Fall Of Man

Unless you've been living under a rock, then you're aware of society's state. What was taboo back in the day is acceptable. As I've been pondering over the Adam & Eve story, I got to thinking what would life be like if Adam & Eve hadn't disobeyed God? If they didn't eat the forbidden fruit, life would be bliss. There would be no sickness & disease, no disabilities, poverty, crime & violence or any moral depravity. Because Adam & Eve disobeyed God, we are paying for their mistakes. To be honest, when I read stories about people doing the most heinous of acts, all I can do is shake my head. God didn't intend for society to be like this but when one makes a conscious decision to do what they want, there are repercussions (good or bad). Those repercussions not only affect the person, but everyone involved is indirectly affected. It's like in grade school when one kid did bad, everyone (including the offender) got punished. The lesson learned was one person can mess it up for everyone. I wish there was a rewind & alternate ending button that you could press to take you back to Biblical days with Adam & Eve, edit the outcome and then replay.

Tallahassee, FL according to Richard

Florida's capital city needs to be changed. Here's the catch: Tallahassee was named as Florida's capital city because it was midway between St.Augustine and Pensacola, which were the largest cities at the time during Florida's history. So deciding a capital based on location is where it's at? Sometime in the 70's, Orlando was suggested as Florida's state capital but was shot down quickly. Jacksonville, Tampa/St. Petersburg & Orlando, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale would make GREAT candidates because they are constantly changing with the times. Big business, pro sports, ample recreational opportunities, good colleges/universities. Tallahassee could definitely take a page from the aforementioned areas. There's too much NIMBYism in Tally (Not In My BackYard). Tally is content with being a government town (private sector does better than public sector in tough economies) & nightlife is a joke here (How many times can you go to Top Flite and The Moon? Even Edge will soon be played out, if not already). Simply put, Tallahassee leaders need to get off their sorry butts and do what they were elected to do: Make Tallahassee a world-class city. I see why Rick Scott is cutting state jobs by the thousands because he's trying to get Tallahassee to stop being so dependent on the government as the sole economic engine. In other words, Tally needs to diversify it's economy. Tallahassee is one of the most transient cities in America: college students come here for an education and leave after graduation. You'll get a select few that stay here but for the most part, Tallahassee is transient because anywhere you relocate, it's expected that city has a decent job market and if you can't find a decent job in that city, keep it moving until you find a place that's on the go. Much of my view on Tallahassee comes from having lived here all my life. When you're born and raised in your hometown, you tend to think there's no world outside of your hometown. More and more I'm researching other cities, getting a feel for their job markets and I wouldn't mind living in Texas (2nd best job market in the country-preferably Austin, Dallas/Ft.Worth or Houston. I hear San Antonio is thriving), or any booming southern metro area in the US. Once I finish my MBA (which will be very soon as I'm looking into getting my MBA in a year to a year and a half), I will be more than happy to say bon voyage to Tallahassee. I'll come back for family reasons. Other than that, I've outgrown Tally.

Valentine's Day

It's about that time of year again, Valentine's Day. People go all out for their special someone to show how much they cherish them. My thing is, why wait to show love for your man/woman on V-Day when you should be showing them love year round? Valentine's Day is an excuse for many singles to rent a man or woman for one day and they never see him/her again. That's like spending hundreds of dollars on your senior prom and taking a random girl/guy out for one night knowing you two won't cross paths ever again. It's crazy to me. If I'm going to celebrate Valentine's Day, I have to have a special lady who makes my life better through her existence. This way, I have reason to go all out for her. You're proud of being single all year except for Valentine's Day; that's the one day out of the year you don't want to be alone. You solicit a man or woman to treat to dinner and a movie. If you really want to make an impression, you'll buy Russell Stovers chocolate candy. Buy a woman chocolates and you score major points. I just feel that you should show your mate love year round, not just on their birthday or Valentine's Day. The love shown to your mate on special occasions should be icing on the cake; the culmination of love shown year round.

Politics

It's about that time of year again, the time where presidential candidates travel across the country and solicit votes from citizens. They make promises on what they're going to do once they get into office. Just about every campaign involves mudslinging; candidates airing each other's dirty laundry. It's ridiculous to me because I thought most people grew out of that nonsense but I guess not. Instead of focusing on the issues, the Democrats and Republicans are too busy bickering like clowns. One side doesn't want to bend to the other and vice versa. Look, both sides need to cut this nonsense out and work together to get America back on track. I watched President Obama's State Of The Union address and it was on point. Valid points were made and essentially Obama called out both sides and said that we need to work together to get America back on track. I enjoyed the initiatives he laid out for education, unemployment, job creation, etc.

TV Shows

TV isn't the same as it was in the 80's & 90's. In the 80's and 90's, you had shows like A-Team, Magnum PI, Cosby Show, 227, Martin, Fresh Prince and the list goes on. Nowadays, TV has gone downhill. Everybody and their mama has their own reality show. You can't watch any station without some reality show being on the line-up. I like reality shows just as much as the next person but some shows are just corny. Recently, there was a show that came on WeTV at 9pm Tuesday nights called Downsized. Downsized grew on me quickly because it was REAL. It was about a blended family called the Bruces: Todd was a contractor and Laura was a teacher, they had 7 or 8 children between them. Before the economy crashed, they were living large. As soon as the economy tanked, the Bruce family had to cut back and at one point, the wife considered selling her wedding ring in order to get extra money. The Bruce family suffered one setback after another and I felt for them because no matter what they did, life dealt them one blow after another. Arguments ensued and it looked like they were going to get a divorce but they stuck it out. That show painted a realistic picture of what most couples go through in their relationship when the economy tanks. WeTV didn't renew the show which was stupid because Downsized got very high ratings. Many of my favorite shows came on in the 80's and 90's and after those shows went off the air, I've been hardpressed to find good, quality programming. At least I can watch re-runs on channels 173-174. Another one of my shows was Good Times. I loved that show for the simple fact that it painted the black family in a positive light. No matter what hard times the Evans family faced (believe me, they've had more than their share of hard times), they stuck together. James Evans was that strong black father who kept the family together. He did whatever it took to provide for his family. At times he would get frustrated because for every step forward he took, life would knock him back 2 steps. Most families living in the inner-city could relate to the Evans family. There are very few contemporary shows that I watch; most of the time I watch throwback programming on channels 173-174.



Divorce

Once upon a time, people got married and stayed married for life. Come what may, they were determined not to get a divorce. A couple could be going through the hellish of times but they were determined to stick it out. For marriage vets, they saw hard times as a test to see what their marriage was made of. If they made it through the rough times, they can deal with anything. My hat goes off to all the marriage veterans who have been married for 40+, 50+ and 60+ years. You have marriage legends who have been married for 70 years and up. I read an article about this black couple who has been married 85 YEARS! 85 years of marriage is awesome, it really is. Only God can keep a marriage together that long. The man and woman are in their low 100's. I think what was different with old-school couples and contemporary marriages is that old-school couples understood that marriage is a committment to love each other for better or worse, rich or poor, sickness and health, til death do they part. In today's world, most people give up too quick on their marriages. The first argument they have, one or both parties are ready to sign those papers. Everyone has limits (rightfully so) of what they won't deal with but to split up over minor issues (mostly misunderstandings that can be fixed with clarification) is not that serious. Going further, divorce wouldn't be an issue if couples took their time in getting to know each other. I think a couple should wait at least 3-5 years before they get married. In this manner, they have ample time to get to know one another and if they find out they're not compatible, they call it quits and move on. It doesn't make sense to get married and come to the realization that you two weren't meant to be.

Family Reunions

Family reunions have been in existence for as long as I can remember. Family gets together once a year to find out the happenings and enjoy good food and fun. Some of the greatest memories are from family reunions because you never know when your time is up so it's important to make an effort to spend time with your loved ones. I've been going to family reunions for years; they were fun when I was little but now, I've outgrown them (yes I said it). I love my family but I see them at various points in the year. The best family reunion I went to was Daytona Beach when I was little. Went to the Boardwalk on the beach and had fun all night. My favorite family reunions are in Tyler Perry movies because all the characters look like they have fun being together. Good food & fun, old school music playing...you can't beat that.



The Company You Keep

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity. An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting ...people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you. Consider this: Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone who's not going anywhere. With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights. "A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."   The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad.   Note: Be not mistaken. This is applicable to family as well as friends. Yes...do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they will always be your family no matter what. Just know that they are human first and though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else and will fit somewhere in the criteria above.   "In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends." "Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them." "If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude..

Movies

I'm a movie buff like nobody's business. I've been going to movies for as long as I can remember and I'm not stopping anytime soon. When a movie comes out, I run to the theater to check it out and usually I'm not disappointed. Of the rare occasion(s) that I see a horrible flick, I make a point not to run out to every movie that drops in theaters. If it's a movie I HAVE to see, I see it immediately. If it's a mediocre movie that has the potential to be good, I'll wait a week after it's released. This weekend I went to see Contraband with Mark Wahlberg and it's a must-see. It's good to see Wahlberg back on the screen because I've been wondering where he's been hiding out lately. I have hundreds of DVDs and that list will only continue to grow. When I don't want to see a movie in theaters, I'll sit home and pop in a DVD; have my own movie night with some popcorn. The first movie theater I started going to was this discount theater in Tallahassee called Movies 8. Back then, movies were $.50 Tuesdays and $1.00 during the week. I still go to Movies 8 from time to time but when megatheaters started popping up in my city, they offered specials so I shifted my business there. There's nothing like going to a movie on Friday night, after you've put in a full day at work and got something to eat. I will return to Friday night movies very shortly but now...I catch flicks during the week because of the weekly discount specials that my two favorite mega theaters offer.

Debt Freedom

I don't know about anybody else but I am happy for everyone who is debt-free. There's nothing like not owing ANYBODY, being able to spend as you wish because after all, you are debt-free. Most people had to make sacrifices to be debt free such as get a 2nd job, budget and cut back on frivolous expenses. If you have a 15-year mortgage on your home and you're paying $650 a month at 4% interest, you can pay off your home in one of two ways: You can pay lump-sum payments. This way, you save on interest and you repay the balance faster (What I mean is you budget $650 each month until the bill is due and you make one big payment). Or, you can pay twice the amount each month and you'll pay the mortgage faster & save on interest. Either way, you'll be debt free before you know it. This strategy has helped me big-time and I'm thankful. Think about it, when you're debt free and you get paid...YOU get paid, not the collectors. You're able to allocate your money towards your 401K and/or mutual fund, Roth IRA or any other choice portfolio you have. You can travel, put money aside for your children's college education, etc. Being debt free allows you to do so much more with your money. Nobody should want to owe anybody for life; I don't. That's why it's important to keep your finances in order so you won't have any worries. Finances are one of the top, if not the top reason most couples get divorced. One person is a saver, the other is a spender. If the federal government used sound financial judgment, the national debt wouldn't be in the 10 trillion range. America would be debt free so we can truly do what needs to be done to get this economy back in order. It's a wonderful feeling to make good money AND be debt free. Most debt-free people are paying for life insurance, putting money into their 401K/Roth IRA/mutual fund, eating out and going shopping everyday. They're living life to the fullest and by right they should, because they're debt-free.

Garbage Music

Today's music has no substance. All you have to do is listen to some of these artists in order to come to that conclusion. Today's music artists are all saying the same thing: The stuff I'm smoking, the stuff I'm drinking, my house, my car, I ball out in the club, drop $50K in the mall, etc. That's not life! Many old-school rappers talked about real life; they spoke on the condition of their neighborhoods, what they've seen and experienced. Many people could relate to what they were saying because they also went through hard times. Because I got sick of the constant thuggery and materialistic nature of some artists, I've found myself reverting back to old-school soul and R&B. What happened to good music? Back in the day, you had artists like Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Teddy Pendergrass, Four Tops, Temptations, Smokey Robinson, etc. who put out GOOD music. You felt the passion in their music. Old school funk with a church groove, you can't beat that. Why do you think many of today's artists are sampling old-school joints? They know that without the legends, they wouldn't have gotten into the music business. Today's artists will tell you that they were influenced by those who came before them. Old-school music has a way of taking you back to what life was like growing up in the 50's to early to mid/late 70's. The best musical decade was from the 50's to 70's because people were sporting afros, bell bottoms, men were looking fresh with their suits and hats. The elders have a point when they say "today's young people don't know nothing about good music" And from what I can see, they are absolutely right. You have to go back 40-50 years to capture the essence of what good music is/was. How many of us are going to remember most of these artists 20-50 years from now? This song is for grown folks, y'all don't know about this old-school funk jam.

Hurt People Hurt People

 We've all heard this phrase uttered throughout our lives. Whether we've hurt someone, have been hurt or are hurting now, this statement always comes to light. The premise behind the phrase is simple: When someone has been hurt, they hurt others. Unless you're rotten to the core (which I believe many people are), a very small percentage of humans take pride in hurting others. Just because someone's been hurt, doesn't give them the green light to hurt somebody else. If anything, the wounded person should know how it feels to be hurt. I was having a conversation on this subject when someone shed valuable light on this subject: The world is full of damaged people, some so severely wounded because of the hurt they've experienced that they feel like inflicting pain on others will bring joy to their miserable existence. It's quite the contrary because you reap what you sow. If you sow drama and misery, you will reap it & in most cases 10x worse.

Dreams Don't Work, You Do

It's one thing to have a dream, it's another to put that dream into action. A vision is the 1st step in being successful. It shows a burning desire to see something come to pass in your life. In order to accomplish your dreams, you have to get off your butt and make it happen. Nothing in life is handed to you. So if nothing in life is handed to you, why do people talk all this rah-rah about how they're going to do this, that and the third and don't make any moves towards accomplishing their goals? People think success is going to fall in their laps. If that was the case, all of us would be successful. God has blessed me with a hustler mindset and right now, I've taken that ball and am running with it. You can run with me or get ran over, period. Setting up this blog website was a big step of faith because as stated before, I used to write blogs everyday for years on MySpace and when I left MySpace to join FB, blogging fell by the wayside. Now that I've picked up blogging again, I have a boatload of material to work with. Much of my blogs will be written from my perspective: stuff I've seen & been through, stuff my loved ones have seen or been through, etc. Writing has been a talent of mine for a while and with my vision, I'm looking to make big money as a writer someday, while having a successful career in the business world. I said all that to say this: If you want a better life, you have to make it happen by any means necessary (within reason, of course). Success is yours, go out and get it. That's what I intend to do.

Content With Mediocrity

My contentment level is different than most people's. For me, contentment comes from having achieved all I set out to accomplish. Many others would share this contentment level. Mediocrity should never be an option for ANYONE, it's definitely not an option for me and why should it be? Why should I or anyone settle for less than what they deserve or are capable of? "It's better than nothing" No, if it's not what I want then I will hold out until I get what I want, even if it may take a little longer. That's the problem I have with many people, a lot of people are content with mediocrity and that's sad. These same people are jealous of your ambition because unlike them, you want to get all life has to offer. You have the "come hell or high water, I will make it" mentality. I equate being content with mediocrity as being lazy; you do just the bare minimum and say "that's enough". There are times where the bare minimum will suffice and there are times where you have to go above and beyond. You never know how much you have in you until you are pushed/stretched to and beyond your limit. People that live life to the fullest end up with fewer regrets because they came, saw and conquered. People that are content with mediocrity are regretful because they didn't take risks; they were scared to step out on faith because of the risk of failure. I've been developing the mindset that mediocrity is not an option, success is my only choice. I distance myself from mediocre folks not because I'm too good for them, but because I don't want anyone holding me back from going after all I want in life.

I'm So Tired Of Being Alone

All of us desire to find love, whether we want to admit it or not. This is because humans were created for companionship. Relationships are at the essence of human existence. Relationships can be wonderful if you find Mr. or Ms.Right, but they can suck if you are with Mr. or Ms.Wrong. When you're single, you can do what, when and how you want with no one to answer to. Most people like the freedom that singleness brings, others are on the fence; they like being solo but they want someone to share their life with. I venture to think most of us are a mixture of being on the fence and contentment with being solo. I'm more of a mixture because while I hope to find Ms.Right someday, I also appreciate having the freedom to do what I want without having to consider another person's thoughts or feelings. At the same time, I've always said that if God sees fit for me to be in a relationship, he will send Ms.Right my way and it will be a love story far better than I can imagine. If he doesn't, it wasn't meant to be and I'm ok with that. Many single people are so lonely that they are willing to take any and everyone at their word without REALLY getting to know someone. They haven't learned how to be alone because if they have, they would realize that in order to be happy with someone, you must learn how to be alone. If you can't be happy by yourself, you cannot expect to be happy with another person. Besides, as long as you have a good support system (friends & family, your ambition) then you're good. A relationship should compliment your life, not be a crutch. It's easy to understand why many people are lonely because there's so much emphasis on getting married and having a family that if someone deviates from the norm, it's like they have something wrong with them. It boils down to self-esteem because many people are dependent on another for happiness when that shouldn't be the case. You shouldn't need another person to make you happy, you should be happy within yourself. Once you are happy within, being happy with another person will surely follow. This is like people who say "you complete me." So you're saying you were incomplete in some way before you met him/her? People should already be complete within themselves. It's when you're complete within yourself, that another person can truly...truly compliment your life.

You know I have to do it....

Monogamy

Monogamy seems to be a lost art in relationships, many people rip and run from one person to the next in hopes of finding "The One". I'm all for finding Mr(s) Right, but you shouldn't have to date a bunch of people in order to find the right person. Use discernment. If you don't get good vibes about a person, cut them loose and move on. No sense in forcing something to work when some relationships just aren't meant to be. Nowadays, it's common for people to be in a relationship and have someone on the side. Wowwww....so you're that greedy to where you want your cake and eat it too? The game must have changed over the years. Relationships must be like sports, have your star players and if they slack in their game, call for a substitution. Call me crazy, but if (or when) I get with a woman, I'm in it for LIFE. It's me and her and I'll expect the same committment in return from her. No other woman will have my eye but the Misses. We need to go back to the old school where a man and woman got together and it was real love. No creeping, just one man and woman for life. Many people aren't willing to settle down so they want to see what else is out there. For them, being tied down to one person is not a good look. To flip the script, why get into a relationship without the intent of staying with the same man or woman til death do you part? Nowadays, you have married couples that have another man or woman on the side. Shakes Head at the sorry state of relationships.

Welcome To The Chill Zone

Welcome To The Chill Zone. The Chill Zone is going to shut the blogging world down one blog at a time. It's where people can engage in lively (and sometimes heated) discussions about various issues & topics. Blogging is a powerful tool that can encourage someone & inspire thought so if I can change someone's outlook or give them hope, I've done my job because in this world, most people need all the encouragement they can get so what better way to inspire hope & change than through something simple as writing? What got me into blogging is when I was on myspace, I always wrote. I would write 2 times a day because ideas would just flow out of my head and onto the screen. Many readers felt what I said and one viewer even messaged me as to say that a topic I wrote changed their whole appearance on life. That right there, is what it's all about. The Chill Zone will be a relaxed atmosphere where people can come to do just what the title says: Chill. I'm going to enact a lil twist because while the title is catchy, I will discuss topics of a serious nature so viewers will be able to relate because a critical component of blogging is being able to relate to your fans. It's one thing to blog, but it's another when you write and the viewers are able to relate. They're saying "I feel what he's saying. I've been through/am going through the same thing." I will never run out of topics because in society, there's always, ALWAYS stuff going on to inspire thought and conversation. Why do you think talk shows (including internet talk shows) are so popular now? Because they allow people their 15 minutes of fame. All my topics are not only going to be about general life but I'll also cover other areas including sports & entertainment. My e-mail addresses are greatone6785@yahoo.com and eightball583@hotmail.com so you guys can e-mail topic suggestions that I can blog on. Be forewarned that I will ONLY accept the best of the best so if I choose your topic, you will be credited. Better than that, if you're an entrepreneur; I'll get you right. Inbox me on FB or e-mail me a little about your business and I will showcase it on my website (link is required for those who want to check you out.) I'm going to blow up to the point where I will market my blog to the appropriate parties and get paid big $$$ for my material. Eventually I will move into the internet talk radio realm. I'm open to any advice/suggestions & constructive criticism you'all may have that will help me do better. Better yet, if you know anybody that's doing what I hope to do, inbox me their contact info so I can get ideas on how to best showcase The Chill Zone. Think It's A Game? Press Play & See What Happens.