina"

The moral of the story is that all I ask from ANYBODY is to keep it real with me. I'm gonna do that with you.

And that's something that "Reina" had a hard time doing.

he got it

The cold, dark night started with a plan.
He wanted to hit the club so that he could dance.

A place where he could release stress and be free
A place where there was always a pretty lady to see.

He looked through his closet for the right thing to wear
He wanted to make em look and maybe even stare

Found a nice shirt, shoes, smooth slacks
Tonight was gonna be his...his outfit couldn't lack

He made it to the club and got in for free
He was confident and excited about how the night would be.

As he made his way to the bar...
he exchanged daps and hugs like he was a star.

On his way, he saw a fine chick who caught his eye
Nice hair, pretty face, great body...she was mad fly

They made eye contact and he saw her smile
His heart raced. He hadn't felt like this in a while.

He was headed in her direction.
A woman with whom he'd want her affection

Out of nowhere stepped another man
She must have came with him and he didn't understand

Why would she give him "The Look"
Her ulterior moves had him shook.

He played it cool and proceeded to get his drink
Knowing that she faked him out, the night was beginning to stink.

He watched her dance with him for the rest of the night
He quickly noticed that she kept him in her sight

Despite being with him, she didn't stop with her eyes
Her actions told him that she was telling lies

You know...I'm here b/c I have to be
Suddenly...curiosity was getting the best of he.

This went on until the club was ready to close.
Her and her man went separate ways and it was time for her to show

If she was wid it
Could he get the digits?

She gave him the number and told him to call
He said he would and he knew they'd have a ball

He called her the next day anxiously with no delay.
The number was to the fish market. Damn...did he just get played?

A Verse of Love/12 Radio

what do you think of this verse???

"Love, your happiness don't begin wit a man
Strong woman, why should you depend on a man
I understand you want a man that's resourceful
If he pay your bills, he feel like he bought you
Talkin to a friend, about what love is
Her man didn't love her, cuz he didn't love his
Hugged her from afar, said what I felt
You never find a man, till you find yourself
Time helps mistakes, you can learn from
Cuz one man fucked up men you shouldn't turn from
You want a certain type of guy, gotta reach a certain point too
At the destination, a king will annoint you"- Common

Tune in to tonight's show on 12 Radio. Topic...

LOVE - The Love Jones Edition Volume 1 an indepth discussion about LOVE and the inspiration from the movie Love Jones. Co-hosted by Sweet Stiletto

(347)215-7162

show link...http://bit.ly/aufh7c

9pm est
8pm central
7pm mountain
6pm pacific

wedding bells

I've been watching her.

I keep a close eye on her each day

I wonder how she handles it.

My co-worker who sits next to me is planning her own wedding. I watch her each day as she scrolls from website to website trying to find something. I never stopped her to ask her about the process. Is she stressed? Probably. Her wedding is next week. Planning a wedding is hard work.

I guess

I didn't plan mine so I really don't know. I DO know that people spend a great deal of time planning for this BIG DAY. I'm sure that she (like a lot of women) has always dreamed about what this day would bring. She's probably envisioned it all of her life. Unlike her fiance, she has planned for this day...this moment. This is it...the wedding day! Maybe I should let her in on a HUGE secret...

The wedding is only 23 minutes long!

Months, days, hours, and minutes of preparation for 23 minutes!

She may spend 10k, 15k, or 20k on this wedding that will only last 23 minutes.

Does she realize that these 23 minutes will come and go so fast? It'll be a blur to her.

My late, high school football coach used to always say "We must prepare for war in a time of peace." Translation...we must be prepare ourselves for the battle BEFORE we go to battle. So if that's the case...

Shouldn't she be spending most of her time at pre-marital counseling??? I'm just sayin'

12 Radio/Top 5 MCs

Tune in tonight to 12 Radio. Tonight's topic...Top 5 Hip Hop MCs of All Time

The MCs are based on the following criteria...

Classic Album (Gotta have at least 1)...as defined by a hip hop publication (The Source, XXL Magazine) or hip hop website

Classic Songs (Gotta have at least 5)

Memorable verses (gotta have at least 2)

Lyrical Skill - can rhyme with NO beat and it’s still hot

Lyrical Content - Has to have the ability to rhyme about something…not just the latest whatever is out drink, chick, cars, clothes, jewelry

Storytelling - Foundation of Hip Hop is to be able to tell a story and make it hot and visual

Show starts at 9pm EST/8pm Central/7pm Mountain/6pm Central

(347)215-7162

show link...http://bit.ly/baD9l2

just twitterin'

Myspace...


Blogger/Blogs...


Facebook...


Twitter...


And the winner is...

To say that Twitter trumps the aforementioned things is an understatement. Twitter is the leader of the pack and it's not going anywhere. I've mentioned on this blog about my love for twitter. I guess you could call me a twitter veteran. I signed up for twitter in July 2008. I'll be honest...I had no clue what it was. It was foreign to me but cool. At the time, I only knew one person on twitter (@rawdawgbuffalo). No athletes were here. No celebs. No news sites. Just common people. Twitter was so random that we all would get each other's tweets via text messages. There was no SocialScope or Ubertwitter. Those were the some funny times.

What is twitter?

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read other user messages called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page. Tweets are publicly visible by default, however senders can restrict message delivery to their friends list. Users may subscribe to other author tweets—this is known as following and subscribers are known as followers.

One of the reasons why I love twitter is because if you follow someone's tweets, you'll get SOME insight into who they are. Also, you can say something random and your followers will engage in a conversation that could last any where from a few minutes to a few hours. Two weeks ago, I sent the following tweet..."I hate watermelon." That one tweet spawned a 2 hr conversation between me and some of my followers.

Here are some of my other thoughts (and past tweets about twitter and it's dominance in the social networking game)...

1. Twitter is 10 times better than Facebook because it's not as personal.

2. If you've ever noticed one of your Facebook friends with 15 status updates during an event (awards show, game, tv program), tell em to get on Twitter

3. I don't follow celebs/athletes. Very few of them are interactive and they usually don't have much to say. In fact, the more that they say, the less you'll probably like em.

4. I follow people who I'm interested in. Thus, I keep the number of people whom I follow at a low number (currently at 177/being followed by 164). If I was following 2000 people, there's no way that I'd be able to keep up. I can honestly say that I know at least ONE thing about each follower that I have. Sometimes I wonder why some people follow me. Maybe one day I'll ask em.

I remember once when a woman said good morning on twitter to her followers. Before I could say good morning to her. She sent the following tweet..."I'm followed by 5,628 people. I say good morning and only 2 people responded?"

That's b/c they really AREN'T following you, clown. I immediately unfollowed her.

5. You can unfollow people. I've unfollowed a ton of people. I've never followed more than 190 people and I won't follow more than that. I wanna stay connected to my followers on twitter. It's ok to unfollow people on twitter. I've been unfollowed. You can't take it personal. If you deleted a friend from your Facebook page they'd be pissed! You can't take it personal if I unfollow you on twitter. Hell, I unfollowed my brother once. So, if I unfollowed him, I'll unfollow anybody! LOL. (i'm following him again...LOL)

6. Tweets can be protected. You gotta love that. That means you control who reads your tweets.

7. News can be found on twitter minutes...and sometimes hours before it appears on CNN, ESPN, or your local news station's website. For example, I learned of Michael Jackson's death 2 hrs before it appeared on CNN.com

8. Twitter never goes to bed. I can always tweet with people at any hour of the night.

9. Almost every blogger than I know is on twitter. And subsequently, we all blog less than we used to! LOL

10. Even President Obama used twitter during his campaign.

11. Most people who say they don't like Twitter...have not tried it. #fact

12. Twitter aint going nowhere. Get on board.

@12kyle

12 Radio

Tune in tonight to 12 Radio...

Topic...Relationship Deal Breakers

Co-hosted by Reina

Tune in at 9pm EST/8pm Central/7pm Mountain/6pm Pacific

link...http://bit.ly/c0LQbc

life and times of KD

Step into the world of 12kyle

I wanted to share a few pics from Deion's graduation from 5th grade.

It was a great time. My parents came down from South Carolina to attend the event. My parents, who have been divorced for nearly 25 yrs, stayed at my house. They slept under the same roof! It really meant a lot for me to have them there. They are good friends now.

Have a good weekend



The youngest in charge...3 yr old Brandon

Brandon...again

Mom & Dad with Deion

Deion...the star

Deion the graduate

Deion with Mom & Dad

Deion's chillin

Deion (10) & Kameron (7)

Mrs12 and the boys

Mrs 12, Deion, and me

Me & Da Fam (minus Brandon who won't stand still long enough to take a picture)

We????

We

[wee]

–pronoun

the nominative plural of I

I know that you know the meaning of the word but I wanted to give it to you anyway. The word stood out to me in a recent conversation.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a tall, athletically built, young man. I was at my son Deion's all star baseball game. The young man, who stood almost 6-1, had a younger brother who was on Deion's team. Within a few minutes of noticing the young man, I realized that I was sitting next to his father. His father was 6-3, 330 pounds. The father and I began to talk sports. Within our conversation, he revealed to me that he played football in college at Alabama State. He also informed me that his son wore a size 16 shoe and was 14 yrs old. Translation...the kid is gonna be HUGE!

I asked the father if the kid was playing football. He said that he wasn't playing football nor basketball. He said he was only playing baseball. I found that to be somewhat strange because the kid is built like a basketball or football player. The father then explained to me that he has provided his son with private lessons in baseball, a hitting instructor, and he plays in a travel league...all year.

Then he said something that really caught my ear...

He said..."I'm gonna make sure that we get drafted."

Huh?

He said it again minutes later..."When we sign a with a major league team out of high school, we'll be in a good spot."

We? Was he speaking French?

It became obvious to me that this guy was one of those overzealous parents who is trying to live their athletic prowess (or lack thereof) through their child. Not only is that wack but it's not fair to the child. I would never pressure or influence any of my sons to play sports. I think my boys will gravitate toward sports b/c they watch sports with me. Deion is playing baseball. Kameron is playing football. Brandon is too young to play but he'll play whatever he wants to play. They can play whatever THEY want to play. I won't force them. Not will I place unreal expectations on them.

I've had "my day" in the lights. My time has come and gone. I truly enjoyed it and I have no regrets about it. But it's over. It's not my job...nor any other parent's job to make their child a professional athlete.

Too bad some parents don't understand that.

12 Radio

Tune in tonight to 12 Radio

TOPIC...The Sports Wrap up

Co-hosted by Juan C.

NBA Free Agency

MLB

NFL

Show starts at 9pm Eastern
8pm Central
7pm Mountain
6pm Pacific

here's the link...

http://bit.ly/9CWiFP

PODCAST: Behind Closed Doors

*** Warning ***

If you are easily embarrassed by sex talk or if you are extremely sexually deprived, you may want to skip this steamy show.

However, if you like sex and want to hear a raw conversation about sex...listen to this podcast

TOPIC...BEHIND CLOSED DOORS-A open and raw discussion about sex and conversations that were once taboo...

Hosted by 12kyle and Friends

LISTEN BELOW...

12 Radio

Tune in tonight to 12 Radio

TOPIC...The Sports Wrap up

Co-hosted by Juan C.

NBA Finals

NBA Free Agency

MLB

NFL

Show starts at 9pm EST
8pm Central
7pm Mountain
6pm Pacific

here's the link...

http://bit.ly/bnA8EB

take it off...but keep it on

The summer of 2010 is here!

It's officially here!

Unless you live near the North Pole, it's probably hot where you live. And when it's hot, you have to dress accordingly. That means LESS clothing!

Less is more!

Or is it?

I'm perplexed by some of the clothing...or lacktherof that I see each day that is worn by women. There's nothing wrong with showing a little skin but some women really need to know where to draw the line.

I know that you wear what you wear to the draw the attention of men. That's obvious. I undertstand that perspective. However, you must also understand that the way you dress speaks volumes (non-verbally) about you. Does this give men the right to touch you or say inappropriate things to you? No! But you say a lot about yourself when you're scantly clad

The women's dress code has been passed on to the teenagers. I saw a girl the other day who had on a SHORT skirt and 5 inch heels! She was probably about 15 yrs old. What parent allows their child to dress like this? Are you kidding me? I don't have any daughters...but I do have nieces and I wouldn't allow this.

There's a difference between being sexy and slutty. You do the math.

Ladies, when you take it off...make sure that you leave something on.

change tha game

When you're hungry...you're supposed to eat.

You can either eat to be briefly satisfied.

Or you can eat to be full.

When I think about the quality of music that's out today, I think that we're being served appetizers (at best). Especially when it comes to my beloved hip hop. See...I'm a hip hop head. Always have been...always will be.

Sometimes I tend to wax poetic about how hip hop USED to be. It's something that I have to do. At this point, real hip hop barely exists. NaS created an uproar a few years ago when he said "hip hop is dead." It aint dead but it definitely is on life support. Hip hop has been taken over by rap. There are a slew of rappers that are out today. Very few MCs. There is a difference between the two.

Black Thought of the Roots said it best..."The principles of true hip hop have been forsaken. Its all contractual and about money making." That is so true. Record labels are more concerned with making great singles that will climb the charts. Record labels USED to be concerned with making great albums.

Take a second to think about one of your favorite hip hop albums. Odds are likely that you can listen to it all the way through. That's not the case with rap music today. The music is packaged and marketed like a piece of meat. In fact, you'll probably hear more about who's on the album or who produced it than you will about how good it is. Sign of the times? Or a lack of talent?

Both!

Where does rap go from here? Sales are fading fast and the industry is filled with gimmick/commercial/wannabe thugs/drug addicts who get in a recording booth who get high and say whatever they feel. Honestly, I don't care what happens to rap.

Just give me my hip hop. And you'll see me...a 37 year old, married, father of 3...in my b boy stance...cold chillin in the place to be.

Why?

I Still Love H.E.R

from me 2 u

They are...simply put...the best.

They make me laugh

They frustrate me (occasionally)

They amaze me

They inspire me to push myself when I don't want to do certain things.

They are a gift from God. And I thank him for loaning them to me.

They complete me

They have helped me put a different perspective on life

They love me...unconditionally.

They surprise me (like this morning when they made me breakfast in bed...a pop tart and grits)

They are my everything.

The 3 things in life that they require from me...LOVE, DISCIPLINE, and an EXAMPLE to follow. I've done that. And I will continue to do it until there is no more air in my lungs and my blood stops flowing.

To Deion (10), Kameron (7), and Brandon (3)...thank YOU for making me a Father.

I love you.

Happy Father's Day to all of the men who are dedicating their lives to being great fathers!

follow the leader

Sometimes.

Sometimes you have to do a self assessment

You ask yourself...

"How did you become the man who you are?"

After pondering the question, you realize that you are who you are and how you got here. You're shaped by your experiences. Just as important, you're shaped by those around you. Those around you have helped shape you and you've helped shape them.

I look at myself. Then I look at those around me...my younger brother, Damon...my 1st cousins (who grew up with me like my brothers) Mike & Eric...MEN

My crew from my hometown...JFresh, Roody, Zell, Derrick, Ryan, Zo, Shaft, Travis...MEN

My crew from college..Moe, Russell, Big Mel, Clark, Q, Naylon, Juan, Steve, Bobby, Danny, Bruce...MEN

The more that I assess all of us...we are MEN. We are all MEN who had great MEN in our lives who helped mold us. As we approach Father's Day, we don't need the kudos or the pats on the back. With the exception of 2 of the MEN that I mentioned, we're all FATHERS. Great FATHERS. How did we become great? We learned it from other MEN. At the end of the day, a woman can raise a boy...but it takes a MAN to raise a MAN.

That's not debatable.

How do I know?

Me and my crew are a living testimony.

12 Radio

Tune in tonight to 12 Radio.

TOPIC : Baggage Claim...Dealing with Baggage in realtionships

Co-hosted by Sweet Stiletto

9pm EST
8pm Central
7pm Mountain
6pm Pacific

link

http://bit.ly/9Gx3oX