Growing Old Together

Looking through the photographs, of ten thousand memories ago; it still seems like yesterdayeven though today I am old.I still remember the first time we met, I froze and stood so still! So afraid that you would turn and go.Then you smiled and said hello.I was so very lost forwords and completely dazzled by the sight of you.The years have come and gonesince our first hello, yet every single day will pass and I'm stillhead over heels in love with you.Wrinkles and scars they appear, but that's not what I see.I still see that lovely girl I fell in love with so many years ago. Gracefully we journey andtogether we will grow old, I would not want it any other way. Loving you always even till the day I have to go.

Steven Beesley

Saggin Pants

Saggin Pants


Letter from a college student
The other day, a friend of mine visited me in the lobby of my dorm just to chat while her laundry was drying. As we were chatting, two young freshmen came by. One of the boys wanted to 'talk' to my friend (as in date). She asked him how old they were, and both ofthe boys replied 18. My friend and I both laughed hysterically because we are both 22 years old. After my friend left, the young men were still hanging around and one wanted to know how he could gain her interest.

The first thing I told him to do was to pull up his pants! He asked why, and then said he liked saggin' his pants. I told him to come over to my computer and spell the word saggin'. Then I told him to write the word saggin' backwards.

S-A-G-G-I-N

N-I-G-G-A-S

I told him the origin of that look was from centuries ago. It was the intent of slave owners to demoralize the field workers by forbidding them to wear a belt as they worked in the fields or at
Any other rigorous job. In addition, men in prison wore their pants low when they were 'spoken for'. The other reason their pants looked like that was they were not allowed to have belts because prisoners were likely to try to commit suicide. And, saggin' pants prevents you from running.

We as young Black people have to be the ones to effect change. We are dying. The media has made a mockery of the Black American. Even our brothers and sisters from Africa don't take us seriously. Something as simple as pulling up your pants and standing with your head held high could make the biggest difference in the world's perception of us. It is time to do right by ourselves. We need to love and embrace each other. No one is going to do that for us.

It all comes down to perception. What people perceive is what reality to them is. We have to change not only the media's perception of us, but we need to change our perception of ourselves.

Remember all eyes are on you Black Man. All eyes are on you Black Woman. All eyes are on your Black Child. People point the finger at us and expect us to engage in negative and illegal activities, to manifest loud, boisterous behavior, to spend our hard earned money in their stores, buying goods we don't need, or really want. We have allowed not only the media, but the government and the world to portray us as a 'sub-culture.' They have stripped our culture down to the point where the image of Black people is perpetuated as rappers, athletes, drug users, and consumers of junk food, expensive tennis shoes, expensive cars, expensive TVs, cell phones and not investing in homes for our families.
We are so much more!!!!!!!

To all our Black Men: It's time to stand up. There are billions of Black Women who want to do nothing more than worship the ground that you walk on. We are so in love with your potential. We want to have your back, we want to love, support and cherish every ounce of your being. But with that you have to show that you are willing to be the head of our households. You have to prove yourselves worthy of our submission. We need you to be hard working...Not a hustler. We need you to seek higher education, to seek spirituality. We need you to stand! And trust us; we will have your back. We know that it gets hard. We know you get weary. Trust and believe that there is nothing that a Black Man and a Black Woman
Can't handle with GOD on their side.

To all our Black Women: It is also time for you to stand up. It is time for you to stop using our bodies as our primary form of communication. It is time to be that virtuous woman that Proverbs spoke of. You cannot sit by the wayside while our men are dying by the masses. You are the epitome of Black Love. It starts within you. You need to speak with conviction to let not only our Black Men know, but the world, that you are the Mothers of this world. You are so powerful. You are so beautiful. You need to love and embrace every blessing God has given us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

For all our Black Children: We need to love them. We need to teach them. We need to stand up for them. We need to protect them. We need to show them that there are no 'get rich quick' schemes. We need to tell them that they WILL die trying if they submit to a life of crime and deceit. We need to teach our children that no one will love them the way we can. And being a basketball player, a rapper, or a drug dealer is not reality. It's not realistic and only a small percentage of people ever make it as a rapper or professional athlete. We need to teach our children that we can be more than rappers and athletes. We can be the owners of these sports teams. We can be the CEO's of OUR fortune 500 companies. We need to believe in literacy. I am almost certain if we were to look back to the 1930's and 40's, the literacy rates for Black American Children are probably still the same.

Please Keep This Going & Have a wonderful day

'This is the year of empowerment.' God will empower us to accomplish things this year that will be mind blowing'.

Who was Kevin Duckworth

Kevin Jerome Duckworth (April 1, 1964 – August 25, 2008) was an American professional basketball player at center in the National Basketball Association, most notably as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.[edit] Early life and careerDuckworth was born in Harvey, Illinois and grew up in Chicago, where he played basketball at Thornridge High School.[1] He attended Eastern Illinois University (EIU), where he set a university record of 867 rebounds, a record that still held at the time of his death.[1]He also led EIU to the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championship in 1985 and was the Conference Player of the Year in 1986.[1]Duckworth was the ninth pick in the 2nd round of the 1986 NBA Draft, chosen by the San Antonio Spurs. Later that season, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for rookie Walter Berry.His rookie season was unspectacular, as Duckworth came off the bench to back up center Steve Johnson (who in turn got the starting center position when Sam Bowie suffered a broken leg). However, the next season Johnson went down with an injury (in addition; Bowie broke his leg again at the beginning of the season), and Duckworth was pushed into the starting role, from where he averaged 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Also, after having previously never averaged over 70.0 percent from the free throw line, he shot 77% that year, rebounded well, and played good defense - earning him the 1988 NBA Most Improved Player Award.

Position(s):Center
Jersey #(s):54, 00
Height:7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Weight:275 lb (125 kg)
Born: April 1, 1964Harvey, Illinois
Died: August 25, 2008 (aged 44)Gleneden Beach, Oregon

Career information
Year(s): 1986–1997
NBA Draft: 1986 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
College: Eastern Illinois University
Professional team(s)
San Antonio Spurs (1986–1987)
Portland Trail Blazers (1987–1993)
Washington Bullets (1993–1995)
Milwaukee Bucks (1995–1996)
Los Angeles Clippers (1996–1997)
Career stats
Points
8,085
Rebounds
3,945
Blocks
316
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com

Career highlights and awards
1987-88 NBA Most Improved Player Award
1989, 1991 NBA All-Star
1990, 1992 NBA Finals

The following season, Duckworth improved his averages to 18.1 points and 8.0 rebounds, and was named to the Western Conference All-Star team. After the 1988-89 campaign, Bowie was traded to the New Jersey Nets for Buck Williams and Johnson, who was at the end of his career, was left unprotected in the 1989 expansion draft, allowing Duckworth to become the starting center.
The 1990 and 1991 seasons were also successful for Duckworth and the Blazers. Although 1988-89 was statistically Duckworth's best season, the team enjoyed greater success the in the following years - advancing to the NBA Finals in 1990, and posting a 63-19 record in 1990-91. The presence of Williams as the starting power forward, with rebounding as main assignment, allowed Duckworth to concentrate on scoring and defense.[citation needed] In 1991 Duckworth was also selected as an NBA All-Star for a second time.

Duckworth's production began to slip in 1991-92, as his physical conditioning deteriorated somewhat. He was constantly outplayed in the 1992 NBA Finals, and was even less productive in the following season, in which the Blazers failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs. At the end of 1992-93, Duckworth was traded to the Washington Bullets for forward Harvey Grant.
Duckworth played four more seasons in the NBA, two for the Bullets, one for the Milwaukee Bucks, missing most of the season due to injuries, and one for the Los Angeles Clippers (1996-97). He retired from professional basketball after that season.

In 1996, Duckworth and Kermit Washington opened Le'Slam Sports Cafe in Vancouver, Washington.[2][3]He settled in Tigard, Oregon, with his girlfriend and her two children.
He was a Heritage Ambassador for the Trail Blazers and was active in the community. He spent several years at the end of his life working at and helping out with Royal Marine Sales, a small locally owned company where he bought and sold small yachts.[4]

Kevin Duckworth, former NBA All-star and Trail Blazer dies age 44
Duckworth died of a heart attack on Monday, August 25, 2008 in Gleneden Beach, Oregon, near the coastal town of Lincoln City. He collapsed in his hotel room, and emergency services were unable to revive him. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Duckworth was in town as part of a Trail Blazers group hosting a free kids basketball clinic. An autopsy identified the cause of death as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure. He was 44.[5]

FBI looks into Denver reports of threat on Obama

Aurora Police Department Detective, Marcus Dudley, speaks to the media during a press conference at the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colo. on Monday Aug. 25, 2008. Federal authorities are looking into reports that a man arrested after officers found rifles, ammunition and drugs in his truck may have made threats against Barack Obama, officials said Monday.





Federal authorities are looking into reports that a man arrested with rifles, ammunition and drugs in his truck may have made threats against Barack Obama, officials said Monday.

Two other men were arrested in the case.

"It's premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out," said a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

Obama will be in Denver later this week to accept the Democratic nomination for president.

FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright confirmed the FBI was investigating the reports but declined to elaborate. The Joint Information Center — a command set up by Denver, state and federal authorities to field media inquiries during the Democratic convention — said it had no immediate comment.

Tharin Gartrell, 28, was arrested during a traffic stop early Sunday by police in the eastern Denver suburb of Aurora. In his truck, officers found two rifles, including one with a scope; a bulletproof vest; boxes of ammunition; walkie-talkies; and suspected narcotics, said Aurora police Detective Marcus Dudley.

Police alerted federal authorities, who soon arrested Nathan Johnson, 32, at a hotel in Denver, Dudley said. A third man, Shawn Robert Adolf, 33, was arrested at a suburban Glendale hotel, Dudley said.

Adolf allegedly tried to escape officers by jumping from a sixth-floor window. He was hospitalized and was being held on $1 million bond for several outstanding warrants involving drug charges. Johnson also was being held on drug charges and his bond was unknown, Dudley said.

It wasn't known if the three men had attorneys, Dudley said.

Dudley didn't say what tied the men together but that more arrests were possible. One of the rifles was stolen, and authorities had traced it to Kansas, Dudley said. He declined to say to whom it belonged.

Aurora police alerted federal officials because of heightened security surrounding the Democratic convention, Dudley said.

"Clearly we found there are federal implications — otherwise we would not have notified them," he said. "The weapons clearly would cause great concern."

U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the case was under investigation. "We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado," Eid said in a statement.

Officials with the FBI, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Aurora police set a news conference for Tuesday afternoon.

Law enforcers in Denver are trying to find out whether the reported threats to Obama were valid. "It could also turn out that these were nothing but a bunch of knuckleheads, meth-heads," the U.S. government official said.

baby with 2 heads

Baby Kiron of Keshobpur, Bangladesh, rests in a blanket at a hospital in Jessore, Aug. 26, 2008. Doctors delivered the baby boy, who was born with two heads and weighed 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds 1 ounce), by Caesarean section Monday, according to local reports. Doctors had recommended that the parents take the baby to a hospital in Dhaka, but the cost of care put it out of reach for the couple. They instead took Kiron home, where he died on Wednesday.

Dog For Sale

Subject: Dog for sale! * Free to good home.* Excellent guard dog.* Owner cannot afford to feed him anymore, as there are no more thieves, murderers, or molesters left in the neighborhood for him to eat.* Most of them knew him as 'Holy Shit.'

Just because he is black

A white man asked his black friend, 'Are you voting for Barack Obama just because he's black?'The black man responded by saying, 'Why not? Hell, in this country men are pulled over everyday just cause they're black; passed over for promotions just cause they're black; considered to be criminals justcause they're black; and there are going to be thousands of you who won't be voting for him just because he's black! However, you do not seem to have a problem with that! This country was built with the sweat and whip off the black slaves' back, and now a descendent of those same slaves has a chance to lead the same country, where we weren't even considered to be people, where we weren't allowed to be educated, drink from the same water fountains, eat in the same restaurants, or even vote. So yes! I'm going to vote for him! But it's not just because he's black, but because he is hope, he is change, and he now allows me to understand when my grandson says that he wants to be president when he grows up, it is not a fairy tale but a short term goal. He now sees, understands and knows that he can achieve, with stand and do
ANYTHING just because he's black!'

Although if you ask Rush Limbaugh, Shawn Hannity, Ben Fergerson, Mike Fleming, Mark Levin, why they don't like Obama they have ever excuse except that he is BLACK... Go figure!

How to Make a Woman Happy

It's not difficult to make a woman happy. A man only needs to be:

1. a friend

2. a companion

3. a lover

4. a brother

5. a father

6. a master

7. a chef

8. an electrician

9. a carpenter

10. a plumber

11. a mechanic

12. a decorator

13. a stylist

14. a sexologist

15. a gynecologist

16. a psychologist

17. a pest exterminator

18. a psychiatrist

19. a healer

20. a good listener

21. an organizer

22. a good father

23. very clean

24. sympathetic

25. athletic

26. warm

27. attentive

28. gallant

29. intelligent

30. funny

31. creative

32. tender

33. strong

34. understanding

35. tolerant

36. prudent

37. ambitious

38. capable

39. courageous

40. determined

41. true

42. dependable

43. passionate

44. compassionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

45. give her compliments regularly

46. love shopping

47. be honest

48. be very rich

49. not stress her out

50. not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself

52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself

53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

54. Never to forget:* birthdays* anniversaries* arrangements she makes

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

1. Show up naked

2. Bring Alcohol

Teachers allowed to carry loaded guns in school

Texas school district will allow teachers to carry guns
08-16-2008
There's a brand new reason not to mess with Texas-the teachers might be packing heat!
The board members of the Harrold Independent School District voted unanimously that teachers who are certified to carry a concealed weapon, get crisis training, and have permission of school officials will be allowed to bring guns into their classrooms starting this fall.
The superintendent of the small, rural district (Harrold Independent includes 110 students and is 150 miles from Fort Worth) David Thweatt says the reason behind the decision all comes down to safety. "We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, 'What if somebody gets in? What are we going to do?" Thweatt said. "It's just common sense."
I attended a rural school district and understand that not everyone is fortunate enough to have the protection of school police officers or a nearby police station. However, the thought of armed teachers in the classroom still gives me pause. While there have been some horrific, tragic school shootings, they are pretty rare. Accidental shootings happen much more often than Columbine situations and as a parent, that would be a bigger concern.

What if...

What if we could wave a magic wand an change one day in history and if we did we would have to live with the results and accept what ever happened. Could we understand that by making one change in history would create an avalanche of perpetual changes that would alter life as we know it?

What if I fixed it so that Martin Luther King Jr. had never been assassinated. Would we be satisfied with what we created? Most important if we altered time would we still recognize a national holiday called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that was established in1986. Would his I have a dream speech that impacted the world still have the same effect?

Would James Earl Ray ever be locked up? Or would we divert history for a day week or month before the inevitable finally happened. Or would because we change history we change the faith of mankind as we know it?

What if Loyd Jowers who had received $100,000 to arrange King's assassination never committed the act, that means the jury of six whites and six blacks who found Jowers guilty would no longer have been in court that day.

What if Martin was not awarded posthumously The Marcus Garvey Prize for Human Rights by the Jamaican Government in 1968.[8]

What if In 1971, King was not awarded posthumously the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Recording for his Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam.[184]

What if in 1977, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was not awarded posthumously to King by Jimmy Carter.[185]

What if King and his wife were not awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004.[186]

What if King was not assassinated would he still be the second most admired person in the 20th century, according to a Gallup poll.[187]

What if In 2000, King was not voted sixth in the Person of the Century poll by TIME.[188]

What if we changed history and King was not elected the third Greatest American of all time by the American public in a contest conducted by the Discovery Channel and AOL.[189]

What if Martin was still alive and the 730 cities in the United States still that named streets after King did not do it.[190]

What if King County, Washington did not rededicated its name in his honor in 1986,[191] and changed its logo to an image of his face in 2007.[192]

What if the city government center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, decided not to name its city hall in honor of King.[193]

What if we altered history and King was not awarded at least fifty honorary degrees from various colleges and universities in the United States and several foreign countries.[177][8]

What if we did all this to save man kind from loosing a great human being and the course of history was forever changed! Would it really be worth it if he was still alive but all the great honors that he received because of his death no longer existed? Would it really matter?

Then again what if I never wrote, what if?

The Secret

You have to believe it first, then you will receive it. A close mouth never gets feed so if you don't ask for it...Then how are you going to get it!!! Each day, week, month and year write down what you want out of life. Treat that piece of paper like a magic genie and your wish will be its command...

This is too much!

Only someone black would pull this kind of stunt... This mother has no shame!!!

Donald Trump to Bail Ed McMahon Out of Mortgage Mess

Real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump announced his plan to keep famous talk show sidekick Ed McMahon from losing his multimillion-dollar home to foreclosure.
“There are discussions, but it is not a done deal yet. We are optimistic,” a representative for McMahon told Reuters of Trump’s intention to purchase the Beverly Hills property and lease it back to the former “Tonight Show” announcer.
According to the Los Angeles Times, McMahon recently dropped the asking price of his home, which had been on the market for approximately two years, to $4.6 million, $200,000 less than the amount lent by Countrywide Financial Corp. and more than $2.5 million less than its original asking price.

I am very impressed with Trump willing to step up and step in to help McMahon to keep him from going into foreclosure. I just can not help to think that their are literally millions of people who have lost their homes. To bad their was not more people like Trump who were willing to help the American public.

The world is changin

The existence of violence predetermines the flow of life as we know it. We have witness terrorist uni-bombers, snipers, gun men and lunatics on a mission of destruction. Their only intent is to hurt everyone in eye site, then turn the gun on themselves. The luxury of growing old is not a guarantee any more... Everyday you leave your home you have to look both ways before you get in your car. I begin the day with a prayer and ask the lord to let no evil come against me. Sometimes I think that I am a accomplished fool, for I am that person who believes that the world as we know it is not self destructing just changing!

Oil prices ease as Tropical Storm Fay avoids energy facilities

Crude oil prices fell Monday as Tropical Storm Fay looked set to spare energy facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline appeared ready to reopen soon.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for September delivery, dropped 90 cents to close at 112.87 dollars a barrel.
In London, Brent North Sea crude for October lost 61 cents to settle at 111.94 dollars a barrel.
Oil prices earlier had climbed as investors worried that Tropical Storm Fay would strike the Gulf of Mexico, where nearly a quarter of US oil installations are located.
The New York futures contract had bounced above 115 dollars before losing steam when it became clear that Fay, which had battered the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, was on track to hit Florida.
Royal Dutch Shell said it had evacuated 425 staff from the Gulf of Mexico but added that no more workers would leave as Fay appeared likely to miss its energy installations.
According to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center, Fay could reach hurricane strength before making landfall in Florida late Monday.

So at the rate that oil prices are dropping when is gas going to drop below $3.00 a gallon again.

Mac final Program

The end...

yong Joc sued for child support

Atlanta rapper Yung Joc has reportedly been sued by the mother of his seven-year-old son over child support.
According to WSBTV, Fatimah Jester claims that Joc owes her $2,000 in court-ordered child support payments and has refused to stay in touch with her. She also claims the rapper's missed payments have made it difficult for her to pay bills.
“I never thought he would be putting me through some of the stuff I'm going through now,” Jester said. “I can't even get in contact with him for things for my baby...it's just hard”.“The type of money he makes, $2,000 is nothing,” she added. “[He] has all kinds of cars, Bentleys, Mercedes Benz, Ranger Rovers, two Range rovers”.
It does not matter if he has 10 Bentleys, the key is he has a child that he is not paying child support for. Regardless of the situation he has a responsibility to his child and if he does not value his child, then maybe he would value some time sitting in jail!

Bernie Mac Memorial Services

THE LONELY BRAIN CELL

Once upon a time there was a female brain cell which, by mistake, happened to end up in a man's head.


She looked around nervously because it was all empty and quiet.


" Hello?" she cried, but no answer.

"Is there anyone here?" she cried a little louder, but still no answer.

Now the female brain cell started to feel alone and scared and yelled at the top of her voice,

"HELLO, IS THERE ANYONE HERE?"


Then she heard a faint voice from far, far away..............

"We're down here!"

Who is the Baltimore Bullet

Michael Fred Phelps AKA The Baltimore Bullet was born June 30, 1985 (1985-06-30) he is (age 23) Baltimore, Maryland, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 95 pounds (88 kg)

The 23-year-old Phelps earned a $1 million bonus from Speedo, one of his sponsors, for matching the record set by fellow American swimmer Spitz in the Munich pool at the 1972 Olympics. He can break the mark in tomorrow's 400-medley relay, an event the U.S. has won at every Olympics in which it competed since the relay was added in 1960.
``I think the biggest thing is when someone says you can't do something, when there have been quotes in the papers saying it's impossible to tie or break his record, it just shows you anything's possible,'' Phelps told reporters. ``When you put your mind to something out there, anything's possible.'' He also counts Speedo, Visa, Power Bar and AT&T among his sponsors, and he may gain more after the Games. Phelps has a good chance to significantly boost his income from corporate endorsements, which already amount to millions of dollars. But critical to his marketing future will be his ability to transcend swimming to become a national hero of sorts, or at least a major celebrity.

That means landing plenty of gigs on TV talk shows, and perhaps even a spot on " Saturday Night Live"—venues to show off his affable personality beyond the pool, and fully dressed."He's going to have grow into his marketability," said David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California's Sports Business Institute.Though Olympic athletes don't get paid directly for their medals, the games are like any other sport: They're big business. Corporations like McDonald's and Coca-Cola pour tens of millions into sponsoring the Olympics. Companies invest in individual athletes too, hoping to associate their brand with a winner.Phelps came into this year's Olympics counting AT&T, Visa, Omega watches, Power Bar and, of course, Speedo, among his sponsors. After Phelps won his 10th career medal this week, Visa quickly put out a new ad featuring Phelps in a dramatic photo, celebrating the U.S. swim team's victory over France in a relay race.

Phelps currently holds 38 national titles as of 2007, Phelps is beginning to approach the record of 48 held by Tracy Caulkins. He needs 30 World recordsWith 30 world records (25 individual, 5 relay), as of August 2008, Phelps is approaching Mark Spitz's record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay).