*likely to induce vomiting

I was up visiting some family earlier and bumped into John (a friend of the fam’s). Now John is an OG (Original Gangsters… c’mon people, keep up with the ebonics… an OG is one of those ol’ skool guys that have been around forever, are past their prime in whatever the hustle is, but still get a lot of respect). He’s kinda the neighborhood loan shark, in the traditional sense of the term.

We took a minute to chat. We spoke of how me and my brother were doing, since he hasn’t seen either of us in a long time. I filled him in on things. He told me he was proud of me, saying I “got my sh*t together”. My brother on the other hand… He found out my brother doesn’t want to go back and finish school… uh oh. He ripped him a new one (via me). He went over the politics of how the hustlin’ days are over and you can’t do anything without an education today. As he wrapped up, I came to the conclusion that had us mixed up. He must have thought I was Steve this whole time, cause our conversation ended with:

John: You know where Maria (my mom) f*cked up? Letting him go on that f*cking Catholic Sh*t! (speaking of the mission)

me: Uhh John, I’m the one that went on that f*cking Catholic Sh*t. But I think you meant that f*cking Mormon Sh*t.

John: Uhh, well, maybe he should have gone on one too!

Till I realized: Another handsome black guy in the ward… Only this one is a pro football player that will undoubtedly make mucho bucks… Crap… Expect my stock value to take a GIANT hit… lame pun intended.

a. If she plans on being in NYC for less than a year.
b. She’s allergic to (or doesn’t like) dogs.
c. Lack of Flava’ (enough said).

We’ll start there. If any of the previous apply — Blacklisted!

2) The first point is important because I think I want to try my hand at dating someone seriously again. But alas, just like missionary work, you gotta find someone first.

3) After reading someone else’s blog, trying to find things that I could blog about, I came to the conclusion that I haven’t set solid personal goals since right after the mish. So expect a list of solid goals = coming soon…

Or, the…

Perhaps it was serving in Vegas, but the gambling has entered my bloodstream.

About half a year ago I decided to begin putting some money in the market.  Not because I was familiar with how anything works.  Not because I had the money (starving student, remember?).  Not because it was the smartest thing to do.  I did it because I was bored.  I wanted to feel more “grown up”, so I found a big boy game to play.

Just before I actually invested in the market I played one of those virtual stock-market games.  The fact that I did horribly in the make-believe version didn’t scare me off.  The make-believe version served as a gateway drug of sorts.  Once I had gotten the hang of how trading works I dived in head first (by having “the hang of”, I mean I understood which button bought and which button dumped stock; not that I knew anything about strategy).  So, in fact, I dived in head first not knowing if there was any water in the pool.

In the past months many naysayers have lectured me on how playing the market without understanding the market is just plain stupid.  Granted, it makes logical sense.  However, I’m playing a card that we often don’t expect seeing in the deck, like someone slipped in one of the Jokers.  The card I’m playing: Dumb Luck!

While many of my naysaying comrades have been taking a beating in their portfolios, I’ve followed what to this point is seemingly the right advice (by listening to the analysts and using my ignorance in some lucky picks).  My portfolio, while it hasn’t reach incredible heights, has managed to avoided tanking along with most of the market.  It has remained steady in the face of adversity.

In fact, it has even had some very amazing moments.  Por ejemplo:  My Chinese internet stock (China is the future, in case you didn’t get the memo) had a 29 dollar per share increase just yesterday.  That’s 12% in one day.  Sitting in a savings account that would have been what?  5% in a year?  “get that corn out my face!”

One word: BOOYAH!!! (naysayers, you know who you are)