Where are the good men hiding?

Ladies! Specifically black ladies. If I hear one more time that there are no good brothers out there, I'm going to loose it. There are plenty of good men all over the place. The problem isn't finding the kind of man you want, but realizing the kind of man you attract.

If you have a habit of attracting the same type of men, and they are never what you desire, then you have to give some serious consideration to the kind of vibe you give off, the places you go, and the clothes you wear. there are many hard-working, good looking, responsible black men out looking for a woman. Your career, looks, and personal accomplishments have nothing to do with whether he will choose you or not.

Of course we want a smart, beautiful, independent woman. But when you wear that as a badge of entitlement that every man should bow down to you, we will be turned off by it. If you feel like your personal success gives you the right to play the role of a man, that is exactly what you will have to do, because we will be gone.

I talk to single successful men all the time, and their biggest issue with black women is their lack of respect for the roles of a man and a woman. Just because you are a doctor, a lawyer, a business woman, and independent lady, does not make you a good catch. If you don't know how to respect the roles of a relationship, a man will choose a woman with a far less impressive resume'. So keep this in mind, good men are all around you, just open you eyes and close your mouths. I hope I didn't offend anyone. Real talk!!!

College ain't what is used to be!

I remember when a college degree was worth something, and the college experience was something to be valued as a transition from childhood to adulthood. Not anymore.

Today, almost anybody can get into some type of college. Employers don't give as much weight to having a Bachelors degree, and people extend their college stays well beyond the 4 years it was intended for. That is so 1990. Now, we stay in school for 5,6,7 years before deciding "ya know, I think I want my masters," usually in something totally different than what we graduated in.

Don't get me started on college costs. We are charged more for something that is not even as valuable to us when we get out of school.Most people will not be able to pay back their school loans with a lifetime of working on a job that hired them because of their degree. Does that make sense?

My remedy for this is for people to decide what they like and are good at early in their young adult life. If that requires college great, but if not, pursue your skill, or talent elsewhere. Many people with trade skills make more than college and masters graduates. A person can educate themselves in other ways. Follow your passion and this will lead you to educating yourself. I learned more in the real world than I could even dream of in college. My son will be encouraged to follow his passion. This will lead to happiness regardless of income, and not get him stuck on a job that he hates, to pay back a loan that didn't help him get a better job, while dreaming of what he should have done. Speak your thoughts!!!

Sunday Mornings

Sunday mornings aren't like they used to be for black families. When I was coming up, whether rain, sleet or snow, we were going to church. There were no options, negotiations or choices. Everyone in the house was going to be in service for the full time.

Nowadays, kids convince their parents not to make them go, and many parents don't go themselves. Also, people are so impatient, they leave church before it is even over. Normal services only last at most 2 hours. Back in the day we would be in church for 4 hours. Maybe this speaks to our value system in this new millennium. Speak your thoughts!

Assets vs. Liabilities

We all want to be rich. However, few of us know the secret to true wealth is not how much you make, but how much you keep and what you buy. Truly wealthy people buy assets, while the everyone else buys liabilities. It doesn't matter if you make $1M per year, if you have more liabilities than assets, then you are not wealthy. This is the trap that many of us fall into, while the truly wealthy own assets that continue to go up in value. that is why the disparity between the rich and poor is widening. Change what you buy, change your circumstances. Just food for thought.

Orlando in the Finals!!!!!!!!

Orlando didn't give the world a chance to be a witness of Lebron vs. Kobe. Superman wasn't ready to go home. Orlando whipped Cleveland and sent Lebron home to think about next year. Who had Orlando picked to go to the finals? Definately not me.

T.I. is pimping the system!

You can call hin what you want, but T.I. is pimping the criminal justice system. He has parlayed an felony conviction for buying machine guns, into a tour, a television show, a government endorsement to speak to kids, and a top selling album. Oh, and he only has to serve year in prision. He must have a serious gift of gab. I can't hate on the man for using a system that uses us all the time.

What's up with the Kobe hating?

After his rape situation, it is understandable that some people would not view Kobe Bryant in the most favorable light, but the hating on him is getting ridiculous. Is it because he's not "street enough?" Is it that he did not grow up rough and is not from a poor family? Just becuase this is the background of many of our black professional athletes, doesn't mean that it should be the criteria for realness. Kobe is not the most likeable guy. He may be a little cocky(so was Jordan). The truth is, he is one of the hardest working players in the league. He is committed to his craft, as well as his family(with an occasional slip up maybe). You will never see Kobe at the club popping bottles, or getting stopped for DUI, or cursing out a dealer at the casino, or missing a game for a minor injury(he played the whole season with a broken finger). Yet many of the players who do these things are viewed as being real. Kobe is the way we would want our sons to be, yet our sons hate on him. What's up with that?

A fool and his money will soon part ways!!!!

I am tired of the countless stories of filthy rich entertainers, athletes, and business men flaunting their wealth to the point that they squander it beofre they are 40. When will we learn to be smart with our spending and make wiser decisions with our money. It is a shame that people with so much talent have no direction when it comes to their finances, and spend, spend, spend to no end. As much as people hate on Jay-Z, Diddy, and others, these guys are legitimate business men who have parlayed their success in hip-hop to become successful entreprenuers. We could all learn something from their decision making. Otherwise, you can end up like Hammer.