If US Spy Agencies Actually Can Document This, Then The Consequences Have Been Intentional All Along

Reuters is reporting that the Bush administration was made aware of the consequences before the war in Iraq was begun.

If this is indeed proven true and I believe that it will from multiple directions, then every result of such activity undertaken within the country of Iraq has been the effect of intentional causes.

Every bullet, every death, every terrorist recruit, every disfigurement, every drop of oil lost or unaccounted for, every bitter taste in the mouths of once die-hard, starry-eyed, voting Americans, and every dollar wasted will be purely classified as earned income for all involved and the direct and indirect objects of their very desire.

I clearly remember the military analysts and other news commentators giving their opinions and analysis prior to the war and their very words have been proven true.  The number of "I told you so" pundits have been kept surprisingly silent somehow.  Is there a silent agreement in place somewhere?

I now believe that this administration within largely Cheney, Bush, Rove, and Rumsfeld have made history as the greatest market makers and middlemen in history to profit from the death and destruction all around.

The only upside to this war has been the enlargement of the private trust funds that will serve their descendants in perpetuity until the end of time.

I shudder to think of the possible revolt and anarchy that the working-class Republicans and Democrats could mount if it suddenly became widely accepted that this foreign and domestic policy was not based upon retribution or revenge for 9-11, but to use the American flag, our country's founding principles, and every internal struggle before, during, and since 1776 as toilet paper for the current leadership's country gouging efforts both foreign and domestically.

Even in the midst of having their own prophecies self-fulfilled through the rhetoric of "If we do not fight them on foreign soil, then we will have to fight them at home", the same bandits have already established the necessary means to further profit from future actions of terrorists and the financial repercussions of future conflicts worldwide.

It was all a global set up bottom line.

They actually want the U.S. and other countries to go down the drain and suffer to the extent of causing massive economic losses to further profit.

The American flag should be flown at half-staff for every day the current administration has been in office.  The young men and women who have died clearly were victims of the pimpish quality of the current administration. 

The dishonor among thieves will surface monthly for years to come as each participant and supporting cast member attempts to wash their hands of stench of bureaucratic lackeys.  More tell all books and interviews will come to the light as the levels of remorse will only grow.  Mysterious deaths and accidents cannot be too far behind either.

I feel truly sad for those with blind political faith and claims of the great American way for them to see that they were truly used as pawns and not really part of the process after all.

Just as Senator Trent Lott has discovered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the problems are not yours until it happens to you and then you finally realize that you are outside of the inner circle.

I guess that we will see that their memberships do not have ultimate privileges after all.

Even if misquoted or solely later recanted, President Carter was truly right in his summation of the worst president in United States history.  We clearly have a present winner and champion that only the Anti-Christ can further leverage and challenge for the title.

Heaven help us all.

Peace!

Recent spike in blog traffic

Using Google Analytics to measure the success of various blogs has been exciting and a challenge.

A repeat episode of Kirk Franklin appearance on Oprah to discuss an addiction to pornography must have recently aired since a rush of traffic was related to the episode.  I had commented on the episode online about the particular show.

The biggest challenge right now is staying focused on the many opportunities and matching the right resources to each opportunity while maintaining a sense of balance and family if that is not a mouthful:)

But as always--when it rains, it pours, so each opportunity has to be maximized as much as possible.

I do anticipate having a full projects completed and ready for public consumption within the upcoming month or two.

More to come!

Peace!

Vision Received This Weekend

Through an interesting series of conversations during this weekend, I keep seeing a glass within my spirit that appears to be empty to the human mind but is continually being poured out with the substance only hoped for to produce the evidence of the faith contained within and around the glass.

My question to myself and to you is whether God is in glass since God is indeed everywhere and if it is the definition of faith to attempt to pour the glass when it appears to be empty?

Also, are we the empty glass, is the emptiness of the glass our seed, and resulting blessing poured from the glass our fruit of our seed or faith?  I know that faith is both a seed and fruit.

Inquiring minds want to know:)

Peace!

Who's Having More Fun on Daddy's Birthday?

Who's Having More Fun on Daddy's Birthday?
Originally uploaded by wysiwysell.

Spoons with Cake and Ice Cream, you cannot beat them!

Candles, you're going down!

Candles, you're going down!
Originally uploaded by wysiwysell.

Daddy & His Fruit with their Monster Squeezes!

Daddy & His Fruit with their Monster Squeezes!
Originally uploaded by wysiwysell.

I've had a great birthday today and we stayed out of traffic as much as we could by having dinner at Artuzzi's in Sandy Springs. It was our first time there (several in metro ATL) and had some ice cream, birthday cake, and gifts upon returning home.

There was no disturbing of this groove!

It's my birthday, it's my birthday!

My Favorite Music Store: American Musical Supply

Right now I am so pleased with American Musical Supply (http://www.americanmusical.com or AMS) that I cannot express my gratitude.

Their zero percent interest, multiple payment plans have made acquiring music equipment over the years a no-brainer in terms of being a repeat customer.

They do not have an affiliate program that I am aware of, but anytime you need to buy or just feel froggy to buy something that costs over $249.99 (one or multiple items I was recently told), it qualifies for the multiple payment plan.

I even bought my Black Macbook from them without any hesitations when it was released last year.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they offer the same terms for computer equipment as well.

I typically will visit local music stores to get a hands on feel any prospective purchases and then buy it from AMS also to benefit from the no tax that has to be paid as well.  This feature saves more than the gas cost required to visit a local store.

Check them out whenever you can!

Peace!

US Copyright Process Needs To Be Digitized for Faster Processing

With so many new outlets being available to distribute and sell digital content, the U.S. Copyright laws and process needs to be revamped in order to allow creative individuals and groups to quickly register their digital content as soon as possible without any unnecessary delays.

The current process has one downloading PDFs to register their works, mailing the items via the U.S. Postal Service and then waiting for an undetermined amount of time to receive either the certified mail receipt or official documentation that the works have been registered.

It would be great that a process would exist for digital works to be directly uploaded to the Library of Congress and have the registration process completed within seconds versus months.

One should be able to register a digital work as fast as it takes to register a domain name for use on the internet.

I have several items of digital content that registering appears to be a long line to stand in but it has to be done within this day and age regardless of the existing delays.

Peace!

Awesome Gospel Song by Brian McKnight

I just heard an amazing song by Brian McKnight from his "Ten" CD entitled "Don't Take Your Love Away"!!!

It has the rhythm of Janet Jackson's "I Get Lonely" and he is having a conversation / prayer with God.

It is one of those songs that will not appear on your radar unless you are listening for the lyrics.

Check it out on iTunes!

Peace!

Get Centralized with your Other Ego

I will blog more about this new website later, but check mine out now:

http://otherego.com/profile-seedoflife.aspx

Gangsta Rap Promoted By Major Labels Is Now On Its Deathbed

With the firing of Don Imus from his radio show, anyone that is not on an independent label clearly has to think twice about using negative words or sending a negative vibe if their company has stockholders.

I immediately see any artist that has traditionally had to place a parental advisory sticker on their CDs have their stock value take a nose dive within eyes of the major label.

People will have to turn to MySpace for a limited time in order to get their fill of profanity and adult oriented lyrics other than someone selling music on the streets or out of the trunk of their cars.

Such artists quickly become a liability versus a cash cow.

Has America found religion?  Not as much as I think so, but the pendulum has clearly swung too far in one direction and gravity is correcting any momentum once perceived.

I now wonder which recording artist is going to follow Imus off the plank intentionally or be deceived into doing so?

I wonder which sports or entertainment celebrity will be suspended or banned by their league indefinitely?

The decision on the part of CBS now makes it easier for any other corporate board to begin to clean up their act voluntarily or face their shareholders' wrath.

Is it over? Clearly not and the fun may have just begun.

Peace!

Two Indispensable Internet Tools: Protopage.com and Del.icio.us!

Years ago, I would surf my favorite websites away from home on Blink.com until they changed their business model and dropped the primary feature that I was using of storing favorite pages and websites (although many times one will never revisit them--but you can be a digital pack rat on the internet and no one will ever know until they need something from you).

Now I use Protopage.com and Del.Icio.us for the same reason but in a different way.

Protopage.com is my preferred method of visiting my most often websites at any given time.

I have it saved within Firefox as one of two home pages that load everytime I use either my Macbook or desktop computer at home.

I also visit the page daily at work and keep it open throughout the day.

I use Del.Icio.us primarily for saving and categorizing pages by keywords called tags.  I also use it to recommend links to friends who either have created an account as well as to save myself some research time by locating hard to find websites that other people have saved with similar tagged keywords that I would use.

Both websites work together like a pair of hands.  Del.Icio.us would be my right hand and knock out punch on the internet while Protopage.com is used to keep things steady and jab my way into new territory:)

Try them yourself and open up a new world of productivity as a gift to yourself!

Peace!
 

Great Weekend In Spite of the Silliness

I have had a wonderful weekend in spite of some silly people this weekend especially yesterday.

One overzealous security guard flexed her authority in getting me to move our car while other vehicles were virtually abandoned at the time.

Then a speeding driver on I-285 minutes later passes up multiple free lanes to get boxed in behind me and then proceeds to blow his horn as if a nuclear attack occurred.

Later that evening, a driver in the far left (a turning lane only) acts as if I cut him off when only my center lane had the choice of turning either left or going straight ahead.

I was about to feel that it was "Blow your horn at Roney" at that point.

I was already checking myself to make sure I did not wreck myself, but the Bible says to answer a fool according to his folly and that fool despise wisdom.

So versus getting caught up in someone else's drama, I had to shake it off like Mariah recommended:)

Haters need someone and something to hate, so when they put themselves in such a position to get whacked like a mole, those of us empowered by God must do so to keep the universe in balance:)

Peace!

My First Wall Street and NASDAQ Pilgrimage

I made my first trek to Wall Street and NASDAQ this week and I wish the same for any financial services professional or MBA.

The vibe was electric and the visit made everything experienced to get to this point worth it all.

I do have a "how do you like me now?" for my former employer that provided the entry point into the financial services industry. Even your policies, procedures, and management style was worth going through in order to get here.

I thank my current employer for their confidence and trust that I would continue to do a great job after previous such trips to Tampa, FL, Charlotte, NC, and Sandy (Salt Lake City), Utah in addition to my regular duties in Alpharetta, GA.

I thank God for making this happen and for blessing me beyond what I could ask or think!

Now I must return to the valley with incredible power from on High!

Peace!

Going tomorrow to the City of My Birth: Jersey City, NJ

On tomorrow, I am scheduled to go back to the city where I was born--Jersey City, NJ and work for a week with my employer's offices there.

The last time that I was in Jersey City was in 1996 for a Smith family reunion.  Prior to that, I believe that it was in 1991 for a funeral and probably 1977 before then.

To say the least, returning there is raising multiple emotions, thoughts, and what ifs about where and who would I be.

What if my family at the ultimatum of my mother did not move to Nichols, SC in 1971?

What career path would I have been placed on?

What hobbies and lifestyle would I have if I still lived in Jersey City?

Would I still live if I lived in Jersey City and had not moved?

Thanks to Google Maps, I am able to see multiple places that I have vivid memories of but do not know how to get to and from.

So I am plotting my travels from a satellite eye's view.  I like to have a feel for a city now before I ever set foot on the ground.

At the family reunion in 1996, my mother and wife double teamed me on not exactly knowing where I was going to the point that I bought a map, studied it while they were taking a nap, and flawlessly drove from that point on.  I was waiting for them to compliment me on the improvement, but you know how women are:) 

They just rubbed it in more while laughing about it.  But I knew that they knew:)

I had a conversation with a first cousin Thursday night and he had not been back longer than I have.  Within the conversation, he mentioned that I would be safely "sheltered" while there and I realized that there were some areas such as the old neighborhood that I had better remember from the brief daytime visit in 1996 there.

I have no intentions of trying to revisit my past in depth on this trip, but I am planning on soaking up The Big Apple next door.

I have not been to New York as an adult and now working within the financial services industry, thoughts of being in the financial district is magnetic to me right now.

The New York Stock Exchange is not open to tours since 9-11-2001 and I do not have any contacts that could get me in as a working professional.

But to take a photo of the Wall Street Bull is going to be an objective on next Thursday for sure.

I may be able to see NASDAQ open that morning in the Times Square location as well and that would be totally cool.

To say that I am pumped up is indeed an understatement.

Another what if is after my bike accident last summer--what if I did not survive the experience?  I thank You God for keeping me alive and nothing in my life has been less than gravy since the experience.

I could just as easily be dead as these words are created.

Overall, this trip is going to be a memorable one and one filled with thanksgiving, gratitude, and wonder.

I thank God for my employer in having full confidence to send me to every call center outside of the one where I work.  Going to Tampa, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, and now Jersey City before celebrating my first anniversary of working for the company has made every experience in getting to this point worth it all.

I hold no grudges even against my entry point into the industry (first financial services employer) but I am more competitive to smash them in any way possible just to show them what their policies and practices pushed out the door.

This trip is to date the capstone of my experience within any industry of employment thus far.

As a minister, anywhere that people have been saved is a blessing, so the secular employment cannot ever compare.

Seeing someone get saved while in Jersey City would be a wonderful bonus though. 

I will share more how God moves throughout this coming week as well as have photos on my dotMac page.

God is indeed good and worthy to be praised!

Peace!

Obama Has Energy While Hillary Looks Cheneyish!

I am glad that I have my roles clearly defined at least in my mind and do not have to make a tough decision in who to finance in their run for president tonight.

But history has taught me enough things about people and appearances to better understand human nature enough to make a solid prediction on who will win the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

I was just looking at some photos of the leading contenders' cross country appearances and fundraising efforts and saw some interesting things.

New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton suffers from the same problem that crippled former vice-president Al Gore's presidential bid before our nation was raped in broad daylight with the more than a conspiracy of events that happened in Florida 2000:  she is too busy trying to look presidential while it appears stiff, false, and untrustworthy.

I say this whether it is the right, wrong, good, or bad impression of her in spite of her credentials.

I remember seeing a photo of defeated presidential candidate Gore partying like it was 1999 with his hands in the air like he didn't care either on the election night or when the final decisions were made and if enough people saw their genuine warmth and zest for life, they would have gotten and will get more votes and donations.

But the attempt to appear presidential only builds the ranks of those who wish to throw stones without regard to the person's ability.

While I do not want or expect Senator Clinton to appear within the upcoming spring break season dropping it like it's hot, but I would prefer to see her shake the handcuffs and shackles that what would have been the right thing to do in decades past for a more lively persona.  Where is Chelsea in all of this?  Did she not learn anything from her husband and what attracted people to him right or wrong?

In looking at Illinois Senator Barack Obama's photos, he is having a blast and the charisma race is over in his favor hands down at this point.

Notice that I have not gone to the point of addressing the unspoken but visible elephant of race and racism and if American citizens are indeed at the point of electing a black man as president. 

Somehow I had felt as if a black man would finally be elected president after a nationwide toxic and dysfunctional American experience, but I may be right about this point after all.

Yet after looking at the photos and video appearances, the race is for Senator Obama to lose at this point because, Senator Clinton is looking like a before photo for either a spa treatment or cosmetic surgery.

All presidents' hair turn gray while they are in office and especially if they win a second term.  At this rate, I abhor to think of the impact of the stress of the Oval Office on Senator Clinton.

I firmly believe at this point that she would make a grand Vice-President with Senator Barack Obama as the presidential nominee simply for her health alone.  Standing at attention for a self-righteous appearance would drive anyone crazy trying to keep up appearances.

Cheney somehow would look at her and say "I wish I had thought of that!"

With so much on the line, it clearly appears as if the ball to win the White House could be dropped if candidates feel as if this is their only shot.  Right now, it would take skills that I am still having developed to see who has the spirit to "stand down" in order for the Democratic Party to win the White House versus going for the individual win.

Peace!

Danger within "The Secret"

Last night, I watched an episode of Oprah on the DVD movie and book entitled "The Secret" and to say the least, I am deeply troubled by the discussions at the trap set for both the unsaved world and babes in Christ.

I went to YouTube and saw the actual multiple clip footage of "The Secret" and basically it is the offering of the following Scripture:

Galatians 6:7-8 (King James Version) with italics, underlining, and bold text added by myself:

 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

But the danger of "The Secret" is that it attempts to offer God's word without God and raises multiple identities and beliefs equal to the Son of God Jesus Christ.

There is nothing within the DVD, book, or Oprah's show that directly attempts to minimize the significance of Jesus Christ, but these venues attempt to elevate every other deity, route, or person of influence known and unknown to man to be equal with Him.

There was a Christian woman within the audience of Oprah's audience that had a look of confusion and clearly felt uneasy at the way the teachings of various experts and authors were lifting up "The Secret" and to comfort her, a minister named Dr. Michael Beckwith spoke to her from a Christian perspective.

But the conversation quickly moved to include other ways, doors, and routes to God which is totally contrary to:

John 14:6 (King James Version)

 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I know that there is a lot of touchy feely, "you are empowered", within the teachings of mankind and televised programs such as Oprah, but clarity has to exist within the kingdom of God.

I admire everything that God has done within and through Oprah, but leaving the opportunity for others to occupy a position anywhere on the level of Christ Jesus is fallacy and eternally self-destructive.

One clip that I remember seeing live and on YouTube has Oprah attempting to please too many people while revealing that there is something clearly missing within her version and beliefs of Christianity.

After God's chastisement and correction for having opened the door to simply view "The Secret" that I received this morning, I know that I must share what I have received this morning as a result of simply viewing the movie and teachings.

The "law of attraction" is Galatians 6:7-8 expressed in an easy packaged way and it is indeed clever.  But what is need by more Christians including myself is to firmly explain God's word in such a way that will not leave any room for misunderstanding and misapplication for all Christians alike.

We must continue to use the bait and reward that God has already given to us without allowing it to be watered down and bring every other doctrine and wind to bring anyone or anything to equality with Christ Jesus.

Luke 9:48 states "And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great."

2 Corinthians 10:5 (King James Version)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

To anyone that professes any other way to coexist and share the throne with Christ and claims to be a Christian I ask, where is the captivity and where is the sovereignty of Christ?

Another reference link on the movie itself has been located at Wikipedia. Please note the heavy push to market the movie that caused one speaker within the movie to request to be excluded from further activities.

I encourage each of us today to raise up the single banner of the Holy Trinity, march onward Christian soldier, and fight the good fight of faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In Him and only in Him, we move, live, and have our being!

Godspeed!

Hats Off To The Colts, You've Beat The Best Team in the NFL:)

Well Super Bowl XLI is in the history books and the Indianapolis Colts have beaten my Chicago Bears by almost exceeding the margin that I expected the Bears to win by.

 

It was a great game and I still had a lot to cheer about especially at the game opening Hester kickoff return for a TD.

 

There was the conservative philosophy that said, "Don't let Manning beat you deep" but instead we let him beat us short.

 

I would have preferred seeing a change implemented to at least challenge him.

 

But hey, you cannot win them all and all you Saints fans enjoyed the game from home:)

 

We will be back next year and our defense is still equipped to bring the pain!

 

Here are a few observations from the game.

 

Congratulations especially to the Dungy family and I know that your faith has kept you whole.

 

My employer had advertised in the third quarter and the ads were pretty good. 

 

I enjoyed Prince at the halftime show and "Purple Rain" in the rain was poetic.  His time appeared to be shortened somehow.

 

The Toyota Tundra commercials were pretty good and the Budweiser commercial with the dog getting his spots through the mud was funny.  It never made me thirsty for one though:)

 

I have never been to Miami yet and everything about the city said that deep pockets is the requirement for entry.  I am so glad to have family and a frat brother there when the time comes to visit:)

 

Just hearing the Colts' CEO praising God on the international platform was fantastic and he did not hesitate to pass the trophy to Dungy.

 

Dungy's continued praise as "Christian coaches" is worth the Bears' loss on the scoreboard itself.

 

I now look forward to seeing the doors opening in unforeseen ways after this Super Bowl.

 

What a way for Black History Month to begin on this first Sunday in February!  Records were indeed made.

 

Peace! 

 

 

The Turnaround Continues: Is Hip Hop Dead?

Last night was nothing short of a miraculous blessing for all involved.

Lives were given to Christ and multimedia content that contained negative lyrics and/or lifestyle were destroyed after an extremely powerful skit based on a real-life event.

Ministry does not get any better than this.

The youth were witnesses to gospel hip hop ministry which included myself and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well as learned something while enjoying the others who shared their music ministries.

I always try to learn something with every opportunity and the trend continued last night and should make future performances more powerful.

The skit that led to the youth rededicating their lives and the call that included the statement "maybe you were baptized at an early age and really did not understand what you were doing" really hit home with me with the realization that if children are baptized before 12 that a disconnect is possible if the church does not have an active youth ministry.

Everyone including God wants the children to come to Him, but we cannot allow a revolving door to exist back to a less than holy lifestyle.

At our home church today, we had rehearsal for Black History Month and the youth choir practiced as well.

I am beginning to receive the vision that our youth may be reached with a Saturday early afternoon event that could incorporate everything witnessed over the past 2 weeks and more.

Our vision is looking to incorporate more participants than just within our church as well.

More prayer and listening for direction is going to take place before such an outreach will begin.

Congratulations Greater Bethany, you made a smooth transition, and are blessing more than just the attendees with your efforts!  The kingdom of God is a clear blessed recipient as well.

The boldness for Christ was clearly being demonstrated last night and this is the trend that must be continued worldwide.

Peace!

My Super Bowl Prediction: Bears by 13 Points

I am going on the record to say that I believe that my Bears will beat the Colts by half the amount they beat the Saints!

They beat the Saints by 25 and half that amount is 12.5, so I predict that Da Bears will win by 13 points!

Who is going to say "you told us so" when it comes true:)

Go Bears!

Peace!

Google Has Done It Again To My Surprise! I Am Pleasantly Surprised!

Google is on a roll more than people really recognize.

It is not enough to have a company whose stock price soared upon its IPO and shows promise of going higher, but Google keeps innovating and releasing powerful products both large and small.

Today while using Blogger, I discovered that you can tie Google Reader and Blogger together and share any RSS article that you desire.

There is no faster way than to multiply information that you find relevant and worth sharing without doing a gigantic e-mail blast to people who may not feel the information is as important as you do.

But if there any frequent or once-in-a-blue-moon visitors to this blog, you may more often than not now find something that you would not have discovered otherwise.

I placed my shared Google Reader items at the end of each blog post in order that my shared items would have visibility on both the current items as well as each article as it may appear within a search engine result especially Google's:)

So just look below this immediate post to discover something that may not have crossed your radar before and be sure to check any of the above services as well.  Did I mention that they are all currently free?

Peace!

Turn A Youth Into Producer of the Year!

This product that I am about to share is one of the most phenomenal software programs made for a PC.

I bought it within the past couple of years and have been nothing short of amazed at what it can do.

Hands down, this is the closest neighbor to GarageBand on the Mac platform that a PC can run. I have both and know the similarities well.

When you consider its now rock-bottom price of only roughly $30 (better price than any video game hardware or software on the market), I recommend that any parent, relative, or concerned adult or even big brother or big sister should buy this program called Cakewalk Kinetic for any youth who needs and deserves an outlet for their creativity.


Cakewalk Kinetic Groove Sequencer Software

There is a more recent updated version of the same software that retails at a higher price, but it also requires a stronger computer in order to run it effectively. Even if you were going to buy any other Cakewalk program, buy this software and effectively get a "previous owner of Cakewalk software discount" directly from Cakewalk.

If and when your young man or woman starts producing the next multi-platinum hits or the next jam to make you and your family and acquaintances move, please let me know as well.

I look forward to hearing their compositions!

Peace

Re: Thoughts on last night's service for youth in Atlanta, GA: Is Hip Hop Dead?

There are responses to both your church's focus and recent event as well as my comments and clearly there are more saints around the country and world who are praying for each other to continue our collective efforts to expand the kingdom of God.

I am continually flipping back and forth between our recent messages as I compose this message tonight.

The greatest success that I saw last week was that the curtain of awareness was finally raised for the first time within the eyes of the youth.

Your slideshow had undeniable truths that some African-American artists clearly have not been as responsible with the access to our youth as they should have been.  Their access needs to be reduced and eliminated as much as possible.  But we must remember to continue to pray for these people to be saved or finally live according to the Christian faith that they profess at award shows:)

God loves them still as well.

A couple of analogies come to mind that babysitting or eating out as activities of life are not the problems as are the providers of such services.

Fire and electricity are equally not the enemies and threats as are uncontrolled, ignored, random, and unattended fires and electricity that will destroy our homes, churches, and everything physical that has value.

Again, I raise my point of saying "Hip hop is not really the enemy as failure to "train up a child in the way that they should go" is.  The Scripture must not be falsely restricted to personal responsibility but expanded to include church responsibility as well".

The enemy is not the multimedia that our youth are going to be exposed to regardless of our efforts, but the explicit, negative quality of the content and the lack of parental and mentor involvement within the lives of the youth.  Or better yet, the enemy is the world's system of separating us from our children daily. 

But should we become unemployed and turn them over to the oversight of the states in order to spend more time with them?  Should we begin the first African-American Amish community? 

Should we expect them to wear veils, earplugs, and blindfolds?  By no means are these feasible solutions.  Neither is destroying the devices that will play television programs, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, etc.

Someone has to buy the content in order to destroy it.  Destroyed content can be downloaded and digitally reacquired these days.  The civil rights movement and nonviolent teachings of Gandhi and Rev. King have already proven that boycotts are more effective.  The abstinence message clearly has a place here as well.

Such recommendations to mass destruction of media and electronic devices are better equipped for another battlefield other than ones our youth will find themselves on.  Comments like this are immediately disqualified by the youth.

The youth have simply used the messages of the world to fill the empty spaces that responsible adults should fill with the Word of God and example.

Before last Friday night, the youth had either little awareness of a criteria to judge the messages that they were continually exposed to as good or bad or that they lacked the regular effort, resistance, or courage to say no to their peers and others who were consistently offering the content for them to consume.  I believe that the latter applies more than the former.

The need is to create the ability to push back against the negative peer pressure and content.

Again, your youth only represent what is happening within African-American youth especially and youth overall in society nationwide and worldwide.

Their "immune system" has a deficiency and if we are not careful, spiritual AIDS will be the result.

Through more parental and mentor involvement, their awareness can be raised to the point that they are indeed empowered and equipped to forcefully resist as we pray that they will.

Today's youth have the boldness and zeal that we know that they are capable of, but it is often misdirected.  Only intimate Christian education and corporate church involvement is going to turn this around.

But if the parents see nothing wrong with the content that was shown last week themselves and the artists are not considered threats as a result of releasing the content, then clearly the youth will not be the "cheerful givers" of providing items to be destroyed.

The entertainment companies are just as responsible as they sanctioned each release as well as their shareholders.

Your midpoint service of the series now has the responsibility of providing an alternative or introducing them to an alternative Christian choices more so than destroying existing content.

Provide them with the criteria to make judgment calls as you have done, demonstrate the alternatives or make them just as aware of the suitable alternatives or desired direction (toward God and exalting Him within everything that they do, desire, love, and have an ability for) within gospel hip hop and other talents that they have and develop, and they will destroy or discard the former content on their own.

God looks at the heart and is not as concerned as to what takes place in the eyes of man as He is when we are alone, isolated, and behind closed doors.  Everything else will be just a public show.

Hip hop is just the envelope and not the letter itself just as telling parables and miracles were and still are Christ's tool for delivering the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Hip hop and other forms of culture have to be arrested, repossessed, and transformed just as we desire the hearts and minds of the unsaved to be renewed.  We must divide the spoils among the brethren as the Word tells us.  There is no better way to tell the world that God reigns than the "flip the script" on everything the enemy holds in high regard and make it bow down to serve God instead.

To cast away what has been proven to work is not profitable to our cause.

This is where the healing will begin and the seeds of future success will be planted.

By all means keep the dialogue going especially when one side or the other wants silence instead.  Silence expands the generation gap versus closing it.

God's solution is multidimensional and all of us can and will achieve our objectives and missions.  Our descendants (physically and spiritually) depend upon our success.

I am looking forward to witnessing the ministries, testimonies, and active lifestyles of Christians who were not there last week as well as those who did not minister due to the need for conversation that was clearly present.

Finally, one thought that popped back into my head is the shock that I had and still have from the sister who considered the internet as a paid access medium versus for free through local libraries, etc.

The thought makes me wonder if anyone has ever trained our youth how to take full advantage of the technological tools that would have been considered as nuclear weapons when we were their ages. 

One immediate long-term objective that I envision for our youth to fulfill our pastor's vision is to equip them to organize and operate the multimedia ministry within our church (audio, video, text, internet) from A to Z.

Check out this video to see an example of youth on fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzs4IFqSW0U

Any pastor that does not want this kind of fire within the sanctuary raises more questions than answers.

Don't give up and keep marching onward Christian Soldier!

See you and Greater Bethany Friday night God willing.

Peace!

Roney Smith

Sundance is held within Park City, Utah and I did not know it while I was there!

The Sundance Film Festival has been getting a lot of media coverage and it is great since there are film and movie projects that probably would not see substantial screen venues and opportunities otherwise.

The wildest thing about this year's festival for me is that when I went to Salt Lake City in December and made the ride over to Park City, I had no clue that Sundance is held there annually.

What brought it to my attention was in seeing some of MC Hammer's photos that appear on his blog. He had some aerial photos that reminded me of the photos I had taken from my flight. Then I noticed that the white, snow-capped mountains looked more familiar than just by coincidence.

When I later researched the festival and saw that it is held indeed within Park City, I had a new appreciation for the hard climate and determination that each attendee has to put forth to get there and conduct any business.

I have a brief film segment at the bottom of this message that I uploaded on YouTube that I captured while in Park City. The climate is probably colder and more brutal than it was during my trip. But it clearly is not a walk in the park for anyone from warmer climates.

Park City is definitely one city and atmosphere that I look forward to taking my family to one day. While I could live anywhere based upon the trip there, I am not quite sure if Utah could emotionally support my family and I as residents. But I truly admire the spirit and tenacity of the people there. It is clearly a place where the only way to succeed is "all hands on deck".

Best wishes to the Sundance attendees and conference organizers!

Peace!

Thoughts on last night's service for youth in Atlanta, GA: Is Hip Hop Dead?

I have already started putting together this morning some thoughts and recommendations for not only our church based upon our attendance, participation, and observations of the youth service last night, but for other churches worldwide as well.

I heard many of the same sentiments expressed by older saints weeks ago within my own church family in Austell, GA.

The service last night was great and one clear message that rang like a bell to me is that the younger saints between the ages of 22 to 45 within the African-American church really have to step up and make themselves heard at all times.  They have to take a more active role within the lives of youth within the kingdom of God.

These child-bearing years have more natural energy but have not always been there for the youth.  The previous generations of such saints were the ones who took advantage of desegregation and equal employment opportunities but did not always look back to help someone in a less fortunate situation.

Hip hop is not really the enemy as failure to "train up a child in the way that they should go" is.  The Scripture must not be falsely restricted to personal responsibility but expanded to include church responsibility as well.

Everything within earth was created by God and without Him was nothing made.  There are no evil notes on any keyboard, drum set, or guitar string.  Only through not including God within every aspect of life does perversion begin to grow. 

There is no power other than God.  Yes, satan exists but he is devoid of power unless he is GIVEN power by someone.

Freewill is still more powerful than the enemy's devices and this is where he only "appears" to be empowered.

One young sister broke down last night and said something that included "leaving us out here on our own" when the need for change (regarding their consumption and meditation upon the undeniable, negative lyrical content of some popular hip hop artists) was brought to their attention.

Most youth within the black church simply have not been taught.  They were either left alone or ignored by older saints who falsely thought that children have no mission within the kingdom of God when the older saints were ignored as youth themselves as well.

The generational curse being repeated and is clearly within range of being broken is that we (older saints now possessing power within congregations) were ignored and overlooked and not heard and we turned out ok, so why should things change?

It is like having someone who has been abused grow up and still endorse the abusive system without recognizing the impact upon their own children when they were always saying that they wanted their children to "have a better life than I did" or "I had it harder than you have it now".  The same goes for hazing within college campuses and alumni chapters regardless of what is said.  Hazing reduces the possibility and power of Rev. King's "I Have A Dream" prophetic vision.

We must also recognize the trends, impact, and lifestyles of today's baby boomers as well because there are societal problems and not just problems within the church.

Many African-American baby boomers have simply overcompensated for the lack of love and personal attention within their own childhoods and falsely believed and acted upon the thoughts that material things would make up for their absence within their children's lives or make the critical difference in the child's positive growth and development.

They have not appreciated simply their own overcoming lack, difficulties, and obstacles by the mercy of God.  They have not always clearly seen how far God has brought us all as a people and not just as a generation.

It is not enough to be a responsible church member to be able to bring home a paycheck to raise your own children even though there have been more than enough of us who chose not to for reasons right and wrong (when unjust pressures of society did not make things easier).

We have the solution in the form of the Gospel of Jesus Christ while all of us need to publish and spread the Gospel as we never have before.

A theoretical-only Christianity is not going to cut it either.  Christianity that can be applied, tested, even questioned, and still proven eternal and true must be revealed and shared.

Even when one tries to test whether Jesus is really the Son of God, your decision must come as that He is simply because if He is not, then why does the need for argument or debate still exists?  Time clearly has crowned Him Lord of Lords because all of us (even the agnostics and atheists) cannot stop talking about Him:)

Those of us who believe and live and walk upon our faith are simply more empowered and emboldened because we make ourselves more available to Him and His power.  Our relationship with Him expands opportunities versus restricting them and this is what the nonbelievers fail to see.

The fruit does not fall far from the tree and I know that after last night, our work has really just begun.

Roll up your sleeves and let's start throwing some blows for the glory of God instead of being reactive.

Alonia (http://www.theessentialsonline.com/contactus.html), I salute your efforts and look forward to being there next week (next 2 Friday nights at 7 p.m at Greater Bethany Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA) and other services just to witness the transformation.  I know that I am going to share the events worldwide as well as within our church in Austell, GA.

There are clearly more of us than there are of the enemy.

Peace,

Roney Smith
http://www.myspace.com/seedoflife

http://blog.roneysmith.com

Bears win Super Bowl XLI: It's A Wrap:)

This article only reinforces the law I call Every Seed Needs Water as it relates to the Super Bowl.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/2020AP_FBN_Bears_Prepare.html

Grossman will play in a supernatural manner while reporters and observers will say that Manning especially played in an inexplainable and unpredictable manner.

One reminder that comes to mind is when Holyfield beat Tyson twice:)

The Florida and southern coastal connection is overweighted in the Bears' favor at this point.  I believe that Stevie Wonder is saying "I can see that for myself".

I look forward to your e-mails within 24 hours of the game's conclusion:)

If you see any articles that profile the Colts, please forward them to me.

Peace,

Roney

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/2020AP_FBN_Bears_Prepare.html

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 · Last updated 2:26 p.m. PT

Bears like playing underdog to Colts

By RICK GANO
AP SPORTS WRITER

	Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith listens to a question during a news conference one day after his team clinched a berth in Super Bowl XLI in Lake Forest, Ill., Monday, Jan. 22, 2007. The Bears face the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI in Miami on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It's hardly a surprise to the Chicago Bears that they are underdogs in the Super Bowl against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts' high-powered offense.

Even though the Bears have won 15 of 18 games, including two at home in the playoffs, they're not considered as good as their record, in large part because the NFC North is considered a weak division in the weaker of the NFL's two conferences.

"We've won more games than anybody else in the league. That's enough right there," Coach Lovie Smith said. The Colts also have 15 victories, including the playoffs, and four losses.

"As far as us being underdogs, if you look at what all the Colts bring to the table I could see why they would make us underdogs, but we've been in that role before and our guys like the underdog role.

"I wouldn't bet against the Bears if I were a betting man."

The Colts and Bears last met in the 2004 season at Soldier Field and Manning riddled a Chicago defense missing injured linebacker Brian Urlacher for four TD passes in a 41-10 runaway victory. Chicago's quarterback that day was rookie Craig Krenzel, who had four turnovers.

Chicago cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher will be on the spot, trying to contain Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. And then there's tight end Dallas Clark giving the Colts a big threat over the middle.

The Bears did clamp down on the New Orleans Saints and their top-rated offense last week, coming up with four turnovers and yielding a pair of touchdowns, one an 88-yard pass to Reggie Bush.

One similarity between the Saints and Colts that won't mean much: they both play in a domed stadium. But the weather in Miami will be much better than the weather the Saints faced in Chicago.

"We've got to win it. You don't make it this far and not win it. Our goal all year has been to win the Super Bowl," linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said.

The Bears defense got a lift Tuesday when a judge granted a request to allow defensive tackle Tank Johnson to leave the state of Illinois as he awaits trial on gun possession charges. So, there's a Tank going to the Super Bowl.

Chicago's defense sagged in the final stages of the regular season, missing defensive tackle Tommie Harris and safety Mike Brown, both lost with injuries. Now it will be tested as much as it has all season.

One player who will have a homecoming of sorts in Miami is defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, traded from the Dolphins to the Bears during the preseason in 2004. While with the Dolphins in 2003, he led the AFC with 15 sacks.

"For me it brings it full circle," Ogunleye said. "Going back to Miami is big because that's where I started in this league, and it's going to be a little surreal."

Rookie return specialist Devin Hester, who set an NFL record this season with six returns for touchdowns, also returns a familiar setting. He played three seasons at University of Miami, doing a little bit of everything for the Hurricanes - returning kicks, while also playing running back, receiver and defensive back.

There are also several University of Florida players on the Bears, still celebrating the Gators' national championship romp over Ohio State. Quarterback Rex Grossman, defensive tackle Ian Scott, defensive end Alex Brown and safety Todd Johnson all played at Florida.

"We're trying to keep that going with all the Gators playing well," Scott said.

Smith welcomes the two weeks separating the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The Bears are expected to leave for Miami on Sunday after a shortened practice week.

"There is a lot of stuff to get ironed out. First off, taking care of all of your relatives and getting them down to Miami, that takes a couple days in itself right there," Smith said

"And then you can get down to football from there. It's a special time and I think just having the two weeks helps you enjoy it more."

This will be the biggest media mob the Bears have ever seen. But Smith, who was in a Super Bowl as the Rams' defensive coordinator, doesn't see any problem there, either.

"Well this is what we do. ... As far as dealing with the media, we're going to answer your questions the same way we always do," he said.

"I think as much as anything you just remain you, true to yourself with everything that you do, and that's what we're going to do."

My Bears Are Super Bowl Bound!!!

Just as I was telling people all week long and at church, my Bears absolutely mauled the Saints 39 to 14 to win the NFC Championship!

 

I have been a Bears fan since the start of the 1985 season and they took me to the Super Bowl that year, so I have been hooked ever since!

 

My wife Wyteria wanted to doubt my Bears also as the Saints were the sentimental favorite, but they will have to wait until another year!

 

I cleared the room with no screaming girls and have the game fully recorded on Tivo!

 

I overlooked the possibility of having an African-American coach in the Super Bowl and when Indianapolis wins today, an African-American coach will win regardless!

 

But Da Bears will win that one as well:)

 

With the George Halas trophy in hand, I will pick up my Bears NFC Championship cap and t-shirt this week if not tonight!

 

Peace!

 

 

 

 

 

Apple iTV is primarily for viewing iTunes purchases

I just read a section of an article that unless proven false will keep an Apple iTV out of my household until Apple iTV 2.0 comes out at a minimum.

The O'Reilly Network article is entitled AppleTV? Not for me (yet) and it appears that there is a "lack of TV tuner and optical drive means that you still need an additional VCR, TiVo, DVD player, etc."

To me, this means that I could buy a much cheaper adapter that already exists to connect my Macbook to my current tv setup (which does not include HDTV in any way) and still view any video content from iTunes or my Macbook itself.

A hardcore electronics prosumer will probably not be able to stay away however since the Apple iTV may include some HDTV capabilities that mere mortals like myself can not yet appreciate or comprehend.

Peace!

Heaven Must Be One Super Funky Place Right Now: RIP James Brown

This afternoon my family and I just found out that legendary artist
and performer James Brown had passed.

As much as "The Godfather of Soul" will be missed, he will continue to
be enjoyed for the rest of time.

Having been to one of his concerts years ago with my now deceased
mother and wife very early in our marriage at the now defunct "Atlanta
Fulton County Stadium" where the Atlanta Falcons and Braves used to
play before the construction of the Georgia Dome and Turner Field
became a reality, I can undoubtedly say that it was a concert of a
lifetime.

It was like looking at time being unrolled and standing still all at
once. I have never seen some world famous celebrities and funksters
like Prince, Michael Jackson, Hammer, and others perform live, but
seeing James Brown do his thing on stage was clearly viewing the roots
of the tree of soul music.

Even while seeing a short list of songs that he made famous on Yahoo
today, I never fully realized how many songs were actually released
before I was born.

One of his last recordings with the Black Eyed Peas actually has a
line that is like a premonition at this time. Within the song "They
Don't Want Music", James is heard saying "I am going to a funky place"
and now we know what he meant.

There is indeed a party in heaven as heaven welcomes one of God's own.

Rest in peace Mr. James Brown, you truly blessed us as God blessed you.

Peace!

I Got My Mac Back!!!

Last Friday, I took my Macbook to the Apple Store at Perimeter Mall and the discovery was amazing.

It turns out that the battery had swollen near one end and the computer was no longer recognizing that a battery was present.

The technician put his own battery inside and it worked fine.

So Apple provided a new battery at no charge whatsoever since the warranty still covered it.

The computer was failing to charge the battery around the same time that the firmware update solved the random shutdown issue.

Since then, I had a couple of shutdowns probably due to being an extreme power user (due to excessive duration more than anything) and previous problems have melted away.

I will probably try not to use the Macbook longer than 4 hours at a time as a good measure.

Since the RSS issue has been resolved and now that portability is back, I truly have my Mac back.

I will probably add a power cord for an upcoming flight in early December.

I am glad that the short-term difficulties have passed away.

Praise God for technology that works according to plan!

Apple Macbook RSS Issue Resolved and Replaced With Immediate Successor

The entire industry of technology journalists have completely not wasted any time in quickly and loudly posting Apple's proposed solution to the Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS) problem experienced by many Macbook owners and users like myself that surfaced this summer .  You would not know that there was a problem based upon the recent overwhelming and overkill coverage until the solution was announced before the problem was publicly mentioned supposedly after all.

Upon reading a headline that was soon repeated in many forms stating that an official solution was on the table on October 26, 2006, I promptly downloaded Macbook SMC Firmware Update 1.1 when I returned home from work and I have not experienced RSS since.

But the problem has been promptly replaced with the fact that the power supply cable seems to no longer charge the battery at all.  There is a light on the power supply cable that turns yellow when the battery is being charged and turns green when the battery is fully charged.

Now the light remains green as long as it is connected to my Macbook while the battery's strength continues to nosedive and crash.  Right now I am not showing any battery strength at all after trying to recalibrate the battery today.  When I unplugged the cable earlier this evening, the computer immediately turned off.  I am still plugged in and expect the computer to go blank upon disconnecting the power supply cable.

So now I have gone from experiencing random shutdowns to a further reduced pleasure experience of a more reliable and predictable shutdown.  Ugh:(

I found a widget that provides a measurement for battery strength as a percentage.  It is not reading any battery strength at the present time.

At first, these dots would be very difficult to connect.  But with a few mental notes and careful observations, it is beginning to become easier to recognize when a problem or proposal leaves or receives a solution and when the next problem suddenly appears.  It is as if I am waiting for public mass transit like MARTA and CCT here in metro Atlanta.

Apple did a wonderful job in at least offering the SMC Firmware Update, but right now it is seeming as if the problem or series of failures have not gone far enough.

One recently read article mentioned the reduction in battery power and another article mentioned that Apple has basically refused to state what was causing the problem and as a consequence on the same battlefront, the class action suit that was gaining strength as a late summer hurricane has not really subsided.

No one should get me wrong.  The Macbook or Blackbook is a race, show, and work horse all built into one very neat package.  But to lose the mobility and portability that a notebook/laptop computer was designed to offer does make me wonder if I would again buy a Macbook knowing what I know today.

I would have rather paid more or less money for stability (on a PC laptop maybe, I now wonder if I jest) at this point and I originally thought I did.  It seems like a wave rushed over the world this past summer and many Macbook owners hit the same wall and fell like dominoes through no effort of our own.  We only purchased a supposedly great product upon its initial release.  I know that I will not repeat computer ownership as an early adopter any more for the price paid literally and figuratively this time around.

Ironically, I even started to wonder why it was beginning to appear that only certain power sockets would allow the battery to be charged while other sockets would not until finally noticing that none of our power sockets currently will allow the power supply light to turn yellow while charging the battery.  This thought was occurring right after the firmware update was installed.

I am willing to eat my words if I am proven wrong or discover that I was mistaken but until the problem is no longer downplayed or superficially ignored, lingering questions are building in number and volume.

I thought that I had my Mac back.  Now I feel like a kid whose candy was taken away by a bully and/or adult and replaced with a chocolate laxative:(

Macbook RSS Problems Appear To Be Solved via smcFanControl:)

Over the weekend, I discovered a program designed to prevent the Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS) that Apple Macbook users like myself have been experiencing over the summer.

The program is called smcFanControl and it makes the internal fan spin faster to keep the Macbook cool.

RSS evidently is heat related and once the computer senses that it is heating up too much, then some type of auto-mechanism kicks in and turns the product off.

There is another program that measures the temperature of the internal chip entitled Core Duo Temp that indicated that the internal temperature has reached approximately 156 degrees Fahrenheit which is around 69 degrees Celsius.  At this temperature, it is not unbelievable that RSS would occur.

When RSS occurred last night while smcFanControl was being used, I could not determine if it was because the battery had run low.  Right now, I am using the power supply and have not had any problems whatsoever even though the internal temp is getting close to 59 degrees Celsius.

So overall, I heartily recommend smcFanControl to any Macbook owner/user who is tired of being sick and tired of RSS.  The smcFanControl is donationware and after communicating with the developer, I discovered that donations can be made via AlertPay which is a competitor to PayPal (as well as PayPal itself).

So I will be donating something to the kitty since this program works so well:)

One final recommendation is to turn the settings to spin at least 3000 rpm or more.  I reset mine tonight to 4000 and it has been working like a charm.  I would set the program to start automatically upon startup, but I have not yet discovered how to do that with a Mac yet.

My Macbook Random Shutdown Syndrome Date Identified

After reading an online article about a potential class action suit against Apple due to the "random shutdown syndrome" (also called RSS) being experienced by other Macbook owners like myself, today I wondered if I could identify when the first problem first occurred with my Macbook.

There are so many things on my plate that keeping such a date at the forefront of my mind is impossible, but due to the search feature within Gmail, I have been able to pinpoint exactly when the problem first occurred with my new Blackbook.

This evening I located an e-mail in which I told my friend Terry who really exposed me to the world of Macs that I sent to him on August 24th:

I noticed that my Macbook would not work at the altitude that we were flying at.  The white light on right side of the computer facing me was flashing.  It could have been that the computer needed charging but I thought that it would least completely power up.

My friend replied:

You have to ensure you completely power down before you get on a plane.  It will work, but the system must shutdown or the battery will lose power quickly.

I wondered if the altitude had an effect on my Macbook, but I know that the vast majority of Macbook owners have not flown while trying to use their computers.  So something else has to be the cause of the problem.

The problem has occurred through using either the battery and power cord as a power supply.

Lately, I have found it easier to start my usage first through the battery and then after the first random shutdown, the computer will use the power cord for power with very few if any RSS issues.

But if I start off with the power cord first, then a RSS will certainly occur very soon and repeat frequently.

I can typically expect it to occur at least once daily upon first using my Blackbook.

After the business trip, I had the Macbook checked out and shortly after getting it back, the RSS began to occur frequently.  But it first occurred on the return flight from Tampa I had on the morning of August 24, 2006.  I received and first used my Blackbook on June 28, 2006.  So this problem has started within less than 2 months of ownership.

I hope that RSS can be resolved peacefully.  I am sure to continue my ownership of Apple products, but RSS is clearly a nuisance that appears should have been quickly resolved or prevented.

"Very Pretty Colors" on Apple MacBook

Image015.jpg
Originally uploaded by wysiwysell.

Here is a photo of what I call an annoying nuisance. I hope that Apple releases a fix very soon.

There is a solution that I mentioned in my last blog entry, but the error will freak you out when it first occurs.

I Am Not Crazy After All: Apple MacBook "Pretty Colors" Are Not In Vogue

I received the Apple MacBook (the fancy black one) on June 28, 2006 after the computer was first announced on May 16th which is my birthday.

I did not experience any problems until returning home from a business trip to Tampa, Florida.

This evening I noticed a blog that was referring to the same identical problem.

My comments on the blog are as follows (with a few minor updates since I have had more time to think about the problem and how it has progressed):

I have been experiencing the same problem as well ever since I used a monitor cleaning solution purchased at an Apple retail store.

I had just gotten my BlackBook back from the same Apple Store Repair that was being checked out after a recent flight in which the computer would not turn on or stay on long (the problem did not first occur until the return flight home).

When I started using the computer immediately after buying and using the cleaning solution (that worked maybe too well on my monitor), I noticed that I had a vertical band of "very pretty colors" on the right hand margin of the BlackBook's monitor.

Since I read about the same double-rebooting process with the initial problem from the user's manual and Apple's website, I used the same technique of having the computer start up twice while holding the command+alt+R+P+Power keys all at once.

I initially wondered if the problem occurred when the MacBook was slightly jarred or when I tried to use it at an altitude that was too high during the return flight home.

But it is indeed annoying after awhile:(

I have using the same technique to successfully get rid of the problem everytime it occurs.

This is my first experience as a Mac computer outside of buying an iPod Mini Gold for my wife that I am always using by the way.  The BlackBook itself is indeed awesome and I have been re-exposed to a multitude of capabilities especially with GarageBand being the biggest benefit.  My previous IBM ThinkPad were great workhorses as well, but I am totally wireless now:D

Wireless computing has allowed me to move within my own home and elsewhere with pure comfort and ease whenever bursts of creativity have pounced upon me.

But since I usually bike to work and my employer has a no-personal-computers-at-the-office policy, I have to depend upon thinking about something else while riding my bike or sitting on the bus and train during the morning and evening commutes.

After my bike accident experienced this summer, I know that I could not reasonably and safely ride a bike with a notebook computer and a change of clothes in the same backpack.  There is just too much room for error, theft, or the unimaginable as with the accident.

But just as soon as a permanent fix appears on the scene involving the "pretty colors", I will jump on it.

I know that a class action suit would definitely prompt something better than having to cough up $249 for AppleCare to extend the warranty for three years beyond the original purchase date.

Apple is on a solid roll of momentum and does not need to do anything to jeopardize the goodwill of both consumers and investors.

Regardless, I would not change any of my Apple experiences in 2006 and look forward to seeing how iTV is going to develop.

I wonder if it is going to get along well with our Tivo or we will wake up one morning to see fur everywhere and one piece of equipment standing or limping victoriously?  I had a childhood experience one morning on a Christmas Day where one dog slaughtered another dog which was a collie named Lassie we had.  It was tragic then and the memory (no pun intended) lingers still:(

Peace!

MP3 Summer 2006 Sermon: Every Seed Must Fight

Here is the link to immediately listen to or download (for later listening) the sermon that I delivered this past Thursday (July 6, 2006) as we are continuing to advance and support the efforts of Christian youth moving forward entitled "Every Seed Must Fight".

The sermon was delivered at Greater Zion Hill Baptist Church in Smyrna, GA which is led by Pastor Elijah Jones.  I gave my first sermon ever under Pastor Jones' leadership there 10 years ago.

The length of the MP3 file is approximately 32:15.

It is my hope and prayer that the message blesses you, your household, and challenges you to make the necessary changes to train and develop youth and all ages worldwide in Christian excellence according to the will of God.

Peace in the name of Christ Jesus!
 

del.icio.us Tags: church christianity blackchurch africanamerican bglo africanamericans minority minorities blackgreek blackgreeks divinenine divine9 blgo blgos blacks roneysmith roney+smith technology technorati skype wysiwysell blogs blogosphere blogpost blogger blogging podcasting podcast yoursinthebond videoblog web2.0 web20 mableton atlanta african+american african+americans consultant diy blackfolk blackfolks black blackentertainmenttelevision ChristianLeadership ChristianFellowship christ ChristianWorldView Jesus Jesus+Christ ministry ministers minister religion Religious urbanleague vlogging vlog yahoogroups

 

Mama Used To Say: More Than One Way To Skin A Cat

After my last blog entry on connecting the hardware for a home network, I ran into technical difficulty that others have already experienced in getting one of most readily available network adapters to work with Tivo.

 

Instead of returning the USB adapter to Wal-Mart tomorrow and looking for an older network adapter that may not be readily sold anymore, I totally reversed the original plans and switched the hardware to operate our desktop computer via the newly purchased USB adapter and used our existing ethernet cable to directly wire the new Tivo box.

 

Lo and behold, Tivo recognized the network connection immediately and before I could sit down and grab the remote, a message appeared which indicated that it would not need or use the telephone line to connect and update the Tivo settings.

 

Hallelujah!!!

 

Although I had to connect and reconnect the DSL modem from its previously-often difficult-to-reach-in-times-of-trouble location under a sofa, and there is still a possiblity that our daughters or pet cat Missy might accidentally tamper with the DSL modem, today's purchases have finally coincided with plans made a long time ago.

 

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together as desired?

 

One late entry into the game was another piece of hardware purchased a long time ago (and fortunately still sitting in our storage room) in the form of an USB ethernet adapter which allowed the ethernet cable to plug into the USB ethernet adapter which connected into the USB port on the Tivo unit.

 

There were multiple messages that have indicated that Tivo is working very well with our new home network and there are going to be some features that our previous first-generation Tivo box did not have that we will enjoy deeply.

 

So I am thoroughly excited about our new Tivo ownership experience!

 

Peace and Goodnight!

Home Network Finally Created

Yesterday I mentioned that I would wait until next week before buying the necessary equipment to take advantage of the home network features built into the second generation TiVo boxes/units.

 

After further thought, I went ahead today and bought the necessary home network hardware pieces manufactured by Linksys which is owned by Cisco.

 

The initial setup attempt required telephone calls to our ISP (Bellsouth) and Linksys.  Somehow our DSL connection failed right before or during the telephone call to Linksys and their attempts to offer assistance ended there.

 

A second call to Bellsouth was what the doctor ordered and the rep gave me great assistance and although there was a method to connect the router via an automated method through Linksys' website, the Bellsouth rep earned my trust and we proceeded to go through the steps to successfully get everything working in order.

 

My next move this evening is going to result in connecting the TiVo box to my home network and broadband connection in order to be able to move files from the TiVo box to my desktop computer and even program our TiVo unit remotely.

 

I will post the details later and I hope that everything goes well after the time spent on the phone receiving technical assistance already.

 

I know that I should wait for another day but when it comes to technology, I am a sucker for punishment if it is going to lead to a cool techie breakthrough;)

 

Now I cannot wait to buy or get other computers to use the wireless home network that now exists within our home.
 

Peace!

Our new TiVo unit arrived today!

This evening upon returning home, I discovered that our new TiVo unit (a second generation unit at that) had arrived.  It was just ordered on Tuesday evening, so its FedEx delivery was extremely fast.

 

My wife Wyteria had not mentioned anything about this afternoon before she went to work.

 

I had left most of our connections in the same place from our previous unit and just had to remove the old unit/box from our entertainment center.

 

The connections went pretty smooth and I had already planned to buy a wireless USB device to make sure that the new box could take advantage of any network connections.

 

Since the box has arrived so fast, I will probably wait until next week before buying anything.  The initial setup of the new box has already been completed and it appears to be fully functional.

 

I can already tell that I need to add our specific channel lineup and adding the capability to control the tv via the TiVo remote as well.

 

But being that the delivery has pleasantly surprised me, life is indeed good;)

 

Peace!

It Has Been A Great Birthday Today!

Today is my birthday and it has been a great one!

 

My coworkers since late April had purchased 2 birthday cakes, a card, and balloons plus songs and well wishes to help me celebrate the day.

 

Then I met my wife and daughters for a great dinner at Olive Garden and we had another cake and ice cream upon returning home.

 

As one of my gifts from my wife and kids, I received a nice replacement wallet for the one that had received a beating over the past year.

 

I treated myself last night to buying several books on music theory and composition to help provide some greater resources in creating songs.

 

Overall, it has been a fantastic day and I am thoroughly tired and look to remember this birthday with fondness.

 

I am going to burn a little sleep time that I hope to avoid in the future through buying another TiVo unit which was ordered online tonight.

 

I am going to look at the season finale tonight for CBS' program "The Unit".  I may be a little red-eyed tomorrow, but this show is great.

 

Peace!

1st Pay Day in New Job and Going Solo Out of Initial Training Next Week

I have just finished the initial training for a financial services company with offices in Alpharetta, GA and the experience has been great.

 

The first payday just occurred and each new employee is going solo with our customer base next week.  More experienced personnel will be available as needed.

 

It is Mother's Day weekend, a festival is taking place within downtown Atlanta, and I am currently scheduled to conduct a house blessing and teach Sunday School as well.

 

Clearly God has been blessing us richly and deeply in 2006 as we took steps to not confine ourselves but to proactively share the blessings that we have been blessed with.

 

Since there is little time for rest, I hope to go to sleep at the same time our daughters will be tucked in and grab needed ZZZZZs for myself.

 

Although I could be a little more tired than I currently feel right now, I know without a doubt that we are being blessed.

 

Have a great weekend and do something special for the mothers that are near you.

 

Peace!

Series 7 License Renewed

Today I found out that my series 7 license was renewed as of May 8, 2006 and I am thoroughly ecstatic about the situation.

 

Once you leave the securities industry, your status of having successfully passed the series 7 exam (and more importantly not having to retake the exam) expires after 2 years.  Although I still had several months before mine was to expire in mid-December, I am glad to have the clock get reset as I launch into a new career with a more reputable company with both its clients and employees at heart.

 

One ironic thing is that I never knew how much how my previous employer had damaged its own reputation until I was no longer employed with the company.  Sure I saw websites that did not express love for the company prior to leaving but such websites have to be consumed with a grain of salt.

 

Even changing the name of the company is in vain if the same traits, characteristics, and fundamental issues still occupy its primary motivations.  The former employer still does not have any true value for the customer or the marketplace which is tragic.

 

But I am on to bigger and better things, places, and situations now and although the journey has not always been a pleasurable one, I will say that I would repeat the mileage to get to where I am now positioned without a doubt.

 

Finally, there is some peace, joy, and hope as a new perspective and potential is getting closer everyday.

 

Peace!