High School All American and UCLA Recruit Justin Combs… (This photo does not belong to this site.)

All week media outlets from the Today Show to ESPN have covered the “story of Sean “Diddy” Combs eldest child Justin Combs being awarded a full ride to UCLA for to play football. Sure the senior Combs is a multi-million dollar entertainer and business mogul, but he’s not the one who’s headed to college this fall. Besides, Diddy attended Howard University over 20 years ago… Continue here

I encourage you to start by asking yourself, “What does MEMORIAL mean?” Remember, may pop up in your head, that’s what appears in mine. Memorial Day is meant to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for our nation. Although we commonly include current members of the Armed Forces and veterans, this day is not truly for them. They are honored on Armed Forces Day and Veteran’s Day respectively. All are important and should be honored.

Our first guest blogger, @RLJ1738 shares his thoughts on this topic here … @RLJ1738 Delivers! Enjoy and have a beautifully blessed day!

Reblogged from thedeetales:

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In 2009 Trey Songz belted out lyrics indicating that he was SO good in bed that whoever slept with him was going to think he invented sex.  Now in 2012 he has changed his tune to sex ain’t better than love. This Sunday I had a conversation with a group of friends, and the men agreed that sex is good but it isn’t a determining factor in a relationship because, in their words: “I can get pussy whenever I want it, from just about anybody I want it from.”  They went on to say that when you have it “all” at home and still go out to have sex with someone else, it’s just greed (and they were referring to men AND women).

Read more… 1,096 more words

Beautiful examination on relationships...

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length. Relayers do not have to walk all night, but each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

Relay For Life Lakeland

Meet the Monica’s, Monica Campbell and Monica Troutman, two girlfriends from Lakeland, FL who are leading the “PCC & Friends” team this upcoming weekend, May 4th and 5th. Their goal is to raise $500 as they Relay For Life.

How To Donate

Donations can be made online using the team page found here, PCC & Friends Relay For Life Donation Page

The 6th Floor

The Oncology ward is still on the sixth floor and I still remember the number on your room door. I swore to myself that I’d never return to the sixth floor again because it took you away from me, but that all changed last fall when I stayed there for 2 weeks with your sister.

As I laid there on the pullout bed listening to the machines pump medication and fluids into her those 2 weeks, it brought me back to the sound, smell and feelings I had when you were there.

I think of you and long for your physical presence. I had you for nearly 21 years but it wasn’t nearly enough. Here it is 13 years later and there is so much I wish I could share with you; so many times I’ve needed you; so many times that I’ve used your character as a measuring stick to determine who is worthy of my time…

I miss you

A few years after you passed Luther sung a song for us, at least that’s what I tell myself. Every little girl longs for the presence of her father, a father… Your little girl longs for her father. I long for you.

When we said goodbye

We sat and watched The Masters as if we were actually in Augusta. We also talked about my future. You wanted me to finish Talladega, I did. You wanted me to get my law degree so that I can become an attorney, I have and I will. You said something to me that day that will never leave my heart…

Today
You’re a grandfather now of a beautiful little girl. But I’m sure you know that already. I tease Lisa that the when the baby stares off and smiling at what seems to be a blank wall is really her looking at and listening to you and aunt Mildred.

I’m still single. I use to get sad when I thought about getting married because you wouldn’t be there to walk me down the aisle and I’ll never have a father daughter dance. But with growth I’ve grown to realize its not about the wedding but about the marriage. The commitment. That’s why I’m still single, I’ve grown to realize the order of things, something you stressed to me when you were here.

I think I’m ready though. I feel like I’m being prepped for love, and that I’m ready to allow someone to be the man in my life, though no matter how awesome he is you’ll always be my JOY!

Thank You

Thank you for all the father daughter dates, the laughter, the spoiling, the guidance and protection. You raised a beautiful daughter. The lessons you taught me, the memories we shared are with me always.

I love you daddy! You are my JOY…You will always be my JOY

Hometown Comedian Raises Awareness for Lupus with Comedy Show

On Friday April 13, 2012, comedian Jermaine “Funnymaine” Johnson will host a comedy show in the name of Lupus awareness and research. The show will take place at The Worship Center Christian Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

T-Shirts that read “Fight Lupus” will be available on Johnson’s website, and at both TWC locations for a donation of $15, and will serve as admission into the show. Proceeds from the show will go to the Lupus Foundation of America.

Johnson’s mother lost a battle with Lupus in April of 1988. Since then, Johnson has been committed to raising awareness about the disease that affects close to 1.5 million Americans in hopes of finding a cure.

“Lupus may not affect a large number of people in comparison to other diseases, but if we’re talking numbers then ‘One’ is I all need to get active. That’s the number of mothers I’ve had, and she was taken away by lupus.”

Johnson, a well known comedian, had the idea to use his talents and star power to create a show that is entertaining and informative. The show will feature performances by other comedians and musical guests, as well as videos and testimonials regarding the disease.

“I can promise that everyone who attends the show will laugh from start to finish at some good, clean comedy and leave more informed about lupus. And, long after the show is over, I hope that the ‘Fight Lupus’ t-shirts will continue to spread the message. ”

T-Shirts of all sizes for the show are available. Online donors can also choose to pick up their shirts at the event.

For more information and to make donations to the Lupus Foundation, visit www.FunnymaineComedy.com

Antonia “RED” Bennett

WHO IS RED?

Antonia “RED” Bennett is a senior at Florida A&M University hailing from Lakeland, FL. Red has been recently selected to participate in the 2012 WNBA Combine which will be held in Denver, CO in one week, March 30 – April 1, 2012.

ON THE COURT

Red, a forward averages 18 points a game, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She is the 2012 MEAC Player of the Year. She was selected as a part of the first team all conference, MEAC tournament team, and a nominee for the Pan-American game team captain just to name a few of her most recent accomplishments.

OFF THE COURT

Red is a 22 year old criminal justice major who has led the Lady Rattlers not just with her statistical accomplishments on the court but also by being success in the classroom. Red regularly mentors youth through a juvenile justice program in Tallahassee. She has also worked in numerous summer camps for youth.

Due to NCAA rules and regulations, FAMU is unable to assist with any expenses which amount to about $1800. The expenses include but are not limited to (flight, hotel, travel, food, etc.) Red has been able to raise about $700 thus far, but time is ticking.

HOW CAN YOU HELP

Your financial support, resources, contacts, etc.) will help this dynamic young lady fulfill her life long dream of playing professional basketball. So here’s what I need you to do… Please make a donation to help this young lady get to Denver and then ask your friends to do so as well. My goal is to see her have that $1800 by the time North Carolina takes to the court on Sunday night (Yea I’m a Tarheel). Her mother, Iris Hinson and I have created a PayPal account to help get her babygirl to Denver….

Click here to donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5P4F6ZDSZSPTC

**This image does not belong to this site. This image was captured from Google.**

WHO IS RED?

Antonia “RED” Bennett is a senior at Florida A&M University hailing from Lakeland, FL. Red has been recently selected to participate in the 2012 WNBA Combine which will be held in Denver, CO in one week, March 30 – April 1, 2012.

ON THE COURT

Red, a forward averages 18 points a game, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. She is the 2012 MEAC Player of the Year. She was selected as a part of the first team all conference, MEAC tournament team, and a nominee for the Pan-American game team captain just to name a few of her most recent accomplishments.

OFF THE COURT

Red is a 22 year old criminal justice major who has led the Lady Rattlers not just with her statistical accomplishments on the court but also by being success in the classroom. Red regularly mentors youth through a juvenile justice program in Tallahassee. She has also worked in numerous summer camps for youth.

Due to NCAA rules and regulations, FAMU is unable to assist with any expenses which amount to about $1800. The expenses include but are not limited to (flight, hotel, travel, food, etc.) Red has been able to raise about $700 thus far, but time is ticking.

HOW CAN YOU HELP

Your financial support, resources, contacts, etc.) will help this dynamic young lady fulfill her life long dream of playing professional basketball. So here’s what I need you to do… Please make a donation to help this young lady get to Denver and then ask your friends to do so as well. My goal is to see her have that $1800 by the time North Carolina takes to the court on Sunday night (Yea I’m a Tarheel).

As the first women’s basketball player from FAMU to be selected to participate in this event, with your help she will be able to represent the RATTLER NATION and bring exposure to HBCU women’s basketball programs.

Her mother, Iris Hinson has created a PayPal account to help get her babygirl to Denver…. We hope you will send a donation.

You can call Karen Riggien at 850-599-3264 or …

Click here to donate: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=7VCyzfbfRou90I1cWvcZ6DR41LXi8tulJTVmUfDKYq1jrH61w9CA9bJ-3v8&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8dcbcd55a50598f04d927139403713ca13

Reblogged from Mo Better Truths:

Fellow Citizens:

There has been a lot of media attention to the recent incident where George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. This is indeed a tragic situation and has caused a flood of questions and strong emotions from within our community, the region and nation. On behalf of the employees of the City of Sanford, Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to the family and friends of Trayvon Martin. As a father, I can only image the pain Trayvon’s family must be going though.

In an effort to continue to be as responsive as possible to the public seeking information on the incident, I have asked Chief Lee to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding this matter. Below are his responses. Please understand that since this is still an ongoing investigation, the Police Department is limited in what information it can publicly release.

The City of Sanford is committed to insuring that justice is served and, therefore, the City of Sanford has contacted the United States Attorney General’s Office for assistance in this matter.

Why was George Zimmerman not arrested the night of the shooting?

When the Sanford Police Department arrived at the scene of the incident, Mr. Zimmerman provided a statement claiming he acted in self defense which at the time was supported by physical evidence and testimony. By Florida Statute, law enforcement was PROHIBITED from making an arrest based on the facts and circumstances they had at the time. Additionally, when any police officer makes an arrest for any reason, the officer MUST swear and affirm that he/she is making the arrest in good faith and with probable cause. If the arrest is done maliciously and in bad faith, the officer and the City may be held liable.

According to Florida Statute 776.032 :

776.032 Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force.—
(1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s. 776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, the term “criminal prosecution” includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.

(2) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force as described in subsection (1), but the agency may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful.

The men and women of the Sanford Police Department extend our heartfelt sympathies to the Martin family. This is indeed a tragic situation. The death of anyone due to violence, especially a 17 year old young man, is morally appalling. As this incident has generated a lot of media attention, we wanted to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

Why the 911 tapes are not yet released?

There are exemptions to the public records laws for active criminal intelligence and for ongoing investigations. In this instance, the 911 calls made by neighbors in the subdivision, and the non- emergency call made by Mr. Zimmerman are all key to the investigation by Sanford Police Department. In consultation with the Office of the State Attorney, the Sanford police department has decided not to release the audio recordings of the 911 calls due to the ongoing investigation. Many times, specific information is contained in those recordings which is vital to the integrity of the investigation. Should it be revealed, the information may compromise the integrity of the investigation prior to its completion.

Why did Mr. Zimmerman have a firearm in his possession while acting in the role of a neighborhood watch member?
Mr. Zimmerman holds a concealed weapon permit issued from the State of Florida. He is authorized to carry the weapon in a concealed manner wherever Florida Statute dictates. Neighborhood Watch programs are designed for members of a neighborhood to be “eyes and ears” for police and to watch out for their neighbors. They are not members of the Police Department nor are they vigilantes. Training provided by law enforcement agencies to Neighborhood Watch organizations stresses non-contact surveillance of suspicious situations and notifying police of those situations so that law enforcement can respond and take control of the situation.

Mr. Zimmerman was not acting outside the legal boundaries of Florida Statute by carrying his weapon when this incident occurred. He was in fact on a personal errand in his vehicle when he observed Mr. Martin in the community and called the Sanford Police Department.

If Zimmerman was told not to continue to follow Trayvon, can that be considered in this investigation?
Yes it will; however, the telecommunications call taker asked Zimmerman “are you following him”. Zimmerman replied, “yes”. The call taker stated “you don’t need to do that”. The call taker’s suggestion is not a lawful order that Mr. Zimmerman would be required to follow. Zimmerman’s statement was that he had lost sight of Trayvon and was returning to his truck to meet the police officer when he says he was attacked by Trayvon.

Why was George Zimmerman labeled as “squeaky clean” when in fact he has a prior arrest history?
In one of the initial meetings with the father of the victim the investigator related to him the account that Mr. Zimmerman provided of the incident. At that time the investigator said that Mr. Zimmerman portrayed himself to be “squeaky clean”. We are aware of the background information regarding both individuals involved in this event. We believe Mr. Martin may have misconstrued this information.

What about media reenactments of the shooting incident?

Any media reenactments of the shooting incident are purely speculation. To date the Sanford Police Department has not released any rendition of the events of the evening to anyone other than the Office of the State Attorney. The renditions we have seen are not consistent with the evidence in this case.

The Sanford Police Department has conducted a complete and fair investigation of this incident. We have provided the results of our investigation to the Office of the State Attorney for their review and consideration for possible criminal prosecution.

Although the Police Department is the target of the troubling questions, let me assure you we too feel the pain of this senseless tragedy that has dramatically affected our community. Therefore, as we move forward and strive to answer the questions that that are a point of controversy in the community, we ask for your patience, understanding and assistance in getting the correct information to the community.

Thank you,

Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr., ICMA-CM City Manager