Rysheed Jordan - Skills for Life

Quote from: Foad on June 04, 2016, 06:10:33 AM

Quote from: goredmen on June 03, 2016, 11:54:24 PM

Well it didn't go up so I guess it's a resounding success! Let's spend trillions more to keep it there!

Piling on.

"This week, the Census Bureau will most likely report that the poverty rate last year was about 14 percent, essentially the same rate as in 1967, three years after the War on Poverty was announced ... according to the Census, there has been no net progress in reducing poverty since the mid to late 1960s. Since that time, the poverty rate has undulated slowly, falling by two to three percentage points during good economic times and rising by a similar amount when the economy slows. Overall, the trajectory of official poverty for the past 45 years has been flat or slightly upward.

The static nature of poverty is especially surprising because (as Chart 1 also shows) poverty fell dramatically during the period before the War on Poverty began. In 1950, the poverty rate was 32.2 percent. By 1965 (the first year during which any War on Poverty programs began to operate), the rate had been cut nearly in half to 17.3 percent"

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/09/the-war-on-poverty-after-50-years

Even if Desco's "facts" were correct, the government spent 22 trillion dollars over 50 years and managed to reduce the poverty rate by 10 percent. That's not a resounding success. It's not a resounding anything. There are about 50 million people living below the poverty line. So the US spent 5 million dollars per person to move 5 million people from poverty to the lower middle class.

Don't think its that simple. I hear the pundits speak about how poor of a recovery we have from the "great recession" compared to previous recovery's and quote numbers to prove it. Its misleading. The economic landscape has changed drastically today from yester year. What is never mentioned is the fact that technology has given companies the ability to outsource a significant amount of their workforce as compare to 50 years ago. Mostly low/entry level positions. This undoubtedly impacts the poverty level. I cant deny that a side effect of public assistance perpetuate a pathology of dependency. There will always be a segment of the population that takes advantage of situations. However, by its very nature, a capitalist system will have a segment of its population in poverty, public assistance is not the cause, it attempts to be a solution. The question is then, how else should this population be addressed if you took away the safety net?   

Outsourcing is an issue but it's not the only issue because the weak recovery isn't just here it's global. But the recovery has been weak compared to other ones. For me what concerns me the most which I think could really hurt us down the road is the spiral downward in interest rates not just here but globally. And the reason why is 2 words that could affect us. Baby Boomers.  As boomers get older and exit the work force they start to live off savings and the less they earn the less they spend and they tend to spend less anyway once they stop working. I met with someone on friday who in 2007 was earning 100k tax free from investments and now as the bonds start getting called he could very well be looking at 50-60k per year. Now not that people should feel sorry for this one person but the problem now that person is going to be spending 40k less per year etc etc and not everyone has a couple million saved like that person

It's not just entry level jobs that are outsourced anymore anyway. Some tech and back office jobs going to india. Heck factory jobs ( if that's what you want to call entry level ) not just going to china anymore. I have clients shifting production from China to Vietnam and other countries over there. Even some things being produced in South America like Peru. Minimum wage there is something like 800 soles a month which is something like equivalent of $240 U.S

Ideally I'd prefer Fun's utopian society based on giving but unfortunately I think at where we are now we need some sort of safety net although I don't know what the right answer is for that anymore. I do know 3 separate people on a form of public assistance and 2 that definitely are working the system while the other is busting their ass but still needs help and deserves it


Also God Bless the Swiss

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/05/swiss-expected-to-overwhelmingly-reject-free-money-plan.html

Well I guess Jordan in Jail now is on public assistance. ( just keeping the post on topic )

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 04, 2016, 03:34:15 PM

Quote from: Foad on June 04, 2016, 06:10:33 AM

Quote from: goredmen on June 03, 2016, 11:54:24 PM

Well it didn't go up so I guess it's a resounding success! Let's spend trillions more to keep it there!

Piling on.

"This week, the Census Bureau will most likely report that the poverty rate last year was about 14 percent, essentially the same rate as in 1967, three years after the War on Poverty was announced ... according to the Census, there has been no net progress in reducing poverty since the mid to late 1960s. Since that time, the poverty rate has undulated slowly, falling by two to three percentage points during good economic times and rising by a similar amount when the economy slows. Overall, the trajectory of official poverty for the past 45 years has been flat or slightly upward.

The static nature of poverty is especially surprising because (as Chart 1 also shows) poverty fell dramatically during the period before the War on Poverty began. In 1950, the poverty rate was 32.2 percent. By 1965 (the first year during which any War on Poverty programs began to operate), the rate had been cut nearly in half to 17.3 percent"

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/09/the-war-on-poverty-after-50-years

Even if Desco's "facts" were correct, the government spent 22 trillion dollars over 50 years and managed to reduce the poverty rate by 10 percent. That's not a resounding success. It's not a resounding anything. There are about 50 million people living below the poverty line. So the US spent 5 million dollars per person to move 5 million people from poverty to the lower middle class.

Don't think its that simple. I hear the pundits speak about how poor of a recovery we have from the "great recession" compared to previous recovery's and quote numbers to prove it. Its misleading. The economic landscape has changed drastically today from yester year. What is never mentioned is the fact that technology has given companies the ability to outsource a significant amount of their workforce as compare to 50 years ago. Mostly low/entry level positions. This undoubtedly impacts the poverty level. I cant deny that a side effect of public assistance perpetuate a pathology of dependency. There will always be a segment of the population that takes advantage of situations. However, by its very nature, a capitalist system will have a segment of its population in poverty, public assistance is not the cause, it attempts to be a solution. The question is then, how else should this population be addressed if you took away the safety net?   

Outsourcing is an issue but it's not the only issue because the weak recovery isn't just here it's global. But the recovery has been weak compared to other ones. For me what concerns me the most which I think could really hurt us down the road is the spiral downward in interest rates not just here but globally. And the reason why is 2 words that could affect us. Baby Boomers.  As boomers get older and exit the work force they start to live off savings and the less they earn the less they spend and they tend to spend less anyway once they stop working. I met with someone on friday who in 2007 was earning 100k tax free from investments and now as the bonds start getting called he could very well be looking at 50-60k per year. Now not that people should feel sorry for this one person but the problem now that person is going to be spending 40k less per year etc etc and not everyone has a couple million saved like that person

It's not just entry level jobs that are outsourced anymore anyway. Some tech and back office jobs going to india. Heck factory jobs ( if that's what you want to call entry level ) not just going to china anymore. I have clients shifting production from China to Vietnam and other countries over there. Even some things being produced in South America like Peru. Minimum wage there is something like 800 soles a month which is something like equivalent of $240 U.S

Ideally I'd prefer Fun's utopian society based on giving but unfortunately I think at where we are now we need some sort of safety net although I don't know what the right answer is for that anymore. I do know 3 separate people on a form of public assistance and 2 that definitely are working the system while the other is busting their ass but still needs help and deserves it


Also God Bless the Swiss

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/05/swiss-expected-to-overwhelmingly-reject-free-money-plan.html

Well I guess Jordan in Jail now is on public assistance. ( just keeping the post on topic )

Bottom line is that jobs that went overseas are not coming back and any one who says they are is full of BS.  The number of jobs that went overseas in years gone by have been reduced as they are being supplanted by technology in the manufacturing process.  Also Americans would not pay for the cost of products made in the USA.  people would rather pay $30 for a pair of jeans made overseas than $90 for a pair made here.  Until Americans are ready to pay higher prices for US made products, the jobs will not exist here.

And to keep on topic--prison labor will not make the prices go down so Sheed will not help an economic turnaround.

There have always been poor, there are poor and there will always be poor.  There is no solution.  The only problem we have is the decrease of the working lower to middle middle class blue collar worker.  The only societys that have no poor are  the primitives like the native Americans, true socialists.  And the poor will always be attracted to the fast buck because of their economic situation.

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day.  None of that stuff even fazed me after middle school let alone served as the basis of a lifetime of excuses. After I saw the shooting I finished  my cereal and then took a nap. I slept at my apartment in law school the next night after the shooting instead of at my rich gf's house in her gated community.

If you think bad role models are only found in inner cities, you are naive. Drug dealers in the suburbs drive BMWs and sleep with hot chicks. I had at least one hitman in my family and plenty of successful professionals who were/are shitty people. My longtime friend and teammate's father was the only man to escape Attica and had dozens of mob hits to his credit. Plenty of my friends dads are involved in organized crime. I chose to
emulate my grandfather, a former bus driver in Harlem with a third grade education whose life makes mine look like a vacation in paradise.

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who understands how hard it is to learn everything from how to shave and tie a tie to what it means to be a man on their own better than me. That is why I have volunteered my time to mentor kids with similar backgrounds for years.

You may think it's crazy that people can believe kids from the suburbs can live harder lives than kids from the inner-city, but I don't think you really understand how much more important family and support systems are than money and socio-economic status. I think it's pathetic people paint whole communities or races with broad strokes because they are too lazy or ignorant to judge people individually. Don't expect me to stand next to you during your apology for privilege tour.

Jordan is where he is now because he's an asshat...not because he is predisposed to be a failure due to his upbringing.

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

I find thinking "Please can this f*cking  thing crash" will guarantee a safe flight. There was one close call over Morrocco on a discount airline, but it pulled through.

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

Where to?

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

I find thinking "Please can this f*cking  thing crash" will guarantee a safe flight. There was one close call over Morrocco on a discount airline, but it pulled through.

I hate flying so much even though I fly a lot it's nuts. Being 6ft4 sucks on an airplane unless you are flying first class. I can't even tell you how many times I've had turbulence so bad people were crying.   Heck my brother who is pilot took me up on 1 of those 1 propeller planes and as we were climbing all the sudden he is radioing to the tower to make emergency landing. I think he is f'ing with me since he knows I don't like flying and it was my first time flying with him and we are circling the airport but still climbing and then he tells me it's to get more air under us in case the engine dies. Then as we descend there are fire trucks flying down the runway and I ask him what they are doing and he said they are for us. lol 

Luckily he is kickass pilot and we got down fine but oh man do I hate flying.

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

Where to?

  China for 17 days. Since we decided against the olympics in brazil because of the Zika thing we picked china since neither one of us has been to asia other than the asian side of Istanbul

Quote from: Marco Baldi on June 05, 2016, 11:28:41 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

Where to?

  China for 17 days. Since we decided against the olympics in brazil because of the Zika thing we picked china since neither one of us has been to asia other than the asian side of Istanbul

Nice. Turks and Caicos for me on Tuesday. F Zika

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:45:46 PM

Quote from: Marco Baldi on June 05, 2016, 11:28:41 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

Where to?

  China for 17 days. Since we decided against the olympics in brazil because of the Zika thing we picked china since neither one of us has been to asia other than the asian side of Istanbul

Nice. Turks and Caicos for me on Tuesday. F Zika

Cool ! How is your relative doing in the olympic swimming training ?

( sheed will have plenty of time to watch olympics. Just keeping it on topic )

Quote from: Marco Baldi on June 05, 2016, 11:52:12 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:45:46 PM

Quote from: Marco Baldi on June 05, 2016, 11:28:41 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

Where to?

  China for 17 days. Since we decided against the olympics in brazil because of the Zika thing we picked china since neither one of us has been to asia other than the asian side of Istanbul

Nice. Turks and Caicos for me on Tuesday. F Zika

Cool ! How is your relative doing in the olympic swimming training ?

( sheed will have plenty of time to watch olympics. Just keeping it on topic )

Trials at the end of June in Omaha

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 11:24:01 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

I find thinking "Please can this f*cking  thing crash" will guarantee a safe flight. There was one close call over Morrocco on a discount airline, but it pulled through.

I hate flying so much even though I fly a lot it's nuts. Being 6ft4 sucks on an airplane unless you are flying first class. I can't even tell you how many times I've had turbulence so bad people were crying.   Heck my brother who is pilot took me up on 1 of those 1 propeller planes and as we were climbing all the sudden he is radioing to the tower to make emergency landing. I think he is f'ing with me since he knows I don't like flying and it was my first time flying with him and we are circling the airport but still climbing and then he tells me it's to get more air under us in case the engine dies. Then as we descend there are fire trucks flying down the runway and I ask him what they are doing and he said they are for us. lol 

Luckily he is kickass pilot and we got down fine but oh man do I hate flying.

Haha
I thought for sure the plane was going down over Morocco. I was with about two dozen friends and all but one was crying and screaming. I couldn't stop laughing at all the men crying and acting like babies. The oxygen masks came out and lights went out and everything.  Dying in a plane crash is the way I want to go.

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:44:13 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 11:24:01 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

I find thinking "Please can this f*cking  thing crash" will guarantee a safe flight. There was one close call over Morrocco on a discount airline, but it pulled through.

I hate flying so much even though I fly a lot it's nuts. Being 6ft4 sucks on an airplane unless you are flying first class. I can't even tell you how many times I've had turbulence so bad people were crying.   Heck my brother who is pilot took me up on 1 of those 1 propeller planes and as we were climbing all the sudden he is radioing to the tower to make emergency landing. I think he is f'ing with me since he knows I don't like flying and it was my first time flying with him and we are circling the airport but still climbing and then he tells me it's to get more air under us in case the engine dies. Then as we descend there are fire trucks flying down the runway and I ask him what they are doing and he said they are for us. lol 

Luckily he is kickass pilot and we got down fine but oh man do I hate flying.

Haha
I thought for sure the plane was going down over Morocco. I was with about two dozen friends and all but one was crying and screaming. I couldn't stop laughing at all the men crying and acting like babies. The oxygen masks came out and lights went out and everything.  Dying in a plane crash is the way I want to go.

Did you come out like the drummer in Almost Famous during your plane adventure?

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:44:13 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 11:24:01 PM

Quote from: mjmaherjr on June 05, 2016, 11:14:39 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 05, 2016, 10:47:04 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Quote from: Marillac on June 03, 2016, 01:44:07 PM

Quote from: SJUFAN on June 03, 2016, 12:35:41 PM

"Blaming the social cycle and the circumstances he was born into is ridiculous and part of the problem in America today."

How many times during your youth have you had to rummage through trash to find a meal to eat? Or sleep outside in the rain? Don't underestimate the circumstances that faces some of our youth today and the impact it can have on their thought process.

"This kid saw the world around him in which he grew up. . crime, drugs, criminals, people off to jail, etc......All he had to do was make the right choices and he did not , He choose to keep going back home, to stay in the cycle.."

You make it sound as if that should be a deterrent for a child. For some, yes, but if all you saw was crime, drugs, criminals, jail, etc.. growing up you may not see it as a bad thing, its what you know. If you interview some of these young adults and ask them if they think they were abused by their parent/guardian growing up and often times they would say no. Ask specific questions like, ever hit? yah, with an object? Sure, Any bruising? All the time. They don't think of it as abuse because that is all they know.

I'm not saying the circumstances he was born into "is" to blame. I'm saying it is a contributing factor. Rysheed shouldn't get a pass, he's an adult who was aware of what he was doing was wrong, he should be held accountable. However the ability to make the "right choice" as you say isn't as simple as you may think.     

I think you've watched Oliver Twist one too many times. WIC gives mothers with children very generous allowances. Also, every school Jordan attended almost certainly gave out free breakfast AND lunch. That says nothing of the benefits he received as a superstar athlete traveling the country for free and getting per diem while loading up on piles of free sneakers and gear he could sell to his friends.

Jordan's life in the ghetto as a superstar athlete was easier than most kids lives in the middle class. He was the prince of North Philly. His downfall was that nobody ever told him no.

Many of you speak and criticize from the outside looking in making judgment based off theoretical applications and have no clue what is actually going on.   

Jordan's life was easier than most middle class kids is an insane comment. Its even more scarier that many may believe that notion. How many of your close family and friends were murdered?

My best friend since kindergarten was killed when I was 19. My grandmother was stabbed with a butcher knife. My brother died of brain cancer and my father and grandfather died within 10 days when I was a kid. The last thing I said before my dad died was that I hated him...over something childish. My mom raised me and my three sisters after all that having never worked before. I had a gun held to my head over throwing snowballs at cars with a group of friends. I've seen a car crash into the house next door during a police chase and then the driver getting fatally shot by police 150 feet away from me. My friend and teammate was shot and paralyzed at St. John's right near my dorm. I've been hit in the face  with a baseball bat.  In law school some drugees mistakenly shot  my neighbor (had wrong complex) after first knocking on my door at 3 am and I saw a milk crate pulled up to my window and  my screen removed the next day. 

Can you unfriend me on Facebook please before my flight thursday

I find thinking "Please can this f*cking  thing crash" will guarantee a safe flight. There was one close call over Morrocco on a discount airline, but it pulled through.

I hate flying so much even though I fly a lot it's nuts. Being 6ft4 sucks on an airplane unless you are flying first class. I can't even tell you how many times I've had turbulence so bad people were crying.   Heck my brother who is pilot took me up on 1 of those 1 propeller planes and as we were climbing all the sudden he is radioing to the tower to make emergency landing. I think he is f'ing with me since he knows I don't like flying and it was my first time flying with him and we are circling the airport but still climbing and then he tells me it's to get more air under us in case the engine dies. Then as we descend there are fire trucks flying down the runway and I ask him what they are doing and he said they are for us. lol 

Luckily he is kickass pilot and we got down fine but oh man do I hate flying.

Haha
I thought for sure the plane was going down over Morocco. I was with about two dozen friends and all but one was crying and screaming. I couldn't stop laughing at all the men crying and acting like babies. The oxygen masks came out and lights went out and everything.  Dying in a plane crash is the way I want to go.

Yeah I don't understand the whole crying thing. Don't get me wrong I get real tense in turbulence but usually it means just me clenching my fists or sqeezing Nathalie's hand so hard I cut the circulation off

A long time ago when we were in Argentina I got food poisoning so bad I couldn't hold down food for 2 weeks. Just Gatorade and water. You literally see me getting lighter day by day in the pictures. As we are flying from peru back to the U.S I was so sick they almost diverted the plane and we were right near cuba. I look at the map and tell the stewardess no way do you stop the plane that as long as you keep a bathroom free I'll make it. ( kind of the same feeling I would get with all the Jordan drama in school )

Then we hit god awful turbulence. Nathalie grabs my hand knowing how much I hate turbulence and planes and I looked at her and said " I don't even care about turbulence anymore. If this plane goes down I'm so sick God is doing me a favor ". LOL

So for me mainly it's just being uncomfortable on the airplane and actually sitting in the airport waiting is even worse

"You may think it's crazy that people can believe kids from the suburbs can live harder lives than kids from the inner-city, but I don't think you really understand how much more important family and support systems are than money and socio-economic status."

I never dismissed the importance of family and support systems. I mentioned that as being important, and agree its even more importance than socio economic status. However, and I say this with respect, because some kids from the suburbs have been exposed to some harsh things that somehow makes them believe they know what the "hard" life is like? Come on man. You had a support system. You had help, from whatever direction it came, you knew your Dad, you knew your grand parents and what is was like being a grandchild, you knew and had relationships with your family, you knew what it was like to have that love, that bond, it creates a sense of importance. You had a home, you had a community that helped you focus on school.....you had options. Are there bad role models, yeah they are everywhere. You have had some unfortunate experience and so has many people, that is not uncommon. What I am speaking of is a life style.   

Think about this....You never knew your dad, or anyone in your family outside of your mom. You may have other siblings but they are not with you. You don't have a stable place to stay, you bounce around from place to place, you have one pair of jeans and a couple of shirts. If you have a stable place its a rat hole, heater is always broken and no AC. The mice play around in the middle of the f'n living room like your their guest. You hear gun fire everyday, everyday. Someone gets shot or dies what seems like every week, every week. You go outside and our drug dealers didn't push a BMW. They pushed a Acura and busy cracking open a crack heads head, often there would be shoot outs from rival gangs trying to take over the spot or retaliate. Your mom is a crack head and doesn't give a shit about if you eat, when you go to sleep, where you are, or your schoolwork. (How do you think that impacts the development of a 5 year old) If you have a sister your mom starts pimping her out as soon as she develops so she can get some more dope. You see different dudes coming out of the room from bagging your sister while you stay in the living room with the mice. Often times you figure your better off not being there and that is often the case at around 14-15. You go into survival mode and do what you can, often end up a ward of the court, but often times it goes undetected until your an adult and you get caught and go to jail.

I was lucky, I had a stable upbringing, had both my parents, a home to call our own, but it didn't change what was in front of my face on a daily basis and who my associates where as a youth and what they had to go through. Not everyone was influenced negatively, many didn't choose a life of crime but they also didn't learn good study habits or the importance of an education. My parents weren't educated and didn't understand the impact the environment outside had on us. I was smoking weed when I was 12. There didn't seem anything wrong with that at the time, I felt like I was mature enough. I was a baby, learning how to cut up and package crack. That was the only industry I knew about. The negative influence is too great, my brother got sucked in and got murdered for it. I changed as I matured. I'm the first in my family to get a college degree let alone a graduate degree. But I'm not narcissistic to believe that since I was able to do it others should as well, of course everyone has the ability to, but statistics doesn't work like that.

Yes Jordan may have been a ass, or just another kid who got caught in the mix. It wasn't until I was in my early twenties for the light to come on, but I always went to school, its what my parents asked of me and supported me. 

Here's to those who persevered.



 

https://www.gofundme.com/27vcfqss


Lolololo

Sheesh... Of all the pics... has to be one w/ SJ logo associated ?

Wonder if police confiscated that Jaguar that he was caught driving in... that would have gotten him part of the way there.

Sheesh... Of all the pics... has to be one w/ SJ logo associated ?

Wonder if police confiscated that Jaguar that he was caught driving in... that would have gotten him part of the way there.

Poor Rysheed was relegated to driving a Jaguar because of awful upbringing

Sheesh... Of all the pics... has to be one w/ SJ logo associated ?

Wonder if police confiscated that Jaguar that he was caught driving in... that would have gotten him part of the way there.

Sheesh... Of all the pics... has to be one w/ SJ logo associated ?

Wonder if police confiscated that Jaguar that he was caught driving in... that would have gotten him part of the way there.

Makes sense to associate himself with SJU as they are playing on our sympathies hoping some of us dopes will contribute.