The NFL is back!!!!

Yes, I am extremely excited that this season will be up and running.. but after reading this article.. it has me slightly disturbed.. between the owners and players, $9 Billion dollars is being earned. That is great for those individuals... but I can't help but comment on the starving people that we have in our own country nonetheless in the world.. and these people are making ridiculous amounts of money. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not hating on them, and in fact 2 people in my family play in the NFL and I couldn't be happier for them, but I do feel that there could be a lot less arguing about money, and a lot more helping the needy.... (I know a lot of players do give back... but I want to see that number grow as these players paychecks grow too!) 

NFL Lockout Over As Players Approve Deal

by Marc Perton

As anticipated, the NFL Players Association has signed off on a deal ending the 4 1/2-month football lockout. The deal was approved by owners last week. Teams will be begin reporting to training camps on Wednesday.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith held a joint press conference in Washington earlier today, announcing the new 10-year agreement. "It's been a long time coming," Goodell said. "Football is back and that's the good news."
Players and owners both benefit from the new agreement, as ESPN.com points out:

Call it a tie. Each got a little something they wanted, and most important, each will get a lot of money. The owners now will keep 52 percent of the revenues, not the 47 percent from the previous collective bargaining agreement that so rankled them, but they also will have to operate with a $120 million salary cap, with an additional approximately $20 million for benefits, and have a guaranteed spend. That guaranteed spend was important to the players, and they got it.In the end, the owners and players are splitting more than $9 billion. No one is losing.

Do fans win? ESPN.com isn't quite sure: "Yes, there will be football in the fall, but the fans had to listen to all of this nonsense for more than four months."

Oh AT&T and TMO.. what are we going to do with you?

Antitrust Committee Chairman: AT&T, T-Mobile Merger "Contrary To Antitrust Law" "Should Be Blocked"

from The Consumerist by Meg Marco

 Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, called on the FCC and the Department of Justice to block the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile, saying the deal would "likely cause substantial harm to competition and consumers, would be contrary to antitrust law and not in the public interest, and therefore should be blocked by your agencies."
The Senator's letter, which cites research by our parent company, concludes that T-Mobile is a price leader in the cell phone market, offering prices and rate plans significantly less expensive than the three other national cell phone providers.
According to the Consumer Reports research cited in the letter, T-Mobile wireless plans typically cost $15-$50 per month less than comparable plans from AT&T.
Further, the top four competitors currently control 90% of the cellphone market by revenue. If this merger is allowed to go through, Kohl writes, AT&T and Verizon will control nearly 80% of the market. He feels this is a violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act.
He goes on to address the arguments in favor of the merger that are being made by AT&T and T-Mobile, and says that "all are without merit."
Of particular concern is the not-sexy-but-critical issue of roaming and access to landlines.
When a customer of a local or regional carrier (such as U.S. Cellular, Cricket or Metro PCS) leaves the local service area of that carrier, the company must "roam" on the network of another carrier, usually a national carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile. The company then must pay substantial fees to that carrier.
According to Senator Kohl, "The bottom line is that the smaller local and regional cellphone carriers will be paying their national competitors large sums of money in order to provide their customers nationwide cellphone service."
Consumerist, in partnership with Consumers Union, supports the blocking of this merger.
Parul P. Desai, policy counsel for Consumers Union, said, "Chairman Kohl's letter spells out precisely how this merger could hurt consumers and why regulators should block it. The letter clearly shows how the deal would harm competition, and it confirms that AT&T's claim that it needs this merger to serve rural areas doesn't hold water. This is a powerful rebuttal to AT&T's arguments, and we hope regulators will pay close attention and ultimately reject this deal."
Although the public comment period is now over, we are still attempting to collect 25,000 signatures for a petition that we will share with the FCC. If you'd like to help us with this goal, please click here.
Download the Full Letter (PDF)
UPDATE: Representatives Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) have now written a similar letter to both the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission.
"We believe that AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile would be a troubling backward step in federal public policy - a retrenchment from nearly two decades of promoting competition and open markets to acceptance of a duopoly in the wireless marketplace," the letter reads.
Markey, Conyers, Eshoo Letter (PDF)

This is what it's all about....

18-year-old gives his $40,000 scholarship to other teens

Many adults begin talking early and often with kids about the importance of sharing and generosity. This is a story of a teenager who did something so generous — so big-hearted — that it’s making plenty of adults swoon.

Good info...

Understanding The Hidden Costs Of Investing

by Phil Villarreal

Investing newbies may be shocked by the amount of unexpected fees that siphon away their funds. When you're searching for a brokerage, it's wise to investigate hidden costs involved.
MoneySmartLife provides a glossary of several clever ways in which money managers skim a little off the top of your investment. Some examples include:
*Brokerage transaction fees. You pay these on every trade. Some brokers charge flat fees, while others base it on a percentage of the transaction.
Operating expenses. These tend to be higher in actively managed funds, and include distribution fees, which go toward marketing and other costs. Look for the total amount of fees in an expense ratio that explains how much you'll be paying to invest.
If you invest money, which fees caught you off guard?
6 Investment Costs You Pay to Play [MoneySmartLife]

Love me for me.... I like it :)

There’s Someone For Everyone

by thenoteboook

Although we forget, it’s proven true
No matter your situation, there’s someone for you
Don’t just settle, not just anyone will do
The solution is finding, the one who loves you for you.

Add starLikeShareShare with noteEmailKeep unreadAdd tags

This song is the epitome of me right now!!!!

Jill Scott - Shame Feat. Eve

I’m the one you really want,
But you just can’t see it!
I tried and tried to make you understand, you don’t believe it,

Chorus:
It’s a shame! (Shame)
You’re missing all the good things, yeah!
And it’s a shame (shame)
You can’t see a damn thing! Aha!

That you’re so scared of me, it hurts,
I’m just a woman!
Maybe I got it all together, that you think,
Maybe I do! (Do)
Cause oh, I’m fresh and cold (so cold)
I can find on my own, I’m magnificent!
I’m a queen on a throne, I’m magnificent!
I’m the magnificent (say what, say what)!
I’m the magnificent (say what, say what)!
You’re standing against the wall,
Uhuu, baby why are you frightened?
When you can take my hand and we can in to something!

Chorus:
It’s a shame (shame, shame, shame)!
You’re missing all the good things, yeah!
And it’s a shame (shame)
You don’t even know my name!

I can fend on my own a magnificent!
I’m a queen on a throne, I’m magnificent!
I’m the magnificent (say what, say what)!
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com 
I’m the magnificent (say what, say what)!
I’m your sunshine,
And you’re ... my heart it doesn’t shine,
My love will… why you can see it?
Why you… I’m just saying!
I’m just saying!

Hey yo, I’m the magnificent with the sensational style, yes!
Check from head to toe, don’t forget to smile …!
If you are small, you can try to snatch it up,
Moving like a snail when you gonna catch it up!
…just because you’re a clown, now!
..you’re the queen, probably…
Really.. how is that sound?
Had a chance in the past for a back down!
I mean, way back,
The light disappeared,
I see through all of you when is so clear!
And I’m so good, how you’re so whack,
How you let this go away, you gonna regret that!
Shwaty is so… from the …

Chorus:
It’s a shame (shame, shame, shame)!
You’re missing all the good things, yeah!
And it’s a shame (shame)
You don’t even know my name!

This is how I roll.....

Love is Beautiful....

The marriage of my cousin Chris to my new beautiful cousin Ginelle... Couldn't be happier for them... despite how some may feel about their love.. it is one of the strongest and biggest connections I have seen between two people.. I hope to have that one day as well!

Amen brother!!!! Stop the bit----c----h---ing!

Stop Complaining. Start Living.

by Kute Blackson

3 people liked this

If you never complain or have never complained, then you need not read any further.
Complaining kills. It robs you of the vital energy and life force necessary to fulfill your dreams and live to your highest potential.
I rank it up there with sodas, cigarettes, and parasites!
What do you find yourself complaining about? The weather, the city you live in, your job, your spouse, the opposite sex, life, your weight, people, the economy, your finances. The list is endless. Yet, the more you stay stuck in complaining, the more you drain your life force to make a positive change.
In the moment of complaining, your attention is focused on what is wrong. When we complain we aren’t actually doing anything about our situation, thus the situation remains the same. We are wasting time.
It is important to acknowledge what isn’t working in life or the dissatisfaction you might feel in a particular area, but to stay stuck in complaining doesn’t change your current reality. It just simply keeps you stuck, and depletes your energy even more. And before you know it, your energy will spiral into a sea of negativity. Even though your current reality may not be your ideal, focus on what is great about it, whilst positively working to create a new reality. Otherwise you are depleting yourself of the energy necessary to make a shift. It is like trying to drive a Ferrari – with a big hole in the gas tank.
Why do we complain?
1- It can be a way to avoid putting ourselves out there, taking a risk, making a decision and going for our dreams. When we complain, we aren’t DOING something about the situation. It can be “easier” to just complain.
2- It can be a way for us to bond in misery with our friends, gaining a sort of pseudo love, and keep ourselves stuck in mediocrity. This way we never let ourselves be too magnificent, and grow, but instead simply “fit in”.
3- It can be a way for us to get attention. If we complain, perhaps people will sympathize for us and pay us attention. So we “get” something from our complaining, a payoff.
4- It can be a way for us to appear intelligent. If we complain, then we must “know” what is right. It can be the ego’s way of tricking itself to feel smart and we get to be “right”.
5- It can be a way to not allow ourselves to be too happy. It becomes a self-protection. This way if things go wrong or don’t work out, then we won’t be too disappointed. We resist opening to the bliss that is available now.
Acknowledge the complaint, and rather than indulge it; use all that energy as an impulse for change. The more you complain about where you are AT, the more you disempower yourself from moving to where you ultimately want to be.
So for the next 7 days, when you catch yourself complaining:
1- Stop. Breathe.
2- Bring compassion. Thank the part of you that does complain, because it has a positive intention.
3-Focus on what you are grateful for in your current reality.
4- Evaluate. Decide what actions you are going to take to change your reality.
5- Act. Decide. Speak up. Make a request. Commit. Leave. Let it go. Do.
When you give up complaining, there is a space that opens up in your consciousness and you become available to the gifts of the Universe. All the energy that was wasted is now released and available to you for action. Then, you harness your power and tap into your full potential. You open to your greatness and you become available to Life fulfilling itself through you.
Stop complaining. Start Living. Now.
Love,
Kute
Check out more of my work at: http://www.kuteblackson.com/

Can you say... yummy!!!! :)