A cheerful heart is good medicine. No matter what you’re going through, hang in there sunshine, you really are special!

Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back so today's Message of the Day is:
Life is short
Break the rules
Forgive quickly
Kiss slowly
Love truly
Laugh uncontrollably
And never regret anything that made you smile.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Attached is an apple for you!

The American Mosaic

America is a melting pot of races, religions, trains of thought and so much more. It's a mosaic of people, or the American Mosaic. Though nothing is perfect, and being a melting pot comes with its own peculiar set of challenges, the good definitely outweighs the bad.

During world events such as the Olympic Games, it’s often obvious that the US team is the most diverse in every way. There’s strength in diversity, and this is what makes America great. We are all here, and the sooner we learn to coexist peacefully together, the better for us all.

A special thanks to the group U2 (pictured in concert below) for their continued promotion of coexistence.

America & Debt

I was recently watching the news about the debt crisis in America. We all love nice things which cost money. They featured a family with $60,000 worth of credit card debt. They owed some money, couldn't keep up and then the fees and penalties made it worse.

What made this family stand out was how much they owed. Even in America $60,000 is a lot for credit card debt. If the amount owed was due to a medical illness, school loans or a mortgage no one would have flinched an inch. However, what they owed was substantial because the average family owes credit card debt of $10,000 and to top it off 6.5% of American families are more than 30 days past due, thanks to the recession.

I really can't blame these people as credit card companies have a way of targeting and seducing both old and young people to apply for the cards regardless of if they can need or can manage having a credit card. Credit card companies are now feeling the pinch as settlements of up to 70% off what is owed are now being offered and accepted by credit card companies from their debtors.

The family with the $60,000 debt paid $16,000 to end their debt nightmare. They were able to do this because some credit cards companies are willing to get something now instead of nothing later.

However, I believe debt is undesirable when not absolutely necessary. Debt should be a last resort because it is a form of slavery. The creditor has a hold over the debtor. In the Bible, Proverbs 22:7 “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” this shows debt is a negative that should be avoided if possible.

The way America is structured; student loans, mortgage loans and car loans are often necessary and using credit cards to pay for health care expenses is acceptable. However, using credit cards to keep up with the Joneses is ridiculous especially when the number one cause of divorce and relationship problems is financial.

I received an email from Black Press Magazine about the Wendy Williams show, and I was shocked to read the very critical tone of the contents. I watch the show from time to time but I don't see it as bad as they see it. Also, I have worked on the Tyra Banks show and know it takes a lot to put talk shows together. It's easy to critisize from the sidelines. Producing a talk show is not easy at all and I give kudos to anyone who can. Also, as people of color it would be to our advantage to be less critical of each other and do what we can to help each other be the best we can be. A word is enough for the wise...........

The contents of the email are below. What do you think?

(BlackPress.org) - The Washington Post called it "Must FLEE-TV", The Examiner gave it a grade of C+ and Media Life Magazine called it "Weak Week Two." These days the only person suffered a bigger PR nightmare than Barack Obama is former radio show turned TV talk show host Wendy Williams.

If you're a cross dressing, wig loving, severely bored housewife with nothing else on your hands then the trashy mess that is the Wendy Williams Show is for you. If you're a dysfunctional in most areas of your life and feel the need to seek advice from Williams, this show is for you. With segments like "Ask Wendy," "Hot Topics" and more, the live studio audience seems to genuinely love their host who regularly adjusts her wigs on camera.

"The Wendy Williams Show is raunchy, offensive, badly scripted and better made for viral video, but that's exactly why the show will likely be a hit with viewers," said DC Livers, managing editor for Black Press Magazine, the industry publication that analyzes the Black media industry. "Advertisers will proceed at their own risk and anyone who voted against Proposition 8 will have a fit, but the non-commercialization of the Wendy Williams Show makes it grimy and at times hard to watch but the show has the bite of truth and that's what today's viewers want.

"Whenever we say anything positive about Williams the hate mail we receive is amazing, but let's face it. She's cutting edge and tech savvy and that's all she'll need to get renewed for another season. Tyra's show started as just as poorly and look at it now. I don't know if she should have quit her day job [at WBLS in New York] but she's definately on to something. The fact that she was able to negotiate multiple channel licensing deals shows Williams knows her audience and plans to pimp her brand all the way to the bank," Livers said.

Fibroids & Uterine Female Embolization (UFE)

Dr. Andrew Brown, M.D.
Interventional Radiologist at Harbor Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
Do you often say….

“I am in pain a lot. The continual bleeding is horrible. The uncertainty is overwhelming. I tried birth control pills to stop the bleeding. They were a little effective but only for a short while.”

“My periods are getting heavier, they are unbearable. My life is limited because of my periods.”

“I have cramps that have gotten worse, and have become unbearable. I take too many pain pills daily."

"I have fibroids, what do I do?"

“I have heavy periods every two weeks which leaves me moody and irritable. One minute I’m crying, the next one, I’m angry.”

“My fibroids have limited my lifestyle.”

“I’ve had fibroids before. I had them removed, but they returned. I am always fatigued."

“I don’t have a normal menstrual cycle which puts many restrictions on my life.”

If you have said of the quotes above or you live with constant abdominal pain and pressure or excessive menstrual bleeding, you're not alone. Almost three in four women develop noncancerous tumors in the uterus called Uterine Fibroids, which can cause these symptoms. These fibroids also can result in back pain, pain during intercourse and difficulty passing urine or having bowel movements. However, about 40 percent of women who have these fibroids never experience any symptoms. In any case Uterine Female Embolization (UFE) may be the solution for you.

What is UFE?
Hysterectomy which is removing the uterus, or womb used to be the mainstay to treat uterine fibroids. Now, a non-surgical, gentler, less invasive alternative known as Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) is available. This procedure relieves heavy bleeding in about 90 percent of cases.

Women, who undergo UFE avoid major surgery and its risks and complications. There's no major anesthesia needed and no scarring after the procedure. Patients typically recover within seven to 10 days which is much less than the recovery time of a hysterectomy.

Other benefits of UFE include:
• keeping your uterus,
• virtually no blood loss,
• resolving most post-procedural pain within a few days
• a very low chance of needing hormone replacement after the procedure.

UFE which is also known as uterine arterial embolization, involves an incision in the groin about the size of the end of a pen. A surgical tube is guided to the arteries that feed the uterus, and sand-sized particles are placed in the arteries to block blood flow. This causes tumors to shrink, relieving pain and pressure.

If you need help on this matter, contact Dr. Andrew Brown, M.D. of Harbor Hospital via the link below he will help you determine if UFE is right for you.

http://www.harborhospital.org/body.cfm?ID=555555&?CFID=4022618&CFTOKEN=29414034&UserAction=DoctorDetails&action=&doctorid=5621&ziplongitude=0&ZipLatitude=0


Uterine Fibroids are most common in women older than 30, with African-American women being at higher risk. A simple imaging test that provides details about the size and shape of the tumors can determine if you're a good candidate for UFE.

Women who have gone through the procedure say...
“I learned about UFE and was hopeful. I had it on a Thursday and I was back to work on Monday. 3 days after my procedure, the bleeding stopped. UFE made a difference in my life.”

“I was told to consider having a hysterectomy or have the fibroids cut out, but they could grow back again, so UFE was the best choice for me.”

“While considering a myomectomy or a hysterectomy, I attended a seminar on fibroid tumors and treatment options. I was told about UFE and I had the procedure. The difference in my lifestyle is incomparable."

“After having UFE my flow isn’t as heavy as it used to be, and I’m much happier.”

“I am comfortable, for the first time in two decades."

"There's no more pressure, and I feel completely different. I'm a new person."

Would You Like To Adopt A Dog?

I have the answer for you. Dogs In Danger Rescue rescues dogs from high kill shelters in the West and South where there are fewer adoptions. The dogs are vaccinated and transported to the Baltimore area. After thorough evaluation and a veterinary check, they are placed in one of four loving foster homes and their profiles are put online for adoption.

There is a $200 adoption fee charged for the adoption which covers puppy's shots and deworming. You can live anywhere in the US and adopt from Dogs In Danger Rescue. Some of the adult dogs rescued have adoption fees as low as $20.

Over 1,000 dogs and puppies have been placed in the last 3 years by Dogs In Danger Rescue. Some of their previously adopted dogs are now search and rescue and therapy dogs.

Available dogs are placed on www.petfinder.com, www.adoptapet.com, www.Kijiji.com and pennysaverwired. com.

Wait no more. Save a dog from euthanasia. Adopt a dog. Having a dog in your life will improve your life in many facets and you will gain a loyal friend and buddy for life. What more can you ask for?

For more information, visit their website at www.dogsindangerrescue.org or call Sarah at 908-745-9191

A New Day A New Way!

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped over the candlestick. This is one rhyme I remember all the time. It speaks to Jack's ability to do what he had to do to get things done. Having the ability to roll with the punches of life is a gift. For some it is in born, but for others it is acquired. Being agile, flexible, and dynamic are essential traits to have in this 21st century.

The old ways of doing things are passé. It’s time to re-examine what you do and why you do it. Always ask yourself the question, is this working for me? If it is working for you, keep doing it. If not discard it. Trim the fat, streamline the process, create templates to reuse to be a faster, more creative, more efficient and dynamic worker. This century is not for the lazy. It is for the hardworking, multi-tasker, who embraces technology and gets things done.

Another necessary trait is the ability to see around corners, into the future and embrace the new. This helps to prepare and remain relevant. This is no easy task. It requires constantly seeking out and sifting through new information, discarding the crap and thoroughly researching promising new finds. Then comes applying what you've learned to your life. Some of the old things you did or believed are no longer applicable. Though some things are worth saving from the past they may need to be modified to fit into the new ways of doing things.

Things don’t have to be the way they have always been. The world is now a global market. Security and loyalty is a thing of the past in every facet of life. No more fences or laws to keep better, more qualified and experienced people from taking your job or creating products that will compete with yours and drive you out of the market place. This means you have to keep striving to be the best at who you are and what you do.
 
It's a new day and only the people with the ability to adapt to new ways that set them ahead of the pack will survive. A word is enough for the wise...

A Poem To Reflect On How Fleeting Life Is

This is a poem by a special girl who will soon leave this world due to cancer.
This young girl has 6 months left to live, and as her dying wish, she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life to the fullest, since she never will.
She'll never make it to prom, graduate from high school, or get married and have a family of her own......


On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Michael Jackson VS Bruce Springsteen

My friend sent me an email and I would like to share his take on the Michael Jackson death and funeral and my response to him.

His email to me: "What do you think about Michael Jackson? I think it is all overdone. I feel Michael Jackson was talented in an androgynous kind of way. Not really my style. He did not stir my soul. In my view, Bruce Springsteen had more soul than Michael Jackson."

My email response to him:

Michael Jackson achieved what was thought to be impossible to the black world community. He paved the way for other black people in so many spheres and did so much to help black people all over the world. There are so many entertainers who are entertainers now because of him. He is a role model to so many.

I don't think his funeral was overdone. Actually, I thought it was underdone because as an artist he was larger than life. If he was alive and giving away free tickets to a concert more people would have showed up but people were told not to show up in the vicinity without a ticket and they probably were scared that the police would not tolerate any foolishness. We both agree that he was talented, but reaching the heights he did takes more than that. He was creative, disciplined, focused and tenacious. To have the worldwide popularity and staying power he did in the industry as an entertainer is amazing. He sacrificed his childhood and his life pretty much.

He has his faults because as a black person I don't appreciate that he distanced himself from being black. He changed his features to look white but he just magnified what many black people do to be accepted into some circles. When people perm their hair, add extensions or use toning creams to look lighter, they do the same thing to a lesser degree. I also don't appreciate his children being totally caucasian, they don't look biracial so he wanted to distance himself so much from being black that he didn't even biologically father the kids, I don't even know what to say to that......As much as I'd like to go on and on about how he tried to dispose of his blackness, I have to stop myself because he was neither my family member nor friend. To me he was an entertainer and he entertained me thoroughly and that is all I should evaluate him for so I'll go, back to his entertainment career.

Michael was a singer with a wide octave range, he was dancer, he was a human beatbox, he was music producer, and he was a choreographer and music video director/producer/scriptwriter. He was innovative and ahead of his time. His outfits, dancing and his whole shows were entertaining and his songs sent positive messages. Bruce Springsteen is a good musician/recording artist and he has his place, but as an entertainer they are not in the same league.

Michael Jackson's Funeral

Today was the service to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life at the Staples Center in LA. It was a celebration where Usher, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Ritchie, John Mayer and other’s performed. Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah and Brook Shields eulogized him. It was a great celebration to celebrate a great man but I really feel sorry for him, the children he left behind and chaos over his estate will soon ensue.

Everything in life has a price and Michael Jackson’s greatness came with a huge price tag including lack of privacy, lack of a normal childhood, practicing till he was perfect and not having normal relationships.

We should all realize that balance is the key to life. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he missed a few steps in a dance routine during a performance or in a music video or even forgot words to his songs like many of these new breed artists including Beyonce has done. There was no one that close to him who could’ve taken the spotlight from him but
Michael was from a different time. Though it still exists but not to the same degree, he came up in a time when most African Americans still felt inferior no matter how good they are, so they keep striving for the unattainable till they lose it all. Though this inferiority complex manifests itself in different ways such as wearing weaves and perms, marrying Caucasians, using bleaching creams and so many other things black people do to be more like Caucasians, in Michael Jackson it was magnified and this was because he could afford it. Also, his desire and ability to create the childhood he missed is something most of us would do if money was no object for us. So for everyone talking about him negatively, as you point one finger at Michael, your other four fingers point right back at you.

So as with any situation we should learn from Michael’s mistakes. You are who you are. Don’t attempt to alter yourself, you can never come up with good results because even if you do in the short run it will not be for the long run. Also, do your best and leave the rest. Don’t push yourself too hard because you are only human and regardless of how hard you try you can’t always be perfect.

Adieu Michael Jackson!

It's taken me a while to post anything about Michael Jackson's death because it seems unbelievable though it's been all over the media. I still can't believe it.

When I first heard about Michael’s Jackson’s death I was getting my new phone activated at Costco. A man walked over and said, it’s not clear yet but it seems Michael Jackson is dead or is in a coma. My first response was “are you sure of what you are saying?” Are you sure it’s not some publicity stunt to promote his comeback to the entertainment scene? The man’s response was, “that was cold!” I felt bad but you never know with celebrities and their promotion and marketing strategies.

When I got on the internet later that day I realized it was really no joke. The king of pop, the genius who pushed the entertainment limits to the awe of millions of adoring fans all over the world, had passed on to the great beyond. Adieu, Michael Jackson. If prayers follow the dead, I pray for a safe passage into the great beyond for you.

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A Black Man On The Titanic!

There was a Haitian man on the "unsinkable ship", The Titanic!

Though the screen play didn't show any black man onboard Joseph Phillippe Lemercier Laroche was the only black man, a Haitian man, to perish in the Titanic; that's after he saved his wife and kids. Laroche was born in Cap Haitian, Haiti, on May 26, 1889. His uncle was President of Haiti !

In the blockbuster film Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio's role could have easily been played by a Black man and it would have been historically accurate. In fact, the life story of Haitian native Joseph Phillippe Lemercier Laroche is far more intriguing than the movie's lead character, but no one knew of his existence until recently.

The silence about the stranger-than-fiction life story of the Titanic's only Black passenger astonishes noted Titanic historian Judith Geller, author of Titanic: Women and Children First, who said, "It is strange that nowhere in the copious 1912 press descriptions of the ship and the interviews with the survivors was the presence of a Black family among the passengers ever mentioned."

The story of this interracial family was not known until 2000, three years after the movie's release, when the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry and the Titanic Historical Society revealed the information as part of a Titanic exhibit.
Joseph Laroche was born into a powerful family. His uncle, Dessalines M. Cincinnatus Leconte, was the president of Haiti . When Joseph Phillippe Lemercier was fifteen, he left Haiti to study engineering in Beauvais , France . Several years later, he met Juliette Lafargue, the 22-year-old daughter of a local wine seller. The two eventually married.

Despite having an engineering degree, Joseph's skin color left him unable to find employment in France . The Laroches decided to return to Haiti and booked second-class reservations on the Titanic. After the ship struck an iceberg, Joseph loaded his wife and children onto a lifeboat and he went down with the ship. His body was never recovered. Shortly before Christmas of that year, Juliette Laroche gave birth to their son, Joseph Laroche Jr. Juliette never remarried.

If you want to know much more about the story, please go to the link below.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_8_55/ai_62685041/?tag=content;col1

Life Lessons & Pearls of Wisdom

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons
life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch with them.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. Don't wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you've got to make yourself.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

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Electric Eye

Looking For A Job in Electrical, Telecom or Info Tech?

M.C. Dean is currently hiring for the following fields!
Electrical Engineers
Design Build Engineers
Software Engineers
System Engineers
Security Engineers
Information Technology Engineers
Telecommunications Engineers
Project Managers
Electrians
Estimators
Telecommunication Technicians
Security Technicians
Electrical Apprentices
Electronic Security Apprentices

The website is www.mcdean.com or 1800-7-MCDEAN. Send your resume to: recruiting@mcdean.com or fax to (703)421-2348

2009 Is Halfway Gone!

2009 is almost gone! It's time for lights, camera, reaction on your dreams. Get your dream life going! June 3oth was a rude awakening for me but I had to get over it quickly and plunge full speed ahead to accomplish the things I set out to do this year. Though, I'm not where I would like to be in terms of my accomplishments I know I'm doing the best I can.

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it at the Otakon conference at the Baltimore Convention center. Though it was my first time, I loved it. I am fascinated with anime so getting up close and personal with the creators was very exciting. Being a creative type myself, I really appreciate the dedication these artists put into their craft. I hope to collaborate with some people I met there in the near future.

I won't ramble on but just to encourage you, remember that you never make a shot you don't take and life is just too short to not take chances. If you have some goal to accomplish this year, start making plans to begin, keep going or finish it up.

Goodluck!

YOU!

“It has happened again.” “The same thing keeps happening to me.” Are these sentences you find yourself saying often?

“Why me?” “How did I get into this mess again?” “When will I ever learn?” Are these questions you ask yourself again and again?

Do the same negative things keep happening to you and around you? Do you keep blaming everything and everyone else for your problems?

I suggest you look no further. Just take a good look in the mirror. There’s your problem right there, staring you in the face, looking right back at you. YOU!

In the equation of your life, the people around you and the environment you’re in are variables. They change. You are the constant. You take yourself where ever you go. That’s why the same negative things keep happening to you and around you.

More often than not, you are usually the architect of our own misfortune, so turning things around for you, begins with you. Have a mental out of body experience. Mentally come out of yourself and evaluate your life carefully. Is your life heading down the path you intended? Are you being led down a road you don’t want by someone else? Is the destination you’re heading for your dream destination?

If the answer to these questions are no, it’s time to stop and take a good honest look at your life. Wake up and smell the coffee. Once you’ve taken accurate stock of your situation, you are ready to go from where you are to where you want to be, and you’ll clearly see the steps required to get to your destination.

Though nothing good comes easy, and anything that’s desirable requires hard work, remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, which in life often takes time to cover.

A word is enough for the wise…

A Word Of Encouragement On Desires

God doesn’t give you a desire without the needed ability to go accomplish it. With God, there are no handicaps in your life, and God can use you to accomplish great things, if you submit yourself to him as a willing vessel to accomplish his will.

Jeremiah 1:5 states, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

This means every flaw, every quirk you have is part of your special design. However, you can only enjoy your life if you live in line with your divine design, and only God can show you what you are designed to do. When you live in line with your design, you feel fulfilled. You are not envious of others making more money, getting awards or being celebrated. You are happy with yourself, so you don't hate others. You perform at optimum levels in your field. People request your services, wait till you are available for their project and ask you to name your price for your services.

"What you think is your handicap; God can use to get you into your divine destiny, if you yield yourself to him. God made you on purpose to fit perfectly into a divine plan. If you are in the right environment, you will be celebrated, but if you are in the wrong environment you will hate yourself and be despised. What you think is your flaw sets you apart. For example, Cindy Crawford was told her mole would be a distraction, but in the right environment, that's what set her apart.

Don’t change to become something you're not, if you feel you are not up to par in your current environment. You may just need to change your environment. You have everything you need to succeed in you. You were designed with assets not liabilities. What you think is pulling you down, is what God will use to propel you.
With God there are no handicaps, insurmountable challenges or disabilities so when you have a setback don’t be bitter. A set back is a set up for a comeback.

Regardless of your perceived disadvantage or disability, tell God, "I’m ready to be who you want me to be. Be prayed up and show up. Be ready for God to show up and show out on your behalf. Work hard, be honest and kind to everyone in your environment, and sit back and watch the goodness of God on display on your behalf. Recite, Psalm 23 below:

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
Thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Repeat the Psalm above till you believe the words in your inner core. You have nothing to fear or worry about. What you thought was a liability, will become an advantage to lead you into your divine destiny.

Have a no excuses mentality; keep pressing forward towards your God given goal. Happily take the hand life has dealt you, and make the most of it.
Be the best you, you can be. Use what is available to you, where you are. Shake off self pity, get rid of regrets, and extinguish excuses.

It will be a journey, but God’s GPS will take you from where you are now to where he wants you to be because the gifts of God are without repentance. There are no limitations or expiration dates to God given dreams, because God can change each and every perceived disability to assets.

So fear not. Be brave and encouraged. All is well with you.

God bless you.

Wanna Be A Model?

Syreeta Smith, Owner of Nova Agency is looking for models. Her website is www.novaagency.com & her email address is newfaces@novaagency.com Her office is located in Baltimore city. Open call is every other Sunday. Jobs with her company is mainly for the New York market. You must have the following to be considered: Ladies: Height 5:9 to 5:10 Size 0-4 If you are a size 6 you must be 5”10 or taller.
Men must be 6ft and in shape.

Good luck

Becoming A Professional

In any field, what separates an amateur from a professional is experience. The difference between a college athlete and professional athlete is experience.

Professionals have taken the needed time to study and gain experience in their chosen field. They’ve made their mistakes, learnt from them and moved past them.

They've done a lot in the field many times over. Now they know the environment so well. They can accurately predict what will happen before it does, and if there’s an unexpected crisis, they know how to contain it. They can practically function efficiently in the terrain with their eyes closed.

They bring a plethora of resources, a can do attitude and get the job done quickly and excellently. They‘ve been there and done that, and they have the T-shirt and the key chain to prove it. They’ve paid the price and earned the battle scars that have made them the professional they are.

They are assets in their fields. They are people any company would love to have on their team. They name their price for their services because the employer or client knows the job will be done well.

They bring their years of experience, problem troubleshooting and resolution skills, the knowledge of what works and doesn’t, and the patience to see projects through, from start to finish.

To be an asset in any environment is everyone’s goal. For many of us who don’t have experience, planning, patience and preparation can be substituted for experience.
If you invest enough time in these tools, it may be assumed that you are a professional even when you're really not.

Even though we may be amateurs, let’s strive to be professionals in everything we do using planning, patience and preparation as our trade tools.

Remember the P Rule which states, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

A word is enough to the wise…

Before You Leave Your Country Of Origin........

The US is clearly a melting pot. People from different countries come to partake of the American dream. However, blending into the society can be easy or hard for people depending on what they come equipped with. I put together a list that I hope will benefit people if they are wise enough to take heed. A word is enough for the wise.

Learn to use a computer efficiently
Learn to take care of yourself. Be able to cook, clean, do your own hair and better yet minor repairs on your car and around your house.
Be organized, persistent and personable.
Know that the media images in the US of many countries are negative and people will use that to judge you and you will have to work to overcome that.
Be ready to take direction or work under people much younger than you or of a different gender.
Be ready to encounter people who were raised very differently from you
Be an expert at something. This will make you very valuable.
Learn to read or search the internet to get information instead of asking people.
Be as physically and emotionally independent as possible. You will miss home and your friends are family but that is the trade of being in the US.
Be ready to act as a "house maid" or "butler" for who you have to live with initially. That’s a very small price to pay for free rent living.
Know many things people tell you they will do for you when you get here will not happen. Yes, that brother or cousin won’t do many things promised so be ready to deal with whatever situation comes up.
Learn to drive.
Be ready to be somewhat isolated and lonely especially when you have to attend school to gain knowledge in your chosen field.
Realize that you have to be flexible with your dreams. Some dreams you have will have to adjusted or abandoned.
Finish as much of your education program in your home country as possible so you can go to the next level here.
In your home country do your best to get into a reputable institution that is recognized around the world including the US.
Be ready to work jobs you think are beneath you
Be ready to work very hard. If you are lazy, don’t bother coming.
Be ready to go to school and be trained.
Be ready to miss home terribly. You think your country is terrible but you have lived there for long and it is home. There will be winters in the US where all you want to do is go home.
Be ready to start with nothing. No money, friends or family. It may happen.
Be ready to have to break up with whoever you are in a relationship with.
Be ready to modify or totally change your life's plans. You come to America wanting to be an attorney or Doctor and you end up being a nurse or lab tech. It happens.
Ladies be ready to interact with men who only want sex, may get you pregnant and disappear.
Your social stratification may dramatically be reduced. For example if you come from a middle class family you may become a very low class person in the western world.
Even if you have financial support be ready to work to augment it.

“The Search 2009” Miss Black America

“The Search 2009” Miss Black America
Competition & Television Special


Do you have what it takes to represent Maryland, DC, or Virginia? The Miss Black America organization is currently searching for teenage girls and women of color between the ages of 13-29 to compete for the title of Miss Black America 2010 and Miss Black America Teen 2010.

Contestants must be a resident, student, or be employed by the states of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to take part in the casting call on Saturday, April 25, 2009.
Location: Temple of Praise, 700 Southern Ave, SE, WDC, 10am-8pm (arrive early)

All interested contestants MUST bring with them proof of age, a recent photo and your smile. Applications will be given out onsite. Teens must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Registration fee is $50.00. Visit www.theSearch2009.com for early registration. See you there!

Sorry for the silence......I have a lot going on

My dear readers, it's an understatement to say I have quite a lot going on. As an up and coming person in the entertainment business, I am working overtime to pay my bills (can't do the starving artist thing) and grow my career at the same time.

That is not to say that there is any excuse for not updating my blog but I'd like you to know the reason why and offer my sincerest apologies as well. I intend to do everything I can to make sure that such a situation does not repeat itself.

Thanks for your readership and loyalty

Feb 2009 DC Car Show Entertainment