The Busines of Politics. The Politics of Business

Yes the business of politics and the politics of business, because both go hand in hand now, their now almost inseparable. Case in point, now more and more businessmen are going into politics, where once upon a time, it was mostly lawyers & history majors. For example look at, mutt romney who is trying to capitalize on this trend. And he might be the worst businessman of all, a true capitalist, a real live "Gordon Gekko" a corporate raider (go rent or netflix wall street the movie) if don't believe me, go read up on him, bain capital and their policies. And the companies they took over and destroyed, and especially read where that work is now. And if your a labor union employee, you better read about him, his vp choice and the ground breaking decisions in Wisconsin and their union busting. Not scared yet, still think that after this election, everything will be alrite. Ok well pay attention to another story, about the worst corn drought in 17 yrs which will mean a HIKE in food prices, because beside being a source of food, corn produces ethanol. So what is the end game here? With all this, is it all just to make President Obama a black man look bad, get him out of office. Because they BLAME for everything under the sun already, or is there something more in the works here. Foreclosures at a record high, wall street & other big name corporations laying off workers, banks going under, the Dow Jones slow. And like a said before HEAVY ATTACKS on the labor force in this country. But what's the real story, what's really going on, besides the rich unwilling to pay their fair share to help move the economy along. Soooo what is it we don't, can't see that is and will hurt us in the long run.....WAKE UP people, stop listening to the one sided media and go get this information your self, STOP getting soooooo lost and wrapped up in all this buffonish reality tv shows, like the one tonight on vh1...VOTE LIKE YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR WALLET DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES.

Where I Come From........

Where I come from.....I come from a time where a village still raised a child, where you knew your neighbors and they knew you, they were almost like family, because you knew them almost as long. I come from a time and place where, half the stuff that's now accepted was NEVER accepted. Boys become men the old fashion way. Where you couldn't wait to grow up, so you could start acting like your brother, uncles or the old Gs around the way. And those same old Gs looked out for you and kept you out of harms way, by sending you home, when trouble was near or by NOT encouraging you to hang on the corner, hit the weed or the forty, like they did or any other activity that you weren't ready for. A place where summer in the city wasn't just a song, it was what you lived for, because it meant NO more school, books or teachers till september. It meant playing in the street, till your mother yelled thru the window, because it was dinner time, then hanging on the stoop or the park bench with your boys till bedtime. Yes summer in the city, where you got your "rep" on what you did in and on these streets, playgrounds, fields and courts (basketball not criminal) Where your "name and rep" got you out of trouble, NOT in trouble. A time where, if boys from another block, neighborhood or project came around your way, it was too ball not brawl, because they heard your crew had "game" and they wanted competition not beef. Where also rolling with your boys meant, looking for girls, getting numbers, and talking to them FACE TO FACE, NOT from behind a computer screen, IMing or chatting. Your boys were your "brothas," you shared things with them, and no one else, they had your back and you had their. A time and place where you learned your basic hood rules from the "CODE" of the street (never snitch on your peoples, mind your business, see and don't see and a few others) I come from a time and place that has LONG since been forgotten. Somewhere that wasn't sesame street, where you know you was 'REAL AND HARD" and fake and phony wasn't respect and you didn't hide behind computers, blogs or whatever they hide behind now.  Where the "hot" hood was because someone bought the cops, because of the activity they were involved in, NOT because the new york times wrote an article about it. Where you stayed in your "hood" because it was home, and others never dared to step into your "hood." Where a good "knuckle game" trumped a knife or a gun. And where if you had to fight it was one on one, no jumping in, and usually you became friends afterwards. A time and place where ten years olds, were ten year olds, and BIG MOMMA was just that, she wasn't thirty eight, with three grandchildren already. And BIG MOMMA had the respect of EVERYONE in the neighborhood..... Man I'mma stop right here, because writing this, takes me back to that time and place, that has been LOOOOOONG since forgotten and doesn't even exist ANYMORE, well in our memories, in old pictures, videos, old home movies and movies of that era, the 70s and 80s. DAMN to think of what we have seen and survived though...Imjussayin. Well this is where I came from, where do you come from???                   

The Mizell Effect

This effect is about, how someone touched me, and they don't even know they did. Ok let me explain, right after I got on the job, I was last on the list and a man named Mizell was number one, numbero uno, a fact which he was very proud of I might add. Now because I was last, I got alot of ribbing and ball busting over it, but I was a rookie, probie, new jack and I know that your suppose to "pay your dues" before you get anyway....a fact that's completely lost on these new crop of new jacks, but back to the story. One afternoon one of my training guys introduced me to Mizell as "the last one, mister turn off the lights when your finished" Mizell laughed shook my hand and told me, kid it gets better (after 19yrs I'm still looking for that better, that him and the other old timers talked about)  but back to the story. Now from that day forward, I'd run into Mizell and he'd address me as "the last one" and I'd address him as number 1, something he was particularly fond of, but Mizell wasn't number 1 in the system, he was like number 7, and there were five in front of him, an the way it looked they weren't retiring anytime soon, and Mizell was HELL bend too see #0001 before he retired, it was like his obsession, mind you now, Mizell at the time I met him had over thirty years on the job and could go at any minute, but wanted too see #0001 next to his name. Fast forward two years, I moved up a lot, wasn't last anymore and Mizell was now #0004 with just two guys ahead of him, and the number 1 told him that "he'd never see number 1 as long as he was around. But this time Mizell's wife was urging him too retire and move down south, where they were building a house, BUT he wanted to see that #0001. Skip to the next year, finally the two guys in front of him retired. Mizell was now just six  months away, till the new numbers came out sooooo he could finally see #0001. Now at this time Mizell had 34 years on the job, and a very excellent record, and only took maybe four sick days. Finally the day comes and Mizell see #0001 number one, numbero uno, and right after he put his papers in and retired, I saw him briefly before he left. Now there's a reason WHY I tell this particular story...... Mizell retired with over thirty four years of service, moved in to the house that he built down south, great right?  WRONG Mr number 1, Mizell lived maybe eight months after he retired.......Yeah after ALL of that. Now I'm going too show you how, he effected and touched me. Ever since he's passed away, I've said, I WOULDN'T stay a month, day, hour, minute or second longer than I had too, when it's my time to go, be it retirement or whatever else, I'm OUT that door. I don't need to see #0001, the only numbers or zeros, I wanna see on the ones on a pension or social security check......FEEL ME!!!!  Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT in any way shape or form trying to disrespect any old timer, that has done or is doing thirty or more years. Because a few of the ones I know, helped me out when a was a rookie.  I'm just  pointing out, (wkwd)  WHAT Kevin Would Do. I've learned, not everything is for everybody, and I haven't walked a mile in anyone else's shoes......But Imjussayin. I'm GHOST when the time comes no matter the cirumstances.......Peeeeaaccceee and I'm going out quietly, like how I came in. And there'll be NO cake in the break room.......          

"Real" Huh....

**Real*** One of the most misused and overused words out there, right after "love and swagger". Words which most people, don't know how too use, or really aren't what the word truly means. Because if they did know how to use it and in what content, it wouldn't be mis/overused.... Hell people scream it, DAMN near from the top of their lung, on just how "real" they are, just about everyday.  But hey we live in a "it's ALL ABOUT ME" world anyway right? So why does it even matter.  Hell you've heard catch phases such as "I'm sooooo real", "keep it real", "keeping it real" and my personal favorite "real reconizes real"sooooo much....You've even hear it on TV shows, like sportcenter, sitcoms, talk shows and on radio, man haven't we heard enough songs on radio, with some reference on being/keeping it "real"?..... And I'll confess, at times even I get caught up in the hype and say that "I'm real" and that "I keeps it real" difference is, I really don't need to say it because, with me it shines thru, but that's me. Others who alway say it, I can't speak for you, sorry. Now I can speak for a select few.....Like most of the fam, and definitely my cousin Nannette Ms Nicky Ewing aka Realizreal, a few friends too, too many to mention.......But the Question, I really have is WHY oh WHY do people have too scream it, fake it and bring attention to themselves, are they that insecure?  Imjussayin....BIG Shout Out to the fam, the "entourage" and all the "real" peeps I know...Keep it real......Imjussayin        

Aaaah The Journeys and Joys of Fatherhood

Yes as any father will tell you, that's in their child's life, there are journeys and joys. But I can only speak for myself on this. And the journey for me, which began at the age of nineteen, an age where we're still someone's child. Trying to find our independence and preparing to move from teenagers into our twenties and adulthood . Here we are, his mother and I teenager parents. After finding out she was pregnant, that's when the real journey and fear set in.  Fear, because if we handle this wrong, we can destroy and F  up three lifes. But thank God, we had the good sense that our parents had instilled in us, and great mothers who stuck by us in those tryin years. Now my fear was because, I didn't grow up with a father, he was around me up until I was bout five, than after that I could count on both hands how many times I saw him until he passed away. My brothers and uncles stepped up to fill that void, (that's y I say uncles are fathers in training) Mom did her best to shield me from as much heartache and disappointment as possible, but every once in a while, he'd call an I go running screaming "my daddy comin" and she would brace from the worst......and because of that, that's the reason, why I'm the way, I am today and why I once said at 15, if I every had a child, I'd always be in that child's life, and they would know me and my side of the family. So now at 19, I had a chance, to fulfil those words and promises with my 1st born. His mom gave him my middle name, and his middle name came from our favorite tv show.  After we bought him home, from the hospital, the first thing I did, was sit his mother and grandmother down and profess to them, that they'd never have to worry bout their child, that I would always be there. And till this day, I've always tried to live up to that promise....Because I never wanted, to have anyone other than them, tell me or take from me for my child. Now as time went on and we, his mother and I grew apart, we had our ups and downs, our share of arguments and drama, but nuthin like I've seen and heard in my life and it took up until he was five, when we finally got on the same pg, and every since then, I've had as blissfully and peaceful a relationship as humanly possible, now that's was the journey. Now here's the joy. I/we currently have a productive member of society, that we're very proud of...and in fatherhood thats all you can ask for, that your child grows up and makes something of their selves. And also with fatherhood, you must also understand it's a thankless job, that you will get no props, awards like they show on tv shows, mom is always gonna win, be celebrated and such, but with all of that, I can take pride in the fact. I didn't F  up, I stood my ground and we (his mother and I) worked together all those years. People I know, also say to me "you did a great job" or "I commend you for rising him".....Ok it's nice to know people notice, but aren't you suppose to take care of your kids? Aren't you suppose to do right by them......I'll never ran from responsibility a day in my life, but I can't take props because his mom and I had the old system. We still had the "village" help raise our child. In which I'll take time out to thank the "villagers" who helped from the grandmothers, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, cousins, neices, nephews and speaking of nephews, I'd be a miss if I didn't give those dudes their props, because without them, sum of that journey doesn't go on....now when they were teenagers they were around me quite often.......MAN our stories and tales are legendary, OMG and I'm not ashamed to say, we grew up together. Because I learned just as much from them as I hoped they learned from me..... Their the ones who taught me how to text, use a computer, email, you name it they helped and never complained, when I asked them to show me over and over again and never laughed, when I asked what's the new slang or fashion was....Yes our own personal version of "entourage" as we call it, but I'll save those stories for another time......Soooo as you see these are my journeys and joys of  fatherhood..... Imjussayin. And I wouldn't trade a day, minute or second of it.......And this goes out to the "Entourage"(y'all know who you are) his mom, her mom, my BIG Brother( love ya & may he R.I.P. gone baby but never 4gotten still got your dogtags around our necks) Sis & everyone else who were down...(if you feel left out because I didn't shout you out, please blame it on the head not the heart, cause I know who was there back then, and they know too)       

I stop tryin 2 be "THA MAN" when I learned what is to be " A MAN"......K. G. CLARKE

What do you do????

I ask these questions to those of you who feel under pressure, under stress, underappreciated. What do you do went you're smarter than your bosses. What do you do, when you're tired of being a player, but it's the only game you know? What do you do when you have better plays than the coach and can better reach and teach today's players, what do you do?...Or when you're the coach and can't reach today's players anymore?  What do you do, when your screaming sooooooo loud, that it's deafening, but no one hears and not even God listening?......What do you do when everyone is telling you to settle down, get married have some kids....But how do you settle a restless soul?  and your prospects and standards don't meet nor match.....What do you do when you've been in something sooooo long and now you have to change or start something new from the bottom?  Sooooooo I ask you, what do or would you do? Now there's somethings to ponder, wrestle and think about for a minute. And also ask yourself, do any of these questions apply to YOU? And if they do or they don't ponder this......Before you judge someone else, walk a mile in his shoes and take some days in his/her head..... Imjussayin

Black History 101

It's February, Black History Month. So this blog is called Black History 101, because half of us out here, don't know any to much Black History, except what you were taught in school. You don't know beyond  Dr.Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver and the peanut. You probably don't know about ALL the stuff and contributions thats Blacks have made in, to and for this country and the world. And we don't even know some of the other inventions that Blacks have created or upgraded and weren't given proper credit because someone else took ALL the credit. Now I'll give some of you, out there some credit, you do know about Macolm X, Jackie Robinson, but do you know about Madam C.J. Walker(the first Black female millionaire who created the straightening comb and other hair products) Langston Hughes(famous writer during the harlem renaissance)  Benjamin Banneker, Granville T.Woods, Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams(who preformed the first open heart surgery) or even Carter G.Woodson who started Negro History Week, that later become what we now know as Black History Month? Have you even heard of Adam Clayton Powell Jr who served harlem and pass more laws and bills than any other politician in history or of Thurgood Marshall, who before he sat on the Supreme Court, was one of the lawyers responsible for Brown vs The Board of Education. I know we ALL know the story of Jackie Robinson, the first Black to play in the Major Leagues, but do you know of the Negro Leagues? That produced many ballplayers that set records that aren't even counted waaaayy before some of them went to the Major Leagues? Do you know that rock and roll was created by a Black man? that according to Little Richard, who says he created rock & roll. Did you also know that Washington D.C. was designed by a Black Man?  See this was WHY Black History Month was created so we could see all the things Blacks have accomplished....Now I remember when I was a senior in high school and I learned that I was going to college, I saw my Uncle James (may he R.I.P.) he said these words to me, that to this day stick with me, he said "go learn about our story, you've learned their's, now go learn ours, because their never gonna teach it to you so you have too read, research and find out on your own" which is the truest words he or anyone for that matter have ever said to me. And from then on, I've put more attention into learning our history, black history, american history. Soooooo support the arts, like black art expo, black plays, movies, things of that nature because if we don't support it, we won't have!!!!  And before I forget let me add this, where would we/world be without black people? An my homegurl's answer is,"they'd" still be in the dark ages.....Learn your history because if who don't know your past.....will never have a future....Imjussayin