Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
The two greatest words in sports? Game Seven
Check out this post describing one blogger's feelings heading into the game.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mothers' Day!
"Motherhood is another word for sacrifice."
-???
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Mag·nan·i·mous
mag·nan·i·mous
1.generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies.
2.high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler.
3.proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character, etc.: a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness.
(from dictionary.com)
Prince Earl Simpson was born in Indianola, Miss., as the second of three children. He was raised in Illinois and studied marketing at Illinois State University. So far, nothing sounds out of the ordinary for the life of a 28 year old. Don’t be fooled – nothing about the Chicago native’s life has been ordinary.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in my life and I don’t want everyone to have to go through everything I did to learn the lessons I’ve learned,” Prince said.
Rap artist Prince Early the Magnanimous grew up with a rough life where he became well acquainted with the streets. His two best friends (and hustlin’ partners) while growing up were taken from him in a span of five months – before reaching the prime of their lives. One of the friends was gunned down while involved in drug trafficking, while the other was shot during a police chase. Suddenly, of the three friends, all that was left was Prince.
“I’ve tasted the world – and it’s painful,” Prince says. “But the bad times make the good times even greater.”
Music became Prince’s outlet from life’s struggles. He writes all his lyrics and is heavily involved in the musical production. He now feels that his musical talent influences his spiritual life.
“Creation is a gift from God,” Prince says. “When we create something, we get closer to our God because that’s what He does. [With music], I began to see life differently with every stroke of the pen.”
Driven by past tragedies and hard knocks, Prince is passionate about helping others avoid life’s pitfalls. He practices what he preaches – as you can see when he works with at-risk youth in Utah.
“I want to instill a sense of hope for better things,” says Prince. “There’s a greater degree of glory in another life.”
This “Magnanimous” artist is peculiar for reasons besides his bumpy early life. For instance, Prince has refused to have a TV in his apartment for the past year. He prefers reading books instead. Besides, reading is more beneficial than watching TV for someone whose craft requires skills of flow, rhythm and performance while using an extensive vocabulary in his rhymes.
Prince is currently living in Utah and banging out new tracks for his fans. He has performed locally at sites such as Velour in Provo, and is prepping for a spring/summer tour that will hit hot spots like Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and New York, before coming back to the West for shows in California, among other places.
With his second album, “The Lost Files: Memoirs of a King,” set to be released soon, Prince is looking to attract a wide audience with his fusion of eclectic sounds. Working with his Magnanimous band and collaborating with other vocalists, Prince’s set melds the tunes of hip-hop, jazz and soul music. Plus, his intelligent and clean lyrics apply to a broad audience that transcends age, gender, race and ethnicity. Prince’s faith drives his music and his socially conscious and spiritual messages are designed to uplift the listener and give them a proper perspective on life.
Prince is upbeat about his upcoming release.
“On my first album, ‘King Me,’ I was trying to see what people liked,” Prince says. “On the new album, every song is going to sound different. The hard times represent real life, and people can relate to it.
“My music is to help people get a message. They should ask themselves ‘what’s the message? How can I grow from this?’ Everybody has a cross to carry, but you have to move on to get through it.”
Prince said he saw the potential in everyone to become great.
Health Food Article in Schooled Magazine
Check out page 18 of this issue to see a blurb of the article w/a list of health food stores in Utah Valley. Or read the full article (minus the photo/color) below:
Health stores have been popping up around Utah Valley in recent years. This trend suggests Utahns are becoming more health conscious.
But what could be the cause for the interest in this unconventional style of eating? And what does it take to be healthy?
For Ruth, a 69 year-old resident of Orem, it took a complete change of perspective.
“I would make fun of the health stores; I thought they were quacks,” Ruth says.
Then, about 38 years ago, Ruth made a trip to a health food store when she didn’t trust her doctors, who prescribed iron tablets for anemia. When those pills didn’t work, the docs prescribed another iron tablet. After two months with no progress, the doctors ordered Ruth to take both tablets and to drink Jell-O water three times per day. Instead, Ruth found some iron supplements – at a health store – that soon solved her anemia problem.
Ruth said she liked health store foods because they are free of MSG, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fat. These foods have helped her lose 30 pounds and lower her cholesterol substantially.
Good Earth is one of the health food stores that have become popular in Utah. The business, which has locations in Orem, Provo, Riverdale, Sandy and American Fork, has this mission statement posted on its Web site: “Good Earth is committed to providing fresh, wholesome foods and nutritional supplements that will help each individual gain optimum health of body and mind.” So, clearly, keeping one’s mind and body healthy and strong is at the forefront of the health food phenomenon.
Even college students have to be careful about what they eat. BYU student Tori Kohlieber’s allergies to wheat and dairy products have led her to look for alternatives – some of these can be found at health food stores.
“You feel ‘normal’ because you still can eat cookies and find specialty foods and ingredients,” Tori said of finding healthy products that don’t betray her allergies.
Tori said knowing how food affects one’s body is essential because every individual is different. She also said exercise is a key to feeling well physically, as well as emotionally and mentally.
While shoppers sometimes gripe about the prices of health foods, Ruth offers a simple quip to those who ask if she can afford to follow her diet.
“Well, it’s cheaper than a triple bypass [heart surgery],” Ruth says.
Humor(less)ous Poetry
Hands are placed at 10 and 2,
She peers directly into the horizon, grinning.
What is she thinking?
Focused intently on what is directly ahead of her...
while her hair rests inside a shower cap