Flint....will people finally wake up?

What can you say when over one hundred thousand people have been subjected to lead poisining? Finger pointing won't explain or answer how we deal with the years of damage to the people effected. I'm sorry won't remove the damage to generations of people. I read today that for only a measly $50K  a year the state could of prevented this travesty on the people of Flint. 

Yet through a collective series of errors it didn't happen. Shouldn't there be consequences when people die? Shouldn't we hold people accountable when people are permanently injured. It shouldn't matter to anyone what's the race of citizens or ecnonmic conditions. This is an American tragedy. It should never happen in a country where billows and trillions of dollars flow through the the ecnonmy. The city of Flint lost the right to have elected leadership make decisions for the residents. The Governor  of the State of Michigan Rick Snyder made the decision for them. He made the wrong decision. Or maybe his appointed Emergency Manager Darnell Early made the wrong decision but either way it wasn't the leadership of Flint. 

If this doesn't upset you then you might be dead inside. This is another reminder that we must vote. We must be engage. We must wake up out of the slumber of ignorance or discontent. Now is the time. Don't ever forget this lesson. When you say you don't care or it's not important to you politicians can make decisions or fail to make decision that can cost people their lives. Wake up people the fight of our lives is now!!! This is a national news story. This is shocking to the world. It should be to you as well. 

Bengals Got Robbed By Bad Officiating

The What do you think about the Steelers & Bengals game last night. At first I blamed the Bengals but after further research it was definitely a case of the Steelers getting away with throwing the first punch and the refs seeing the responder and not the instigator. The Steelers coaches last night acted like fools. Check the examples below 

First you have Mike Munchak pulling the hair of Reggie Nelson which should have been an ejection from the game along with the personal foul that was called. 

Refs 1-Bengals-0

Next you have violation of rules with 

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who forced a key fumble late in the fourth quarter and blasted Bengals running back Giovani Bernard on a hit that left the rusher with a concussion. 

The NFL inspired apologists at CBS defended the play as legal and called the play “unfortunate,” because Bernard’s status in the play declared him “not defenseless.” They were wrong. 

ARTICLE 8. INITIATING CONTACT WITH THE CROWN OF THE HELMET. 

It is a foul if a runner or tackler initiates forcible contact by delivering a blow with the top/crown of his helmet against an opponent when both players are clearly outside the tackle box

Refs 2-Bengals 0 

Then Joey Porter on the field talking trash to Pacman Jones and other Bengals right before the penalty. Why is Porter even on the field? No coaches are allowed on the field unless they are attending to an injured player or granted permission by the officials. I seriously doubt Porter was given permission in this extremely tense game. Porter is a defensive coach. The offense was on the field for the Sterlers. The referees missed this call as well. It should have been a foul on Porter first well before Pacman Jones ever got fired up. 

Think I'm wrong about coaches not belonging on the field? Look at Steelers Offensive Lineman Villanueva grab Porter to get him out of there. 

The NFL today says Porter will be fined but wait the Bengals shouldn't have gotten the second penalty at all. It should have penalties on both teams at that point. 

Refs - 3 Bengals -0

The narrative today is the Bengals were out of control, Marvin Lewis lost control, but nowhere are the Steelers or the referees shouldering their share of the blame for an ugly brutal game. Officials beat Cincinnati last night. Not just an emotional game or out of control players. 

10 Things to Make This Your Best Year.

I have seen a lot of posts on social media saying 2016 will be my year. Or this will be my best year. I think that's great but I without a roadmap or plan it won't happen. So here are my ideas and dream for me and those I know, work with, and share a community with to build a better world with better people in it. Starting with me first. Here's what I pledge to do:

1) Try to be analytical. Don't believe what we see about everyone and everything. Usually there is always more to the story then we know. Analyze the facts and see does this pass the smell test before believing everything we read or hear. 

2) Because we don't know the whole story then don't be so absolute on things. For example don't assume we have all the facts on any pop culture event or news story and automatically call for the most extreme punishment for the accused. 

3) Find several worthwhile charities and commit our time and money to them. Many of the institutions around us are struggling because society is becoming more individualistic. Like my old coach use to tell me....It's the we....not the me! 

4) Continue our education. Doesn't matter if you have completed high school or your Phd. there is no reason to stop learning. If you have more educational goals keep pursuing them to completion. Reading a book or two helps immensely with that goal. Or take a class occasionally. Either you keep learning or your comfortable you know it all. 

5) Figure out how to save more money then you spend. Lots of people are making a lot of money off our inability to have more money saved. Buy less things. Most of what we buy aren't things we you need but what we want. Look at your home the odds are you have plenty already. Commit to giving away two things for every one new thing you buy. Declutter your life and increase your bank accounts.  

6) Pick out a few people and be a great, loyal, listening friend to them. It would be really great if this is someone not in your immediate family. Hear their words without judging or trying to fix them. Just listen. Be as loyal to them as your dog is to you! Don't have a dog? Well just imagine Snoopy and how he always stuck by Charlie Brown! 

7) Commit to a physical health goal. Maybe it's walking. Maybe it's running. Maybe it's bike riding. Maybe it's just a few sit-ups or arm curls. Maybe it's a half or full marathon, but whatever you decide know you can't be a better person by doing nothing. Everyone can do something. Find that something and commit to a regular schedule. 

8) Discover your passions. We spend so much time doing what we have to do to earn a living. What we have to do to raise our families. What we have to do for church, or sororities/fraternities, or for some other purpose, but at some point this year we must spend some time doing what we want to do. That might be bowling, golfing, writing, painting, drawing, dancing, teaching, gardening, or whatever else that's planted at the epicenter of your soul....just do it. Otherwise none of the other things we have to do will have as much joy and energy as we need because there's no time to do what our soul is crying out for. 

9) Use the lens of love to view our lives and interaction with others. We too often are harsher then perhaps is necessary when we use the sanctimonious high minded judgmental attitude that we ALL have somewhere inside of us. Instead chop all of that grandeur down and think about how you would handle the situation if it was your loved one before we act, think, type, or do what we were going to do. 

10) Spend some quiet time every morning listening. If you have a spiritual relationship I implore you to focus on that time to further groom and grow and listen. If you don't then spend that time analyzing yourself. (you probably need too) 😬 I'm impressed with the fact that in the bible that Jesus with all of his majesty and glory still needed to do this and he was Jesus. So I'm pretty sure we can all benefit from it too. 

#2016 #happynewyear #inth3d3tails #betterworld #betterlife #maninthemirror