Happiness

"All I really want is to be happy....." Mary J Blige

    Hello, WORLD!!! Smokkee here again FINALLY because it feels like its been ages since I last posted anything. I must got something to say again, huh? It ain't like that. I haven't been slacking at all but this ain't the post to get into all that. If you're curious about what's been happening with me, I'll start getting into it in my next post, 'Zoom', basically a run down of how 2012 was for me. Then you're gonna wanna read about why December 1st, 2013 is a very, very important date for me on my 'Work To Do (Deadline)' post. And I should mention the BIIIIIIIG changes in store for all my blogs as well for my online presence in general that I'll detail in 'Where Do We Go From Here' and 'Public Service Announcement".
        
                 So why this post? I just wanted everybody to know that I'm not only still alive and kickin, I've never been so focused in my life. I'm also happy with my life. I've always been that but I feel that maybe I was TOO happy over the course of 2012. I did the one thing I said I would never do: I felt content. Happiness does that to you every time if you let it.  Happiness is a funny thing, WORLD.
                 The funniest thing I hear about happiness is that it is supposed to be a secret to it. I don't know any secret to it, personally, but I find that phrase too funny. Seriously. If there was a secret to happiness, wouldn't everybody know it anyway? Who can really keep a secret?
                 But happiness ain't always a good thing. Like I said, I got content with my life and the way things were going, the way everything that I've been planning is finally falling into place and whatnot. Bottom line: I stopped doing what has put me right at the doorstep of where I wanna be and just started to enjoy the view on the other side from there. Ain't nobody got time for that. We all have our deadlines and I'm one of the lucky few to know when mine is and 12-01-13 isn't as far off as it seems. So lemme get back to grinding right now. I'm more than happy to do so. Later, WORLD.
   

4 Cellphone Mistakes, Learned From Experience

Hello, WORLD!! Smokkee Singleton here, loving Chicago's gorgeous weather yesterday, freezing right now. Cest le vie. Anyway, I've been doing a lot of thinking about cell phones lately because due to some billing issues, I've had to leave US Cellular whom I still feel is a great cell company. I'm now with Boost Mobile but I can't say for how long. Cellphones are now more of a requirement than a want for most people, especially us tech saavy people. With that in mind, one must choose wisely when deciding which phone to get, what cell company to get yours from, etc. Here's the 4 biggest mistakes I've had to deal with.

4) Smartphones aren't for everybody:
Life becomes so much more easier when you become Internet saavy, trust me. Paying bills online, shopping, staying post on the latest news, etc are all so much more easier & faster online. Using that logic, life became easier after the arrival of the laptop and easier still with the arrival of the smart cell phone. BUT just because it can make your life easy doesn't mean you absolutely need one. Sometimes the basic, "ancient" phone is exaactly what you need. I got 2 buddies who prove my point exactly. My boy Antione has a flip phone and he loves it! Facebooks, texts, calls, browses the web, he does almost everything with a basic phone that's possible, just a tad bit slower. I tease him a lot bout his dinosaur but its all good if it does the job and it does for him, I guess. Our guy Nard has an Android that besides using bus tracker, texting, & making calls, he never uses it. Antoine does more for less with his phone while Nard is paying for additional cellphone features that he won't ever benefit from enough to justify. The thing most people don't know is that most cell companies charge an additional fee for data plans specfor smart phones. Even Boost's 'only $50 a month' plan adds $5 for smartphones. If your not gonna use it, why get it?

3) Everybody CANNOT use your smartphone:
If you are using a smartphone, you know as well as I do it's not really a smartphone; it's a slightly dumb computer that makes phonecalls. It does the same thing a computer can do. That means it has the same strengths as a CPU and the same weaknesses. One of the worst of the weaknesses: viruses. I remember getting my first Android phone. The first problem I encountered was a virus. I couldn't figure out where it came from at first but then one of my guys asked to borrow my phone after I had it cleaned & I just happened to glance at my screen in time to notice this fool was looking up porn! Porn lovers & illegal downloaders get CPU viruses quicker than anybody else for some strange reason (I think Christian programmers are some of the virus makers because of this). Plus, with all these banking apps, social sites, etc, why would you freely give up your phone to people? Bottom line: If they ain't using your phone to make a phonecall, and it better be quick phone call at that, they need to get there own phone.

2) Signing up for text? Watch those fine prints:
Know why I had to leave US Cellular? Well, there's a number of reasons but they all started when I added my wife Leiatonia & one of my stepsons Navarris to my plan. Actually my plan, which was $69 unlimited everything a month plus charges that came out to bout $95-120 after taxes, was eliminated and I started a family plan. The family plan was supposed to make my bill lower. I would be paying about $225 or $75 per line vs the $95 I was paying for myself. The first bill came and it was that $225, plus taxes of course, and "other" charges, totaling $350 more than what I was expecting or willing to pay. The other charges turned out to be from numerous updates like NBA & MLB that Navarris' phone had been subscribed to, each at a charge of $10 a pop. He responsed that it wasn't him & it might've been one of his friends who he let see the phone who did it. I'm telling you to watch what you to pay attention to what you subscribe to but you see what I mean about letting people use your phone? Whatever the case, it was a costly lesson indeed.
1) But It Said Unlimited: Apparently, unlimited data plans are slightly inaccurate. By unlimited, most companies mean you'll have access to about 4 gigabytes or more pf data. That's enough for most people to browse the web, send texts, etc, for a month & still have some data left over out of the 4 GBs. But if you're a streamer, a downloader, or a pirate (you know who you are), that 4GBs could be gone in a day. At US Cellular, my service on my Galaxy Tab was interrupted because of this. Of course, US Cellular doesn't offer unlimited data on tabs but they have it on their phones and a few times, my phone was shut down because of an "abuse of data". How can I abuse data if I have an unlimited data plan?

That's it for now, WORLD.

RELOADED, 2012

HELLO, WORLD!!! I guess you're wondering where I been..... LOL!! I've been recharging my (writing) batteries. I haven't even worked on a short story or blog post since I completed posting my 101 goals on my SMOKKEE'S WORLD 101 blog (http://smokkees101goals.blogspot.com/). More on that in tomorrow's post. Well, what's good? I just wanted to let everybody on Google + who supports me that nothing has happened to me, that I'm still alive & kicking, & that I won't be on break much longer. I'm recharged now and it has come at the right time too. Tomorrow, I got a lil crow to eat, #SadButTrue... Well, that's it for now, WORLD but make sure y'all catch me tomorrow on my SMOKKEE'S WORLD 101 blog for that crow eating I just mentioned. Hell, I might even throw in a movie review on my SMOKKEE'S WORLD FAVORITE'S blog too. I told y'all I was recharged! Dueces!

Embracing Imperfections: Will My Biggest Flaw Be My Downfall?

Hello, WORLD!! Smokkee Singleton here. Yall know who I am right? A blogger who's just now getting in the groove with his blogs as well as an author who's first book will be out somewhere between the summers of 2012-2013. In the meantime, with the blog money coming in but not enough to support my family, how do I earn a living? I got a job. Well, I got a job for now. I just signed some this notice that went around to all of my coworkers & me regarding being absence. I signed it & moved on. I'm like an iron man; unless I'm not able to move period, I don't miss work. Then I find out it wasn't just about absences... it also was refering to tardiness. Now I know I'm not a perfect person. I don't pretend to be even if I strive for it. You'll never be perfect but why not aim for perfection, right? I even know what most of my flaws are. My biggest flaw is I am not an on time person. Right now, I don't have a car & depending on the CTA here in Chicago is hit or miss. Anyway, the noticed says that 4 "absences" (read: absences or tardies) equal 1 occurance and 4 occurances... well, yada yada yada. I won't not try to get to work on time. I've never tried to be late on purpose (who do that stupid shit?) but to say that I'll not get an occurance, probably before 1-2 weeks past would be overly optimistic. My point: if you know what you're flaws are, try to polish them a lil bit. It doesn't hurt anybody none trying to better themselves. If I can't polish this flaw of mine, I'll only be self employed way before I'm able to support myself like that. That's it for now WORLD. I'll definitely keep you posted on this.

DISCONNECTED AGAIN

Hello, WORLD!! Smokkee here. Still a little geeked over the increased readership of my blogs, thanks to the building interest in my SMOKKEE'S WORLD 101 blog and I'd like to use this opportunity to thank all of y'all that's tuned in so far & welcome all the new readers. Hopefully, y'all also tune in to my SMOKKEE'S WORLD FAVORITES blog for reviews on just about everything as well. With that out of the way, let me get on with this present post. I'm disconnected again, cell phone wise. I added my BM & her son to my plan with US Cellular & my bill has been ridiculously high. Like $751 ridiculous. Well, what can you do? I hate not having my main line on but it'll be back on in no time. It was more I wanted to say here but I just got totally distracted by some bad news. That post will be coming up immediately after this one.

COMING SOON by Smokkee Singleton (A Preview)

Hello, WORLD! Smokkee here, naturally. This year, my main concern has been posting my 101 Goals on my other blog, SMOKKEE'S WORLD 101. One of my goals is to write a book of short stories. It dawned on me that maybe you can help motivate me, or maybe you can help my writing by offering honest criticism. Either or is cool with me. I love to write human nature stories. Here's a preview of my first attempt at horror, though it does stick to my MO of human nature writing. Let me know what you guys think, OK? Thanks WORLD!! I knew I could count on you. **************************************************************************************************************** COMING SOON by Smokkee Singleton "The following preview is rated PG-13" "Angel, they're showing another preview to that movie you're stuck on again. Probably still not gonna get any actual preview." Greg bellowed. Stacy came gliding into the room even though she was sure Greg was right; she wouldn't be getting any better an idea what NO ONE KNOWS was about. The highly touted horror movie that was shrouded in such secrecy that ironically, or maybe not, no one besides probably the people who made this movie knows exactly what this movie is about. The previews so far have only had the director, Quincy Reyes, talking about this movie. Not one preview had shown any clips from this movie. It didn't matter anyway. Stacy had her mind set on seeing this movie anyway. Maybe this one would be different but Stacy wasn't holding her breath. So far, not so much. This commercial started with the director wearing the exact same suit as he had previously wore in the commercials. In the same room and he was sitting on the same desk, more than likely a library based on all the books on the shelves in the background. "Hello, horror fans," the preview began, "I'm Quincy Reyes, but you'll come to call me the director that scared the crap out of you. I bet you're wondering why I chose not to fill you guys in on my newest film, NO ONE KNOWS. The absolute truth is if you DID have a clue, you'd avoid this movie like it was the grim reaper himself." "Man, get the fu.." Greg started to mumble incredulously before Stacy hushed him quite. She had a feeling this preview would be different. "For some of you, it just might be" the seated man continued on TV. "Vincent Price imitating ass..."Greg added before getting shushed again. Quincy rose from the desk he had been sitting on in the commercial as he continued to speaking. "IF, and I can not stress enough that you DO have a choice in whether or not you watch this movie, IF you do decide to watch this film, I am not responsible for the consequences." "Fuck!! It's just like the other commercials!" Stacy chimed, looking at Greg in such a way that he very wisely didn't return her "Shush" like he had intended. "Consequences may include the following" Quincy said as he waved his hand like a seasoned magician toward a blank screen that sudden didn't look so blank. Almost in unison, Stacy and Greg said "Aw, shit!!!!!" The images that flashed across the screen were of pure mayhem but only a little was discernible. Of the clear images, people scattering all over the place was one of the only images that lasted longer than 2 seconds. There was also a woman who was screaming at the top of her lungs with a man mere seconds away from silencing that, and her, with what appears to be a some kind of metal rod. The rest of the scenes just showed flashes of bloodied people. The scene went back to Reyes, a full shot showing off his tailor made tuxedo. The impeccably dressed man simple added "See you soon, right?" Greg already knew what his wife was about to do, but he wasn't expecting the scream that came before she reached across him to grab her cell phone and call up her buddy Anna to chat about the new movie.

Smokkee's WORLD - Reboot

Hello, WORLD!! I hope everybody had a great Christmas. Mine was great; I let the kids wear me out before watching the Chicago BULLS win their season opener followed by watching the BEARS playoff hopes just evaporate into thin air. I wish I could say the same for the year 2011 as a whole. I can but I won't. Nothing really bad happened this year but nothing great happened this year either. Nothing happened, period. Why? I got distracted. I moved in with the mother of my 3 youngest kids & got to spend the majority of the year with them. That right there is the main thing that took me out of my rhythm but I won't complain about that. I love their little bad asses & I appreciate every moment I get to spend with them. Now, I have to push myself back into an *I GOTTA DO THIS!!* mindset that got me to where I am now. I felt like a computer with a virus in 2011; I still worked but not as good as I usually do. So, that's why I had to reboot myself. Not for 2012 though. My reboot starts now. Why wait, right WORLD? That's what I thought too.