Crime Prevention during the holidays

Now that the Christmas season is in full swing, you see people out and about in malls and department stores shopping for gifts. However, the combination of Christmas shopping and having a bad economy, brings out the the grinch, aka robbers. These people love this type of year because they would seize the opportunity to, not spead holiday cheer, but steal someone's purse, wallet or Christmas presents. How do we protect ourselves for these people? Well, the follwing tips will help you out:


1. Always be aware of your surroundings.

Everywhere you go, always stay alert. Pay close attention to everyone and everything in the area. When walking, always look to your left and right andif you see something supicious, get out of the area as fast you can.

2. If you go out at night (to shop, get something to eat, socialize, etc.) travel with another person or a group of people.

Robbers look for people who are out alone. If you want to go out and have a great time, the best way is to travel with another person or a group of folks. You see, there is strength in numbers when you go out as a group. It really works!

3. Walk in areas where it is well lit and there is constant traffic of people

Go to places where a lot of people are around and there is a steady stream of traffic going up and down the street. Robbers seek out people who walk in dark or dim areas that are desolate. Don't go to those areas. Always travel in well lit spots with plenty of people.

4. Store your Christmas gifts in the trunk.

If you leave the Christmas gifts in the back seat of your vehicle, anyone can see it, break in and take them within a blink of an eye. Before you place the gifts in your trunk, scan the area (look left, right and behind you) then place the gifts in the trunk. Make sure you look around after pulling down the trunk.

5. Always lock your doors, and if you have one, set your car alarm.

Before you get out of your vehicle, make sure every window is pulled and the each door is locked. Set your car alarm after closing the door. Is it very important to learn about how to protect yourself against car theft because it only takes one small error and the next you now, the robber can break in and take your vehicle just like that.

6. Don't take all of your money with you when going out. Take a little bit of cash or better yet, use a debit or credit card.

If someone notices that you have a purse filled with a wad of cash, they will follow every move that you make and try to steal it. When going out, don't take all of your money with you, take some cash and leave the rest at home.

7. When making a purchase at a store or restaurant, secure the number on your credit or debit card.

Identify theft is a crime that has been around for years and the person standing right behind you in line could take the numbers off of your card and use it to their advantage (i.e. purchase item illegally with your information. Within no time, you will receive a bill for items that was charged to your card.)

8. If you are the victim of a crime or witnessed the incident take place, call 911 or the police.

If a robber confronts you, don't show any fear but don't play the hero role and chase the suspect(s) down. They could have a weapon and retaliate, making the crime even worse. Contact 911 or the police immediately. They will handle it.

Christmas is a time when people spread holiday cheer to each other. Sadly in these tough economic times, we have watch each other's back just to buy Christmas gifts and make it home safely. Hopefully these tips can help people out when they are out shopping and having a great time taking in the sights and sound of the Christmas season.

What To Do For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up on November 24. With the holiday fast approaching, you are trying to figure out how to prepare for the special day. This article can help you out on what to do on Thanksgiving.





1. Food








Thanksgiving is one of those days where you just eat all day long until you will get full. Also, if you're on a diet, Thanksgiving is tough because you have to resist the urge to turn down getting something to eat. Right now people are preparing for the feast. They are cooking Turkey; Ham; a special Vegan meal (if you don't eat meat); Stuffing ( personally, I call it Dressing) green Beans;Green Peas; Candied Yams; and making cakes (Bundt, Pound, etc.) and pies (Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Apple, etc.) Now, if you don't want to not only cook the meal but also clean up afterward, there is no need to worry because there are a few restaurants open on Thanksgiving.
These restaurants have an all-you-can-eat buffet where all you have to do is pay for the meal and you can pile your plate and come by for seconds, thirds, and so on!








2. Family and Friends








Thanksgiving brings family and friends together to share a meal and talk. When it comes to family you have two extremes. You have families that does everything together all year round Some of these events include: birthdays, wedding anniversaries, going to a sporting event (baseball, football, basketball games) and going on vacation getaways together. Even Sunday dinner is an event because the table is surrounded with mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and the in-laws. These families love to get together at anytime and have fun, so to them Thanksgiving is just another day.





On the other hand, you have families that really dread the holiday season coming up because they can't stand each other at all. These families don't want to want to spend some time with their relatives because of what was said or done in the past and seeing them will bring up bad memories. They will do anything (make up an excuse) to avoid showing up for Thanksgiving at another family member's house. Once they enter the house, you could cut the tension with a knife. The family members will act cordial with each other, but if alcohol enters the picture, look out because it might turn into something that you might see on the Jerry Springer Show (by the the way, that's a great show!)

Anyway, this is where friends get into the picture. Since it's Thanksgiving weekend, what you need to do is spend equal time with each party. For example, you can spend time with the family all day long on Thanksgiving and and then hang out with your friends on Friday and/or Saturday. This plan works because both your family and friends were able to spend some time with you without alienating either group.







3. Football








If you are a football fan, this is for you! The National Football League has three games scheduled for Thanksgiving (One game on Fox, one on CBS and the last one on the NFL Network.) If you want to take a break from the family for a little while, sit back, relax and watch the game.








4. Fun





If you have the family over the house during the Thanksgiving weekend, why not show them around town and have some fun at the same time. Some fun events include: going to the movies; seeing the Christmas Lighting ceremonies in town; go to a cultural event; attend a concert or comedy show; or go ice skating (if it's cold enough.) Basically, what you need to do over the Thanksgiving weekend is just go out and have a good time. Spending time at home is great, but you need to get out of the house sometime, live it up and enjoy yourself!











5. Friday

Friday means- Black Friday, that is. Black Friday is one the biggest shopping days of the year. This is where stores will pull out all the stops to get you to come on in and buy their products. They will use coupons, online sales, text message alerts and so on to entice you to purchase something for someone or even yourself. If you want to go out there and take in the whole atmosphere of Black Friday, by all means go! If you are not interested in fighting the crowds or missing out on some good deals /sales, don't worry about it. You have plenty of time to do some Christmas shopping.

These tips are for anyone who don't have any idea on what to do for Thanksgiving. With the Christmas season just around the corner, take advantage of what is going on in your city or town. Thanksgiving is the time where you enjoy each other's company, eat plenty of food (but not too much- you don't want to overeat) and have a great time.

3. Football

4. Fun

5. Friday

2011 NFL Season

Now that the first quarter of the National Football League's season is over, it is time to find out

what to look for as the season going on Super Bowl XLIX.

What to look for:

1. Indianapolis Colts

For Colts fans, this was the year that Indy is supposed to contend for another Super Bowl, instead this campaign might be a total wash with 4 time MVP Peyton Manning on the sidelines after undergoing neck surgery a few weeks ago. He is supposed to miss 2-3 months, so in the meantime, The Colts signed veteran QB Kerry Collins. But the results so far has not been good because the Colts are 0-3. They have Curtis Painter as the backup quarterback, but they might as well sign another veteran QB such as Carson Palmer (see below) or David Gerrard (see below.) Then again, Indy could say "forget it" about this season and wait in April 2012 for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the NFL Draft.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

This is going to be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Bengals are going to do this season. The team has made some major changes on its roster-The Triplets are gone. Earlier this year, the team decided not to renew the contract of Wide Receiver Terrell Owens, making him a free agent; In July, the team traded All-Pro Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots; and starting quarterback Carson Palmer have requested that he wanted to get traded from the Bengals ( the team refused the request) because they are not committed to winning (since appearing in the AFC Championship Game vs. Pittsburgh, the team has been going downhill), plus he said that he would rather retire than play for the Bengals this season. Their nmuber one pick in the NFL Drfat Andy Dalton has taken over the quarterback duties this season. Despite the ongoing drama, Coach Marvin Lewis was able to keep his job and actually signed a new contract during the off season.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Right before the season began, the Jags have decided to release David Gerrard, their starting quarterback for the last 4 years, in favor of Luke McCown. Ironically, the Jaguars did the same thing in 2006, where the team dumped starting quarterback Byron Leftwich for Gerrard. Currently, the Jaguars are 1-2 but they have changed quarterbacks: McCown is out and the team first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft Blaine Gabbert is in. We will see how the change at quarterback will pan out this season.

4.Denver Broncos

During training camp, the Broncos had a quarterback controversy on its hands. The incumbent QB Kyle Orton was competing for the starting job against 2nd year backup Tim Tebow and third-stringer Brady Quinn. For a while, the buzz was that Tebow was the odds on favor to take over the job, however there were reported that the team wanted to trade Tebow or even turn him into a wide receiver. New coach John Fox decided to stick with Orton, but the team right now is 1-2. We have to see if this controversy spills over into the regular season.

Teams to look for this season

1. Detroit Lions

After finishing the 2008 season with a 0-16 record, the Lions began to make smarter picks in the NFL Draft and right now it is pay off. The team is 3-0 with both the offense and defense playing great. Now, it would be great that the Lions can make it to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but that all depends on keep Matthew Stafford injury free. The last two season, Stafford lost significant playing time due to shoulder injuries. The Lions resurgence coincide with the Tigers winning the American League Central and the possible odds on favorite to win the pennant in the American League in this year's baseball postseason is showing that the city of Detroit is coming back. Side Note: the story would be even better once jobs come back to the Motor city.

2. St. Louis Rams

The Rams lost in the NFC West Division Championship game in January against Seattle and the thinking was that St. Louis has quarterback Sam Bradford, Running Back Stephen Jackson and a improving defense that the team can get better despite the 7-9 record. Well, right now it doesn't look good with a 0-3 record. Look for the team to change course and start winning again.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Despite being taken apart at home by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, the Falcons are a team that people should pay attention to right now. It has been a slow build, but ever year since 2007, the team has turn itself into a title contender. Currently, Atlanta is 1-2, but it's like the old saying in football "No one wins the championship in September," so we will see if the team can turn it around by December.

Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

In 2007, the Dolphins made it the NFL Playoffs and even though they lost the game against Baltimore, the feeling was they the had both the offense and defense to become an up and coming team they no wanted to play. Since then, the team went 7-9 the last two seasons. So far the Dolphins are 0-3 and there is talk that the team might replace Sparano sometime during the season. Hopefully he can turn it around or another coach will take his talents to South Beach and revive the Dolphin franchise.

2. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

Once a upon of time, the Jaguars were a playoff contending team, now they have gone backwards and missed the playoff three seasons in a row. This year, the jags have a new starting quarterback and drafted another one last April. It hasn't worked out yet because the team is 1-2 so far. The Jaguars has to turn in around this year or else Coach Del Rio might be out of a job.


3. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

From their inception in 2002 until 2008, the Texans were an easy win for any team that played against them. Since then, Houston has built a strong defense led by Mario Williams and a really good offense with quarterback Matt Schuab, running back Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Williams. The problem the team has it thu Coach Kubiak has led Houston to an 8-8 record for two years in a row and a 9-7 mark last season but no playoff appearances. The Texans has crossed one hurdle last year and finally beat Indianapolis in Houston two years in a row and the team could possibly beat the Colts in Indy (there's a really good chance that can happen) when the two teams meet again later on this year. In order for Kubiak to keep his job, Houston must make the playoffs or else someone will take over as head coach and make the Texans a serious contender in the NFL.

Who is going to win the Super Bowl?

Your guess is good as mine. No one saw the Arizona Cardinals, a perennial losing team make it to the NFL Championship game in February 2009 versus Pittsburgh, or the New Orleans Saints, a team known as the "Aints" for its 1-15 season in 1980, won in all in February 2010, nearly years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city and the Gulf Coast. The title is up for grabs and anyone can win it on any given Super Bowl Sunday.

How to Become Successful in Life

Are you currently living the life that you always wanted. Or, do you want more out of life than the regular "going to bed-going to work-going home-going to bed" routine every single day? Well, this article is intended for those who want some excitement in their lives and at the same time, want to ditch the boring do-the-same old thing day after day.

1. Write Down Your Goals


All of us have goals that we want to reach. Whether it's going to school; losing weight; learning to play an instrument; learning how to cook; learning a new language; starting a business; writing a book; travel around the world; etc. What you need to do is brainstorm about what you want to do and write them down on a paper ( you write them down in your phone as well.) Once you have written them down, put it something where you can see it, such as your desk, dresser, near a mirror, on a wall, etc. This is important because it gives you reminder every single day on what you really want to do in your life.

2. Write Down Your Plans

It is very important to have goals that you want to accomplish and dreams for a better life. Once you have written those goals and dreams down, you must come up with a timetable in order to figure out what type of action you need to take to reach them. Determine and write down the short term and long term action you need to take for each dream and goal and figure out how to execute the plan. You see, a plan without execution equals a waste of time and energy on your account. By having a plan with the right execution, it creates a point of no return where it's too late to turn back now and you must forge ahead with your plans.

3. Motivation

Ah, yes! This is the point where we see the private lives of an athlete or a celebrity on television or in magazine (with the cars, house, the fame, etc.); or you see that someone created a business and after a while it become successful. Then, you compare your current life to the celebrity in question and you say to yourself "I want to have a lifestyle just like that." IT CAN HAPPEN- Nothing is impossible! But, it is up to you to make some changes in your life to create that magic. The idea of having a better life than the one that you're current living right now should be one of the best motivation tactics out there. If that isn't enough, think about the people that either laughed at you or thought you were crazy when you told them about your plans. Who are these people? These folks (a.k.a.- the non-believers, the naysayers, the haters) think that you are wasting your time with your dreams and goals (they refer them as a pipe dream) and might actually tell you to give up.

A bit of advice: DON'T EVER GIVE UP! All you have to do is work hard every single day to accomplish your dreams and goals--and make sure that the plans you created going through without stopping. Then, you have been successful in reaching the desired goal, you can tell those non-believers, naysayers and haters where they can go!

4. Don't Procrastinate


All of us are guilty of this. If we have to do something, we'll say "Oh, I'll get it tomorrow." Well, tomorrow comes and nothing happens. Then we'll push it off until the next day, then the next week, then the next month. Once the year ends, you look back and say to yourself "I should have done this...." Procrastination is the #1 killer of being successful. Don't put anything off that you can do today. Get started right now and never let the phrase "I'll get to it tomorrow" creep into your mind. Do it now!

5. Persistence


The road in becoming successful is not a smooth one. You will experience some ups and downs. There will some days where everything is clicking and other times where nothing goes right.
The the message here is this: Never Give Up! Here are two examples of what persistence can help and actually motivate you in reaching your goals:

NBA legend Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team in 10th grade. Did he let that set back stop him? No! Actually, he used that failure as motiviation during his playing days in the National Basketball Association to win 6 championships and 6 MVP Awards. In a classic Nike commercial, he openly admits to the many times he tried and failed in winning basketball games when he was a player. Go to YouTube and watch his Nike commercials about accepting failure and use that fuel the fire of success.


Another example is Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in history. Edison tried and failed 10,000 times in reshaping the light bulb. Did he think about giving up after trying time and time again? No! Edison, in a famous quote about failure said: I have not failed. I have found 9,999 ways that do not work." Edison believed that failure was a mere steeping stone to the road to success.



6. Associate with successful people


It's like the old saying "Birds of a feather flock together" along with the old adage " You will act just like the people you'll associate with." If you associate with successful people, there's a good chance that their success could rub off on you. Likewise, if you hang around those who are involved in crime and other shady things--then they are going to lead you to a path of destruction.


If you want to become successful, find out and connect with those individuals who have made it and pick their brain on what does it take to reach that level of success. Go to different business functions and self-help seminars and network with as many people as you can. The goal here is to network and develop contacts.


7. Passion


If you don't have any passion in something that you want to do, you better find it quickly! You see, passion is required in having the life that you always wanted. You must have that fire and desire to put all that energy into something reaching your goals. You must enjoy what you are doing because you would rather spending the majority of your time doing something that you love.

So, what if you can't find your passion? Well there are some ways that you can find it:


A. Brainstorm- Find a quiet place and think about what you always wanted to do. It doesn't matter what it is. Remember, this is your life and you make all the decisions, not anyone else.


B. Don't quit your job- If you do have a job, don't quit not just yet. If your goals is to start a business, wait until the venture has started making steady income. You don't want to be that person who quit their day job to start a business and the venture becomes a financial bust and you end up being broke without employment.


C. Research- Go to the library, online or a bookstore and do some research. Send an email to the corporation or a specific individual and find out how they were able to get started. Use their information as the blueprint to your success. Buy some self discovery or self help books or read some magazine articles about people who were able persevere through their obstacles in life and become successful. Use their inspirational stories and go on from there.


D. Don't Quit- You will never know when a great opportunity comes around if you decide to pack it and give up. We always hear the "could of, should of, would of" mantra in our heads every time we look back in our lives. Keep at it until you will become successful.


8. Optimistic



In order to reach a successful life, you are going to find out that everything will not go your way all of the time. For every perfect attempt at something, there will be hundreds,maybe thousands of times where it doesn't go well and you say to yourself" I give up," "I quit," "I will never get this done right," or "I suck."


Hey, you must always look at the bright side when you are making an attempt to reach your desired goal(s). Nothing will go as plan. You must have a positive attitude in everything you do. Also, it is very important to have the confidence and believe that you will reach your goal(s) one day. Every day, you must say to yourself " I am going to give it my all in everything I do. I believe in myself and I will reach my goals no matter how long it will take."

Whatever your dreams and goals, go out there and fulfill them as much as you can. If you fail in your first attempt, don't get too discouraged. Just find out what you have done wrong, correct those errors and make sure that it doesn't happen again. All of us daydream about having the ideal lifestyle-why not make turn those dreams into reality and get started right now!

Summer 2011: Enjoy It While You Can

June 21 was the first day of Summer. The seasonal change, at 14.5 hours of daylight was also the longest day of the year. So, if the weather is great, go out there and enjoy it while you can before the season gets away.

Smoothest transition between seasons



The Spring-into-Summer change is by far the smoothest transition between the two seasons. Other than warmer temperatures and the trees are in full bloom, you cannot tell when the last day of Spring ends and when the first day of Summer begins, unlike the other seasonal changes.
Allow me to explain:





You can tell when it's the last day of Summer (September 20) by the following: 1) Daylight is getting shorter because the sun is setting earlier; 2) The daytime temperature is great but the night air is getting cooler; 3) Kids are back in school; 4) For adults, play time (and vacation time) is over--it's time to get back to work; 5) Labor Day, the unofficial end of Summer, has come and gone.

You can tell it's the last day of Autumn (December 20)by the following: 1) By 5 pm, it is pitch black outside; 2) depending where you are living at, it is cold outside; 3) the trees are bare because there are no leaves on there anymore; 3) it is snowing; 4) It's the holiday season and you see Christmas decorations, Christmas Trees, Santa Claus, etc.



You can tell that it's the last day of winter (March 19) by the following: 1)Depend on where you are living at, you are tired of Winter and can't wait for Spring to arrive; 2)the temperatures are not too cold, but again, it's not too warm either-It is rather brisk; 3) you see ads promoting everything about the season- Spring clothes, new backyard furniture, etc. 4) March Madness and Spring Training Games are in full swing.



What to do in the Summertime?

The following is a list of what to do when the weather is excellent outside:

1. Attend a cookout or host one in your backyard



2. Travel



3. Attend a Summer concert



4. Have a picnic in the park



5. Go Swimming



6. Volunteer- Do some outdoor work such as cleaning up an area, painting, yard work, etc.



7. Go to a cultural event- attend an arts exhibit, wine festival, learn about a culture that's different from yours



8. Attend a pool party, or if you're fortunate to have one, host it yourself.



9. Chase the ice cream truck for some ice cream, just like when you were a kid.



10. Go biking/hiking/skydiving/fishing



11. Go to the beach



12. Exercise outside- Make an attempt to workout outside instead of doing in inside.


13. Take up tennis or golf





14. Have a garage or yard sale- you can get rid of your junk and make money at the same time



15 Go to an amusement park





16. Go to or host a block party





17. Go to the zoo





18. It's tough to find, but if you're city has one, go see a movie at the local drive-in





19. Attend a street or farmer's market





20. Participate in a marathon





The list above gave you some reasons why you should go out and enjoy the season. You don't want to kick yourself once Summer is long gone and say to yourself "I should of...."

What Factors can bring down a College Athletic Program

The recent problems at Ohio State, University of Southern California , University of Tennessee, University of Michigan and a number of other schools has brought the problems of college athletics into the forefront. Scandals like these have been taken place on a regular basis for well over 30 years. One school in particular, Southern Methodist University, its football program was given the "death penalty" by the NCAA in 1987 (a one year ban from competition) for its repeated violations during the early 1980s.

This article will point out who can really hurt an athletic program and how they can do some serious damage to it.

Who: Boosters

These folks are either graduates of the college/university or has strong ties to the school. They donate their time and/or money to their Alma mater so that the school can do well academically and in athletics as well. For the most part, they make sure that the athletes perform well not only in the classroom, but also on the field or court. Plus, they are a second family to the athletes because they provide support for the players by giving advice and help them out once the athlete's playing eligibility days are over.

How they mess up a program:

However, there is a certain element of folks that give boosters a bad name because they are really shady. These guys isn't a graduate or doesn't have a real ties to the college/university at all. As a matter of fact, they are just a fan of the school, just like you and me. These guys like to maintain a close relationship with an athlete, First, they meet the athlete by giving dollar handshakes. Here's the setup: Once shaking hands with the booster, the athlete notices either a $10, $20, $50, or $100 bill in the palm of their hand. Then, they give the athlete their business card and say these cryptic words to them: "If you need anything at all, just let me know and I will give it to you." Anything means everything you can possible think of, such as money, cars, clothing, jewelery, picking up the tabs for lunch/dinner along with some extreme items like trips and paid escorts (yes, if does happen!)

In the old days, these "boosters" would get away with this type of action because everyone kept this a secret. Well, we are living in the digital age now, which means that anything can get post online at anytime. So it's no surprise that an athlete would spill the beans to confess what took place between them and the "booster."

WHO: Family and Friends

Family and friends are an athlete's biggest and strongest support system. They have been there in the beginning ever since the athlete started playing sports either as a kid or teen. The family and friends provide support when the athlete performs well and as words of encouragement when the athlete has a bad game.

How they can mess up a program:

Somehow, there's always one person that can break through the inner circle "That Guy" Yes, "that guy" is someone who is a friend of a friend of a friend of someone in the inner circle. The goal of this outsider is to provide favors to the athlete (money, cars, clothing, jewelry,etc.) at anytime. However, the outsider expects payback once the athlete turns pro and signs a contract worth millions of dollars. Unfortunately, the athlete turns pro and pays back the outsider, but what they don't know is that the NCAA already knows what was going on and punish not only the outsider but the college as well. However, the athlete doesn't receive any punishment at all.

Who: Local Businesses and Corporations

Local businesses and corporations has a strong partnership with college and universities sports teams for many years. The businesses would encourage their customers to attend the school's home games and support the team and in turn, the school would provide ad space around the stadium and have both their flagship radio station and television station promote the business. It's a win-win situation for both parties involved because each one can make money and build its own brand at the same time.

How they can mess up a program:

Apparently, having their business being promoted around the stadium, on the radio, television and in newspapers are not enough for some corporations. They want to have a close relationship with the athlete(s) and one way to do that is doing special favors for them, such as give them free gifts under the table. The feeling is that no one is going to know because it's between the business and the athlete.

Who: Athletes

There are two goals that a student athlete must accomplish while in school: 1) Graduate and 2) Win a championship, or at least, have a very competitive team. An athlete must work hard in the classroom and on the field/court. There are a number of student athlete who end up on the Dean's List and become Academic All-Americans for their work in both areas. Athletes would not even think about messing up they eligibility by doing some dumb stuff to jeopardize the athletic program.

How they can mess up a program:

An athlete can bring down the sports program quick by breaking any violation you can possibly think off. These violations include such as: accepting gifts or money, talking with an agent; talking to any associate with a professional team while as a student athlete; pay other students to either take tests, write papers, or do class projects for them; persuade instructors or teacher assistant to give them credit for attending class; or point shaving, where they perform badly on purpose to take part in a bet. In many cases, the athletes keep this a secret, but sooner than later someone (students, teachers, paid informants, etc.) tells the media about what's going on and the next thing you know, a scandal has been born.

Who: Coaches

A coach is the leader of the team. Also, they are a second father to an athlete (or a reality in today's world, the father that an athlete never had.) Plus, A coach is also plays the role of the team's therapist, counselor, judge, jury and executor when it comes to the team rules. Their goal is to see that their players graduate from school and hopefully turn into professional athletes. They would always be there to help a player out with whatever the problem is either on the field/court or on a personal level.

How they can mess up a program:

Now, you would think that a coach who not put themselves in a spot where the athletic problem goes on probation or worse, but it does happen. One way is lying to officials about any recent violations or problems that took place in the program. It is best for a coach to come clean and tell the truth about what happened because the cover up is always worse than the lie.

Another way is cheating. Coaches must always run a clean program. But then, you have coaches who engage in gambling where they exhibit questionable coaching decisions and lose their games on purpose so that can cover a bet. Lose one or two games, fine. But when you look like you are taking a dive every single game, a red flag should go up and the investigation will begin immediately.

A third and final way is the recruiting policy. Colleges and universities set a timetable when coaches can talk to recruits and when they cannot contact them at all. Once the schools set up the date, coaches cannot contact any new recruits by telephone (phone call or text message); by mail; by e-mail; by the use of social media (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Skype, etc.); video conferencing or even by a face-to-face meeting. Normally, coaches follow the policy and wait until the ban is lifted. However, there are some coaches that just can't wait to talk with the new recruits and they might invite them to a social gathering (Ex. birthday party, a cookout, a get together at the coach's house, etc) for a meet-and-greet. Look, if the school tells you not to talk to any of the new recruits, don't do it. Just wait it out and once the school says that it is okay, go ahead.
Final Word

Everyone that follows college sports should always show their support for the team. But as a fan, don't go too far to the point where the obsession is so strong that you're willing to do anything for the team to win. Don't do it!

Don't Cut Off Funding for Music Education

The economy has been horrible for the last few years now. With the recent recession along with a high unemployment rate, it has been tough on everyone and the budget right now is going through a record braking deficit. Since times are tight right now, politicians are trying to find ways to save money and cutting out unnecessary spending by getting rid of a number of programs. One of those programs that might end up on the cutting block is music education. Here are the following reasons why slashing the music programs in this country is a horrible idea.

1. Music gives kids something to do

Any type of music program can give students something to do, especially after school. In some cases, students can't wait to hear the school bell to ring in the afternoon, ending the day so that they can get to music class. Being a person who benefited from having a music class in my elementary school in the early 1980s(I was introduced to music in 2nd grade) from personal experience, music is a very important activity because it allowed me the chance to play an instrument and to learn about the great composers in music history ( Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Schubert, Mozart, Wagner,Tchaikovsky,Haydn etc.)

However, if these politicians have their way, the music programs will get cut out of the school curriculum. Music programs were first cut in the 1970s and 1980s, leaving students will too much idle time on their hands and it's no coincidence that crime, drugs and gangs exploded during the mid to late 1980s, mainly because the kids who were doing it had nothing to do after school. You used to see kids going to school carrying a music case with a flute, saxophone or guitar in their hand all the time. Now, you don't see that too often, which is sad to say the least. It will be a total disaster if music programs are removed from school for good.

2. Music + education = Success in the classroom

Studies have indicated that students who are in music programs fair better academically than those who are not. Being involved in music gives students a balance in their life. Also, it gives them a stronger focus, tougher discipline as well because in many cases, you will need a certain grade point average to stay in the music program, so it would not make any sense for a student to jeopardize that chance to have poor grades and drop out of the class because if that happens, then they need to work hard to get back in the program.

Recently, researchers has said that people should not look deeper in the correlation between music education and success in the classroom. I strongly disagree with that because music does help students out in having a balanced life; meeting new students of different races, cultures and encourages teamwork.


3. Music is used to express one's self creatively

For example, if a student is quiet and always keep by themselves (like me), music is a great to allow them to break out of that shell. If a student is very demonstrative, they can use music to let out all that frustration or whatever is on their mind. Music programs across the country have instruments for teachers and students to play with along with computer software to compose some new tunes. In a number of cases, students cannot afford to buy a instrument, so they just play with the instruments( guitar, piano, drums, trumpet, saxophone, flute, etc.) in music class and learn something new. Also, with the computer software, students can learn how to compose music ( if the software is not available, they can used some music notation staff paper to create new compositions. Who knows, you might find the next Quincy Jones, John Williams, Carole King, Carole Bayer Sayer, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Babyface, Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff Robert Plant,etc. in your own classroom.


4. Music can used as a path to a better life

Let's just say for example, you grew up a rough neighborhood, where the job prospects are pretty low and it's not a great place to live in. If you join and participate in a music program either at school in your local area, there is a chance you can perform in concerts across the city. Who knows, after that, you might have the chance to travel across the state to play or sing, where, you would to go various cities and towns in the United States. Next, if you, your band or group is really good, you could travel overseas to perform in concert or attend a music conference. After returning home from your trip, you realize that there's a bigger world out there than your neighborhood.

For a number of students, they have never been anywhere outside of their neighborhood, so this is an eye opening experience for them. Also, music can be a ticket out of the not so pleasant environment they are currently living in. With hard work, discipline, staying focused, strong determination, and a take charge attitude, they can live the life that they have always dreamed about (nice looking house in a great neighborhood, a car(s), etc. )

5. Music is fun

There is nothing like playing an instrument, whenever you're 8 or 100 years old. It is always fun to learn how to play all of the various chords (C to B-Majors and Minors) different music styles ( Pop R&B, Gospel, Blues, Latin, Funk, Boogie Woogie, Classical, Country, Dance/Disco, Reggae, New Age, Folk or just playing a new song for the first time. Sure, you will get frustrated when it does not sound right when you start playing the song, but with time, patience and a regular practice schedule, you will get the tune down pat without the use of sheet music.

Final Word

The politicians who want to slash the music programs across the country are insane. Some of these folks are the same people who are subscribers to show on Broadway to show their support for the arts, but when push comes to shove, want to get rid of music education all together. Memo to those politicians: it not my fault you cannot play an instrument, don't blame me for that! Don't punish folks like us who love to play and enjoy sharing our talent to the world.

If Bernard Hopkins speaks, would anyone care to listen?

The recent comments by Bernard Hopkins about Donovan McNabb is quite troubling and in my opinion as an African American man, very idiotic to say the least. For those who missed the story, Hopkins in his one-sided tirade, said that because McNabb grew up in a middle class suburb of Chicago, that he not black enough. What? Since when did Hopkins become the spokesperson for social justice in Black America. The last time I checked, he is not Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Malcolm X; Medgar Evers; Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton. Also when it comes to athletes speaking out about racial issues, he's not Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, Bill Russell and definitely not Muhammad Ali. What Hopkins is a great boxer but a very ignorant man to say the least.


The Back Story

The Hopkins-McNabb one sided beef started when Hopkins, a Philadelphia-native, questioned the leadership and toughness of McNabb, former quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2009. Philadelphia is a city with very passionate sport fans and as an athlete they will love you if you give it your all in every single game you play in, but will boo and let you have it if you lack effort/heart and possess a "I don't care attiude." Hopkins has questioned if McNabb had the toughness to compete in the National Football League. Well, at least one ex-teammate wondered the same thing: Terrell Owens, who played with McNabb for 2 years in Philadelphia. Owens questioned McNabb's toughness after Super Bowl XXXIX, which led to a drawn out beef with McNabb that was played out in the media (it somewhat reminded you of the whole Shaq-Kobe rift during their time together with the Los Angeles Lakers.) Eventually as time went on the two ex-teammates (McNabb stayed in Philly before getting traded to Washington while Owens went to play for the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals) patched up their differences a few years later.


In recent articles, Hopkins has called McNabb a slave who worked in the big house (the Philadelphia Eagles) while being a yes man to the Philadephia Eagles (Owner/General Manager Jeffrey Laurie and Head Coach Andy Reid.) Also, he added that McNabb received a cold reminder on what the Eagles though of him when he was traded to the Redskins in April 2010. Hopkins said this quote in the Philadephia Daily News :

"Why do you think McNabb felt he was betrayed? Because McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is on the field. He's the one who got the extra coat. The extra servings. 'You're our boy,' " Hopkins said, patting a reporter on the back in illustration. "He thought he was one of them."

Those of us who are sports fans has the right to question McNabb's leadership or football skills because that is what we do. But using the whole slave analogy to describe McNabb is insane.

Question of Blackness?

Hopkins believes that since McNabb grew up in a nice suburban neighborhood, he doesn't know anything about working hard and being tough. Also, he said that since he, Owens and Michael Vick, current quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, all grew up in a rough environment, they know a think or two about being tough while being raised in a poor community. Hopkins said the following quote to point out how those who grew up poor has an advantage over people who were raised in a middle/upper class neighborhood:

Look at professional boxing. I've never seen a suburban boxer be successful," Hopkins said. "There has to be something in the DNA of the person's experience, of what they overcame, to have that grit; like, I'm going to bite down and let it happen. I just didn't see that in him."

What? I don't know if the statement is true or not, but boxing is an individual sport. That belief does not hold up when it comes to team sports such as baseball, basketball, football, etc. where it doesn't matter what type of neighborhood you grew up in. What matters the most are your skills, heart, desire and talent because if you don't have none of those intangibles, you will lose playing time and wind up on the bench, or worse yet, management might just cut you from the team for good.

According to Hopkins' definition of what blackness is, I guess he would probably question my own blackness as well. You see, my parents raised my brother and I in a middle class neighborhood where there were more whites than blacks. For example, through a 3 block radius, you can can count on hand how many African American families that lived around us (there 5 black families spread among the 3 streets in the neighborhood.) My parents worked hard for everything and they instilled that in the both of us. As an African American you must work hard for everything because 1) In many situations, you are only black face one in the room, group, in the meeting, etc. and you have to work twice as hard than everyone else to prove you really belong and 2) to dispel every negative stereotype people have about you. The only problem here is that every single time you shoot down a negative stereotype, there is someone in our community (African American) that reinforces it time and time again.

What Hopkins failed to point out was that if you're a black person that grew up in a nice neighborhood, you have to be tough and have some thick skin because you still have to go thorough the same nonsense that every black person experiences such as getting stopped by the police; women clutching their purse the moment they see you; people setting their car alarm when they see you either go to or leaving the parking lot; getting followed in stores by a clerk or security guard; The public doesn't know that you live in a great neighborhood. They will just assume that you're from a tough area and they will based their beliefs on every stereotype have heard about us.

Oh, by the way, since when blackness is defined by either growing up in a rough neighborhood; going through the legal system (jail, prison, probation, parole) or standing on the block hustling? I didn't get the memo about that is what we need to go through in order to be a black person in America.

Stop this foolishness

Memo to my people: Stop tearing each other down in the media. The idea of doing that in public with cameras and reporters around is just plain stupid. It's great to see that McNabb did not respond to this nonsense. However, on May 13, Fletcher Smith, McNabb's agent addressed the Hopkins comments with this quote:

"It perpetuates a maliciously inaccurate stereotype that insinuates those African-Americans who have access to a wider variety of resources are somehow culturally different than their brethren,"

I strongly agree with Mr. Smith's comments. We need to get rid of that stupid "crabs in the barrel" mentality in our community, where if one of us are doing something positive such as going to school; getting a job; moving to a nice neighborhood; doing volunteer work, etc. or anything that no else in the neighborhood is doing (i.e. oh, I don't know--talking and acting like you have some sense) we are called a sell-out, or we're not black or we are "acting white."What is so wrong about making some change in our lives to turn it around. If you want to grow as an individual, you must have your own thoughts, opinions and separate yourself from everyone else. You expect me to act just like you--it's not going to happen! Just because I'm into different activities than you does not me less black than you.

The folks in my community (African-Americans) need to wake up and stop this petty bickering over who's black and who's not black. To me, if Hopkins has a problem with McNabb, he should have talked to him-man to-man, not go to the nearest microphone or camera and run his mouth. One more point, Hopkins has some serious money as a boxer throughout the years, so isn't this the pot calling the kettle black (no pun intended.)

Final Word

Personally, since Hopkins has the platform to speak, he should use it to talk about real issues such as : Why is black employment higher (currently at 16%) than the national average (right now, it's at 9%); the sad state of violence in our community; how to find ways to stop the availability of drugs and guns in the neighborhood; why there are so many men, women and children going to bed hungry every night; why there are more blacks in prison right now than in college, etc--instead of picking these one sided fights with McNabb.

The sad thing about the whole thing is that Hopkins is a 46 year old man. You would think that he should be old enough to know better, but I guess not.

The 2011 baseball season made its debut on March 31 and for all for the sports (myself included) it is a sight for sore eyes. After the fourth and final game of the 2010 World Series, we had to go through the winter of cold weather, snow, ice, sleet, and wind chills below zero before an actual game took place. If the phrase " Pitchers and Catchers report to camp" was an appetizer, then Opening Day was the main course.





2011 Season



Hope springs eternal for all 30 teams. The goal for each club is go to the World Series in October and hoist the championship trophy in the clubhouse once it is all done. But in order for that to happen, a team must have everything fall in place: minimal to no serious injuries to key players; a strong pitching staff; a chore of relief pitchers that will not blow leads; a lineup from top to bottom that will always get in scoring position along with hit for power and drive in runs.

Time For Redemption

The 2011 season allows players to have the chance to repeat the same success hat they achieved last season. Also, it provide the chance for those who had a horrible time last season, whatever it was an injury (or injuries) or their production (batting average, home runs, driving in or scoring runs) just completely fell off. The new season is also beneficial to pitchers as well. Last season gave some pitchers the chance to have a winning record, make the All-Star team, led their respective league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, shutouts, complete games and saves. The pitchers who suffered nagging injuries or had a disastrous season last season (losing record, or was totally ineffective) 2011 gives them the chance to redeem themselves for their team.

Great Comeback

If would be great to see the following teams make a strong comeback in the 2011 season: 1) Baltimore Orioles; 2) Kansas City Royals; and 3) Pittsburgh Pirates. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Orioles Royals and Pirates were playoff and World Series contenders almost every year, but when free agency become the norm and salaries began to escalate in the 1990s, they were not able to hold on to their core players, who decided to leave and join a contending team. Also, it doesn't help that the farm system, once upon a time the crown jewel for each team, was stripped because the prospects were traded away for draft picks, money or future considerations.

Baltimore Orioles

From 1966-1983, the Oriole way was the blueprint that every baseball team wanted to follow. The reason was during that time period, the Orioles led by manager Earl Weaver (until the end of the 1982 season) won 3 World Series Championships; 5 American League Pennants; had a strong lineup and pitching rotation-led by 3 time Cy Young Award Winner Jim Palmer; and was a staple on NBC Game of the Week almost every Saturday Afternoon. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray led the Orioles to a number of winning seasons and in the mid-90s, the club, led by Davey Johnson, with star players Ripken and Roberto Alomar went to the playoffs two straight years (1996 and 1997), but lost in the American League Championship Series (New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, repectivefully.)

However, that was the last time Baltimore has seen the playoffs because it has been one long draught. It's kind of tough to win in a division where you must compete with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox (recently the Tampa Bay Rays were able to figure that out); have a owner who is concerned in handling out fat contracts to players who are way past their prime; lose players every year to free agency and the farm system is not the same anymore. Some people have blamed Owner Peter Angelos for not fielding a consistant productive and competitive team. They have argued that this not the Oriole Way, a style of play that Earl Weaver used during the team's successful years. So far in 2011, with Buck Showalter, after a great start, the Orioles are in last place in the American League East with a 8-11. Yes, it's tough to compete with the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays, but Baltimore must find a way to hold their own against they division rival and compete for the postseason in October.

Kansas City Royals

Baseball fans under the age of 25 would not believe you if you said told them that the Kansas City Royals were once a really good team. Yes, from 1976-1986, the Royals won 1 World Series championship, 2 American League Pennants, and 5 American League West Divison titles. The Royals had great pleayers during that run, such as George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Larry Gura, Bret Saberhagen, Hal McRae, Amos Otis, John Mayberry, John Wathan, U.L. Washington, Dan Quisenberry, Mark Gubicza, and Danny Jackson.

Even when the titles were over, the Royals had some contending teams during the late 1980s to the early-19990s. The Oakland Athletics dominated the American League West, but that didn't stop the Royals from having some competitive teams during that time period. Some of the stars on those Royals teams include: Bo Jackson, Tom Gordon and Kevin Seitzer. Currently at this time, the Royals are in 2nd place in the American League Central with a 11-6 record. But by the mid-1990s, Kansas City had a new owner (Ewing Kaufmann, whom the stadium is named after, passed away in 1993) and general manager (John Schuerholtz took his talents to Atlanta and with Manager Bobby Cox, turned the Braves into a National League powerhouse with 14 division titles, 5 pennants and 1 World Series Title) but despite that, the Royals fell into an abyss where they haven't recovered since. It was well documented that by July, the Royals were well out of playoff contention and fans were looking forward to the Kansas City Chiefs (a team whose stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, is right across the street from Kaufmann Stadium) football season. Currently, the Royals are in 2nd place with a 12-10 record. Hopefully, they can turn it around this year and make it to the postseason in October.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Hopefully, this is the year that the Pittsburgh Pirates will finally turn it around because it has been a long time coming. In 1970, the Pirates, led by Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell began their run of three straight National East Division titles and a World Series championship to boot in 1971. After the tragic death of Clemente on New Year's Eve in 1972, the Pirates made it back to the postseason in 1974 and 1975, but lost in the playoffs. In 1979, the "We Are Family" Pirates, managed by Chuck Tanner and led by Stargell and Dave Parker came from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series and defeat the Baltimore Orioles in 7 games. The early to mid-1980s was not a good time for the Pirates, bad baseball teams and the drug scandal did help matters much. But from 1986-1992, the Pirates through their farm system and trade, engineered by Syd Thrift, had prospect that would because all stars, these players include : Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke, Bobby Bonilla, Doug Drabek, Mike LaValliare, Jay Bell, Jose Lind, Sid Bream, and John Smiley. Together, the Pirates won the National League East in 1990, 1991 and 1992, however, they fell short of making the World Series each year. 1992 was detrimental because after their Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Braves, Bonds left as a free agent to join the San Francisco Giants and that started the decline of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who last winning season was 19 years ago.

Since then, the Pirates have changed ownership a few times, and despite having arguably the best looking stadium in baseball, PNC Park, it hasn't changed the team's fortune when it coming to winning. Since 1993, the Pirates have lost 90 games or more 9 times, include two years (2001 and 2010) where they lost 100 games. Like every other small market team, Pittsburgh's problem is keeping their young players on their team for a long period of time. The cycle goes like this: 1) Player is drafted by the Pirates; 2) Player become very productive in the Minor Leagues; 3) Player get called up to the Big Leagues; 4) Player become a star or even an All-Star; 5) once the player is in the last year of their contract, the team doesn't have enough money to sign them to a long term deal; 6) During the off season, player leaves the Pirates for a bigger market- New York, Los Angeles, Boston or Chicago. This is a vicious cycle that the Pirates have been involved in for many years. Currently, Pittsburgh is in 5th place in the National League Central Division with a 9-12 record. It would be great to see the Pirates in a pennant race or even fight for a Wild Card spot in October.

Preview of the 2010 World Series competitors

San Francisco Giants

No one saw the San Francisco Giants not only contend in 2010, but also took home the World Series title. This was a team that 2 years ago lost 90 games after having a successful run during the Barry Bonds era (1993-2007.) While the Giants will not admit it, the club made a lot of money during that time period, whatever it was at home in Pacific Bell Park (now known as


At & T Park) where Bonds was a fan favorite or on the road where Bonds was the player that everybody hated and booed. In 2008, once the era ended,the home attendance at Giants home games dropped off, businesses near the ballpark lost money the Giants preceded to have a


70-92 record and fell to last place. The only bright spot during the dismal season was that Tim Lincecum, a tall and skinny right hander took home the Cy Young Award, a rarely for a pitcher to win on a losing team. In 2009, Lincecum won a second straight Cy Young Award and the Giants posted a winning season of 88-74.





In 2010, the Giants caught fire at the right with a strong playoff surge that displaced the San Diego Padres (who suffered a late season collapse a the same time) from the top spot in the National League West Division. The Giants rode the "Fear The Beard" mantra throughout the playoffs to take out the resurgent Atlanta Braves, defending champion Philadelphia Phillies and swept the powerful Texas Rangers in 4 games. Currently, San Francisco is having a slow start (10-11, 3rd place in the National League West) but it's a long time between now and October so I would not count out the Giants.



Texas Rangers



The 2010 World Series provided another surprise. No one saw the Texas Rangers catch fire at the right time and make to the Fall Classic. Since moving to Arlington, Texas in 1972 ( the club played its first 11 seasons in Washington, D.C. and was known as the Washington Senators) the Rangers were better known for the Texas heat and their old stadium, and Arlington Stadium--a home haven for sluggers in the American League, than their win-loss record throughout their history, even though in the mid-to-late 1970s (teams managed by Billy Martin, Frank Lucchesi and Pat Corrales) and in the late 1980s (managed by Bobby Valentine) the Rangers pulled off a number of winning seasons. During the 1990s (1996, 1998 and 1999)the Rangers were able with make the playoffs. But their postseason stay were ended every single time by the New York Yankees.





In 2010, The Rangers made the postseason and not only won their 1st playoff series over Minnesota Twins but also made their first trip to the World Series after dispatching their nemesis-the New York Yankees. The season ended with a bitter taste for Rangers fans (the team was swept in 4 straight games) but at the time of this article, Texas is off to a great start with a 9-3 record in the young season.




Who's going to Win the World Series





You're guess is as good as mine. It is every easy to pick the usual suspects ( New York Yankees, Boston, Minnesota, Philadelphia, St. Louis) but anyone can it all in October ( or the way the baseball season is ending the past few years in November.)

March Madness

As a sports fan and all apologies to Andy Williams and those who have remade this classic song, but this "Is the most wonderful time of the year." Right now, you have Spring Training Baseball games taking place in both the Grapefruit League (Florida) and Cactus (Arizona) League; teams in the National Basketball League and National Hockey Leagues are fighting for playoff spots in next month's postseason run; and the biggest event of all: March Madness.

Favorite memories of March Madness

The first time that I paid attention to March Madness was in 1982. As a little kid back then, I started to get involved into not playing sports but also watch it on television. At the time, I didn't realize how important the college basketball tournament and looking back, it was a great tournament to watch because some of those college players would end up playing in the National Basketball Association. The school that I choose to follow was the Georgetown Hoyas, led by head coach John Thompson along with a freshman center from Boston: Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas faced the North Carolina Tar Heels, led by legendary coach Dean Smith, who at the time critics wondered if he would ever win a championship. The Tar Heels featured two future NBA Hall of Famers: James Worthy and a freshman from North Carolina #23 Michael Jordan. The game went to the wire when Jordan hit the game winning shot (we will see that similar ending so many times in the National Basketball Association.) The game ended when Hoyas guard Fred Brown threw an errant pass to Worthy and the Tar Heels took the championship away from Georgetown. Jordan took his talents to the NBA in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls and won 6 championships; ten scoring titles; made 14 All-Star appearances and became a global icon. Ewing when on win a championship with Georgetown in 1984 against the Houston Cougars and it's star center--future NBA Hall of Famer Akeem(later known as Hakeem) Olajuwon, but lost to Villanova in the 1985 title game. Three months later, Ewing became the No.1 pick overall for the New York Knicks, become a 11-time All-Star, led the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999 and end up as one of the greatest 50 players in NBA History. Yes, Jordan and Ewing would continue their rivalry by facing each other in the playoffs five times (1989,1990, 1992, 1993, 1996) with Jordan winning every single time. The Knicks were able to finally beat the Bulls in the 1994 playoffs, but by then Michael Jordan was out of the league---to play for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.


Single game elimination


March Madness is unique when compared to other sports. Unlike Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League where it can take 4-7 games to eliminate your opponent, March Madness has the single game elimination format. It is possible to the best team in college basketball and get wiped out in the first round. The National Football League also has the single elimination playoff format, but there is one major difference. With the NFL, after a team win a game, they have one week to not prepare for their opponent, but also bring back players who were injured in the contest. With March Madness, once you win, you have 48 hours to get ready and face your opponent--a very quick turnaround.



Bracket Time


On Sunday Selection, where the committee announced which schools made the tournament and what region they will play in, the brackets are made available that night for everyone to fill out and they have to wait until Thursday when the games begin. I usually play the bracket challenge just for fun, however there are people who use this opportunity to play for higher stakes
(To quote Randy Moss: "Straight cash, homey.") They literally have to wait on pins and needles every single game to see if their picks turned out great or not. The law of average says that the tournament will have a few upsets during the competition. If you plan to participate in any bracket challenge, have with it. You don't want to be THAT person who finds out that their bracket is blown up to bits prior to the Sweet Sixteen and you have to owe an arm and a leg to somebody.

Final Thoughts

March Madness is like Christmas time when you were a child: You can't wait until the day comes and it's over before you know it. The tournament is here for a short period of time
(2 weeks and a few days) so watch as many games while you can before it is all over.

Spring Time is Here

Ah yes: It's that time of year where you will hear the birds start chirping, the sunset sets later due to Daylight Savings Time, the sound of someone using a lawnmower to cut their grass and someone driving in their car, truck, SUV, etc. while hearing that ever present thump of the bass in their sound system. All of this means that Spring is just around the corner (actually the season will take place on March 20.) Spring is a time for re-birth, forget new year's, this is the season to get busy and do stuff that you always wanted to do. In my personal opinion, Winter is like the guest that would not leave: that person was cool when they stopped by. But after a while, they overstayed their welcome and you want to kick them out.







If you want to get involved in Spring Cleaning, here are a set of instructions to help you along the way:







The Inside Job




1. Storm Windows




Your storm windows has been up for a good while by now. I am guessing that the last time you actually opened your windows was probably between last September and Early-October. This is the right time to take down the storm windows. After a rough Winter of freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice, temperatures in the single digits and with wind chills below zero at times during the season, the idea of opening the windows and let the fresh air come into your home is sounds good.

2. Mop and Dust every room in the home




After dealing with people tracking in snow, salt, and dirt while walking inside during the winter,



Spring is perfect time to use a mop to clean the floors. Get a mop, bucket, dust rag and some cleaning products (Pine Sol, Windex, Clorox, etc.) and get busy. If you have carpet in your living room and dining room floor, use the vacuum to sweep the each room to get rid of dirt and other debris---if you don't want to do that, hire a professional carpet cleaner to do the job.







3. Clean the Attic and Basement







Yeah, it's a pain to clean both the attic and basement because you have to move stuff around along with trying to decide what to keep and what to throw away. But this job is worth because of two reasons: 1) you can create plenty of space in both spots and 2) you could get make some money off of your discarded items by the way of a Yard Sale. It's like that old saying "Another man's trash is another man's treasure."








4. Clean the closet and dresser drawers




We all have clothes that either we don't wear anymore; are too small; too big; or never had the chance to wear it at all and now it's out of style. If you want to create some space in your closet for some new attire, why not donate those old clothes, shoes, hats, belts, jewelry, etc. to your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or thrift store. The same thing goes for your dresser drawers. You need to clean off the top and inside each drawer so that you not create some space but also become able to close them without having something sticking out.

5. Take down Winter Curtains

The heavy curtains served its purpose in the Winter to protect us from the cold air/breeze from coming into our homes. Now is the time to take down the heavy curtains and put up the lighter curtains so that once the windows are open, we can feel the warmth of Spring.

6. Ceiling Fan

If you have a ceiling fan, clean it often. There is nothing more embarrassing than having company over to your place and when you turn on the fan, the dust just flies off the fan handle and your guest will see the debris fall to the floor. To save the embarrassment, get a dust rag and clean each fan blade at least once a week.

Let's take it outside

1. Take down Christmas lights and decorations




If you have not taken down your outdoor Christmas lights or decorations by now, especially if the weather in your city or town was fairly decent during the Winter, please do it now. You don't want to be THAT person who still has their Christmas decorations when it's 75-80 degrees outside.







2. Rake up tree limbs




Your front and backyard (if you have one) is probably covered with tree limbs, leaves, trash and other debris leftover during the Winter. What you need to do is grab a couple of trash bags, broom, rake, shovel and a sturdy trash can and take care of business. Once you're done with that task, you might think about cutting the grass. Now, if your yard is in bad shape, use some grass seed to help the grass grow during the Spring and Summer (Experts say that the best time to apply grass seed is in November and December because the rain, snow, and sleet can actually make the grass grow faster, but that should not stop you from adding grass seed right now.)








3. Plant flowers, trees, shrubs, bushes, trees, and lawn maintenance








If you have a green thumb and love the idea of working outside with plants, this is up your alley.



Spring is a great to plant flowers and trees, add some seeds into the ground in order to grow vegetables and if you decide to do this, add some bushed and shrubs. Spring is the season where the grass grows very fast. So you need to cut your grass at least once a week until June, where the grass doesn't grow as fast. As a homeowner, it is very important to have a well-maintained lawn because it gives the impression that you really care about your community.







4. Set out the patio furniture







It is a hassle to get the patio furniture out of your garage or basement, but hey it is worth it setting the chairs and tables outside, especially after being cooped up in the house all Winter long and at the same time, you look forward to sitting outside during a nice and warm Spring day. Make sure you wipe down all the chairs and tables thoroughly with soap and water after you set them outside. Also, if you have seat cushions for the chairs, wash and wipe those down as well.




5. Clean out the barbecue grill

Unless the grill was used during the Winter because you missed having barbecue, you probably have not used it since Labor Day. Prior to that first barbecue, clean out the grill very thoroughly with soap and water. Make sure there are no dust, cobwebs, etc. in your grill. After a while, you will have a clean and shiny grill and within no time having cookouts during the Spring and Summer will become a regular thing at your home. Now, if your grill is either old or on its last legs, my suggestion is that you invest in a new one. Check your local paper or online for some great deals on a grill.

6. Clean the Garage

Just like the attic and basement, cleaning the garage is a big time headache because all of us have placed so much stuff in there, we often say "I have to clean out the garage" and we never get around to it. Well, today is the day to clean it out. Yeah, it might be an all day job (or a 2-3 day job depend upon how much stuff you have in there) but it is worth it. Start by creating a pile of what items to keep and what to throw away. Then, get rid of any boxes and trash that you might have in the garage. Next, decide whether or not you want to have a garage sale for the items that you need to toss out--who knows, like the yard sale example explained earlier, you could make some money off of your discarded items. Finally, once you have finished the job, take a look to see if you're satisfied with the garage and if not, keep at it until you feel that it is totally spotless.

Spring Cleaning is a tough task to deal with. This article provided some steps to take in order to get the job done. One final thing, if you want make the job go a little faster, turn on some music-- it works every time.

How to Play the Piano

Playing the piano is a fun activity. It allows you to relax and release the tension that you may have during the day. If you always wanted to play the piano, by all means, start today. It doesn't matter if you always wanted to play but never had the chance to or have played the instrument since you were a child or teen. You are never too young or old to learn to play the instrument.
If you want to play the piano, here are some tips that will help you getting started:

1. Warm-up Exercises

Athletes in any sport (Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Tennis, Soccer, Track & Field, etc.)
always have a warm up routine before they get started. As a musician, you must perform
warm-up exercises before you start playing a song. Start with playing the scales in every major and minor key (C to B- including sharps and flats.) One of my favorite techniques include playing the scales with my eyes closed. This is a great skill to develop because 1) you can play without looking down at the eyes and 2) it is great to enhance your musical ear- you can hear whether or not you have played the wrong note automatically.

2. Music Theory

As a musician, you must learn how to play different chords in each key. Begin this exercise at
C Major (C-E-G) and end at B Major (B-D#-F#.) From there, use the inversion technique in in each chord (ex. 1st inversion for C Major is: E-G-C# and 2nd inversion is: G-C#-E.) Once you learn how to do that, add the following chords to your repertoire:

Minor (lower the 3rd note of the chord),
Major (Ex. 1-3-5-6) and Minor 6 ( 1-lower the 3rd a half step-5-6);
Major (1-3-5-7)and Minor 7th ( 1-lower the 3rd a half step-5-lower the 7th a half step)
Major (1-3-5-7-raise the 9th a half step)and Minor 9th (1-lower the 3rd -5-lower the 7th-9) Major and Minor 11th (1-lower the 3rd-5-lower the 7th-9-lower the 11th a half step )
Major (1-3-5-7-9-11-13)and Minor 13th (1-lower the 3rd-5-lower the 7th-9-lower the 11th- 13)
Augmented chords (raise the 5th a half step Ex. C-E-G becomes C-E-G#);
Diminished chords (lower the 3rd and 5th notes a half step- Ex. C-E-G becomes C-Eb-Gb)
Slashed Chords (Playing a note in the left hand that's not in a chord in the right hand- Ex. playing A in the left hand and a E chord( E-G#B) in the right hand.

3. Playing a song

If you want to learn how to play a song, you must break it down and learn each part separately.
The right hand carries the melody and the chords, so first you must play the piece nice and slow, you don't want to do it too fast because it would not sound good at all. Play each section of the songs (with the rests included) at least 5 times. Once you will feel comfortable, then pick up
the tempo (if the song is fast, then slowly start play faster, if the song is ballad, then you don't have to worry about that.) The left hand carries the bass line ( and sometime the chords) so just like the right hand, play it slow and steady with the rests included of course. Then after 5 times, start playing it a little faster than normal. Once you have learned how to play the song in each hand, here comes the tough part: Playing the piece with both hands. Now, in the beginning, the song is not going to sound like what you thought what it was going to be. You might think that after the playing the song with both hands together for the first time that you suck- but that's all right- I feel the same way after learning how to play a new song for the first time. It takes patience and repetition to make it work. Keep at it and don't give up!

4. Practice

To quote former Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson- "We're Talking About Practice."
Yes, just like the old saying " How To Get to Carnegie Hall- "Practice, Practice, Practice" and they are telling the truth about that. In order to become a really good piano player, you must practice all the time. Now, if you have work and/or school that occupies most of your time, you don't have to practice every single day, but find some time during the week to play the keys. The best practice routine is 5 or 6 days a week for 20/30 minutes. Repetition is the key here.
It is better to practice 5 times a week for a half hour than play for 4-5 hours one day a week because to me, you're not going to learn anything by practicing just once a week.

5. Metronome

If you have the money, buy a metronome right now. This is a tool that can help you out with playing a song in a certain tempo (slow to extremely fast) and it provides you the chance to count how many beats each note, chord and rest receives in the song. If you don't have the cash right now to buy a metronome, save up as much as you can because it can be a very sound
(no pun intended) investment.

6. Piano Teacher

Check your local newspaper, phone book or flyers around town to see if you want to hire a piano
music if you are a beginner or if want to enhance your piano playing skills. If you're one of those folks that want to teach yourself how to play the piano, that is possible too. Just make sure you buy a music book that provide a graphic step-by-step illustration on how to play the piano.

The six steps just presented to you are the steps that you need to take if you want to be a good player. Have some fun playing the piano!

Black History Month

Picture this- Millions of people do this routine: After waking up, they get up and take a shower;

they use an iron board to press out the work clothes; since the room is pretty warm, they turn on the air conditioner to cool off; After using a hair brush in order to get ready for work, they go downstairs, open the refrigerator door to make some eggs. Then they use an egg beater to make some scrambled eggs. After breakfast, they leave for work after getting their cell phone and use the key on their key chain to lock the back door. So what does an iron board, air conditioner, hair brush, refrigerator, egg beater, cell phone key chain and lock have in common? All of those just mentioned products were created by African Americans.



This article will focus on African-American Inventors who made products that we used almost every single day. These inventors created some amazing products that a lot of people didn't know, but sadly in the era of Jim Crow, they never received the credit or for that matter reap in the fortune that they richly deserve. In some case, these inventors created the product and without providing a patent for their invention, told people about their new creation. Since the product was not patented, these people would go somewhere to steal... I mean ...make their own product, slap their name on it and gain instant fame. While doing research in this topic, it is truly amazing to find out that each inventor made their product with very primitive material, unlike the technology that we have in today's world.



Here's the list. You will be surprised by what is on the list!





Inventor Invention Date of Invention



A.P. Ashbourne Biscuit Cutter November 30, 1875





Benjamin Banneker Almanac 1791

Patricia Bath updated a device to 1988

remove cataracts

Miriam Benjamin "Gong and Signal" chair 1888

for hotels

Edward Berger Spark Plug February 2, 1839

Henry Blair Seed Planting Device October 14, 1834

Henry Blair Cotton Planting Device 1836

Sarah Boone Iron Board December 30, 1897

Bordy and Surgwar Folding Chair June 11, 1889

Otis Boykin Control Unit for Pacemaker 1961

Benjamin Bradley A Steam Engine for 1856

steam-powered warships

Henry Brown Fire/Burglar Resistant Safe November 2, 1886

L.A. Burr Lawnmower May 19, 1889

Charles Brooks Street Sweeper March 17, 1890

Lee Burridge & Typewriter April 7, 1885

Newman Marshman

T.A. Carrington Stove July 25, 1876

W.C. Carter Umbrella Stand 1885



George Washington Carver Peanut Butter 1839

M.A. Cherry Tricycle May 6, 1886

G. Cook Auto Fishing Devise May 30, 1899



A.L. Cralle Ice Cream Scooper February 2, 1897

David Crosthwaut, Jr. Heating System 1934
(for Radio City Music Hall)

George Crum Potato Chip 1853





Mark Dean Led his team to create 1st 1999

gigahertz computer procesor chip







O. Dorsey Door Stop December 10, 1878



Paul Downing Mail Box October 27, 1891

Charles Drew Blood Plasma Bag 1945

T. Elikins Chamber Commode January 3, 1897

Henry Faulkner Ventilated Shoe 1890

O.A. Fisher Furniture Caster 1878



Robert Flemming Jr. Guitar March 3, 1866

Sarah E. Goode Folding Bed July 14, 1885

T. Grant Golf Tee December 12, 1899

William S. Grant Curtain Rod Support August 4, 1896

Blessie Blount Griffin An elctronic feeding device 1951

for amputees

Michael C. Harvey Lantern August 19, 1884

Joseph Hawkins Metal Oven Racks 1800's

L.R. Johnson Bicycle Frame October 10, 1899



Lonnie Johnson Super Soaker November 13, 1989





P. Johnson Eye Protector November 2, 1880





Willie Johnson Egg Beater February 5, 1884







Frederick M. Jones Movie Ticket Dispenser June, 1939



Frederick M. Jones Motor June 27, 1939


Frederick M. Jones Air Condtioning Unit July 12, 1949





Lewis Latimer Electric Lightbulb March 21, 1882

Joseph Lee Bread Crumbling Machine June 4, 1895
Automatic Bread Making Machine

F.D. Loudin Key Chain January 9, 1894



J.C. Love Pencil Sharpener November 27, 1897



W.A. Martin Lock July 23, 1889





Alexander Miles Elevator October 11, 1867



Garrett Morgan Gas Mask October 13, 1914



Garrett Morgan Traffic Light November 20, 1923



Lydia O. Newman Hair Brush November 15

Robert Pelham Tabulation Device 1905

Tallying Machine for U.S. Census 1913

W.B Purvis Fountain Pen January 7, 1890

Walter Purvis Hand Stamp February 27, 1883





Lawrence P. Ray Dust Pan August 3, 1897



John W. Reed Rolling Pin 1864

A.C. Richard Insect Destroyer Gun February 28, 1899

W. H. Richardson Baby Carriage June 18, 1889

J. Ricks Horseshoe March 30, 1885

James Robinson Lunch/Dinner Pail 1887

G. T. Sampson Clothes Dryer June 6, 1862


Henry Sampson Cell Phone July 6, 1971





S.R Scratton Curtain Rod November 30, 1889






J. Standard Refrigerator June 14, 1891



Thomas Stewart Mop June 11, 1893

Benjamin Thornton A Precursor to the Answer Machine 1935

Madame C.J. Walker Straightening Comb 1905



J. Thomas White Lemon Squeezer December 8, 1893

Daniel Hale Williams 1st Successful Open Heart Surgery July 9, 1893



J.W. Winters Fire Escape Ladder May 7, 1878



Granville T. Woods Auto Cut-off Switch January 1, 1839


Granville T. Woods Phone Transmitter December 2, 1884

It's a shame that the majority of theses inventors did not live enough to gain the recognition

that they deserve. The goal of this article is to shed light on these great people and

their contributions to society.

A Cure For The Winter Time Blues

Ah, yes. It's that time of year if you live either on the East Coast, Mid West (like myself)
and the Rockies, where you look outside and see the snow on the ground along with temperatures
between 0 and 30 degrees with the wind chill well below zero. After you look at that window,
you take a deep breath and sigh to yourself. The winter time blues does also, affect those who live in the South, West Coast and the Southwestern United States, but at least you guys can go outside (well, earlier this month, those living in Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee had to deal with some snow and Florida had a cold snap) while the rest us has to stay indoors and deal with cabin fever.

There are people out there who love Winter, the snow, cold, the idea of White Christmas. In my opinion, I think that the whole concept of having a white Christmas is very ov-er-rat-ed!
I put it like this: the same people who want a white Christmas, or at least see some snow falling from the sky on Christmas Day, are the same people who want the snow to start melting away on December 26 and making sure that the white stuff and the cold doesn't come back. You can't have it both ways. Either you want to have snow or you don't to see it coming down when the holiday season is upon us.

What is the Winter Time Blues?


Winter time blues usually takes place in Mid to late January when the holidays (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day) have come and gone; when you have already took down your Christmas tree; when you have put up all of your Christmas presents; when you have not gone to the mall since you have finished Christmas shopping; when you have stopped baking holiday treats (cookies, pies, cakes, etc.) once the season is over; when you have already attended all the Christmas parties that you can possibly go to (and who doesn't love a good Christmas party); and when you have put up all of your Christmas decorations (indoor and outdoor-even those some people might leave them up until Spring or even year round.) Pretty much, once the run of the holidays are over and done with, there is an emptiness inside of you, and then you start to feel somewhat depressed by the gray skies, cold temperatures and the sun setting earlier than usual (Daylight Saving Time.)

Exercise

This ranked at the top of almost everyone's list of goals for the new year (notice that I said "goals" and not "resolutions because we have the tendency to break our resolutions a few days or weeks in the next year, while goals are the destinations that we want to reach with the sense of real change, accomplishment and progress without the idea of failure crossing our minds at anytime.) The purpose here is to either lose weight or get their bodies toned or in shape for the summer. If you fall into this category, then go to your local gym, sign up for a year long membership (well, if you have the money for it) and get busy. Now, if you don't have the resources or the weather outside is bad, you can develop a workout routine in the comfort of your own home. Incorporate sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, jump rope routines, etc. in your workout routines. Just make sure that you exercise in moderation without the chance of straining any muscles or breaking any bones. Also, if you like to run outside regardless of the weather conditions, by all means go for it, but be careful. If you wear too much clothing while jogging, you will pass out once the exercise routine is over. At the same time, if you go out running without covering up your skin in the cold weather, you will catch hypothermia very quickly. So dress warmly and comfortably before you go out there to jog.

Mind Stimulation

We are all guilty of this. Anytime we come home after work, school or any other activity, we turn on the TV, sit down on the couch or our favorite chair and that's it. Since we only just watch television and don't do anything else, at times, one hour after another, our brains can turn to mush by being inactive. You see, our brain is a muscle and just like any other muscle, we have to strengthen it. So how can we do it? Since we can two things at once, here are some solutions while watching television, or better yet, do these activities away from the television:

1. Read the newspaper or book

It is important to learn what's going on in the world because you don't want to be the person that doesn't know anything about current events, sports news, and celebrity news. After you're doing reading the newspaper, why don't you pick up a good book and start reading it. In today's world, everyone is so busy doing something (work, school, other activities, etc.) that we just can't slow down and relax. One way to relax is to get yourself something to eat, a hot or cool beverage, a book, a comfortable place to sit and just read.

2. Taking a class

Whether it's in the classroom or online, try to learn something new. If you really think that you seen it or heard it all before, you haven't. By taking a class, it allows you to learn something that you have never heard before and you can use the valuable information either at your job or for future reference in your personal life. Also, you can learn something outside of the classroom as well. If there is a specific hobby that you are into, then learn as much as you can about that activity. The knowledge you'll pick up while doing the research will show that you have a serious passion about something (i.e. your hobby, activist work, etc.)

3. Doing a crossword puzzle/brain teaser exercises

By doing the crossword puzzle along with the brain teaser exercise in the newspaper (local or national), you can test how much you really know. The puzzles and exercises are designed to challenge you and determine how smart you really are. The exercises are fun and I strongly encourage everyone to try it.

4. Learn a foreign language

If you ever wanted to learn how to speak a foreign language, now is the best time to do it. Now granted, studies have shown that is best to learn a new language when you are a child rather than as an adult, but that should not stop you from pick up a book, CD, DVD or mp3 and learn how to speak a foreign language. It takes time and patience to learn a new language but it will pay off in the long run.

The 4 above mentioned tips are exercises that will stimulate your mind, penetrate your soul
and just make you feel good all over because in each activity, you are 1) Gaining knowledge
and 2) Doing something that you would normally not do at all.

Writing

If you ever wanted to write that novel? How about that movie or television script? Better yet,
have you thought about composing songs? Go ahead and just do it. The only that going to stop you from doing it is self, so go and try it! Before you get started, do some homework and research how to do it. Once you are done, the first thing you must do before someone look at your work is copy write it immediately. As a writer, your worst fear is that you send off your work before copyrighting it. Then, the company would reject your work, rework a few things here and there in your piece, slap their name on it, and the next you know, they just stole your glory and possible fortune. You could sue them, but you wouldn't a leg to stand on because you never copyright your work.

Dancing

So you think you can dance, huh? Well, it's no secret that Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance are always in the top 10 or near the top of Nielsen's television ratings. Both shows are popular because of two reasons : 1) People like to watch other folks dance and
2) People love to dance. It is no mere coincidence that the number of people participating in Ballroom, Latin and Swing dancing has skyrocketed in popularity ever since both shows made its
television debut a few years ago. If you ever wanted to dance, go ahead and try it. If you have two left feet and can't dance at all, well that should not stop you from seeing what you can do on the dance floor. You can learn how to dance with a dance instructor or even better, you can bring a partner along to help you out.

Cooking

If you love to cook, but at the same time, prepare the same meals every single day of the week, why not give your regular dinner routine an extra kick by trying something different. Give it a shot by adding spicy and tasty dishes to your menu. Learn how to cook different types of meals such as Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean, etc. and you will be surprised how it will turn out. If you never cooked anything before in your life, give it a shot and see what happens. Of course, it's trial by error, and you will make some mistakes along the way and that's all right. Don't worry if you mess up, because we're all human and all of us have either burned up a dish or the meal didn't come out as originally planned. With repetition, creativity and patience, you can cook anything for anyone at anytime. Who knows, you could carve out a cooking career and become the next Paula Deen or Gordon Ramsay.

Playing an instrument

When you were a child or teen, did you ever play an instrument, or thought about it and never got around to it? Well, it's never too late to pick an instrument and learn how to play it. It doesn't matter if you're 8 or 100 years old, if you are interested in playing music, by all means, go for it. First, decide on which instrument(s) you like to play. Then, select a music teacher/instructor and learn music theory (major/minor chords and scales; the importance of time signature; find out how to find out what key a specific song is in; etc.) As a piano player, I know about the ups and downs of playing an instrument. You can never get bored playing an instrument because each musical style (Pop, Rock, R&B, Jazz, Blues, Funk, etc.) presents a new challenge and at the same time, it's a lot of fun learning those styles, too. If you want to be successful in playing an instrument, here are some my suggestions:

1) Time

You don't have to practice all day long in order to become really good in play an instrument, especially if you other obligations going on in your life right now( work, school, etc.) The minute that you have come free time, practice as much as possibly can. The key word here is practice because it doesn't matter how long you practice, but rather how many times a week you should practice. If you can't practice everyday, make it 5 to 6 times a week.

2) Patience

Okay, if you have never play an instrument before, you will get frustrated after a while because the song you are learning right now doesn't sound like the way that you want it. My advice is simple: start off slow and steady, and when you feel comfortable, then pick up the tempo of the song. The biggest thing that you have to realize when you begin playing an instrument is that you're not going to be great overnight. It takes a lot of patience and the desire that you want to

3) Repetition

As the old adage says: if you keep doing something over and over, you're going to better each and every time. The same is true when playing an instrument. Not only you must play with your favorite instrument on a regular basis, but also learn the major and minor scales, major and minor chords. Also, once you master the art of memorizing and playing a song without having the sheet music in front of you, then you are on your way to become a true artist.

Get out of the house

When the weather outside is fairly decent and if it's not too cold outside, then get out of the house as often as you can. While you're out, do some fun such as going to the movies, join an organization, participate in volunteer work, etc. Hibernation might be cool if you're a bear, but cabin fever is not the way to go if looks and feels temperature-wise okay outside.

If you are still feeling depressed as I finish up this article, cheer up. Spring is not that far off, but at the same time, you only wish that it would come fast enough.