Real Men Don't Get DRUNK!!

Before you read this post, look at the title very carefully. I did not say, Real Men do not drink; I like to drink a little alcohol now and then. The title says Real Men do not get drunk. I am writing this because I am tired of hearing guys talk about all the stupid, dangerous, and completely awful things they do while drunk. Merriam Webster's Dictionary defines drunk as, "having the faculties impaired by alcohol." To put it simply, this means not having full control of the part of your brain that makes decisions. I have always said, a Real Man is always accountable for their actions. I have seen to many men try to use alcohol and being drunk as an excuse for bad behavior. Have you ever said or heard someone say this,
"I didn't mean to call you fat baby, I was just a little drunk. You know I didn't mean it."

"Come on honey, you know I wasn't really checking your friend out, me and the guys were just drinking."

"I swear honey, I didn't mean to call you that. It was just the alcohol talking."

"You know I didn't mean to say those things about your parents, right? I just had a little too much to drink."

"I never meant to sleep with her, I swear. She didn't mean anything to me, I just drank to much that night."

"Baby, I didn't mean to hit you, you know that. I was just angry and had been drinking."

When you hear these scenarios, do you think certain ones are worse than others? If you do, why? What makes the first any different than the last? The man lost control of himself and did something hurtful (not just to another person, but to the most important person in his life). A man must always have control of his thoughts and decisions; when a man looses control, he is still responsible for his decisions. This is why a Real Man never gets drunk. A Real Man never looses control of his decisions because he is always thinking of the consequences of his decisions. So, the next time you go out drinking with the boys, remember that being drunk does not excuse your bad decisions.

MY LIFE!!!!

As I write this, I cannot stop the wave of emotions that flood my soul. My life is moving so fast now, everything is changing and it is so scary. But, rather than worry about it, I know I am prepared for the future. Many people may wonder how I can remain calm as I face the unknowns of life. It is simple, when I look back at where I have come from I know there is nothing I can't face. The Lord works in such amazing ways in the lives of his children; my life is no exception. In this post, I will reveal some deep secrets of my past and my family that I have shared with few people. I am doing this for my own personal reasons. If expect no pity, no special treatment, and no one will even really care about what I have to say. I write this for my own benefit, no one else's.

Let me begin with my past. I was born to a homeless, drug addict in the city of Birmingham, AL. My mother is not entirely sure who my biological father is and she and I have no desire to learn the truth. My birth itself is a miracle since it almost never happened. My mother tried to have me aborted; the only thing that stopped her was not having the $200 to pay for the procedure. Through a series of events, she and I moved to Louisville, KY. This is where the first major step in my growth occurred. My mother met the man I know call my dad. Though he and I wouldn't know it at the time, this relationship we were forming would become one of the most powerful influences on who I am today. Under this man's guidance I learned what it truly meant to be a man. I learned the value of an education and hard work. My dad moved us out of the city and to Arkansas. As I grew, I had ups and downs, but I never missed a lesson from my dad. To the world, he is the man that married my mother; to me, he is the greatest father anyone could ever ask for.

When I left home to join the military, I learned about the world outside of my small farm. I had friends, I had some knowledge of the world, but I knew very little about other cultures and other types of people. I also learned that very few people share my work ethic and sense of responsibility for their actions as I have. I am not perfect by any means, but I do not try to excuse my mistakes, I face the consequences for my actions. A lesson many people need to learn.

After the military came my first experience with college: also my first true experience with the opposite sex. I had no idea how to talk to women, just like I didn't know how to take my college classes seriously. I made huge mistakes with women and my studies. Though I would be forced to drop out of college, God would bless me with the one woman who could see the shy and confused little boy I was and turn him into a man. She taught me confidence and how a real man doesn't just wear blue jeans, t-shirts, and ball caps.

I failed to provide for my family without a college degree. My wife, dad, and family pushed me to return to college. My dad said I couldn't live his life, I had to become something more than a dirt poor farmer. I returned to classes with a new attitude, and an idea of how to be a student. I quickly found my true talent. I know I am natural leader, an amazing public speaker, and a pretty decent writer. I also easily understand marketing concepts and can work well with different cultures. I became a student leader in my school's Phi Beta Lambda chapter. My time in PBL will forever be the most memorable part of my college life. I have made so many good friends, learned so much from my professors. Though their are a certain few that mean more to me than others (they know who they are I hope), every single person I worked with in PBL has become a part of my life. Williams Baptist College and PBL have given me so much, I can't wait to repay them.

Now, I stand on the edge looking at the next journey God has in store for me. I have no clue what will happen, but I know I can overcome every obstacle. I can do this because I have an amazing wife that pushes and gives me a reason to be better than I am now, a father that has given me an example of what type of man I should be, a mentor that I know will always be there when I need guidance, and such amazing friends to help me run this race. Though I will always fail, I will never be a failure. When I fall , I will always get up stronger, having learned from my mistakes. My demons will always haunt me, but they will never control me again.

This is why I am a Real Man!

FEAR!

President Franklin D Roosevelt said "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." 

I disagree. Fear, like so many terms, is not used the way it is meant to be. Fear cannot be removed from our lives. To remove fear from your life would be like removing the oxygen from your lungs. Now, so many people will be confused by this, so I must explain. 

When you FEAR something, you respect it. I fear the unknown because I do not know what it holds, but I am not afraid of it. I fear the things I cannot control but I am not terrified of what may happen.  My fear gives me the caution I need to think before leaping. People who live without fear, without respect, make decisions that hurt themselves and hurt the ones they love. I fear what the consequences of each of my decisions will be, what they will do to my family. This fear makes me think about the proper course, the best decision that will benefit myself, my wife, my family, my friends, and everyone else. So you can try to hide from your fear, you can let it drive you insane with worry, you can completely ignore your fears, but you will always be weaker because of it. I will use my fear to drive my success. I do not fear failure, for I learn my short falls. So as you worry about the fear, as you "fear" fear, I will be climbing that ladder and leaving you in my dust. You chose.

Man of Steel Review

Man of Steel didn't disappoint. I had very high expectations because of producer Christopher Nolan's masterful work on The Dark Knight Trilogy. The film didn't disappoint! However, the camera movement was just to over done in some of the action scenes. I understand they wanted to show how fast Superman, Zod, and all the others could move, but they really distracted from the story at points. Russell Crowe was amazing, Henry Cavill was a perfect choice for Clark Kent/Superman/Kal-El, Michael Shannon really brought Zod into the 21st century and to reality, Kevin Costner gave a true human element to the film. I was a little disappointed in Amy Adams as Lois Lane, but she didn't hurt the film (she just didn't blow me away either). Director Zack Snyder did a very good job of grounding the story in reality. However, they did pay homage to the comic books, in the very first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1, Superman couldn't fly, he could only leap over tall buildings in a single bound. Superman cannot fly until he learns how to jump. The new suit is far better than the old suits, the explanation of the "S" on the chest is much better than it just meaning Superman. I highly recommend this movie, especially for families, very little cussing, sexual references, or gory violence. I would say my favorite part of the film was how they didn't make Superman the golden boy, or boy scout that he always was in the comics. Superman has learned to get his hands a little dirty. I hope you go see the film.

Simcity Disappointment

I preordered the new Simcity game in February of this year. I spent many months watching the development footage of the game just waiting for a chance to build my city! However, even though the game hit computers in March, I still haven't built my first city. This came because of a slight miscommunication by EA; the game didn't release for Mac in March. At first I was upset, but then I saw the complete disaster of a launch the game had. This slightly comforted me, I didn't have to fight through the damage control of the failure. Then EA announced the game would come to the Mac on June 11. I thought, "There is no possible way they will screw up the second release of the game." This happened though as it is June 12, and I still haven't built my city. I have never owned a Simcity game before, but I have always wanted one. Now the game features aspects that made the game exactly what I wanted, full 3D terrain and buildings. But, despite all the qualities that caused my desire for the game, I am unwilling to continue to wait for the game. I do not have the extra money to purchase a Windows computer, I doubt I would want a new Windows 8 anyways with the bad reviews I have heard from people, to play the game. Therefore I will do everything I can to have my money returned and once again, I will not be able to enjoy a game I have been waiting on for many years. I doubt I will succeed but I will try. I must admit, I studied marketing in college, it was one of my favorite subjects, and I believe EA needs to fire their marketing team. This has been a disaster. That is my rant for the day.

Public Speaking Tips

As I went through new employee orientation today, we were asked a unique ability or skill that we could bring to the company. At the moment, the only thing I could think of was my public speaking ability. This is a skill I have developed through the various presentations I have had to give in school and through Phi Beta Lambda competitions. One of the other new employees asked me how I could keep from being nervous. All the others showed the same amazement at the thought of someone actually enjoying speaking in front of a crowd as so many others I have met. I find it very strange that anyone would have such a fear of something as simple as talking. People have an abnormally large fear of public speaking, some say they would rather die than do it, but it isn't very difficult. So, I have decided to give a few quick tips that I use when I speak in public.

#1: Know your material - Many people would say have confidence, but you can't have confidence if you do not know what you are speaking about. I submit this instead, the better you know your material and how to present it, the more confidence you will have.
#2: You won't say anything wrong - I hear people ask this hypothetical question all the time, "What if I say the wrong thing?" My answer is, "Who cares?" Only you will know that the words you spoke were incorrect, therefore simply go with it. Do not go back and try to say it again.
#3: Speak up - This tip requires confidence, but if you have followed my previous two tips then this should be easy. Speak loud and proud, you are in front of them for a reason and as long as they do not get up to leave, then you are doing well.
#4: Don't give a damn about anyone's "possible" opinion - "What if they hate it?" This question is dangerous and pointless. If you present your case or facts correctly, then it is on them to enjoy the information you have given them. If they do not like it, then tell them (mentally, do not actually speak the words out loud) to kiss your ass. Now this does not mean you should ignore constructive criticism. Just filter out the quality critiques of your presentation and the B. S. of people's personal opinions.

I hope these tips help you in your next speech or presentations.

"BIG BROTHER"?

Though I have nothing against the government tracking the phones of known terrorists, I do find it funny that the Democratic party fought against the Bush administration for doing it. Now, where is the outrage over the Obama administration seizing the phone records of the average everyday American? Under Bush, the NSA was listening to phone calls made from U. S. cell phones, to known terrorist numbers outside of the country. Democrats were furious and claimed this was a violation of privacy and also needed a warrant. Obama's administration has reported seized and continues to seize the phone records of all Verizon Wireless customers. The report also states that they had a court order to do this. Are all Verizon customers plotting against the U. S.? What judge would sign off on this broad of a warrant? How can you logically explain why all the records from all of Verizon Wireless' customers had to be seized? What will be the damage to Verizon Wireless' public image? I wish I could pose these questions and more to the president. I wish the citizens of the United States would wake up to the fact that this president clearly has either no idea what the government is doing (therefor is incompetent) or is completely disregarding the Constitution and the laws of our nation in a mad dash for power. One of these options must be true, you decide which is true, but there is only one obvious conclussion, he must go!