Athletes Better Wake Up

She's At It Again: Wade's Ex Sues For $1 Million

 

If memory serves me correctly, Siohvaughn (Wade's ex) cheated on Wade first, and tried to keep him from his children. Wade files a lawsuit, and is granted FULL custody. As time goes on, she's still seeking more money from Wade. Whenever money's involved, you figure out someone's true colors real fast: Who your true friends are, who's hanging with you for fame & fortune, etc. If I'm ever in a position of influence, I'm keeping my circle extra small, because I don't want NOBODY on my team for ulterior motives. These athletes better wake up! They get fame & fortune, and lose their senses; marrying the first woman they see, because she's attractive. Forget what her body's like, he better figure out what her character is like. I guess it's true that when a woman is scorned, she will do everything in her power to make your life hell. This is more reason for me to be thankful of my singleness, so I can avoid these issues. Wade and Gabrielle Union are happy (so far), but should things go sour between them, who's to say Gabby won't pull a similar stunt? You don't know. Wade's ex sounds greedy, I'm just saying. What happened to the money she received from the last settlement? She probably spent it on lavish items, and expensive vacations. If a rich athlete is going to marry, he needs to use extra caution in who he wants to spend his life with. There are some women who are after a man's pockets. She doesn't have to work, because he's making millions of dollars. They divorce, and she gets half. Oh, asking athletes to use wisdom before they marry the first woman they see is too much like right. Before the fame & fortune, many pro athletes weren't given the time of day by women. As soon as the fame & fortune, every woman within a 50 mile radius wants him. Here's the catch: He married a woman who was supporting him when his family didn't. She and her family took him in when he was in need, before all the money. This is just one of those situations where he decided afterward, that he wanted something (or someone else) and now he will have to deal with the consequences. I do believe if someone's family have supported your dreams, then once you blow up, they should share in your success. I do remember Wade's humble beginnings on Chicago's Southside, where he was homeless. I respect Wade's rags to riches story, and he deserves his success. I do think the ex-wife needs to pull herself together and move on. As long as he does right by their kids, that is all she can really ask for now. She being his friend, wife and mother of his children allowed him to pursue his dreams. I don't think any woman should get half, but there should be some kind of living compensation for him ending the marriage. My hope is they can be civil for their kids' sake, because the kids suffer in all of this.

Won't Know My Business!

Seems like everyone is coming out with a Tell-All book nowadays. A tell-all book is a story involving one or more people, and a celebrity. These people give details of their experiences with an influential person. This celebrity wines & dines him/her, they usually sleep together, etc. I don't know how some people can be so open. True, you should keep it real, but some things don't need to be disclosed. Some people are very foul, and when a disagreement arises, they use your information against you. Knowing this, KEEP YOUR BUSINESS TO YOURSELF. To me, a tell-all book is another money-maker for some people: If I sing like a song about what I did with this, that, and the third person, people will buy. After all, people like juicy details. I'm very private, so there's no way I'm airing my business on Front St. Think about it, people have access to my most private details of my life; there's no telling what their intentions are. If you want to test how foul some people are, here's a good way to do it: Tell someone your deepest secret(s), and trust them enough NOT to put you on blast. If they air you out, they're grimy and cannot be trusted. If a week or so goes by, and no one knows, they're legit. Some people can be trusted to keep secrets, others can't. Not everyone can be trusted; it's sad, but that's life. People Are People: They're going to lie, cheat, steal, mistreat you, etc. Through it all, you learn who's legit, and who's flaw. Many times, the motive behind tell all books is revenge. Someone was hurt, so they hold a grudge against the person for years, and all of a sudden: They write a tell all book, and people eat that up. The internet is notorious for this. Some people put their lives on Facebook, and they need to be careful. Do they realize something called identity theft? People steal your information and wreak havoc. I would never put my life story on Facebook, because I have sense enough to know some people have nothing better to do than blast you out, and I can't have that. If people want to know something about me, just ask. Just know, I have discretion in what I reveal about myself to people. Families warring with each other, putting their business on Twitter & Facebook, and people gobble the gossip up. That goes against everything I believe. Work out your issue(s) amongst yourselves, but don't blast each other out. That's not right, and it makes one look stupid. I could not see myself going on VH1 or BET, telling my business.

I'm Bothered

Because of what I've been through, not much bothers me. One thing that does bother me is a dismal statistic: 70% of people with disabilities are unemployed. That's scary. Why is it scary? Because you have a population that's dependent on taxpayer money for survival. Due to budget cuts, many support services that disabled people rely on are going to be limited or terminated. Many disabilities are hereditary, so many disabled people didn't ask to be born with a medical condition. I've always believed that life is tough, but 10x tougher with a disability, because a disabled person has to battle discrimination, ridicule (yes, there are jerks that mock disabled people), judgmental people, etc. Ask any person with a disability, and they would gladly trade places with a non-disabled person. Nobody should have the odds stacked against them early on; people with disabilities deserve the same shot as everyone else. When you have biased employers that won't give a person with a disability a chance to prove themself, you get a 70% unemployment rate among persons with disabilities. You can have two qualified employees for a position, one candidate has a disability and the other is non-disabled. The disabled person is the best candidate for the job, but the employer can't outright say "I won't hire you because of your disability." due to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Instead, employers will make excuses for why a PWD (Person With Disability) won't get the job. "It was great meeting you, and while you were very qualified for the job; we selected someone whose education, experience and skills closely match the requirements for the position." That's code for "Your disability prevents you from excelling in the position". I know how to read between the lines, so people can't get over on me. Every person with a disability WANTS to work, and should be given that shot. The only way the unemployment rate about PWD's will decrease is if employers check their biases at the door, and realize that PWD's have higher retention rates, and perform just as well as, or better than their non-disabled counterparts (http://www.strategicdiversity.com/Diversity_Statistics.htm). Employers complain about difficulty finding qualified employees, but they refuse to give a qualified person with a disability a shot to show what they can do. If you refuse to give someone a shot, you as an employer have NO RIGHT to complain about difficulty finding qualified employees. The talent is out there, but they know their worth, and won't let companies take advantage of them. Let's be real here: You have PWD's that live productive, successful lives, but that's because an employer looked past their handicap, and saw them as an asset to their company. The only other alternative is self-employment for persons with disabilities, since they are subject to widespread & severe discrimination in the workplace. Not every disabled person is lazy, so people need to cut the crap about their idiotic statements towards those with disabilities. Most PWD's would run circles around some people in the workplace.

Everybody Has A Price

We've all heard the saying, "Everybody Has A Price". When it comes down to it, everybody does have a price. Some people can be bought for the right price, others for the wrong price. It depends on the individual's motives. In the business world, deals are made daily. "I'll offer this amount of $, and these perks if you go into business with me." Because many people are motivated by $$$, they agree without hesitation. There are times where you jump at opportunity, others require a little finesse (meaning, you do your homework before you decide to jump). I'm not going to lie, I have a price. If someone presents an opportunity that can change my life, I'm getting excited because this opportunity has the potential to affect my life, and my loved ones. Why wouldn't I jump? Here's the catch: I pray over EVERYTHING. Yes, an opportunity may sound good, but if I don't get a peace about it; I pass, and trust that something better will come along (which it usually does). There's a time to take action, and a time to pump your brakes. Look at the cutthroat nature of Corporate America: Everybody is trying to reach the top, so what do they do? They undermine each other so the boss can look favorably upon him/her. If the boss promotes ethical behavior in his company, (s)he won't go for that foolishness. (S)he will check the backstabbing immediately because (s)he doesn't want the company to run amok. When I think of this statement, I think of a person that's willing to be bought for the right price. You offer them the world, and they're all in. How about taking bribes? A person in authority is offered a certain amount of money to overlook illegal activity, and they accept. You'd never know (s)he accepted a bribe, because bribes, by their nature are discreet. As long as the price is right, people can be bought.

Same Crap, Different Toilet

This is about the violence crisis in Chicago. If you've lived in Chicago for any period of time (all your life, several years, etc.), then you should be aware of Chicago's violence issue. 30 people shot, 5 dead, 46 shot, 7 dead, 74 shot, 13 dead, etc. Mass shootings/murders are so common in Chicago, that it boggles the mind as to why some Chicagoans would say "Where's the outrage?" Ok? Chicago has been bad since the 80's and early/mid 90s, and all of a sudden people want to ask, where's the outrage? Honestly, Chicagoans should be used to the violence by now. Violence is entrenched in Chicago history with the evolution of Al Capone, the Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, etc. If you live in a violence-prone neighborhood, you should know that people get shot & die everyday. I'm not promoting violence, I'm just saying that some people should do a little research, and stop being so shocked at Chicago's violence outbreak. How many times can you report on 40 people getting shot? At some point, you get accustomed to the violence. Where was the outrage in the 80's/early 90's, when Chicago topped 800+ murders every year? Were people raising sand then? Probably Not. Unless you're on the frontlines doing something about the violence crisis in Chicago, have several seats. Just recently, I read ANOTHER mass shooting/murder headline that stated: 74 shot, 13 dead since 4th of July weekend. It's interesting I read that headline because I posted the following Facebook status on Saturday: I wonder if Chicago's violence will set new records: It's usually 7-8 dead, and 45-50 people shot. If 70-80+ people were shot, and 35-40 of them died, even the Chi would have to say "This is bonkers". It's tough to be outraged at something that's commonplace. Los Angeles and New York went through the same thing: Gangs were shooting up the block, causing those cities' murder rates to go up. It's a matter of time before Chicago sets new violence records; 74 shot, 13 dead could turn into 100+ shot, 30+ dead.

Self-Hate

Some people don't know what the term self-hate means. You must hate yourself (or your own ethnicity) if you point out foolishness amongst your people. "You must hate blacks since you criticize their bad behavior" Really? So you're supposed to let foolishness go unchecked? That's news to me, why didn't I get the memo? The actions of one (or a few) reflect on the whole. For example: I live in Southeast Washington, DC; which is supposedly the pit of hell in DC (on the contrary, since gentrification is sweeping SE DC like a flood). 80% of violent crime occurs in this area, and I'm active in trying to get the area cleaned up: I speak out against the ghetto thuggery. Some people get upset with me, and say I hate myself. I'm trying to figure out what it is about you that could make me hate myself. See how silly that sounds? I was chatting with a friend on Facebook, and we discussed this very issue: Why do some blacks assume you hate yourself if you have the guts to speak out against foolishness? People kill me sometimes. My definition of self-hate is having no pride in who you are as a person. You see no good in your own, and point out the negative. That's the problem with some blacks: They want their behinds powdered, and don't want to address the issues. You can't have beauty without getting rid of the ugliness. Ugliness symbolizes foolishness & ignorance (Worldstar Hiphop, youtube videos showing blacks acting stupid, etc.). Beauty is when you see blacks prospering in life. We all know there's far too much negativity, and not enough goodness among blacks. Yet, people raised sand when Bill Cosby called out black people for their ridiculous behavior. I feel like this: When you care enough about someone or something, you point out their foolishness because you want better for them. Hopefully they'll straighten up, but some people thrive on being ratchet; they see no shame in acting stupid. Help who wants to be helped, and leave the rest to their demise.

I Used To Think...

There was a time where I asked myself, "How could some people go through life unmarried?" These people have everything someone could want in a spouse, but somehow love eluded them. I never thought something was wrong with him/her that is preventing them from finding love; I just believed that everyone is deserving of someone to spend their lives with. As I got older, I realized that some people are content being single; doesn't mean they can't find Mr(s). Right, it's just that they're so used to riding solo, that they're no longer concerned about finding a spouse. Some people are indifferent towards relationships; they'll be alright with or without a mate. That comes from being secure in yourself, and knowing your worth. As long as you know your worth, the rest will fall in place. Depending on someone's destiny, a relationship could be a distraction rather than blessing. Take President Obama for example: US President, husband & father. Being U.S. President is hard enough, but to have family responsibilities adds extra pressure. Sherman Hemsley played on The Jeffersons, and Amen. He was unmarried with no children, and he died at 74. Most people would think something's wrong with a person that dies unmarried and no children, but because he was an actor, it was no big deal. I believe God calls some people to marriage, others to be single. This IS NOT an attack on marriage; marriage is a beautiful thing when you're with the right person. It doesn't mean you won't go through trials, just that it's easier to get through rough times with Mr(s). Right at your side. The older I get, the more evolved my thinking becomes on certain topics. I used to see things one way, but now I'm seeing things from all angles.