Should I Watch Pacquiao vs. Clottey Fight Tonight?

Ali & Frazier

 

Joe Namath

 

Fran Tarkenton

 

I love sports! We go way back… I remember sitting with my dad in front of the television at around three or four years old watching every punch thrown by Ali and Frazier as they tore up the ring. Long gone are the days of Joe Namath and Fran Tarkenton ripping up the football field. I was glued to the TV as Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci flew across the gymnastic apparatus. They were my favorites. I wanted to be them. My dad exposed me to the world of sports and I caught the bug quickly. I give credit to the cool relationship I have with my dad to sports because no matter what we were going through, sports always smoothed things over.      

My atypical relationship with sports has diminished over the years. Why you ask? I miss the days of Walt Frazier and Earl the Pearl’s type of excitement. Can you feel me? In my opinion, sports lack excitement (when it was just about the game and not money) and is less talent driven because of that dirty green paper. Just look at some of the sons and daughters of the sports figures of old that are involved in sports; I am just not enthused nor impressed.       

Walt Frazier and Earl the Pearl

 

Olga Korbut

 

Nadia Comaneci

 

Okay, I rambled on about that now let’s get to the real reason I wrote this article. Should I care that Pacquiao and Clottey are fighting tonight? I am not excited. Politics has taken over the sport because I should know who Clottey is, but honesty I really don’t. After all I haven’t even written my article on March Madness. (Don’t worry it is more of the same.) I do like Pacquiao; it’s his humble sportsmanship that gets me. He has beat down some good contenders (matter of opinion), but Clottey is a natural welterweight and this might pose some problems for Pac Man, but I am not too sure… with Pac Man’s relentless energy and will (not to mention he can take a punch); he just keeps on coming. I should know more about Clottey (this might be a matter of promotion that I don’t). I do feel he was robbed in his bout against Cotto. Yeah I said it! As a sports enthusiast I should know more of what is going on, but the politics of it all has just left a bad taste in my mouth.     

Tale of the Tape:     

Pacquiao & Clottey

 

Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao: AGE – 31, WEIGHT – 145 3/4, HEIGHT – 5-6 1/2, REACH - 67″, STANCE – Southpaw, RECORD – 50-3-2, KOs – 38       

Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey:  AGE - 32, WEIGHT – 147, HEIGHT – 5-8, REACH - 70″, STANCE – Orthodox, RECORD – 35-3-0, KOs – 20     

They are matched in most areas, but Pac Man has to pay attention to the difference in reach. What I do know about Clottey is this, he can throw a solid very powerful punch, but then so can Pacquiao. Can Clottey take a punch and will he have the endurance he will need against Pacquiao remains to be seen. As I do my research on Clottey I am feeling more and more that this will be a great fight. We will know soon enough. I asked my dad who he thought would take this one and he said, “I don’t think Clottey can beat Pac.  Pac is relentless. See what I mean, a chip off the old block.

 

Well, as I write this article it’s ten hours until fight time. I think I am going to find a sports bar to watch this one. If Clottey wants and needs recognition this fight should do it for him win or lose. (It surely got my attention.) Pac brings the people, excitement and talent. I don’t want to see a repeat of Cotto vs. Clottey. Keep it fair guys and by all means put your boxing glasses on PLEASE!!

 

For local sports bars in your area check The Sports Bar Project. Be sure to call the venue to make sure they are showing the fight. Local sports bars in my town of Jamaica, New York are:

 

Tropix Bar & Grill

9532 Queens Boulevard

www.tropixny.com

718-275-0024

Play

7717 Queens Boulevard

Flushing, NY

www.play-ny.com

718-476-2828

Havana Dreams

6310 Woodhaven Boulevard

Flushing, NY

www.havanadreams.net

718-685-0079

 

This is the super abridged list of venues. There are many more for the New York area of course. Check The Sports Bar Project website for more venues in Jamaica and surrounding areas.

For more information about these fighters check out Pacquiao vs. Clottey.

 

Related articles: Lord of the Boxing Ring

 

        

I Miss Her When She’s Gone: My Sunny (Helping Your Preemie Thrive)

Sunny's 1st Days

 

She was one of two, but she came into the world November 16, 2009 by herself, two months early and weighing 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Instantly, I felt a bond and she wasn’t even mine; I was going to spoil her like she was, I had made up my mind. My niece, Madisyn Soiele, a vision of perfection, lie in her incubator, needles, ventilator and every kind of medical apparatus covered her body. Her eyes were even covered to avoid damage from the Bili-light. Her herniated navel protruded to an unbelievable grotesque size, but still she was perfect. I was in love. I needed to project all my positive energy toward only her. I wanted her home and she could not come soon enough. I did everything to see her in the hospital (some illegal), but I knew she needed to know I was there and we all took turns, letting her know we were there.   

  

Sunny: 4 Months Old

 

Two months later, she was home; she’s a strong one! My brother and his girlfriend had been complaining no one came to visited their new place. They had fixed it up really nice and he wanted to test out his cooking skills. The family tag teams  them now, taking turns visiting sweet Sunny. (That is my nickname for Madisyn). I think is it fitting. She brightens my days and my nights when I stare at my computer screen’s background which she graces. She is on every computer screen in my home… count four. My father washes all her dirty clothes and takes hours folding them just so. Their interaction is a wonderful sight. My mother will surely go broke buying everything in the baby stores. We fight over who is going to hold her and she lets us. My brother and his girlfriend just stand back and let us at her because there is nothing they can do about it.   

The best part about this whole experience is Aunie (Au-nee) — the name I am affectionately called by my other niece and nephew – is able to baby-sit (gladly) any time. She is a great baby. She only cries when she is hungry and at this very moment she weighs 8 pounds 5 ounces. She can put that Enfamil back!! She is very healthy and is developing a personality so very young. It is amazing how fast children mature. She is not mine, but I suffer withdrawals when she has to leave. My daughter, who is 22 now asked me if I missed having a baby. It is not a longing of having another baby that causes my anxiety. It is knowing what she will have to face in life, all that she has faced thus far. I want to protect her. She was born six days after my birthday and I know that was no mistake. She knows me; we have bonded… I feel a sense of responsibility for my niece to make sure she lives a life as good as the one my siblings, daughter, cousins and niece and nephew shared. Can you believe that is the same baby? I am in love!!!   

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Successful Internet Dating Can Be Achieved If You Use the No-Risk Zone to Your Advantage

My recent article titled Cybersexy seems to have rubbed some people the wrong way. Well, I say mission accomplished. Had the gentleman I was trying to date “listened” as attentively as those reading my blog post then maybe we would be out on a date and I wouldn’t be typing this follow-up article.

 

My experience was one that I would rather forget, but I’ve learned that although some people are honest about who they are some are not. My intention was to not to deter anyone from Internet dating. There are many success stories, but for the sake of those that have had bad luck here are some things to keep in mind:

 

Take Your Time and Read:  Be sure to read their profile and if you are chatting through email or Instant Messaging, take the time to actually read and comprehend what the other person is saying. This is a potential suitor, boyfriend/girlfriend or possibly a life mate. Don’t skim through the email. Read it and get to know this person well. After all, this is the meet and greet before the actual in-person meeting.

 

Pay Attention: I have found that people are more open over the Internet because there is no risk. If you don’t like something you never have to answer another email or IM. As well, IM can move fast if you have come across an expert typist who talks a lot. Tell him/her to slow down to give you time to read their responses. Take your eyes off the computer and you might miss something important and this can lead to misunderstandings or lead the person to believe you are distracted.

       

Ask Questions:  If you don’t understand what is being conveyed ask questions. Why not ask as many questions as possible? Don’t you want to know as much about this person as you possibly can? Don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Take advantage of this “no risk” zone.  Get all the good, bad and ugly on this person.

 

 

Be Honest: Depending on your intentions be honest about it. The worse thing you can do is waste someone’s time. Be clear about why you are contacting this person and what your expectations are. If you just want to chat, meet for an occasional “bootie call” or looking for your husband or wife please just say that. Be honest when writing your profile and don’t put a picture up that is five years old (recent pictures please). No, you don’t have to tell your life story; basic but interesting information about who you are is sufficient. Don’t try to be what you are not.

I learned a valuable lesson with my first Internet dating experience and that is it is not for me. Ironically, as a writer one would be prone to believe I’d have the least amount of problems getting my point across through text. (You probably don’t understand anything I have said here either). I am apt to believe it had nothing to do with that, but that there was something about me he didn’t find appealing. Still, Internet dating works for many and those that have achieved success made sure there were no misconceptions or misunderstandings from the beginning. Take your time, get to know the person, be attentive, ask questions and most importantly be honest.

How to Get More Blog Exposure: Simple as Five Letters

I love to share!!! As the eldest sibling of four my parents molded me into an absolutely selfless being. (Not sure what happened to the other three)… It is what I do without thought and sometimes against all better judgement. I have to learn to say no more, but until then….

Why not share your blog posts with blogs of the same interest and have them return the favor with links back of course? They receive your traffic and you receive theirs.  I mean truly a win-win situation! The goal is not to target larger traffic blogs though. Your post might get lost in the sauce!!  (Send comment on a post or email the blogger where possible). Try for the smaller ones, infant blogs and allow for a steady increase in traffic. Use the share button on your browser to share those posts. (If you don’t have one get one with Google’s toolbar). My traffic went from zero to almost 200 hits in a week. Not great, but good for a start-up blog. With my newfound audience it only seems logical to put my share gene to better use….

Glittery texts by bigoo.ws

So, if you have something to say about your relationship about your life issues, your children; learned any life lessons you want to share with the world? Drop an email or comment to this blog. Every Wednesday Talk Life will feature a different blogger. I will give details of the share!!! Like-topic ideas only as this is a relationship blog thanks.

“It should not be the act of sharing that makes one feel proud, but the result of it.” It’s not about trying to please people, but to enable people to please themselves. It is burdensome, tiring and frustrating as some will take advantage… but you know that is their problem not mine.

Until next post: “We are what we say; we are what we do; we are what we think.” Lena Brown

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Cybersexy

You roll out of bed and cheerfully you think,”Yes it’s my day off.” You shower, dress and eat breakfast over the morning paper. You notice the newspaper is getting lighter and lighter. “I guess that is a good thing, less trees have to suffer.” With your good will thinking in mind, you head over to your computer. The AOL and MSN homepages are filled with the morning’s news and it dawns on you why the newspaper seems to be missing a few pages. “It is an Internet takeover,” you think out loud. The truth of the matter is that more and more people are relying on the Internet for the latest in news and most everything, including dating.

 

This day is special not just because you have a day away from the daily grind, but as well you met a cutie online and you decided against your better judgement to send a reply to the message left in your inbox on that dating site. You were reluctant to try it, but what did you really have to lose? If you were not interested you never had to see or speak to that person ever again, so you type your reply, pause to make sure you have given just enough information without typos and you hit send. Sigh… you pray you won’t regret trying this one time. You are curious to see what comes out of this though. You anxiously check out the person’s profile again and maybe a few others. You feel all the components for a great relationship, good-looking to boot; all you have to do now is wait.

 

After a couple days, you remember to check your inbox again and there is it… the reply. You realize this person doesn’t even live in the United States, but even more annoying is that the message is filled with typos. You don’t let this deter you much as your Internet cutie wants to chat live on IM. Your previous message was only a paragraph long, but you find that your online cyber bunny has written his life story. “How could someone be so open; he must have done this before.” You are still not too concerned and check to see if he is available for the chat and there he is!

 

He greets you very kindly and you refrain from being too over the top. Instead you try to lighten the mood with laughter, but you find that not only is he a very serious person, but as well you are having communication problems. He asks if you have dated online before. You tell him that you have not and that you really don’t trust the honesty of people on those sites. We all know that many put up fake pictures, don’t type their own profiles and make themselves into more than they really are. It seems he can’t even formulate a complete sentence. He becomes frustrated because he doesn’t realize that it was his cybersexiness that drew you to him in the first place and that you are willing to try this out for the sake of open-mindedness. He gets confused with your independence and misconstrue why you don’t like Internet sites. He makes claims of, “Oh I guess you just came here to just chill.”  WHAT!! Just chill?  Unbelievable! Obviously, there was something that struck a chord, so why not be honest enough to say it? It was all just an illusion and a damn shame too; everything you put out there was the whole truth. That’s what you get… even if you are cybersexy in real life!! Whatever….

 

After trying to explain that you are interested and that he has misunderstood where you were coming from, it becomes very clear that not only does he not understand your dialect he does not understand YOU! After only about a minute of frustrating back and forth chatter you decide to close out the chat. You send a regretful email and figure you will never hear from him again, but wait… he sends a chat when you are away from your computer and he takes that as you are not interested. When you finally catch up to him, he goes from paragraph length answers to one word replies. “Okay, I see where this has gone,” to cyber hell. Too bad, he was a straight up cybersexy and you know…… that is probably all he is…. Delete….

From Baby Blog to Full Fledged ‘Talk Life’

Much appreciation goes out to all those that have supported me through my writing career!!! I thank you for joining me in this journey. It has been a fabulous ride!! But to the point of this post… Please excuse the constant changes of the blog themes. I am still trying to find a home for Talk Life, you know make it personable. I think I am going to stick with this background, it suits my style. Let me know what you think….

I have big plans for this blog. It is my second one (www.thefirstbornbaby.com) and I believe I have finally found a topic that I know a lot about and that is relationships. This blog won’t necessarily give you advice or offer lessons with every post, but it will surely entertain. If I can put a smile on your face, inspire you or even make you shed a tear then I know I have accomplished my mission.

Thank you for your patience with me and stay tuned for the growing of my baby blog. Feel free to comment and guest blogging is encouraged (handzonbiz@gmail.com). Until my next post, “We are what we say; we are what we do; we are what we think!” Happy reading!!

My Angel

If you never noticed, we all have angels,
they come in all shapes and sizes,
mine is about 3 ft tall and full of so many surprises.
On the saddest of days just seeing her makes it all better,
and no matter what I endure in life,
I know I could never forget her.
Forsake her, neglect her, honestly I can’t see neither,
wrapped around her fingers I am,
tell me a bold-faced lie, I’d have to catch myself not to believe her.
Hearing her voice is almost like the heavens smile in my direction,
and being she is a seed from my roots for her I have the utmost affection.
I think to myself without her I can’t imagine,
comes to mind once in a while,
but that’s a thought I’d rather not even fathom.
She’s truly brought out a lot of good in me,
some of which I never knew I had,
nothing beats the feeling I get hearing her call me dad.
Makes me realize I got someone looking up to me,
but to me, she’s really looking out for me.
She’s my angel, what more can I say,
besides pray to God that our bond never goes astray.
My angel is so cute with those pigtails,
little hands & face so round,
she can barely hold the remote control,
but somehow she holds me down.
I get teary eyed sometimes,
knowing she will not always be here.
Kind of sad just to think of her being with her mom,
on the other side of the world,
but no way in hell I’m going to let distance stop her from knowing daddy,
and her always being… daddy’s little girl.

Craig…DaConcernedOne
“Mr. Thermal Words”
craigdavis@thermalwords.com

My dear friend, Craig Davis, was kind enough to grace my blog with his poetic prowess. He is the author of ‘Thermal Words‘ a prolific masterpiece of poetry that will heat up the body, mind and soul!

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Heart’s Life Support

Mother/Daughter

 

I watch her sleep silently. She slumbers peacefully with no apparent cares as though she was lying in her cradle. I almost know what she is dreaming about. Funny, we finish each others sentences. We speak the same things at the same time and ohhhh….. we laugh! Reading of the mind comes naturally and I am yet to experience a bond tighter. The purity of her heart leaves me wondering, “Can I really take credit for this?” 

She has never given me an ounce of trouble, despite all of life’s woes we endured together. I was sure when I uprooted her and moved almost 2,000 miles away from the only male figure in her life she would resent me. Instead she expressed elation that I made the right choice. You see, she understood; he had exposed her to things that she wouldn’t tell me until now. She understood at a very young age that which plagued my heart. She waited patiently for me to catch up, to see and know what her young but mature mind had already processed. That separation (my divorce) left just us. We have never left each other’s side. Some call me overprotective and it’s okay. I’ll even swallow the spoiling claims. God’s gift was my sole responsibility and I wouldn’t let HIM down.     

In this present time, I can say I’ve kept my word; for she is the brightest star in my sky. Always following her heart and making righteous choices; everyone sees her as near perfection. The only guide I had, came from that within my spirit. I have most happily made sacrifices for her happiness. She deserves it. I would lay down everything for her. 

At one time, I thought being wholly present (in my daughter’s face) was the  core of our bond. After being asked many times, “How did you raise such a great child,” it never occurred to me until right at this moment; it’s all about mutual trust. She has always trusted that I would be there unconditionally; that I would communicate honestly; and that I would provide understanding and respect. As well, we must be consistent. Never make promises that you can’t keep because they remember. As well, she knows I trust her and every time she left home as a teenager I would always say, “I’m trusting you.” She never let me down.     

Everyday is a celebration for me when my daughter awakes. I have to give her a hug, greeting or something. There is nothing about her I dislike. She is pure in mind, spirit and body. If I did partake in envy it would be of her. She is my life’s truest blessing and it has been a journey… difficult, but steady.  I have been there for her and she has been there for me; and, 22 years later a divorce, death of a mate, some failures, moving and college our bond is tighter than ever.     

Ashley, mom is so very proud of you. I’m always trusting the greatness of your soul to take you beyond your dreams and always know I will be right there!

Passion

“Writing soothes the soul.”  Many writers have said that writing is therapeutic.  I have always utilized my pen and pad as a bouncing board, a punching bag if you will.  It has been my greatest source of therapy since I was old enough to write.  At times, I would just copy things, anything, verbatim for the sheer joy of seeing the words form on the page.  I was that geeky kid who, if the teacher gave a writing punishment I was elated.  “Write 500 times I will not chew gum?”  That for me was a reward.  I’ve always just loved to write.  Without even realizing it, an obsession turned into a full fledge career.  People began to take my work seriously long before even I.

With each day my desire to write has grown. It is almost difficult to enjoy myself or focus on the task at hand when I am away from my laptop. I then have to resort to my notebook. I can hardly wait to return home to write. If you want to know which one I am in the room; look for the girl who is in the midst of a party, at the club or attending some function typing feverishly into her cell phone. I am definitely not texting. Oh no, I am watching you and those around me typing ideas into my date book to write about when I get home.  Yes, that would be me…

Writing has been a positive and negative force in my world.  It has been the excitement, encouragement and inspiration that have kept family and friends pushing me to continue pursing this career path.  It has also been the source for trouble as I have written things down that have been mere dreams or visions, but not believed that they were any more than that.  I have always written things down and I believe it is my source of understanding; not only for me, but to get my point across to others.  I will write a thought down long before I try to explain it.  This gives me a sense of confidence and the ability to know exactly what I want to say.  Writing has always come naturally.  It has been a blessing.  It is surely my purpose.  It is what I was born to do.  I find, “When I talk I say too much; when I write I say just enough.”

Writing is as much a part of me as breathing and when I can’t do it I don’t feel alive.  Why do I write?  It is the essence of who I am.  It is my alternative to speech.  It allows me to think, to be as deep or as shallow as I choose; to be as honest as I want to be or fictitious.  “Writing soothes my soul.”

Twin Cell Phones

Recently, I attended a function thrown by a very close friend. I made up my mind that I was going to have only one drink; as a writer I needed to learn to be more observant. It was becoming more of a habit for my friends to call me the next day and speak about things that happened at functions that I had missed; so, I vowed that I was going to become more aware. I was missing out on writing prospects and it was really bugging me.

At this particular function, I sat and nursed a concoction of rum punch made especially by the hostess. One too many of those and I would surely not remember anything that had transpired. So, I sat quietly (something that has been very difficult to do in the past) and observed all that was going on.  EVERYTHING!! Once I realized there was really nothing extra going on that I could apply to any writing pieces I resorted to looking very closely at more of what was not being said; and what I noticed was this, as a single woman and the only one not paired off at this function, it become painful obvious that I was the only one with a cell phone that did not have a match! Whoa….

Every single person in that house had matching cell phones. It was sort of a bonding thing, an intricate game of concentration. If someone had walked into that function not knowing anyone it was very easy to pick who was  with whom and who was single. The cell phone does not lie!

Still, I hadn’t felt out-of-place. Everyone tried to not make it so obvious that I was the odd man out, but it was still very obvious; the cell phones told it all. I retreated to the bathroom for a spell and my cell phone rang. The most obnoxious of our crew decided to pick up my phone to see who was calling. It was 1:30 a.m. “Who’s cell phone is this.” Isn’t it obvious??? He proceeded to tell the room who was calling. No one knew who it was of course, but my girl friend snatched the phone from him. When I returned my friend handed my phone to me and proceeded to tell me who had called. Needless to say, I felt quite uncomfortable and I have never had that problem. It had been a cousin living in California calling; he is very unaware of the time difference; hence, the early morning call. I don’t know, I think in a sad way my friends were kind of feeling sorry for me, but the arrogant man I do call a friend further tried to break my confidence with useless chatter. He wanted to know if that was a booty call. Naturally, I tried to defend myself, but why? I have learned that the truth needs no explaining. I was ready to go.

I used to have a matching Boost Mobile cell phone. It was black, short and held all the components needed to make for a great match. It used to work hard; it would text me regularly and call often. But, then it all stopped very abruptly and suddenly for no reason. Maybe it was washed up, but it decided it would move on and call other’s cell phones… many others. I decided to let my matching cell phone go; it would never ring. I never heard voices on the other end. It only answered calls that were safe to talk calls. Funny, this same cell phone is friends with the piece of work friend who tried to break me. I had to drop both of those calls.

It was great to see all the matching cell phones. What I got from this observation was this, these couples actually agreed on cell phones that they would both like. Simple thought, but just deciding to share in minutes, texting and other features can cause a bit of a rumble in a relationship. I was elated to see the matching cell phones. I intentionally left mine on the table among the others at the function. It stood out purposefully. I am one of one and it is okay.