Monday, October 27, 2008

Uncle G. Mo Solves Math Problems



Started out with the wife and I stopping by the house for a short time. As usual, I check to see what the girls were doing. The 5 yr old was running around doing something. The 6yr old was getting her hair done by my sister and the 7yr old was doing her homework. So a good uncle always asks if everything is good in school and if the girls have been behaving themselves. Well, my 7 yr old niece asked me if I could assist her with her vocabulary and her math problems. So of course, I obliged.



Vocabulary was easy. I was the spelling bee champion all through junior high and I love writing. Helping her put the 5 chosen words into sentences was easy. We did that and it might've taken 5 minutes. So that left the math problems. Let me be staight up here, math was my worst subject. I looked at the paper and shook my head. It was easy for me... now. But back then I struggled. It asked the child to count the coins pictured on the left and then write the correct amount in the column on the right. She had them all right and was down to the past problem.




There were two stacks of coins shown.The problem was asking her to take one single coin from one stack shown and give it to the other stack, so that both would be equal. As I was looking at it trying to figure it out in my head she hollered out "I got it". She drew an arrow from the dime and moved it to the other stack. I looked at it and she was correct. She smiled, thanked me for helping her and gave me a big hug and kiss. I did help with the vocabulary words, but the math was all her.



(click the pics to see larger versions)

Moments like the one I had the other day make me smile. I've been working some long days the past few weeks and just seeing the bright faces on those 3 lil' girls brings me joy and makes me forget about long days in the office. I'm glad my wife is good at math though, cuz when we have kids that'll be her job. In fact, I wasn't good at history, science or math. I'll just teach the kids English, school them on playing sports and how to hustle. Yep, that sounds like a plan.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Overcoming The Spirit Of Weariness

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I can't front. The past 6 weeks or has been real trying for me. I'm exhausted. I feel like I've aged 20 years in the past 2 months. I'm starting to get flare ups in my neck and back from the car accident in January and the insurance company is not being very cooperative. Thus me giving my attorney's the green light to file suit. No amount of money will make the pain away, but the offer the insurance company gave me was ridiculous!!! I went to a lotta therapy just to try and get right ya know? Then for some reason my right knee has been swelling and aching the past couple of weeks. It was painful enough for me end up at the doc getting x-rays last week and a subsequent MRI on it earlier this week. When you endure physical pain, it tends to affect the mental as well. I've been quite frustrated with how my body is feeling. With the aches and pains, I've not been able to exercise as I would like to. Thus, significant weight gain that I don't like at all. Let me not neglect the fact that I've been working 12+hr days the month of October in handling a number of essential meetings, webcasts and video conferences and haven't had a day off in 2 weeks. Yeah, the weekends have been a killer. It's like whenever I get home, I immediately crash. I have little to no energy at all.

However I've been encouraged by attending Bible study with my wife the past few weeks. I've been fortunate that on those Wednesday's I've been able to get out of the office early enough to make the 7:30pm sessions. This past Wednesday was the first day of the Music & Worship Conference at Reid Temple, thus the usual Bible study was not held. However we were blessed by the music of our usual praise team and female gospel soloist LaRue Howard who came from Orlando, FL.

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According to the church bulletin, the sermon was scheduled to be delivered by Tye Tribbett. Now, I'll be honest. I didn't know much about Tye Tribbett. I was aware that the brother was a gospel music singer and that was about it. When I had heard the previous week that he would be in the house, I assumed that he was going to be performing with his group Greater Anointing. To be totally honest, I was somewhat intrigued. Not in a negative aspect, but just wondering how what kind of sermon he would be delivering.

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Let me say this... the brother was very inspirational in his sermon. I mean, I was really digging everything he said. Not only that, but the man has crazy energy. It's easy to jump and run across the stage when you're singing, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone preach with such excitement and expression. There was one topic he discussed that really hit home for me. He discussed how sin isn't necessarily the primary thing affecting us these days. The spirit of weariness is affecting us just as much. That spirit of weariness is working its way into our lives through all the pressure and bad news that surrounds us. It's working to get our eyes off the Word of God by bombarding us with negative forces. It's trying to get us to look down at defeat instead of up at Jesus. Now I'm not one of those radical or 'churchy' type folks. Lord knows I struggle with life challenges like everyone else. We won't get into specifics on those things alright. I do however believe in God and the growth in my own life over the past 3 years since returning to church regularly.

Looking at life in terms of a sporting event, I always knew my opponent was no longer dangerous when I saw his head down. He was easily defeated when all his confidence was lost. Lately, I've been my own worst enemy. I've allowed a lot of factors to get me down. Yes, I'm dealing with some issues but I'm still blessed to be where I am. I'm grateful to have a loving wife, wonderful family, a good job, a roof over my head, a luxury ride, etc. I'm doing my best to wake-up smiling. It's not easy when times are rough though. But I'm certain of one thing, I'm going to overcome this spirit of weariness. I'm going to focus more on positive things more than the negative. I'm going to be more disciplined in following goals I have set forth and I'm going to "snap out of it" as Tye Tribbett said the other night. I had originally written this entry and saved it as a draft earlier in the week. The title at the time was Aches & Pains. The Lord showed me Wednesday night through that powerful message that I gotta get up and stop complaining about everything.

The other thing that occurred that has awakened me, has been the health of my grandma is NY. Grandma is not only back home after being in the hospital in August, but she's doing well. Let me correct that, in her words "I'm doing great!!!". I'm greatly encouraged at the fact that her health has improved and she's back home. This is another thing that says to me to stop wallowing in the sadness and depression.

My favorite Bible verse since I was a kid has always been Proverbs 3:5,6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Continue to pray for a brotha.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Awesome Kevin Garnett Commercial

I really, really dig this joint. Not just cuz I'm a die hard Celtics fan, but it truly is a damn good ad.

60 second version



30 second version





10 days and my squad will start the season in defense of their NBA title. I'm ready to see them do it again.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Writer's Block

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Well, kinda. So much going on in my head right now that I don't know where to start. I'll come back when I get things together. It's like I have a ton of stuff to say, but either don't feel like talking about it or don't know how to talk about it. I think. I dunno. I'm real abstract right now.

Until then I'll just keep editing pics and vids into animations for future entries. The one above is one of my favorite Uncle G. Mo moments while playing with my oldest niece back in 2002 when she was a lil bit younger... LOL.

I'm gone... but I'll be back

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Friday, October 10, 2008

Talk About Bustin' A Nut

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No folks, this is not a joke. This is a real book. Seriously.

Here's the article from Reuters
Serbian testicle chef offers world "good balls"

The link to where the book is being sold
The Testicle CookBook - Cooking with Balls - Ljubomir R. Erovic


Video footage below



I know one thing for damn sure, that's one thing you aint gotta worry about me experimenting with. Imagine the look on my guest faces when I inform them that for dinner we'll be serving up up Cream of Gonads Soup, Steamed Asparagus with Cashews & Nutsack Sauce, BBQ Pitbull testicles, Sauteed Scrotum of Squirrel, Blueballs of Baboon Berry Cobbler & Sweet Tea made from the teabags of Siberian Tigers.

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Family jewels shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as appetizers, entrees & desserts. I'mma go ahead and pass on this one.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Flashback: Cool Twisty Puzzles

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I'm talkin' bout the Rubik's Cube, the Missing Link, the Pyraminx, the Whip-It & a rack of others.

I was sitting here and had a quick reflection on all the good games and puzzles that I used to play with as a kid. This was primarily between the 2nd and 6th grades. I was a master at all of those things. Did that make me a brainiac or some kind of nerd? I dunno. I wasn't exactly a scholar when it came to grade. However, I had the patience back then to sit down and figure games out. I had fun doing them and laughing at my friends who could never seem to solve them. Honestly, I don't even remember how I acquired half of the ones I did. I think maybe my step dad bought some of them for me back then. Regardless, they were some of the joys I had in my younger days. I mean, aside from playing paper football and Atari all the time, I did challenging twisty puzzles like these. One of the real cool ones was the Rubik's Snake. You could lock in into a ball or make cool shapes from it. A lot of folks couldn't figure out how to do those either. I always had that thing with me.

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I would keep them in my bookbag until recess most of the time and when I had the first opportunity, I'd break them out and challenge my buddies. I remember seeing a few of them trying to take the stickers off the Rubik's Cube and front like they really solved it. In some cases they'd crack the tiles off and switch them to sides with the matching color. You know I'd call them on it too. I got joy from the frustrations of others. I mean, if you know you can do something and someone else can't, isn't it more fun? Hell, the guys who dunked basketballs never felt sorry for me at 5'9" when I jumped and grabbed the rim but couldn't slam the ball.

I was good at a lot of things during those days. When we played football, I was always the safety and I had more interceptions returned for TD's than anybody. At the WR position I was the shortest, but the fastest. Give me a Go Route and the TD was in the bank. That's how I got the nickname Eggum Power... LOL. When playing dodgeball, I was always one of the last kids standing at the end. I was elusive and quick. I was the king. When playing Capture the Flag, I was smooth with stealing the opponents flag and getting across the center line. I was good in basketball, alright in softball and kickball and sucked at volleyball.

Aside from winning a ton of stuff off the radio as a kid, doing twisty puzzles and games were my thing when off the blacktop. Nobody was seeing me. I think I'm gonna order some for Christmas and see if I still got it.... *sly smirk*

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Sunday Reflections

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Good read here. Inspirational and introspective in many ways.
I discovered it from the site referenced below and copied it verbatim.

20 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Sunday

At the cusp of new beginnings many of us take time to reflect on our lives by looking back over the past and ahead into the future. We ponder the successes, failures and standout events that are slowly scripting our life’s story. This process of self reflection helps maintain a conscious awareness of where we’ve been and where we intend to go. It is pertinent to the organization and preservation of our dreams, goals and desires.

If you would like to maximize the benefits of self reflection, I have 20 questions for you. These questions should be reviewed every Sunday morning or sometime during the weekend when you have some quiet time to think. Remember, reflection is the key to progression.

1. What did I learn last week? – If you have trouble answering this question, it’s time for a change. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you should learn something new every week.

2. What was my greatest accomplishment over the past week? – Reflecting on your accomplishments is a healthy way to raise self confidence and contentment. It’s also an effective way to track your progress.

3. Which moment from last week was the most memorable and why? – It may open up your mind to new passions and goals, or simple pastimes worth revisiting.

4. What’s the #1 thing I need to accomplish this week? – Everything else is secondary, and should be treated as such. Nevertheless, this question will also shine light on other noteworthy tasks.

5. What can I do right now to make the week less stressful? – Set reminders in your calendar, get your laundry done, fill the car with gas… organize yourself.

6. What have I struggled with in the past that might also affect the upcoming week? – The idea here is to learn from your struggles and better equip yourself for future encounters.

7. What was last week’s biggest time sink? – Steer clear of this in the future. Setup physical barriers against distractions if you have to.

8. Am I carrying any excess baggage into the week that can be dropped? – Physical clutter, mental clutter… eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may shine bright.

9. What have I been avoiding that needs to get done? – Pencil in a time to get these things done. For any 2-minute or less tasks, consider scheduling them first thing Monday morning.

10. What opportunities are still on the table? – If it’s still available and you want it, make a concrete plan to go after it this week.

11. Is there anyone I’ve been meaning to talk to? – Regular communication can solve problems before they fester. Always keep an open line of communication to those around you.

12. Is there anyone that deserves a big ‘Thank You’? – Take time each week to thank the people who have helped you. Your kind gesture will not go unnoticed.

13. How can I help someone else this coming week? – The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. If you help them, they will remember you when you need help.

14. What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? – You’ll never make any progress in life if you don’t setup realistic goals for yourself.

15. Have any of my recent actions moved me closer to my goals? – If the answer is no, something needs to change.

16. What’s the next step for each goal? – Knowing the next step is the key to accomplishing the whole.

17. What am I looking forward to during the upcoming week? – The answer can act as a great source of motivation. If nothing exists, schedule something to look forward to.

18. What are my fears? – Consciously address your fears each week and slowly work on resolving them. It’s all about taking baby steps.

19. What am I most grateful for? – It’s a smart way to keep things in perspective, and something you should never lose sight of.

20. If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? – Another helpful reminder… Life is short. Spend more time with the people you care about.

Take 30 minutes every Sunday and give yourself the gift of self reflection.

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Peace & Love...

G. Mo

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The World Is Falling Apart

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I don't even know where to start. Just the past few hours I've read some crazy stories. Stories that signify that folks are just plain nuts.

Mother In Denver Charged With Giving Oral Sex To Her 2 Yr Old Infant Son And Sharing Pics

Woman Dressed As Cow Arrested For Chasing Children And Urinating On Neighbors Porch

Man Strangles Invader Who Broke-In Home And Attempted To Rape His Daughter

Grown Man Punching 16 Yr Old Girl In Face In Line At McDonald's

Teenage Boy Charged After Slapping A Girl On School Bus With His Penis

Man Arrested For Raping His 8 Day Old Daughter

Former Bronco's RB Travis Henry Caught With 6 Kilos Of Cocaine

Now I know that these things happen everyday somewhere in the world, but still. The amount of sex crimes though, that's really crazy. Just to read all of this makes me glad that I had some home training growing up. That doesn't mean that I am or was perfect, but I'd like to think at the age I currently am, that I've risen above the nonsense ya know? I need to find some positive things to discuss now. This foolishness is depressing.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo

What happened in Dallas after the game???

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I'm back home in the DC area and have had to deal with the woodwork Redskins fans who come out like roaches at night and now want to talk trash after ONE game. Folks I haven't even heard from in over a year somehow found my number. I respect true fans who love their team every day... not just when they win. For those of y'all who told me so, it's cool and your squad got the victory. For you clowns and jokers who I didn't even know liked football... you know what it is. Anyway, it's all good. Let em continue their delusions of grandeur and their Super Bowl dreams. I took a lotta pics and am still editing those and some vids. I figured I'd throw up a quick preview gif. Yeah, ummmmm... folks were drinkin' a lil' bit and wildin'. I'll be back with the full recap.

Peace & Love...

G. Mo