Featured Discussions - HOODX 5.0: XVerse2024-03-29T10:11:18Zhttps://hood-x.ning.com/forum/topic/list?feed=yes&xn_auth=no&featured=1Bettering thyselftag:hood-x.ning.com,2015-03-11:5232573:Topic:1687262015-03-11T16:56:36.133ZAmarishttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/Amaris
<p>Do what?" you ask. I DON'T KNOW. <span>LET'S FIGURE THAT OUT TOGETHER, MOTHERFUCKERS.</span></p>
<p>Feel free to stop reading this if your career is going great, you're thrilled with your life, and you're happy with your relationships. Enjoy the rest of your day, friend, this article is not for you. You're doing a great job, we're all proud of you. So you don't feel like you wasted your click, here's a picture of Lenny Kravitz wearing a gigantic scarf.…</p>
<p align="center"><img height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/7/157687_v1.jpg" width="220"></img></p>
<p>Do what?" you ask. I DON'T KNOW. <span>LET'S FIGURE THAT OUT TOGETHER, MOTHERFUCKERS.</span></p>
<p>Feel free to stop reading this if your career is going great, you're thrilled with your life, and you're happy with your relationships. Enjoy the rest of your day, friend, this article is not for you. You're doing a great job, we're all proud of you. So you don't feel like you wasted your click, here's a picture of Lenny Kravitz wearing a gigantic scarf.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="220" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/7/157687_v1.jpg"/><font>Via <a target="c" href="http://www.upscalehype.com/2012/11/lenny-kravitvz-wearing-rick-owens-desert-engineer-cargo-boots/">Upscalehype.com</a></font></p>
<p>For the rest of you, I want you to try something: Name five impressive things about yourself. Write them down or just shout them out loud to the room. But here's the catch -- you're not allowed to list anything you <em>are</em> (i.e., I'm a nice guy, I'm honest), but instead can only list things that you <em>do</em> (i.e., I just won a national chess tournament, I make the best chili in Massachusetts). If you found that difficult, well, this is for you, and you are going to fucking hate hearing it. My only defense is that this is what I wish somebody had said to me around 1995 or so.</p>
<p><em>Note: I originally posted this in December of 2012, and to date it has drawn more than 20 million page views and been shared on Facebook more than half a million times. We decided to update it and post it again every year, and by update I mean we change the year in the intro. -DW</em></p>
<p></p>
<h2 class="subheading">#6. The World Only Cares About What It Can Get from You</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img width="610" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/0/157680.jpg?v=2"/><font>Getty</font></p>
<p>Let's say that the person you love the most has just been shot. He or she is lying in the street, bleeding and screaming. A guy rushes up and says, "Step aside." He looks over your loved one's bullet wound and pulls out a pocket knife -- he's going to operate right there in the street.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="245" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/8/157688.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"OK, which one is the injured one?"</font></p>
<p>You ask, "Are you a doctor?"</p>
<p>The guy says, "No."</p>
<p>You say, "But you know what you're doing, right? You're an old Army medic, or ..."</p>
<p>At this point the guy becomes annoyed. He tells you that he is a nice guy, he is honest, he is always on time. He tells you that he is a great son to his mother and has a rich life full of fulfilling hobbies, and he boasts that he never uses foul language.</p>
<p>Confused, you say, "How does any of that fucking matter when my [wife/husband/best friend/parent] is lying here bleeding! I need somebody who knows how to operate on bullet wounds! Can you do that or not?!?"</p>
<p>Now the man becomes agitated -- why are you being shallow and selfish? Do you not care about any of his other good qualities? Didn't you just hear him say that he always remembers his girlfriend's birthday? In light of all of the good things he does, does it really matter <em>if he knows how to perform surgery</em>?</p>
<p>In that panicked moment, you will take your bloody hands and shake him by the shoulders, screaming, "<em>Yes, I'm saying that none of that other shit matters</em>, because in this specific situation, I just need somebody who <em>can stop the bleeding</em>, you crazy fucking asshole."</p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="220" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/9/0/157690.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"I don't get it. Would it help if I put on a lab jacket? Here, one sec, let me just ..."</font></p>
<p>So here is my terrible truth about the adult world: You are in that very situation every single day. Only you are the confused guy with the pocket knife. All of society is the bleeding gunshot victim.</p>
<p>If you want to know why society seems to shun you, or why you seem to get no respect, it's because society is full of people <em>who need things</em>. They need houses built, they need food to eat, they need entertainment, they need fulfilling sexual relationships. You arrived at the scene of that emergency, holding your pocket knife, by virtue of your birth -- the moment you came into the world, you became part of a system designed purely to see to people's needs.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="240" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/9/1/157691.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"Here's that shit you needed. Now fuck off."</font></p>
<p>Either you will go about the task of seeing to those needs by learning a unique set of skills, <em>or the world will reject you</em>, no matter how kind, giving, and polite you are. You will be poor, you will be alone, you will be left out in the cold.</p>
<p>Does that seem mean, or crass, or materialistic? What about love and kindness -- don't those things matter? Of course. As long as they result in you doing things for people that they can't get elsewhere. For you see ...</p>
<p></p>
<h2 class="subheading">#5. The Hippies Were Wrong</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img width="610" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/5/157675.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font></p>
<p>Here is the greatest scene in the history of movies (WARNING: EXTREME NSFW LANGUAGE):</p>
<p align="center"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8kZg_ALxEz0?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p>For those of you who can't watch videos, it's the famous speech Alec Baldwin gives in the cinematic masterpiece <i>Glengarry Glenn Ross</i>. Baldwin's character -- whom you assume is the villain -- addresses a room full of dudes and tears them a new asshole, telling them that they're all about to be fired unless they "close" the sales they've been assigned:</p>
<p><em>"Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. If you want to work here, <span>close</span>."</em></p>
<p>It's brutal, rude, and borderline sociopathic, and also <em>it is an honest and accurate expression of what the world is going to expect from you</em>. The difference is that, in the real world, people consider it so wrong to talk to you that way that they've decided it's better to simply let you keep failing.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/8/157678_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"First graders, welcome to Mr. Baldwin's third period art class -- is everyone here? Well, I'm goin' anyway."</font></p>
<p>That scene changed my life. I'd program my alarm clock to play it for me every morning if I knew how. Alec Baldwin was nominated for an Oscar for that movie <em>and that's the only scene he's in</em>. <a target="a" href="http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/11/hipsters_on_food_stamps.html">As smarter people have pointed out</a>, the genius of that speech is that half of the people who watch it think that the point of the scene is "Wow, what must it be like to have such an asshole boss?" and the other half think, "Fuck yes, let's go out and sell some goddamned real estate!"</p>
<p>Or, as <a target="c" href="http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/11/hipsters_on_food_stamps.html">the Last Psychiatrist blog put it</a>:</p>
<p><em>"If you were in that room, some of you would understand this as a work, but feed off the energy of the message anyway, welcome the coach's cursing at you, 'this guy is awesome!'; while some of you would take it personally, this guy is a jerk, you have no right to talk to me like that, or -- the standard maneuver when narcissism is confronted with a greater power -- quietly seethe and fantasize about finding information that will out him as a hypocrite. So satisfying."</em></p>
<p align="center"><img width="270" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/9/157679_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"<em>I swear, if he mentions my hair, I'll slap his face so har</em>- Yes, sir, I'm listening. I'm sorry."</font></p>
<p>That excerpt is from an insightful critique of "hipsters" and why they seem to have so much trouble getting jobs (that doesn't begin to do it justice, <a target="c" href="http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2012/11/hipsters_on_food_stamps.html">go read the whole thing</a>), and the point is that the difference in those two attitudes -- bitter vs. motivated -- largely determines whether or not you'll succeed in the world. For instance, some people want to respond to that speech with Tyler Durden's line from <em>Fight Club</em>: "You are not your job."</p>
<p>But, well, actually, you totally are. Granted, your "job" and your means of employment might not be the same thing, but in both cases you are nothing more than the sum total of your useful skills. For instance, being a good mother is a job that requires a skill. It's something a person can do that is useful to other members of society. But make no mistake: Your "job" -- the useful thing you do for other people -- <em>is all you are</em>.</p>
<p>There is a reason why surgeons get more respect than comedy writers. There is a reason mechanics get more respect than unemployed hipsters. There is a reason your job will become your label if your death makes the news ("NFL Linebacker Dies in Murder/Suicide"). Tyler said, "You are not your job," but he also founded and ran a successful soap company and became the head of an international social and political movement. He was <em>totally</em> his job.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="175" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/3/157683.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>It was the irony that many people missed from that movie.</font></p>
<p>Or think of it this way: Remember when Chick-fil-A came out against gay marriage? And how despite the protests, the company continues to sell millions of sandwiches every day? It's not because the country agrees with them; it's because they do their job of making delicious sandwiches well. And that's all that matters.</p>
<p>You don't have to like it. I don't like it when it rains on my birthday. It rains anyway. Clouds form and precipitation happens. People have needs and thus assign value to the people who meet them. These are simple mechanisms of the universe and they do not respond to our wishes.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="245" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/1/157681.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"This is bullshit. I have a completely clean criminal record, and this is the thanks I get?"</font></p>
<p>If you protest that you're not a shallow capitalist materialist and that you disagree that money is everything, I can only say: Who said anything about money? You're missing the larger point.</p>
<p></p>
<h2 class="subheading">#4. What You Produce Does Not Have to Make Money, But It Does Have to Benefit People</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img width="610" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/3/157673_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font></p>
<p>Let's try a non-money example so you don't get hung up on that. The demographic that Cracked writes for is heavy on 20-something males. So on our message boards and in my many inboxes I read several dozen stories a year from miserable, lonely guys who insist that women won't come near them despite the fact that they are just the nicest guys in the world. I can explain what is wrong with this mindset, but it would probably be better if I let Alec Baldwin explain it:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8kZg_ALxEz0?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p>In this case, Baldwin is playing the part of the attractive women in your life. They won't put it as bluntly as he does -- society has trained us not to be this honest with people -- but the equation is the same. "Nice guy? Who gives a shit? If you want to work here, <em>close</em>."</p>
<p>So, what do you bring to the table? Because the Zooey Deschanel lookalike in the bookstore that you've been daydreaming about moisturizes her face for an hour every night and feels guilty when she eats anything other than salad for lunch. She's going to be a surgeon in 10 years. What do you do?</p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="309" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/6/6/157666_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"Well, I'm fucking <em>wicked</em> at capture the flag."</font></p>
<p>"What, so you're saying that I can't get girls like that unless I have a nice job and make lots of money?"</p>
<p><em>No</em>, your brain jumps to that conclusion so you have an excuse to write off everyone who rejects you by thinking that they're just being shallow and selfish. I'm asking <em>what do you offer</em>? Are you smart? Funny? Interesting? Talented? Ambitious? Creative? OK, now <em>what do you do</em> to demonstrate those attributes to the world? Don't say that you're a nice guy -- that's the bare minimum. Pretty girls have guys being nice to them 36 times a day. The patient is bleeding in the street. <em>Do you know how to operate or not</em>?</p>
<p>"Well, I'm not sexist or racist or greedy or shallow or abusive! Not like those other douchebags!"</p>
<p>I'm sorry, I know that this is hard to hear, but if all you can do is list a bunch of faults you don't have, then back the fuck away from the patient. There's a witty, handsome guy with a promising career ready to step in and operate.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="238" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/6/5/157665.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"Wait, I said I <em>wouldn't</em> hit you!"</font></p>
<p>Does that break your heart? OK, so now what? Are you going to mope about it, or are you going to learn how to do surgery? It's up to you, but don't complain about how girls fall for jerks; they fall for those jerks because those jerks <em>have other things they can offer</em>. "But I'm a great listener!" Are you? Because you're willing to sit quietly in exchange for the chance to be in the proximity of a pretty girl (and spend every second imagining how soft her skin must be)? Well guess what, there's another guy in her life who also knows how to do that, and he can play the guitar. Saying that you're a nice guy is like a restaurant whose only selling point is that the food doesn't make you sick. You're like a new movie whose title is <i>This Movie Is in English</i>, and its tagline is "The actors are clearly visible."</p>
<p>I think this is why you can be a "nice guy" and still feel terrible about yourself. Specifically</p>
<h2 class="subheading">#3. You Hate Yourself Because You Don't Do Anything</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img width="610" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/1/2/9/159129.jpg?v=2"/><font>Getty</font></p>
<p>"So, what, you're saying that I should pick up a book on how to get girls?"</p>
<p>Only if step one in the book is "Start making yourself into the type of person girls want to be around."</p>
<p align="center"><img width="236" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/6/7/157667_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"Come ooooon. I know I hid some vodka in here somewhere."</font></p>
<p>Because that's the step that gets skipped -- it's always "How can I get a job?" and not "How can I become the type of person employers want?" It's "How can I get pretty girls to like me?" instead of "How can I become the type of person that pretty girls like?" See, because that second one could very well require giving up many of your favorite hobbies and paying more attention to your appearance, and God knows what else. You might even have to change <em>your personality</em>.</p>
<p>"But why can't I find someone who just likes me for me?" you ask. The answer is <em>because humans need things</em>. The victim is bleeding, and all you can do is look down and complain that there aren't more gunshot wounds that just fix themselves?</p>
<p>Here's another video (NSFW):</p>
<p align="center"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mSnRq6iyHKg?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p>Everyone who watched that video instantly became a little happier, although not all for the same reasons. Can you do that for people? Why not? What's stopping you from strapping on your proverbial thong and cape and taking to your proverbial stage and flapping your proverbial penis at people? That guy knows the secret to winning at human life: that doing ... whatever you call that ... was better than not doing it.</p>
<p>"But I'm not good at anything!" Well, I have good news -- throw enough hours of repetition at it and you can get sort of good at anything. I was the world's shittiest writer when I was an infant. I was only slightly better at 25. But while I was failing miserably at my career, I wrote in my spare time for eight straight years, an article a week, before I ever made real money off it. It took 13 years for me to get good enough <a target="a" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1250036658/ref=cm_sw_su_dp">to make the <i>New York Times</i> best-seller list</a>. It took me probably 20,000 hours of practice to sand the edges off my sucking.</p>
<p>Don't like the prospect of pouring all of that time into a skill? Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the sheer act of practicing will help you come out of your shell -- I got through years of tedious office work because I knew that I was learning a unique skill on the side. People quit because it takes too long to see results, because they can't figure out that the process <em>is</em> the result.</p>
<p>The bad news is that <em>you have no other choice</em>. If you want to work here, <em>close</em>.</p>
<p>Because in my non-expert opinion, you don't hate yourself because you have low self-esteem, or because other people were mean to you. You hate yourself because <em>you don't do anything</em>. Not even you can just "love you for you" -- that's why you're miserable and sending me private messages asking me what I think you should do with your life.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="233" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/6/8/157668.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>Step One: Get up.</font></p>
<p>Do the math: How much of your time is spent consuming things other people made (TV, music, video games, websites) versus making your own? Only one of those adds to your value as a human being.</p>
<p>And if you hate hearing this and are responding with something you heard as a kid that sounds like "It's what's on the inside that matters!" then I can only say ...</p>
<p></p>
<h2 class="subheading">#2. What You Are Inside Only Matters Because of What It Makes You Do</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img width="610" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/4/157674_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font></p>
<p>Being in the business I'm in, I know dozens of aspiring writers. They think of themselves as writers, they introduce themselves as writers at parties, they know that deep inside, they have the heart of a writer. The only thing they're missing is that minor final step, where they <em>actually fucking write things</em>.</p>
<p>But really, does that matter? Is "writing things" all that important when deciding who is and who is not truly a "writer"?</p>
<p>For the love of God, <em>yes</em>.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="271" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/6/9/157669_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>I've known "writers" who produced less content than what's on this woman's grocery list.</font></p>
<p>See, there's a common defense to everything I've said so far, and to every critical voice in your life. It's the thing your ego is saying to you in order to prevent you from having to do the hard work of improving: "I know I'm a good person on the inside." It may also be phrased as "I know who I am" or "I just have to be me."</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong; who you are inside is <em>everything</em> -- the guy who built a house for his family from scratch did it because of who he was inside. Every bad thing you've ever done has started with a bad impulse, some thought ricocheting around inside your skull until you had to act on it. And every good thing you've done is the same -- "who you are inside" is the metaphorical dirt from which your fruit grows.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="220" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/0/157670_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>Notice how the camera is pointed up, and not at the base of the tree?</font></p>
<p>But here's what everyone needs to know, and what many of you can't accept:</p>
<p><em>"You" are nothing but the fruit.</em></p>
<p>Nobody cares about your dirt. "Who you are inside" is meaningless aside from <em>what it produces for other people</em>.</p>
<p>Inside, you have great compassion for poor people. Great. Does that result in you doing anything about it? Do you hear about some terrible tragedy in your community and say, "Oh, those poor children. Let them know that they are in my thoughts"? Because <em>fuck you</em> if so -- find out what they need and help provide it. A hundred million people watched that Kony video, virtually all of whom kept those poor African children "in their thoughts." What did the collective power of those good thoughts provide? Jack fucking shit. Children die every day because millions of us tell ourselves that caring is just as good as doing. It's an internal mechanism controlled by the lazy part of your brain to keep you from actually doing work.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="310" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/1/157671.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"I just wanted to tell you that you're in my thoughts. Good luck -- let me know if that cured you."</font></p>
<p>How many of you are walking around right now saying, "She/he would love me if she/he only knew what an interesting person I am!" Really? How do all of your interesting thoughts and ideas manifest themselves in the world? What do they cause you to <em>do</em>? If your dream girl or guy had a hidden camera that followed you around for a month, would they be impressed with what they saw? Remember, they can't read your mind -- they can only observe. Would they want to be a part of that life?</p>
<p>Because all I'm asking you to do is apply the same standard to yourself that you apply to everyone else. Don't you have that annoying Christian friend whose only offer to help anyone ever is to "pray for them"? Doesn't it drive you nuts? I'm not even commenting on whether or not prayer works; it doesn't change the fact that they chose the one type of help that doesn't require them to get off the sofa. They abstain from every vice, they think clean thoughts, their internal dirt is as pure as can be, but what fruit grows from it? And they should know this better than anybody -- I stole the fruit metaphor from the Bible. Jesus said something to the effect of "a tree is judged by its fruit" <a target="c" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A43&version=ESV">over</a> and<a target="c" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A15-20&version=ESV">over</a> and <a target="c" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A2&version=ESV">over</a>. Granted, Jesus never said, "If you want to work here, <em>close</em>." No, he said, "<a target="c" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=ESV">Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire</a>."</p>
<p align="center"><img width="265" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/2/157672.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"And then a buffalo will stare stupidly into your soul while slowly chewing grass and softly farting."</font></p>
<p>The people didn't react well to being told that, just as the salesmen didn't react well to Alec Baldwin telling them that they needed to grow some balls or resign themselves to shining his shoes. Which brings us to the final point ...</p>
<p></p>
<h2 class="subheading">#1. Everything Inside You Will Fight Improvement</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img width="610" height="203" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/7/6/157676_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font></p>
<p>The human mind is a miracle, and you will never see it spring more beautifully into action than when it is fighting against evidence that it needs to change. Your psyche is equipped with layer after layer of defense mechanisms designed to shoot down anything that might keep things from staying exactly where they are -- ask any addict.</p>
<p>So even now, some of you reading this are feeling your brain bombard you with knee-jerk reasons to reject it. From experience, I can say that these seem to come in the form of ...</p>
<p><span>*Intentionally Interpreting Any Criticism as an Insult</span></p>
<p>"Who is he to call me lazy and worthless! A good person would never talk to me like this! He wrote this whole thing just to feel superior to me and to make me feel bad about my life! I'm going to think up my own insult to even the score!"</p>
<p><span>*Focusing on the Messenger to Avoid Hearing the Message</span></p>
<p>"Who is THIS guy to tell ME how to live? Oh, like he's so high and mighty! It's just some dumb writer on the Internet! I'm going to go dig up something on him that reassures me that he's stupid, and that everything he's saying is stupid! This guy is so pretentious, it makes me puke! I <a target="a" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5swoHS21tBw">watched his old rap video on YouTube and thought his rhymes sucked!</a>"</p>
<p align="center"><img width="237" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/2/157682_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"When you get to where I am in life, you feel free to give me advice! Until then, you're nothing but meat and guesses."</font></p>
<p><span>*Focusing on the Tone to Avoid Hearing the Content</span></p>
<p>"I'm going to dig through here until I find a joke that is offensive when taken out of context, and then talk and think only about that! I've heard that a single offensive word can render an entire <em>book</em>invisible!"</p>
<p><span>*Revising Your Own History</span></p>
<p>"Things aren't so bad! I know that I was threatening suicide last month, but I'm feeling better now! It's entirely possible that if I just keep doing exactly what I'm doing, eventually things will work out! I'll get my big break, and if I keep doing favors for that pretty girl, eventually she'll come around!"</p>
<p><span>*Pretending That Any Self-Improvement Would Somehow Be Selling Out Your True Self</span></p>
<p>"Oh, so I guess I'm supposed to get rid of all of my manga and instead go to the gym for six hours a day and get a spray tan like those <i>Jersey Shore</i> douchebags? Because THAT IS THE ONLY OTHER OPTION."</p>
<p align="center"><img width="241" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/4/157684_v1.jpg"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"Way to leave 'the hood' behind, asshole. New house or not, you'll always be white trash!"</font></p>
<p>And so on. Remember, misery <em>is comfortable</em>. It's why so many people prefer it. Happiness takes effort.</p>
<p>Also, courage. It's incredibly comforting to know that as long as you don't create anything in your life, then <em>nobody can attack the thing you created</em>.</p>
<p>It's so much easier to just sit back and criticize other people's creations. This movie is stupid. That couple's kids are brats. That other couple's relationship is a mess. That rich guy is shallow. This restaurant sucks. This Internet writer is an asshole. I'd better leave a mean comment demanding that the website fire him. See, I created something.</p>
<p>Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that part? Yeah, whatever you try to build or create -- be it a poem, or a new skill, or a new relationship -- you will find yourself immediately surrounded by non-creators who trash it. Maybe not to your face, but they'll do it. Your drunk friends do not want you to get sober. Your fat friends do not want you to start a fitness regimen. Your jobless friends do not want to see you embark on a career.</p>
<p>Just remember, they're only expressing their own fear, since trashing other people's work is another excuse to do nothing. "Why should I create anything when the things other people create suck? I would totally have written a novel by now, but I'm going to wait for something good, I don't want to write the next <em>Twilight</em>!" As long as they never produce anything, their work will forever be perfect and beyond reproach. Or if they do produce something, they'll make sure they do it with detached irony. They'll make it intentionally bad to make it clear to everyone else that this isn't their <em>real</em> effort. Their real effort would have been <em>amazing</em>. Not like the shit you made.</p>
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<p>Read our article comments -- when they get nasty, it's always from the same angle: Cracked needs to fire this columnist. This asshole needs to stop writing. Don't make any more videos. It always boils down to "<em>Stop creating.</em> This is different from what I would have made, and the attention you're getting is making me feel bad about myself."</p>
<p>Don't be that person. If you are that person, don't be that person any more. This is what's making people hate you. This is what's making you hate yourself.</p>
<p align="center"><img width="248" height="320" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/5/157685.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>What are you going to do with it? Hunt witches or kick off the Olympics?</font></p>
<p>So how about this: one year. The end of 2015, that's our deadline. Or a year from whenever you read this. While other people are telling you "Let's make a New Year's resolution to lose 15 pounds this year!" I'm going to say let's pledge to do fucking <em>anything</em> -- add any skill, any improvement to your human tool set, and get good enough at it to <em>impress</em> people. Don't ask me what -- hell, pick something at random if you don't know. Take a class in karate, or ballroom dancing, or pottery. Learn to bake. Build a birdhouse. Learn massage. Learn a programming language. Film a porno. Adopt a superhero persona and fight crime. Start a YouTube vlog. <a target="c" href="http://www.cracked.com/write-for-cracked/">Write for Cracked</a>.</p>
<p>But the key is, I don't want you to focus on something great that you're going to make happen to you ("I'm going to find a girlfriend, I'm going to make lots of money ..."). I want you to purely focus on giving yourself a skill that would make you ever so slightly more interesting and valuable <em>to other people.</em></p>
<p align="center"><img width="320" height="219" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/6/8/6/157686.jpg?v=1"/><font>Getty</font><br/><font>"Holy shit, by learning Spanish, I just gained the ability to speak to 400 million people I previously couldn't."</font></p>
<p>"I don't have the money to take a cooking class." Then fucking Google "how to cook." They've even filtered out the porn now, it's easier than ever. Damn it, you have to kill those excuses. Or <em>they will kill you</em>.</p>
<p>If you want to make note of your project in <a target="a" href="http://www.cracked.com/forums/topic/125328/the-26quot3Blearn-fascinating-new-skill-in-201326quot3B-project">the forum thread</a> or the comments and check in this time next year, knock yourself out. I'll be curious to see if even one person actually does this, but if so we'll look back, not just on whether or not we actually followed through, but <em>why</em>. You have nothing to lose, and the world needs you. Here's a video of a corgi rolling down some stairs.</p>
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<p><em> </em></p> distractionstag:hood-x.ning.com,2015-03-04:5232573:Topic:1664162015-03-04T15:28:26.268ZAmarishttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/Amaris
<p></p>
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<h1>How Multitasking Hurts Your Brain (and Your Effectiveness at Work)</h1>
<div class="bylines"><cite class="entity_block type_inline_block"><span class="attach_user_popup"><a class="avatar" href="http://blogs.forbes.com/people/jessicakleiman/"><img alt="Jessica Kleiman" src="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/96f5e39df644045b3a43053dd7ee3338?s=40&d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D40&r=G"></img></a> <span><a class="user" href="http://blogs.forbes.com/people/jessicakleiman/">Jessica Kleiman</a> <span class="desc">, Contributor…</span></span></span></cite></div>
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<p></p>
<br />
<h1>How Multitasking Hurts Your Brain (and Your Effectiveness at Work)</h1>
<div class="bylines"><cite class="entity_block type_inline_block"><span class="attach_user_popup"><a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/people/jessicakleiman/" class="avatar"><img src="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/96f5e39df644045b3a43053dd7ee3338?s=40&d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D40&r=G" alt="Jessica Kleiman"/></a><span><a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/people/jessicakleiman/" class="user">Jessica Kleiman</a> <span class="desc">, Contributor</span></span></span></cite></div>
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<div class="zemanta-img"><div class="wp-caption alignright"><img class="zemanta-img-configured zemanta-img-inserted" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/work-in-progress/files/2013/03/300x2006.jpg" alt="A man looks at his email on a Blackberry in Wa..." width="300" height="200"/><p class="wp-caption-text">If we stop multitasking and break our email addiction, we'll get more work done, says Julie Morgenstern.</p>
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<p>In a world of multitasking and constant distractions — from the ping of texts and emails to everyone having to wear more hats at work than they used to — time management is one of the biggest challenges. We might feel like we’re doing more — and, in a way, we are — but we’re actually getting less done in the process. So, is it possible in this day and age to streamline your work style, be more productive and get back some time in your day to focus on big picture stuff, strategy and brainstorming, all of which will make you more effective at your job?</p>
<p>Yes, says <strong>Julie Morgenstern</strong>, a productivity expert and bestselling author of five books including <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Management-Inside-Out-Second/dp/0805075909/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357914083&sr=1-1&keywords=time+management+from+the+inside+out">Time Management from the Inside Out</a>. </em>Dubbed the “queen of putting people’s lives in order” by <em><em>USA Today</em>, </em>Morgenstern has made it her life’s mission to help people get more out of everyday and find focus in their lives, both at work and at home. This month marks the launch of her new <a href="http://www.levenger.com/Circa-Notebooks-326/Balanced-Life-20603.aspx">Circa Balanced Life Planner</a>, a paper-based system for the digital age, designed to help people make good decisions about where to spend their time. Sign me up!</p>
<p>Morgenstern spent some of her valuable time talking to me about the email addiction epidemic, why being pulled in a million different directions and always being connected is bad for the brain, and sharing some great advice for how to manage your time more effectively this year.</p>
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<p><strong>JK: Why is multitasking ineffectual?</strong></p>
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<p>It has been scientifically demonstrated that the brain cannot effectively or efficiently switch between tasks, so you lose time. It takes four times longer to recognize new things so you’re not saving time; multitasking actually costs time. You also lose time because you often make mistakes. If you’re multitasking and you send an email and accidentally “reply all” and the person you were talking about is on the email, it’s a big mistake. In addition, studies have shown that we have a much lower retention rate of what we learn when multitasking, which means you could have to redo the work or you may not do the next task well because you forgot the information you learned. Everyone’s complaining of memory issues these days – they’re symptoms of this multitasking epidemic. Then, of course, there’s the rudeness factor, which doesn’t help develop strong relationships with others.<span> </span></p>
<p><strong>JK: Have distractions multiplied in recent years and, if so, how? </strong></p>
<p>One is obviously the smartphone, which has made it so that you cannot get away. There are no safe zones where you can actually unplug. You feel like you’re busy and doing something – it’s a chemical addiction. There are so many things we can do through our screens now – stay in touch with friends, do business, entertainment, watch <a href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/netflix/" class="exit_trigger_set">Netflix</a>, do research, create a Pinterest board. The volume of tasks in our lives that we can now do through a screen rather than tactilely has increased exponentially. It’s more than just email. It’s all the things we can do on screens.</p>
<p><strong>JK: Why is it so important to minimize interruptions and distractions in today’s world?</strong></p>
<p>It’s important to use all parts of your brain instead of only one. That will help reduce mistakes and increase the satisfaction of engagement. The human being desires a sense of control and fulfillment and I’m seeing a swing. People of all ages are reaching a tipping point and need a ”screen break.” There’s comfort in the fact that the human spirit is saying “this is simply too much.”</p>
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<p><strong>JK: What are three ways in which people can work smarter? </strong></p>
<p>1) Build “screen breaks” into your schedule, both at work and at home. The length should be a min of 1-3 hours at a time so you can engage in a deeper and different way on problems, studying, writing, thinking, talking, etc.</p>
<p>2) Avoid email and all screens for the first and last hour of the day so that you wake up and engage in a deeper, more focused activity of some sort. It’s easier to start deep and come up to the shallow. And at night, sleep studies show that being in front of a computer screen is an energy source and it stimulates rather than relaxes.</p>
<p>3) If you schedule your day between meetings and action to-do’s, plan every day plus tomorrow and the next day, it makes it easier not to get distracted. It’s best to keep track of everything in a single system – from meetings to to-do’s, both personal and professional – which will help you focus and prioritize. If you plan what to do and review it the night before, you’re less likely to get sucked into mindless distractions. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to combat distractions. Knock out the big things and the toughest stuff early in the day so you have the rest of the day to catch up with the buzz, the urgency, the distractions and the little stuff. Take advantage of the morning to complete the tasks that require more energy and discipline. If you divide your day in half, that works for most people.</p>
<p><strong>JK: If people are daunted by adding several new rules to their lives (like trying to accomplish too many New Year’s resolutions and then giving up on all of them), what’s the one thing that is either most important or easiest to do?</strong></p>
<p>The number one most powerful thing you can do to rediscover the power of focus is to control email use – scheduling when and how often you check your email. If you promise yourself that you’re going to check email only four times a day, between 9am-6pm, that will really help.</p>
<p><strong>JK: How do you advise that people “addicted” to email and social media break the habit of always checking their mobile devices?</strong></p>
<p>All of these distractions are mindless, so you might want to give yourself a little mantra or phrase that gets them to refocus or resist distractions. One idea is “Leave it!” — which is a dog-training term — or ask yourself, “Is this the best time to do this?” You can ask yourself or stop yourself when you feel the pull of a distraction. Also, when you’re having a screen break, don’t have the device nearby. When you’re supposed to be working on a report, turn off the dinger on your email or put the device away altogether. Track this for a month and see how well you’re doing at taking screen breaks and accomplishing bigger tasks. Assess each day how you did at it. You could even create an alarm every two hours to check your email.</p>
<p>Often, people try to change their habits, and they can’t get through a day without constantly checking email, so they give up. They didn’t realize how addicted they were. People who succeed give it a few days of discomfort, like a drug withdrawal, and then they can get through it. Sometimes people stay on track until a crisis and then they forget to go back. Overall, if you can make sure to give yourself time away from your “screens,” you will be more productive and fulfilled.<br/><br/><em><a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/work-in-progress/">Jessica Kleiman</a> is co-author of <a href="http://www.beyourownbestpublicist.com/book">Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired and Rewarded at Work</a> and EVP, Communications at <a href="http://www.sandow.com/">SANDOW</a>, a leader in building multiplatform brands that meet at the intersection of luxury and design. Previously, she ran PR at <a href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/hearst/" class="exit_trigger_set">Hearst</a> Magazines for over a decade. You can follow her at <a href="http://www.beyourownbestpublicist.com/">beyourownbestpublicist.com</a>, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Be-Your-Own-Best-Publicist/156609817704333">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bestpublicist">Twitter</a> (@bestpublicist).</em></p>
<p><strong>More on Forbes:</strong></p>
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<div class="gallery_embedded_content"><div class="content gallery"><h1>How To Handle 10 Common Workplace Distractions</h1>
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<p>Andy Teach, a corporate veteran and author of <i>From Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time</i>, offers tips for deadline with 10 common workplace distractions.</p>
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</div> [Official Video] Pre Dolla @PreDolla079 - We Aint The Same [Shot by @Chosen1Films]tag:hood-x.ning.com,2015-01-20:5232573:Topic:1543012015-01-20T12:25:32.365ZT. Craighttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/DjSmokePromoMixtapes
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Pre Dolla @PreDolla079 - We Ain't The Same | Shot By: @chosen1films<br/>
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</div> Friday.. ...is Smith Day..tag:hood-x.ning.com,2014-09-06:5232573:Topic:1091662014-09-06T05:54:43.139Zkreacher khttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/kreacherk
Over an hour ago.. I shot a film .<br />
of today..<br />
I captured a alot of stuff today..<br />
<br />
Friday.. ..is Smith day..<br />
I'm currently editing the footage. .<br />
we gotta document all start filming our rare..front line material.<br />
Ill have the video up by tomorrow. .posting it on<br />
Facebook<br />
<br />
. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThaRealKreacherK">https://www.facebook.com/ThaRealKreacherK</a><br />
<br />
Add the brotha. ..<br />
peace
Over an hour ago.. I shot a film .<br />
of today..<br />
I captured a alot of stuff today..<br />
<br />
Friday.. ..is Smith day..<br />
I'm currently editing the footage. .<br />
we gotta document all start filming our rare..front line material.<br />
Ill have the video up by tomorrow. .posting it on<br />
Facebook<br />
<br />
. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThaRealKreacherK">https://www.facebook.com/ThaRealKreacherK</a><br />
<br />
Add the brotha. ..<br />
peace Are You The Artistic Type? Of Course You Are..tag:hood-x.ning.com,2014-09-05:5232573:Topic:1092272014-09-05T08:25:51.416Zkreacher khttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/kreacherk
So.. You made it this far..<br />
(GodSpeed)<br />
Art has no..official description, definition or explanation..<br />
<br />
<br />
Over the ages.. Art has played a dominate role in "S.E.l.F" expression.. Individuals from every time period, passed down either there handmade craftsmanship.. Or there innovative idealogies..<br />
<br />
Creative thinking(you should already know) elevates your life entirely.. When u sharpen or drawing illustrative skills or..enhance the way you write (put together art with this bastard language)<br />
<br />
You are…
So.. You made it this far..<br />
(GodSpeed)<br />
Art has no..official description, definition or explanation..<br />
<br />
<br />
Over the ages.. Art has played a dominate role in "S.E.l.F" expression.. Individuals from every time period, passed down either there handmade craftsmanship.. Or there innovative idealogies..<br />
<br />
Creative thinking(you should already know) elevates your life entirely.. When u sharpen or drawing illustrative skills or..enhance the way you write (put together art with this bastard language)<br />
<br />
You are stealing the fate ..of the most notorious position to play.<br />
<br />
The imagination.. Is a subject matter that has been suppressed.<br />
Either because you gotta be imaginative in your thinking patterns.. Or the imaginary.. Outlandish perceptions don't inhabit your collection of neuronal function..<br />
<br />
that's what art does!<br />
Art inspires inventions, primitive tools, and ideas that produce.. A way of experience..(an Open mind is a friend of mine)<br />
<br />
Art ..has and always will have a underlying agenda attached to it..based on its contents.. Art can take many forms..packaged.. And repackaged.. Like a gift<br />
<br />
Art is an outlet to the criminally insane.. art can facilitate your emotional status.. It can change your life.. A creative rebellion is what I think<---- is needed at this time..(I am no one special)<br />
<br />
Poetry.. Is quite an example.. Of a way you can let the inner mind speak..<br />
<br />
You see something peculier outside..like the bipolar weather, polarized personalities, try writing about it..<br />
<br />
"So you are talking about art, and its relation to us as a people cool'..<br />
But uh. What..<br />
<br />
so you create stuff?<br />
<br />
Well yea..(thanks for asking)<br />
I've been known to<br />
Have dedicated my free time(sounds like all the time) to music construction, elaborate music enhanceing software..and outside of hell thinking.. The story behind the surge of illegal alienstag:hood-x.ning.com,2014-08-02:5232573:Topic:968242014-08-02T00:37:15.577ZReh Dogghttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/RehDogg
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038496394?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038496394?profile=original" width="625" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>You wont believe the political spider web behind this surge of illegals headed into America? <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rehdogg/koch-brothers-behind-lavish-facilities-for-illegal-6llw" target="_blank">Read full story</a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038496394?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038496394?profile=original" width="625" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>You wont believe the political spider web behind this surge of illegals headed into America? <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/rehdogg/koch-brothers-behind-lavish-facilities-for-illegal-6llw" target="_blank">Read full story</a></p> Too Many Friends--Cause For Expulsiontag:hood-x.ning.com,2014-01-01:5232573:Topic:647362014-01-01T07:36:53.739ZSepiahttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/Sepia
<p>As a poet, I believe that Agent Smith has deployed an entire team to wreck havoc in my life. My latest encounter is with Facebook. A few nights ago, I created a "business page" and decided to send out "friend requests" to other Facebook users. Within minutes, people started responding by "liking" my page and confirming my friend requests. Within hours, Facebook locked down my account and suspended me (one week) from "sending friend requests". As it stands now, I cannot access my Facebook…</p>
<p>As a poet, I believe that Agent Smith has deployed an entire team to wreck havoc in my life. My latest encounter is with Facebook. A few nights ago, I created a "business page" and decided to send out "friend requests" to other Facebook users. Within minutes, people started responding by "liking" my page and confirming my friend requests. Within hours, Facebook locked down my account and suspended me (one week) from "sending friend requests". As it stands now, I cannot access my Facebook account unless I delete the list of people who have not yet responded to my "friend requests". <a target="_blank"><img class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>As a result, I sent an email to Facebook (no response of course). Why? Because this is the second time that Facebook has alleged or suggested "harassment" on my part for sending "friend requests". The third time that they have sent me a notification about my activity on their social media platform. Confused? Me too. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Walk with me through this matrix. I joined Facebook back in July. At that time, with the help of my son, I created a personal page. He gave me a brief tutorial as to how to do this and that while on Facebook. That same evening, I sent "friend requests" to various people I knew; friends and family. After a few weeks or so, I received a message from Facebook with a list of some of the people who did not respond to their friend requests, stating that such actions (sending "friend requests" to people who don't respond) were considered "harassment". Huh? I thought that's what Facebook was for--connecting to people worldwide. That was the first incident.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The second incident occurred when I went to play a game that I normally play and was chastised by Facebook for sending game items to help other players get to other levels. According to Facebook, I wasn't supposed to be helping people I didn't know. What's most interesting about that incident was that I couldn't understand how those people had found me. One day, when I logged into the game, I had a long list of people asking for my help. <em>No problem</em>. I hit a button that said "send to all" and that was that--at least that's what I thought. Every time I log into the game, more and more people are adding on. Still, no problem. Send to all--click!</p>
<p></p>
<p>My most recent incident happened a few nights ago. This time, I went through an extensive list of names that had been compiled by Facebook that showed people who were friends of friends and suggested that I send them a "friend request". <em>Okay, cool.</em> I went down the list and selected some of the names and sent "friend requests" as suggested by Facebook. As mentioned earlier, people started responding. The next day (not a full 24 hrs. later) the ball dropped. When I went to log into my account, I was greeted by a big bold message stating that I had been suspended from sending "friend requests" for 7 days. Oh . . . and that my sending the requests were considered "harassment". There goes that word again--"harassment". Huh? This recent incident is quite obvious since Facebook did not allow the people to whom I sent the "friend requests" time to respond. </p>
<p></p>
<p>I responded by sending an email to Facebook (no response) asking if there is a "friend request" limit per day, month, week or year. And, by challenging their "harassment" policy by explaining that they were the ones who provided me with the list of names of people who were connected to me. The funny thing about it all is that some of these people are "blood relatives" or people related to me by marriage. In addition, I reminded them of the previous time when the people were at least allowed "a reasonable period of time" to respond. At this point, I'm wondering who's harassing who. </p>
<p></p>
<p>The way things are going, it is only a matter of time before they shut down my Facebook accounts. Agent Smith (as stated in the Agent Smith Lit) and his entourage have been crafting a case against me ever since I joined back in July. There is a saying that states that if the system isn't doing anything against you, then you are not doing anything relevant. I guess "My Thoughts on a Verdict" and "Inner City Cries" videos are much more powerful than I realize. </p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/iOT9TgMtl8w">http://youtu.be/iOT9TgMtl8w</a></p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/n9unGJgSe3o">http://youtu.be/n9unGJgSe3o</a></p>
<p></p>
<p></p> E Jilla Presents "From the Booth to the Stage" Broadasting Livetag:hood-x.ning.com,2013-12-15:5232573:Topic:621862013-12-15T04:07:19.617ZK-Blaohttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/KBlao
<p><strong>E Jilla and 400 Block DJ's presents "From the Booth to the Stage".</strong><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="342" width="543"><param name="flashvars" value="cid=2546115&autoplay=false"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="src" value="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf"></param><embed allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="never" flashvars="cid=2546115&autoplay=false" height="342" src="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="543" wmode="opaque"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param></object>
<br></br><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/" style="padding: 2px 0px 4px; width: 400px; background: #ffffff; display: block; color: #000000; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Live streaming video by Ustream</a></p>
<p>We are broadcasting LIVE from Chicago Right now! </p>
<p>Subscribe to UStream and sign up for HOODX.com…</p>
<p><strong>E Jilla and 400 Block DJ's presents "From the Booth to the Stage".</strong><object width="543" height="342" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="flashvars" value="cid=2546115&autoplay=false"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="src" value="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf"></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="543" height="342" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.ustream.tv/flash/viewer.swf" flashvars="cid=2546115&autoplay=false" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="never"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param></object>
<br/><a href="http://www.ustream.tv/" style="padding: 2px 0px 4px; width: 400px; background: #ffffff; display: block; color: #000000; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Live streaming video by Ustream</a></p>
<p>We are broadcasting LIVE from Chicago Right now! </p>
<p>Subscribe to UStream and sign up for HOODX.com now!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> HAVE YOU SEEN AGENT SMITH TODAY?tag:hood-x.ning.com,2013-03-08:5232573:Topic:103912013-03-08T21:47:06.123Zpoemoehttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/antoinemcchristion
<p>To all Hoodx members tell your story about battling <a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-agent-smith-scroll" target="_self">Agent Smith</a>!!!!!!!<a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-agent-smith-scroll" target="_blank">http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-agent-smith-scroll…</a><a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/don-t-give-in-to-the-astonishment-lit"><br></br></a></p>
<p>To all Hoodx members tell your story about battling <a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-agent-smith-scroll" target="_self">Agent Smith</a>!!!!!!!<a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-agent-smith-scroll" target="_blank">http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-agent-smith-scroll</a><a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/profiles/blogs/don-t-give-in-to-the-astonishment-lit"><br/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038489338?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038489338?profile=original" width="558" class="align-right"/></a></p> Become a Corporate HoodX Administratortag:hood-x.ning.com,2013-03-08:5232573:Topic:104322013-03-08T09:07:42.737ZK-Blaohttps://hood-x.ning.com/profile/KBlao
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Before we begin, I want to share a video with you. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I hope you have a sense of humor, because that's how we get down in HOODX. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This video is hilarious. Have you ever seen it before? </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It's the mindset of a lot of people when they…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Before we begin, I want to share a video with you. </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I hope you have a sense of humor, because that's how we get down in HOODX. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This video is hilarious. Have you ever seen it before? </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It's the mindset of a lot of people when they first get to this page. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Check it out!</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KqV2n5h7RWs?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p></p>
<p>The problem with people is that we all have a little bit of Uncle Ruckus in us, don't we? Whether we are afraid to admit it or not. It's actually quite hilarious once you accept it. We don't trust new nixxas. I get it. That's why I want you to know that I understand what it's like when it's time to make a decision. But there is something that we all need to understand about Uncle Ruckus. He doesn't like REVOLUTION.</p>
<p></p>
<p>As I continue to move forward with this REVOLUTIONARY vision, I intend on meeting like minded individuals who are interested in joining our corporate revolution. You see, the thing about Uncle Ruckus is that he is like a lot of us...He's comfortable. He doesn't want things to change. Even though he should. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Are you like Uncle Ruckus? Do you fear change? Do you like things the way they are? Do you enjoy turning on the news everyday and seeing more news reports about corporate greed and tax cuts for the upper class? Do you enjoy being surrounded by people with suspended drivers licenses, child support problems, and court cases who have given up on their dreams? Are you different from all the negative people in your hood? Do you want to revolutionize the way they think? Do you want to stop the spread of people who think like Uncle Ruckus? </p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Well guess what? <strong>HOODX.com</strong> is the REAL CHANGE that <strong>EMPOWERS YOU!</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>By using Empower Network, we are able to get you paid simply by sharing the REVOLUTIONARY, mind-blowing information on this site. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://www.empowernetwork.com/join.php?id=kungblao" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.sistasense.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/black-business-woman.jpg?width=395" class="align-center" width="395"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Here is a break down of the Empower Network Compensation Plan that we use.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QLl_wMwAGBI?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">So you can use the <strong>HOODX Empower Network System</strong> to multiply your ideas, information, and intellect with your like minded friends, all while providing them with the same opportunity. This is an excellent way to fund your passions and dreams, all while networking with like minded in their business, creative, or revolutionary side.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038489347?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038489347?profile=original" class="align-center" width="580"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Here is what you get for your $25.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="459" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yIAJJr3CXIw?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.empowernetwork.com/join.php?id=kungblao" target="_blank"><img src="http://divinegraceenterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Slide1.png?width=300" class="align-center" width="300"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This is a breakdown of the <strong>E-Wallet</strong>, where your money goes when people invest in your business. <strong>The E-Wallet is changing how everyone is getting paid on the internet.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eksj1DiLcCQ?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask below. But I would advise you the same advice that Empower Network Ceo David Wood told me.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">"Get in. Now!"</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p>If you're done making excuses, and singing the Uncle Ruckus song...if you're ready to JOIN THE REAL REVOLUTION and start MAKING MONEY, <a href="https://www.empowernetwork.com/join.php?id=kungblao" target="_blank">sign up here!</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.empowernetwork.com/truestory.php?id=kungblao" target="_blank"><img width="580" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038489347?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-full" width="580"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>If you would like a full Empower Network presentation, <a href="http://www.empowernetwork.com/theylovetobuy.php?id=kungblao" target="_blank">watch this video:</a></p>
<p><br/> For full information about becoming a HOODX.com Corporate Adimistrator, <a href="http://hood-x.ning.com/forum/topics/new-updates" target="_self">go here.</a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://www.empowernetwork.com/truestory.php?id=kungblao" target="_blank"><img width="510" height="281" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3038494183?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-left" width="510"/></a></p>