Living Loving Learning

T10 available for Windows Phone 7

2011-08-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

Yes ladies and gentlemen, we have conquered yet another mobile operating system. We have subdued it and now it is submitted to the unstoppable force, that is TicTacToe10. The tutorial is here. So if you have a Windows 7 phone, an iPhone, an Android phone, or just wanna play on your computer you can head over to www.tictactoeten.com and find everything that you need. Stay tuned for more soon, we're planning our educational conference schedule for this fall as I write.

take care,

The TicTacToe10 Team :)

My Programmable QR Code

2011-07-26T23:10:00.001-07:00

My Programmable QR Code

Just testing this out ... cool stuff

Japan Earthquake -- Shaken [a song & a prayer]

2011-03-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Season's Greetings!!!

2010-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to send out SEASON’S GREETINGS live and direct from the California Middleton Crew. It has been a great year and we are blessed and honored to have you as part of our lives. Uwimana and I thank you for your love, your prayers, and for your continued support of our family. We can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in 2011. We have become husband and wife, uncle and auntie, and a host of other things in such a short time that you never know what the next year will bring. So again have a great time resting and relaxing with family and friends this holiday season and we wish you and yours all the best.

Yours Truly,

Uwimana & Brandon

The NookaFesto Creative Video [CONTEST]

2010-11-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

This is the latest and greatest from yours truly and friends. We entered this contest at one of my favorite places to go for watches, sunglasses, and other accessories www.Nooka.com. Give it a look and tell a friend too.

Happy Holidays y'all,

B d-_-b M

Cracker Barrel Triange

2010-07-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is how you go about proving your genius when it comes to the Cracker Barrel Triangle Peg game . . . watch closely young grasshoppers. Don't say I never gave you anything :)

B

Facebook Essays (3/3)

2010-06-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

So this is the last essay question I chose to write about to show Facebook that I wasn't napping during Rhetoric 105 in college. Check it out . . . and let me know if my grammar is ok :)

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE K-12 EDUCATION IN AMERICA?

I am particularly passionate about K-12 education in the U.S., specifically the areas of learning and literacy. It’s no secret that U.S. performance in the arena of education has declined by international standards over the last 15-20 years. China and India have successfully equipped their young people and have graduated large numbers of engineers and computer scientists over the last two decades. As a result of their solid educational foundation, many highly sought-after jobs are going to these graduates.

There is much room for improvement in this area for K-12 students in the U.S. Changing our attitudes about how to deliver education to our students is a necessary step if we are to regain respect and credibility as a nation. It is a very exciting time to be focused on this issue because we are at a critical turning point as citizens of the 21st century thanks to the Internet. There is an important shift in the way information is being created, consumed, and distributed. This analog to digital shift has been embraced and exploited to some extent by different industries globally, but by and large U.S. K-12 education has yet to experience the full effect of what’s helping to change and transform other industries. Investing in the idea of Education 2.0 (web-enabled, active, community-based learning) is imperative if we are going to empower ourselves and our children to be key contributors in the 21st century.

This issue of K-12 education matters a lot to me because I’ve seen over and over the major implications that educational foundations (both solid and shaky) have had on people throughout their lives. A good education is the foundation for so much in our daily activities. From job opportunities to our social interactions, what we’ve gathered from our education informs our decision making and helps us put into context almost every situation that we find ourselves in. If we accept this notion as true, how could we as a country not invest in educational infrastructure to stay at the cutting edge in this space? We owe it to ourselves and our families, the opportunity to build the best educational foundation possible.

Overall, I believe we’ve failed to engage our K-12 students. The activities that draw them in, such as video games, mobile devices, and social networking are not embraced as learning tools and therefore are not embedded into their curricula. The old command-and-control approach still dominates in schools today. The teacher dictates the content while the students listen (or daydream) and then the homework is assigned to determine whether the knowledge transfer was successful. I liken this to riding a bicycle across the country in an age where airplanes are prevalent. So much more could be done if we changed our content and delivery methods.

I am dedicated to contributing to the ‘new wave’ of curriculum design and educational content delivery which I think will become standardized once the technologies that are available today make their way into K-12 classrooms. I get excited every day about being able to deliver better solutions via new technologies to students and educators all over the world. There are interesting methods being researched at the moment that counter the conventions of our established and traditional educational framework. Infusing gaming and competition into curriculum, using collaboration and community to deliver term papers, encouraging students to blog and publish online content, and using social networks for planning events and calendaring; these are all unconventional methods that are being rolled out at this very moment. My sister invited me just this week to join her Ning social network as part of a homework assignment for one of her sociology classes. These technologies are slowly but surely finding their way into classrooms all over the world.

Creating best practices and guidelines around this new wave of Education 2.0 ideas will help to standardize it in K-12 schools. The end result will be an educational system and an experience that caters more to the culture and preference of this generation of learners thereby giving the students a richer and more valuable educational foundation. This will translate into more job opportunities, better social interactions, and a wider lens with which to view the world as these individuals go about making their everyday decisions. The issue of education matters so much to me because I truly believe that I can be a part of the solution that will translate into a much better experience for thousands upon thousands of kids who are becoming more and more apathetic towards their schooling and overall educational experience. If my hypotheses are correct and I am able to realize my dreams in this area, I will be able to win back the attention and interests of these boys and girls.

this concludes my 3 part series relating to the Facebook Beta-tester position . . .

good morning, good afternoon, and good night

Facebook Essays (2/3)

2010-06-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

WHAT ARE WOMEN LOOKING FOR IN RELATIONSHIPS?

So I just got married February 14th, 2010. I thought that I knew what women wanted in a relationship. As it turns out, I knew what she thought she wanted in a relationship. Let me explain the difference between what a woman wants and what a woman thinks she wants in a relationship. Follow me.

It is a very interesting world that we live in these days. The society that we're a part of is full of outside stimuli that guide our every thought and decision. It's a gift and a curse for a woman because as you may or may not know, women like well designed, extravagant, expensive, cool and shiny things (e.g. the engagement ring that I gave her made her go bananas) and they also sometimes find it hard to come back down to earth once they begin to engage in these whimsical worlds revolve around the things they like (e.g. fashion and jewelry and reality tv and if I go on with this list I might not finish this question).

So when looking for a stable relationship women sometimes forget that they are actually a part of two distinct worlds. One where reality is far far away, where things just work together, where they look 'hot' every hour of every day, where seemingly every day is their birthday and they can do no wrong. The other world is the one that men live in where logic is king, sports is priority, and if you can't afford it then you probably shouldn't buy it. Attempting to reconcile these two worlds day by day is what helps a relationship between a Martian and a Venusian to survive and thrive (check out Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus if you didn't get that reference).

So put simply what I thought women wanted initially were the basics: food, shelter, faithfulness, and fun. What I've found is that women say they want these things but there are more things too. They let on that they would be truly happy if they could just get these simple things. But I submit that that is a falsehood. As a man, there is so much more that you must provide and if you fail to realize this then maybe you should take a twenty second timeout and think about what you're doing in your current relationship (disclaimer: if you're married you can't take that timeout, you don't have any left . . . just keep playing).

The thesis and bottom line to all of this is that women want your time and attention. If you can't afford to give them that then the food, shelter, faithfulness and fun won't make one bit of difference. I was very proud to provide these things and very baffled to find out that they didn't mean as much to her as I thought they would. Venusians need lots of hugs and kisses, walks in the park and extended visits to organic grocery stores, and lastly lots of engaging and affirming conversation with eye contact included. If you can provide this then you will be able to level up in the game of relationship, and if you can't then you'll end up starting the level over with woman after woman after woman. So let the games begin. God speed and good luck to my fellow men out there.

just one more part to go . . . part 3 coming right up

:)

Facebook Essays (1/3)

2010-06-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

So Facebook is looking for beta-testers for their new products and they want you to do some essays as a part of their screening process. Here are some questions I answered . . . it was a very introspective afternoon for me actually :)

WHY IS CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY A JOKE?

In light of the BP oil leak incident, a lot of questions about corporate and government responsibility have come up. People want to know who is responsible for this and how this could have happened if the private business (BP) was paying attention to what was going on. The answers to these questions amuse and sadden me at the same time because depending on who your news source is you will find 360 degrees of opinions.

It seems that if you have enough money, you can pay your way to putting yourself in a positive light. In this money hungry world that we live in, greed trumps integrity (from what I've observed) which makes it impossible to believe 100% of what anyone has to say about anything. Since the sentiment about the news, which people take as absolute truth, varies from channel to channel people end up becoming puppets of whatever their favorite flavor of news media is.

So why should I believe you if money can make you call the truth a lie and vice versa? It is no different with (some) corporations. The idea that everyone is a puppet makes the idea of believing in a system of corporate responsibility laughable. Believing what the big company tells you might not be the best idea, unless you do your research first and find that your facts match theirs. But wait who did you go through to get your facts? That's right another big corporation. So who can you trust? Read on.

On the other side of the spectrum that is why we have faith and hope. Without at least a little of it everybody would be down in the dumps all the time. We must do our part with honor and respect and then have faith in our world that other people are doing the same to make this place we inhabit a better place for years and years to come. Ask good questions, do your research, and hope for the best. That is all.

stay tuned for part 2 . . .

TicTacToeTen X PTA Convention

2010-06-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

It is going to be epic. The Tic Tac Toe Ten Project is traveling to Memphis, Tennessee to tell the Parents & Teachers Association chapters of America why educational, collaborative and social games (e.g. Tic Tac Toe Ten) need to be integrated into every child's K-12 curriculum. We will talk with heads of educational policy, teachers, parents, fundraisers, students and educational companies to see where opportunities lie for us and for them.

In addition to making contacts, we will be celebrating the release of TicTacToeTen for iPhone/iPad/Android!!! Our mobile application development will serve to complement the work that we are doing with the educational board games. We will also unveil our newly designed website, our new t-shirt design, and our forthcoming puzzle books that will be targeted to 3rd-8th grade kids.

So if you're in Memphis this weekend, come on by the Convention Center to booth #425 and take a picture with the team (and Blanco below). We'll be talking education, tech, and games all weekend long and we'd be honored if you'd come on out and join us. We'll see you there.

live.love.learn.

Smelling the Roses [Picture Poetry]

2010-05-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

[begin prose]

Sometimes I need to stop . . .

From whatever I'm doing . . .

Job that I'm working . . .

Dreams that I'm pursuing . . .

Pause for a minute and just halt the confusion . . .

To step away is to see that it's all an illusion . . .

My generation has come up with this conclusion . . .

They label you as worthless unless you're moving . . .

You're nothing unless you're high functioning, hustling, doing . . .

No motion unacceptable slow motion is for losers . . .

I asked for more fast but beggars can't be choosers . . .

Now that I've come to terms . . .

With what I am and what I can . . .

And cannot do, I'm feeling like the plan . . .

In these last days and times is for me to understand . . .

How to make more people smile and to be a better man . . .

If not for me for my fam I suppose . . .

Stay tuned as I try to be honest with myself . . .

To be still before God and to stop to smell the rose . . .

[terminate prose]

Amen

Playing Around w/ TweetMySong.com

2010-05-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

mic check 1 2 1 2 . . . first single getting airplay in Ghana

:)

stay Living Loving & Learning

Settling In

2010-04-21T14:36:00.001-07:00

So it has been approximately 65 days since I said "I do" to my beautiful new wife Uwimana (ooh-wee-muh-nuh) Middleton and I must say that I feel like I'm back in school again. I knew that women were different in my head but actually living with one, caring for one, laughing and snuggling up with one . . . it's definitely NOT intuitive.

I figured that we'd have our fair share of ups and downs in the first weeks. Moving into a new 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with 0 furniture and 2 different lifestyles was sure to be a challenge right? Right indeed . . . I didn't think that I would be so moved to abandon my bachelor minimalist ways so soon, but it has indeed happened. Here is a list of things that I didn't used to do that I do now (without being told, I might add):

1.) Take out the garbage
2.) Sort through the garbage and separate recyclable/compostable materials
3.) Wake up and turn on a pot of tea
4.) Spend large amounts of time in supermarkets & grocery stores

Inn addition to the above here is a list of things that I've purchased that the old minimalist bachelor would never have dreamt of buying:

1.) Kenmore sewing machine
2.) A loveseat with throw pillows
3.) A television (you're reading correctly, no I didn't have one before)
4.) Lots and lots of wine (makes for romantical evenings . . . thanks Flav)

So all of this goes to show that I am moving up in the world . . . slowly kicking and screaming (on the inside) from a boy to a man. It's not so bad though. Uwimana has blessed my tummy many times with delicious meals and has been a good sport about most of the hobbies and other activities that I'm interested in. My music, business, and sport lives are all still intact and on the flip side her sewing, babysitting, and gourmet chef passions are all alive and well. It's funny that in marriage counseling we were given three C's to marital success (communicate, communicate, communicate) . . . it is funny that that's actually all you need to not make each other go crazy. Thank you Jesus and thank you Pastor for the awesome advice. I'll be updating very soon on marriage and other topics but until next time, keep keeping on.

Getting Started w/ Supercool School Pt. 2

2010-03-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

So here's second part of what you should do when you first sign up for Supercool School . . . click this link and be enlightened.

How To Get Started w/ Your Supercool School Pt. 1

2010-03-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this link below to get the very first things you should do after you sign up to have your very own Supercool School. Stay Tuned for part 2.

Just Found Out about Prezi.com

2010-03-03T23:20:00.001-08:00

Google Apps: In a Nutshell on Prezi

And my my my is it awesome or what!!!

That is all for now . . . check out www.prezi.com and as always continue to

Live --> Love --> Learn

Tic Tac Toe Ten Day (T minus 10)

2010-03-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Behold the day of celebration is almost upon us, tell a friend or two to join the movement and download Tic Tac Toe Ten for their Android and iPhone devices. Check in tomorrow for Commandment #2!!!

Live, Love, Learn :)

wwp.supercoolschool.com

2010-02-18T15:56:00.001-08:00

Just a quick run through of what the Supercool School platform can do . . . using it as an experimental teaching and learning tool for the Wounded Warrior Project. Check it out:

Your browser does not support iframes.

Wedding Slideshow Snippets

2010-02-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

So I'm getting married on Valentine's Day . . . that's like 6 days from now. Here are some photos that will be on the slideshow. I love technology. Makes things easy.

Live Love Learn as always,

B.

Video Games For Learning Pt. 1

2010-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

So recently I've been digesting James Paul Gee's "What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy" and I wanted to document some of the principles in it to serve as a reference point for me in my educational projects. Very good info for designers, teachers, system architects, and of course gamers.

Oh last thing, the definition of SEMIOTIC DOMAIN is this "any set of practices that recruits one or more modalities (images, equations, symbols, sounds, graphs, artifacts, etc.) to communicate distinctive types of meanings."

Here are the first 12 principles:

1. Active, Critical Learning Principle: all aspects of the learning environment(including the ways in which the semiotic domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning.

2. Design Principle: learning about and coming to appreciate design and design principles is core to the learning experience.

3. Semiotic Principle: learning about and coming to appreciate interrelations within and across multiple sign systems (images, words, actions, symbols, atifacts, etc.) as a complex system is core to the learning experience.

4. Semiotic Domains Principle: learning involves mastering, at some level, semiotic domains, and being able to participate at some level, in the affinity group or groups connected to them.

5. Metalevel Thinking about Semiotic Domains Principle: learning involves active and critical thinking about the relationships of the semiotic domain being learned to other semiotic domains.

6. "Psychosocial Moratorium" Principle: learners can take risks in a space where real-world consequences are lowered.

7. Committed Learning Principle: learners participate in an extended engagement (lots of effort and practice) as extensions of their real-world identities in relation to a virtual identity to which they feel some commitment and a virtual world that they find compelling.

8. Identity Principle: learning involves taking on and playing with identities in such a way that the learner has real choices (in developing the virtual identity) and ample opportunity to meditate on the relationship between new identities and old ones. There is a tripartite play of identities as learners relate, and reflect on, their multiple real-world identities, a virtual identity, and a projective identity.

9. Self Knowledge Principle: the virtual world is constructed in such a way that learners learn not only about the domain but about themselves and their current and potential capacities.

10. Amplification of Input Principle: for a little input, learners get a lot of output.

11. Achievement Principle: for learners of all levels of skill there are intrinsic rewards from the beginning, customized to each learner's level, effort, and growing mastery and signaling the learner's ongoing achievements.

12. Practice Principle: learners get lots and lots of practice in a context where the practice is not boring (i.e. in a virtual world that is compelling to learners on their own terms and where the learners experience ongoing success). They spend lots of time on task.

So this wraps up the first dozen. I will hopefully be able to use these in my future pursuits and projects in relation to online education, educational gaming, and the like. That is all.

as always continue to Live, Love, and Learn . . .

B

Playing w/ Intua Beatmaker Again

2009-12-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

When I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall and then I jump on my phone and make some music for y'all!!!

:)

In the Hotel, Can't Sleep

2009-12-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

It was like 4am and I just needed something to do . . . please don't judge me, it was late.

:)

B

Brandon Plays w/ Beatmaker for iPhone

2009-12-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

So I got done with my work a little earlier than I anticipated today and decided to throw together a video of an app that I've been enjoying for a while now, Intua's Beatmaker. I make a quick beat in this video, drop a verse, and show you another beat that I finished up on earlier. Enjoy it.

SMART Phones vs. PTSD & TBI

2009-11-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

I've been tasked with putting together a computer basics curriculum that would benefit the American wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan. These men and women have served their country with honor and are looking to take on a computer trade in the service or out in the civilian world. There are a couple of challenges to pulling this curriculum together: (1) most of these soldiers have very limited knowledge about technical matters (2) most of these soldiers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and/or Traumatic Brain Injury. These disorders make it difficult to focus on tasks and they also make it hard for soldiers remember things. So taking that knowledge into account, I am going about my journey of creating something that would benefit an individual in this condition.

Let's talk about what SMART phones can do to help us out here. I will use the iPhone as an example just because I have one and we have been given 30 of them (thank you Apple) to carry out this pilot with the soldiers. I am playing around with the concept of using apps for learning. I firmly believe that apps can be a nice way to introduce/demonstrate/reinforce course material. Working under the assumption that this approach isn't flawed we proceed.

In learning something new there are a couple of things that always take place: (1) the new concept is defined and explained (2) the learner's knowledge of the facts around the new concept are repetitively exercised/affirmed (3) the learner's knowledge about the new concept is tested by demonstration of procedures (exams, lab experiments, etc.). So if we take a look at the iPhone at these three stages we are able to see that there are apps out there that address the needs of new learners for each stage. Let's go stage by stage and sample some apps that would help our soldiers.

STAGE 1: A new concept is defined and explained
Almost every app out there has some sort of explanation to help guide you as you use it. I play a lot of game apps and part of my ritual before playing for the first time is checking out the tutorial. This should provide a high level explanation of the major concepts of the game and visual reinforcement for the user so that the app (in general) is understood. This stage can be likened to a professor delivering a lecture to a class of students. High level concepts are described, but much of the low-level work is left out. Some examples of apps with high-level tutorials are Tic Tac Toe Ten and Bailout Wars. Tic Tac Toe Ten has a tutorial video while Bailout Wars has a couple of slides to flip through for users to understand how to play. The main point of this stage is to introduce the learner to the concept and to provide any background knowledge about the concept that would help the learner digest it easier in the stages that follow.

STAGE 2: the learner's knowledge of the facts around the new concept are repetitively exercised/affirmed

So at this stage the learner has become familiar with the definitions of words that relate to the concept at hand. He/She should be able to recite a canned (memorized) response to very high level questions concerning the concept in question. This stage can be equated to a professor giving out homework once the lecture has been given. The learner now has to wrestle with the concept and do exercises and problems that reinforce the knowledge from the lecture. Apps like Kaplan GRE Exam and Cram fit this stage perfectly. Both apps allow the learner to drill himself/herself in a repetitive manner until the objectives are met. For the Kaplan GRE Exam app the objective is to learn words and their definitions. For the Cram app, a learner can create flashcards on any subject matter and drill themselves until they have internalized the concepts. The notion of repetition and drilling is a very key component in acquiring information and retaining that information.

STAGE 3: the learner's knowledge about the new concept is tested by demonstration/explanation of procedures

At this stage most of the heavy lifting has been done by the learner. This stage is the equivalent of a written or an oral exam. The learner's knowledge of the concept is now revealed for what it is just as long as the examination is detailed enough. An app like SAT Practice Tests (math) is a perfect example of this examination concept. In the app, the learner must answer multiple choice questions from the domain of geometry, algebra, and trigonometry. There is really no faking it (unless you happen to be an awesome guesser). For the most part, the hard work from Stage 2 (or lack thereof) will come to the surface when demonstration or explanation are required. Research shows that learners who have the best grasp of a concept are individuals who can teach others how to do the very thing that they just learned. The aim at the end of the SMART phone activities would be to get the soldiers to teach each other the very concepts that they have just internalized themselves. If we are able to get to this point then our objectives have been accomplished!!!

More to come in the future ... check out the apps above if you get a chance ... we'll see you soon

Playing With Aviary's Myna Software

2009-10-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Take Me Back.egg on Aviary.

Flash under the covers . . . Protools meets EC2 . . . Thursday awesome!!!

mr. live love learn

Tally One for Mobile Learning

2009-10-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

So I picked up the November issue of Fast Company Magazine today and I was put up on a pretty interesting (and inspiring) method of teaching. I read about an initiative called Project K Nect, a project that helps kids learn math by infusing mobile phones (usually SMART phones) into the curriculum. You may be asking yourself, "Phones + Math . . . yeah so, what's the big deal?" I was skeptical too but here's how Qualcomm and Southwest High School (in Jacksonville, NC) boosted both student interest and proficiency in mathematics.

So Project K Nect requires each kid who is enrolled in a math class to have a cell phone. The same old dry math content that we all learned as kids is still dictated to the students. The difference is in the assignment: the kids are given the challenge of mastering the concepts and then documenting their mastery via mobile video. All mobile phones are required to have video recording capabilities in addition to the traditional voice and text capability. A free digital toy, coupled with new (more interesting) expectations seem to have done the trick for these high school students. Their proficiency scores and their interest in the subject to skyrocketed with the introduction of this new curriculum format.

This gets me to thinking, is there a link between successful mastery of an unfamiliar subject and the expectation of explanation? I thought about it and I think that if you know you will be expected to explain what you are supposed to have mastered then you will put more pressure on yourself to make sure that what you present is up to snuff. When I took math in high school, I was rarely put in a position where I had to explain myself or defend my assumed mastery of the subject. Only tests showed how good (or not good) I was for any given topic.

The video explanation component is even more pressure in this age of critiquing user generated content. But students shine under pressure when they are able to infuse their creativity on top of their mastery. This might even be more of an incentive to master a subject; kids may want to sprinkle their unique flair onto something MORE than they actually care about mastering that something. But if mastering that thing is what it takes to permit the opportunity to be creative then so be it. Just a theory but I think this is the case in these days in times where everybody wants to be witty, flashy, funny, hot, cool, on camera.

So to conclude, I would like to thank Elizabeth Svoboda for blessing me with this article. I think that this method of learn stuff --> prepare presentation --> exhibit mastery is a very powerful way to get kids to really learn and retain information. I'm gonna be playing with this for a little while and will be back with the my findings. Stay tuned.

mr. live love learn

Interesting Links From 10.08.2009

2009-10-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some links from all over the place. Music, education, technology, etc. I had some epiphanies while checking them out, hope you do too :)

http://www.25hoursaday.com/CsharpVsJava.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/science/06uganda.html?_r=2

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010597.html

http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/katalyst4sport#blogs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIhDfCwx2xU

http://www.blindiforthekids.com/2009/10/lupe-fiasco-fire/

and that is all!!!

peace

TicTacToeTen, Education, & Learning Pt. 2

2009-10-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

I am keeping the research ball rolling on this project and this time we'll dive into real world implementations of Chess curricula. We will then see how many of these concepts might be able to be ported over to my game of Tic Tac Toe Ten.

So to start it off I used a couple more articles as reference: one from the New York Times and one from Chess For Education.

In the last post, I convinced myself (and you too hopefully) that a game like Tic Tac Toe Ten could do positive things for students if adopted by their school districts. I'm using the fact that Tic Tac Toe Ten parallels Chess in many ways and the fact that Chess has been tied to raised IQ, better concentration, improved critical thinking, and a number of other things for people who play (especially kids). So now that we're convinced that it can positively impact our audience what do we do?

Well the New York Times article pointed out how the state of Idaho implemented Chess education programming for their 2nd and 3rd graders state wide. The state's education budget for this particular year (2008) was $1.5 billion dollars. It was estimated that it would take $250,000 to deploy the program statewide to the 40,000 2nd and 3rd graders. First Move, a program provided by America's Foundation for Chess, was used to give instructional materials (chess boards and pieces, DVDs, online manuals and resources, etc.) and training to classroom teachers on how to deliver this to their students.

I imagine that a 1 or 2 day conference was delivered and that the necessary knowledge transfer happened pretty quickly. Classroom teachers need to know how the new information integrates with the existing objectives and also how to troubleshoot when roadblocks come up (e.g. language barriers) The materials were then handed off and the teachers were empowered to go out and change their classrooms. So for Tic Tac Toe Ten to be embedded into curriculum from a 2nd-8th grade level, I'd need to put together the board sets (board, pieces, clocks, instructions) an instructional DVD, an online manual, and a small support team. I'd have to get in touch with heads of state education departments to broker deals on the materials and trainings as well. After that it would be all about creating new goods and services on top of the existing platform to enhance the learning that was already going on.

With Idaho being such a small state, the dollars that could be made if this should get approved by larger states would be pretty big. The challenges ahead have to do with differentiating content across grades. Targeting products according to grade level would take a little more research, but should be doable. We could break into 3 categories for 2nd-8th grades (2-3, 4-5, 6-8) and work on special content that would be relevant to each of these categories in logic, math and vocabulary.

that's all for this episode but stay tuned for more soon,

B.M.

TicTacToeTen, Education, & Learning Pt. 1

2009-10-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am beginning a quest to figure out how I can tie the principles of my game Tic Tac Toe Ten to education and learning. The end goal is two-fold: to encourage students to play Tic Tac Toe Ten and also to prove to their teachers that this game is contributing to their development as students. I believe that elements of the game introduce and reinforce concepts (memory, pattern recognition, decision making, etc.) that are necessary for a successful K-12 educational experience.

So today I start with the game of Chess and look at what it has to offer and why it can be (and should be) used as an educational tool and not just a game. I hope to take some of these truths and apply them to Tic Tac Toe Ten as I defend my hypothesis that Tic Tac Toe Ten should be used in schools (embedded into curriculum, used in refreshment exercises, etc.) as a learning tool to help students develop skills needed to have successful educational experiences.

The first article I looked at was called "Chess and Education" by John Artise. I was struck by a couple of things in this article.

First, the notion that chess conditions players to be extremely observant, analytical, and calculating. The importance of this is that these skills are necessary for success in everyday life. To have a concept (learned via a game) at your disposal to use in a challenging life situation is very valuable. It helps to shape and inform the decision making process, even outside of the domain of Chess. I found this very interesting.

Second, the notion of operant conditioning is a huge player. To quote the article, ". . . operant conditioning involves the learner actually doing, observing and responding to the stimuli presented to him." So the fact that you can be an active participant and learn (in real time) from your good moves and from your not so good moves is a big plus. Perhaps this is why children prefer video games as opposed to memorizing the fundamental theorem of calculus. The difference is that you can see and feel your impact immediately, you're learning by doing instead of being made to memorize something (without meaningful application).

So like Chess, Tic Tac Toe Ten has elements that would make it a perfect play for the school district who is trying to instill principles of memory improvement, logic, observation, analysis and operant conditioning in their students. This is very encouraging as I move forward with the research for this project. The next entry will continue looking at Chess and ask/answer questions about how to practically roll something like Tic Tac Toe Ten out for consumption.

stay tuned :)

B.M.

School Sucks (And Here's Why) by Dr. Tae

2009-09-29T20:37:00.001-07:00

Dr. Tae — Building A New Culture Of Teaching And Learning from Dr. Tae on Vimeo.

Wow . . . I couldn't agree more. Thanks Dr. Tae!!!

Brandon x Piano = Music???

2009-09-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

:)

B.M.

New Mali Music is here, AND IT'S HOT!!!

2009-09-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

I been following this brotha for a while now and his new joint, "The 2econd Coming" is out now so I thought I would throw up a little playlist for my (your) reference. On your march, Get set...

Mali Music

Stay tuned and encouraged y'all . . . peace out for now.

B.M.

Playing With Flash CS4

2009-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

So I spent the night tonight playing with my trial version of Adobe's Flash CS4. I am determined to learn how to master graphics and animations so that I can begin to build all of the educational software products that I have sitting in my brain. Stay tuned.

LiveLoveLearners . . . BEHOLD MY FIRST FLASH CS4 OFFERING!!!

A HOW TO OF INTEREST: Creating Social Media Protocols for Non-Profits

2009-09-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

THIS IS PART ONE (I think):

I am taking the scientific approach on this one. My HYPOTHESIS is that if I can sample enough Social Media policies from respectable organizations, I can piece together a pretty solid document for my organization to abide by. I have been conducting a little EXPERIMENT and have been sampling the practices and experiences of some of my peers. My OBSERVATION is that without proper guidance, people will make their own rules and do their own thing. This is sometimes fine if these individuals aren't working toward a common goal. As it turns out, most organizations actually are working toward a common goal so guidance is actually needed. My CONCLUSION therefore, is this: every organization (large and small) should make making a Social Media Policies document a priority. Without one your people will make up their own rules and anarchy will ensue.

Here are some useful links on various topics around Corporate Social Media Policies . . . from some of the respectable organizations that I mentioned.

CISCO

RIGHT NOW

GOVERNMENT

WORKPLACE FAIRNESS

INTEL

The New Gig

2009-09-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Just started a new job a couple of days ago with the Wounded Warrior Project. I came out to HQ (in Jacksonville, FL) and am here doing what I do, mostly IT-related tasks. This non-profit services seriously injured veterans of war and provides physical, mental, and vocational programming to help them get their lives back. Transitioning back into society, finding jobs, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and a number of other challenges exist for these Wounded Warriors (see some of them here). I am super excited to be able to jump on board and help push this organization to the next level. The culture is pretty laid back and is reminiscent of my short days with the Army National Guard. Well it's time to get back to work . . . I'll check in a little later. Peace Out.

B.M.

Playing With TweetMeme Buttons

2009-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just some links that I played around with this morning:

http://tictactoeten.com/
http://thenextweb.com/
http://mashable.com/

Oasis 2009 Promo Video

2009-09-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

Find more videos like this on Megisté Areté Christian Fraternity, Inc.

New Robert Glasper is here!!!

2009-08-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

please give it a listen . . .

Double Booked

:)

Teaching a mini iPhone Class on SuperCool School

2009-08-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

This is gonna be fresh!!! Stay tuned.

Your browser does not support iframes.

Official Website Unveiled: Tic Tac Toe Ten

2009-07-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

It's finally here y'all . . . Thanks to ChiefMoney Designs for partnering with me to bring this all together. God bless y'all. Let's continue to help get Tic Tac Toe Ten on the map. Here's the link to the site if you want to check it out: http://www.tictactoeten.com/

Happy Independence Day everybody, have a blessed and restful holiday!!!

B.M.

2009-06-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Playing with the linkage on AppSafari.com

iPhone Apps

Can you digg it?!?! I can :)

Couple of Music Videos From Past Performances

2009-06-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

check me out y'all . . .

more to come in the future for sure :)

stay living loving learning . . . PEACE

Tic Tac Toe Ten is here!!!

2009-05-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Support One Of My Bands Y'all

2009-05-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

First, thank you for your continued love and support for Fear & Fancy! This is an exciting time for us, and we are so grateful that you are with us on this journey.

We are asking for your help spreading the word that for a limited time, Fear & Fancy will be streaming their entire debut album, Twenty Twelve, at www.fearandfancy.com before its official release! And after they've had a listen, complete a simple survey to receive a free song from the album!
We are hoping that you can support us in this endeavor, as it is really important to us that as many people as possible have a chance to experience the album, as well as to find out their thoughts and feelings towards what they have heard.

Thanks guys and as always . . . Live Love & Learn

Happy Hump Day!!!

2009-05-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm missing home a little, so I made some music to cheer me up. Hope it cheers you up to if you're having a less than awesome day. Check me out y'all:

TheWindyCity - Brandon Timothy

As always . . .

Live Love & Learn

2009-05-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

The time has almost come for the unveiling of what I predict will be the video Game of the Year in the mobile phone game space. It is called Tic Tac Toe Ten and in approximately 7 days, the world will behold what I have been scheming/working/hustling toward since last September. It has been a long journey and I'm glad that this chapter is coming to a close (and with the close of this one, a new one begins). Go to these couple of links just for starters and tell your friends and family to get ready: fB link, myspace link, twitter link, ning link, blogger link.

I'll catch up soon . . . thanks in advance for your support. And as always,

Live, Love, & Learn

The Law vs. Moral Values

2009-05-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

An interesting article by Walter E. Williams

A civilized society's first line of defense is not the law, police and courts but customs, traditions and moral values. Behavioral norms, mostly transmitted by example, word of mouth and religious teachings, represent a body of wisdom distilled over the ages through experience and trial and error. They include important thou-shalt-nots such as shalt not murder, shalt not steal, shalt not lie and cheat, but they also include all those courtesies one might call ladylike and gentlemanly conduct. The failure to fully transmit values and traditions to subsequent generations represents one of the failings of the so-called greatest generation.

Behavior accepted as the norm today would have been seen as despicable yesteryear. There are television debt relief advertisements that promise to help debtors to pay back only half of what they owe. Foul language is spoken by children in front of and sometimes to teachers and other adults. When I was a youngster, it was unthinkable to use foul language to an adult; it would have meant a smack across the face. Back then, parents and teachers didn't have child-raising "experts" to tell them that "time out" is a means of discipline. Baby showers are held for unwed mothers. Yesteryear, such an acceptance of illegitimacy would have been unthinkable.

To see men sitting whilst a woman or elderly person was standing on a crowded bus or trolley car used to be unthinkable. It was common decency for a man to give up his seat. Today, in some cities there are ordinances requiring public conveyances to set aside seats posted "Senior Citizen Seating." Laws have replaced common decency. Years ago, a young lady who allowed a guy to have his hand in her rear pocket as they strolled down the street would have been seen as a slut. Children addressing adults by first names was unacceptable.

You might be tempted to charge, "Williams, you're a prude!" I'd ask you whether high rates of illegitimacy make a positive contribution to a civilized society. If not, how would you propose that illegitimacy be controlled? In years past, it was controlled through social sanctions like disgrace and shunning. Is foul language to or in the presence of teachers conducive to an atmosphere of discipline and respect necessary for effective education? If not, how would you propose it be controlled? Years ago, simply sassing a teacher would have meant a trip to the vice principal's office for an attitude adjustment administered with a paddle. Years ago, the lowest of lowdown men would not say the kind of things often said to or in front of women today. Gentlemanly behavior protected women from coarse behavior. Today, we expect sexual harassment laws to restrain coarse behavior.

During the 1940s, my family lived in North Philadelphia's Richard Allen housing project. Many families didn't lock doors until late at night, if ever. No one ever thought of installing bars on their windows. Hot, humid summer nights found many people sleeping outside on balconies or lawn chairs. Starting in the '60s and '70s, doing the same in some neighborhoods would have been tantamount to committing suicide. Keep in mind that the 1940s and '50s were a time of gross racial discrimination, high black poverty and few opportunities compared to today. The fact that black neighborhoods were far more civilized at that time should give pause to the excuses of today that blames today's pathology on poverty and discrimination.
Policemen and laws can never replace customs, traditions and moral values as a means for regulating human behavior. At best, the police and criminal justice system are the last desperate line of defense for a civilized society. Our increased reliance on laws to regulate behavior is a measure of how uncivilized we've become.

Just some food for thought . . . until next time LIVE, LOVE, & LEARN

PEACE

B.M.

2009-04-09T09:42:00.001-07:00

I thought this was interesting, considering the fact that all of my friends are getting married these days . . .

Want to know the quickest way your kids can ruin their lives? Marrying the wrong person. You've spent two decades sacrificing so much to give your children the best. Make sure you talk to them frequently about what to look for in someone they will spend the rest of their lives with. The most important characteristic for your kids to look for? Finding someone who really means "'til death do us part" and has the commitment and character to back it up.

And the best way to judge that? Their track record. Do they have a vibrant faith? Do they keep their word? Do they believe in delayed gratification? Are they unselfish? Teach your kids what to look for in a future mate by being an inspiring example of all of these.

Let this marinate in your mind, body, and soul as you go about living loving and learning today

B.M.

Spring Cleaning

2009-03-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged about anything in a loooooonnnng tiiiime. As a member of the Gen-Y society this is totally unacceptable so this post is evidence that I am getting back on the ball. A lot has happened in the month that I've been away. Some uncertainty about my career has been introduced. I thought I had it all planned out for my next 1.5-2 years, but God made it clear that he had different plans. California continues to be California (the sun shines, the birds chirp, and the people smile). My game project is nearing completion and I'm getting prepared to start the evangelization of it in the next weeks and months. If you've got kids that wanna hear about living playful, meaningful, inspired lives talk to me and I'll do a prezo for you. Music life has continued to be exciting but it has been harder and harder because of the insane amounts of work that I've been doing. Well, I'm getting pulled into something else right now (like at this very moment) so I must take off, but until next time continue to Live, Love, and Learn.

peace out for now,

Brandon

This stuff happened on my Birthday y'all

2009-02-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

* Today in Black History - February 18 *

1688 - The first formal protest against slavery by an organized white body in the English American colonies is made by Germantown,Pennsylvania Quakers and Mennonites at a monthly meeting. When some members of the Quaker community began to buy slaves, Francis Daniel Pastorius, the founder of Germantown, was outraged. On this day, Pastorius will meet with three other Germantown Quaker men to draft a denunciation of slavery. Known as "The Germantown Protest," it is regarded as the first protest against slavery by whites in the American colonies. The reasoning of the denunciation was based on the Golden Rule: since white people did not want to be slaves themselves, they had no right to enslave black African men and women. Despite the Germantown Protest, some Quaker families continued to keep slaves. Nonetheless, by the 19th century Quakers were prominent in the movement to abolish slavery in the United States.

1865 - Confederate Troops abandon Charleston, South Carolina. The first Union troops to enter the city include the Twenty-first U.S. Colored Troops, followed by two companies of the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers.

1867 - The Augusta Institute is founded in Georgia. It is established as an institution of higher learning for African American students, and moves to Atlanta in 1879. In 1913, the name is changed to Morehouse College.

1894 - Paul Revere Williams is born in Los Angeles, California. He will become one of the most famous African American architects, designer of private residences in Los Angeles, the Hollywood YMCA, the Beverly-Wiltshire Hotel, UCLA's Botany Building and many others. Among his many awards will be the NAACP's Spingarn Medal in 1953.

1931 - Toni Morrison is born in Lorain, Ohio. She will become one of the most celebrated modern novelists of the 20th century, winning the National Book Critics Award in 1978 for "Song of Solomon" and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988 for "Beloved." In 1993, she will become the first African American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

1965 - The Gambia gains its independence from Great Britain.

1973 - Palmer Hayden joins the ancestors in New York City. One of the principal artists of the Harlem Renaissance who, like Henry 0. Tanner and others, studied in Paris, his most enduring work often depicted everyday scenes of African American life.

1979 - The miniseries "Roots: The Next Generations" premiers on ABC TV.

1995 - The NAACP replaces veteran chairman William Gibson with Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, after the rank-and-file declared no confidence in Gibson's leadership.

2006 - Shani Davis, from Chicago's South Side, becomes the first Black athlete to claim an individual gold medal in Winter Olympic history, winning the 1,000-meter speedskating race in 1 min., 8.89 seconds.

Interesting Lil Tidbit

2009-01-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

I been away a long time . . . and for good reason . . . I've been busy, but here's an interesting little tidbit of information that I read in a 20-page letter that Bill Gates wrote about his foundation's work.

One of the key things these schools have done is help their teachers be more effective in the classroom. It is amazing how big a difference a great teacher makes versus an ineffective one. Research shows that there is only half as much variation in student achievement between schools as there is among classrooms in the same school. If you want your child to get the best education possible, it is actually more important to get him assigned to a great teacher than to a great school.

As I continue towards my career in education, I'll keep this in mind.

Live.Love.Learn.

Today in Black History . . .

2009-01-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

* January 5 *

1804 - Ohio begins the restriction of the rights and movements of

free African Americans by passing the first of several

"Black laws." It is a trend that will be followed by most

Northern states.

1869 - Matilda Sissieretta Jones is born in Portsmouth, Virginia.

She will become a gifted singer (soprano), who will rise

to fame as a soloist and troupe leader during the later

part of the nineteenth century. She will be nicknamed

"Black Patti", after a newspaper review mentioned her as

an African American equal to the acclaimed Italian soprano

Adelina Patti. American racism will prevent her from

performing with established white operatic groups. She will

tour Europe, South and North America and the West Indies as

a soloist. In 1896, she will form her own troupe, "Black

Patti's Troubadours," which will combine the elements of

opera and vaudeville, creating musical comedy. She will

join the ancestors on June 24, 1933.

1911 - Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity is founded on the campus of

Indiana University by Elder Watson Diggs, Byron Kenneth

Armstrong, and eight others. It will be the first African

American fraternity to be chartered as a national

organization.

1929 - Wilbert Harrison is born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He

will become a singer and will be best known for his

recordings "Kansas City," and "Let's Work Together." In

2001, his recording of "Kansas City" will be given a Grammy

Hall of Fame Award. He will join the ancestors in Spencer,

North Carolina on October 26, 1994.

1931 - Alvin Ailey is born in Rogers, Texas and will move to Los

Angeles, California at the age of twelve. There, on a

junior high school class trip to the Ballet Russe de Monte

Carlo, he will fall in love with concert dance. In 1958, Mr.

Ailey will found his own company, the Alvin Ailey American

Dance Theater, which makes its debut in New York. Mr. Ailey

will have a vision of creating a company dedicated to the

preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance

heritage and the uniqueness of Black cultural expression.

In 1969, Alvin Ailey will found the Alvin Ailey American

Dance Center, the official school of the Ailey Company, and

he will go on to form the Repertory Ensemble, the second

company, in 1974. His commitment to education is the

foundation of the organization's long-standing involvement

in arts-in-education programs, including AileyCamp. He will

join the ancestors on December 1, 1989 in New York City.

1938 - James Ngugi is born in Kamiriithu, Kenya. He will become a

writer whose works will depict events in colonial and post

colonial Kenya. He will integrate Marxist-Leninist beliefs

into his novels, which will include "Weep Not Child," "The

River Between," "A Grain of Wheat," "Petals of Blood," and

"Matigari ma Mjiruumgi." He will later change his name to

Ngugi wa Thiong'o. His writings will cause him to be

imprisoned by the Kenyan government and he will later leave

the country for England and the United States.

1943 - George Washington Carver joins the ancestors after succumbing

to anemia at the age of 81. He was a pioneering plant

chemist and agricultural researcher noted for his work with

the peanut and soil restoration while at Tuskegee Institute.

1943 - William H. Hastie, civilian aide to the secretary of war,

resigns to protest segregation in the U.S. Armed Forces.

1947 - Ted Lange is born in Oakland, California. He will become an

actor and be best known for his role as 'Isaac' on the TV

series, "The Love Boat."

1948 - A commemorative stamp of George Washington Carver is issued

by the U.S. Postal Service. The posthumous honor bestowed

upon the famed agricultural expert and researcher is only

one of the many awards he received, including the 1923

Spingarn Medal and membership in the NYU Hall of Fame.

1957 - Jackie Robinson announces his retirement from professional

baseball.

1971 - The Harlem Globetrotters lose 100-99 to the New Jersey Reds,

ending their 2,495-game win streak.

1975 - The Broadway premiere of "The Wiz" opens, receiving

enthusiastic reviews. The show, a Black version of "The

Wizard of Oz" will run for 1,672 shows at the Majestic

Theatre. Moviegoers, however, gave a thumbs down to the

cinema version of the play that starred Diana Ross and

Michael Jackson years later. One memorable song from the

show is "Ease on Down the Road."

1987 - David Robinson becomes the first player in Naval Academy

history to score more than 2,000 points. This was

accomplished when the Midshipmen defeat East Carolina

91-66. He will go on to become a major star of the NBA.

1993 - Reggie Jackson is inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame with

94% of the votes.

Live

Love

Learn

:o)

Just For Kicks Mixtape Coming Soon

2009-01-04T22:15:00.000-08:00

Whassup Folks,

here's a track from the latest project . . .

http://www.imeem.com/people/11BPha/music/4yR-NsGa/wedontgotthatsizemp3/

peace

BM

My Games Research

2009-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

What are the benefits of playing mentally stimulating games?

These links provide some preliminary answers to my research:

S.T.E.M. (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) Coalition

http://www.stemedcoalition.org/

Games With A Purpose

http://www.gwap.com/gwap/

Ken Perlin Homepage

http://mrl.nyu.edu/~perlin/

Microsoft Research

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/default.aspx

Puzzle Action Commentary

http://www.puzzleaction.com/anti-aging.htm

Microsoft Invests In Video Games To Teach Kids Science

High Tech High School

http://www.hightechhigh.org/dc/index.php

I'm Feeling Real Poetical Right Now . . .

2008-12-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-12-05T16:30:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-01T10:38:00.001-08:00

Hiya there December? How are you doing today?

Something New For Sunday Night

2008-11-30T22:40:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-25T23:44:00.000-08:00

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

An encapsulation of my feelings at the moment . . .

TakeMeBack.mp3 - Brandon Timothy

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

Live.Love.Learn.

B

The Game Speaks

2008-11-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-17T08:50:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-16T14:14:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

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

LikeAFire.mp3 -

Live.Love.Learn.

:O)

B.Middleton's August Update

2008-08-01T08:40:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

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)