I'm Feeling Real Poetical Right Now . . .

Back on my rhyme grind . . . sit back and enjoy ya'self

I heard a baby had a baby last week

The granny is 29 the baby is doing fine

But the baby of the baby seems destined for trouble

Only 3 days old but born into a struggle

Born into a black hole born into a bubble

Born into a circus now see if it can juggle

Education, incarceration, lack of self knowledge, and codes for playstation,

Garbage on the streets and diamonds in the teeths

Of the music superheroes that he sees on tv,

Violence in communities, random tomfoolery

On top of any and every block that he walks on

It’s a little bit of good and a lotta bit of wrong

To discuss and analyze on the tracks that he talks on

But what can he do and what can it say

Born into a game that he never asked to play

What would you do and what would you say

If forced into a game that you never asked to play?

Have fun Living, Loving, and Learning this week

:o)

b. middleton.

Prophecy: Game of the Year 2009!!!

let's see how long it takes for the world to catch on

Hiya there December? How are you doing today?

Something New For Sunday Night

Good Peoples,

I've never done this before so in the spirit of 'theres-a-first-time-for-everything' here is a snippet of one of my poetical pursuits . . . a journal that I use to think and create and hope and dream and vent and a lot of other things . . . enjoy

Lyrically sell dreams like Dow Jones stock brokers
To those that this life has knocked over
To the bums junkies the thugs dummies and lawn smokers
To get they heads up like Abraham Lincolns in loafers
To get your hopes up instead of weed keeping them choked up
Shorties said they never knew what they was worth until I spoke up
Never knew they was allowed to blow up when they get older
Cuz all they see is mediocrity from us that’s grown up
That’s when I got choked up
As I recall gang signs getting thrown up
And Benjamin not ducking quick enough around that corner
17 and dead won’t live to grow no older
Never come out of that coma to go and get his diploma
Too many soldiers got pokered with pellets and folded
Without seeing the kicker way earlier than they were supposed to
A family is broken and another brother’s hearts colder
As a result of another adolescent’s gun smoking
These repetitive events have got my mind open
Got my eyes leaking and got my soul hoping and focused
On a time of blessing after this hocus pocus of famine and locust
Times I examine them closest like doctors with old folks its
Imperative that we get it right cuz it’s the last quarter
Devil’s out to make quotas with any soul that’s floating
So I’m hangin in the Gap fo ya like snaggle teeth and old posters
To expose imposters like spaghetti noodles I’ll show ya
Just because it start with a Jay don’t mean that he’s Hova
Just because he’s winning battles doesn’t mean that it’s over
The state of your soul is what this war’s going on for
Never ever could’ve seen eternal life until He showed up
Take heed and get you and your family’s house in order
Like a thief in the night He’s comin . . . the Real J Hova
Selah . . . now press rewind before the game’s over

So that's it . . . hope you enjoyed this little blurb of my notebook . . . Thank God for life, health, and strength as we get into another holiday season . . . act and spend like you know that we're in economically troubling times and love your neighbor as you love yourself . . . be better to yourself today than you were yesterday.

until next time y'all know what to do,

Live.Love.Learn.

:o)

I Wanna Come Home!!!

Homesickness is upon me . . . Chi town family, I miss you immensely

An encapsulation of my feelings at the moment . . .



Be back just as soon as I can . . . until then,

Live.Love.Learn.

B

The Game Speaks

This is the final installment of the 3G short video series.

The entity known as The Game makes some provocative statements.
This is not at all for the faint of heart so be forewarned.

I present to you The Game . . .



As always, feel free to weigh in as the spirit leads you.

mr.live.love.learn.

The Ghetto Speaks

Candid Interview with the entity known as The Ghetto . . .



Feel free to weigh in as the spirit leads you . . .

mr.live.love.learn

Good Music Speaks

That said that he was dead and gone

But that can never be

Good Music lives every time I write a melody



More to come in the future from the entity known as Good Music

Friday Fun With Your Boy BMiddleton

Words of Wisdom to help you Live, Love, and Learn better. . .



Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend

:o)

First Blog Post Since History Was Made

LIVING

So by now the world has witnessed the election of the first President of color in the United States. At the time of my last post I was definitely a lot less upbeat about my American-ness but over the last week or so I have been feeling more and more like anything is possible. I need to be careful not to attribute these things to Barack Obama but to remind myself that the Lord's grace, mercy, and favor make nothing impossible for me (and for you as well). This refreshing sense of something (not sure exactly what to call it) has served to help motivate me for the last week or so . . . I've exercised a couple times, stayed at work past 5pm and done a lot of things that have me kind of scratching my head as I look back at it. Maybe I feel like my investment (hard work and long hours) can actually yield something in the future now that I have seen with my own eyes this very thing happen for someone else.

LOVING

Not much to report under this word. I have been loving my pillow lately, enjoying sleep a lot more than I usually do for some reason. I am pretty sure it's because I have been putting out more energy (physical and mental) during the day . . . I've actually been dead tired when bedtime comes around hence the awesome times with the pillows and comforter. My love of reading is beginning to resurface as I am becoming more comfortable with being inquisitive on my job and in my thoughts and in my conversations with friends. I am loving the fact that the content for my first book is FINISHED and that my first idea for a start-up is steadily churning along . . . 2009 is going to be a good year, I'll tell you that right now.

LEARNING

The way people get excited about different things has been a very interesting case study in this election season. I've read a number of horrific stories having to do with a clash of opinion and the general inability to come to resolution in a civil and decent way. I have begun to think about what it would take to take certain people from immersion in indoctrination (in you name it) to a place of willingness to listen to (and maybe even learn something) another point of view. We have heard about the true genius of America in a couple of Barack Obama's speeches, but I would like to add that some of its genius will come from its citizens' diversity of thought and expression . . . we used to be (maybe we still are) the hub of innovation that all countries looked to and patterned themselves after . . . I hope the next four years take us back to that as we embark on a case study of what a diverse nation of people can do when enough of them commit to a 'change for the better' a 'change for the betterment of our children' a 'change we can believe in but also be a part of' and a 'change that we no one saw coming' . . . are y'all ready for that? I am.

that's all for now . . . God bless and I'll be back soon

til then you know what to do

Live.
Love.
Learn.

B

Testing this imeem embed code functionality out

Testing 1,2 1,2 . . . first musical post to this blog. I'll be back in a little.



Live.Love.Learn.

:O)

B.Middleton's August Update

Whassup Party People (and other people),

LIVING

It's been a long time since I've blogged and there has been so much that's gone on, that I am compelled to let it spill out. First and foremost, Batman: The Dark Knight . . . moment of silence for the best movie of the summer so far. I've lately been watching a lot of movies and finding that I'm falling in love with cleverly written parts for characters. I'm a moderately witty dude and I find that a lot of my laughs come from people who are able to articulate wit in creative ways.

Barack-mania has become a global phenomenon . . . he's gone on his world tour and it is apparent that the rest of the world would appreciate him in the Oval Office a little more than it would Mr. McCain. We'll wait until November to see what happens.

LOVING

Monster Diversity Leadership Programs (www.monsterdlp.com) have been in full effect since late June, and I've had the privilege to be on staff for San Francisco DLP, Chicago DLP, and Philadelphia DLP so far . . . three down and one to go. It is refreshing and rejuvinating for my heart and soul to see young people who are making it and I thank God for this program which has served as a bridge for me and them to connect. The people I work with are also awesome, serving up lots of love and laughs every time we interact. RAVE family, I love you . . . (www.raveseminars.com).

I'm still on my quest to finish Godel, Escher, Bach by Doug Hofstadter (Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid) . . . this is by far one of the most thought-provoking books that I've read in a while (I guess that's why it won a Pullitzer Prize). It is giving me a new respect for the worlds of Mathematics, Art, and Music and the connection between the three disciplines. Check it out if you get a chance.

LEARNING

Another book that I've picked up very recently is called Microtrends by Mark Penn (http://www.microtrending.com). This has also turned out to be an interesting read as it has helped me to realize the very many unique niches that exist here in America. These niches of people have their own culture and way of doing things that contribute to the diversity of this nation, but can also be exploited to produce revenue for oneself (or myself). So I would recommend this one as well for all of you readers out there.

Last but not least there is Kevin Carroll's second book titled, "What's your Red Rubber Ball?" . . . a very imaginative, fun, and read book that helps individuals to identify their passion and to begin to chase that passion for the duration of their lives. Kevin is a friend and awesome speaker who has helped to shift some of my thinking, so when you get a minute check him out too . . . (www.kevincarrollkatalyst.com) . . . you'll be glad you did, I promise.

So that's pretty much all that's going down with me at the moment. I will be getting ready to go into study mode to knock out the next set of Cisco Certification Exams . . . pray that that goes well for me and I'll be praying for y'all too.

Check back w/ you soon,

mr. live love learn

I Have a Case of the Mondays

6/23/2008

Greetings Happy People,

A lot has happened since I've last been on so let's dive straight into Living, Loving and Learning.

LIVING
Life has been slow over the last couple of weeks. Work is constant, seasons are changing (spring to summer transformation is almost complete), Hilary's officially out, Ice-T and Soulja Boy are beefing, graduates on all levels of academia have received their piece of paper and are now chilling at least for a little while. With all of this going on, I still haven't been living in an urgent manner for some reason. It's been 'same old same old' for the last couple of weeks and I'm getting a little tired of it. So I've resolved to 'step my game up' and in the immediate future I will be working on enhancing 3 things: (1) my sneaker collection, (2) my musicianship and production capacities, and (3) my livinglovinglearning process to maximize my life and also the lives of others. I'll keep you posted.

LOVING
Lots of loving going on around me. Weddings and engagements seem to be the 'in' thing to do these days because all of my friends are moving in that direction. This leaves me feeling like I need to hurry up and grab at the very least a girlfriend (mail order bride would be on the other end of the spectrum), lest I have nothing to conversate about when I hang out with my usual pools of people (whose aggregate singledom is steadily converging to zero). All in all I am comfortable with my current situation (perhaps too much so) and will need very much external motivation to get the ball rolling so readers PRAY FOR B.MIDDLETON!!!

LEARNING
I recently saw the movie, "Darfur Now" and was deeply moved by the contributions of all who helped to put the film together. AMERICANS, appreciate the life you lead because it ain't sweet like this in every part of the world. If you get a chance to watch out it'll touch/bless you. I am also still reading the Pullitzer prize winning Godel, Escher, Bach and finding it the most stimulating piece of literature I have ever picked up. I cannot begin to explain so just have a look at the link: Godel, Escher, Bach. I need to get back to working before I have to add another L to this blog: Looking for a new job. Time to get back to corporate productivity.

Until next time you know what to do . . .

And just in case you don't I'll tell you again . . .

Live

Love

Learn

;o)

Boston's Going All The Way

6/8/2008

What's Up Everybody,

Living
I've jumped onto white and green bandwagon as the NBA finals have gotten underway. My boy Kevin Garnett needs a ring on his finger and since he's representing Chi-town he's got my support. This week has been alright . . . filled with meetings, greetings, reunions, and even some highly anticipated introductions. Some of my people have graduated or will be graduating soon so I'm happy that they will be joining me in the 'real world' soon. Also, new undertaking has begun as of yesterday . . . Brandon T. Middleton has joined the 50 million pound challenge. I have decided to put an end to my existence as a fat man and jump back over the line to the skinny side . . . y'all pray for me.

Loving
I love to read and I have just purchased a book called 'An Eternal Golden Braid' and it is supposed to be a Pullitzer prize winning masterpiece that ties together three things that I immensely enjoy: art, music, and mathematics. More on the outcome after I finish it up. I love kids and helping others and to this end I am steadily preparing for my role as a Hype Squad Member and Group Leader for the 2008 Monster Diversity Leadership Programs. I am super excited to be back and also very happy to have had my responsibilities stepped up this year . . . will I be up to the challenge? Time will tell.

Learning
I have been learning how necessary it is to live in the grace of God. In and of ourselves we are not capable (no matter how hard we try) of living acceptable lives in the sight of God our Father. I have seen the best and worst of myself and both extremes (good and bad) fall short of the glory of God. Learning to acknowledge this and recognizing how much I need to stay humble in my daily dealings is very important. Lately I've been learning a lot about time management and personal efficiency . . . also I learned some pretty cool technical things this week while browsing the web. Well that's about all for now. This week let's raise our glasses to the graduates and all of those who are working hard to educate themselves . . . much respect for ya and much love to ya.

;o)

Mr. Live Love Learn

Chasing Red Rubber Balls

Greetings Errbody,


Living:
So this week I am just now getting back from Dallas, TX from one of the most powerful training weekends I have ever been a part of. I got to try my hand at delivering content as a trainer . . . memorizing and delivering scripts is a new challenge that I am currently tackling . . . stay tuned. Back to Dallas Fort-Worth (and its inferno-us-ness) . . . it is the hottest place I've been to this year (to date) and I will not return to that 1000 degree heat without proper incentive. I immensely enjoyed myself and got to meet the good folks at RAVE Seminars (www.raveseminars.com). They were a fun-loving, hard-working, and brilliant bunch of folks let me tell ya and I am looking forward to the seeing them all again very soon.


Loving:
So loving is becoming a multi-dimensional beast. My recent weekend has forced me to revisit my innermost passions and the motivations for those. I continue to find that I love to learn and speak and interact and move. Finding out how my loves and my future will coincide is a very exciting thing to me . . . I am getting my sunglasses ready now . . . I'm believing that my future will be solarecliptical (look it up) in intensity and brightness and I PROMISE that you will need sunglasses to view my future without hurting your eyes (thanks Joel Osteen).


Learning:
I met and spoke with a man named Kevin Carroll the Katalyst (www.katalystatlarge.com) this weekend and all I can say is WoW (Flavor Flav style)!!! A quiet giant in speech and manner, he shared his story and ignited a spark of hope and belief that was just great. Also as a part of this weekend I went to a Rodeo for the first time. My group was the minority (amazingly) at this event but I had a blast . . . up until the part where the clown guy who chases the bull away from the cowboy got his face tackled into the solid iron guard rail . . . this happened about 48 hours ago and I bet you he is still bleeding (that's how hard he got hit y'all). So these new experiences allowed me to learn and embrace diversity so very much that I can't wait until I do it again.


Raise your glasses to, you guessed it

Living

Loving

Learning

;o)

Casabuilders Trip

5/25/2008

Living
So this past weekend I went to Tijuana to the 'Cuidad de Angeles' orphanage to help build a house for a family in need. The Lord richly blessed my time there, as I was able to build by day and then play with the kids back at the orphanage by night. I had forgotten how much I love children and am glad that this opportunity helped to rekindle that side of me.

Loving
Not sure what to write under this one but my desire to love the Lord grows when I am able to participate in experiences like this. Being able to see and feel the need in an area like Tijuana just makes me appreciate the life that I live up here in seeming luxury. Denying my flesh and being obedient is the love that I am trying to learn at the moment. Saying no to self is the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

Learning
On the drive down to Tijuana and back up from there, I was inspired to continue to pursue higher education by my new friend Luis. He gave advice and encouragement about going into an MBA program and shared a little of his life experiences personally and professionally. Also, the trip allowed me to try out my Spanish (which I don't often get the opportunity to do). Mi espanol es muy muy poquito. Hopefully in the future I will continue to be able to sharpen this communication skill.


well that's all for now . . . until next time keep on

Living

Loving

Learning

;o)