RuggeD Posterity Mission

RuggeD Posterity

          Having traveled America, the importance of community, Love, family, cooperation, inspiration, abundance and Christ-like living have become so very essential. The Crenshaw community has become an example of what an urban community can be. I owe so much to this community for the foundation it provided me with. From 42^nd street elementary and the Boy Scouts to Audubon Junior High School to Crenshaw High School, even to playing basketball at 54^th street, this community has given me so much.
          Now, as I become the leader of my generation of community members, I must become aware of my responsibility and leadership. Because of my past, I have so much to give and it’s my turn. My neighborhood needs me and I plan to deliver.
          Not all of the recent changes inside and out of my community have resulted in growth. Too many have abused/abandoned what was given them and not enough have remained to give. No more!

          I determined, immediately after high school, that where many sought to abandon, I would be committed to my neighborhood. My children will grow up here. God willing, my children’s children will grow up here. Commitments of that type require work. There must be a community for them to live and grow in. That means the community must grow.

           I have become aware of many members of the community contributing their part to maintain the community from working with the children to community outreach to business building. By showing what community is in all areas, we can create community members who are more aware of the beauty they are a part of. Once they are aware, we can foster growth leading to more success, bigger businesses, vertical integration into various industries, a stronger and clearer culture as well as a larger investment into our own economies. 

        

          RuggeD Posterity is focused on preparing community members in all areas of life. By creating more well-rounded individuals. We are leading the way for building/rebuilding communities across the country. The vision is a strong community and we accomplish it by perfecting our foundation. 

RuggeD Posterity will coordinate existing frameworks in neighborhoods across America into solid communities which will contribute to the prosperity of our nation and the global economy. The mission from this day forward is to support the Powernomics principle of Vertical Integration and prosperity within the community by providing research, policy notes and economic strategies.

Chasing The P: Tammy & Kathryn

Chasing The P: Tammy & Kathryn

LaShawn asked a question: “Men: Do you really NOT know when a woman your boy might be interested in is really MORE interested in YOU?! Or do you really know but NOT trying to go there with her because you know your boy is feeling her? ~ He's my "Bro", she's my "Sister" crap Kills me Ortega!”

This was the short answer:

(Part 1) I kind of get what you're asking. This is just a flirting situation. She would have to shut my boy down completely for me to notice. The reason I'm ignorant of her intentions is because I'm actually ignoring her until she turns my boy down. Unless that happens, she's with him

(Part 2) It's because women won't say anything straight out. That's the point of this whole post. IF a woman just said "I like you. I don't like him" or vice-versa, men wouldn't jump to conclusions. If we have to guess, I'm erring on the side of optimism. That means whipping it out. All you can do is tell me to put it back

This was my long answer:

I owe a lot of my early love life to Anthony. In the days before we had cars, our own places, and any money at all, Anthony was the best wing man ever. If I could just match that productivity now, I’d be a trillionaire. He was on the phone tough during any free time we had and could sell ice to Eskimos.

In 1993, one of the best years ever, he called me. We had dates to the movies. He had met a girl who had a friend. (Oh those days…) “My girl” was named Kathryn. “His” was Tammy. To the Culver City we went. The Marina was to meet girls; Culver City was the low-key date movie theater.

Tammy was gorgeous. Very petite, the most beautiful face, and she dressed well. If Anthony hadn’t told me he met her already, I would have chosen her. Kathryn was beautiful too. She had a nice figure, cute face, and her accent was attractive. She was American, Black, from Los Angeles but she spoke so different. She was cool.

Anthony had given me the rundown. Both were: private school girls (different private schools), best friends, lived down the street from each other.

For almost two years, Tammy and Kathryn were our main dates. I was getting serious about Kathryn but things moved slowly. Kathryn couldn't have boyfriends and she didn’t always get to come out. That became a big problem and eventually the end of Kathryn and I.

Tammy, however, was the focal point of all our kicking it. She had other friends and would invite them if Kathryn couldn't make it. She and Anthony’s relationship was strange. According to him, she had a boyfriend she wasn't faithful to. She spent A LOT of time with us though. Her mom loved me. Most parents did then. I was the master of the living room.

I didn't think of it then but Anthony shared a little too much about their relationship. It occurred to me that I knew too much about some P that I wasn't getting and would probably never get. All that mattered was Tammy was cool and she had friends. AND we had something to do nearly all the time. I could always ask Anthony to call Tammy to get it popping if Chasing the P elsewhere wasn't going well. Over the years I've had a ton of homegirls. Tammy may have been my first real homegirl.

Homegirls are essential to Chasing the P. A good one has plenty of satellite friends that you can hook up with. Unfortunately, I got out of hand with Chasing the P one night or twice when Kathryn wasn't able to come out. Her name was Sheri. She appeared to be the perfect satellite friend. Anthony told me she was easy and Tammy told me she wouldn’t tell so I went for it. That was end Kathryn. For a month or two I was so sad/mad at myself, I actually started listening to R&B for more than making sex tapes. I realized what Babyface was talking about.

Fortunately, Tammy kept in touch for five more years. She would call every once in a while. I wanted to call her but I intentionally ‘forgot’ her number out of respect for whatever she had going on with Anthony. There are rules to Chasing the P. Tammy was awesome and she still had friends. After high school, I wasn't playing any games. All of my networking was connected in some way to Chasing the P. Anthony rarely mentioned Tammy anymore. I definitely looked forward to her calls. Initially, I wanted to fish for news of Kathryn but, soon, I just wanted to talk to Tammy.

By the time we were twenty Anthony and I were growing apart. We had different friends and priorities. We were still talking and hanging out when I mentioned seeing Tammy on the street one day. Anthony told me she had a boyfriend and had ended their sexual relationship. Now, I wished I remembered Tammy’s number. I don’t do my boy’s left-overs but Tammy was different. I wanted to know everything. There was only one way to find out.

A few weeks or a few months later, Tammy called. For the first time ever, she mentioned her and Anthony’s relationship. She only said that he was acting strange and didn’t talk to her that often. After all these years, I assumed I could speak frankly. Plus, L.A. was being born. I just told the truth as I knew it, as subtly as a dump truck…

“That’s because yall ain't fucking no more.”

“WHAT???”

I repeated.

What happened in the next five/ten minutes was the above story from Tammy’s perspective. There were some MAJOR differences.

Contrary to Anthony’ story, the day I met Tammy was EVERYONE’s first time meeting. She hoped I was Anthony, she confessed. She had always considered Anthony just a homeboy. There was no sex of any type going on between the two. I asked about instances where he would maneuver her to her bedroom. She claimed they were talking about some other girl he was supposed to be dating.

So many things started to make sense, like why Anthony never made her a main girl when she was the finest thing he ever shook hands with. I was about to ask more questions, like if she ever actually had an STD. (Maybe I WAS naive. I just didn't see a reason for my best friend to lie to me.) I was too overwhelmed by those first few revelations. I completely forgot my mission to find out everything.

What proceeded afterwards was a bunch of lies and misdirection. At the end of it all, I wouldn’t talk to Tammy for many years. A few months later, neither would I talk to Anthony.

After that, it was hard to trust my “friends” when it came to women. And I don’t want to hear any of it when it comes to someone (Anyone) else’s sex lives. Even when it comes to counseling, friends are encouraged to spare me the details.

The most important realization came much, much later. I listened to Babyface so much after the Kathryn episode that “For The Cool In You” (the album) still takes me back. I was listening to ‘When Can I see You Again’ and it all came back. I would usually turn Babyface off when nostalgia started coming. This time I let it come. The whole story flashed through my head and I finally got it. Tammy liked me. For the first time, I listened to Babyface for a girl I never dated…

It took years for the day to come when I got it. By then it was too late.

At the end of it all, it hurt more to lose Tammy than it did to lose Kathryn, and not because of the satellite friends. She meant a lot to me. And I never told her. I still wish it was her instead of Kathryn. 

So no, LaShawn, men don’t know when a woman is more interested in them than their friend and  we don’t want to go there out of respect for our friends, even if our friends don’t extend the same respect. It may take years if we ever do realize it. And by then, it’ll be too late.

My ODE to LA

Current mood: adventurous
Category: Travel and Places

I was chatting online with someone the other day and they mentioned how much they hated LA and wanted to leave. It brought to mind my old poem about coming home. It's
dated now so I won't share it.

Instead, I have to defend my home more directly.

My defense is really a defense of big city living.

I realized after being in Atlanta for a few months, I am not a small town guy. The reason why is simple. There is NO ESCAPE in a small town. Even in a city like Atlanta where everything is so spread out, you can't get away from certain people. You can go to the other side of town and escape a particular person or persons but you can't escape those type of people.

In a BIG city (A real big city ATL-not where you claim the surrounding cities to boost the population), the other side of town is REALLY the other side of town. In Los Angeles, for instance, I have been known to shift my scenery completely and hang in a different venue, with a different crowd at the drop of a hat. OR, I can hang in the same spot with different people and get a totally different experience. I've been on Sunset with so many different crowds, I couldn't even count the various perspectives from which to experience that one strip.

The same can be said for my neighborhood. I have met people who lived around the corner or just down the street after living there for years and seen a WHOLE different scene in my very own neighborhood. It's like - You live where? You know who? And they live here too? WTF!

In smaller cities. There isn't much to find after a VERY SHORT while. No matter how far away you go. In Atlanta or New Orleans or DC or even Vegas (all the places I've lived so far) if you want to avoid people, you just have to ignore them. There is no changing the scenery.

I always remember an add for Los Angeles that said if you want to go to a small town, see movies made, ski and surf all in the same day, there's only L.A.. I'm sure New York, Chicago, and Houston all have those widely varying communities. Me, I love L.A.. I love the Lakers (even though Kobe Bryant is the devil). I love Venice. I love Hollywood. I love West Hollywood. I love Long Beach. I love Santa Monica. I love my block. I love my neighborhood. I love my High School.

In Los Angeles, I had a classic American upbringing. I went to school in my neighborhood. My parents were on the PTA. I walked home from school. At UCLA, I used to get out of trouble because I went there (on any side of town).
All my experiences have left me in a great place. Some has been good. Some has been bad (Damned Kobe!). But I am truly happy with where I am. I'm glad I left and I can't wait to get back.

I owe everything to being able to step outside of labels. To being able to step outside of my environment and choose any other I wish. I owe all that to Los Angeles. The biggest city in America. Sorry New York, you may have more people, but I don't want some of those people to touch me. How can you "back, back. Give me Fifity feet" when fifty feet is the other side of town? (crowded assed town) California my be hippie central but shit, we don't hug all the time. Great to visit though!

For people itching to get out of L.A., LEAVE. I wish you could have had my experiences there. But any place is as great as your imagination will take you. In a city like Los Angeles, phrases like "stuck" and "same shit" shouldn't exist. With so many options, being stuck is a state of mind. And if you keep seeing the same shit, it's because you keep doing the same shit.

Perhaps, L.A. is not for everyone. Everyone doesn't have the big enough dreams or imaginations for a city like L.A.. Some people are perfectly comfortable in a smaller setting. My imagination will allow me to live anywhere because L.A. is always in my heart. Also, I know Los Angeles is my ultimate destination.
So if you want to stay in L.A., but it's getting you down. If you don't dig your experiences, if you want to change, change yourself, change your perspective. But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE:

Don't blame it on my town.


Tight!

MA NINJA....SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE "G"...SHAW DOG TO THE FULLEST....WEST UP MY MAN...

AND NOW I MUST COPY THIS AND PASTE IT IN A BULLETIN...YOU JUST SAID EVERYTHING I ALWAYS SAY....

ROB GREENIDGE AKA OG HOT SAUCE FROM DA W/S.....

If they don't like L.A., they can move. More space on the freeway for everyone else.

It's just like my cousin who is destined to got o jail no matter what state he is in. how many of us know people like that?

What I Learned In Church: 4/4/2008

Current mood: luminous
Category: Life


Announcements:
To everyone (Friends, family, and random strippers/whores and generally loose women) I got a chance to spend time with in Los Angeles, Thank You for providing one of the best birthdays and trips home ever. It won’t be so long before the next trip this time.

As luck would have it, while I was considering the logistics of attending my old church on Sunday, my sister mentions my Step-Mother is speaking at church on Sunday. What a pleasant surprise. I do enjoy the rare occasions when she speaks on more than the announcements. She possesses a wisdom I don’t think she even knows about.

A Word:
Church, the word for today is FAITH. The responorial Psalm is:
NO THING in the universe can negate the Good God has for me. Believe that. Live that. Let that make it easier for you to be yourself.
Repeat after me - "Here I am. As I am. Giving thanks THAT I am."
If you don’t know what to be thankful for, just look around. Be grateful.
Having faith means having the faith OF God instead of faith in God. Where is our faith? Are we faithful to God? Are we even faithful to ourselves? Mark Chapter 11 Jesus told a tree to die and it died. "If anyone says to this mountain, ’Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his/her heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. How far away are we from THAT level of faith? That’s Dalai Lama faith. That’s the Buddha’s faith.
If you say you have apply your faith. Live like you actually believe what you believe in. Ask and you shall receive. ONCE! One time quick hit and move. Pray, believe, work and wait. The key is working and waiting. We are most impatient and lazy when it comes to our blessings.
The time never existed for "believers" who don’t do shit. And pestering God won’t ever work. Who wants to help someone who doesn’t believe in them?
Anyone can attend a church but not everyone is a member. Anyone can pray but not everyone is a believer. And you can say whatever you want but not everyone has the faith their spirituality calls for. In fact, the faithful are few.
My step-mom always says practice the three Rs.
1. Release the past
2. Renew the relationship with God
3. Recognize the God power within you
No matter how much training, learning and studying, if you aren’t applying the lessons to your everyday life, you’ve only done half the work.
Take time to pray, love, live, be yourself, appreciate life and above all, believe in ALL of it.


Although I am not Christian I can see your Step-mom's advice being applicable to all people.

Release the past
Renew a relationship with the miracle of existence
Recognize the divinity within yourself

There....same concept framed outside of religious concept.

Yup! Good advice for anyone.

I don't just write for Christians you know. The truth and the light don't only shine in one's church. They shine at McDonald's, The Strip Club, Hooters, that one topless carwash in the secret location or where ever. You just have to want to see it

Pray, believe, work and wait.....I love this blog...jus recently I have been putting those 4 words into effect in my life and the results are incredible!!! To believe that you will recieve what youv'e asked for and take the responsibility of doing the work and "patiently" waiting on the results of the latter 3 is amazing and a joy....*sometimes the wait isn't very long either* Thanks for the affirmation and confirmation.

I'm working on the THREE