Who Is DJ 9:27?

So who is DJ 9:27? Around August 2006, I was asked by my good friend L.I.F.E., President/CEO of the Black on Black Rhyme poetry collective to be his co-host for weekly poetry shows and featured shows in Tampa, Florida. For those unfamiliar with Black on Black Rhyme, the collective was started by then students of Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, FL has several franchises nationwide in cities such as Tallahassee, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Rochester, NY; Atlanta, Georgia; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Shows meet in each city at least one night weekly and feature some of the best local underground poets performing "spoken word", "open-mic" poetry. Open-mic refers to the practice of signing a list at the door; the show host then calls up each open-mic signee to perform their piece at some point during the show. Also, a spoken word artist is a performance poet who stands before an audience and recites their poetry aloud. Some poets are also singers, musicians, and/or song writers who may perform pieces to music. Each show will at times have a featured poet who is usually visiting from out of town. This featured poet will stand and perform a set consisting of several poems and may offer his work for sale whether a CD or book. From time to time groups of poets will also get together at a local, state, national, or international performance poetry competition called a "slam" in which poets compete for the love of the audience, high scores from slam judges, and cash prizes which may range from a nominal amount of money up to thousands of dollars for the winners.

Anyhow, I myself do not consider myself to be a poet (because I'm not) but I have been a performance musician since age 9 (piano/keyboard, saxophone, organ, snare drum, xylophone, etc. are among the instruments I have studied) and feel comfortable addressing crowds oratorically or performing music for hundreds to thousands of people in an audience, so it seemed natural for me to begin hosting the shows while having the chance to meet some of the worlds greatest poets and performers, many of whom have appeared on BET, HBO Def Comedy Jam, TV One, etc. such as Taalam Acey (poet, author), Kevin Sandbloom (guitarist, writer, poet), Sunni Patterson (poet, college professor), and more.

In the meantime, I always wanted to learn the art of DJ'ng and since our DJ, Forge was getting ready to leave to begin his Masters of Psychology studies in Missouri, he began showing me his craft, and would sometimes have me to work part of shows while he watched me. By July 31, 2007, Forge's last show, I was ready to go and made the transition from show co-host to DJ. L.I.F.E. figured that since I didn't have a DJ name or moniker, and all DJ's do, he would let the audience name me. So for the next few months, he held a weekly contest, and audience members that arrived by the opening time of 9:30pm got to submit names which the entire audience voted on. By December, 2007, I had a permanent name, DJ 9-2-7 (Also written, 9:27) which was chosen by audience member Aleysha E. because I had a reputation for arriving around 9:27pm just a few minutes before the start of the show. Well, the moniker stuck, and that is "the rest of the story."

This blogger DJ'd Black on Black Rhyme Tampa full-time from 2007-2008.

Why is Twitter Necessary & If So Is It Worth It?

Yes, Twitter and the process of setting up your personal Twitter page is totally worth it. (Tweet me @KetoNH and I'll tell you why). Think of it like this, technologically, using Twitter or tweeting is exactly like texting potentially hundreds to thousands of friends on your cell phone except the tweets (text messages) are routed through your personal web page and are presented in chronological order to anyone in your personal network.

If you are a marketer, news maker, or blogger (especially if you are a professional blogger like Darren Rowse), then Twitter is great because you can post marketing or P/R hooks and tons of people can be informed in real time of whatever product, service or event you want them to know about. Many people didn't think it was such a great idea when marketers started using text messaging to send coupons, discounts, and marketing messages to people's cell phones, but you know what it's a big business NOW (just ask the Obama campaign), and Twitter offers the same type of benefits with potentially wider reach to your audience. If you have a company, TV show, newsletter, comedy show, product, etc. as many of my friends have, then it's a great marketing tool for promoting yourself or your ventures. As an electronic marketer, I use Twitter as another avenue or medium for marketing events for my advertisers through TheListbyKeto.

To Serve & Protect: The Other Animals with Guns

The blogosphere and national news outlets are all abuzz about the latest news of cops gone wild on the citizenry. I heard audio of the Ryan Moats police incident on Thursday night on Fox Sports Radio. In another case of law enforcement abuse of a law abiding citizen, Houston Texans RB Ryan Moats received an urgent message that his mother-in-law lay dying of breast cancer in a Dallas, TX hospital. Moats and his family went through a red light with his hazard lights on, and was chased by a Dallas cop all the way to the hospital, which is understandable. At that point, the officer was doing his job. However, what is inhuman is that when the cop stopped him in the hospital parking lot, and Moats explained that his mother-in-law was dying and that's why he raced to the scene, the cop still didn't let him go and insisted on pulling his gun, pointing it at Moats and his wife, and browbeating them. It was 15 minutes before the officer finished the ticketing and questioning process, despite a nurse coming to the parking lot and informing the officer that Moats' mother-in-law indeed was dying. By the time he finished, Moats' mother-in-law had died.

Frankly, I'm surprised that the cop (Robert Powell) with his bad-@$$ cowboy attitude didn't shoot Moats, because it's probably what he wanted to do. Why else would you draw a gun on someone in a hospital parking lot while he's explaining to you his family emergency?! Powell's exact words were, "I can screw you over!" (See pictures above). To make matters worse, Powell told Moats that if he didn't produce his insurance and registration, he would have his car towed. The arrogance!

Powell deserves to be fired and to have the pants sued off his sorry (racist) behind. Having friends in law enforcement, I empathize with the nature of their jobs. They do tough, thankless work, just as our military does, and they do it with low pay and at risk of death on a daily basis. There are many good cops out there who embody service to our community because I was influenced by many of them in my community while growing up. But there are also way too many cowboy cops and loose cannons who are allowed by our police and sheriff departments to terrorize the population. Police abuse is the norm in the United States, not an aberration, especially for Blacks, Latinos, etc.

Police brutality in the United States is unacceptable, although in my home country of Haiti, police brutality is accepted and even encouraged by law enforcement and we are just as likely to be kidnapped or killed by our own cops due to corruption from the top down. There are other places where police brutality is actually worse: Jamaica, Brazil, France, and quite a few countries of the world are worse than the US in terms of civilians killed by cops per 10,000, etc. At least it's a little bit better here from a human rights and civil rights perspective. Despite racial profiling in the US, I usually don't walk down the street wondering if the cop I see is working for a drug lord or not. Of course that's not to say that any level of police brutality is acceptable because it's not. I'm just making a comparison.

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The Number 0: Brought to You By the Letters G-O-P

Creating a working group to publish the 19-page-long "The Republican Road to Recovery" including House Minority leaders, Jim Boehner (R-OH), Eric Cantor (R-VA) & Mike Pence (R-IN)? $??,000,00. Hosting a press conference to announce an alternative budget to President Barack Obama's proposed budget? $?,000.00. Having [no] actual numbers in your alternative budget? Priceless.

The DNC's Hari Sevugan leaves us with this gem: "After 27 days, the best House Republicans could come up with is a 19-page pamphlet that does not include a single real budget proposal or estimate. There are more numbers in my last sentence than there are in the entire House GOP budget."

The Day I Almost Went to Jail for a Pressed Cuban & Blimpies Smoothie

Friday night, I almost went to jail, and for good reason. I went to order a Cuban sandwich and strawberry pineapple smoothie from Blimpie located inside our local Super Wal-Mart. Now I've never before shopped at Blimpie, but our family shops at Super Wal-Mart, and I decided to shop there for a quick bite for Shirre instead of going to Smoothie King whose smoothies are tasteful and flavorful and whom I discovered while in college at University of South Florida. When I arrived at Blimpie, the clerk took my order and asked if I wanted the Cuban pressed. I said, "Yes," because I figured that was a good option, and I've never ordered a Cuban for Shirre before. When I arrived home, Shirre looked at the Cuban and didn't like the fact that it was pressed and smelled funny. She also tried the smoothie and declared it tasted like nothing. I tasted it and concurred; it tasted like wood to me. Since Shirre hadn't bitten off the sandwich and the bill had cost me $9.50, I was determined to get my money back for a sub par product. If the bill had cost only $2 or $3 total, then I wouldn't have made a big deal about it. I would have just eaten the money--and maybe the sandwich myself.

Now would come the hard part--getting my money back. I called the clerk who had sold me the meal and explained to him my problem with the unsatisfactory meal. He had an attitude with me over the phone and said, "So what's the problem?" when I explained to him what the problem was. So I informed him that I would see him in a few minutes to rectify the issue. First, I stopped at Subway around the corner from my house and ordered a Cold Cut Combo foot-long sub for Shirre. I arrived at Wal-Mart just a few minutes before Blimpie's 9pm closing time to find the gate closed almost all the way, but there was a crack so I slipped inside with smoothie and sandwich in hand.

Again, I spoke to the clerk in person, noticed he was the only employee on duty, and asked for the manager's name. Wouldn't you know it, he was the manager, said he had been for four years (whoop de do). He asked me what exactly the problem was, and again I explained as I had on the phone that my wife was not in any way satisfied with the quality of the product. Since I had paid nearly $10 for the meal, I wanted my money back. The manager then became abrasive, told me that he had already asked me if I was satisfied while making my meal, and that customers bought this meal from him all the time. I responded that I didn't really care what anyone else's opinion of his food was, and that it all tasted like "crap". I also reminded him that everyone's tastes are different and that being a foreigner like me, he should know that tastes are diverse and all are not going to be satisfied by the same foods. The manager then told me that it was my opinion that the food was bad, it was my fault that I didn't like it, and no he couldn't give me my money back. Later he said that ok, he might give me half of my money back but that was all he could do. At that point I was highly agitated, and I was entertaining the thought of violence. I haven't done anything bad in a long time, and I might be getting rusty, so I wanted to see if I still got IT. I told him that he needed to show me the Blimpie policy on customer returns, and show me specifically where it said he was not allowed to refund my money. He said no, there was no policy, so I told him I wasn't leaving until I got my money refunded, and that once I did that I would never return to his sorry establishment. Finally, Mr. Manager (a thin wiry guy who liked like he might be from the East) gave me my $9.50. Whew, he didn't know that he had been saved by the bell! I thanked him for finally providing good customer service, told him my name, and asked his name. Can you believe it, his reply was, "No that's allright, sir." I replied that yes, I was aware that everything was alright and that I was trying to be polite and thank him by name. Since he wouldn't volunteer his info and wasn't wearing a name tag, I badgered him for a few more minutes just to annoy him, and told him that I would find out his name by contacting his superiors. Then I left the store after speaking to a couple Wal-Mart employees camped outside. I'm generally not into drama, but man this was 15 minutes worth of drama that I really enjoyed.

Bottom line, I paid $10 for a bad product and received about $20 worth of even worse service. I'm not working yet, so I definitely wasn't taking any foolishness, but I would have done the same thing even if I had $1 million in the bank. It's the principle--the customer is always right, and good customer service says that if the customer is unsatisfied, you as the manager must make it right some way--either give the customer his money back, replace the product (if it is defective, wrong size, flavor, etc.), or provide some similar product or service of equal or greater value. A good manager understands that a key to long-term success is word of mouth by satisfied customers. When you satisfy a customer he may tell a few friends and family. However, when you dissatisfy a customer, he will tell about 2 to 3 times more people than the satisfied customer. So you always want to respond positively to any complaint. That's good Business 101, and this guy, "Tyrone" didn't follow it. Yes that's his real name as I found by asking another Wal-Mart employee.

So to all my friends, I'm encouraging a boycott of Blimpie. This would be the same restaurant that lists such healthy offerings the Veggie Supreme sub. Read below for the awe inspiring nutritional details.

Worst "Healthy" Sandwich
Blimpie Veggie Supreme (12")
1,106 calories
56 g fat (33 g saturated fat)
2,831 mg sodium
96 g carbohydrates

Anatomy of a Laid Off Worker's Job Hunt in 2009, Day 15, 3/19/09 (Updated Weekly)

Today, I was invited to a job site to participate in two hours of testing by human resources at a third-party logistics, transportation, and packaging company that I would really like to work for. The primary factors influencing my desire to work for this company are: proximity to my home and childrens' schools, opportunity to add to my IT experience, on-the-job-training and technical certification opportunities, and permanent role with good benefits. Thanks to God, I did very well on the testing and received a call back from my headhunter within an hour of leaving the site letting me know that the Helpdesk Manager--whom I haven't met yet, but interviewed with on the phone--wants to setup a day-long final interview for next week. I expect to receive a job offer following successful conclusion of that interview.

So far during this job search, I have sent out over 20 resumes and interviewed with two IT departments for a Software Trainer position and a Helpdesk Analyst position. As far as the more promising position as Helpdesk Analyst, I've had the following interactions:

• One pre-interview with my headhunter plus resume workup,
• Interview preparation by headhunter,
• A 35-minute phone interview with the Helpdesk Manager,
• Interview preparation by headhunter,
• Phone interview with Recruiting HR Manager lasting 34 minutes,
• 350-question online personality test which I completed in 30 minutes,
• Test preparation by headhunter, and
  
• 2 hrs of cognitive testing onsite.

Next week I will meet the Helpdesk team members and IT brass for and expect an offer following the day-long introduction. The managers want to observe how I interact with other team members including lunch. Apparently they've interviewed a lot of other candidates, and we have all been technically proficient, but the manager want to hire people that have good personalities with a strong customer service orientation who also interact well in a team environment.

Florida GOP Trailing Dems Among New Voters

The Florida GOP has fallen behind the Democratic Party among new and youth voters following the 2008 Presidential election in which Barack Obama won the state back for the Democratic Party. So what exactly does the Florida GOP have to do to attract young voters again? The same thing as the National Party I assume.

How about not being the party of old, white, Southern men only? How about being racially inclusive with more than just a few token faces? How about not writing off social networking and the Internet as a fad and not even attempting to understand Web 2.0? How about not cutting our education & Pell Grants first thing every time a budget crisis comes about? Or how about not waging war on immigrants? How about not trying to shame us because our way of serving our country may not include military service? Everyone can't be a soldier you know. How about giving us a reason to vote for your candidates rather than, "Don't trust for that guy, he's a socialist"? I weary myself with these how abouts.

AIG: Failure Is the New Success

What was AIG thinking, taking ALL $165M of most recent bailout funds and paying bonuses to over 70 members of Financial Products, the very unit that brought about the company's collapse?! Unfortunately the buck does not stop here. AIG will pay out $450 million total in bonuses and "retention pay" to Financial Products employees. These payments are spread out over 400 employees of the division. So far the only figure that has really been reported by the media is the aforementioned $165 million payable to those 70 high-ranking staff. Now how exactly a company pays itself that much money when AIG lost $61.7 billion last quarter is unfathomable. It looks like they're trying to reward themselves for a job poorly done.

Talk about corporate welfare. Yet if a single, low-income mother needs help to buy milk for her child or financial assistance to attend college, the GOP will tell us that that is "bad" welfare. I guess the idea is that we should [continue to] provide "good" welfare only for the rich as they continue to drain our economy.

There are three dominant forces interacting in society today: government, business, and citizens. All three must individually exert enough influence on each other that each one knows they had better not act out of turn or there will be consequences. Unfortunately, in this age of "greedy" capitalism, the forces of big business and government have colluded to enrich themselves and ensure continued domination of political and economic systems. In the process, the people have become shut out of the dialogue, powerless, and cannot force the other two parties to act as good corporate citizens and watchmen concerned for the greater good of society. May God help us all!

A Man's Insight on Teenage Boys

Tonight my wife and I had a come-to-Jesus meeting with our son, Reuben, a 13-year-old wonderboy who thinks he's amazingly hot stuff. Wow deja vu! All 13-yr-olds think they are smarter than their parents and are often surprised when they are caught and confronted for something they know they should not have done. Every now and then we have to remind Reuben that he can't pull a fast one on parents who have already seen and heard everything! Both of us were already doing what he is doing and much more at his age.

Shirre and I both had a long conversation with Reuben about something that we had both told him numerous times at length not to do. He had been previously warned that if he did such and such, he would get such and such a privilege taken away. When I found out while he was at school that he had gone ahead and done xyz for the umpteenth time despite the nice talkings to and warnings and lied about it, we decided the corrective action would be to take away something that he holds very dear until he decides to correct that particular behavior. He just turned 13, so he is going to try some things until he gets caught, just because he thinks he can, and also because as any other 13-yr-old he can't see the big picture yet.

A while back my wife was wondering why Reuben acts a certain way at times. I had to explain to her in detail that there are certain things that all 12-yr-old and teen boys do. I may not yet be an expert on marriage or parenting, but I am an expert on boys and men. There are some things that a man knows about boys that a mother does not. No matter how well a Mom thinks she knows her son--even if they are very close--a man knows how a boy acts and thinks and why. Teens are a time when boys are trying to find themselves mentally and socially. They're getting into adolescence, voice getting lower, discovering girls who they talk to all the time, and at the same time trying to find their meaning and significance while being caught between the man and boy stages.

There are so many things going on in his mind that a teen male will often act like he has no sense whatsoever. It's not that he can't think. This is simply the result of trying to sort out conflicting information and juggle trivial data in order to make decisions. Things in his head all the time are: girls, Playstation codes, food, girls, chores, girls, food, sports, clothes, girls, "my parents make me sick", food, girls, etc. (see pictures above). I remember when I was 12 and 13, we had a 2-story apartment and my Mom would send me downstairs to get something. By the time I got to the bottom step I'd already forgotten what it was. I felt like a dummy because I knew that I was supposed to get something from the kitchen, but danged if I could remember what it was no matter how hard I tried. Forgetfulness is something a teen boy deals with on an hourly basis and is unrelated to intelligence or alzheimers. It just happens, so when someone calls home, for example I have Reuben to write the messages or my instructions on a note pad to help his memory.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

All teen boys will at some point test their boundaries! Especially if they have not had a man in the home, they are accustomed to being the man, and have an adjustment period when they may want to cooperate but have a hard time taking instruction and advice from a new man. In Reuben's case, I am the first man that has been a real head of the house. He's 6' 2", fast, strong, and accustomed to being the man and protecting his Mom and sisters. The drive to watch over and protect is something that God instills in all men. When a new man arrives on the scene, a boy will try him until he is confronted. It's what boys do. If the new father/step-father does not confront his new son and establish his role very early as the new man of the house and the authority along with his Mother, a teen boy will run all over him. It's simply a battle of pride and egos, and there can only be one dominant male in a house at a time.

A real man recognizes what's going on, and instead of acting foolishly and shaming the boy publicly or in front of other family members will pull him aside and confront him either with words and advice (first option) or physically if necessary (last option). Once a teen boy understands that his Mother backs up her husband, then he becomes more understanding of what his role in the family now is.

None of this is to say that my step-son is a bad apple. He's a good son that I'm proud of. He makes good grades, is usually polite and respectful, plays music, does chores when asked, babysits when necessary, has a good reputation in school... I take him everywhere with me and treat him with respect and love because I never had a father in my home, and I know how difficult the absence of a father can be for a boy in his formative years. Fortunately, I had father figures and positive role models in church and in the community who I looked up to as examples of how to be a man. I teach Reuben: it is respect and responsibility that make a man. These qualities affect decision making and determine whether a boy will become a real man or remain a "Baby Boy". If I can raise a boy into a man before I die then I will have done my job.

I Watched The Watchmen

Today I took my family to watch The Watchmen movie featuring superhero characters Rorshach, The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre II, Nite Owl II & Ozymandias. That was a bad idea. On the one hand, I was mentally stimulated by The Watchmen because it was non-stop action, great stunts & wonderful computer graphics work, props etc. However, if I had known that there was so much questionable content--excessive profanity, near rapes, serial killing superheroes, a superhero who thought he was god, more sex, nude superheroes (the ever present nakedness of the blue guy, Dr. Manhattan really creeped me out)--I would not have taken my children--I would have just gone with my wife. But then again, had she known the content of the film prior to viewing, she would not have chosen such a dark film.

Every one of the characters was morally conflicted and ethically challenged, but none more so than billionaire crimefighter, Ozymandias determined to rule the world from behind the scenes in the name of everlasting peace. He had no qualms about offing his former teammates if they got in the way of his plans of ensuring world wide peace. At least the most courageous and watchable of the Watchmen were Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II whose romance dominated the screen following Silk Spectre II's romantic breakup with Dr. Manhattan. They were spurred to action by Rorshach, a troubled figure who at first seemed to be the only one interested in fighting for what he believed in, serial killer though he were. I figured the movie would be more like the X-Men films which were more PG-13 and family friendly. Boy was I wrong! This group of action figures were preceded by The Minutemen, the previous generation of heroes who collectively managed to look like the lamest group of heroes ever assembled.


I'm not a movie critic, so I'm not really going to dissect the plot and subplots as if someone were paying me to do it. As a man who likes to see things blow up and smiley face buttons, I wasn't too concerned that there were multiple story lines to follow, although the numerous superhero flashbacks left more questions than they answered. As for the time length, I was overjoyed that I got that much movie for the money. I like to go to the theatre and not feel like I just got robbed, and certainly sitting in the theater for over 2 hours made me feel like I had watched two movies worth of entertainment. All in all, I would advice movie buffs to go and watch the movie if you must, but definitely don't take your parents or your children.

These Folks Got Jokes?!

My cousin (by marriage) Daniel "Motown Pride" started an improv comedy troupe which plays Saturday nights at Hip Hop Soda Shop. An entertaining & fun show to be sure & they are featured in today's tampa bay times tbt* magazine. As well the article is featured by the St. Petersburg Times.

St. Petersburg Times, "Got Jokes? These guys do" by Dalia Colón, 3/13/09 :

Humor is subjective.

For some, Seinfeld does the trick. Others prefer Chris Rock. And in the right circles, a well-timed fart joke gets the crowd ROTFL.

Last year, Daniel "Motown Pride" Jefferson set out to assemble an improv troupe diverse enough to make anyone laugh. So he visited comedy clubs in Chicago and Orlando. He took notes. He announced a casting call online and in newspaper ads. He held auditions.

Then last February, Jefferson, of South Tampa, launched Got Jokes Improv. Its nine-member cast includes 20- and 30-something folks of various races and professional backgrounds, from actors to musicians to stand-up comedians. The group has performed at Side Splitters Comedy Club and done a few corporate gigs. Since October, they've had a weekly slot at the Hip Hop Soda Shop in Tampa, and they hope to work the college circuit.

"I have to keep us performing in diverse places because if I don't, some of my comics that don't necessarily hit at a Hip Hop Soda Shop, they might not think they're really funny," said Jefferson, 34, who emcees the shows. "But I stick them in Side Splitters and they're cracking up."

Take Mike "Gwiggy" McGuigan, who studied opera at USF and favors the BBC show Little Britain.

"Big white dude. His comedy is very different," Jefferson said. "But he stays in his lane. He does not care where we're at. He does his thing, and people love him."

Doing improv, as opposed to scripted scenes, allows Got Jokes to tailor each show to the audience. At a recent Soda Shop performance, cast member Sharon Gabaree asked the crowd of 50 or so, "How many parents do we have here tonight?" When a fair number of people applauded, Gabaree threw in a joke about mistaking her son's ADHD medicine for heartburn pills and got some chuckles.

The group also uses audience participation to keep certain crowd members from getting marginalized. They invited two kids on stage for a Mad Libs-type game and drafted a white woman to play a quiz show called I Know Black People. She won.

That's not to say they haven't bombed. Last weekend after a paternity joke, the crowd waved the actors off stage, a la Showtime at the Apollo.

Audience member Ricky Sevilla had wandered into the Soda Shop for dinner with his family but wound up participating in several of the sketches. And when the cast broke into an impromptu dance session, Sevilla hopped on stage and swivelled his hips.

"I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to bring a little of the Spanish thing into it," said Sevilla, 37, of Tampa. He said he'll return to Got Jokes, but wishes the cast had done more to include him — namely, spending more time mocking his Latino culture. "I'd pick on the family ... how we act, the things we do — sexual dancing," Sevilla said. "That's how you win the crowd."

Each Got Jokes performance is recorded, and in semiweekly rehearsals the cast studies tape of the show. Was the vagina comment funny? Did the bit about selling ice in Antarctica go over well? Why or why not?

While Jefferson hones his Tampa cast, he's now building Got Jokes troupes in Hudson, Miami and Sacramento.

"My only prerequisite was when you come in the group, you do you. Don't try to do what you think is funny. I don't care what your crowd is," he said. "You do you, and people will appreciate that."

Got Jokes Improv

Got Jokes performs every Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Hip-Hop Soda Shop, 1241 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. $10. On March 14 and 28, the show will be family-friendly. The group will also headline the Comedy from the Road Less Travelled show at 8 p.m. March 19 at Tampa Improv, Centro Ybor, 1600 E Eighth Ave., Ybor City. For more info, call (813) 393-7725 or check out gotjokesimprov.com.

Anatomy of a Laid Off Worker's Job Hunt in 2009, Day 10, 3/12/09 (Updated Weekly)

Just because I can, and also because friends have asked me, "So what are you doing now that you have been laid off? How is the job search going?" I have decided to post updates from the first 15 [business] days of my 2009 job search activities as reflected on my Facebook and Twitter pages. I have not included weekend updates. Enjoy yourselves!

February 28 at 3:43am
[Day 0] Keto Nord wants to know how I can assist your company. Ask me more & I'll tell you.

February 28 at 10:00pm
Keto Nord My son asked me "What kind of job are you looking for?" "The paying kind" I said. Ha-ha-ha

March 2 at 10:55am
[Day 1] Keto Nord is updating my Monster.com account & looking for a job on the Internets, you know that thing that's like a truck w/tubes. Haven't done this in 3 yrs.

March 3 at 8:36pm
[Day 2] Keto Nord reviewing my girls' homework & spelling words.

March 4 at 12:06pm
Keto Nord Day 3 of "The Search", anyone know where I can find a "P I M P" job, cuz my profile pic is just pimpin' pimpin'!

March 5 at 1:08pm
Keto Nord Day 4: I'm taking my wife to lunch during her work day for the first time! Normally I work in Tampa & she's in Lakeland/Winter Haven.

March 5 at 1:12pm
Keto Nord has telephone interview for IT position today or Friday! Pray I impress b/c job right down street w/major corp & great salary/benefits!

March 5 at 2:49pm
Keto Nord just finished updating my LinkedIn profile. Too bad LI only allows 1,000 chars in Position Description field.

March 6 at 1:42pm
Keto Nord Day 5: going to Tampa Bay Job Fair, Quorum Hotel, 700 N. WShore Blvd, Tampa, http://tampa.jobnewsusa.com/JobSeeker/JobFairs/FairDetails.aspx?id=262

March 6 at 10:28pm
Keto Nord wife on ladies cruise; taking children to mall to hang out!

March 9 at 5:23pm
Keto Nord Day 6 of Job Search: Provided references for 2nd round of interviews. Got my tax refund 2day; IRS deducted my 07 tax liability--bastards!

March 9 at 5:37pm
Keto Nord First things after recvng tax refund: dancing in the streets, brkfst w Shirre @ IHOP, $32.50 for 16 gal gas, shopping & interior deco to follow.

March 10 at 12:59am
[Day 7] Keto Nord doing an ad run for TheListbyKeto: TB Performing Arts Ctr, Etudes for Violin & Electronix ft DBR, 3/12/09, http://www.tbpac.org/shows/show.asp?showId=2163

March 10 at 2:54am
Keto Nord Started Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey w/my wife. A must read for you ladies who THINK you know men but rely on WOMEN'S advice about men.

March 10 at 3:08pm
Keto Nord doing laundry & putting together an ad for Wide aWoke Wed: Why Should I Get Married (Pt 2), 3/18/09 7:30, http://WideaWoke.com

March 11 at 1:37am
Keto Nord Day 8: Put up a disco ball in Lanay & Jada's room to match the new decor, Reuben doesn't do disco balls, so I didn't go there.

March 11 at 2:23pm
Keto Nord Day 8: Sending out more resumes to networking contacts. Now let's see the network work!

March 12 at 11:02am
Keto Nord Day 9: Helping Lanay finish part of her science project to turn in today. We're growing strawberry plants that we bought yesterday

UPDATED March 15-March 20 (Day 10-15):

March 13 at 10:18am
Keto Nord enjoyed last night's Etudes 4 Violin & Electronix Concert w/DBR at TBPAC last night! The event sold out in part due to TheListbyKeto e-marketing!

March 13 at 10:20am
Keto Nord Day 10: Got recruited for a job as Learning Technology Consultant for IT firm. Submitting my resume this morn. Wish me well!

March 13 at 11:40am
Keto Nord is learning how to be an open networker w/ http://www.Toplinked.com by suggestion of friend on LinkedIn.

March 13 at 12:56pm
Keto Nord Job Terms: "Overqualified"--you've got the skills & job experience we want, but we saw your MBA & we don't think we can pay you & keep you happy.

March 14 at 6:48pm
[Day 10 cont'd] Keto Nord Signed up to be a Standardized Patient for USF Medical Clinic. Should be an interesting process as I participate in medical studies.

March 16 at 12:47pm
Keto Nord Day 11: Should hear back by Friday on my interview for Learning Tech Consultant role. Continuing my resume sendouts & networking w/friends this morning.

March 16 at 12:52pm
Keto Nord sending out a presser for WaW 3/18/09: Why Should I Get Married Part 2 | USF Alumni Center-Traditions Hall | 4202 E. Fowler Ave | 7:30pm, http://WideaWoke.com

March 16 at 4:45pm
Keto Nord is gifting pair tix - advance screening of "I Love You, Man", 3/18 7:30pm, AMC WShore 14. Must be member of TheListbyKeto (e-mail keto_nord@yahoo.com to join)!

March 16 at 9:37pm
Keto Nord Took BeBe & Jada to optician's to get 1st pair of glasses today. Ah deja vu!

March 17 at 1:00pm
Keto Nord Day 12: Got a call this morn from IT recruiter. Preparing now for 3pm interview w/HR Recruiting Mgr. My girls will be arriving from school by that time.

March 17 at 5:55pm
Keto Nord Going to my Homeowner's Assoc, Architectural Review Committee mtg tonight. Infiltrate from the inside, instead of throwing rocks from the outside. Hahahahaha!

March 18 at 1:55am
[Day 13] Keto Nord Finished a 350-question ASSESS Personality Survey in 30 minutes while eating an apple.

March 18 at 11:09am
Keto Nord Day 13: Insurance co recruited me. I'll say NO if they ask me re sales job. When I was a kid I couldn't even sell $1 bars of candy. My Mom did it for me.

March 18 at 6:59pm
Keto Nord C.A.M. in Tampa w/girls wiring money to family in Haiti for school! No such thing as free school back home.

March 18 at 8:14pm
Keto Nord Took girls 2 Grandmas house, CAM, TriCon, Hlsbrgh farmers mkt & Tamikos optical. Picking up Reuben fr M/W bball practice.

March 19 11:15am
Keto Nord Day 14: Have a 2-hr interview today. Not bad since some IT interviews/walk-throughs last for 5-7 hours. Definitely got to bring the A+ game & demo my skills.

March 20 12:53am
Keto Nord Bought sunflowers for Shirre today. Roses, tulips, carnations, sunfl & lillies r wkly tradition I started while we were dating.

March 20 2:50am
[Day 15] Keto Nord Finished 2 hrs testing=success! Will have final walk thru (c. 5hrs) & lunch w IT dept next wk!

March 20 6:35pm
Keto Nord Day 15: Studying for next week by reading business case studies on transportation, packaging & warehousing for third party logistics company.

A Discussion of Steve Harvey's "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man"

I have started reading Steve Harvey's new book, "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think about Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment" with my wife Shirre. Harvey regularly promotes sales of his advice book on his Steve Harvey Morning Show which we both listen to on the radio. So she recently purchased the book on sale at Books-A-Million.

My disclaimer as a reader of the book, especially to women who are the target audience for this book, is for all readers to read the book with an open mind, and understand that Steve's book is not the end all or be all of advice on men. At the end of the day it is a book of advice and it is up to each individual to decide which pieces of advice apply to them. Some advice won't be applicable because you're at a different stage in your life than others, or maybe because such and such was never an issue for you, etc. Some advice will apply to you, so as the saying goes, "If the shoe fits..."

I'm completely in agreement with Shirre going out and getting this book without my telling her to do so. Women always expect us men to know what they want without telling us or explaining to us why they want it. (i.e., why women prefer to cuddle, when to listen vs give advice, helping around the house, etc...) but somehow, they forget or tend to ignore us men when we tell them very clearly by our actions and words what we want and need.

I found very early in my marriage that issues I didn't worry about while dating Shirre, I have had to address during marriage simply because our relationship is now more complex than it was at the dating and engagement stages, and if this is a tool that helps keep peace in our home (although we're pretty peaceful and have a happy, loving home) and squash misunderstandings and hurt feelings before they arise, then more power to Shirre for reading the book. Now if another man doesn't want his wife reading Steve's book, then that is his call. All I know is that Shirre is reading the book, and it has paid off already!

There is no one book with absolute truth other than the Bible. There were some things that I told Shirre about my likes and dislikes when we first got married that she as a woman did not understand. In some cases I told her in almost the same words as what is in Steve's book. We all know that Steve is not Dr. Phil. He is a comedian. However, he is first a man, and men generally know why men think and act in certain ways given a particular situation because all our lives we have lived this thing called "manhood". There are untold scores of books of advice for women about dealing with themselves and men from other women's perspectives, but really very few books of relationship advice that are written by men to and for women.

Now that Shirre is reading the book, she realizes that things that I was saying were not just statements made at random or said in the heat of the moment, but that I was trying to inform her of how I think as a man so that there would be no confusion or misunderstanding as to my motives. So yes, I'm absolutely glad that she went out (on her own) and purchased the book at Books-A-Million.

There are some who say that there is no need for books in a relationship, after all open communication is the key. However, from my perspective open communication is easier said than done. Friendship presents a particular set of relationship challenges, dating presents another set of challenges, being engaged yet another set of challenges unique to that relationship. Once you're married, misunderstandings will happen because both husband and wife even under the best intentions are two independent, separate people trying to become one in family, goals, desires, etc. and now live together 24 hrs/day instead of seeing their partner, doing dinner or the movies, and then going their separate ways.

Living in close proximity causes friction because of basic human nature. We are always in conflict, even over what outfit to wear tomorrow. Not one of us is perfect in thought or actions, though we strive to be perfect in motive. If tools exist to help us reach a state of harmony with our loved ones whether counseling, church, books, Oprah, etc. then we should be willing to use those tools (only the one which applies to your specific situation) to help us resolve whatever is missing in our "relationship portfolio".

T.I.'s Road to Redemption

Tonight I watched T.I.'s Road to Redemption (On Demand) with my wife and children. The MTV series is a must see for parents and children. I posted about my viewing experience on my Facebook account and I was glad to have stirred some constructive debate from my very simple mobile posting. Some of my friends commended T.I. for doing what he was doing to get wayward youth on the right track with positive decision making and a permanent change of course prior to his own sentencing in March 2009. Others criticized his foolish actions of the past. In response I wrote back to each of them in comments below.

Some may criticize T.I. (born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr.) for the life he has lived and the [bad] decisions he has made thus far. The fact is that each one of us has a different opinion of what we see informed by the environment we grew up in, nurturing by our parents, and the decisions we have made once we came of age. Our perceptions of what we watch on TV and how we receive that information is similarly impacted by those three factors I mentioned. Now I agree it's unfortunate that T.I. had to be federally prosecuted (due to the types of weapons in his possession and the fact he had them in another state) to realize that he needed to [live his life in a more responsible manner]. The fact is though that he learned from his run-in with the law, paid the consequences, and unlike many celebrities, he used his experience with the law in a positive way to affect wayward youth who grew up in similar circumstances to those he experienced during his childhood.

I understand everyone has their opinion based on the three factors I mentioned. I concur as someone who grew up in the real hood, that often people carry weapons because the fact of life for these folks is that the police are present in poor neighborhoods in a reactionary not proactive role--they often come AFTER someone has been killed. Now those who watched the first episode of the show (entirely your prerogative I know) saw T.I. talking about his childhood. During his youth T.I.'s step father shot and killed his father, there was no man in his home after that, and T.I. found himself like some of my friends--in the unenviable position of HAVING to put groceries on his Mother's table. Now in remembering how he grew up, T.I. personally intervened in the life of a young gang banger from his old neighborhood, gave him a bit of reality shock and now the young man is studying acting in Los Angeles like he always wanted instead of hustling drugs. Yes, I'm proud of T.I. for encouraging this young man and providing him a means to live his dreams as well as the other youth he reached out to. It's one thing to tell a youth to pull himself up by his own bootstraps and quite another to provide that same youth with the opportunity to do so.

T.I.'s Road To Redemption | Ep. 1 | You Are Responsible For Your Own Actions

T.I.'s Road to Redemption - MTV Shows

Now only God can judge his motives. Having grown up surrounded by similar circumstances I don't condone, but understand WHY T.I. like many other youth without a father make bad decisions. These youth need a hand UP, just as I did, not a hand OUT, and if he can help them by virtue of who he is, then God Bless him for that. I didn't mean to get preachy but I need everyone to understand that your perspective on an issue while significant, it one of many.

Remember what I said, "...Only God can judge motives."

From MTV.com About the Show:

As he begins counting down the days to his impending March 2009 sentencing for weapons charges, Grammy-winning superstar T.I. finds himself at a remarkable crossroads. At the very apex of his career, he's facing up to 30 years of jail time for an arrest stemming from his earlier life. However, as part of a deal worked out between his lawyers and the federal government, if he completes an amazing 1,000 hours of community service during the year ending this March, that sentence may be reduced. At 27, finding himself at the very high- and low-point of his adult life, he's seeking redemption in helping others avoid the mistakes he made. In the new docu-series T.I.'s Road To Redemption: 45 Days To Go cameras follow T.I.'s efforts to save himself by saving others. In order to communicate his message, he has to give each teenager a tough love lesson in life and show them the consequences of what could happen if they continue down the wrong path.

T.I.'s Road To Redemption: 45 Days To Go will not only show T.I. as he attempts to help change the lives of desperate teenagers across the country, but will also show a behind-the-scenes peek at the most private and personal moments of one of today's hottest most sought after artists on the verge of leaving his glittering career for time behind bars.

The series will follow T.I. as he talks to schools and community groups about how to avoid the trouble he now finds himself in, but it will also follow a search for personal redemption. T.I.'s Road To Redemption: 45 Days To Go chronicles the rap icon's dedicated mission to educate today's youth on the issues of his past that have come back to haunt him today. Along the way, we will see the birth of his sixth child, the release of his most ambitious, reflective, and mature work yet, "Paper Trail," his long and serious journey to transform the lives of a group of at risk teens, his ongoing struggle to manage his personal life while completing 1,000 hours of community service and most importantly, coming to terms with going to jail at the height of his career.

Anatomy of a Laid Off Worker's Job Hunt in 2009, Day 5, 3/6/09 (Updated Weekly)

This morning I was awakened by early morning news on TV. Our local CBS affiliate, WTSP Channel 10 was on, and the anchor was discussing the Tampa Bay Job Fair that would be held today. Well, maybe this is good news. I've been without a job for one week since my layoff from my law firm, and thought maybe I would check out the job fair website for last minute registration and company roster, print out some new resumes, and make my way down to the Quorum Hotel in South Tampa where over 1,000 fellow job seekers are expected.

I took the girls, Lanay and Jada, to school, ironed some interview-appropriate clothes, and by 11:00am, I was out the door and on the way to Tampa! I wasn't sure where to find a FedEx Kinko's or other printer in Lakeland so I decided to print out 10 resumes from my flash drive on professional paper at the Downtown Tampa FedEx-Kinko's. The cost was about $4 (.20/sheet); not too bad.

Once I arrived at the hotel, I signed in with my name and e-mail address and was given a nice folder by job fair staff with table listings, job ads, and more. I had already checked out the website and was aware of the companies that would be represented: 2020 Companies, Airline Academy, Amscot - Corp Office, Avon Products, Inc., Defense Intelligence Agency, DeVry University, FastTrain, FBI, Flexicom, Gulf Coast College, HCR Manor Care, International Academy of Design and Technology, Keiser University - Lakeland, Kelly Services, Lasalle Computer Learning, LDG Financial Services, Metro PCS, NCO, T & M Acquisitions, University of Phoenix, US Army Recruiting Battalion, and Virginia College Online. Not exactly your who's who of corporate behemoths, but hey beggars can't be choosy right? I had already planned to speak with Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, and University of Phoenix in regards to IT and business job openings which they were advertising, but the recruiters were there as window dressing and instructed me that I also needed to post my resume on their websites. Most of the other recruiters were either trying to recruit sales people to sell phones or for door-to-door, inside sales, etc. or were trying to recruit students or new instructors for their institutions. One of the schools gave me a free gift certificate for a spa treatment/massage, so I'll give that to Shirre.

In the final analysis, today was a good day. I'm keeping my head up because I know I'm a smart, young, highly-marketable MBA with experience working in multiple industries in IT and business functions. I may not have really got any solid job leads or face time with the HR people that I actually wanted to see, but at least I picked up toys and gifts at each table for my children including some clear, red light-up yo-yo's that I know Reuben, Lanay, and Jada are going to love!

T. Don Hutto, America's Prison for Immigrant Families

Today after reading one of my weekly emails from BrasscheckTV and watching the attached video, I logged on http://tdonhutto.blogspot.com, a blog dedicated to informing concerned citizens about "T. Don Hutto" America's prison for immigrant families including pregnant mothers & children! Oh, the inhumanity of housing entire immigrant families for profit by shareholders of private prisons! I hope this is not the future! Watch the video below by the good folks at progressive site, Brasscheck TV and be spurred to action because these could be YOUR relatives!

In May 2006, the Department of Homeland Security opened its first prison for immigrant families 30 miles north of Austin. It is the first family detention center in the country to be based on the penal model, though plans were quickly made to build more.

The T. Don Hutto facility holds men, women (some pregnant), children, and infants, none of whom have a criminal past. Administered by the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the country's largest for-profit corrections company, Hutto lacks proper licensing and medical facilities, and has been proven to traumatize families.

T. Don Hutto, America's Prison for Immigrant Families

Hurry Up and Apologize to Rush Already!

Hilarious! With the recent hullabaloo over apologies made to Rush Limbaugh by GOP leaders like RNC Chairman Michael Steele, Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC), etc. the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee came up with a customizable Republican Apology Machine template which laymen like you and I can use to apologize to Rush Limbaugh, undisputed leader of the Good Ol' Boys Party. How dare you not kiss Rush' you know what! You should be ashamed for even trying to think for yourself without his permission!

Here is the apology that I wrote to Rush Limbaugh in the name of House of Representatives Whip, Eric Cantor. Not because he's done anything, but he eventually will, and Cantor can feel free to use my ready-made apology. This is my service to the GOP, and no need for thanks!

Dear Rush,

I’m so sorry that I called you ugly. My comments were not even about you. What I meant to say is that you are worthy of enormous respect. Yeah, sometimes I speak generically – seriously I wasn’t even talking about you. Everyone knows we Republicans like to say one thing and do another, right?

You and I both know that in reality, you simply want President Obama to fail in this time of economic collapse. How can I disagree with that? Please accept my sincere apologies, oh great leader of the Republican Party. Can’t wait to be on your show soon! XOXO

Sincerely,

Republican Congressman Eric Cantor (coming soon)

My Reflections of Kassim the Dream Film at GIFF 2009

Tonight I went to my second event of the Gasparilla International Film Festival 2009 . An incredible film was featured, "Kassim the Dream", and again I attended as a guest and co-marketer of the event with Keisha Pickett of Pickett Public Relations Group. along with members of my e-magazine, TheListbyKeto. You just had to be there to see it because this blog cannot do it justice!

About the Film from Kassim the Dream Website:

This is the story of World Champion Boxer, Kassim "The Dream" Ouma - born in Uganda, kidnapped by the rebel army and trained to be a child soldier at the age of 6. When the rebels took over the government, Kassim became an army soldier who was forced to commit many horrific atrocities, making him both a victim and perpetrator. He soon discovered the army's boxing team and realized the sport was his ticket to freedom. After 12 years of warfare, Kassim defected from Africa and arrived in the United States. Homeless and culture shocked, he quickly rose through the boxing ranks and became Junior Middleweight Champion of the World.

Kassim, now age 27, seems to have obtained the American Dream with his jovial nature, fame and hip hop lifestyle. As Kassim trains for his next world title fight against Jermain Taylor in Little Rock Arkansas, keeping his demons out of the ring becomes increasingly difficult. His desires to reunite with family in Uganda intensify when Kassim's only hope for a safe return is a military pardon from the president and government responsible for his abduction.

You can't possibly watch the story and not have a heart for the immeasurable pain & suffering that people go through in other countries of the world terrorized by war from within and without. No matter how hard it may get in the United States, we don't have to worry about our military breaking into our houses, executing our loved ones & turning us into slaves. Anyone who can survive that, achieve great accomplishments, and still be a great person like Kassim has a strong heart.

Kassim the Dream Trailer-GIFF 2009