Section 4 Business and Entrepreneurship

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Section 3 Business and Entrepreneurship

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Section 2 on Business and Entrepreneurship

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Stages: A Handbook On Men and Relationships Chapter Breakdown with Links

I had a friend who recently said he wanted to read Stages, but he couldn't find the first chapter easily. I am remedying that problem by setting up this post. Here you can click on each chapter and read the book from beginning to end. If you decide to buy the e-book or the actual book just go to the right and click on the link and the book will ship to you. Thanks for the support and enjoy.

Breaking Down The Myth: I’m Doing It For The Kids (Baby Momma Drama)

Guest writer:

Keosha Samuel

“You mean to tell me now that your baby mama knows we are getting serious she is finally ready to be the woman you want her to be? You really believe she now wants what you want out of a relationship? She is ready to be serious and you are falling for it? Oh, you say you are doing it for the kids?” This is how most conversations go when those aggravating words are spoken. It seems to be the main excuse men use when they need a way out of a relationship to go back to their baby’s mother. When things like that happen the commitment usually ends in turmoil because they get back together under the wrong circumstances. It is bull---- to only want to be with someone because someone else has them and it is also unsanitary (yep, unsanitary). Men have the tendency to play all of their cards and if the woman allows them to, they will do so just as freely as a bird flies. “I’m doing it for the kids” is so famous because it is understood and looked upon as a blessing if both parents are in the same household along with the children. Having “family values” and being “family oriented” become excuses when the children are used as the backbone to keep a family together even when one or both parents feel no attachment.

Breaking Down The Myth: Relations

Guest Writer:

Robert R. Jennings

Women are in control of their relationships based on their ability to trust their mate/s, maintain sex appeal, and control their sexual prowess. Males are  accused of unfaithfulness in relationships far too much. A woman’s ability to keep her man stimulated can lead to a non cheating partner as well as a successful partnership. Some women accuse males of cheating without any hint of uncovering the truth. A woman that can balance trust, confidence, and freakiness is a woman that will develop a partnership into a marriage.

Breaking Down the Myth: Open Your Mouth

(If you’re a “freak” take your mind out of the gutter)

Guest Writer

EnVogue Price

Ever seen your man out with that chick and swore he was flirting with her? Did you even take out the time to see who the chick was? It could’ve been his cousin or rather attractive auntie. Lack of communication is one of the reasons why a woman can’t keep a man. It's always, “you’re cheating”, “sleeping around”, or “you’re just with me to have somewhere to put your raggedy car”. The majority of the time it’s the total opposite on the dude's end. By constantly nagging and calling Shareka every time something goes down, it makes him go out and peruse/pursue (Take your pick) his other options.

In a relationship the whole thing is based on communication. Most men state in the beginning what they are looking for: Whether it’s long term, short term, or “I need you cause my baby momma is trippin” term. Women, though, want the dude to be a natural Houdini and wave his “magic stick” (Take your mind out the gutter…. Wait, no, leave it there...) and automatically know what she wants or expects from the relationship. When, really, the woman should open her mouth and say what she wants.

I’d bet if your man asked “what color hair you wear” so he can buy some new weave women won’t hesitate to open their mouths. Just like the man can lay it out on the line, so can YOU. Why be together or think about being together and ya’ll are on three different pages? It doesn’t make sense. Start on a strong foundation, know what you want, say what you want, and maybe your relationship will last.

EnVogue Price is a sophomore at LeMoyne Owen College, Majoring in English with a minor in Math; hit her up on twitter @iV0GUE.

Breaking Down The Myth is opening the floor up to writer's, bloggers and random 'experts' at chit chat on relationships to get a diverse opinion on friendship and relationships. If you'd like to write an article, and you can crack a joke or two, hit me up at cdburns@cbpublish.com

My Annual 'Valentine's Ruins Perfectly Good Relationships' Post



You want to buy something?
Buy this shirt: http://iamshoebox.spreadshirt.com/



I'm married and very happy. I guess saying that makes it kind of suspect, but just trust me on this, life is beautiful. After working in colleges and high schools for the past few years, I have been able to witness the insanity of Valentine's Day. In five days fifty percent of the couples we encounter will break up simply because some little white kid with wings and a bow and arrow, and his mom, decided to go around hiding in bushes and shooting people with poisoned darts of love. Actually the history of Valentine's Day is very complex and multifaceted, but that's not what this is about. If you want to read up on the history of this day go here.

Over the next few days, guys will spend a ridiculous amount of time trying to decide what to buy. They will hit up Jared's, watch commercials that talk about, every kiss begins with Kay, and they will go to Walgreens and buy old ass chocolates with ready made bows. These dudes will go as far as to use credit cards, which they are late in paying, to take their lovers to eat at the most romantic place on earth, The Olive Garden. Because, as we all know, nothing spells romance like free breadsticks and a waiter named Romeo effing up your fettucine.

Breaking Down the Myth: Is It Possible to Love An "Ugly" Person?

You can fall for a guy like this, can't you?

Ben Johnson wrote, "Our beauty is not ours," in a play. There are a ton of cliche's in regard to "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I currently teach at a local community college and in the midst of a lecture on exemplification and the process of writing a well developed paragraph, an interesting statement was made, by a young lady. We were discussing the fact that you can not generalize in a paragraph. In other words you can't say "All men are dogs." That is a generalization and it can not be proven. In other words, this sentence actually hurts the discussion in a paragraph. It's obvious why, but after we discussed this, I said that it would be better to say, "in my experience most men are dogs." I am moving away from the point though. In some way we moved into a discussion on beauty and looks for both men and women. My student stated, that she could never love an ugly man, it didn't matter if he was rich. I said I couldn't trust that statement and we went off track for another five minutes before getting back on track.

Breaking Down The Myths: The Funny Thing About Relationship Advice

It's Sunday morning. My wife and kids are getting ready to head to church, and I am getting ready to hit the streets in the pursuit of dividends by selling kicks. This is not what is on my mind. As I watch my son make his breakfast and my wife help my daughter get dressed, I think about something: There is something really peculiar about relationship advice.

There are an endless amount of websites, books, television shows and random items that deliver the all important message of how to handle, control, understand, women, men and of course relationships. Daily talk time radio is inundated with "What women want, what men can't do, what men think women want," shows. While it makes for entertaining and hilarious radio and television, often the advice comes from professionals and non-professionals who have failed.

Don't Cry Love

Welp, Valentine's day is 26 days away and stop pretending like you're not thinking about it in Mid-January. After the New Year, the ad campaign to put a Hershey's Caramel/Chocolate kiss in every American's hand only reminds me that, as it seems, once again, this will be the gazillionith year that I will possibly be Valentine-less again. But you know what, it's cool though. My fellow bloggers and readers love me, of this I am sure. Enjoy this poem about love and how I strongly advice against throwing that word around unless you really mean it. (As if, anyone really knows what it really means anyway).

Want more poems? Go to www.youtube.com/lisabpoetry

...and www.speakintothemic.com is coming soon!

P.S. I'm taking applications for a Valentine this upcoming month. No experience necessary. Must have 2 reliable references.

Lisa B.

www.liftedsoul.com

www.youtube.com/lisabpoetry

www.thegamerecap.blogspot.com

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

I told you to bear with me. Now aren’t you glad you did? The whole engagement thing went over without a hitch. If I don’t say so myself it was smooth, just like me. Come on now, you know I’m smooth... Don’t front.

I truly hope you understand where this came from. I just felt a need to give you my story in the best way I knew how. I knew if I would’ve just told you about the Stages you woulda been like, “And who are you?” Sometimes a story has to be told. This is just the way I see it, but every man has a story, if you ask. But if you fail to ask then you’ll never know. In other words make a brother talk, before you give him your soul, make sure he’s willing to give you his. Who says all men are dogs? Whatever.



Who says we're not reading?

Speaking of reading, some organization polled America that revealed the latest statistics about the decline of readers. They developed this poll by researching how many people checked out library books and the sales of books in closing stores such as Barnes-n-Noble. People still go to library? If I had the tools, I would do a follow up research on how many people now read from Kindles, Nooks, iPads, download books from mobile apps, and other electronic devices that they didn’t include in that poll. Don’t let them start making us feel like our intelligence is on decline because of the rise of technology. After all, I make it a point to read my newsfeed on facebook every single day.

Futhermore, I just read the first two chapters of Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationship written by the creator of this blog. Who just added that to their research? I am not only a lover of physical books, but a lover of reading...period. Whether it's curling up with a page-turner or a scroll-downer, I read every single day.

Ladies, in order news, according to chapter two of the book, men ease drop on our conversations and then plot to get us into a debate (because we all like to argue). What did I learn from this? To look over my shoulders when I'm talking to my girlfriends to see if any men are around who I want to easedrop on my conversation and before you know it...it's date night!

Lisa B.

www.liftedsoul.com

www.lisabpoetry.com

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Stage Four isn’t approached without trepidation. It’s an awkward time for any man. Making a commitment is one thing but saying to a woman that you want to live the rest of your life with her is an entirely different monster. In other words Stage Four is the final phase before you leave the Stages behind altogether and graduate.

But this book is about the Stages not the graduation, so allow me to give you the specifics of what Stage Four is:

The road that has been traveled had so many obstructions in what lay ahead, that you can barely believe that you made it this far. You have finally accepted the fact that life is meant to be shared with the woman you care for, honor, and above all respect. Love comes after all of these other things. At Stage Four the words I love you are small compared to the feelings that you have for your lady. When you said those words in all the other stages it was a word that conveyed what you thought you felt. In Stage Four you no longer think it you live love, breath love and share it: that it being a commonality, sexual and mental connection that heightens each day that you are with her.

At the point when all of this has finally come together, you take the last step and ask her for her heart in marriage. You have doubts, but those fears soon subside when you realize that your relationship has survived the strains of ex girlfriends and major arguments. You buy the ring and become a part of a life circle. A never ending connection of souls that when completed will have no beginning and no end.

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

I’m still trying to figure out a few things. If a relationship can be as good as it was with me and Janice why in the hell was I so afraid to try it before? I know the trauma from the first girlfriend thing was my excuse, but it was just that, an excuse. I should’ve done this relationship thing a long time ago. I’ve done things with Janice that you only do with a girl that you know and trust. Everything we do seems to be more fulfilling.

There are things that she does to keep our relationship fresh. She sits down on certain days and maintains a book, kinda like a log of all we do. The log has pictures, silly letters and other little things that we could look at and laugh at. That seemed so small to me when she started the book. Now that book is like an intricate part of who we are, it grew. All of the little stuff like catching a movie or walking and talking about things that we want and have dreamed about is something that I obviously hadn’t done with anybody else, except maybe Laney. I once thought that settling down meant you run out of things to talk about in a year or two. That can happen if you stop doing things. But the hobbies that we have always gives Janice and I some kinda conversational pieces. She reads a lot of books, which always gives her something to say and it’s not just meaningless little words to fill quiet space. Each word is meaningful, unless we’re just trippin. Janice is a dream come true for me, and Tina is a dream woman for Flip. The closer it came for me to propose though, the more nervous I got. I started feeling like I was doing this proposal thing more for myself than I was for her. Maybe it was a new experience that I wanted to have. I didn’t know. I just started feeling uncomfortable.

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Life becomes a habit if you don’t start doing something in your spare time to keep you sane. I had continued with my music, but I’d picked up another trade in my spare time, something I’d come to enjoy thoroughly, writing.

Flip had added more speakers to his house and bought a new amp for his system. He even bought a four track machine to record some stuff he and Tina had started doing. She played the piano and sang. Flip played the guitar, not well, but he was getting there. We would spend our Saturdays going to the beach or barbecuing in Flip’s backyard. Oh, Janice learned how to shop more efficiently and less over the course of the year, which was a really good thing for her. I guess clothes had become her hobby. She had even begun designing some skirts and other things. She hadn’t done anything with the designs, but she really got into it. Some of her stuff was really flyy.

Anyway December 3rd, Flip and I went to the mall to start looking for Christmas gifts. He had to buy things for his folks and I was looking for another gift for my sister and something for my mom who has everything already, except me at home.

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I was on top of the world after that night. My life seemed so perfect. We shared our first week with each other talking and feeling excited about us. It all seemed like a dream. I never expected to be this happy. The second week passed and Flip and I had talked about everything. About how I had adjusted and how he and Tina were doing. I knew that the day we went to church together that everything had changed in Tina and Flip’s lives. I could see it in her confidence and in the way he said her name everytime he had a chance. For the first time since Flip and I had been boys we shared the same thoughts about women and relationships. I remember saying that if there were three men, one would be Stage Four, one would be Stage Three and the other Stage Two. In all honesty I’m not sure how that one works. But I can confirm how Flip and I were, Stage Three all the way, the right way.

The wrong way would’ve been decisions to be with the ladies strictly for our own personal reasons. We laughed and joked at work and it made the days fly by. Our spirits seemed to affect everyone. The guys on the line seemed to be pushing out the equipment just as fast as we could inspect it. Even the engineers upstairs were coming down to the floor and inspecting stuff, at least trying to inspect stuff. Work was good and life was great, life is great.

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

We made it home at a little after 10 pm. I instantly walked in and turned on the radio, which was routine for me. Janice walked over and turned it down.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I really can’t stand loud music late at night.”

“That wasn’t loud.” I turned the radio back to where it was.

“It’s loud Terrence.”

I knew we were headed into argument territory so I backed down. Sometimes you have to back down, but not all the time.

“I’m going to leave the radio on, but I’ll turn it down okay?”

“That’s cool,” she said confidently.

“Don’t think you’re going to win every little fight we have.”

“I don’t expect to. I don’t plan on fighting over too much, do you?” She slipped her shoes and socks off.

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Stage Three Amendment Two: When everything is stated and it’s honest and sincere, there is a feeling that comes over you that makes you shiver. It isn’t a small thing. It’s very noticeable and you remember it. It is the moment you realize that maybe you’ve found the right person.

I had to place in maybe because we have not, I repeat have not, made it to Stage Four. After that Saturday night at Flip’s house Janice and I went to our own homes. I didn’t push anything. I wanted to let everything settle down for a while before I tried to make love, or have sex, or relations, whatever you wanna call it. I wanted to give her time to reconsider and make sure she made the right decision. I also waited, for the same reason. When we left Flip’s place we all felt relieved, I think. Maybe the feeling wasn’t relief, it may have been something closer to true happiness. I hugged Janice and walked her to her car which was parked further down the street.

Part 2: Stages: A Handbook on Men and Relationships - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I thought about what I would say to Janice on the drive to the house. How would I begin? I had been practicing certain lines like, “I want this thing to work but it’s gonna take both of us.” Nothing seemed real. It all sounded rehearsed. I figured when I saw her I’d know what to say. We pulled up in front of the house, I didn’t see her car. The garage door was open and my car sat next to Tina’s inside. But Janice’s car was nowhere in sight. I felt kinda depressed when I saw that.

I had really changed and I couldn’t believe that it had happened. Over the course of putting this down on paper everything I thought was going to happen didn’t. I converted and the funny thing is Clyde my barber said it would happen soon. He was right. When I asked him to give that card to old girl at the shop, he said something that I declined to say. That day in the shop went down like this, I hope you remember: