Over My Dry Spell

  I know it has been awhile since I have written anything and some of you probably thought that I would never submit another piece of blog work again. Well, fortunately for all of us I am currently out and over my dry spell and busy spell. I made a commitement to myself to leave time in my day for the things I enjoy such as writing and painting. So I hope you enjoy the freshness of my writings and look forward to more to come. I hoping to get my readership back up and go further and expand on it. So please support, share, and more importantly subscribe....


-Mr. J

Letting Go

 

    I sometimes sit around and wonder about the direction my life is going. Is it everything I have ever dreamed of, or is it lackluster and craving the excitement that I dreamed of as a child? In life nothing is simple and more times than most it never turns out the way that you want it to. A giant obstacle for myself, as well as others, is the life lesson of learning to let go. Letting go of the past, letting go of the ex,letting go of your childhood, letting go in general. I find it hard to let things go and resist change because of the fear of not knowing the outcome. However, if we are always resisting we are in turn never living. You can not stay caged up in a life of monotony and experiencing life to the fullest requires letting go and accepting change. It isn't easy and by far one of the hardest things to do as a parent, lover, brother, and human. Whenever I feel the need to hold on to things that I know I need to let go of I think about all the great things that could potential walk into my life once I make space for them. So ask yourself, is it time to let go and give something else an opportunity to make an impact in your life?


-Mr. J

Getting Out of a Slump

    It as been a week since I had last written because life seems to always prove effective in delaying self pleasures. My latest train of thought revolved around the feeling of consistency without change. Day in and day out my life goes through the same rountine daily, weekly, and even monthly. As I started to realize that I needed to make change in my life, I started to list all the things that I wish would change. The list filled up a good half a page and then I took each line and briefly wrote out the barriers or opportunities that are preventing me from making those changes for the better. Most of the changes started with small things such as different breakfast choices or switching up the daily routine by adding a brisk walk in the park or lunch with some old friends. They then evolved into 5 year plans or yearly plans to make improvements to my personal self. So I encourage everyone to start with small changes if your unhappy with your day to day life and get on the right track to happiness.

"When you are always living for others, you sometimes forget to live for yourself."-Mr. J

Mother's Day

    Mother's Day is tomorrow folks and hopefully you have something planned for that very special lady in your life. Furthermore, for those like myself who grew up with one parent please cherish and hold that irreplaceable person very close to you. I remember back in elementary school I got to make my Mother's Day presents and Father's Day presents. My mother was extremely blessed because she received both of those presents. I find it great looking back that the teacher's at the school allowed me to do this because I was one of a small handful whom had no father. So rather its a nice dinner, breakfast in bed, a family photo shoot, a bouquet of flowers or fruit, or something you created that is truly special, have a blessed and safe Mother's Day.

Presidential Support for Marriage Equality

   

    Over the past few days it has surfaced that both Obama and Biden support gay marriage. Biden was the first to support marriage equality, but Obama in several statements made over the past few days has stated that his views on marriage equality have changed and he now supports the rights of gays to marry in the United States. However, he also stated that he agrees that it should be left up to each individual state. With the election looming ever so close, I feel that this was a short-sell in terms of votes from those of us that support equality. The supporters of equality can be found on both sides of the fence and even some Republican voters feel that marriage equality it important in the United States. This would be a great feat and even historical because Obama is the first president to stand behind gay marriage, but just like promises made in 2008 how far does this support go? Will he be active in the changing of a nation in terms of marriage equality or after reelection will the support disappear and not be brought back to table? As a tax paying, voting, and involved American citizen I am hopeful that this will cause a wildfire of state support for equality in marriage. What are your views?



-Mr. J

When I Think About Rain....

    I know that it has been a few days since a new blog post has surfaced, but I had a crazy week and will now catch up by posting a few blog posts today to kinda catch up. I was suppose to be at a rate of two blog post a day but that has not been turned into a reality yet. Enjoy!

    As I walk through the streets of my town, a slight drizzle of rain starts to fall down upon me. I'm not in objection to rain so I continue to walk. Meanwhile, I'm analyzing the very rain that's steadily hitting my skin. As I look around I notice that the rain is just not falling on me but the lady walking next to me, the guy across the street, the child following behind his mother, and even the mayor as he leaves city hall. It is then very clear to me that rain, as simple as it is, has a much more complex and fair value. Unlike many Americans today, the rain does not discriminate and falls evenly on anyone and everything. The rain is also clear, you can see through it and know what your up against. It would be a perfect reality to think that one day everyone could be like the rain. Fair with clear intentions, equal in grace, and furthermore never ending. So I urge everyone, learn from the rain and support equality for everyone!
-Mr. J

Beach ready....perhaps not?

    As I sit here to type this blog post I'm having an ongoing struggle with the thermostat. The reason being that each hour that goes by its getting hotter and hotter which means one thing...Summer is right around the corner. Summer brings with it many pros and cons including no school, vacations, and heat strokes. We are going to briefly tackle beach vacation and highlight 5 tips to having a fun, safe, and healthy time.

1.) Don't Forget the Sunblock
    This is very important because with Summer comes a lot of sun which carries UV rays that damage your skin. Yes we all want to be tan and looking fresh, but there is a growing trend in melanoma cases related to over exposure. One way to help prevent skin damage due to UV rays is to apply sunblock with SPF according to directions on the label. It is also best to get waterproof and sweat proof formulas to further enhance the effects of the lotions or sprays. Places such as Walmart and Target have great selections of sunblocks for all ages.

2.) Limit Your Time in the Sun
    I know it sounds like a drag but limiting your sun exposure is also another way to prevent skin damage as well as other health related issues relevant to the heat. If you were to install the WeatherChannel app on your mobile device it can give you UV index alerts so you know when the best and worst times to be outside are.

3.) Research Your Surroundings
    For those of you whom will be traveling to places that you have never been to before beware!! Make sure you get a realistic and accurate account of the surroundings and type of area in which your lodging is held. Also keep in mind that many locals will try to scam or even kidnap tourists.

4.) Spend Smart
    To have a blast does not mean to drain your bank account. As a general rule you should always have at least one months worth of bills saved back before going on any trip or venture. However, instead of staying at that 5 star hotel that you will only use to sleep and shower in why not go for a 4 star or even a 3 star hotel to save money for other fun activities. You could save hundreds by doing so and it gives you more freedom on a rainy day. It might also be a good idea to get a room with a kitchenette so you can go to the grocery store to buy snacks and such to hold you off in between meals.

5.) Travel in Groups
    I know it feels like your back in elementary school again but the importance of traveling in groups is something that needs to be discussed. There are a lot of shady characters out there just looking for that singled out tourist to scam, rob, or snatch. You've heard it a million times before, there is safety in numbers. Never travel alone at night or visit a bar or club alone! Always bring a friend, preferably a DD.

-Mr/ Jay

Cow or Almond?

  
   
    I have recently started researching the numerous alternatives to whole cow's milk and have stumbled upon a great find, almond milk. In terms of nutrition Almond milk is filled with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron, fiber, zinc, and calcium. This puts Almond milk at the top of the list in terms of milk substitutes because it is healthier than cow's milk itself. It only has 40 calories per eight oz. serving and low in fat. To make it even more appealing to the general population it is also lactose,gluten,casein and cholesterol free. So even those of you whom are lactose-intolerant can reap the benefits of this delicious substitute.

    Almond milk also has other benefits compared to cow's milk such as high levels of antioxidants and no saturated fats. The high levels of antioxidants can help to prevent many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging. Who doesn't want to stop those wrinkles crow's feet? The only downside to Almond milk is the fact that people with tree nut allergies should avoid drinking this product because of dangerous allergic reactions that could result.

    So in a full comparison Almond milk is a healthier choice do so its high nutritional value and low amounts of calories, cholesterol, and saturated fats. Those that are suffering from heart problems would benefit tremendously by switching from cow's milk to almond milk. The only thing nutrition wise that cow's milk has over almond milk is protein. However, you get all your daily recommended amount of protein from other sources, so having it in your milk isn't a necessity.

    Now with the technical mumbo jumbo out the way many of you are asking yourselves, what does it taste like? The best answer I can give you there is that sweet tasting milk that you get at the end of eating a bowl of cereal. However, just don't take my word for it. Try it yourself....

Effectively Using Social Networks

   


    This past week has been a crazy learning experience for me in terms of blogging. It seems the biggest obstacle with and beginning blogger is building up your audience. I have achieved more page views than I thought I would but the numbers are just clearly nowhere near where I want them to be. So, I started a Twitter account and got connected with a lot of like minded profiles to see if I can pull some traffic for it. I am still in the beginning stages of that but from what I can tell if I use Twitter correctly then I should see some traffic from it. I must also produce more of my written word so I can get an audience whom is interested in what I have to say. So I will be adding more content daily and hoping for the best.

A Lesson in Leaving.

   


    I was in a kind of critical thinking mode today and so today's post will be unlike the many other random post that you have seen here on my blog. I have stated several times that I wanted to be more known for my writings than the content of my blog which is to not demean the support for social issues that I exhibit. However, many of the randomness comes out of hope for monetary compensation for my words. Getting paid to do something I love and support a cause, why not right? So I leave you today with a written though on regret, enjoy!   

"Have you ever rethought a certain action or lack there of? I personally believe that many of us do, and the only thing gained from the experiences are the lessons learned from them. You could say that it is very easy to pull the handle on that door and walk right out of a situation, but saying goodbye is the hardest thing to do. The realization that what you ended up with is not the product of desire, but the product of life. So i urge everyone, to think twice before walking out that door, because sometimes when you leave there is nothing left to come back to."-Mr. Jay

Globalization of Young Children

As a new parent one of the many things that has peaked my curiousity is the ideology that you can teach a child as young as 3 months a second language. Many parents even go the extra mile and teach their children multiple languages. One of the reasons they are able to do this is their unlimited innate ability to learn and distenguish the differences in the languages. Making your children global children also creates less room for intolerance and allows your children to accept the many differences among culture. Here are a few tips to get your youngster on the path to becoming a biliguial baby!

• Start now. Two- and 3-year-olds are not only increasing their vocabularies, they're starting to recognize the speech patterns they've been hearing since birth. The earlier you introduce a second language, the easier it will be for your child to pick up its unique sounds. The ability to hear different phonetic pronunciations is sharpest before age 3, and we lose the capacity to hear and produce certain sounds if we aren't exposed to them early on. So just hearing a television show, listening to music, or learning a few words in a second language will give your child essential tools for appreciating it now and learning to speak it later.
• Create a casual learning environment. The best way for a child to learn to understand a new language is for him to hear people speaking it fluently. If he's exposed to conversations, he'll begin to pick up the sounds and the natural accent. Choose a language that is spoken in your neighborhood, on a television show your child can watch regularly, or one that is offered in classes or playgroups in your area. Two- and 3-year-olds love to mimic what they hear, and soon they'll begin to understand the meanings of short words and phrases.
• Teach a word at a time. If you don't want to do formal lessons, you can introduce bilingual basics by pointing out to your child that objects can have two names -- one in each language.
• Have reasonable expectations. Of course, a child won't learn to speak another language fluently from hearing words, watching videos, or singing songs. But simply being exposed to a language will help her understand phrases when she hears them. So even though you probably won't be having a French conversation with your child very soon, if you say "bonne nuit" every night at bedtime, she'll figure out what you mean.

-Mr. Jay

Douche of the Day- Ron Brown

Goodmorning all! I'm starting today off with a story out of the great state of Nebraska, pictured right is a picture of the assistant couch Ron Brown whom is currently under fire for anti-gay rights comment. The sports community as a whole has made some efforts to move away from the bias about professional sports and lesbians/gays. Professional sports in the past years could be viewed as highly homophobic but with a lot of things in this country that is changing. For example the "It Gets Better" project and "You Can Play" initiative are all projects and films created with the goal of viewing gay rights as human rights and to show that discrimination against lesbian and gay players are wrong. However, the douche of the day believes that by professional teams doing so they are taking a step in the wrong direction. Speaking in an Omaha City Council hearing against an anti-discrimination ordinance being extended to protect gays and lesbians he stated his firm belief that homosexuality is a sin in Christianity. Furthermore, after receiving many request for the university coach to be fired he told the associated press he would be "honored" to be fired for his religious beliefs. “To be fired for my faith would be a greater honor than to be fired because we didn’t win enough games,” Brown told The Associated Press. “I haven’t lost any sleep over it. I realize at some point, we live in a politically correct enough culture where that very well could happen.”

So far the university has declined to take any action against Brown, stating that his views are not the views of the university. However, having someone in a powered position where he has influence over others (university students), I personally believe that he should be fired from his position as assistant coach. Many advocacy groups have jumped aboard to get this issue handled, but it will take a large group to speak out against Ron Brown.

.
So that is the story on the douche of the day, how do you all feel the university should handle this situation? Do you believe that the sports world as a whole is taking proper initiative to ban or lead away from homophobic rhetoric?

Fixing a Struggling Economy

With the 2012 Presidential Election just right around the corner, many Americans are asking themselves about the solutions to fixing the economy. Among many aspects of the modern economy, the housing market is one of the biggest products of a failing market. The stock market has also experienced several losses not made any better by a struggling global economy. With government spending in the trillions, and many Americans losing their homes and jobs, what do you propose to fix the current situation?

Recipe of the Day- Lo Mein Noodles

Many Americans enjoy that local Chinese restaurant but with tough economic times it is sometimes hard to afford that restaurant expense. Dining out is one of the many areas within a household budget that can be cut out completely or lessened to yield a high monthly profit. Some interesting figures about dining out:

• The average American household spends almost half of its food budget on eating out — out of about $6,000 US Dollars (USD) spent on food a year, about $2,700 USD goes to eating out. Alcoholic beverages alone contribute almost $500 USD to that budget

• More than 75 percent of Americans eat out at least once a week, and a full fourth eat out every two to three days. Some studies suggest that, on average, Americans actually eat one out of every four meals and snacks outside of the home.


• Atlanta seems to be the top city for eating out — residents of Atlanta spend about 60 percent of their food budget on eating out. Those in Austin, Texas, spend the most money on food purely in terms of dollar amount, though — they spend almost $13,000 USD a year on food, pretty much equally distributed between eating out and eating at home.


• The most frugal cities in the U.S. when it comes to eating out are Detroit and Chula Vista, California. Those in Florida City spend the biggest portion of their budget on home food — about 70 percent.

So with that said, let's cut back our budgets by learning to prepare some of our favorites right at home!

 

Lo Mein Noodles

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 lb. flat noodles
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. scallion, chopped
1 tbsp. oil (sesame preferred)
Soy sauce
Pepper
Garlic powder

Directions:

Cook and drain noodles. Saute scallion for a few minutes. Add noodles and seasonings to skillet. Toss. Add soy sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 

I hope this meal brings great fortune to your family...

Graco Infant Swing Product Review

Good morning all! I wanted to start the day off with a product review on one of my favorite baby necessities the infant swing. The one we decided to go with after going through two already was The Graco Sweetpeace Infant Soothing Swing. Overall I give this swing a strong 4 out of 5 stars. It is easy to use and has so many features:

The most customizable soothing options to comfort your baby

4 seating positions and 3 recline positions to find what baby likes best

Removable seat with vibration doubles as a floor rocker and can easily be moved from room to room

Seat can be easily replaced with most Graco infant car seats, for on-the-go transitions that won’t disturb baby

AC plug-in option allows you to save money on batteries

Exclusive patented MomMotion™, scientifically developed to recreate the natural soothing movements of a loving parent

Features 15 different natural sounds, white noise, lullabies and upbeat songs to soothe and amuse baby

Introduce baby to your favorite playlists with a standard MP3 Player plug-in.

6 unique swing speeds allow you to choose the right pace to suit your baby’s mood

Engaging toy tray helps develop fine motor skills and promotes self-discovery

Machine washable cloth seat pad is comfy for baby and convenient for you

I hope this review helps some new and old parents choose a swing that will be benificial to both the child and yourself. The swing is what helps me get things done around the house and where my child actually sleeps, so without it we would be lost.

Mr. J

Gas Prices

As we are all suffering huge at the pumps, a new study by CNN has shown that gas prices are lowering. This is good news considering the earlier yearly reports on the price of gas at the pump projected an average of $5. Here is to hoping we all receive relief at the pump!

Could a cut in foreign dependency drop these numbers lower?

Welcome!

This is the first official post to my blog and I may be a "newbie" but information, facts, and news on things happening nationally are not. I have set up this blog to show support for Americans living in America today. Times are tough with a weakened economy, high unemployement, and inequality amongst its taxpayers. I hope to eventually become your one-stop shop for news, deals, bargains, and product reviews. Show your support by linking my blog to your social networks and help to get this thing rolling!

We will start off with a simple visual on marriage equality:

We have a long road ahead to gain nationally equality. So please support marriage for all!
                                            "None of us, are as good as all of us"