Basketball

Well, not only is basketball fantastic in the NBA, but when it goes down like our game did last night, it can be fantastic in prison too. We had a double overtime game last night, and I said before the game that I was going to leave all mine on the court. And believe me, I did. Right now I feel like I was in a fight with Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, and they are on the same team. We had beat this team twice this year, every time we saw them. This was a single game elimination, and they had only won one game in the regular season. Well, anyway, I take full responsibility for our loss. I was on the free throw line with only a few seconds left in regulation. It was a one and one situation and I missed the free throw. But worse than that, in OT, I hit the shot to put us ahead by two points, and was feeling real good. We call time out with 20 seconds left on the clock and we had the ball. I felt the game was over, there was no way they could win from here. So I took the ball out and threw it in to my center. They go to trap him and he throws the ball back to me. They turn around and trap me, and I panic and tried to throw the ball over the top, and it got intercepted. They turn around and win the game.

All the mistakes that I made have been playing over and over in my head since last night. It made me think how close basketball and real life are related. But I want to let you know, don't worry, cause I get over this stuff fast. But what I have notice about some people is that they can't clear their minds about things that happened in the past. And when things like this happen, you can't think about anything else. Not even the most important things in your life. So I will be working all day today to clear my mind and get back on track, and put this web site on top the way it's supposed to be. Everybody keeps letting the past keep creep in their mind and pollute their thinking - let it go. There is always tomorrow.

Peace and Love.
$Triple R$

Hey, what's up?

Woke up this morning with something on my mind. Ran into some old friends, and man am I excited about that. I also had a chance to read some old investigating papers yesterday. One of my friends is doing research for my autobiography, and he came up with some stuff that sent chills down my spine. It was these five or six states that had an investigation on me. And these initial papers had people identify me in bank and jewely store robberies, when I read these papers it became reality on how bad they really wanted me. And I guess I went to bed thinking about that last night. And I woke up with this on my mind this morning. Why is it so important for us to succeed in life? To the point that we put our on life on the line, and freedom. I got to see police officers go in front of a grand jury and lie. Then I was wondering, was he lying just to bring me down? Or was he lying to boast his career? Can anybody answer the question? Why are humans are willing to risk it all for success? My friends that I made contact with the other day reminded me of the days when we had no money. We had garage parties with only three records. Then I thought back to myself, were we happy then? Yea there was times we went hungry with no food. But we all had love for each other still. I don't know where this is really going, just something I woke up thinking about this morning. Was wondering if anybody could help me figure it out.

Peace
$Triple R$

Let's get to 1,000!

Hey, what's up everybody? Just wanted to say hello, and tell everybody thanks for all the support that they have been giving me with the site. The site is coming along well. So excited about it. Starting to get some great people on there, and I can see us having a commune that they have never seen before. We are all going to grow and build together and have a chance to see one another make it. I don't know if you remember, a couple of weeks ago I told you about my basketball team. We had got off to a bad start, and a few people quit on us. But the core dudes stuck together and now we are back in the hunt. Right now we are 3 and 3, and only 2 games out of first place. All we have to do is stick together and play as a team. And that is what we have to do here with this social network, we have to keep each other informed. If one makes it, we can all make it. It's just a matter of paying attention. I was shooting for 1000 people in November, but we didn't make that goal; I am sure we will do it in December. And there are going to be some great things happening for us. So keep getting the word out there, and let's let the world know it's our time to shine. There is no stopping us.

Peace and love,
$Triple R$

Shooting for the Stars

I have been hearing a lot of people complain about the ecomony and how tough it is. When I talk to these same people, I always seem to get the same story. They want more but are not willing to give more. Its funny that they will never pick up a book or go to a seminar. They are still looking for pie in the sky, for somebody to just swoop down and erase all their problems. And with me, it's totally the opposite. See, I came up hard, too. We were on welfare and my mom lived above her means. She kept an up to date car, but there were days that there was no food in the house. She wanted to keep the appearance to others that we was doing well, and so many people are living like that today. People say that I am lucky on a daily basis. The guys that I am here with. But they refuse to see the sacrifices that I give. I change my eating habits, I have changed my mind consumption. No tv or radio, no books that are not business oriented. Well, I have been just given a job as co-producer of a movie that we will be shooting in March. I wont be getting any pay; my pay will be one person off my site getting a roll in the movie and they will be getting paid. I also have a magazine that is going to let me do a colmun every issue and a monthly radio station. Maybe I am lucky, but I shoot for the stars. Dream Big!!

Love Ya,
$Triple R$

What's up out there?

Yea, this is your man Rick and I just got off the weight pile. I had a great workout this morning but last night we got our butt whipped in basketball. I am not the one for pointing the finger but if the refs wasn't my homeboys, I would have sworn they were hating. They made a couple of crucial calls at the wrong time in the game. But you know me, I will bounce back. Right now we are 1 and 3. The most exciting thing going on is the website. www.freewayenterprise.com - the social network. It's growing steady but I need your help. I really need 10,000 people to sign up; but what I need you to do is get ten people to sign up. We will be on our way. And I hope someone I knows wins that $500 Chirstmas giveaway! You should be getting geared up cause next year I'm going to do it big - I ain't going to let the cat out the bag yet but get your friends to sign up. Still no words from the courts on whether I will be coming home in February. And if anybody can get in touch with J. Young, tell him that our guys want him to be the first off our label. Love ya and help me with the site, I need it.

$Triple R$

Who is Nicholas Black?

I've been hearing a lot lately about this guy named Nicholas Black. His name has been coming up in conversation and I'm curious aobut who he is. The way people are talking, maybe he's on artist or a writer... I'm not sure. Somebody said I might have already met him. If anyone can find out anything about Nicholas Black, get back at me. Maybe Nicholas Black is a friend of mine and I don't remember?

Thanks for your help,
$Triple R$

Obama

Congratulations everybody!! We have a new president - someone that seems to be open to change - and that is a good thing. I see guys around here saying he is going to open up the flood gates for the prison system; and then some say that trades from other countries will open up and that money will start flowing again. And since he has a Democratic Senate and Congress, he has a chance to go farther to do more good than any other president in history. I say all that is well and fine, but what I ask all of them is, what are we going to do for ourselves? Too often we sit around and wait for others to do all the work, while we reap the benefit. I hope we don't put this entire burden on Obama. He is only one man. And we all know that the chain is only strongest as its weakest link. Let's everyone take upon themselves to make our country the country that we want it to be. Congratulations to Obama.

$Triple R$

Prop. 5 vs. the prison-industrial complex

The officials and special interests who oppose the drug rehabilitation measure are doing so to protect their own power and money. (continue)

Making the Effort

There are so many people that talk a good game, but it is easier to talk the talk, than to walk the walk. When will we learn that nothing will come to us for free unless we make an effort to go out and get it? Even the Bible says, "faith without works is dead." In other words, we can dream and have all the hope and faith in the world, but without and effort and a desire to make something happen, we will never accomplish our goals.

There is no such thing as luck. Good things happen to dedicated people who go out and make a genuine effort. They say, "the harder you try the luckier you get." Why? Because you make the luck for yourself. Their dreams, goals, and wishes manifest themselves through their effort to succeed by all means. It's called positive Karma. You can be the best at whatever you do, but if you don't apply the effort to reach the highest level, then our personal talents mean nothing. Too often people show no effort, or quit at the first sign of struggle...trouble...and discomfort. They are not willing to go all out. That extra mile that will take them to where they want to be.

In the dictionary it says: the word "effort" means "conscious exertion of physical or mental power". To achieve a particular purpose or result, we must apply all our effort. Our dreams are only the beginning. If you don't apply any effort, your dreams will never become realities. Remember this: you get an A for effort. Anything less is considered a failure. Succeed. Accept nothing less!

Ricky Ross & Jimmy DaSaint

Def Jam Exec VP Shakir Stewart Commits Suicide

From Billboard.com:
Def Jam executive VP Shakir Stewart reportedly committed suicide today (Nov. 1) in Atlanta, according to sources. No other details were available at deadline.

"L.A. Reid and all of us at Island Def Jam Music Group are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Shakir Stewart," read a statement sent from the label today. "Shakir was an amazing man in every sense of the word. A truly incredible friend and father who was an inspiration to not only our artists and employees, but to his family and the many people that had the privilege of counting him as a friend. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time."

Stewart succeeded Jay-Z at the top of the Def Jam ladder in June and also retained his duties as senior VP of A&R at Island Def Jam. The Oakland, Calif., native signed such artists as Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and newcomer Karina Pasian.

Stewart cut his teeth as a music executive at Hitco Music Publishing, where he was creative director and later senior VP of creative/GM and signed Beyonce Knowles.

Even before he gained a rep for promoting rap concerts during his Morehouse College days, Stewart was "the guy who was the head of passing out fliers at seven clubs a night, seven days a week in 20-degree weather," he told Billboard this summer.


Stewart said at the time it was his goal to help develop "new, young executives ... The hot executive who's 21, 22 years old and has a serious passion for music and the desire to work 27 hours a day. That's where I was at that time in my life. And that's who I'm looking to mentor. I don't see many people like that. Instead, I see a lot of kids who want to live the lifestyle but don't want to put in the work and do what it takes."

To clarify...

FreewayEnterprise.com!

Hey, what's up? This is the luckiest man in the world. Well, I just got my wish. My site has become an official social-network. I started this journey about two years ago. Didn't know where it would lead. With very little knowledge of the internet, and to be honest, other than a couple of books of stamps, I was flat broke. People had come and gone. No one could see my dream the way I did. No matter how you beg and plead with people, they just may not understand. But I continued to keep my dream alive. Not only did I dream, but I also put action behind it. I have been reading every newspaper and magazine article that came out on social networking; as well as getting the books. I basically educated myself. And today it paid off big time.

Even though we have only 49 people on the site right now, my goal is to have a 1,000 people before the month is over. I plan to take over, one person at a time. For all the people that said I couldn't do it - here it is, looking at you. Please go by http://www.freewayenterprise.com and check it out and put a profile up. I wish you would help me get these 1,000 people. There are people that said I couldn't do this right now. But you know, I don't listen to what people say. It's us against the world. I appreciate your help in advance, and let me know what you think about it.

Love y'all,
$Triple R$

Failed Promises

"My word is my bond." The phrase is a verbal promise made from one person to another. It's more valuable than any contract that's written. Often I hear people making verbal promises to someone, then turning right around and breaking that same promise. It really hurts us when a person we trust gives us their word and then they fail to fulfill their promise or agreement that they made. That only shows the flaws, deceit, and inherent weakness in one's character. No promise should ever be broken, yet so many of them are. And many more will continue to be broken if people are not willing to live up to their words and responsibilities. When we give somebody our word, we release a part of our inner soul to them; and it's usually to a person we love, trust, or highly respect. Still, most of the times, people will turn around and hurt the same person by not keeping their promise. It's true that we often hurt the one's we love, because they are the closest to us. The people that accept our promises without question are the most vulnerable. And the truth is, they believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. At the end of the day, they are the ones who suffer because failed promises turn into big lies. We need to start keeping our word and living up to the promises we make to others. We need to not only say what we mean, but to mean what we say. Never give a person a promise or your word, that you don't plan on keeping. Your promises are a reflection of who you are. When a person keeps their promise, they are respected and trusted more. Others are willing to open themselves up to them. They are looked at as a person that keeps his or her words, and that will only make people respect them more. Just remember this: The opposite of a promise is a lie.

Ricky Ross & Jimmy DaSaint

Be your own boss!

Rolling Stone: More Evidence Proving
Rick Ross’ Corrections Officer Past Uncovered







---------------------------------

Support the real Rick Ross!

Kenneth Moore: Get Proactive

"People of action are favored by the goddess of Luck. The Harder they work the luckier they get."

Take control of your situation and start building your future today. Set aside some time everyday to educate yourself and put in the work. Start studying, start your "wealth account" and order your credit report. If you have taken these steps, you will have started down the road to riches. If you want to be in a bigger and better game, you have to think bigger and better. Most people feel trapped and frustrated because they have stopped dreaming. If you have reasonable and realistic goals with an achievable time frame, dreams can come true. People tend to fear what they don't know and they also tend to take the easy route whenever possible. In the short term, that is more comfortable for them; but in the long run, it's the same old thing over and over. Too many bills, not enough money, and no plans for the future. Your life is what you make it. If you want to be worth more, then start investing in yourself. When you spend your entire life working for someone else, all you do is make other people wealthy. On top of that, you teach your children to do the same. Make a conscious decision to create a different cycle: A wealth cycle. Knowledge is Key.

Kenneth Moore

Toxic People

In almost every situation there's good and bad. Winners and losers. Then there are the people out there that see the world, and everything in it, as one big problem. They are what we call "Toxic People." People that always bring their negative energy around, and do whatever they can to sour a positive mood. They walk, talk, eat, sleep, and live in a realm of pure negativity. Their only intention is finding more ways to make other people suffer from their misery. They focus on the nit picking, little negative details. They get a kick out of seeing that smile on your face fade and disappear permanently. These people are dangerous and poisonous for your well-being. They complain, bicker, argue, yell, lie, manipulate, cheat, steal, and will do whatever else it takes to smother or ruin a positive situation. And nothing or no one can change their ways, because it's a disease that can't be cured. They live off of seeing others go through misery and pain. Because, no crab wants to be in a pot alone. Misery loves company. These toxic people take delight in bursting your positive bubble. It's the highlight of their day. They don't agree on anything, but disgaree with everything. If you know toxic people like this, don't walk away; run as fast as you can and never look back. Because sooner or later, their constant negativity will drain the life out of you. There are lots of unsuccessful and medicore people that never reached their true potential. The reason why: They let toxic people get into their head and preach them failure and self-pity.

Hey, what's up everybody?

Hope these gas prices aren't driving everybody insane. How has everybody been doing? Well me, I have been grinding ahead; trying to get this autobiography finished up, along with the movie script. Black Scarface is being edited. The video game is coming along too. As you can see, I keep a full plate. Can't stop, won't stop. Well, I have been fortunate for the past two weeks; we have been having early lockdowns. So it's kind of bad I can't stay on the computer as late, but the good news I have been able to read. And being able to do that has been really exciting. One of my pupils that I have been mentoring has been reading The Richest Man in Babylon. So when I asked about the story, some questions that I want to know about couldn't be answered. I almost know the book by heart but not quite. And as you might know, every time you read it, there will be something you miss. And it's amazing to me how everybody thinks I am so lucky. But nobody will look at the hardships I have been through or the sacrifices I have been making. I haven't watched tv in over two years, nor have I listen to the radio. My time is spent emailing, writing letters, reading books, or discussing our business plan among our think-tank. So out of reading the book, this time I ran across something I would love to share with everybody.

"Fortunate only in that I had the desire to prosper before I first met him. For four years did I not prove my definiteness of purpose by keeping one-tenth of all I earned? Would you call a fisherman lucky who for year so studied the habits of the fish that with each changing wind he could cast his nets about them? Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared. "

The Challenge

Let other lead small lives,
but not you.
Let others argue over small things,
but not you.
Let other cry over small hurts,
but not you.
Let others leave their future in someone else hands,
but not you.

Good morning, hope everybody is well. I woke up early this morning, about 3:30am, and decided to do a little reading. I ran into this and decided to share it with everybody. My spirits have really been running high lately, my future looks bright. I found my purpose in life, which I think everyone should be in search of. It gives you the energy to get up, keeps you from being bored, gives you the power to walk away from things that are not important, makes you study and research. People ask me all the time about how I can get up and put my workout in every morning. But when your purpose is so big and you know that you have to have good health and that you don't want to leave life without fulfilling that purpose, it lifts you to a height that you thought was not attainable. I hope it helps somebody.

Peace and Love.
$Triple R$

Terrence Williams: Life Revolves Around Choices & Decisions

The choices we make determine the decisions we have to deal with. My societal life may be over with at this moment, however, as a youth, yours may have just begun. That's why I've decided to take the time out to share some love with you... you, the youth of today, who are facing the same vital decisions that I once faced, decisions that could effect the rest of your life.

Because of the life that I once lived, I may spend the rest of my life behind bars. Prison is real and I brought this reality upon myself. You may very well be on the same path. However, if you learn from my mistakes and adhere to the message, you may be able to trade a life of institutional torment for a life of worldly enjoyment.

A lot of the things we do at the time seem cool: player, balling, macking or stunnin'. Check this out, I was reading Don Diva a few days ago and I came across an interview with the rapper Plies. He stated something that I respected, as well as grabbed my attention, so I felt the need to share it with you. His words verbatim, "The person who invented throwin' money in the club has to be the stupidest [dude] ever. I done got caught up in the hype and I've done it. But how could you have that much paper that you can just throw the sh*t? And the ones that's throwin' it, we ain't got it to throw bruh. The motherf*cker who really can throw it, ain't throwin' it."

Just think about the money we waste. "Be self-controlled, NOT remote-controlled..." A lot of us don't think before we act. We think about what occurred after it's done; which at times may be too late. I know when I was home, 50% of the time I let my gun think for me. The reason I say 50% is because whenever I pulled it, it was used. Now I sit back and think about the greed I once was engaged to. Sad thing is she hangs around still to this day. There's two ways I block her out. #1- I pray, it helps me think clearly. # 2- I look at her as if she has AIDS and is intentionally trying to pass it on. Me being human, I still wrestle with the different struggles. Some days I call moms just to here her voice. Sad thing is, I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to sleep in the same house or sit at the dinner table with her again. But you can keep it that way...

Terrence 'Gangsta' Williams

Terrence Williams
25958-034
FCI Jesup 2680
Highway 301
South Jesup, GA 31599

Learning From Other People

I want to know why there are so many people afraid of rejection? It's not the end of the world when somebody tells you 'no'. If you don't ask questions, you're only denying yourself a chance to learn and find out what other people are willing to share. Remember, we all have two ears and one mouth; meaning we should listen twice as much as we talk. Listening is a lost art that needs to be reintroduced. A good friend of mine told me that when he has to talk to someone, he takes them out to dinner at their favorite restaurant, and he picks up the entire tab. Imagine how much information a person can get in two hours of causal conversation. The point is... we learn so much by studing and listening to others. We have to just pay attention and keep our minds open.

What about wealthy people? How did they become rich? Why do some people struggle throughtout their lives? Why are only a small percentage of people financially independent? Why do some people have wonderful, loving relationships?

Using other people's experiences as a yard stick for learning will help you tremendously. All you need to do is keep your ears and eyes open, and ask a few questions. Can you tell me if you know who the top two or three producers in your field are? Have you ever approached any of these people to ask them what their secrets of success were? If not, what a tragedy this truly is. We all know the people who are successful, but we are afraid to approach them and ask them for information, direction, and guidance. Don't let the fear of rejection stop you from asking. The worst thing that could happen is that they wouldn't tell you; you'd end up not knowing what they know. You already don't know, so it can't get any worse, can it? So take a risk. ASK!! LISTEN!! And LEARN.

$Triple R$

Rick Ross

Hey everybody. Hope all is well, especially now since the country is in a recession. A lot of people may think that because I am in prison, its recession proof. That is not the case, but it doesn't effect me as bad as it does some guys. It really effects me more hearing the sad stories from my family and friends. The ones that are just plain worried and scared. I hear all the stories: gas and desiel are up to $4.00 a gallon, food sky high, the dollar is dropping, real estate not selling and companies are laying off. And to me its really amazing cause most of these people are totally healthy, and some are really intelligent. But I know the one thing they lack, and that's confidence. See, when you have confidence in yourself you have no problem stepping out on the edge. It just so happens this morning I ran across a paragraph that I would like to share:

"Become so valuable that you can't be fired. And if you are your special skills will open up new oppurtunity. Keep refining your strengths. Focus on your brilliance and develop excellent connections. Surround yourself with positive support people. Be a giver to attract friends. And become a friend."

If more of us would adopt this attitude we would live a much freer life. I hope this helps somebody out there cause its truly time for us to make a change. Peace and Love. $Triple R$

From the Desk of Kenneth Moore: Get Your Credit Report

The first thing you need to understand about the credit system is that it is a system; once you learn how to operate within the system you can make the system work to benefit you. A million-dollar credit line is just like having a million dollars of cash. The beauty of the credit system is that it revolves around how well you pay your bills, not the amount of money you borrow. The principles are the same, no matter if you borrow ten thousand or ten million. Part two of this issue is a detailed plan of action that will increase your credit limit as high as you want it to be. The credit system revolves around a scoring system used by Credit Rating Agencies (CRA'S) to provide merchants with information about how responsible you are with credit. When you apply for credit, the potential lender gets your credit score from the CRA's and decides whether or not to extend credit. Currently, the scoring system is as follows:

751 to 850 Excellent 4% or less
651 to 750 Good 5% or less
551 to 650 Fair 6% or less
451 to 550 Poor 7% or less
351 to 450 Bad 8% or less
251 to 350 Very bad 9% or less

Note: The Credit Rating Agencies have adopted a new rating system that will be universally accepted by the Big 3. It is called the Vantage Score and will be set up on an academic scale.

Vantage Score Rates

901 to 990 = A Rating
801 to 900 = B Rating
701 to 800 = C Rating
601 to 700 = D Rating
502 to 600 = F Rating

Gangsta's Blog

Unhappy in love? It's always our partner's fault. Ever hear anyone say "My Relationship is a mess and I'm the problem?" Insensitivity, betrayal, abuse-- it's true that we human beings are capable of terrible behavior. And it hurts deeply to be mistreated by the person you expect to treat you best. But no one can take your peace or power unless you surrender it. No one else's behavior makes you miserable for long unless you allow it to. It's not our lover's bad behavior that makes us crazy, but how we internalize and respond to it. It's time to awaken from our fantasy; No one is perfect. We'll forever be disappointed in love if our emotions are tied to who we think our mate should be. But, the biggest mistake we make is in selecting our partners. Sometimes we accept as a lover a person we'd never have as a friend, or we don't recognize a divine-right partner whose packaging isn't bright and shiny; We forget that the gift is on the inside...

Terrance 'Gangsta' Williams
25958-034
FCI Jesup 2680
Highway 301
South Jesup, GA 31599

From the Desk of Kenneth Moore (Part 4): Getting Started

Rule #1
Wealth comes easily and in abundance to any person who will save at least 10 percent of all their earnings and dedicate these earnings towards building their fortune. Wealth Accounts create a wealthy account by setting aside 10 percent of all you earn. Any business book you read will instruct you to pay yourself first before you do anything else. If you don't pay yourself first, then you probably won't pay yourself at all. The Wealth Account operates under those same principles. If you don't set aside 10 percent off the top you probably wont set aside 10 percent at all. The 10 percent set aside is extremely important because it is the Wealth Account that is going to change your life. Fortunes are made using money to make more money.

Rule #2
Money works diligently and constantly for the wise owner who finds employment for it. When you put money to work it becomes your slave and its children becomes your slaves. When you put to good use mone multiplies for its employer like flocks of the field. In the beginning 10 percent may not seem like much but as time goes on and you start finding ways to put your money to work your Wealth Account will began to multiply. Thats all it takes to build wealth. You must learn how to make your money multiply and then continue to reinvest your profits over and over creating a cycle. Once you have created a wealth cycle you will then be on easy street. The sooner you start the quicker you will get there so start building your Wealth Account immediately.

Hood Tips

This is a guest blog by Terrence "Gangsta" Williams, the brother of Baby Williams from Cash Money Records.

There are many people out there that will assist you in becoming successful. First thing is our appearance. Even though we like to let the pants hang low, mouth full of golds and the wrong vocabulary words rolling off of our tongues. It comes a time when we have to think, act and speak like a business man or woman... Look at Master P, when he first did the Nickolodean thing he took his golds out. Once he was finished, he replaced them. It's not all of the time we have to remove the golds and hood-look to become successful; however, if we want a certain backing it won't hurt to switch the style up.

The main thing that gets us is that we don't try to make the necessary steps to get started; like reading books and asking questions... You will be surprised and overwhelmed at the support that will follow. Be aware of the Haters on the sideline that will chant things like, "don't waste your time with that," or, "it won't work," etc. You have to believe in yourself... the things I know, only God knows how rich I could be.

When I had lots of money, I had the chance to buy a few houses but I didn't see a quick return in it. I only could envision my money slowly decreasing. You know the old slang, "scared money don't make money," or, "you have to spend it to get it." Yeah, I was once like the slangs. I wanted to hold on to it when it came to something positive but I spent it in a heartbeat when it came to foolishness. Like paying notes on a car I'll never own and still living in the projects; putting chrome rims, TV's and a nice system in, only to have it repossessed once I went to jail.

We have to put our priorities in place. Wendy Day sent me several books the other day. The first once I read is entitled"The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt. Once of the things that I liked was a chapter called "The Results of Your Bad Habits Usually Don't Add Up Until Much Later In Life."

There are two young black entrepreneurs that I was incarcerated with a few years ago. The both of them are successful and I'd like to take the time out to congratulate them. One's named Dwayne Cooper aka Ross The Boss. He and his wife started a Chicken Shack. They sell fried chicken, chicken wings, etc. Now I'm hungry. The other one is a guy named Kenny Rushing. I would go to his cell and the first thing I'd see was a desk halfway full of real-estate books. Me in my ignorant stage of my time used to tell him, "man, why do you have all these stupid books, you know when you get out you going to pick that work back up." That's all I knew at the time - negativity. Plus his case was real big and violent... well right now, to this date, he's a millionaire.

There are many things to start legally...
Terrance Gangsta Williams
25958-034
FCI Jesup 2680
Highway 301
South Jesup, GA 31599

Clear Vision

On a daily basis I talk to people about their goals, dreams and aspirations. It never seems to amaze me that the majority of people all yearn for the same thing. A better life. But what does amaze me is how unclear their visions actually are. Most people can actually see and feel the things that hold them back. And still they do nothing about it. Nor do they make any effort to change their situation. What most people do is complain. They complain about their jobs, their children, money, even giving a real effort. I learned that the world doesn't want a loser. It only wants and respect winners. So I tell people all the time, that in order to succeed a person must first have a winner's attitude. All winners have a clear vision. If most people made a real effort to build the habit of establishing a clear vision, the final outcome would be tremendous. It doesn't matter if you desire wealth, better relationships, knowledge or success, you can achieve it all, and more. If only you have a clear vision of what you want. If people don't believe that having a clear vision will benefit them, then check out my story, because I'm living proof that having clear vision is the key to your ultimate success. But you have to want it.

The Power of Persistence

Today, Jimmy DaSaint and I were working out on the weight pile when the word 'persistent' came up in our conversation. We both agreed that persistence is the one trait that all successful people have in common. Without persistence you will not be successful for long. Everybody goes through ups and downs in their life journey, but it's not what you go through but how you deal with it when trouble or situation arrive. It made me think back to the one time I almost gave up on everything.

The year was 1995, I had just been arrested for trying to purchase 100 kilos of cocaine from an undercover DEA Agent. On that strange bizarre day it felt like I had the whole weight of the world on my back and shoulders. One of my closest friends had betrayed me and set me up for an undercover drug sting. The worst part about the entire situation was that I had been doing a favor for a friend. What a fool I was. Once again I had separated myself away from my children. Something that I had promised them I would never do. See, it's alright to break a promise to yourself, but it's not cool at all to break a promise to your children. They never forget it.

Around that time of my life I was just ready to shut down. Life was no longer fun for me. For the first time in my life, I felt like a victim. Blaming the world for all my problems and making excuses for why I had put myself in that position - again! It was truly one of the worst moments in my life. Then one day a good friend of mine named Gordon Hall came to my cell and offered me some words of encouragement. He also had a book in his hand called "The Richest Man in Babylon." After a touching conversation with Gordon, he challenged me to read the book. I accepted his challenge and a few days later I had finished reading the entire book. I learned some very important things as I turned those pages. What put me in prison wasn't fate or destiny or chance, but my persistence to further my drug empire. From reading the book I learned that persistence can be used for good or bad. The book completely changed my life, and the way I thought and looked at situations that I faced. I turned my negative persistence to a positive persistence. At that time I was flat broke, everyone had abandoned me except my mother. Still I was persistent and determined to succeed with my life, no matter how hard the obstacles were that were placed in my path. I had no choice but to start from the bottom and work my way up. As each new day came and passed, I became more and more persistent with turning my life around. I had refused to be broken.

Now after all of these years spent in prison, my persistence has become a part of who I am. In the book "The 12 Universal of Laws of Success," it says, "persistence is to complete whatever you set out to do." I set out to win the chess game of life. With each new day, my persistence is bringing me closer to my checkmate.

DJ Vlad Sues William Roberts For $4 Million

MTV.com - According to the suit, Vlad received a text message from Ross (William Roberts) on the afternoon of the Ozone Awards that read, “N—– will learn … trillaaaa.” Vlad had interviewed Ross twice before, which is allegedly how the MC obtained Vlad’s phone number. After the DJ inquired about who the text was from, Ross allegedly responded, “Ross … I’m hearing things.”

A short time later, according to the suit, Ross called Vlad and said, “I’ve been hearing things about me on your Web site. … We gonna make a story. … We going to see each other. … We going to talk. … Where are you?” Upon learning that both men were in town for the Ozone Awards, Ross allegedly set up a time for the meeting on the second floor of the Hilton Hotel in Houston and arrived accompanied by four other people.

“Following a brief conversation between DJ Vlad and Ross in which Ross said, ‘We got beef,’ Ross’ accomplices, who had surrounded DJ Vlad while he spoke with Ross, proceeded to strike and beat DJ Vlad in Ross’ presence and without any protest on Ross’ part,” the suit says. The men then reportedly fled the scene and left Vlad laying on the ground “bleeding profusely” after one attacker shouted, “Yeah, mother—-er, that’s what you get.”

A spokesperson for Ross had no comment on the suit at press time.

Flashback: INS Agent Tells of Errors

Los Angeles Times / July 23, 2000

Launching his bid for a new trial, South-Central Los Angeles crack kingpin “Freeway” Ricky Ross put one of his own captors on the witness stand Thursday, accusing an INS agent of illegally supplying a green card to the Nicaraguan parolee who helped set him up for arrest.

Ross, whose conviction four years ago sparked an international furor over the U.S. government’s alleged role in the drug trade, contends that the Immigration and Naturalization Service sanitized the files of Oscar Danilo Blandon, allowing the trafficker-turned-informant to obtain permanent residency despite his own cocaine-related crimes.

Keep reading: http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jun/23/news/mn-44051

Guest Blogger: Willie Dutch

This is your boy Willie Dutch. I am an incarcerated author/rapper reppin da Dirty South. This is the first of many weekly blogs that I have coming your way for 2008 and beyond.

You might be saying to yourself, "why should I give a damn about what this nigga has to say?" I'll tell you why... Because I'm da Truth. And we all need a little truth in our lives right now. Especially with all the fake shit that's been going on lately.

With that said let me begin. The first issue I want to address is the hypocrisy in hip hop. This isn't more evident than in the lastest revelations about officer, ahem, I mean rapper, Rick Ross aka William Roberts. Now we know why Noriega owes him a hundred favors. LOL! But the fact that he was once a C.O. isn't as bad as his reaction has been after the truth came out. He is still denying that it was him on the damaging photos that have bee flooding the internet, even though his tax forms confirmed that it was him. To make matters worse, he recently did an interview in Don Diva in which he continued his recent streak of reckless statements. He even went as far as calling the "Real" Rick Ross a rat! How can you talk down on the very person whose identity you stole?! Or better yet, ask yourself this: If he was a C.O. in '95 and started rapping in '96, when did he have time to become this big time kingpin he portrays? The answer is that he didn't.

In my opinion all these fake rappers need to be exposed for the impostors they are.  Maybe then we can bring back REAL Hip-Hop!!

ONE!

The Rise and Fall of the Rapper and Rap Music!

I remember back in the day when rapping was all about the art. One expressing himself through lyrics. Nowadays, most rappers are only in it for the money, how much bling they can wrap around their wrists and necks, and most of them are young, confused puppets of corporate America. What's worse is that most of them know this and yet they continue as if nothing's awry. 

Over the years, the quality of good rappers and music has declined, and the rise of mediocre rappers and music has blossomed at an alarming rate. Back in the day, rappers knew who they were, what their identity was, and were willing to make a name for themselves by their lyrical talents. It was considered taboo to use someone else's name, lyrics or their identity. Back then rappers only rapped about what they'd lived, or had seen first hand.  In "the good old days" of rap, MCs would call each other out and battle with their lyrical skills. After a winner was decided by an energetic crowd, the two would shake hands and go their separate ways. But so much has changed since then. 

Rappers are killing each other, going back and forth to prison, fighting and so much more to keep up the fictional images that they're portraying. These days, most of the rappers want to be gangsters, famous drug dealers, and even pimps. Tell me, why is it so hard to just be yourself? Don't these industry puppets understand that all of the real gangsters, drug dealers, and pimps are either dead or in prison serving long bids? Most of them probably wish that they were rappers instead of spending 30 years of their life (or longer) inside federal and state prison walls. It's funny how rappers want to be the gangsters and drug dealers and the other "real" gangsters want to do something positive and legitimate. 

The last few years of rap music has been rough. The decline has reached an all time low.  CD sales are down and steadily falling. Most rappers are happy to sell 100,000 copies of their album. I remember one time when less than 500,000 copies sold would get you kicked off a label. Now the media and corporate America control the rap game. They can make or break an artist, whether he or she is good or not. It's all about packaging and marketing. Talent is no longer a requirement. Sources like BET, MTV, MySpace, and others dictate who will make it and who will fail. They (and so many others) are the puppet masters that are now in total control of the music industry. And we're buying it: hook, line, and sinker. Now, being the most talented rapper or MC, or even the best producer is no longer important. Either you play their game, by their rules, or you don't play at all. 

In order for us to fix this problem, we must first learn everything there is to know about the music business. Knowledge is the key to success! And this applies to everything in life, not just the rap game. You must be yourself and create your own name, image, and identity. No one likes or respects a fake.  Most importantly, you NEED desire. Call it ambition, mix in a little self discipline, and pretty soon you will be able to succeed. But this is no simple task. This path is filled with peril, back-stabbing, debauchery, and greed. Stay focused, keep your mind clean, and fight. These are the tools that will help you to achieve your goals. If you must focus on a specific trait, let it be discipline. In the book BUILT TO LAST it says: "Discipline is the greatest thing in the world. Where is no discipline, there is no character. And without character, there is no progress." 

Rappers and rap music have a chance, but not until we take control of our own destinies and go back to the original meanings and art form. We are giving the puppet masters the shovels to dig our own graves. 

Sincerely, 

Freeway Ricky Ross and Jimmy DaSaint 

P.S. - Rap is not dead, it's just barely hanging... on life support. 

From the Desk of Kenneth Moore (Part 3): Wealth Building

Focus on learning how to build wealth and nothing else. Do what one of the richest men is said to do, read 100 books about building wealth and dedicate 1000 hours toward becoming financially savvy. That 1000 hour investment will change the course of your life and the lives of your children.

Read every book you can about millionaires, anything you can get your hands on. One of the least expensive ways to do this is by taking advantage of the public library. It's cheap and it will give you access to an unlimited supply of material. In the beginning stages you should start by reading material that will help you to start seeing the world through the eyes of an investor/entrepreneur instead of always seeing the world through the eyes of an employee. Making that mental transition is extremely important.

"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki is an excellent book to begin with. Another good book to begin with is "Build Wealth" by Russ Whitney. These books will expand your mind and point you in the right direction. Also be sure to read a few books about building and repairing credit. "How to Make Your Credit Sparkle" by Ameen Kamadia will teach you how to build credit, but for credit repair there is no book better than "The Credit Secrets Bible" by Terry Price, Consumer Education Group.

You will learn something valuable from every single book you read. After you have read these books then you can move on to the more specific 'how-to' books that get you revved up but don't give you a plan of action. You only need to read those books once in the beginning. Education is the key to get started immediately.

Kenneth Moore

Dope Man

This is a guest blog by Terrance Williams who is currently serving a life sentence of 147 years.  Terrence is the brother of Baby Williams from Cash Money Records.

Do you remember N.W.A. rap back in the day? Dope Man... Eazy E. said, "Hey Mr. Dope Man, you think you slick, you sold crack to my sister and now she's sick. And if she happens to die because of your drugs, I'm putting in your --- a .38 slug." Isn't that something? Most of us actually think like that.  We can sell much as we like but don't bring that foolishness to my family. Yeah right... 99 percent of us that sold drugs were scared of something or somebody.

I know you may be saying, "naw, I'm a 'G'. Me scared? Not happening." Okay, well what about the police? We run and hide when they come through.  Any way to get that money home. The Feds have fixed the crack situation so we think, March of this year the crack situation helped a lot of people. A lot were release and a few more are still being released. So you know theres plenty of room for you.

As I think about how I thought when I was a drug dealer, it saddens me. I felt the weak must perish and the strong can move on... Not only do we have foolish thinking patterns, we have selfish and ignorant habits.  If a person's not from the block or the hood, he can't sell or hang out there.  First, it's wrong to sell drugs, and second, the block nor the hood belong to us. How is it we will hide dope out of respect for our parents and children, but will sell it in front of other parents and children? Then we have the nerve to get mad if someone disrespects our people but yet we disrespect other people. We sell drugs in front of someone else's house, but will be ready to kill if it's done in front our families house's. 

One more thing, then you can go about...

Even though we try our best to avoid disrespecting our family and friends, don't you think we still wind up hurting them when we get caught and go to jail, or when someone shoots or kills us behind drugs? No.  One thing our parents and loved ones worry just about everyday. 

Trust me, all of the above I've been through. You have a chance to clean it up... 

Get it right and keep it right... 

Terrance "Gangsta" Williams 

Modern Day Slavery: Racism and the Drug War

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znnRONNMDMQ

Word on the Streets

The Kronikles of Freeway Ricky Ross
As told to: N. Ali Early
wordonthestreetsmag.com

In the first installment of “The Kronikles of Freeway Ricky Ross,” the former King Pin blessed us with an exclusive that was months ahead of its time. In it he discussed his plans for outreach via his website www.freewayenterprise.com, where bloggers, artists and fans are encouraged to join and contribute. He also addressed the fact that the rapper Rick Ross, whose real name is William Roberts, not only adopted his name, but attempted to copyright it!

Click here to continue reading.

Identity Theft:

Freeway Ricky Ross: Name Check

Freeway Ricky Ross: Name Check
By Alvin 'aqua' Blanco
allhiphop.com
August 1, 2008

What’s in a name? Everything.

It can be haphazardly given, a carefully contemplated nom de plume or even a wayward nickname that sticks, but eventually your name will come to represent the many facets of your being. "Freeway" Ricky Ross—the man serving out a bid in the Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution for drug trafficking—takes pride in his name. He earned the Freeway moniker when gaining his legend running a multi-million dollar cocaine ring that spanned from South Central LA to the Midwest and beyond in the 80's. Google it if you need evidence.

Click here to continue reading.

Gangsta

This is a guest blog by Terrance Williams who is currently serving a life sentence of 147 years.  Terrence is the brother of Baby from Cash Money Records.

Another day trapped in my sorrow thinking about my children, family, and friends... 

What to do about tomorrow, how to make a bad day and situation better, 

how to make pain and fears clear to the ones I love in a letter! 

Knowing right from wrong while I was doing wrong from the start... 

Chasing and catching devalued dollars constantly in vain to make 

everything better for my family knowing it could and would tear us apart! 

The life of a baller-- the cars, girls, money, power 

that lasted for a couple of years and vanished in hours... 

A fool for wanting to attain and keep 

the eye candy of the world you can't have... 

When you see your folly, 

and realize it all in your suffering for the try, 

you want to cry but all you can do is laugh... 

Who's the Gangster now?

Heart of Man

Faith always being put to the test
The time when the weary soul can never rest
What's the purpose of obsecurity and mayhem
To win a battle amongst men?
Who said not to question God? We must seek Him for clarity.
Missions are fruitless without His direction
He is where I turn for affection.
Man in your corner is a temporary fix
Never rely on man for wounds needing affix
Never will I win this worldly battle without seeking He
He is in I and only He completes Me!

Mixed Emotions

There are a lot of things going on right now with the rapper that stole my identity.  It's been tough on me because part of me whats to jump on him and beat him in the ground for being so arrogant and disrespectful, and then there is another part that said judge another brother that the system has made a clown out of.  Build him up and now they are going to let him be turned down.  I know that Def Jam is probably going to abandon him now, just another puppet, and they start to look for another to replace him.  What people need to do is look at the root, because Def Jam is just as responsible as he is. Now you know they did a back ground check, but they don't care what they feed our kids as long as they get their dollars. When will we wake up America and learn that there are more important things than the all mighty dollar?  It took me going to prison to wake up.  Is it going to take us to lose our country? Because America is definitely falling.  Just about everybody I talk to tells me how hard it is in almost every industry. I don't know, maybe I am confused. CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME FIGURE THIS THING OUT!!! 

Peace. 

$RR$ 

Black in America

This is a guest blog by Nathan Dickey.

So Black World, how did you feel about the first part of Black in America on CNN? I was aware of a lot they spoke on but it still sent a chill through me. It was like having your dirty laundry out for everyone to see. Thinking for a minute I have to ask how far have we really come? I'm 30 years old and in my years to much ain't changed, let me know if I'm wrong! I don't know too much about the hate that my people felt in the late 1800s. You know it hurts me to find out that Black American kids rank last in education even in the undeveloped countries. I want to help to try to make a difference cause I'm a part of that statistic that has to change. WHat do you think would make school interesting, I'm hollering at the young crowd talk to me. I know if I can change a small community of 40,000 people with helping flood the streets in drugs, I know I can touch the same amount of lives helping people succeed in positive dreams. The dope game was my dream, I achieved it. Not to say I was right for my choices. They say if you know better you do better...I know better now. 

How did you feel about the Harvard Professor Fryer using his money to reward kids for succeeding in school by passing tests? I love the idea, it's what most kids are taught to work for anyway, right? I support Professor Fryer, I know it would have given me incentive to learn in school. LOL How can we achieve closing the gap?!?! 
Another thing that scared me was the AIDS rate with BLacks!!!! Like I said before I didn't know anyone who had AIDS before I got locked up in 02, now knowing a few people with it. I have less than a year left till I go home and it's no way I can go out there dealing with anyone. It won't kill me to go without till I know my partner is safe. It ain't a game I'm trying to live! Do you think I'm gonna just go run in something, not even after doing these 6 years and change. Get checked and protect yourself. 5% of D.C. is HIV positive, man that is 1 out of every 20 people! Blacks account for half of all AIDS cases in America. True Reality. We need the Churches also to Istart addressing the AIDS issue more often. WHat did you think about Whoopi's answer views on welfare? LAst but not least my heart goes out to all single family mothers whatever reason the father may not be there. I never really sat down and just really really thought how hard it is for a mother raising kids like my mother did me. Like my son Keywon is being raised as I speak going on 6 years without his dad. Never let this cold world hold you back, because if you know it or not the black woman is the mother of the earth. My heart goes out to everyone of you and every black community, nothing but love for ya.

Nathan Dickey 

Write me at: 

P.O. Box 7000

Texarkana,TX 77505 
I'm always looking for friends. 

TheSmokingGun.com Busts the Fake "Rick Ross"

TheSmokingGun.com (click here)
Despite denials, records show rap star worked as C.O.

JULY 21--Apparently desperate to distance himself from any affiliation with law enforcement, the rapper Rick Ross has recently denounced as fake photos purporting to show him in a former career as a Florida prison guard. But Department of Corrections (DoC) records show that Ross, whose raps detail the Miami gangster lifestyle and his supposed days trafficking cocaine, did, in fact, work as a correctional officer for 18 months. Ross (real name: William Leonard Roberts) was appointed a prison guard in December 1995 at a salary of $22,913.54, according to the below personnel record, which was provided to TSG by Jo Ellyn Rackleff, a DoC spokesperson. The rapper's social security number is identical to that of the jail guard. According to the official document, Ross was earning $25,794.34 when he resigned in June 1997. After graduating from the DoC training academy, Ross was assigned to the South Florida Reception Center in Dade County (the lockup is one of three statewide that serves as an intake facility for new prisoners). When a photo of a uniform-clad Ross surfaced last week on MediaTakeOut.com, the 32-year-old performer claimed to AllHipHop.com that unnamed "online hackers" put "my face when I was a teenager in high school on other peoples' body. If this shit was real don't you think they would have more specifics, like dates and everything?" He added, "Fake pictures are created by the fake, meant to entertain the fake." The photo,which you can find here, shows a 19-year-old Ross at a DoC ceremony (he was part of the department's 60th graduating class). He is pictured shaking hands with Marta Villacorta, who then headed the South Florida Reception Center. Villacorta, now the department's South Florida regional director, was identified by Rackleff, who examined the photo Ross claims was Photoshopped. In a recent videotaped interview, Ross replied, "No, that's not true" when asked if he had worked as a prison guard. He claimed that the phony story was being circulated by detractors upset by his success in the rap world, where, "I came out of nowhere and just took over the streets."

From Edge in Philadelphia

From Edge in Philadelphia: 

Good look on the reply. Smash that fraud a$$ ni$$a , and expose all these fake a$$ rap studio gangsters. They glamorizing a life to our youth that is detrimental. Fronting like they got rich pretending to get rich in the drug game. 

I hate em! Link up with this nigga AZ , no , not the fake one down with Nas , but the one who was down with Alpo & Rich Porter. He sued the fake AZ & Sony for identity theft ( Basically ) & got $500,000 settlement. 

Expose the goverment drug dealing in our hoods. 

I wish you the best upon your touchdown , prosperity & good luck. 
Nuff' Respect , that's why you on my friends list. I'm in Pa , so if you ever need to lay your head , hit me up , but shake your tail first, because we both know, you'll have a long one. 

Peace & I'll send you some bitches if I can. 

It's nothing to be proud of , but you are a true motherfuckin' G! 

Life

This is a guest blog by Lawrence Banks, who is also serving his sentence at Texarkana F.C.I.

Some of us real men sit back in prison seeing how the world is changing, also how black people are pointing fingers at black men and some black women looking for a question to which we already know the answer too. I'm just going to touch on a few thing briefly. Now on the possibility of having a black president. I'm all for it history wise but it's a proofing fact that if you are involve in any kind of political, government or law enforcement sooner or later you will have to play ball. Meaning that they do some good but also support a bunch of bullshit and if the shit stink to bad than they look the other way pretending that they didn't see it or pretend that they had no knowledge that it was happening. All you have to do is check history on everybody in your city and government that held position of power. Now the hip hop vs. the world it's good that people has a personal opinion about what they think the problem is some of them do but most of them dont. So now this is the scary part but true. One thing before I go into the truth I'm a firm believer if you never live it, come from it, or never experience it you could never relate too it. Example if your moms die how can a person say they know how you feel when theirs still living. How can you know the ghetto when you never been there or live there. Now the negative part of this first. We only know what we are expose to. A lot of us start out with good intention to do good and better but along the way we got side track for (in God we trust) the all mighty dollar. Pressure busts a pipe you have to know what you are willing to except and what not. When we quit value what people think of us the better we will be. Now how can we point the finger when we support all the shit that goes on. White business people and some black business people with the help of the media export us and we are to blind to see it. Fashion is a billion dollar industry that we support the shit out of and they haven't done shit to show love back. This ain't the only industry that does this. Rich black and white people run to another country to spend they money to help our when it's stuff over here to be done. Now the question is can't nobody do no more than you let them. It ain't right that you have to become somebody you really ain't to satictilic or to be excepted by the world. The problem is that people are getting tired of doing that so now you have the uppity Negro's saying that we need rules. We as a people are natural surviver of life we do what we got to do. 

Lawrence Banks 
#17291-076 
F.C.I. Texarkana 
P.O.Box 7000 
Texarkana, TX. 75505 

This came in my email today and I thought I would share it.

The road less traveled is less congested and although there's no instant gratification the natural progression feels good. It's an evolution...it's a grind...some days it's rewarding...some days less rewarding than others...some people get it...some people don't...some will build you up and some will try to tear you down...but keep moving forward... whatever your journey continue on... 

Crack vs. Meth

Toxic Peer Pressure

This is a guest blog by Nathan Dickey who is also serving his sentence at Texarkana F.C.I.

Peer pressure can play a negative or a positive role. If you hang around people who are always complaining about how bad everything is , you may start believing wjat they say. On the other hand if you surround yourself with people who are strong and positive, you're more likely to see a world full of opportunity and adventure. 

A negative belief system, if carried into adulthood. It can produce all sorts of unproductive habits including drug addictions, criminal activity and an inability to mold a steady career path. 

Though you may have a disadvantaged background, you can still exercise power over your life by making informed decisions to bring about the changes necessary for personal growth. It may only take one person to help you make the transition. An excellent coach, teacher, therapist, mentor or positive role model can dramatically impact your future. The only way is that you have to commit to change. When you are ready the right people will start showing up to you. 

I'm curious. Can you say no to Toxic people? Really can you? Because if you can't, it will be extra hard for you to even convince yourself you can succeed at your goals or in life. You know the type of people I am speaking about! No matter how great things are going, they always look for negative details to slow you down confidence wise. Plus it's an everydday routine. These people are poisonous to your health. You have had some friends for years on end that are toxic, and you ask me if I just want you to walk away. No I Wnat You To Run!!!LOL 

The POwer of FOcus here is it is your choice. You get to choose the kind of people you want in your life. Also you get to choose your new opportunities you create. Maybe you need a few good decisions to let go and move on. I went from hanging with hard heads and losers to rolling with positive brothers making success stories from prison! I would like to thank Wendy Day for recommending "The Power Of FOCus" it's a must have. 

From my own personal experience I see a major change by focusing on goals. Because people that have things to do like focusing on their work to accomplish their goals. Don't interest people looking for pie in the sky. It's true- you get out of life what you put into life. 

I didn't do anything but run the streets for my first 24 years on this earth, and I got nothing to show for it-not even the streets. But I'm Not A Failure!!! Cause I refuse to give up the fight. When I Give Up I'm The Loser!!! Guess what's crazy. Over these last 6 years, I've learned more in prison as far as book knowledge than my whole life in school. I never finished a book till I came to prison. I have been hard headed all my life, and everyday I struggleworking on perfecting my change. But you knnow that's a forever journey for me. 

P.S. Take care and never let this world hold you back. If anybody out there has any knowledge to share, please feel free to do so. 

By Nathan Dickey

Texarkana F.C.I. 

From the Desk of Kenneth Moore

People are not born with an internal ability to build wealth financial intellegence is not neccesssarily a God given gift that most of us were not blessed with. The reality is that you can learn how to create wealth the same way you can learn any other discipline. First you educate yourself and then you apply what you have learned gaining more and more experience as you go. "If a person reads 100 books and dedicates 1000 hours towards learning something, that person will be an expert at whatever it is." That was a quote by Bill Gates, a man who also told an auditorium full of college students not to be afraid to walk away from college and try to invent something or start a business. He told the students that college is a place that will let you leave without penalizing you. They have an open door policy allowing students to pick up where ever they left off. College is a safety net that will always be there so try to do something great and if it doesn't work out then go back to school. Most of us get caught up in the pattern of; get up, got to work pay bill, get up go to work PAY BILL. Form childhood we have been conditioned to think in this manner. Get a decent job, work until you are 65 and then retire and live off of your retirement plan. That is the life our traditional education prepares us for. But what if you want more than that? What if you want to be able to enjoy all of the wonderful things money can buy? The good news is that we live in an age where anybody can be or do anything. If you want to be rich then dedicate yourself to learning a specific kind of knowledge. Focus on learning how to build wealth and nothing else. Do what one of the richest men in this said to do. 

Kenneth Moore

Basketball: No Win Today

Today started off great and I felt wonderful, and to be honest, I didn't play bad. The first game I went down shooting. We were only going to 15 and I know I scored anywhere from 7 to 9 points and grabbed at least four rebounds. But it wasn't enough. Four men will out work one every time. I tried to get my other players involved but they just wasn't having it. One continued to argue with other players which really threw me off my game. But the bad news was we had the game tied at 14 and I had the ball. I missed the last shot. Man, how I wanted to win this game. And that was the closest I came to winning all day. The good part is I got a great sweat and torched the guy that they say is the best guard on the compound, "Peanut". So tomorrow we got a challenge, me and him, one on one. I am guarantee victory... even though I am twice his age. I will holla at you all tomorrow. 

$RR$ 

The Wealth Building Program (Part 1)

Guest blogged by Kenneth Moore.

If you seriously wanted to get out of the rat race, living from paycheck to paycheck, how would you go about changing your situation? If you seriously wanted to stop selling drugs to make your money how would you get out of the game? If you wanted to live a lifestyle of which there was always enough money to do anything you desired, how would you go about creating that lifestyle? These questions run through the minds of millions of people every single day. Many of us want our financial situation to change but very few of us know how to make those changes. The Wealth Building Program is about teaching people how to make those changes so they can create a better life for themselves and their families. If you have a deep desire to create wealth this program will help you. It all starts with knowledge. The more you learn about how to build wealth the bigger you bank account will grow. If you want to change your financial situation then you must increase your financial I.Q. So get to it. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. 

Never Give Up

So many times I've heard people talking about quitting. It really amazes me how people can just give up so easily. One moment they talk about going all the way, but as soon as there is a bump in the road they're ready to quit. This really bothers me because it shows a flaw in their character, and you never find out the person you truly are until you been through the fire. I know sometimes it will seem as though your problems are unbearable, but you just can't quit at the first sign of trouble. How we think is everything! So if you believe that you will succeed in something then it will manifest, because our thoughts are truly things. 

This blog is dedicated to the people who think about quitting. For the person that has the A.I.D.S. virus and feels there is nothing else to live for... NEVER GIVE UP!  For the single mother raising her children all alone... NEVER GIVE UP!  For the prisoner thats serving time... NEVER GIVE UP! I was told that every person must first go through their hell before they reach paradise. Nothing in life is easy, and every new day is a test. Only the strong will survive and pass this test. As long as you think you can, you can. If you dont believe in yourself then no one else will. So remember this the next time you think about quitting or giving up... quitters never win, and winners never quit!!! 

Ricky Ross & Jimmy DaSaint

Going That Extra Mile (Part 2)

Building block number three in creating a positive mental attitude is to cultivate the habit of doing more than you are paid to do or more than expected of you. Form the habit of going the extra mile by giving service that is not expected. By doing so you will attract friends, clients and supporters from every direction. There is much to be said for the old cliche, "service with a smile." If your attitude outwardly and inwardly is positive and you go the extra mile by giving extra service over and above that which is required in your job description, then you are well on your way towards building relationships that will not only be pleasant but also splendidly rewarding. These are the types of relationships that will catapult you towards the achievement of your highest goals. 

Cultivating the habit of giving more and better service than you are paid for brings rewards in many forms. This mentality will attract favorable attention from the right people (ie. the people who will provide you opportunities of advancement). More often than not, the returns will come from an entirely unexpected source, not from the person you initially provided the extra service for. The law of increasing returns will work for you. The law of increasing returns states: The extra seeds you sow will come back to you greatly multiplied in one form or another. You need not ask permission to do more than is expected neither in manner nor in deed. If you work for wages, the habit of doing more than is required gives you a perfect right to expect pay increases and promotions; nothing else gives you that right. If you render less service than that particular service will eventually dwindle away. 

Remember this: The quality of service you give, plus the quantity of the service and the mental attitude attitude in which you give it, determines the pay you will receive. Remember this also: If your mental attitude is negative, if you complain and find fault with others, it will offset whatever you do, even if you do more than you are paid to do. No one wants to be around someone whose mind is negative and whose words are a sharp-edged sword. There is power in the hands of people who do a job consistently well while maintaining a pleasant attitude towards everyone around them. These are the people who always give a little more than expected of them. These are the type of people who will be successful in their endeavors. It is virtually impossible for them to fail. 

Sincerely, 

Ricky Ross 

A.K.A. 'Freeway Rick' 

"Miracles" By Stacy Whitaker aka Mr. Dizzle

It seems your life had been stripped naked to the core 
Every piece of clothing has been shredded and torn 
No one seems to notice the bare naked skin 
Nor the wounds that have been cut within 
The foundation can no longer cover the sad face you wear 
Your happiness has dried up to a mask that's scared 
You hear voices but can't comprehend the words. 
Nor recognize the beautiful birds 
They have wings that spread the length of you 
They have come to clothe you a life so new 
You think you are dreaming and you say this can't be true 
Miracles have never happened to someone like you 
So they lift you and kiss you a brand new breath 
Set you free gave you strength when you felt you had none left 
The miracles never stop you will always be blessed 
They fly away and whisper you have passed the test 
Miracles are angels watching your steps. 

Written by

Stacy Whitaker 

#31867-013 

F.C.I. 

P.O. Box 7000

Texarkana, TX 75505-7000

Going That Extra Mile (Part 1)

Forty years ago relationships were much different than they are today. People went out of their way to show generosity, hospitality, and respect to the people they cared for. The community was more unified.  Like the old adage goes.... It takes a village to raise a child. This kind of community and family awareness was prevalent in the days of old,  but then, so much has changed in the last 40 years. The family and community structure has diminished dramatically and this is causing our society to quickly spiral towards a potential collapse. Gun violence, gangs, AIDS, the high rate of suicides among all age groups, drug use, lack of proper education, the alarmingly large amount of people being incarcerated.... all of it has taken a negative toll on our communities. 

Why is this our social structure now? How did we get here? What was broken in our recent past that left us in this state of decay and decline? In my personal opinion, people just stopped going that extra mile. They quit putting in the effort. They gave up! It's almost as if, collectively, people forgot what it meant to be a part of something like family. They traded their morals and values for the instant gratification of our current lifestyles. And it isn't that they just gave up on their families, their community, educational programs, etc., but they also gave up on themselves. They just stopped caring. We were so focused on the small picture, cutting our little piece of the American pie, that we failed to see the big picture. We missed the forest for the trees. 

Today, relationships and marriages don't last longer than a couple of years. Politicians, even dirty ones, have a longer and more successful term than the average marriage. So what are we left with? Single parent households. Our youth has no leadership to look up to. They have so many mixed signals that they have nothing positive to strive for, they fall into a state of disarray and uncertainty. If we don't find a way to fix this trend we are all going to be eaten alive; not only by ourselves, but by our own children. Tell me, who's willing to "man-up" and go the extra mile? Who is going to stop, take a look around, and scream to the heavens that we are falling apart? I often wonder at times where my life would be if a few positive role models from my community had taken me under their wing and showed me a different path to travel. Just what would have become of me? There's a big chance that my life would have been totally different. 

Don't get me wrong, there are people out there that do try to go that extra mile, but in order to overcome the ills of our society, we're gonna need many more. We need to get back to those days when people stood up and took responsibility for their actions, when family and respect come first and people are held accountable for their actions. At least then we'll be heading in the right directions. Who among us will stand up and look around, and realize that this isn't the way? Who will go that extra mile?

$RR$