"Why do I have so much and other people so little?"
This is the question, Reverend Marlin Harris asked at New Life Church this past Sunday.
He had just returned from a missions trip to Africa, and saw poverty all around him. He mentioned looking at their praise for the little they had, you would think they were millionaires. While people, here in the United States complain and gripe about the inconveniences in their life.
I can vouch for the reverend. My wife and I went to Jamaica for her birthday this year, and instead of staying on the resort in Montego Bay the whole time, we decided to catch a very expensive cab ride to Kingston which is on the other side of the island. There were beautiful moments as we saw the ocean and the beaches of Jamaica...
Our cab driver
Beautiful Ocean
Roadside
As we got closer to Kingston, you could tell the conditions of the roads were getting rougher and the smog from the city life polluted the blue skies. The cab driver told us stories of how small things like air freshener and washing detergent were so expensive over there. We drove through slums, and I don't mean the section 8 apartments that my dad and I lived in during my summer vacations from college, I mean actual slums. The houses couldn't have been any bigger than a bedroom here.
Seeing different cultures like that, opens you eyes to true poverty, and makes you thankful for the simplest things like running water and air conditioners. These are things that are so common to us, but people in Jamaica and Africa and other poor countries would kill for those things, and yet they find it in their heart to be thankful.
This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for the small things.....
My 3 Year Wedding Anniversary was a month ago. 3 years of wedding bliss means that I don't really know a whole lot about marriage. We are still technically wet behind the ears, but I do know from 7 years of dating the same woman and witnessing good and bad marriages around me, what it takes to have a long fulfilling union. I want to dedicate this blog to all of my married friends and my friends who are inching towards marriage with their "boo thang" (as I like to call them), I call this blog, "Marital Warfare".
In the world of Kim Kardashians and Kris Humphries, marriage may seem like just something to do.
"Oh, we've been on a couple of dates, and I think we are cute together so lets get married, not knowing anything about each other, but just because it seems like the cool thing to do" OR
"Well, we've had sex a couple of times or I've gotten pregnant, and just to right the situation, I think I will marry this person" OR
"Even though I don't love him or her, I could change him or her and grow to love them"
Basing a marriage on theses foundations will leave you on the next edition of "Best of Divorce Court"
I dont believe in divorce in most instances (I'll get back to that later). I also dont believe in ignorant marrying either! Ignorant marrying are the examples I gave you above. Marrying somebody because it's cool. Marrying someone because you're having sex with them. Marrying someone because you think that they will change after time. Marrying someone because all of your friends and family have gotten married, and you don't want to be the odd ball out.
Now to avoid the "ignorant marrying", you have to do some ground work. When you're dating a person, you really need to learn about a person. If your boyfriend/girlfriend just wants to hang out in big groups or go to a movie, where no communication is happening, you may need to reconsider the whole marriage thing. Find out what kind of family they come from. Divorce maybe something that is common to them. Maybe they come from a family where they say "I love you" all of the time, and they are all touchy and feely, and you come from a family where the only time your parents touched you, was when you were getting your backside lit up. This could be a conflict of interest. I recommend the following book...
This book has questions that will help you get to know your potential spouse.
I felt like I did enough research on my wife, to determine that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. We dated from 03' - 08'. Was engaged for a year and some change. We saw each other's bad side and good side, we knew that there were going to be some conflicts with our marrying each other, but it was all good for us.
I know people who are miserable in their marriages. Happy in every aspect of their life, but when they get home to their spouse, it turns into marital warfare. Why put yourself through the torture? I tell my boys that I would rather my wife cheat on me with 1,000,000 men (without me finding out) then to go home to a wife who nags and argues non-stop! I believe in peace and tranquility when I get home from work. Of course, my wife and I will argue (who doesn't), but if you implement this next word, arguments will not last long and your commitment will be more fulfilling.....
RESPECT
Aretha Frankin wasn't lying when she sang that she wanted respect when her man came home. She cooked, cleaned, took care of the kids, and the least her man could do was show her some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. But this respect thing is something that has to be shown by both parties. You may have a man come home to an Aretha Franklin who is disrespectful. When arguments lack respect, you have more hurtful things that are said. When respect is shown, parties usually come to an agreement a lot faster. Just think of it as a math formula (sorry Im an accountant)
Disagreement - Respect = Heated Argument
Disagreement + Respect = Disagreement
You and your spouse may never come to an agreement but love will not be lost. When respect is lacking, words are said that may just sting the 1st time, but after a while, its going to have you considering divorce court. Sometimes throwing a 3rd party in the mix like a counselor or shrink could make you or your spouse see the argument from a different view.
Above I said, I don't believe in divorce. I don't believe in waking up one morning, and saying "I've had enough, see ya later" or "We've grown apart over the years" or "the kids have graduated high school, and I don't want you anymore". I'm just speaking about myself now. I'm not the type to judge any situation. I've explained to my wife that when adultery gets involved, she or I will have to go. The bible says forgive, but forgetting would be the hard part. It would be days of worrying where your spouse is. Checking phone messages. Questioning their coming and going. I can't live that life! Once the trust is gone, love will soon follow. So as long as my wife and I stay faithful to each other, its going to be a long long marriage.
Every marriage is different, but if you take the time and put the groundwork in during the dating years, the marriage will be very fulfilling or you could be dodging a bullet People change over the years, and sometimes you have to adapt. There are tons of topics that I will delve into in future blogs, so stay tuned... Signing out, Fatdreek
People you have known all of your life, have you fooled.
It's hard to keep it real! I know! The fear of rejection or ridicule will force you to lie to people you have known all of your life.
Your friends. Your family. Your significant other. Your co-workers. Your Self.
It takes a lot of energy to keep up a facade.
Maybe you keep it real with some people and fake with others. How do you differentiate? I can't imagine the trauma.
I must admit. I've been a faker in numerous instances. I hold my tongue when I should speak. I put on a smile when life couldn't be worse. I have a problem with a person, but I pose as everything is OK.
I've learned that just keeping it real gets you a long way in life.
My 10 year high school reunion was a few months ago. It would've been easy for me to say, I'm a CFO of a billion dollar multi-national corporation, but I'm just a staff accountant for a small construction company. I could have rented a Range Rover and perpetrated that I was "The Man", but I didn't. I am not "The Man". I showed up to the high school reunion just an obese black guy with an Impala and a hot wife!
I've seen girls that wear fake coach and gucci bags. What's the point? Its gonna rip to pieces after 3-4 uses anyways? And please tell me a dude didn't buy that for you. Oy Vey like my Jewish homies say! Just save up and buy you something nice that isn't named brand, but has quality. Keeping up with the Joneses will keep you in the poor house.
I dont mean to sound like a trailer for a horror movie but these fakers are taking over the country, people! They're usually easy to spot! There is nothing more that I hate than a fake smile! If you're angry, be angry! Turn into the Incredible Hulk or something! If you're sad, then cry like Chris Bosh!
We're human-beings! We have a range of emotions. Why portray happiness when you aren't happy. You have those who turn with the tide. They roll with republicans, and they turn conservative. They kick it with democrats, and they turn liberal. They kick it with me, and they say screw the government!
Keeping it real isn't difficult. You may not be as popular, or as cool as the next fella if you keep it real and they keep it fake, but just know that you don't have to look over your shoulder to see who's watching. You won't have to switch personas when certain people come around. You won't have to look yourself in the mirror and be ashamed at the facade that you portray. If people don't like you for you, then so be it.
The moral of the story, is never trust the cover of a book. Smiles may equal disappointment and frowns may equal joy. The person portraying the most religious person ever may be a perverted freak (Eddie Long)! The man that seems to be trustworthy and respected by everyone in the community, may be the sickest individual on the planet (Sandusky).
Only the Lord can judge you, and remembering that will make life easier!
I really hate politics! I hate the Republicans and I hate the Democrats. I want to chop the left and right wing off and leave the bird flightless!
You have Republicans who complain about the deficit but want to continue tax cuts that could put a dent into it. You have Democrats who instead of working toward the deficit, want to add to it by spending money.
You have a government who spends money on NASA explorations, when they should be investing in our future.
You have a Democratic mayor who wants to put a limit on the size slurpee that you can buy in New York. .
Are you kidding me??
I understand. The country is heading toward Obeseville, and I maybe the mayor of Obeseville, but that's no reason to limit the Slurpeeness of America. If the Government can tell me what size Slurpees I can buy, what's to stop them from telling me what kind of gas I can buy or what kind of blogs I can write, or what to believe in. I think Government is necessary, but let's not push it, Bloomberg!!!
Then you have the whole "Obamacare" issue. I don't really care about it. I haven't read the literature line by line, all I know is that a lot of people have their panties in a wad, and I dont understand the tangled undergarments. People without healthcare have been getting "free" healthcare through emergency rooms across the country for years, so to me nothing's going to change. If things change, then things are going to change. Whining about a new law, isn't going to get that law overturned. Now if you oppose Obamacare that much, then you have the opportunity to vote for Romney in November and he'll probably repeal Obamacare, unless the Powers That Be keep his pockets fat (Romneycare).
Now when it comes to the election in November. I don't know who I'm voting for. I'm not too impressed with Mr. Obama. The gas price and unemployment rate are way too high. I know he's done a lot. I saw those Obama road signs near construction zones all over the southeast. I know the auto industry needed a bailing and now the auto industry is doing well. I know the healthcare overhaul will benefit a lot of people. Some who genuinely need the help and not just looking for another hand out, and for that I am thankful. Hats off to the President for those accomplishments. I wish Obama would've focused on improving the unemployment rate and these rising gas prices, but hey that's just me! When you have an opposing party who made it their goal to keep the president from being re-elected, you can expect some plans to be halted!! Which brings me back to my 1st post on this "Politics As Usual" series!
THE BI-PARTISANSHIP IN THIS COUNTRY IS BEYOND BELIEF!!
Parties only want things that benefit them, even if that means destroying the country! Enough is Enough! I feel like the white guy in Network!!
Above is the Lebron James that I somewhat loved and very much respected!
1st a quick history lesson :
Lebron James was selected #1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 straight out of high school.
His rookie year was remarkable. He averaged 20 points. 5 Boards (rebounds). and 5 Dimes (assists) per game (imagine if he went to college for a couple of years)
After 2 seasons, he led the Cavaliers to the playoffs and was beaten in the 2nd round by the Detroit Pistons.
That offseason, he signed a 3 year contract extension with the Cavaliers, as well as Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh (Coincidence, I think not)
The following season, Lebron then led his team to the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Championship, I realized how great Lebron James was. With the series tied 2-2, Lebron exploded in game 5 and dropped 48 on the Pistons scoring his team's last 29 of 30 points including the game winner. After that game, I knew he would be one of the greats, and he was my 2nd favorite player next to Kobe Bean Bryant! That great performance against the Pistons only got him to the Finals to get swept by the Spurs.
The next season, he and Cavs got beat by the Celtics (what's going on E?) in one of the greatest 1-on-1 battles that I've seen with my own eyes live between Lebron and Paul Pierce.
The next season, he got beat by the Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard (another sucka, unless he signs with the Lakers or Hawks #biased) in the conference finals.
The next and final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers is when Lebron James started his descent into suckaville! The Cavs made some good moves to get Lebron a good supporting cast, getting an old but still efficient Shaquille O'Neal (who averaged 12 points and 7 boards) and Antawn Jamison (who averaged 15 points and 8 boards). They already had Mo Williams who averaged 16 points and 5 dimes. For the 2nd year in a row, they led the Eastern Conference in wins and the world knew that Lebron would lead his team to the Finals, and this time win it all. When the playoffs started, they got past the Bulls with relative ease, but then the Celtics came to town, and according to the Dreek Theory of 2009, Lebron threw the series in order to have a good reason to leave Cleveland and link up with his homies in Miami like they had discussed after the 2005-2006 season. In game 5, Lebron scored a measly 15 points, and in game 6, even though he had a triple double, he still looked bad shooting a low percentage and committing 9 turnovers. The Dreek Theory of 2009 states that Lebron is so good that he could get his stats and still throw the game away (YES! He's that good).
So the free agency hoopla commences and everyone is trying to figure out if Lebron is going to stay with Cleveland or go to New York or go to Dallas or whoever had the check book to pick him up. Never in a thousand years would I have thought that Lebron "The King" James would link up with a superstar in Dwayne Wade and a great big man in Chris Bosh in Miami. I just didn't see it happening. I knew Lebron would follow the lead of all of the greats who stuck it out with their teams (Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Reggie Miller, Julius Erving) I thought Lebron would play the free agency system in order to force the Cleveland Cavaliers' Owner, Dan Gilbert, to get more talent in Cleveland with him but boy was I wrong.....
Cant you just sense the look on his face :
"Boy, I really screwed up this time"
"Im going to get shot when I leave this gym"
"Man, my head looks 20 times bigger on camera"
So the DECISION was made. I appreciate the guy raising money for that particular Boys & Girls Club with the ad revenue raised from this debacle, because I went there as a kid, but let's keep it 100% This was a sucka move! Just make your decision, call Dan Gilbert, let him know the move, and let ESPN do their thing. We dont need you on TV looking like you just gave your mother a report card with all F's awaiting to get slapped in the face.
So the "teaming up" that Wade, Bosh, and James discussed years ago finally came into fruition. Instead of hitting the gym to work on chemistry or watch film of the top teams, they decided to pull a WWF stunt!
The only time a team should be celebrating is after they win the championship. During this debacle, Lebron stated that the Miami Heat would win upwards to 7 championships. Seriously?? I will give the Heat 3 championships. The sad thing is, Lebron was capable of 3 championships with Cleveland. It took Michael Jordan 7 years to concoct a Championship caliber team. No linking up with Bird and Magic to win titles.I guess these young punks are too impatient and would rather ruin their legacy!
Last season, the Heat did what they had to do to win a championship, even though they barely got by an old Celtic team. With the addition of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, a back to back championship wouldn't be out of the question, but 7 is very far-fetched, and with Lebron making this sucka move, you can expect more sucka moves to be made in the League like Dwight going to the Lakers or Derrick Rose going to the Knicks, Who knows??? These sucka moves will only make Lebron's quest to beat out Jordan for rings that much harder!
In conclusion, Lebron is a freak of nature. He's an over sized Rondo with a horrible hair line. If the Miami Heat don't win in the next two seasons, you can expect him to start demanding trades out of Miami, because he's a prostitute looking for the gold!
Sorry for the wait! I decided to wipe the dust off of the keyboard to reintroduce my self and maybe initially introduce myself to some new readers! My name is Fatdreek! Its been around 60 days since I last blogged. Life is a highway at times. Some exits allowed me to blog more often than not. This highway had exits like church, work, Madden on Xbox, celebrating birthdays, graduations and weddings and other summer activities. I got a lot on my mind so you can expect blogs regarding the following topics (Lord willing)....
1. The Reasons Lebron James is A Sucka
2. Politics as Usual (Pt. 2)
3. Cover of A Book
4. My Vegas Vacation
5. Marital Mayhem
Just giving my faithfuls something to look forward to over the next few weeks. Thanks for all of the support and the questions regarding the blog.
My wife and I started dating when I was 19 years old. Next year, I will officially say that Sarah Tenefre Giles has been "mine" for 10 years.
We will approach our 3 year wedding anniversary this October.
A lot of people rooted against us lasting. This has made our bond stronger.
A lot of people have rooted for us lasting. This has made our bond unbreakable.
My wife will tell you that I am not the most romantic person on the planet. I dont care to hold hands. I hate cuddling. I dont like to rub noses together while we breathe in each other's faces. My wife is the total opposite. A true romantic. She would eat under candlelight every night if she knew I wouldn't be annoyed by it.
My wife is adventurous and has showed a lot of courage throughout our relationship.
My wife and I are both from Georgia but we met in Pensacola, FL at a college where physical contact wasn't allowed with the opposite sex. A college where even the church service that took place everyday (Chapel) had assigned seating. God had us be "Chapel Buddies" my freshmen year. Nothing sparked immediately. I made her laugh here and there. I thought she was cute. No big deal!
The 2nd semester of my freshman year, she and I had the same computer class where she conveniently needed "tutoring" after class on who knows what and that became the spark that burned down the forest!
She then invited me to her "dating out " that every sorority, or in PCC's case, collegian had once a year. It was skating at a roller rink where she pushed me on my back (that she still denies) Here's our first pic together on that date!
She was such a cute nerd back then, and boy was I slimmer (still Fatdreek, but slimmer, I'm working on bringing that back)
Over the next couple of months, I met her family (8 brothers and sisters) at her pinning ceremony
and they seemed like good people, so after a few discussions, we decided to make things OFFICIAL on December 2, 2003. Now whether I asked her to make it official or the other way around still remains to be seen, but we'll save that for another blog. Here's our first picture after making it official...
To make a long blog short, T left PCC and sat out of school for a few semesters to work and came back and sat out some more and attended another school in GA, but we stuck through it despite the distance. I would come home during the summers and she would come and visit me when I lived in the hood of hoods with my father. Then I graduated, and she was there!
I planned on getting a job back home and seeing her all of the time once I graduated college, but Jehova had other plans and I got a job with Kemron Environmental Services which required me to travel 28 days a month, which means I only saw my girlfriend 1 weekend a month for 3 years (except for when I had vacations), but we stuck through it!
I decided to reward my wife for sticking with me through all of the ups and downs with an engagement ring..
An engagement ring that set me back like Allen Iverson (read previous blog)
So my wife planned our wedding, as I still worked out of town, and it turned out great!
A few months later, I found a job that didn't require me to travel, which landed me at R&R Metal Erectors with my old college roommate. Then we moved into our first home.
& then we had our first baby..
and that's just the 1st chapter of this never-ending story! We've had mainly highs, but we've had some lows. We work through our kinks and keep it moving. I'm sure the next chapter will feature kids that don't chew shoes and cell phone cords. I just wanted to wish my beautiful wife, Sarah Tenefre Giles (Stanley) a Happy 30th Birthday!
Firstly, congratulations to all of the graduates this 2012th year after Christ's birth!
Im sure its exciting to some graduates, but for some graduates it's terrifying.
Enter the Real World!
Student Loans!
If your parents kick you out : a place to live!
Food!
Fuel!
Clothes to keep up with the Jones's! (whoever they are)
& Etc. Etc. Etc.
When I graduated college, I searched for a job for two weeks, and the next thing I knew, I was living in a hotel for 28 days a month in Womelsdorf, PA. I was just happy to have a job in the field I studied. Within those two weeks of my unemployment, I was on the road like I had two full time jobs. Below, I just want to give you a few tips if you're in the market for a job. It's a tough search now-a-days, so don't expect to find a job on the first day of your search. Let us begin!
1. Plan Plan Plan
My mistake in my job search was not planning before I graduated college. Some people are fortunate enough to have a job waiting on them before they even enter college. Its all about connections now-a-days. Its less about your GPA and your work experience and more about knowing someone who can get your foot in the door. If you don't have that connection, you can expect to grind a little bit harder to make your dream job a reality. Internships are also a great means of getting your foot in the door of a business. In most instances, you will work for free in your internship, but if you show your employer a great work ethic, you can expect a job waiting on you after you receive your diploma. If you've had your eye on a specific company, give their human resource department a call and inquire about paid or unpaid internships.
2. Internet and In-the-streets!
You have plenty of websites that employers post job openings on. You have your www.monster.com, you have your www.careerbuilder.com, you have your www.job.com! My favorite was www.indeed.com. Indeed.com takes almost every job search engine on the internet and combines it into one. Just type in your job description and location and your bombarded with results. If you limit yourself to just internet job searches, you can expect to wait even longer for a job. Sometimes a job position has already been filled by the time you find it on the internet. Your best bet is to call the employer directly to see if the job position is still open. If they say it is, I would take the opportunity to get dressed up and make an appearance to their office to drop off your resume personally. This may seem like a waste of gas when you can just email it, but an employer will take note of the effort you show. An employer usually receives thousands of emails and faxes everyday with resumes. To stand apart from the competition get off your butt and make yourself known. Also, visit the GA Dept of Labor (or whichever state you live in), and speak with people who can point you in the direction of some good opportunities. I've never been this desperate, but I've seen people who just open the phone book and visit every company that looked interesting in the white pages dropping off their resumes to their addresses. You never know what you may come up with. Last thing! Get off your butt early! Don't wake up at noon, play xbox until 3, watch Jerry Springer until 5 and then start job hunting. You need to be up at 7 a.m. at the latest with phone in hand catching a human resource department rep as soon as he or she sits down to start his or her day.
3. Merry-Go-Rounds
Its time to go to the fair and not the junky one in front of Food Depot in Conyers, but a job fair. This is the best opportunity to meet several employers and show your face.
One summer when I lived with my dad in Atlanta. I looked in the AJC (another good way to find a job), and I saw that there was a job fair with corporations like Racetrac, and Waffle House, and other big names. My hopes was to work for RaceTrac because there was one right up the street from my dad's apartment. I showed up to this big convention center in Atlanta in khakis and a collared shirt, and I saw a long line of businessmen and women in their finest business suits with briefcases and such, and I didn't even have a resume. What I thought was a job fair for summer jobs, was a job fair for corporate positions. I still made my way through the line, and spoke with the RaceTrac booth and explained to them my confusion, and they called that local branch and got me a job (even though I quit after a week or so, because my step-dad got me a job with his company). The moral of the story is do research about the job fair before you arrive, dress your sharpest, and have plenty of resumes readily available.
4. Don't Get Discouraged
When I first left college in Pensacola and arrived back home to GA, I felt like I was the only one looking for a job. I applied to jobs online and just stared at my yahoo account waiting on a reply from an employer. The replies never came. Its easy to hang your head and just apply to the McDonalds up the road. There is nothing wrong with McDonalds, but if God has called you to something greater, than you need to put forth effort in order for God to provide that blessing! I like to call it planting seeds. In those two weeks after college while I was looking for a job, I planted so many seeds that after I already started my job traveling to Pennsylvania, I was still receiving calls for a month or so after. Getting a job can be a long process, but you have to be patient and persistent! If you want a job really bad, you need to stay on that employer everyday until they get so tired of you that they have to give you the job. Maybe you're fresh out of college and the job you want requires so much experience. You have to learn to work what you learned in college to your advantage. Tell the interviewer that I don't have the experience in a workplace, but here are examples of me gaining that experience through a college project or internship. Maybe you've been laid off of a job, and when you go apply for a new job, you're told that you have too much experience or that you're over-qualified. In that case, just give your potential employer a sob story saying how you've reached the bottom and that you just want to work your way up the ladder again.
Just stay focused and dedicated and prayed up! Don't settle for spam when you have steak around the corner! Hit me up on twitter or facebook, if you need more tips!
My mother, Pangerla (Pam) Giles gave birth to me on 7/27/1984.
She was 20 years old.
Sometimes I feel like I ruined my mom's plans:
College. Entrepreneurship. Leadership. World Domination.
Abortion or Adoption would've been the route for some, but not for Pam Giles.
She raised me on her own. My father dropped in here and there, but never enough, leaving a young female in her 20s to take on the roles of mother and father while working multiple jobs to make ends meet.
It was just my mom & I growing up. I remembered living in Towne Pointe Apartments near Olde Towne and then moving in with my grandmother on Rena Ct. in Conyers as a kid. I was a pretty good kid. Never talked back. Never sold drugs. Did what I was told. Grades were horrible, but good enough.
My mom is the epitome of hard work. I've never seen her receive a hand out. Not a food stamp. No child support. Just made it happen. No complaints. Excelled at every job she worked! I remember one Christmas, that I wanted to get my mom a Christmas gift really bad, but I had no money. My mom looked in the newspaper, and found us a weekend job delivering yellow pages in Downtown Atlanta to all of the businesses. This gave me Christmas money to buy her something (which I don't remember) and it instilled in me a work ethic that I just can't shake.
She married Reginald Jones in 93' and gave birth to my sister Raven. We moved to the other side of Conyers to Sugar Hill. It was during this time that me and mom grew apart. Conversations got shorter. Beatings got longer. I spent more time at Velo's and Jack's house than I did my own. I never questioned our relationship growing up. Sometimes I felt unwanted at home which really led to my heavy involvement with Belmont Baptist Church. As I got older, I realized that Mama was doing what she had to do to make me a man. It's a cold world that I was entering and being the lovey-dovey Brady Bunch mother would do me no good in the world.
We never used the "L" word growing up. I'm not sure why that is. I love her to death and she knows it. She loves me to death, and I know it. I guess when something is so evident, why verbalize it? I know it may seem weird to some, but it works for us!
The sacrifices that she made are ones that I could never repay (even though I will try). I never wanted for anything. I always had food on the table (obviously). She kept decent clothes on my back. I always got what I requested for Christmas. She got me braces when she could have purchased a new car. She helped pay my way through college when she could have been traveling the world. I screwed up plenty of times and she never spared the rod and for that I am thankful. I respect her more than anybody on this planet. I wouldn't trade my mother for the world!!
Sometimes I cruise down my facebook timeline and all I see are women (or should I say girls) posting how much they hate men and how there are no good men out here in the Earth and that all the good men are married or gay. In my eyes, women that make these statements all of the time have low self-esteem and need to do some soul searching.
I agree, there are some dead-beat men out here! They all can't be Dreeks, okay? The key word is "some". If you believe that all men are dead-beats, you might as well kick it with the Ellen crowd!
If your previous boyfriend was a deadbeat, then just say that! Don't categorize all men as deadbeats, because you picked a loser. A great guy could read your statuses and write you off as cuckoo, and your theme song will be "Single Ladies" by Beyonce for the rest of your life.
Stay positive!! God blesses positive thinking! You should get 2 weeks to get over your past boyfriend (If you were married, I'll give you 2 months)! After that, you gotta move on! There are plenty of fish in the sea, and I know that is just a saying, but think about it! There are PLENTY of fish in the sea! Some fish are lazy. Some fish are not trustworthy. Some fish likes to swim with other fish. But there are fish that are loyal, hard-working, handsome and whatever other attributes you look for in a fish. If you spend all of your energy focusing on the bad apple that you bit into, you will be exhausted when "the one" comes off the tree.
& another thing! Don't be out here looking for Mr. Perfect! Unless you plan on wooing Jesus into marrying you, you're going to have a tough time finding the perfect guy. Some girls I grew up with would go on one date with a guy and say that they've found the perfect guy! This is where the error lies. You can't possibly get to know a person on one date or two dates or three dates. So you get serious with a dog (not knowing he's a dog) too quickly, and as time goes by the dog comes out and now all men are dogs to you? How about, getting to know a guy before getting too serious with him?? That will save you a lot of time and frustration.
Now let me touch on a particular person. I'm talking to the female AND MALES TOO who are the bitter single individual, who instead of working on bettering themselves they would rather approach their friends who are happy with their significant other and throw salt in the game. (To my white readers: throwing salt in the game means sabotaging. In this instance, the bitter person tries to bring down their friends to the same miserable valley that they are in, even if their friends are on mountain tops). Please cut it out! This will only leave you single and without friends. If the only thing you can think of is to start hating on your friends' significant others, then you should just go to the library and hang out by yourself for a while, until you get the hatred from your heart!
Men and women are from the same planet. Women dont need to think like a man. Men don't need to dress like women. Just be yourself, and I promise that if you trust God, that He will put the perfect person in your life. It maybe tomorrow. It maybe in 10 years, but stay patient and be thankful when that special guy comes along!
My favorite period of time of all my years have been the NBA Playoffs (except for the entire NFL season). I've had ups and I've had downs. I have seen my Hawks get murdered every year, and I've seen my boy Kobe fill up a hand worth of rings! The 2012 NBA season was sort of a joke with the whole lockout situation, but nonetheless, I was happy to see some exciting games this short season. Below are my picks for the 1st round of the Playoffs....
*WESTERN CONFERENCE*
VS
San Antonio Spurs VS Utah Jazz
I really like the Jazz in this matchup. Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap, and Derrick Favors are all talented big men, and San Antonio only has an old version of Tim Duncan. I also like Raja Bell on the Jazz. The reason I won't pick the Jazz is because of Devin Harris' inconsistencies! If Devin Harris can give me 25 pts and 13 assists per game, and turn Tony Parker into a jump shooter and not a driver, the Jazz will win this series in 6, but Devin Harris won't do that so the Jazz will lose in 5!
VS
Memphis Grizzlies VS Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers would win the whole playoffs if this were a get the most dunks contest. As a team, I am not too impressed. Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan have a lot of learning to do. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are seasoned NBA big men and I see them exploiting Lob City by getting Blake and Deandre in early foul trouble and I see Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, and Mike Conley scoring often! Memphis in 6!
VS
Los Angeles Lakers VS Denver Nuggets
The Lakers losing Derrick Fisher and Lamar Odom was huge. They were vital to their championship runs a few years ago. With the addition of Ramon Sessions and the emergence of Andrew Bynum, I don't see the Lakers struggling too much with the young Nuggets. Kobe is still the greatest scorer in the league, and I think he learned a valuable lesson last year getting embarrassed by the Mavericks. Lakers in 4!
VS
Dallas Mavericks VS Oklahoma City Thunder
If Dallas would've kept Tyson Chandler, I would've given them a repeat for the title, but getting rid of one of the best defenders in the league is going to be devastating to their chances to beat the best run and gun offense in the league! Dirk is still one of the greatest, but he'll need a MJ type series if he wants to get past Durant and Westbrook! OKC in 5!
*EASTERN CONFERENCE*
VS
Chicago Bulls VS Philadelphia 76ers
I don't see any competition in this series whether Derrick Rose is hurt or not. I dont think the starting 5 of the 6ers could compete with the bench of the Bulls. Chicago sweeps the series!
VS
Boston Celtics VS Atlanta Hawks
I will try and be unbiased as possible! These Celtics are just washed up! Rondo is the bread and butter. If we can keep him out of the paint, and Joe plays good Defense on Pierce, let Ray Allen do what he does, and get KG ejected because he always hating on ZaZa. The only fear I have is that ZaZa and Al Horford are hurt now, and I'm afraid we may get rebounded, but the Hawks have too much young talent. Jeff Teague and Rondo will be a great matchup. The Hawks' bench is one of the deepest in the league with Willie Parker, T-Mac, Vlad Rad, & the young Pargo. If the Hawks can get out of the 1 on 1 ball, its hard to stop us! I think we will win in a long series, because of home court advantage. Hawks in 7!
VS
Indiana Pacers VS Orlando Magic
In my eyes, the Pacers have been the surprise of the season! Their athleticism is top notch. Though I don't see them getting past the 2nd round, I do see them in some finals in the near future as they mature. The Magic without Dwight Howard is like the internet with www.Fatdreek.blogspot.com. U get my drift? Pacers in 5!
VS
New York Knicks VS Miami Heat
What can I say? This is what the playoffs are all about! Lebron Vs. Melo. The Knicks haven't benefited from the short season with their team-chemistry. They definitely have the chess pieces to win it all, but sometimes what looks good on paper doesn't look that good on the court. The key to this series is Chris Bosh! I don't see Wade being too much of a factor with Shumpert on em. I think Lebron and Carmelo will wash each other out. If Chris Bosh can drain those mid-range jump shots and play decent defense on Amare, the Heat have a great chance. The Knicks with the addition of Tyson Chandler and JR Smith really make this series interesting. The Heat have a horrible bench, and this may hurt them in the long run! With the Knicks lack of chemistry, I have to give the series to the Heat in 7!
I know the Oscars was a while back, and it always seems that the weirdest movies always win the big awards! (i.e. The Artist ( which I haven't seen yet, and don't think I could sit through it), The Kings Speech (I fell asleep, after just waking up from a nap), The Hurt Locker (a couple of cool explosions), Brokeback Mountain (no comment)
So now, lets hear it for the 1st Annual Fatdreek Oscar Picks, and I'm not going to go through the crappy awards like Sound Mixing and Short Animation Film, but the awards that mean something. If you haven't seen these movies, please go pick them up!
Best Movie : The Ides of March
I love acting over explosions and laughs any day. When you put Clooney, Gosling, Hoffman, and Giamatti together,you can expect perfection. At least I did, and that's what I got. Really digs into the political arena and all of the crap that goes along with it. Definitely my favorite movie of the year!
Worst Movie : Tree of Life
I've never been so angry to waste 30 minutes of my time to watch a movie. I'm thinking Brad Pitt and Sean Penn don't ever associate their names with bad movies, but boy was I wrong. I can't even tell you what the movie was about, because after about 30 minutes I hit the eject button so hard, the blu ray player almost fell off the fire place. If I were stoned, it probably would've ended up as the best movie, but Fatdreek is Drug Free!
Best Comedy: Crazy Stupid Love
I usually think Steve Carrell is a one track actor, and this movie definitely proves it, but the screenplay was brilliant, and everybody in the movie did a great job acting in it. Ryan Gosling is going to be around for a looong time!
Best Action: Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol
Its the same premise! The world is going to end unless Tom Cruise saves the day, but the action in this movie is great and leaves you on the edge of your seat. Jeremy Renner from Hurt Locker fame is a great addition, while Paula Patton was hot yet horrible.
Best Actor : Michael Shannon - Take Shelter
This movie was definitely slept on. It wasn't the greatest movie in the world, but Michael Shannon's performance was one of the greatest I've ever seen!
Michelle Williams has come a long way from Dawson's Creek. Marilyn Monroe was not a good actress at all, and Michelle Williams nailed it spot on, which shows how great of an actress she is!
Best Supporting Actor : Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Ides of March
There wasn't a huge amount of competition in this category this year. Christopher Plummer won the Best Supporting Actor at this year's oscars, but that was only because he played a gay man and kissed a lot of dudes. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is one of the greats, and he added to his catalog with a great performance in Ides of March.
Best Supporting Actress : Amara Miller - The Descendants
I usually dont like children actors, but she did an excellent job as the young defiant daughter of George Clooney's character. Dealing with a mom's death is hard, and she did a great job in portraying those emotions.
Best Director : Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Filmed in the beautiful state of Hawaii, Payne did a great job capturing its beauty and capturing the emotions of every character brilliantly.
I don't really care about adapted screenplays, so the best original screenplay award goes to Woody Allen. This was the only category that me and the Oscars agree. There was a lot of thought and time that went into this screenplay. If you're a big fan of literature, then you will love this movie!
That's it! I'll try and be quicker next year with the Oscar post! Keep enjoying movies and give me feedback on where you think I picked wrong!!
2012 is flying by. Speaking of flying... U hear about that crazy pilot going HAM on the plane to Vegas??? I would have grabbed him in the aisle and DDT'd him.
Speaking of DDT, George Zimmerman got DDT'd into jail last week. Doug Fox told me to not jump to conclusions, so I'm just going to wait until more facts are revealed.
Making a slight change in our travel plans. We planned on going to NYC for my wife's birthday, but now we're going to Jamaica mon! If you've been there or are from there, hit me up and let me know what to do over there! We're still going to Vegas in July, and might try and squeeze NYC in during the fall. Went to get my passport photo yesterday, and they said that I can't smile when I'm taking the picture. What's up with that? Our society is too depressing!
Sometimes I hate being a homeowner. I got landscaping to do! the A/C needs to be replaced. House needs pressure washing! I wish I could just call maintenance, but gotta love that homeowner's equity!
Done with taxes! I owe Uncle Sam a few dollars. Thinking about evading the guy like Wesley, but I'm too pretty for jail.
Im currently looking for a home church. I have a few options, but need to find that home base. Leaning toward my grandmother's church, but the preacher talks too fast. I like another church's pastor but the congregation is too huge. I like another church's pastor but the congregation is too small. Pray for ya boy!
Weight loss is happening slowly but surely. Make subtle changes to an over-eater's habits can be drastic, but I'm overcoming. I won't be adventurous as my girl Leah and post my weight on here! Let's just say....weight loss is needed!
Race issue of the week! My boss asked why does black people go to black barbers and white people go to white salons, and why are black people buried at black funeral parlors and whites at white funeral parlors. The answer to that question is : nobody knows you like your own! In high school, my youth pastor Dr. Neal Jackson gave me a haircut. I was laughed out of my high school. He was the last white person to touch my hair. I don't think you're a racist or prejudice if you don't want a black person to do your hair if you're white. I don't want to see white girls with dookie braids and black girls with bouffants (thanks Alex for that help).
I love you all! Thanks for everybody that reads my blog and thanks for the positive feedback that I have received. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions, and I'm glad technology lets me capture it on my own blog. God bless you!
One morning on Facebook, my great friend Danielle said that she was going to delete all of her "friends" that posted nothing but negative statuses all of the time, because she wanted nothing but positive people in her life. Sorry to say this Danielle, but if you want to be around positive people all of the time, you may need to go to Mid Town Atlanta and hang out with the gays!
I understand where she comes from though! Negativity is super contagious. If someone that is close to you is having a bad day, you can guarantee that you're going to have a bad day as well. Some people have bad days everyday. They wake up, and make sure that they have a bad day. If they won a million dollars, they would give it away, just to pass the joy to somebody else and to continue their bad day. Their family tree has negative roots and brings forth negative fruit in the spring time. If he or she was a gardener, they would purchase beautiful flowers and pour gas on all of them, just so they can loathe in self pity about how their flowers are dead. If they were a pitcher in the World Series and the score was tied with 2 outs and a 3-2 count and the opposing team had bases loaded, he would intentionally hit the batter in the leg with the ball to lose the game, just because he loves negative publicity. I'm getting a little overboard I know, but you know who I'm talking about. We all have one person we know who just goes through life with the dark cloud hovering over them all day.
I'm not saying that if you ever have a bad day that you're a horrible person. We are all humans and life is a roller coaster. You have some good days and bad days, but to be wrapped up in so much negativity can block blessings that Lord maybe trying to send your way.
Having a negative attitude can be controlled. I know people who are worth millions that have the attitude of poor people, and I know poor people who live life like they're Donald Trump. It's all up to you! We all get screwballs thrown our way, but its up to us if we're going to let those screwballs effect us. Just roll with the punches and thank God for the blessings, because I'm sure there is somebody out there with a lot more on their plate than you!
If you know me, you know that I keep it real. I want to keep it real for a few moments.
1st off, R.I.P to Trayvon Martin.
I'm sure you know about this situation by now. Black teen is walking in a nice neighborhood, (I can't necessarily say that it was a white neighborhood, because Zimmerman is of half hispanic decent, but it was gated to my knowledge, so it wasn't Compton, California), Zimmerman (a self-appointed neighborhood watch guy) calls the police and says that he sees some suspicious activity and he plans to make a citizen's arrest. He starts a pursuit against the black teen while on the phone with the 911 operator. The operator tells Zimmerman to pump his brakes and that police were on their way, but Zimmerman (a guy that obviously has anger issues according to the police officer he scuffled with or his ex-fiance who he shoved around http://www.smh.com.au/world/who-is-george-zimmerman-20120325-1vs1a.html) says no way jose and continues pursuit!
Now here is where the story gets fishy...
There was a neighbor that heard the scuffle outside of her door, and she called 911. The call was obviously recorded, and you can hear a boy screaming help, and then you hear a gun shot. Another report says that a witness saw little 140 lb Trayvon Martin knock 250+lb Zimmerman on the ground, get on top of him and start wailing at his head, at that time Zimmerman pulls out his gun and shoots Trayvon in the chest. In both situations, Trayvon is dead and gone. Zimmerman claims self-defense and under the "Stand Your Ground" law, he is able to walk free to this day.
Here is my opinion on all of this mess.....
I'm going to put myself in Trayvon's shoes. Let's say that I'm walking down the street eating a healthy snack (my wife won't let me eat skittles) and I see a loser eyeing me like I just hopped out of someone's home window (which would be a tight squeeze) with stolen merchandise. THEN the loser starts to follow me, and I can hear him on his cell phone with the police. I'm going to turn around and ask if he has a problem? If he has something to say that I don't want to hear, I'm going to go upside his head too. In that instance, I am practicing self-defense because I don't feel safe with a guy following me with the evil eye. The difference between Trayvon and myself is that I have a license to carry a firearm as well, and as soon as Zimmerman would've produced his firearm, I would've produced mine and it would've been a shoot-out for the ages! Honestly, Zimmerman needs to hit the weight room on that Big Milt plan if he can't stop a teenager who's 100lb lighter from man-handling him.
Now it's time for me to get really REAL!!!
A lot of people are naive! They really think that if this was a white guy in a black neighborhood, and a black guy hunted him down and got in a scuffle and shot the white guy that he would be free just like Zimmerman is. If you believe that, then you really need a wake-up call. Then I hear Neal Boortz say that Zimmerman was a hispanic and that he couldn't be racist because he's a minority like Trayvon was. Zimmerman was half white and half Peruvian or something. Saying he is hispanic is like saying Barack Obama is white because his mother is white. Then I listen to the news, and they say that Trayvon was suspended from school because he had traces of weed in his bookbag. WHO CARES??? Maybe Zimmerman was mad, because Trayvon didn't share the supply! Whatever the case, Zimmerman is dead wrong, and we have to stop being naive. Racism and prejudice is alive and well around the world on both sides. White teens that wear skateboard outfits and have tattoos get the same evil looks from older people (white or black) as a black teen that wears his pants low and hoodies. Jesus loves those teens the same way that he loves the conservative adult that attends church every service and who are WE to condemn or judge??
On the other side.... don't you democrats screw up this "Stand Your Ground" law. Zimmerman didn't stand his ground, he possibly started getting that butt tagged (pause) by a teenager and shot the guy because he couldn't fight. If he was in pursuit, Trayvon practiced the Stand Your Ground law and defended himself. I'm a firm believer of the Stand your ground law, and I will shoot you down if you intefere with its laws!
You can agree or disagree but I'm just keeping it real..
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