The Daily: Happy B-Day MLK.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy B-Day MLK.

Thank you for your contributions to making this world a better place.

Connect The Dots.

This is pretty nifty from Jenni77!

Allo Hello! Thursday is here and I couldn't be happier to see her face. Don't tell Wednesday that...she gets jealous easily.

I mean who doesn't love humps right? Whoop! Whoop!

Anywho, I've been busy all week and was blessed to have a little bit of free time this morning just to type up an Allo Hello! in hopes that all is well on your side of the universe as the week has almost come to an end.

Let's aim for ending it on a high note.

That's what I'm striving for.

Believe That!

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

-Steve Jobs

(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Yeah Ya Know (Takers)" by T.I.)

Never Forget.

Never Forget.

Allo Hello everyone. Can't actually believe that it has been 13 years.

13 years ago to this day on September 11, 2001 my life was changed here in America. Today we mourn as a nation for those that lost their lives on that horrific day of cowardness when the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. was attacked by terrorists.

Thousands of lives were taken away on that dark day and thousands upon thousands were injured. Yet on the darkest of days in American history, we stood tall. Yes we were knocked down by the massive blow but not for very long. Firefighters, police officers, EMT's, soldiers, civilians, bystanders, everyone that was able to lend a hand stepped up to the plate.

You want an example of courage, guts, emotion, passion, meaning. Look and listen to some of the stories on that day when the planes made impact. Look at the imagery of bravery and compassion by our men and women rushing into the sounds of chaos to help out their fellow citizens in agony. Look at what people have done in order to ease the pain and grief of those that lost their mom, their dad, their brother, their sister, their husband, their wife, their BFF, their Day One, their partner in crime.

Life is way too short people. We never known when we are going to take our final breath or walk our last step. You gotta get out there and live your life while at the same time be blessed and thankful with what you got. It may be not much nor it may not be what you want but that's A-O.K. Just be thankful that you got something to work with and keep pushing, keep grindin' towards the things you want to get out of life.

Enjoy your damn life people. No matter how broken down it can get, no matter how shitty it can be at it's darkest moments, no matter how much hate and blasphemy comes your way to derail you off the tracks...ENJOY. YOUR. LIFE.

My condolences and well wishes to all those that were affected by this tragic event 13 years ago. I personally hope that the healing process has gone well for you but I also understand this isn't easy when you lose someone close to you in the matter that it happened. Yet you know that the spirit of that individual that's on your mind on that day that didn't make it home is surrounding you and within you every single day and just when you think you're alone...they are right there. Remember the good times you had with them, God bless you and may all those people that had their lives stolen from 9/11 Rest In Peace.

"On this day we witnessed chaos, turmoil and heartbreak in our homes. Yet on that dark day, a light of courage shined bright through those dark clouds of tyranny."

-Kazie

The Daily: It's World Cup Time!

Allo Hello everyone and happy WORLD CUP DAY!!!

With life being as busy as it is lately, I finally had an actual rest day after clocking out and literally just crashed which was oh so nice. But today is even nicer because today we kick off the World Cup in Brazil to see which nation will be Futbol Heavyweight Champion of the WWWOOORRLLLDDD!

As a fan of the U-S-A, I'm going to be a realist. We are gonna win the World Cup.

What herb have you absorbed son??

None actually...but seriously without 'Merica bias...I'm hoping we are able to get out of the Group Of Death which includes Germany, Ghana and Portugal; and that's a tall order by itself but I think which ever two teams come out of this group will have a great chance of hoisting the trophy. My prediciton is Germany wins the group and in a Shocker! to "experts"...USA finishes 2nd.

But yay international soccer!! Kick-Off starts today at 3 PM with the host nation Brazil taking on Croatia.

Let's see how Brazil handles the enormous pressure of hoisting this version of the World Cup this time.

The ghost of World Cup's past is still lingering...

Anywho, Have A Great Thursday Peoples.

Viva La Futbol!

R.I.P. Maya Angelou

A great quote from an incredible mind and a phenomenal woman.

Be grateful in life and live it every single day because you never know when it may be your last day.

Have a great Thursday.

The Daily: The Richmond Beatdown.

That. Was. Fun.

Allo Hello sirs and madams. It's Thursday here in the city and upon waking up this morning I feel as if I just was at Siegel Center cheering on your Rams of Virginia Commonwealth University!

GO RAMS!!!

Yet I was not at the Stu but I was at Sports Backers Stadium where VCU Men's and Women's Soccer play but not for collegiate reasons. Oh no...on this night it was the first game deemed now as 'The Richmond Derby' between RVA FC and the Richmond Kickers.

And well...there really wasn't much of a contest; not even close. The Kickers outplayed and outwitted RVA FC by a final score of 6-1 which made all the Kickers fans (including myself) in attendance laugh hysterically and thank our players for giving us a great performance in the 2nd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. You know it was a great time when the players come up and thank you for the support while laughing at our chants during the 90' and after the final whistle.

Good times, Good times.

I think RVA FC's head coach, Grover Gibson, learned a valuable lesson on the night:

Don't start no stuff, won't be no stuff.

(Especially with your neighbors lol.)

Now to make some warm tea because my vocal chords need a wake-up call pronto after all that chanting for 90+ minutes. Have a great Thursday peoples!

"As a soccer player, I wanted an FA Cup winner's medal. As an actor you want an Oscar. As a chef it's three-Michelin's stars, there's no greater than that. So pushing yourself to the extreme creates a lot of pressure and a lot of excitement."

-Gordon Ramsay

(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Ya Mama (Moguai Remix)" by Fatboy Slim)

The Daily: Only The Strong Survive.

I will not be forgotten.

This is my time to shine.

I've got the scars to prove it.

Only the strong survive.

I'm not afraid of dying.

Everyone has their time.

Life never favored weakness.

Welcome to The Pride.

The Daily: A True Warrior

The Spirit of The Ultimate Warrior will run Forever.

"Every man's heart one day beats it's final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something that's larger than life. Then his essence, his spirit will be immortalized by the storytellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever."

-James Brian "Ultimate Warrior" Hellwig

1959-2014

The Daily: Finished My Bracket(s)!

It's Literally a couple hours away!

Allo Hello ladies and gents here on the Interwebs. Good vibes sent from my inbox to your inbox that this week has gone rather smoothly for you and those close and dear to your heartstings. However, if nothing exciting has happened in the last few days...fret not for MARCH MADNESS IS UPON US!

I'm a little excited. A little.

The most wonderful time of the year besides Christmas, New Year's, Boxing Day and the 4th of July is the beginning of March Madness. I finally got some sleep on my bracket picks and submitted mine; picked a few upsets this year early but seriously thinks it's going to come down to a few of the elite top seeds as to who leaves North Texas winning the National Title.

And yes like many I do have multiple brackets ironically named my Heart Bracket (what I hope happens), the Brain Bracket (what I think happens), the A-10 Fantasy Bracket (what may happen if the A-10 runs wild on everybody and everything) and my What If? Bracket (Spolier: VCU = National Champ)

Anywho...tip-off of the first game of the day happens at 12:15 where (11) Dayton takes on (6) Ohio State on CBS.

Just enough time for a quick trip to the gym.

Can't you tell I have basketball on the brain? Haha.

Have An Awesome Thursday!

"Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them."

-John Wooden

(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Basketball" by Lil' Bow Wow)

The Daily: Keep Fighting.

Allo Hello.

Today's Question:  As you keep on moving up the ranks and get closer to your desires and dreams, when you get knocked down are you gonna get right back up and fight or are you just gonna sit there and bleed?

(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Back For More" by Five Finger Death Punch)

The Daily: Rough Roads Ahead.

While riding on this long winding road with multiple turns, intersections, stoplights along with some hidden shortcuts and distractions hitting your windshield...your life will travel upon some rough terrain sooner rather than later.

Sometimes it's as easy as you messed up on a task, forgot a deadline, fell behind on your bills, or letting something go that's been rotting your brain cells. Other times can be more stressful involving you lose something or someone completely for example. One thing to keep in mind while your messing with your GPS in attempt to find a way out is that you're not the only one that has traveled down this combative road.

Keep your eyes on the road but if you need to pull to the side or find somewhere to get your bearings back in order then get it done.

These roads in life are not this rough forever. Once you get back to the smooth asphalt then it's time to roll your windows down and cruise.

Or test out that newly installed V8 and put the pedal to the metal.

Whichever works for your speed haha.

Make Your Move.

"Everyone will drive towards some tough terrain. When you reach it you must make a decision. Either stay on the side of the road and watch life pass you by or figure out a way to drive though this stuff in order to get to your destination."

-Kazie

(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line)

The Daily: Is You Happy?

Nothing says Allo Hello like a big purple smile from an emoji right?!?

Get out there and find your happiness today for tomorrow is never a guarantee that you will have the chance to keep on searching; also have some fun while doing it!

Wishing you all an awesome Thursday.

"Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values."

-Ayn Rand

(Kazie's Daily Musical: "One (Your Name)" by Swedish House Mafia)

The Daily: Why Stress Why??

Hmm...Sirius may be on to something with this texture.

"OMG I AM SO STRESSED RIGHT NOW!"

"MY BOSS IS DOUCHEBAG!"

"WHY ISN'T THIS !@& WORKING?!?!"

"DAMN YOU MOM AND DAD! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"REALLY?!? MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT MY INPUT? GREAT..."

Any of these rather loud quotes remind yourself of you at one point in time?

Ladies and gentlemen a lovely Allo Hello to you all on a rather sunny, warm, and sugarcoated Thursday for myself due to an XL chocolate muffin that was ggaaaaahhhhh....deliciousoso! As I brush off the crumbs off my face, let's discuss a little something about stress because I know some of you are going through a little something something right about now.

There is nothing wrong with becoming irate over a certain circumstance, event, person, or thing that does something to affect you in a negative way. We have all been there...all of a sudden a wild stressor appears out of nowhere and uses its bine attack that is super effective of turning your anger levels over 9000.

Fret not, those dark moments of time can suck but it's not the end of the world.

In order for you as a person to get over that massive blister that is making your life more annoying and stressful than it should be you must do the following:

Eliminate It.

Take Action To Better Yourself.

Move On.

You can do 1 of the 3, a combination of the 3, or just all of the above. One thing that I do when I get to stressful levels is that I take out that rage on myself. (Whaa?) And by that I mean I workout which takes all that negative energy I have and turn it into fuel, fire, and all that which I desire.

OOOOHHH!!

(Bonus Points If You Got That Reference)

And what better way of turning that negative blip into a muscle that can help you power through once another wild stressor decides to try and ruin your day huh? Anywho...people wake up! You're gonna be okay! Look at the stressor that entered your life and kick its ass. Don't stress about it, ain't nobody got time for that. 

Stress was in your past, stress is in your present, stress is coming in your future.

How you handle it and live with it is entirely up to you.

Take that negativity and modify it into something positive. Do It. 

"In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive."

-Lee Iacocca
(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Fuel" by Metallica)

The Daily: A Winning Attitude.

Only a few more hours until Cheers! time...Hang In There!

Allo Hello guys and gals of the interwebs. Welcome to Thursday; because unfortunately Hump Day can't last forever. Anywho...this version of the Daily will be discussing about something that is a key to everyone's existence in a sense: attitude.

You ever been around a room full of people and their attitude flat-out sucks? Have one of your friends tried to infect you with their rotting attitude due to an unfortunate circumstance? Has life in general basically giving you the finger in attempts to make you frown upside down?

All of these are rhetorical questions because I'm confident that we all can answer yes to all the above. I'm not a fan of altered attitude that spit out hell-fire and brimstone; yes there are some days in our lives that something doesn't goes right or a catastrophe happens and we are bit salty for a chunk of time.

That's understandable.

However, walking around this 3rd rock with an attitude that came straight out from the depths of hell, treating others like salty garbage when all they did was say Hello along with just being basically a shitty person...is not okay.

Shape up the attitude and you in a sense shape up your foundation and work rate; you have lifting spirit, you're gonna work hard and rep better rewards for yourself. A down in the dumps attitude will lead you going as far down like the stock market on Wall St crashing down with no recession money helping you. 

Today, when things go south just take a step back, shake it off, and get back to being you; don't let the electrons infect your protons with negative charges. Whatever you think and how your attitude is shaped up basically shows what your about.

Do you want to be a winner or a loser?

Then have a winning attitude.

"Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life."

-Joel Osteen
(Kazie's Daily Musical: "Us Against The World" by Clement Marfo & The Frontline)

The Daily: The Weatherman.

It's Gonna Rain!!! Thanks Ollie...

Ahh the weather forecast. Sometimes it has sunshine, other times it brings heavy rains to your front door.

One of my good co-workers and I started chatting during the busy workday morning about motivational type stuff. He brought up a rather interesting statement that he lives by during our conversation...

Be Your Own Weatherman.

At first I was a tad confused by the saying as I'm assuming most of you are as you continue reading this post. Fortunately, he explained it further and it made perfect sense; you have the control over what your forecast looks like during the day. Not as in you have the power to control the actually weather (unless you're Mother Nature and if that's the case...bring me some sunrays!!!). 

What I mean is that you control your own forecast as to what you show and do out in the world. If your forecast sucks, then no matter what you do you're gonna have heavy rains everywhere you go; might want to stay away from electrical equipment that day. You're angry, grumpy, irritated and that leads your forecast to have some thundering booms that could throw a few lightning strikes on your path to really guide you off-course.

Yet you can make your forecast look bright and sunny with a good attitude, a hard working etiquette, and keep pushing yourself towards your dreams and goals. Yes, there will be some days on filled with floods, tornadoes, acid rain, and all other sorts of natural disasters that try to ruin your 7 day forecast. That doesn't mean the weather will always stay rocky like that unless you let it because you have the power, no one else.

So what does your forecast look like this week?

Got clear blue skies today or are you saving that for the weekend?

Whatever the weather is, make sure it's something you can work with.

Be Your Own Weatherman.

Love Yo Face. Enjoy Thursday.

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine."

-Anthony J. D'Angelo