Kenneth Davis

  SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

October 29, 2023: When you are in a holding pattern where there seems to be no change or progress, this time of waiting can either be fruitless or fruitful. You can do nothing, or you can take advantage of this time to examine your attitudes and motivations and make positive and lasting changes. Do not let this opportunity pass you by. Galatians 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not another.

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   

     It's difficult to look on the bright side when you're surrounded by negativity. Mentally strong people overcome setbacks with confidence because adversity only makes them better. As we go about our daily routines, our internal monologue narrates our experience. Our self-talk guides our behavior and influences the way we interact with others. It also plays a major role in how you feel about yourself, other people, and the world in general.
     Spending time with negative people can be the fastest way to ruin a good mood. Their pessimistic outlooks and gloomy attitude can decrease our motivation and change the way we feel. But allowing a negative person to dictate your emotions gives them too much power in your life. Make a conscious effort to choose your attitude. 
     Pay attention to how your thoughts change when you're faced with negative people. The more time you spend dreading, fretting, worrying, and rehashing, the less time you'll have to devote to more productive things. Make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of mental energy you expend on negative people. Mentally strong people don't shy away from change - nor do they expect immediate results.

~Amy Morin~

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  

DETERMINATION & FAITH

     I had all the intentions of being the next Eddie Murphy. I'm really good at standup. I always win at standup. My job is to bring the tickle. I know what's funny. You can't rush good wine. It has to sit. And when you finally drink it, it's the bomb. It's worth the wait. There is no such thing as getting anything easy. Trust and believe. Even if you're good at what you do, you still should be practicing, you still should be updating, especially. Because if you don't update, you become a dinosaur. 
     When you're writing a sketch, it has to be surrounded by a situation. It can't just be out of the air. If I see someone not laughing, the first thing I'm thinking is, "OK, am I cursing too much? Am I doing a joke he doesn't understand? Is he resting?" Then he starts becoming my focal point. Once I see him laugh, I'm like, [snap] "All right, now I'm funny. 

     IT'S TIME FOR 
JUST JOKING MONDAYS

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

October 31, 2023: You must let go of the past and stop worrying about the future. You have today to do the best you can with the time you have and the circumstances that you have to deal with. Establish yourself in the flow of My Spirit, says the Lord, and let Me direct your steps. I will not lead you astray. I am your place of safety and refuge. Be strong and of good courage. Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  

SAFETY & REFUGE

     Restore your attention or bring it to a new level by dramatically slowing down whatever you're doing. If you go deeper and deeper into your own heart, you'll be living in a world with less fear, isolation and loneliness. Whatever life presents us, our response can be an expression of our compassion. We need the courage to learn from our past and not live in it. We learn and grow and are transformed not so much by what we do but by why and how we do it.
     We can't control what thoughts and emotions arise within us, nor can we control the universal truth that everything changes. But we can learn to step back and rest in the awareness of what's happening. That awareness can be our refuge. The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention. In those moments when we realize how much we cannot control, we can learn to let go. We spend our lives searching for something we think we don't have, something that will make us happy. But the key to our deepest happiness lies in changing our vision of where to seek it. "Faith is not a commodity that you either have or don't have enough of, or the right kind of. It's an ongoing process. The opposite of faith is despair." 

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  

TODAYS WORD - SYSTEMATIC

     The mistakes we make when we try to imagine our personal futures are also lawful, regular, and systematic. They, too, have a pattern that tells us about the powers and limits of foresight in much the same way that optical illusions tell us about the powers and limits of eyesight. We don't believe other people's experiences can tell us all that much about our own. I think this is an illusion of uniqueness.
     Few of us can accurately gauge how we will feel tomorrow or next week. That's why when you go to the supermarket on an empty stomach, you'll buy too much, and if you shop after a big meal, you'll buy too little. Your emotions are meant to fluctuate, just like your blood pressure is meant to fluctuate. It's a system that's supposed to move back and forth, between happy and unhappy. That's how the system guides you through the world. Variety improves the things that we do too often, but it rules the things that we don't do often enough. The truth is, bad things don't affect us as profoundly as we expect them to. That's true of good things, too. We adapt very quickly to either.

~Daniel Gilbert~

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

Type 2 Diabetes: How It Affects Your Diet
Story by by Julie Cunningham, MPH, RD, LDN, CDCES
https://www.tasteofhome.com/

     It may sound complicated to change your diet to help manage your blood sugar, but fortunately, it's not as hard as you think. Here's a closer look at how a type 2 diabetes diagnosis should affect your diet.
What Is Type 2 Diabetes?
     Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are conditions that, without treatment, cause your blood sugar to run too high. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the pancreas and destroys its ability to make insulin, the hormone that keeps blood sugar in check. Type 2 diabetes is different. If you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas may produce plenty of insulin, but your body has trouble using it. The result is the same: Too much sugar in your bloodstream, which can cause damage to your eyes, kidneys and other vital organs.
How Food Affects Diabetes
     All food is made up of three major components, or macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrate. Protein and fat have little effect on your blood sugar, but carbohydrate has a direct effect on blood glucose levels. When carbohydrate is digested, it is broken down into glucose, or sugar, and that sugar starts to circulate in your blood. One fact about type 2 diabetes many people misunderstand is that a no-carb diet is not the goal. A consistent carbohydrate intake that meets your individual needs is key. Controlling your carbohydrate intake is a major part of your type 2 diabetes diet.
Counting Carbs for Type 2 Diabetes
     Years ago, people with diabetes were encouraged to follow a strict diet using a system called the Diabetic Exchange List. Today, most people with diabetes use a simpler method called carbohydrate counting. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who specializes in diabetes can help you determine how many grams of carbohydrate you need at each meal. Then, counting carbohydrates helps you keep your blood sugar level throughout the day. Some people with diabetes use the glycemic index to help them decide which carbohydrate foods to eat. The glycemic index categorizes carbohydrate foods according to their potential for raising your blood sugar. Foods with a "low glycemic index" are not as likely to raise your blood sugar as high or as fast as other foods. Some foods contain little to no carbohydrate, and they are known as "free foods" on the type 2 diabetes diet. All unsweetened beverages as well as salad greens and non-starchy vegetables are considered "free foods."
The Best Foods for Type 2 Diabetes
     The best foods for people with type 2 diabetes are high in fiber, full of vitamins and minerals and rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. If you have diabetes, try to eat lots of fruit, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds.
Best Fruits for People with Diabetes
     Look for fresh, frozen or canned fruit with "no added sugar" on the label. Some of the best fruits for people with diabetes are: Apples, Pears, Grapefruit, Peaches.
Best Vegetables for People with Diabetes
     Most non-starchy vegetables are considered "free foods." These vegetables have very little carbohydrate and can be eaten without caution: Salad greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peppers, Celery. 
Best Proteins for People with Diabetes
     Look for protein foods rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel are excellent sources: Fish, Chicken, Turkey, Walnuts, Almonds.
Foods to Avoid for Type 2 Diabetes
     The amount of carbohydrate in sugary foods like cake, pies, candy and ice cream can quickly add up and cause your blood sugar to spike. When you start paying attention to carbohydrates, you might also be surprised that some "healthy" foods are high in carbohydrates, too. It's not just too many carbs that can have a negative effect on your health. People with type 2 diabetes are at risk for heart disease, so it's also important to avoid heart-clogging saturated and trans fats, as well as too much sodium.
Tips for a Healthy Type 2 Diabetes Diet
     Aim for high fiber intake. Try to get at least 35 grams of fiber each day. If you drink sweetened beverages, exchange them for unsweetened drinks or try flavored water. Limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day for men, and one drink a day for women. Avoid fried foods and fatty meats, like bacon and sausage. Choose wisely when dining out. Restaurant portions are often oversized, and most of the time, restaurants don't skimp on salt, fat or sugar. There's no doubt that managing diabetes is a challenge, but now that you know the basics about the diet for type 2 diabetes, you can start making choices that will keep you healthy for a long time to come.

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS

TO

THURMOND REDMOND

     The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be. In every person there is a sun. Just let them shine. There is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend.

~Socrates~

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

James Stone

Kenneth Davis

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  

TODAYS WORD - CORRECTION

     There's nothing wrong with starting off in a box, but you got to have a plan to come out that box. Sometimes you got to start somewhere. And it's cool, as long as where you start is not where you plan on finishing. Truth is the ultimate power. When the truth comes around, all the lies have to run and hide. I believe our society has fell into a pyramid system where there's people relegated to the bottom of that pyramid and there's people that feel like they're entitled to the top of that pyramid.
     When I was in N.W.A. and didn't get paid all the money I was owed, that's when the business side of showbiz hit me. I thought, "Half of this is workin'. I'm famous, but now I need to be famous with some money." That got my brain started at trying to figure out the business end. And once I figured out the business side, I next came to understand that success really comes down to the product, not to me, my personality, or what club I'm seen going into or coming out of. None of that matters.  I identify with the bottom of the pyramid, because, outside of having money, I am at the bottom of the pyramid. If you really look at my lyrics, nobody's exempt. Nobody's exempt from observation, criticism or what I think is correction. 

IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER

WHERE ARE THEY NOW????

Kenneth Davis

 T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N 
TODAYS WORD - CLARITY

     My mother was into opera and my father was into jazz, so there was a lot of jazz in the house where I grew up. You've just got to follow your own path. If I love a song, I make it mine. I love to sing. It's the easiest thing for me to do. You have to trust your heart and you have to listen to the warnings. ... You can't argue with the universe. It's not about that. It's more about relaxing and knowing that you can handle it and feeling empowered. Knowing you have the power to do whatever the hell you want to do. That's what it's about. It really is. If we could just see how related we all are, how we're really all in the same place.
     Walking through this life really is walking through fire. As you get older, though, you realize there are fire extinguishers. You do have an ability to control the flames. I have some scars... lots of internal ones. But they're all scabbed over. Your moment of clarity comes when you face your fears. Sobriety gave me back me - my life.  Self-medication kills you slowly. You can never get a handle on that.  It's a highly destructive force that has to be dealt with on a spiritual level as much as a physical one. It's time for those of us who have a voice to speak out for life, for love and for justice using the same media we've used throughout our careers.

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 
FRIDAYS

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAYS WORD - SQUANDERING

     Contentment is rare among men as it is natural among animals. To give life a meaning, one must have a purpose larger than self. The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds. Never mind your happiness; do your duty.
     If we have never been amazed by the very fact that we exist, we are squandering the greatest fact of all. In my youth I stressed freedom, and in my old age I stress order. I have made the great discovery that liberty is a product of order. The most interesting thing in the world is another human being who wonders, suffers and raises the questions that have bothered him to the last day of his life, knowing he will never get the answers. The past is not dead. Indeed, it is often not even past. There is hardly an absurdity of the past that cannot be found flourishing somewhere in the present.

American Writer and Philosopher

Kenneth Davis

  SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     November 5, 2023: I want you to release the dread in your heart to Me. Do not allow fear to rule in your soul with regard to what might happen in the days ahead. The issues of today are enough to deal with in righteousness without adding supposition. Avoid wasting your time and energy on a fear-based future, says the Lord. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N 

TODAYS WORD - ISSUES

     Anger is a manifestation of a deeper issue... and that, for me, is based on insecurity, self-esteem and loneliness. Feeling passionate about something doesn't mean you have to be angry. I don't get depressed. When I feel an attack, I withdraw. I disappear, I replenish, and then I come back. I like to control everything, and you cannot control everything. You have to at some point say, 'I let go and I'm going to let the cards fall where they fall... For a #‎ control freak, it's hard.
     Look, you have to make mistakes. That's how you learn and that's how the world works. I make many mistakes. Many mistakes. I'm not a perfect human being. I have to learn from my mistakes. And a lot of the ones I've made have been public. So I always get nervous when people speak about something that sounds like a role model, because I don't know if I've been a great role model myself. It's a new challenge to see how people can change your look. I like words like transformation, reinvention, and chameleon. Because one word I don't like is predictable.

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS 
TO 
CURTIS FARMER
 & 
CLOYD NIGHTINGALE

     Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones. Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. 

~John Lennon~

Curtis Farmer

Thanks to each of you for the work y'all do. I honestly didn't think I'd make it here, but here I am. Thank you for acknowledging my birthday. May God bless y'all real good. 

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAYS WORD - PERSPECTIVE

     Comedy is crowded. There are hundreds of comedians in every place in the world. When I first started doing comedy, there was no such thing as a room that had black people and white people in it. That didn't exist. When you are honest in your comedy, you have to acknowledge the world that you're in. Through a comedic voice you're talking about what needs to be talked about, whether it's race relations or politics or anything that's happening on a global or an American scale.
     Comedy is a great tool. We [comics] are trying to find ways to use humor to enlighten people without preaching to them. I became a chameleon. My color didn't change. But I could change your perception of my color. I'd get suspicious looks from people just walking down the streets. Where are you from? They'd ask. I'd reply in whatever language they'd addressed me in using the same accent that they used. There would be a brief moment of confusion, and then the suspicious look would disappear.
     If you spoke to me in Zulu, I replied to you in Zulu. If you spoke to me in Tswana, I replied to you in Tswana. Maybe I didn't look like you, but if I spoke like you, I was you. One day as a young man, I was walking down the streets. And a group of Zulu guys was walking behind me closing in on me. And I could hear them talking to one another about how they were going to mug me. (Speaking Zulu). Let's get this white guy. You go to his left, and I'll come up behind him. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't run. So, I just spun around real quick and said (speaking Zulu). Yo, guys, why don't we just mug someone together? I'm ready.

IT'S TIME FOR 
JUST JOKING MONDAYS

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     November 7, 2023: Do not be anxious or afraid of what you might have to face in the future. You have today to do the best that you can to live a good and honest life that glorifies the Kingdom, says the Lord. You cannot even live the next hour before its time. Stay present with a righteous soul and tender heart. Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:12-14 Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  

TODAYS WORD - PURSUE

     We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing. Our actions are in our own hands, but the consequences of them are not. Remember that, my dear, and think twice before you do anything. Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can.

     Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. Love is a flower that grows in any soil, works its sweet miracles undaunted by autumn frost or winter snow, blooming fair and fragrant all the year, and blessing those who give and those who receive. If people really want to go, and really try all their lives, I think they will get in; for I don't believe there are any locks on that door, or any guards at the gate. I never knew how much like heaven this world could be, when two people love and live for one another!

Kenneth Davis

 T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N 
TODAYS WORD - CHOICE

     Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice. Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made. Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe.
     It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized. The essential lesson I've learned in life is to just be yourself. Treasure the magnificent being that you are and recognize first and foremost you're not here as a human being only. You're a spiritual being having a human experience. If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
     Everything you need you already have. You are complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else. Your completeness must be understood by you and experienced in your thoughts as your own personal reality. Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

Deciphering America's Type 2 diabetes dilemma
Story by USA TODAY 

     Type 2 diabetes rates continue to climb in the United States, despite well-known treatments and prevention approaches. To better understand why, USA TODAY's health team traveled across the country, talking to researchers, clinicians and patients. They found people with diabetes often must fend for themselves against systemic barriers and a difficult disease.
If Type 2 diabetes is preventable, why is the problem getting worse? We tell the story of America's Type 2 diabetes dilemma in five parts.
     In the first story, we profile three people grappling with Type 2 diabetes, by far the most common form of the disease. One, a chef, manages to take control of her disease by changing the way she cooks. Another, an executive, puts his financial advantages to good use by stepping up his exercise routine and getting excellent medical care. A third struggles more without those outward assets, relying instead on his and his wife's optimism and perseverance.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/10/01/type-2-diabetes-prevention-progress/70768126007/
     Diabetes runs deep in rural Mississippi. Residents band together to make change. The second story journeys to the Mississippi Delta, a land with rich soil that used to grow healthy produce. Now It's hard to find nutritious food here and diabetes is rampant. So, local residents have taken it upon themselves to help their neighbors and themselves.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/10/01/diabetes-runs-deep-in-rural-mississippi/70769018007/
     Colorado's diabetes rate is the lowest in the US. But that's only half the story. We travel to Colorado, the state with the lowest rate of Type 2 diabetes, which offers another way of looking at how zip code affects health in America. The state has prioritized diabetes care, built hiking trails and devoted its tobacco settlement money to prevention efforts. Still, there are pockets where diabetes remains a problem.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/10/01/colorado-type-2-diabetes-inequities-remain/70785344007/
     Managing Type 2 diabetes is complicated. And it’s likely to get worse. Next, we spend a few days with a Philadelphia resident whose life is regimented by her diabetes and the many doctors' appointments needed to manage it. Doctors, too, are frustrated by the lack of time and resources they're given to adequately help their patients with diabetes and other chronic diseases.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/10/01/managing-type-2-diabetes/70785333007/
     Type 2 diabetes crisis can be controlled. These solutions are how we get there. In the last piece, we explore what it will take to solve the problem of diabetes in America. No single approach will be enough, experts told us. Instead, a combination of existing food and education programs, medication, devices and a focus on prevention rather than treatment could begin to finally make a difference in the diabetes dilemma.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/10/01/type-2-diabetes-care-solutions-roadblocks/70773326007/

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOVEMBER WARRIORS

Warriors with November birthdays stand out from the crowd because November is one of the most uncommon months to be born. According to data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Social Security Administration, six of the rarest birthdays of the year, including Thanksgiving Day, are in November.

A Warrior born in November is either a Scorpio (birthdays through Nov. 21) or a Sagittarius (Nov. 22 on). The ever-passionate Scorpio is known for being intuitive, brave, and hard-working, while fun-loving Sagittarius are recognized for their honesty, enthusiasm, and spontaneity. So our November Warriors have a pretty great personality!

According to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, people with a November birthday are often more fit and stronger than those born in other months when measured for cardiorespiratory fitness, handgrip strength, and lower-body power. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association found that those born in fall are least likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. A look at 10 cardiovascular conditions revealed that people born in autumn are more protected than those born in winter.

This may explain why they live longer. It’s pretty rare to live to be 100. Less than 1 percent of all Americans will make it to a full century, but Warriors born in November chances are better to be among the few. Researchers from the University of Chicago found that people born from September to November are more likely to become centenarians (100-year-olds).

November-born Warriors are more likely to be lefties. Left-handers make up just 10 percent of the population. More specifically, males born during November are more likely to be lucky lefties, according to research published in Cortex Journal. Scientists suspect this may be tied to pregnant women's early exposure to sunlight, which can increase testosterone levels and result in left-handedness.

November has two birthstones: The topaz which symbolizes calmness, and the citrine, known for its tranquil energy. The stones both signify serenity, as well as prosperity, fortune and joy.

Topaz

Citrine

November Warriors are lucky to have two lovely birth flowers. The chrysanthemum is the official November birth flower. Next to roses and lilies, chrysanthemums are one of the most popular cut-flower varieties in the world. The second birth flower of November is the peony.

Chrysanthemum

Peony

Celebrities born in November include Lisa Bonet, Chadwick Boseman, Don Cheadle, Sean Diddy Combs, Mike Epps, Whoopi Goldberg, Colin Kaepernick, Tracy Morgan, Thandie Newton, Robin Roberts, Rev Run, Michael Strahan and Ike Turner.

Kenneth Davis

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - HUMILITY AND GRATITUDE

    After the demands of the ego and its greed surrendered, the struggle for fulfillment of personal desires lessens; life takes on a new zest like a breath of fresh air. Without discipline in spiritual pursuits, the central nervous system doesn't have a chance to adjust and grow with the increased demand. It would be like putting a high voltage into a small bulb—it is bound to explode.
     Silence allows you to watch your mind and become aware of the thoughts that you may be acting on unconsciously. When you see the thoughts, you can make a conscious choice to act on the thought or change your mind, instead of going along with the noise. I have seen people who don't want to look at themselves keep going until something happens that makes them stop — a sickness or an accident — but it gives them that reflective, quiet space where they can face what is difficult in their mind. We each have a unique purpose to fulfill in this life and inklings can come in those quiet moments.
     Humility and gratitude go hand in hand... Awareness increases so that we become grateful for everything we are given. We have to learn, literally learn, to be grateful for what we receive day by day, simply to balance the criticism that day by day we voice because of powerful emotions.

~Sivananda Radha Saraswati~

IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   

TODAYS WORD - CONFIDENCE

     When I first started out in the music industry and went to Elektra Records, I didn't go to be an artist, I went to get a record label started. And they said in order to have a label deal, I had to be an artist - so that's what I did. You have to be ready to sing and perform at any time. I gotta feel like what I'm giving the fans is 100 per cent and that it's game changing. I don't just throw out microwave records. I like collaborating, but I felt I should do my first single by myself, so people don't think I'm leaning on other artists to be a success.
     I want to be cutting-edge. My first love is writing and producing. So, I sometimes put my own stuff off to work on other people's projects. I really enjoy writing and producing for other artists. I want to make something commercial that people can pick up on. I've always had a lot of creative impact on the music with Timbaland. Some people save their best songs for their own albums. I'd rather give another artist one of my songs. At the end of the day, it still represents me. I wasn't born a superstar.

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 
FRIDAYS

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORD - LIBERTY
 

     As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.
     The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission. A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
     A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.  

 
 CLASSMATES WHO SERVED
 
Marilyn Burton (Wright)  
Otis Clayton  
C. B. Jackson  
Edward Johnson  
 
Darryll Cleaves  
Gwen Davis (White)  
Kenneth Davis  
Curtis Farmer  
Fred Higgins 
Alvin Howlett  
Ann Ivy (Winn)  
 
Gerald Best
 Jb Bland 
Linda Brown 
Charles E. Burton  
Willie Burton  
James Clower  
Kenneth Davis  
Felippa Fields (Scales)  
Jerry Hosey 
Tommie McKinney  
Wanda Taylor 
 
Talut El-Amin  
Raymond Hall  
Gerald Harris  
Bennie Jackson  
Robert Phifer  
Orva Walls  
(DECEASED SERVICE MEMBERS)
Aster Conner AIR FORCE 
Clyde Grant AIR FORCE 
Paul Gray  AIR FORCE 
Kenneth Johnson US ARMY 
Henry Lester  MARINE CORPS
Horace McClure NAVY 
Edward Rucker MARINE CORPS
James White AIR FORCE 
 

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

     The beauty of the written word is that it can be held close to the heart and read over and over again. Giving encouragement to others is a most welcome gift, for the results of it are lifted spirits, increased self-worth, and a hopeful future.
~Florence Littauer~

     Please join with me by welcoming Otis "Crooked Head" Clayton, to our website. Thanks, Otis, for coming home to join us in the big tent. We hope that you'll find truth, hope, happiness and encouragement each time you visit the site. Jocelyn, Estella and I are the current administrators. Should you require any additional help with logistics of the site, feel free to reach either of us. You have my number also. 
     The "Warriors" surrounding our Teepee are rejoicing to know that you've remained among the living. This is just one of many social media products, originally developed for communications among the class. Please feel free to contribute. I'm positive there are those who'd enjoy hearing from you. Stay safe my friend and continuous blessings to you. 

Margie McRae (Reed)

Hi Fellow Classmates!

I promised myself that I would not end the day without posting to our website, and I still have a few hours to go!

I honor our BTW ‘70 veterans - thank you for your service!

I appreciate all of my birthday wishes and tributes; I retired for the night listening to my birthday song.  I just found out that I share a birthday with Mahalia Jackson so why can’t I sing?  Happy Belated Birthday Wishes to my fellow October birthday babies.

I may not have posted on the website in months, but I continue to read it. Thanks again, Ken, for your valuable medical advice. Thanks to all of the administrators for your great work; it’s really appreciated!

My husband and I traveled to Brownsville,TN last weekend for the funeral of his cousin ( also a veteran), by way of Memphis.  I accompanied my sister (BTW ’74) and her family to her class 70s party last Saturday night.  I am still sorry that I missed our outing and the opportunity to see my classmates; and I received the message Estelle. Anyway, as we left Sunday morning and headed toward Hwy 78, I was proud to see Estella Mayhue-Greer Blvd!  We were rushing back home to babysit or I would have stopped to take a picture.  But I proudly told my husband about it.

Be safe, be blessed, and good night everyone!

Margie