Standing Tall in the Midst of Adversity

STARCHILDAugust/September

2010

Now, when I tell you that I have some interesting and creative Facebook friends, believe me. I am often inspired, amazed (sometimes appalled) by some of the things that they choose to post. And this month, I'm showing love to my Facebook friends by showcasing some of their work within the pages of StarChild. As always, it is my hope that you enjoy every word of this issue. If not every word, at least the majority of them. I'm always open to feedback and to hear from other writers. I really love to network, so definitely get in touch with me. My e-mail is bda@starchildmagazine.com. Or connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bda.starchild.

May August be a wonderful month for you. A month full of new be-ginnings, wonderful surprises and mad-crazy inspiration. May that inspiration begin now...

Read and be blessed,

www.starchildmagazine.com

Hello. My name is B.da Oso StarChild and I am proud to admit that I'm ADDICTED to Facebook. Though I'm not an avid fan of the apps (no, I will NOT play Mafia Wars with you), I am a fan of all of my Facebook friends and look forward to learning more about them via their Facebook pages.

Some of my friends use Facebook as their online diary; they chronicle details of their relationships, their jobs, and their day to day discoveries for all to see and read about, and hopefully 'like' their statuses. Others use Facebook strategically, using it as a means of free advertising for their business ventures. And yet others use it to inspire people by posting meaningful notes and inspirational statuses, all in an effort to make Facebook a nicer and more pleasant place to dwell. Me? I do a little bit of all of the above. But more often than not I use it as a tool to help promote this very magazine you are reading now.

Cover art provided by K.Dukes Photography

www.starchildmagazine.comCover art provided by K.Dukes Photography

s Your Job in JeopardyImpending Layoff Warning Signs

by Randy Hansen, Ph.D.

Even in the best of times, workers get laid off from their jobs. The situation only gets worse -- and more frequent -- in poor economic situations.

Furthermore, it's not just "bad" -- dissatisfied or incompetent -- employees that get fired. For any number of reasons, workers at all competence levels will most likely feel the sting of being fired at least once in their careers. The better you are at your job, of course, the smaller the chance -- but don't let that feeling of security block you from some of the key warning signs that layoffs are coming to a job near you, including your own.

The warning signs that your job is in trouble can be separated into two categories -- corporate issues and individual issues. Both categories deserve your careful scrutiny and analysis.

Corporate Issues that May Signal LayoffsObviously, whenever the organization you work for is having some sort of negative financial issues, you can expect some degree of internal turbulence -- from simply rumors of bad things to come to actual bad things occurring. Your goal is to sort through these signs and prepare yourself for the worst scenario.

• Your company announces weak earnings. Every organization has cyclical sales, so this sign alone may not mean too much, but watch for accompanying signs listed below. If you work for a publicly traded company, watch for deep drops in stock price and stock analysts’ reports downgrading the company’s value.• Your company is rumored to be -- or is in -- negotiations with another organization that will result in an acquisition or merger. While the word is always that staff will be minimally affected, you should always expect layoffs to result from this type of activity.• Your company has hired consultants to help redefine the organization’s mission, strategic direction, or operations. While consultants can be a benefit to right a struggling firm, their recommendations often result in an organizational restructuring and downsizing.• Your company has announced a variety of cost-cutting measures. Implementing one or two of these might simply be good fiscal responsibility, but in combination can signal the start of a very bad situation. Cost-cutting can range from reducing spending on office and kitchen supplies to cutting expense accounts and travel budgets to implementing salary, promotion, and/or hiring freezes.

by Randy Hansen, Ph.D.

• Your company begins studying -- or worse, implementing -- a plan to outsource major functions to overseas suppliers. We’ve heard stories of workers actually being asked to travel to the outsourcing company and (unknowingly) train their replacements.• Your company does other “strange” things; such as announcing a relocation to smaller or less expensive offices, starts a security system, hires additional security guards, or purchases a large order of empty moving-type boxes.• Your company competes in an industry that is dying or in a major down cycle. While your company may not be affected yet -- or has not reacted to the downturn yet -- you can be almost certain it will have to retrench (and reduce workers) to deal with the economic realities it faces.

Individual Issues that May Signal Layoffs While some of these points are more subtle than others, unless you really look closely at your situation it is often easy to miss or ignore these key signs.

• You have a new boss who is either “too busy’ to meet with you or simply brushes you off. This issue alone is not enough to think layoff, but try to remedy this situation as quickly as possible. If your new (or current) boss does not totally understand all the things you do for your job, you become more expendable when budgets get cut.• Your workload gradually (or worse, suddenly) lightens and even asking your boss for new assignments results in none forthcoming. Worse, you’ve been reassigned from one or more major (strategic) projects to lesser ones.• You are either taken out of the loop of key team meetings, or when you do attend a meeting and offer your suggestions or raise questions, you’re ignored.• Your boss reassigns you to a completely different job/position without your requesting it -- to something that “better suits your skills.” This sign is major, especially if the new position is at a lower level or has less importance to the organization.• Your boss penalizes you in some way, such as docking your pay, giving you a demerit, or informing you of a negative performance review. Worse, your boss places you on probation.• Your boss is too busy for anyone in the department. Either she/he is never in the office or is involved in secret meetings behind closed doors. Worse, your boss gets downsized.• Your co-workers have begun to treat you differently. (These could be very subtle changes from not returning your phone calls to more obvious ones as giving you the silent treatment.)• You’re asked to write a memo explaining your role within the organization, including a list of daily job responsibilities and key contacts. Typically this request is made after the company has hired consultants or during a merger or acquisition -- and in both situations it’s a sign that upper management has no clue what you do and/or wants all your key information before dropping the axe.• You’re asked to take a pay cut (whether “temporary” or permanent). As soon as this request reaches you, it is past time to be seeking new employment. If you accept the pay cut, you are essentially admitting that your job is not valuable to the organization – and by making the request, the organization has already told you that your position is no longer valuable.

Final ThoughtsWhen you look around -- both at yourself and your employer -- and see several of these warning signs happening, it’s time to move quickly… not necessarily to a new job, but to preparing yourself for the worst (while looking for a new job).

HATING

GAME

THE

THE

PLAYERwhen you really hate

“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” – Author Unknown

If life is a game...*Time out*

Don't come in here with your fortune cookie existentialism comparing the game to

other things... In this here analogy, life = game. FOCUS.

*Time in*

If life is a game... that means there are Players, Coaches,

Owners, and then the oft-forgotten about, but always present: Spectators

I've found that the people who hate the game the most, are not the ones who are playing it - but those

who are watching from the stands.

Yes, you. The Spectators.They have the absolute MOST to say about the Game - yet they have the absolute LEAST to do with it.

• They are sideline coaches, telling the benchwarmers what they could do to be better.

• They are an old Player that has since left the game, but wants to tell all the New Players how to do it, or how ‘they would do it, if it were them.’

• They are new ‘would-be’ Players, that didn’t have the heart to go to the off-season tryouts. So now they are bitter because players in the game that are not as good as they ‘would have been’ - and they are hitting the occasional home run and getting all the glory.

Now most ACTUAL Players & Coaches if they are on their grind are really just trying to get the attention of someone in the Owner’s Box. They know that’s where the reward is. They can’t be bothered with what’s happening off the field, because it doesn’t concern them.*Time out*Don't trip on some of my sporting allegory not matching an actual sport. You'll get the point regardless.*Time in*

Some Players even form bonds with a Coach or two so that one day when Free Agency is available, they can take it and make their own lane. Often times putting themselves that much closer to the Owner's box.If you're not even on the field <cough> Spectator <cough>… what right do you have to say what's going on in the Game?Play your position... the one that you chose through your inaction.

Yes, that one.... on. the. sideline.That is, unless you want to get in the Game…

Because maybe... just maybe if you get IN the Game - then you can have something to say about the value you bring to the TEAM.

Otherwise… I respectfully ask you, to shut the f* up.

Dnyree is an avid cultural observer who can be found waxing poetic about travel, youth, human nature, and most importantly fashion. She believes she was an English Professor in a past life, and must suppress the temptation to redline twitter feeds daily. She can be found online co-hosting Chocolate Cake Radio a life, love and relationships forum delivering black female & male perspectives (www.facebook.com/choccakeradio). For more random observations and mental meanderings, also check Dnyree out @ambereuros (www.ambereuros.com)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

AAre You A MALEOr A M N?

By Kendall Ficklin

What is your definition of a Man? If you ask that question to a group of men you'll hear many different answers depending upon environment and upbringing.

Some may say he is a man when he has reached a certain age, some may say when he has moved out from under mom's roof and has his own car and apartment, and some believe that making a certain amount of money is attaining manhood. None of these things, however, are characteristics of a man. Manhood is a process, a transition from maleness.

MANDoes not carry a grudge

Looks to better himself; he invests in his successGives to his community

Is measured by his characterWord is his bond

A real man is a leaderThinks with his big head

Uses his intellect and emotions to make decisionsIs a protector of women in general and committed to one woman in particular

MALELooks for ways to get even

Complains that he has to stay where he is Takes from his community

Is measured by his sex drive Views a woman as an object of pleasure, and isn’t committed to anything!

Has no word, he will tell you what you want to hear Is a follower

Thinks with his little head Makes emotional decisions

Males Are Born, But Men Are Made!As you can see there are some distinctions between males

and men. Being a man is not easy, especially when you under-stand a man’s roles and responsibilities. I was speaking with a brother one day, and he said to me, “Bro, this being a man thing is hard!” I knew exactly where he was coming from. Walking in manhood can be overwhelming because were going through the process of being reshaped, renewed, restored and completely retrained.

Most of us have been operating as males with sprinklings of manhood. For example, some of us may find a good woman,

marry her, provide for her financially, sometimes emotionally, and do most things right. After about nine months to a year when she starts “trippin” because we’re hanging out with the fellas, that’s when we meet the other woman and revert to being a male. You see, a man has emotions but is not ruled by them. So when his wife starts “trippin”, he doesn’t allow her actions to dictate his reaction. A man understands that he is held account-able by God for the way he treats his wife regardless of the way she may be treating him.

Keys To Becoming A Real Man

God created man to be a Provider, Protector, Cultivator, Visionary, and Leader

Provider: In Genesis 2:15 God put His man, Adam in a garden and gave him his first assignment, to work. Work was given to him to advance the purpose of God. God wanted Adam to have fulfillment, and to enable him to provide for his own needs as well as those for whom he would eventually be responsible for.

Notice that before he gave the man a woman he gave him work. Therefore a man needs work before he takes on a wife. A provider finds a way to supply for his family’s need. He plans ahead and anticipates needs before they arise.

Protector: When God put us in the garden to take care of it, not only did he want us to work in it and cultivate it, but he wanted us to also protect it, and all the animals, the plants, and the woman that he put there for us.

We are natural protectors, designed by God to protect everything we are responsible for.

Cultivator: To cultivate means to make something better than it was when you first received it. Look at your woman, how many of us are really cultivating our women?

Single Brothers: You should be cultivating every woman that comes into your circle. They should leave you a better person, NOT Pregnant, or emotionally abused after we’ve run so much game on them.

Keys To Becoming A Real Man (CONTINUED)

Married Men: We have this picture in our minds of what we want our wives to be and when she doesn’t measure up to that we blame her. Ask yourself, what have you put into her? What kind of deposits have you made into her spirit?

Have you cultivated her to be what you envision? Or what she envisions for herself? Do you know what her goals and dreams are? How are you helping her achieve them? A woman is like a seed, and we are water and light for her. If we pour into her and shine our light on her, she will blossom into a beautiful, compassionate, nurturing, submissive, help mate. Then you can look at her proudly and say “look at what I have cultivated”.

Visionary: Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision the people perish.”

To have vision means to conceive something in your mind and then move toward bringing that vision into reality. Every man should have a vision for his life. If he is married, he should have a vision for his family. The vision should include but not limited to Faith, Family, and Finances. We should have short term and long term goals, and they should be attainable.

Most of us don’t have a vision for our family and we wonder why our wives and children won’t submit to us. Brothers, look at the word submission, the prefix “sub” means under, and mission simply means goal or vision. So submitting is coming under one’s goals and vision. Well, brother she won’t submit if you don’t have a vision for her to submit under.

Leader: Every man is created by God to lead and a man should display leadership characteristics. Some men run away from the responsibility of leadership. They are selfish, only concerned about their own needs and not the needs of others.

Take a look at some leadership characteristics listed below:

• A leader is a servant • A leader is disciplined

• A leader is the first one up in the morning and the last one to go to bed • A leader sets the tone • A leader has integrity • A leader has character

• A leader’s word is his bond • A leader is a role model

• A leader provides, protects, cultivates, and has vision • A leader leads by example

Men, we are on our way. The first step was reading this article. Now you know what a man is. God winks at ignorance

but holds us all responsible for what we know. Let’s start the transition into manhood now!

OC

GD

TYW

AHRE

In biology, there are two major processes, growth and decay. Growth is when an organism increases, when it thrives, when it blossoms or physically matures. Decay is the process of death. It is a process by which things are consumed by the earth. It is a process that leads to the physical deterioration of ALL living creatures. Decay is the process by which death occurs.

In a philosophical sense, these two processes are governed by equivalent forces; optimism and pessimism. Optimism, which is an energy closely associated to love, is the energy associated with growth. Optimism represents a belief in increase, a belief that things will become more abundant, a belief that things will quantify. Pessimism is closely related to the emotions of cynicism, despair, hopelessness, and contempt. Pessimism represents lack, entropy, a belief that darker forces will prevail, and an inability to be content with life circumstances. I once heard a quote that stated:

“The difference between the middle class and working class is that the middle class believe tomorrow will be better, and the working class believes tomorrow will be worse.”

If you want to know whether your life or business is in growth or decay mode, you simply have to look at your emotions. Our emotions set the mode that our life is in, not the other way around. Are you hopeful and excited about tomorrow? Do you feel unbounded joy? Do you look for the good in people? Do you focus on what you have instead of what you lack? If so, your life is in growth mode. When your life is in

growth mode, circumstances will turn out as desired, opportunities will become abound, and you will be excited about and satisfied with the outcome of your future.

However, when your life or business is in decay mode, you will feel opposite feelings. You will only focus on what you lack. You will only see the negative in people. You will feel alone. You will criticize others. You will be moody and temperamental. You will believe that your back is against the wall and feel dissatisfied or inadequate.

Few people realize that they can change the course of their life by simply changing their outlook. Optimism breeds success. For example, when making the light bulb, Thomas Edison tried 10,000 different filaments before his light bulb finally worked. A pessimistic person would have given up long before then. However, Edison, the optimist that he is, continued to press on. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich and The Laws of Success urged Edison by saying, “Keep trying, you’re going to succeed really soon because you’re running out of things that don’t work”. Taking Hill’s advice, Edision continued until he succeeded. If Edison would have been pessimistic, his invention would have died because pessimism rules decay.

I’m going to leave you with this universal rule. Optimism is the energy that governs growth, pessimism is the energy that governs decay. Pessimism will kill your dreams, relationships, business aspirations, and ambition. However, if you hold on to your optimism, even in the face of a fierce and ferocious storm, sunny skies and lavish green grass will follow it.

Jason W. Johnson is owner and brainchild of consulting firm Identity Engineers. IDE uses the science of personality psychology combined with coaching and brand development to help people identify their niche and develop it into a marketable business based on their true passions and natural talents. For more information on Identity Engineers visit their website at http://www.identityengineers.com. Also, check out Jason’s blog at http://www.jasonwilliamjohnson.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

OPTIMISM =

PESSIMISM =

I’ve been listening to the radio and hearing the news reports and conversation on what people think about the shootings that took place in Indianapolis over the Black Expo weekend (July 17). One occurring theme that I keep hearing is people asking what are we going to do about the problems that face the Black community as it relates to violence. Okay we know that some of the same old tired wore out solutions that are always mentioned are going to be brought up. You know, things like “we need to pray” or “we need better parenting” or we need some weak existing organization to get involved with the Black communities youth. So I think to myself that these kinds of ideas have been tried before over and over and they never seem to work. So then I ask myself what hasn’t been tried and what are the real root causes of this behavior?

What I realize is that for some reason this kind of activity is always going on in the Black community or Black children are the ones usually involved so it tells me that there are some specific reasons for these kinds of things occurring. No one is going to tell me that my people are deficient of gaining intelligence and that we are somehow an inferior group of people, because that would be a lie. So why is this type of thing particularly happening to us? And it is specifically about Black people because we are the ones that these television news stations and radio personalities are singling out as the perpetrators so it reflects on all of us and many of us seem to act like we don’t care how our image is being portrayed in the media!

So what is the problem and what is the solution? Because you first have to recognize a problem before you can come up with a solution, right? First where did the guns come from that the youngsters had and who manufactured them? Where does the drugs that flood our communities that create turf wars, hostility, and fear in our communities come from? Due to the combination of lack of opportunity and lack of a real education, what do you think ignorance and lack of the means for survival will breed? We can’t just say a person shouldn’t get involved in the ills of our community when they have to eat and a lot of times don’t have a choice! The question is why are those the only choices? Why does the choice to be a drug dealer, drop out, or thug even exist in our communities? Because without drugs or guns in the communities none of these things would even be able to take place! So who puts it there? Who brings it in and what are they trying to cause? All if have to say is study Freeway Ricky Ross for the answer!

So now since we have identified the problem, lets deal with the real solution and not the old tired theories that we have used in the past! Do you know what real change is? If anyone wants real change in the Black community it is going to have to be something new and revolutionary! We are not using our minds and our creativity. All we are doing is listening to and following the ideas of a media that does not care about the condition of our people and only wants to capitalize off of our misery, so we will not find the answer there! The whole structure of this system was not set up for our benefit in the first place and it is still not to this very day, so working within the system is also not the answer!

By: William L. Brookshire

We must change the minds of our people! Revolutionary thought and Black love for ourselves are the only things that have not been tried and it is about time we make it a reality for us since our children are the only ones dying in these streets!

Revolutionary thought is a complete and total change in your thought process! It is not about going out and committing violence against the perpetrators of our condition, but revolutionizing your thinking so that you take the power of your mind back and use it for the advance-ment and progression of your people first, especially since we are the most in need of a change! We have to realize who the enemy is and that the enemy knows that as long as he can continue to keep you playing his game then he can exert his power over you! But when you wake up to the knowledge of yourself, which is what revolutionary thought is all about, then you will know that he really no longer has the power to control or oppress you! And the reason you will never hear this as a solution on the radio or television is because those people working for those stations whether they be black or white are beholding to the currency system of the people who run those networks, and believe me they don’t want you hearing solutions like this because they know that they would probably be put out of business!

Just remember we didn’t create the condition that our people are in, but we d*mn well are the ones who are going to get us out of it. Wake up Black Man and Woman!

Why does the choice to be a drug

dealer, drop out, or thug even exist in our communities?

IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITYTALL

STANDING

By: B.da Oso StarChild

As much as I would dread having to be a teenager again, I long for the carefree spirit of those days, when the worst thing I had to worry about was being a good friend and getting decent grades. I thought I was miserable then, but now I realize I knew nothing! It wasn’t until way later on in life that I realized truly what life was really all about. Paying bills, making ends meet, being a wife, a mother, finding happiness in the midst of chaos, dealing with health issues, dealing with death...all of these things (especially combined) can be enough to make anyone want to throw in the towel and start fresh.

Let’s face it. Life can be tough! On the daily we’re dealt blows that we have to learn how to manage. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Something is always testing our strength and our character. It is up to us to stand tall in the midst of adversity. Allow me to offer some knowledge from my personal arsenal on how to best stand tall when life tries to knock us down:

Remember that this too shall pass. The most hurt that I have had to deal with in life has come from the loss of love relationships. I am always knocked down when I have to let go of a love. And though I pride myself on usually being the one who does the letting go (I don’t get dumped very often), it doesn’t mean that it hurts any less. At the time it feels like someone is twisting the life out of my heart and stomach. I cry, I can’t eat, I sleep a lot, I pray, I feel like I’ll never love again which is a very helpless feeling. But over time, I bounce back. And I begin to reflect objectively over what went wrong and why, so I am cautious not to make the same mistakes again. And by the time I get to this point, the twisting in my heart and stomach has ceased. I heard somewhere that it takes half as long as the duration of the entire relationship to fully be over it. In other words, if your relationship lasted 1 year, you should allow yourself 6 months to heal. Whatever works for you, just know that the hurt you are feeling too, shall pass.

Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair. It will give you some-thing to do, but it won’t get you anywhere. It took me years to be able to let go of the things I had no control over. For the longest time I would allow giant thoughts about my problems permeate my mental to the point of stressing me out complete-ly. This would happen especially in regard to money matters. Like when I found myself laid off unexpectedly and had no clue what would come next. I could have easily sat in a corner and cried over my loss, but instead I immediately turned that negative worrying energy into action. I immediately began to look into all of my op-tions and within a week my situation was looking that much better, which rendered me empowered instead of defeated.

If a problem arises that you have no control over, don’t sit in the rocking chair of worry. Instead map out what your next steps should be and work towards those goals.

When death comes knocking. Experiencing the loss of a loved one is one of the heaviest hurts we can bear. It’s often unexpected so it seems to knock the wind out of us when it happens. I remember when I lost a very dear and close

By: B.da Oso StarChild

friend (R.I.P. Dorion Antwan Hester), I was rendered useless for about a week. I cried and lay in bed for 7 days straight. Nothing could comfort me or ease my pain. But I did the right thing by allowing myself that time to fully grieve. The worst thing you can do in situations like a death is to try and suppress your emotions. Allow yourself to feel how you are feeling and do what you need to do to make it through each day. Don’t apologize for breaking down in random tears. Give yourself as much time as you need, and when you are ready to begin functioning normally, choose to dwell on their life and the memories you have of the person and know that as long as you continue to love them, they will forever be a part of you.

Change your perspective. How many times have you gone through a bad situation, only to look back on it much later and realize it was a blessing in disguise? For every trial we go through, there is a lesson or a blessing on the other side. And even though it may not feel like it at the time, if we believe that what will come later will be greater, it can help us get through what we are experiencing now. Try not to focus so much on the hardship itself. Instead focus on the fact that you are becoming stronger. Remember, pain is only weakness leaving the body. And situations that come to devastate you will one day elevate you.

Just smile. I read somewhere that when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, you should instantly put a smile on your face and you’ll feel better. As silly and contrived as this advice may seem, try it. It works. Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

The Sports ReportBy: Terrence Williams

NBAThe NBA season came to a close with the Los Angeles Lakers successfully defending their title against the Boston Celtics in a brutal seven game series. The Lakers avenged a 2008 loss in which the Celtics won the championship in six games. Overshadowing probably the best series in the last decade was the transformation of the various teams throughout the league due to the free agent signings. Without question the most intriguing moves were the signings of Lebron James and Chris Bosh by the Miami Heat. Along with Dwayne Wade Miami has a trio of athletes that could change the league for years to come. With the additions of Bosh and James, along with other free agent signees Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mike Miller, the Heat definitely became one of the front runners to win the Eastern Conference. But the question is, do they have enough pieces around their newly formed big 3 to beat the aging Boston Celtics or the 2009 defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic? Other Key acquisitions via free agency include the following: Amare Stoudemire’s departure from the Phoenix Suns to join his former coach Mike D’Antoni with the New York Knicks, Carlos Boozer leaving the Utah Jazz to join Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago, David Lee joining the Golden State Warriors after leaving New York, Al Harrington joining forces with Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets, and Jermaine O’Neal bolting from Miami to join Boston. Along with the big free agent signings come the major trades that took place over the last month. Here are some of the big player moves that occurred via trades: Al Jefferson replaces the departed Carlos Boozer in Utah; Dallas acquired center Tyson Chandler from the Charlotte Bobcats; Hedo Turkoglu, Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick to the Phoenix Suns; Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf to the Knicks; Samuel Dalembert is now a Sacramento King; and how about Michael

Beasley disrespectfully getting shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a future second round pick. This summer’s NBA draft was headlined by number one overall pick point guard John Wall from Kentucky. Wall was drafted by the Washington Wizards while four of his college teammates followed him in the first round of the draft. The college national player of the year Evan Turner went 2nd to the Philadelphia 76ers. John Wall was very impressive during the Las Vegas Summer League by leading the league in scoring at 23.5 ppg and chipping in 7.8 apg, while Evan Turner struggled playing off the ball during the Orlando Summer league. Demarcus Cousins, who was Wall’s teammate at Kentucky, went 5th overall and also had an outstanding showing at the Vegas Summer League. Cousins led the league in rebounding with 9.8 per game while putting in 14.5 ppg. Some other rookies that stood out in the summer league included, Dominique Jones (Dallas Mavericks) with 16.6 ppg, Landry Field (Knicks) averaging 15.6 ppg, and Gani Lawal (Phoenix Suns) averag-ing 15.4 ppg. The early favorite for steal of the draft has to be the Los Angeles Lakers draftee Derrick Caracter, from the

University of Texas El-Paso. Caracter has a big body and is highly skilled. He went 58th overall in the draft but averaged 15.4 ppg during the

Vegas summer league.

MLB

NFL

The first half of the major league baseball season has come to an end and this has been one of the most competitive seasons in quite some time. So why is this season so competitive? Heading into this season’s all star break, no division leader has more than a 5 game lead. This is the first time that the division races have been this close since adopting the current division format in 1994. What’s even more surprising are the current division leaders. San Diego has a 2 game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League west, while the Cincin-nati Reds currently has a 1 game lead over St. Louis Cardinals in the central division. Atlanta’s 4 game lead over the New York Mets is the largest gap in the National lead, and the Braves also own the best record with 52 wins to just 36 defeats. In the American league, the Chicago White Sox have a ½ game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the central division, while the New York Yankees have a 2 game lead over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the always competitive American League east. The Texas Rangers hold the largest lead at 4 ½ games over the Anaheim Angels in the west division. The National League were the winners of the midseason classic with a 3 – 1 victory in Anaheim. Their first win since 1996 not only ends a 13 year drought, but guarantees home field advantage for the leagues representative in the World Series. The Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann took home MVP honors. McCann’s 3 run double with 2 outs in the seventh inning sealed the deal for the victors.

The biggest stories of the first half have to include the performance of Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez and the stick of the Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera. Jimenez has to be the front runner for not only the National League’s Cy Young race but also the MVP race. Ubaldo came out

the gates firing by throwing a no hitter in an April 17th game

versus the Braves in Atlanta. Jimenez was the first

pitcher to win 15 games before the All Star Break since David Wells did it in the 2000 season. Miguel Cabrera should be the front runner for the American League’s MVP race. Cabrera is putting numbers up that will put him in the position to win a triple crown. Cabrera is first

in batting average (.346), second in home runs (22),

and first in runs batted in (77). Another that could be considered for the American League’s top individual honor is Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is also first in batting average (.346), second in home runs (22), and forth in runs batted in (64). Major league baseball lost probably one of the greatest team owners in sports this season with the passing of George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner was the first owner that wasn’t afraid to spend money to win a championship. He built an already historic franchise in the New York Yankees to what it is today. If you want to get a glimpse of the real George Steinbrenner then go out and rent ESPN’s the Bronx is Burning; a great documentary about the New York Yankees in the late 70’s with a big emphasis on Steinbrenner’s relationship with Billy Martin. Rest in Peace.

With the NFL training camps beginning on July 29, the big question is not whether or not the New Orleans Saints repeat a superbowl champions, but what will happen with the annual late summer saga of Brett Favre. Favre has yet to decide if he will be returning to the gridiron this season to join the Minnesota Vikings. Who knows? We may be discussing this topic during next month’s issue….One thing for sure is that Brett Favre’s situation was not the biggest news of the offseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be sidelined for 4 to 6 games depending on the NFL’s commissioner Roger Goodell’s final ruling. Roethlisberger

will be sidelined for violating the league’s personal conduct policy because of accusations from a college student in Georgia who says that he sexually assaulted her. So how will the Steelers, who were the superbowl champs in 2009, manage without their field general....Michael Vick was in the news once again this offseason when he was involved in a confrontation at a birthday party giving for him in Virginia. The confrontation led to the shooting of Quanis Phillips who was a co-defendant in

Vick’s dogfighting case. Video tape evidence shows that Vick had already departed from the scene before the

shooting took place. So far the Philadelphia Eagles have not decided to discipline Vick for his involvement in this situation….Former number one overall draft pick Jamarcus Russell was released by the Oakland Raiders this offseason. Russell was later arrested in Mobile, Alabama and charged with possession of codeine syrup. This could be the end of a short career for Russell….The New York Jets will

be featured on this season’s HBO series “Hardknocks.” We get a chance to see how Rex Ryan will prepare his

team as they try to repeat as the league’s most unpredictable defenses. With the additions of

LaDainian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes, the Jets Offense should be able to compliment their

defense. Will this be enough to get them to the ultimate goal of superbowl champs….And last but not least is the question of will Terrell Owens have a job before the season begins. That remains to be seen.

OTHER SPORTSCongratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the 2010 Stanly Cup. The Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games to win their first championship since 1961….The most popular sport in the world had its biggest event this summer when the FIFA World Cup took place in South Africa. Spain took home top honors when they defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in a highly contested matchup.

After defeating winning their group, Team USA was defeated by Ghana in the first match of the second round 2-1. This was a big step for Team USA but will soccer ever be as popular in the United States as it is around the world?

Everyone knows what a star is, but do you know what the star means?

For us here at StarChild, it signifies greatness. PURPOSE. Our story has already been written and we are merely actors playing our dutiful role.

We are the ones who help give life meaning.

We are the ones who equate being “normal” with mediocrity.

We are the ones that sacrifice on behalf of the greater good. We go against the grain. We are the remnant. We are the chosen.

Our light shines bright so that a people years away can still see it, even once we’ve burned out.

We are creating our mark. We are living legends. We validate one another. We help one another rise. We are the fearless. We are the believers in Christ.

We are STARCHILD.

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