Welcome to the day that you continue to keep getting it done!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to talking! Talk is cheap!! It can get you somewhere, but it won’t keep you there!

In a world where social media has allowed us to become anything we want, we must make sure we don’t fall into the trap of saying more than we’re doing! Facebook has over 900 million users; Twitter: 462; Google+: 170; LinkedIn: 150! With some overlap that’s
more than one billion people talking and sharing what they’re “about” to do!! While it’s good to keep the world informed about your intentions, it’s imperative to remember that intentions don’t pay the bills!!!

Let your work speak for itself!! Spend more time cultivating your craft and creating meaningful relationships than just saying things for likes and retweets! Anybody can be a CEO, but your real bio is based on what you do day in and day out!! Stop talking and get to work!! Your dreams are only possible if you do what it takes to make them possible!!! NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!! THE WORLD IS YOURS!!
-Ash’Cash

“If your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.” -Henry J. Kaiser

“After all is said and done, a lot more will have been said than done.” -Unknown

“Tell me what you brag about and I’ll tell you what you lack.” -Spanish Proverb

“Well done is better than well said.” -Benjamin Franklin

“Ironically, making a statement with words is the least effective method.” -Grey Livingston

“Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.” -Baltasar Gracian

“Talk doesn’t cook rice.” -Chinese Proverb

“People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” -Lewis Cass

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Welcome to the day that you finally stop playing around and do what you were put on this earth to do!! First and foremost, a moment of silence for New York Radio pioneer, Hal Jackson, who passed away yesterday at the age of 96…………………………… My prayers go out to Debbie
Jackson and the family! Debbie, continued to stay strong and continue to do God’s Work!

In commemoration of Mr. Hal Jackson, Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to doing your life’s work!

For those who are unfamiliar with Hal Jackson’s accomplishments, in 1939 he began his
broadcasting career as the first African-American radio sports announcer in D.C. In 1954, he became the first radio personality to broadcast three daily shows on three different New York stations. Four million listeners tuned in nightly to hear his mix of music and conversations with jazz and show business celebrities. In 1971, Hal Jackson and the late Percy Sutton, a former Manhattan borough president, co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC), which acquired WLIB — becoming the first African-American owned-and-operated station in New York.

The following year, ICBC acquired WLIB-FM, changing its call letters to WBLS (“the total BLack
experience in Sound”). As of the late 2000s, ICBC, of which Jackson was group chairman, owns and operates stations in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Fort Lauderdale, Columbia, South Carolina, and Jackson, Mississippi. Hal has been on the radio since 1939, which
if you don’t feel like doing the math, equates to over 70 years.

Hal had definitely found his life’s work and devoted his life to doing it the best way he knows how. As you continue your journey towards success, ask yourself if what you are going after is really your life’s work! Can you imagine a career doing the same thing for over 70 years!? If the answer is yes, then keep going and don’t stop until the wheels fall off!! Mr. Jackson has created a great blueprint for all to follow….. As the saying goes… “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work another day in your life” (Confucius). Rest in Paradise, Mr. Jackson!!!
-Ash’Cash

“Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.” -James Allen

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” -Pearl S. Buck

“Work while you have the light. You are responsible for the talent that has been entrusted to you.” -Henri Frederic Amiel

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.” -Buddha

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” -Saint Augustine

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” -Alexander Graham Bell

“When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one, and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible.” -Unknown

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Welcome to the day that you finally put the past behind you and look forward towards Success!! Not only the success you deserve, but the success that is inevitably yours if you stay focused and never give up! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to moving upward and onward!!

Never look backwards, or you’ll fall down the stairs!!! A simple message with a simple remedy! Imagine driving a car while only looking in the rear view, imagine running a race while looking over your shoulders, imagine yourself in a boxing match and looking too much at the crowd!! Now imagine trying to live life today and paying too much attention to yesterday! You will Lose!!!

Life is about NOW!!! It’s about controlling what you can control and learning from what you can’t! It is what it is!! If you spend too much time on yesterday, then you are wasting the most valuable of your today!!! STOP LOOKING BACK!!! Your treasure is right in your face!!!!! GET WHAT YOU DESERVE!!!!
-Ash’Cash

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” -Unknown

“The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.” -Unknown

“There are times in life you just have to cut your loses, regroup, move on, and never look back.” -Unknown

“Regret is for people who are too scared to reach for the future with both hands. Never look back, stick to your word, and make sure you make a decision you can keep, too.” -Unknown

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” -Henry David Thoreau

“Stay Focused! Paying too much attention to the past distracts from the now.” -Edna Mode

“Don’t fear tomorrow or regret the past, live for whats now and never look back.” -Unknown

“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.” -James Thurber

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

The experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen are highlighted in Red Tails, a film produced by George Lucas [theatrical release date: January 20, 2012]. The film was directed by Anthony Hemingway and based upon a screenplay crafted by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder.

In support of Red Tails’ DVD release today (May 22), Dr. Brown spoke with AllHipHop.com about his Air Force experience, life under “Jim Crow,” and the value of education:

AllHipHop.com:  Long before you became a Tuskegee Airman, at what point in your childhood did you become interested in aviation?

Roscoe Brown:  At that time, aviation was very new, and Charles Lindbergh had flown across the Atlantic Ocean. When I was a kid about six years old, my parents took me to the Smithsonian Institution to look at the Spirit of St. Louis plane, and I became interested in aviation. Aviation was only about thirty years old when Lindbergh flew across the ocean. During the 1930s, they had air races. Many of us made airplane models, and we flew models of World War II planes and racing planes. Many of us wanted to be pilots, but because of the racism and the segregation, we didn’t have the opportunity. I grew up in Washington, D.C., which was a segregated city, and we went to all-Black schools. That opportunity didn’t come until the beginning of World War II when they started the Tuskegee Airmen.

AllHipHop.com:  Before joining the Air Force, you attended Springfield College. What was your area of study?

Roscoe Brown:  Springfield College was an integrated college. There were 16 Blacks out of about 650 students. I ended up being the valedictorian of my class. I majored in health and physical education, which is now known as sports medicine. I had a triple major in chemistry and premedical studies. When I came back from the service, I went for my Ph.D., which I got in the field of exercise physiology and sports medicine.

AllHipHop.com:  When you arrived at Tuskegee, what was your initial impression of Alabama?

Roscoe Brown:  Well, as you know, the Southern part of the country was racially segregated, and the segregation was very brutal in some instances and very demeaning in other instances. You couldn’t go to restaurants. You couldn’t go to theaters. That was the law of the land in the Southern part of the country, and we couldn’t do anything about it. But the reason they picked Tuskegee is that there was a famous college there [Tuskegee Institute], which was founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881. They had a substantial number of Black professionals – doctors, lawyers, and professors.

That environment was a positive environment. In addition, following the stupidity of segregation, the military spent a million dollars to build a separate air base to train the Tuskegee Airmen. The pilots that trained us were White pilots, most of whom really believed that we could learn to fly. The ones who didn’t were eventually transferred. So, we had some good instruction and some good support, and it’s because of that support, and our own energy, and our own desire to be the best we could be that we ended up to be as good we were.

AllHipHop.com:  How long was the training process? And at what point did you begin combat flying?

Roscoe Brown: The Tuskegee experience started in March of 1941. Pearl Harbor was December of 1941. The first class graduated in March of 1942. The length of the training for the average trainee was nine months, so that between the military orientation and your going into the service, it was about a year between the time you first went in and you finally got your wings. I went in, in March of 1943, and I got my wings in March of 1944. I completed my combat transition in July of 1944, and in August of 1944, I was flying combat missions, which I flew until April of 1945.

AllHipHop.com:  You eventually became squadron commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. Could you talk about your rise up the ranks?

Roscoe Brown:  Well, when you start out as a new pilot, you become a “wingman” for a pilot. We flew in groups of four planes. We had a flight leader and a wingman, and an element leader and a wingman. So, you start out as a wingman, and you’re pretty good. You get moved up to element leader and then you get to be flight leader. I was flight leader after about maybe twenty missions. I flew sixty-eight missions. At the end of the war, I was commander of my squadron. Prior to that I was the operations officer for the squadron, which meant I established who was going to fly and where they were going to fly. I led my squadron when we were on the mission to Berlin – which is depicted in Red Tails – and that’s when I shot down the jet over Berlin.

AllHipHop.com:  Wow! Were you ever concerned about your plane going down at all? Did you have any close calls?

Roscoe Brown: Well, in the Black press, we got a lot of publicity, and actually in the white press, because there had been very few German jets shot down – particularly over Berlin. We got some recognition in the white press as well. They would call us the “All-Negro Fighter Group,” and among the white bomber pilots, we got a reputation as being the “Red-Tail Angels,” because we stayed so close to the bombers and protected them, which some of the other groups didn’t do. So, we were, in a sense, heroes among the bomber pilots and particularly in the black community.

AllHipHop.com:  After you left the Air Force, you went back to school – earning an M.A. and a Ph.D. as well. Talk a little bit about your transition back into civilian life.

Roscoe Brown:  I had the option of going to medical school or working for my Ph.D. I liked the idea of sports medicine, and I did some work for the Air Force on looking at the physiological effects of exercise and fatigue. And because of my background in chemistry, I did a lot of research there. After I got my Ph.D., then I worked to help start the American College of Sports Medicine. After that I got involved in educational research, particularly in testing.

My technical specialty is psychometrics, which is the field where you develop tests like the SAT and the College Board and the state assessment exams. That’s what I have done professionally. For a long period of time, I had been a college administrator. I was president of one of the colleges in New York [Bronx Community College] for 16 years, and I have been the director of the Center for Urban Education Policy at the graduate school of City University for about sixteen years. So, I’ve been pretty busy.

AllHipHop.com:  When you look at those two worlds – the Armed Forces and academia – how did they go hand in hand? At the same time, why was education so important to you in your personal and professional lives?

Roscoe Brown:  Well, for one thing, many of us who went into the military did not intend to stay. Several did stay and became colonels. Some became generals. So, we went back to civilian life. Some of us became lawyers, some became doctors, some became professors. I had the opportunity to become a professor. I was one of the first Black professors at New York University, and I become one of the leaders of the faculty there because of my work. I didn’t really think much about aviation. When I first came back from overseas, I wanted to fly with the airlines for a little bit. I was told that they didn’t hire Black pilots, which they didn’t at that time. The only place for pilots was in the Air Force, and I didn’t want to stay in the Air Force. I wanted to develop my career. Our objective as achieving African-Americans was to do so well that it would help other African-American youth to also succeed, and that’s why education has been so important.

AllHipHop.com:  You’ve been given so many awards over the years. What are you most proud of when you have people look at your legacy?

Roscoe Brown:  I always tell people I’m most proud of the fact that I had four great children, but beyond that, I’m very proud of the fact that the Tuskegee Airmen were finally, collectively, recognized by Congress with a Congressional Gold Medal for outstanding service to the country. That’s an award that I cherish. The other awards depend upon the context. Some of them are because of my personal achievements, and some of them are because I’ve been involved in various causes to help change the world. I was with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as a board member for many, many years, and I helped to develop the urban program of the Boys & Girls Clubs, which is now the largest youth-centered organization here in the United States.

AllHipHop.com: The Boys & Girls Club honored you with their Humanitarian Award. What lasting message do you want to leave with young people in particular?

Roscoe Brown:  My message is to strive for excellence, no matter where you are and no matter what the obstacles are, because excellence helps you to overcome the obstacles, it helps you to overcome prejudice, and it helps you to be a more effective citizen in the community. So, my idea is to strive for excellence.

For more of Clayton Perry’s “views” and interviews, browse his “digital archive” – www.claytonperry.com and follow him on Twitter (@crperry84).

Charli Baltimore, Grammy nominated rapper and Hip-Hop diva, sat down with her daughter, Sianni, to talk to Feel Rich about eating healthy and what an impact it has had on her career.

Sianni and Charli give us their real opinions and ideas about eating healthy and how hard it can be to make good choices. Charli tells it like it is and gives us her no-nonsense approach to parenting.

Here are 11 fast foods that will keep you looking like Taye Diggs instead of Cee Lo. The best news of all– none of these is a salad.

McDonald’s – Go for grilled food and skip the fries.

Chicken McGrill – This will build some serious muscle if you’re also working out right. Mess with this one after working out, but drop the mayo.

Hamburger – This is a smaller meal you can eat on the cheap. If you’re really hungry, make it a double, but make sure to toss the bread.

KFC – Chicken is supposed to be healthy, but when it gets battered, fried, and dipped in sauce, it makes Aunt Jemima’s maple syrup look like Slim Fast.

Original Recipe Sandwich – It ain’t a big bucket of greasy chicken, and it still fills you up. It’s cheaper, too. Hard to argue with that. Get it without sauce.

Honey BBQ Sandwich – Another healthier alternative to the finger-lickin’ madness of batter-fried, heart-attack-in-a-bucket.

Grilled Chicken– With fewer calories and fat grams than other options, this is your best bet for a quick meal that won’t undo all your hard work.

Subway – Choose wheat or oat bread. They’re both better for you than white bread, and they’ll fill you up quickly. Skip the mayo and ranch, and go for oil and vinegar.

5. 6″ Roasted Chicken Breast – It has a ton of protein and can really fill you up. To add more flavor to your sandwich, throw on tons of vegetables on top and add a little oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

6. 6” Roast Beef – If you can’t do plain chicken, here’s some meat for ya. Grab as much roast beef as you want. It’s healthy without tasting anything like cardboard.

7. 6” Turkey Breast – One of the lowest calorie foods that still has meat, so stock up.

Taco Bell

Grilled Chicken Burrito – When you’re sick of burgers, this may be one of the best. Tons of meat and not a lot of fat.

Carl’s Jr.

Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich – Less fat AND more protein. That means more for your guns and less for your gut.

In N Out – If you gotta have some meat, this is the place to go. With tons of choices and less fat than the rest, this is a top pick.

Double Hamburger without mayo – The burgers here aren’t as fatty, so you can get away with a double every once in a while– just watch the sauce. Even better: order it protein style – ditch the bread and top it with grilled onions and vegetables.

All of the above meal choices are high in protein and lower in fat and carbs. This means they’re better for your muscles, and won’t end up on your belly. Skip the extra oils, dressings, and sauces. A little won’t kill you, but too much might.

It is always better to stick to the sandwich, and skip the meals. The soda and fries will turn a healthy meal bad real fast. Go for water, milk, or a Diet Coke instead of soda, and fruit or salad instead of fries. If you must have it, SMALL is the way to go.

-Jamil Karim

Like what you see and hear? Check out Feel Rich on Twitter and Facebook, or visit www.feelrich.com!

Will you only sip on something because your favorite artist is, too?

Let’s look at Moscato, for instance. This sweet wine has made its way into upbeat hits, making it an instant hit with some who never would partake in wine before. A dessert wine with dinner, or at any time for that matter – that seems to be all that matters now. Just recently, Nelly’s crew, The St. Lunatics, announced their plans to market “Freaky Muscato.” Can Hip-Hop make anything cool, even if it’s out of its usual context? Some may the answer to that is a resounding YES.

Then, as we look at the various popular liquors, Diddy’s Ciroc, Luda’s Conjure, Grey Goose, and Patron, if they say drink it… millions are running to their local liquor stores and V.I.P. club sections to do just that. Maybe you just so happen to love vodka, tequila, or cognac, or maybe you believe in the celebrities’ brands so much you have to try whatever they put out. It could be a mix of both, just as you might mix Ciroc with orange juice, Grey Goose with pineapple, or Conjure with Coke, to get your favorite drink.

Making money in music is about marketing. How else doers a rapper end up with millions of fans, or millions of dollars in endorsements? Yet and still, some may not take the time to learn about what they hear about in their favorite songs. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, more so of an example of the power the music industry holds, even outside of music.

What’s your favorite drink? Is it musically inspired?

Tawni Fears is a freelance writer and contributor to AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@brwnsugaT).

Even with the ripped 50 Cent by his side, Tony Yayo still struggles with making the right choices for his health. He talks to Feel Rich about quitting smoking, what life is like on the road, how 50 Cent drives G-Unit to get healthy, and getting himself back on the health tip.

To set some goals for yourself, read this:

If you’re serious about getting healthy, it’s time to set some goals. Nothing feels as good as reaching a goal you’ve set for yourself. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, eat healthier, or just remember to take your vitamins, setting achievable goals is the first step on the journey to a healthier you.

There are many ways to set your goals. One way to do it is to ask yourself a basic line of questions: “Who, what, when, where, and why?” The answers to these questions will help you create a framework for your goal, and make it less likely for you to make impulsive decisions.

Who? When it comes to changing your habits, you want a partner in crime. Find someone who wants to make similar goals, whether it’s a boyfriend/girlfriend, cousin, friend, co-worker, etc. Their support and companionship will help you stay on track. Starting or finding a support group is a great way to have people who can not only relate to you, but also help you pull through a rough patch.

What? Set specific, achievable goals. Be realistic. An achievable goal is one you can measure. “I want to have a banging’ body” is not a good goal, because you can’t measure that. How do you know when you’ve achieved it? “I want to be able to run 5 miles without getting winded” is better, because it’s measurable.

When? Ask yourself how much time you can realistically spend working toward your goal. For example, if you work a 9-to-5 job, making a goal to do cardio four times a week for 30 minutes makes sense, where spending three hours strength training every day might not. If your goals are diet related, plan your meals ahead if possible, and try to make mealtime consistent every day.

Where? Figure out where you are going to work towards your goals. Do you have the extra money to spend on a gym membership? Are you more of an outdoorsy type? Do you need a lot of variety in your workout environment so you don’t get bored? Is there an organic supermarket that sells produce at affordable prices? Map out where you will go on your hunt for health.

Why? This is possibly the most important question of all. Why are you setting goals to improve your health? There could many reasons: overall well being, improving self-confidence, creating good habits, reducing a health issue, or training for a marathon. Guess what? They’re all totally valid! Having a clear picture of why you’re doing what you’re doing will help you to accomplish it.

Staying on Board

Sticking to your goals should be a goal in itself. Falling off the wagon is easy, especially if you are creating new habits. So reward your milestones as you go. Get a massage or treat yourself to a nice dinner. When you find yourself slacking, remember your reward, and you’ll find inspiration pronto.

Tying your reward to your milestone helps you focus better, too. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight, reward yourself with new (smaller!) clothes that fit. Having a reward that specifically relates to your goals will help make achieving them even more fantastic.

Also, track your progress. Buy a journal or make an excel spreadsheet. Doesn’t matter; just record your advancement. Recording your progress will help prevent you from being too lenient with yourself. You will also have a record of what you did on any given day.

Preparing for the Future

As you work toward your goal, think about how you will maintain your goals. Knowing what you need to do to stay on top of your game will save yourself a lot of trouble. In general, plan ahead and your chances for success will be great! Good luck!

-Alex Zaglin

Like what you see and hear? Check out Feel Rich on Twitter and Facebook, or visit www.feelrich.com!

Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to taking the first step towards your success! If we surveyed all of the 7,014,961,850 people living in the world today, I can almost guarantee that each and every one of them (including you and me) are aspiring for something greater in life. Whether it’s the baby wanting that next bottle, the kid who wants more junk food, or the adult who is looking
for love and a great career….. Whatever the goal or aspiration, it is IMPOSSIBLE to attain any of it if you don’t take the first step!

I don’t care if you are the most talented and most skillful being on the planet – if you are not putting yourself out there, then you will NEVER be successful! What we need to realize sooner than later is that success is a process! It doesn’t happen at a blink of an eye, and there isn’t one big thing that makes someone successful! Success is the result of small steps put together over time to create a greater piece!

A friend once told me that “It takes at least 10 years to become an overnight success.” Think about that for just one second, and once you truly understand that saying, you will then understand why it is imperative that you begin your journey TODAY!!! Now is the time that you begin to put the wheels in motion in order to begin living the live you have imagined! You are in total control so take what you deserve!!
-Ash’Cash

“There’s no process that guarantees success. But taking the first step ups the chances.” -Jim Tamm

“It’s always easy to do the next step, and it’s always impossible to do two steps at a time.” -Seymore Cray

“The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.” -Nelson Boswell

“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.” -Vance Havner

“Believe that it’s possible. Once you get a taste of success, you start to believe in it a little more.” -Jarome Iginla

“Making a success of the job at hand is the best step toward the kind you want.” -Bernard M. Baruch

“It is important to expect nothing, to take every experience, including the negative ones, as merely steps on the path, and to proceed.” -Ram Dass

“Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.” -William Arthur Ward

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Be sure to watch the video below his response, as he offers more sound advice to readers:

Peace and blessings, family, Today’s Ask Ash Cash segment is an important lesson about how your credit score works, asked by Manny Rivera… Remember if you have any questions, please send them to Questions@AskAshCash.com or ask via Twitter @IamAshCAsh using #AskAshCash.

Dear Ash Cash: What affects my credit score and what can I do to fix it?

For those who are not familiar, your credit score or F.I.C.O. is a credit reporting system started by the Fair Isaacs Corporation. It is a numerical measurement of your credit worthiness that ranges from 300 to 850. Your F.I.C.O. score is used by most lenders to determine whether or not you can obtain credit.

Your score can stop your from getting loans, renting or buying a home, purchasing a car, opening a bank account, or even getting a job. Getting a handle on your F.I.C.O. score is easy if you educate yourself on how F.I.C.O. is calculated, then discipline yourself. The five categories that are used to calculate your score are: How much debt you have or usage (30%), Your payment history (35%), Your debt usage ratio (How much you owe in relation to your credit limit) (30%),
How far back your credit history goes (15%), New credit (10%), and your mix of various types of credit (10%).

Because new credit, length of credit history, and credit mix take longer to fix, they have an immediate (6 months-one year) impact on your credit; it is important that you concentrate of paying your bills on time (35%) and bringing down your usage (30%). If you have late payments in the past, don’t fret too much because your score is damaged by the most recently reported derogatory information, so derogatory information reported prior to two years does not highly impact your score. As far as usage, just make sure that you are not spending more than 30% of your allotted credit limit, i.e. if you have a $1,000 credit card, don’t spend more than $300… If you concentrate on those two things, you will be positively affecting your score by 65%….

If your score is not good enough to obtain new credit, then apply for a secured credit card or loan.. Those are great ways to build up your score!

Congratulations!!! You are on your way to A credit! Keep staying focused, and you will get what you came for! #MindRightMoneyRight!!

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Welcome to the start of the best week of your life! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to saying
no to negative thoughts! In today’s world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay away from negativity! It’s in the news, movies, music, at work, and unfortunately, sometimes at home! We battle daily trying to keep it at bay, but somehow it seems to seep in and take control!

Despite the difficulty and what may seem out of our control, we have more power than we are using! Positive or Negative is not a fact! It is an opinion based solely on perception! You can view a hater as a hater, or you can appreciate the misguided admiration! You can complain about the critic, or you can rejoice that you are doing something worth criticizing!

No matter what happens in your life, you can choose at any moment to think positive and move in the right direction! If you only knew the power of positive thoughts, you would stop the act of thinking negative IMMEDIATELY!!! Everything you need to live a great life is already in your control! Use it to your advantage!! NOTHING CAN STOP YOU BUT YOU!! Take back your mind and live life great!!
-Ash’Cash

“Positive thoughts have positive results. Negative thoughts produce negative results.” -Peter McWilliams

“Once our minds are ‘tattooed’ with negative thinking, our chances for long-term success diminish.” -John Maxwell

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought again.” -Peace Pilgrim

“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.” -Shirley MacLaine

“We can be negative and cynical or we can be charged and hot wired to find a way through it, over it, around it under it.” -Unknown

“Negative thinking destroys your brain cells and causes global warming. Source: The Scientific Institute of GetOverIt!” -Dodinsky

“The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.” -Tenzin Gyatso

“Be the light in the dark, be the calm in the storm and be at peace while at war.” -Mike Dolan

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

AllHipHop.com goes “Fashion Forward” to keep you up on the latest rockable gear:

As the Summer time rolls around everyone wants to make sure they got their gear right. A dope T-shirt and a snapback for the fellas, maybe some nice kicks.  For the ladies with some cute shorts and a tank, you can’t go wrong. Maybe a sundress? I’m just saying… I always liked them. Either way, warm weather, the beach, sippin’ on something tropical (or smokin’ on that fruity)… gotta love summer.

But, no summer would be complete without us co-signing some more gear we think is dope. Over the next few weeks, AllHipHop.com will be showcase several clothing companies that have hot gear for the summer, so you can show off those muscles or that body that you been working on all winter… or not. No matter what, “We’re so proud of you,” as Drake reminds.

To kick things off in the South, we look at the Dallas, Texas-based clothing company, Matrimoney, that seems to be popping up everywhere. From The Game to Curren$y to Mac Miller to Chiddy Bang to Killa Kyleon, and Dorrough, the guys at Matrimoney have laced up the stars. Nowadays, the Whos-Who of the game are all being spotted wearing the Texas-based company’s gear.

Putting an innovative twist on streetwear by incorporating a touch of class into each design, founders Geoff Garber and Will Bolt, collaborated in ’05, at the youngin’ age of 15, to bring to life a sophisticated new line. Inspired by their desire for a better way of life, the line caters to all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Matrimoney vows to stay married to the millis by modeling their business from one of moneymaker John D. Rockafella’s famous quotes:

“I BELIEVE IN THE DIGNITY OF LABOR, WHETHER WITH HEAD OR HAND; THAN THE WORLD OWES NO MAN A LIVING BUT THAT IT OWES EVERY MAN AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LIVING.” – John D. Rockefeller

Take a look at some of your favorite rappers wearing the gear, and visit the links below to check the summer catalogue. You will NOT be disappointed!

Dorrough, Mickey Factz, Play (Play-N-Skillz), Killa Kyleon perform in Matrimoney

Matrimoney outfits The Game, DJ Clockwork (Mac Miller, Talib Kweli), Chiddy Bang, Curren$y

For more info on the Matrimoney and their gear, check their official website.

AllHipHop.com goes “Fashion Forward” to keep you up on the latest rockable gear:

From hot lines telling us what to rock, to rocking the hottest threads once we see a video and find out designer, the connection is real. Fli Pelican is an urban and creative line that Jay, Weezy, Teyana Taylor, and more have adorned. Fli Pelican is also the next line to watch for.

Founder and head designer, Nino, shares some of the Fli Pelican story here:

“I started my line about four years ago now, with all intention to influence the Hip-Hop community. I started with music being my focus, engineering and producing for seven years. I moved to Atlanta with the hopes of someday having someone famous on my beats. I ended up with tons of famous people wearing my clothes instead.”

There’s something about drive and how it takes you exactly where you should be. Again, the relationship between music and fashion found a way to make magic.

The FLI acronym was applied to give people purpose. It stands for: Find Love Inside. That’s applies to whatever you love to do. The “Pelican” represents selflessness. They have a long history in mythology and Christianity. They say you attract what you put out, and Fli Pelican has a foundation of gold.

For anyone looking to break into fashion, music, or any part of the entertainment industry, Nino leaves you with two simple but profound words – patience and prayer. Makes perfect sense, that’s the only way to truly be FLI.

Learn more, and shop while you’re there – www.flipelican.com.

Welcome to the day that you continue to be too stubborn to give up and too delusional to think that anything is impossible! Hip-Hop Legend MC Lyte has released a new book titled Unstoppable, a book that aims to ignite the power within to achieve your greatest potential! In commemoration of her book launch, we are dedicating today’s Daily Word to being Unstoppable!

Once and for all, I need you to stop thinking and get to work! I need you to get rid of the logic that tells you that your goals are not possible, and be crazy enough to know that they are! I need you to realize that you are the only thing standing in your way of success!! Be unstoppable! Understand that once a person is determined to achieve a goal, they will absolutely achieve it!! Be determined!

Stop allowing outside forces to dictate what you can and can’t do!! This is your life, your gift, and your right to live it anyway you see fit! Live it the best! Maximize your full potential, and never let it go to waste. As much as we would like to think we will be here forever, the truth is that, at some point, our time on earth will expire, and when that time comes, make sure that you have no regrets whatsoever…

As the famous quote goes….“Live life so completely that when death comes to you like a thief in the night, there will be nothing left for him to steal.” BE UNSTOPPABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Ash’Cash

“Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.” -Les Brown

“Be determined never to stop until you have come to the end and achieved your purpose.” -David Livingstone

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” -Confucius

“You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.” -Ralph Marston

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -Michael Jordan

“The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.” -Tom Bradley

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” -Ayn Rand

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” -Bo Jackson

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

For the most part, the movie is based in Hawaii; a beautiful setting with wide-open sea, clear skies, and breathtaking terrain in the islands. But Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna look even better. Decker plays Sam, the love interest of protagonist Alex Hopper (played by Taylor Kitsch). Rihanna takes on the role of Cora Raikes, an officer under Lieutenant Hopper. It’s clear that one of the main draws of the movie are the two beautiful women, and they both live up to the hype. Interestingly, although Rihanna was advertised as a huge star, her role in the film is not so monumental – a good thing. Making her big screen debut, it’s almost as though the crew didn’t set her up to fail. In turn, she excelled in her under-ranking officer character, filled with spunk and courage.

The plot revolves around Alex Hopper, a young man full of talent, as well as laziness. However, when aliens from another galaxy come to invade the Earth, all jokes are aside for Hopper. With a rag-tag crew of Navy men, the battle scenes between Earth’s fleet and outerworldly ships are extremely entertaining. It’s like Halo meets Call of Duty, but on water. One of the more touching points in the film is when Hopper is forced to call on retired Navy veterans for assistance; this is due to win over the veteran crowd who is sure to watch. It also features real-life veteran Colonel Greg Gadson, who brings a sense of authenticity to the film, but can be exposed for his lack of acting talent at times.

While the battle scenes are what make the movie, the actual dialogue is what anchors it to a halt. It was gawking at times, relying too heavily on tired clichés rather than fresh ideas. There are hints of comic relief, but it’s sometimes outweighed by predictable writing. But, if you can get past some of the cheesy ‘Save-the-world’ scenes, Battleship finishes very strong. Great scenery, gorgeous women, and ginormous battle scenes – all things that make an action movie watchable.

Check out the trailer for Battleship below and see it in theaters now:

Know this. It’s not a fad. Known mostly for their Kreemo “Dropout” Tee, an homage to Kanye West’s College Dropout bear, this 21-year-old trio (who, by the way, are college students), has attracted both the likes of Wiz Khalifa and Lil Wayne.

In 2008 at Morehouse College in Atlanta, cousins Lavan Wright, Brian Wright, and friend, Desmond Attmore, became partners and put their minds together to create a brand they believed could be better than the clothes they were already buying:

“We used to always go downtown to SoHo and just run around. We really loved the culture, and were like 16, but we would always spend our money on Bape, BBC, Supreme, a whole bunch of stuff, and we just really loved it,” said Brian Wright, CEO of Kreemo. “Until one day, I was like, ‘Man, I definitely could come up with something that’s hotter than that!’ I went home and called my cousin Lavan, and he was down with it.”

In 2009, the Brooklyn-bred entrepreneurs scaled back to age-old advertising techniques and filled the Atlanta college scene with buttons, finely equipped with their ghost-like logo – a simple, yet strategic effort that yielded notoriety. Not too long after, upon receiving a personal call from Wiz Khalifa, the group was charged with producing the rapper’s merchandise for his debut album, Rolling Papers. And that, they did.

In our interview with CEO and brainchild behind the creation, Brian Wright, he admits, there’s no fret in Kreemo becoming a fad, revealing, “The reason why it won’t be a fad is because, it’s a lifestyle.

“It only becomes a fad when people are trying to super capitalize off it, and it’s a certain way that I want to do things. Yes, we’re going to make money off of it, but yes, we’re going to do it our way. Yes, the entertainment people are liking it, it’s becoming popular, but this is really for the world,” he added.

Kreemo, a name derived from Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, a psychiatric hospital in Queens, New York, stands for “innovation in its youth,” representing more than just clothes, but a way of living, with Brian adding:

“When I was little, my grandmother would say ,“Y’all better stop acting up before I send y’all to the ‘Creemo house.’ I took that term and found out what “Creemo” really was, and made a whole concept of when you do something that’s really innovative at first, it’s always considered being a nuisance to society. Or when you’re trying to show somebody a new blueprint, they never really get it. You’re always the crazy one.

“The first person that invented the television, I’m pretty sure that when he showed the first couple of people the blueprints, they were like, ‘Aww, man, this is never really about to go down, a box where you can watch people?’ I feel like everybody can relate to that. Everybody has a story where they’re grinding, or they have this idea, and people said it couldn’t be done. The logo is a ghost, because traditionally, when you tell people that you’ve seen a ghost, they tell you you’re crazy, because they don’t see it.”

With the explosion of cool kids on Tumblr and Pinterest, these innovative entrepreneurs have amassed a huge influential following across the nation, and even overseas in countries, including Japan.

Most recently, Kreemo is planning a huge campaign, which includes working with popular Atlanta DJ Don Cannon and Hip-Hop producer Mike Will Made It. Not ones to rest on their laurels, Kreemo Tele, their video faction, are the lens behind Tank and T.I.’s official behind-the-scenes video, “Compliments,” and Curren$y and 2 Chainz’, “Capitol”.

Join the movement at Kreemo.com.

Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to your abilities, your capabilities, and your power to do and have ANYTHING you want in life!! Somewhere along your journey, you were convinced that what you need to succeed is not already within you! You were somehow made to believe that your skills
and abilities are not enough!! Maybe they said you weren’t born in the right family, didn’t go to the right school, or didn’t grow up in the right neighborhood! Or maybe you bought that line about not belonging to the right group!!

The fact is that right now, where you stand, you are capable and able to do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING that you want to!! For a long time, you have been your biggest hindrance, and because you gave up your powers, others where able to control your destiny!!

Today is the day that you say enough is enough!! You have EXACTLY what you need to get EXACTLY what you want!! Stop wasting your abilities, and make them pay you dividends!! THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS UNIVERSE THAT CAN STAND IN THE WAY OF WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY YOURS!!!! KNOW THAT FACT AND GO GET WHAT YOU DESERVE!!!!!!!! YOU ARE MORE THAN ABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAKE IT DO WHAT IT DOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Ash’Cash

“Everything you need you already have. You are complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else.” -Wayne Dyer

“What we need is to use what we have.” -Susan Sontag

“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability.” -John Wooden

“Every success is built on the ability to do better than good enough.” -Unknown

“You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” -Rosalynn Carter

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” -Norman Vincent Peale

“You’ll see it when you believe it.” -Wayne Dyer

“The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.” -Andrew Carnegie

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

What do you choose when you’re thirsty? When you need energy? When you’re chillin’? When you want to be healthy? Water, of course! Surprised? Here’s the scoop.

Secret Slimming Weapon!

Weight Loss Trick: Water is great when you’re fighting the fat, and you get the munchies. Don’t bother wasting your money on fattening snacks. Instead, feel rich and help yourself to a tall glass of cold water. Water helps fill you up but does not have calories, sugar, or fat. You can have as much as you want without gaining weight. Plus, it’s safer than diet pills.

Bloating Is Not Cool: We all feel bloated sometimes, but water can rescue you! Here’s the low-down. When you don’t drink enough, your body starts to panic. Your body thinks that it needs to retain water, or hold onto all of the water that is inside of you. This bloating may make you feel tired, heavy and definitely not sexy! So when you start to feel bloated, grab a water bottle and drink up.

Burn a Few Calories: If you want that toned, sexy body, you’re gonna have to break a sweat. Water keeps you going strong whether you’re working, grooving, or pumping iron. If you don’t drink enough, you’ll get tired, and you may even get muscle cramps. That’ll really cramp your style!

Strut Your Stuff!

Sexy Smile: White teeth and soft lips give you a sexy smile and make you feel rich. Water keeps your mouth clean so that your teeth stay white and strong. Do you know how to get soft, full lips to finish off that perfect smile? Of course! If you get dehydrated, your lips will be cracked and dry. So drink up and get ready for some good kissing!

Skin and Hair: Soft, smooth skin and shiny, healthy hair are irresistible invitations to be touched. You may already have a regular skin and hair care routine that works for you, but here’s a tip. Your favorite lotions, moisturizers, shampoos and conditioners work better when you drink enough water.

Get Enough!

So How Much Do You Need?

You need about 9 to 13 8-ounce cups of water each day. This is the amount in about 4 or 5 20-ounce bottles from vending machines. You need more when you are active or the weather is hot. Of course, you don’t have to drink bottled water. Tap water is just as good for you and it’s better for the environment. How cool is that?

 That’s So Much! This may seem like a lot of water, but you’re probably drinking nearly that much already. A few small changes can get you to your goals. You can drink an extra cup with meals and make sure to drink before and after exercising. Keep a water bottle in your car, desk or locker. Want to set a trend? Show your style and decorate a reusable water bottle with logos of your favorite Hip-Hop artists.

Like what you see and hear? Check out Feel Rich on Twitter and Facebook!

Well, Sony Pictures isn’t having that, so after releasing a brand-new 3D trailer last week with The Avengers, they’ve decided to unleash what is being called a “super-preview” of Marc Webb’s reboot of The Amazing Spider-Man. According to an official plot synopsis, “The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.

“As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.”

Check out the 4-minute “super-preview” of The Amazing Spider-Man below:

The Amazing Spider-Man hits theatres on July 3.

“What Up Doe?!”

If you are from outside of the Land of Mile Roads, you have probably heard the expression somewhere before. Ever wonder where it came from?

“What Up Doe?” is recognized on the website, www.UrbanDictionary.com, and defined as “a greeting amongst people in an urban setting. It can be used in several ways; it can express friendship, anger, or be used as a question. It is used extensively in the upper east of the Midwest, especially Detroit.”

A twist on the common “What’s Up?”, “What Up Doe?” became popular in the mid-’80s. Detroit transplant, Jae Barber, manager of rapper elZhi and producer Karriem Riggins, currently resides in Los Angeles traces it back: “’What Up Doe?’ initially was the way that drug dealers greeted each other because “dough” meant money, and they were making a lot of it. It’s a phrase my older cousins used a lot back then. Younger kids like me, took it, and ran with it.”

Detroit-based rapper, actor, and film director, Al Nuke, explains, “To my knowledge, ‘What Up Doe?’ emerged in 1983, and it had a lot to do with the Pony Down gang. AWOL was the first Detroit rap group to have a single called “What Up Doe?” which did well on the radio. It was a street code at first and then they burst it as Detroit lingo on a record. They made it a cool thing to say for everybody. Now, it is just the standard Detroit greeting.”

In the 1980s, Detroit gained notoriety as a murder capital and a major drug market, with criminal organizations like The Chambers Brothers, Young Boys, Inc., and later Black Mafia Family (BMF). Through their presence in Atlanta in the ’90s, BMF unknowingly introduced the signature phrase to mainstream rappers like Young Jeezy, whose usage has helped make the phrase universal.

Detroit rapper Tone-Tone memorialized the phrase on record – his song, “What Up Doe?” became a local classic. The film, 8 Mile, which is nearing its decade anniversary, further propelled the universality of the phrase as nearly every character used it incessantly.

Artist manager and AllHipHop.com contributor, Hexmurda sums it up best. “What up doe can mean a few different things. It can be a greeting, a challenge, or a phrase used to determine one’s origin or residency,” says Hexmurda. “It depends on the situation and voice inflection. Whenever a Detroiter hears that, wherever they may be, they know home isn’t that far away.”

Biba Adams is a Senior Staff Writer for AllHipHop.com, and a native Detroiter living in Atlanta. Tell her “What Up Doe,” on Twitter (@BibatheDiva), and send her your “Local to Universal” phrases from your hometown – it might make the site. 

Welcome to the day that you begin to do your absolute best in everything you do! Today’s Daily
Word is dedicated to Being Extra!! It is a known fact that most people never truly reach their goals because they only do just enough to try to reach them! What most people don’t realize is that in order to accomplish anything in life, they must be willing to go the extra mile!

Doing just enough will win some victories, but not enough to make winning a habit! Every single day, you must vow to do your absolute best, and do what needs to be done to reach your goals! Be Extra!! Just getting by is for the mediocre, and there’s no way on God’s Green Earth that you were put here to be Mediocre!! Give it all you got, then give it some more!! The Only person that can stop you is you!! THE WORLD IS YOURS!!
-Ash’Cash

“On the road of life, there are no roadblocks when you go the extra mile.” -Unknown

“The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” -Denis Waitley

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” -Jimmy Johnson

“Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more.” -A. Lou Vickery

“If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.” -Anita Roddick

“Challenge yourself to think on a higher level. Go above and beyond the standard of what is expected and strive for the most extraordinary accomplishments.” -Donald Trump

“Do your best every day and your life will gradually expand into satisfying fullness.” -Unknown

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.” -Arthur C. Clarke

“When you reach the top, keep climbing.” -Proverb

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Watch the video below his response, as he offers more sound advice to readers:

Hello Again!! Today’s installment of Ask Ash Cash comes from Nicole….

Dear Ash Cash: What can I do to reduce credit card debt?

There is a myth going around that says you should pay off the debt that has the highest interest rate first in order to get out of debt quickly. While that isn’t completely a lie, the truth is that you
should pay off the smallest debt first in order to gain momentum in your debt repayment program.

As I discuss in my book, Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom, it is imperative that you get your mind right in order to get your finances together. I believe that by paying off your smallest debts first, you gain some quick wins in order to stay excited about getting out of debt completely. This method is called “snowballing,” which means that you stop paying
everything except minimum payments and focus on one thing at a time.

Here’s an example of how it works from Wikipedia:

(This example does not add in the accruing monthly interest of the credit cards and loans, which make the balance amounts higher and payoff time longer.)

A person has the following amounts of debt and additional funds available to pay debt (the debt is listed with the smallest balance first, as recommended by the method):

Credit Card A – $250 balance – $25/month minimum
Credit Card B – $500 balance – $26/month minimum
Car Payment – $2500 balance – $150/month minimum
Loan – $5000 balance – $200/month minimum

The person has an additional $100/month which can be devoted to repayment of debt.

Under the debt-snowball method, payments for the first two months would be made to debtors as follows:

Credit Card A – $125 ($25/month minimum + $100 additional available)
Credit Card B – $26/month minimum
Car Payment – $150/month minimum
Loan – $200/month minimum

After two months (presuming the person has not added to the balances, which would defeat the purpose of debt reduction), Credit Card A would have been paid in full, and the remaining balances as follows:

Credit Card B – $448
Car Payment – $2200
Loan – $4600

The person would then take the $125 previously used to pay off Credit Card A and apply it as additional payment to the Credit Card B balance, which would make payments for the next three months as follows:

Credit Card B – $151 ($26/month minimum + $125 additional available)
Car Payment – $150/month minimum
Loan – $200/month minimum

After three months, Credit Card B would be paid in full (the final payment would be $146), and the remaining balances would be as follows:

Car Payment – $1750
Loan – $4000

The person would then take the $151 previously used to pay off Credit Card B, and apply it as additional payment to the car loan balance, which would make payments as follows:

Car Payment – $301 ($150/month minimum + $151 additional available)
Loan – $200/month minimum

It would take six months to pay the car loan (the final payment being $240), whereupon the person would then make payments of $501/month toward the loan (which would have a $2800 balance) for six months (with the last payment at $234).

Thus, in 17 months, the person has repaid four loans, with two of them being paid in a mere five months and three within one year.

Again, paying down your debt this way will give you some psychological advantages and will keep you motivated to keep going!!! Mind Right, Money Right!!! That’s the only way!!

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

If you’re one of the eight people left in the world who has yet to see The Avengers, do yourself a favor and get to a theater near you as soon as possible. You won’t be disappointed and, in fact, will be treated to one of the most entertaining, enjoyable, and all-around bad-*ss films ever put on screen. 

If you really need more than the notion of seeing your favorite superheroes team up to take down a global threat on an epic scale unlike many other summer “blockbusters,” check out “AllHipHop.com’s 10 Reasons to See The Avengers.”

The Avengers second-weekend U.S. haul of $103.2 million has helped place the film at #11 on the “All-Time Worldwide Grosses List,” behind films like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Avatar, Titanic and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Analysts expect the film’s worldwide total to increase exponentially over the next month or two, suggesting that The Avengers could end up in at least the top 5 when all is said and done

In related news, THR has reported that Disney CEO Robert Iger announced during a recent conference call with analysts that development has begun on the highly-anticipated follow-up to what should surely will become this summer’s biggest movie.

Before fans and the general movie-going audience gets to feast their eyes on The Avengers 2, though, Marvel will be releasing Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 next year, as well as Captain America 2 and a currently unrevealed new Marvel film in 2014. In other words, don’t expect The Avengers 2 to melt your brain until 2015 at the earliest.

And now, for the question on most people’s minds: how will The Dark Knight Rises fare come July 20?

Welcome to the start of another wonderful week! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to finding your pace! Life is a journey not a destination! Many times without really realizing it, we find ourselves racing against others, trying to write our story based on theirs! We compare what they’ve accomplish and attempt to keep up or try and outdo them!

What we need to realize is that success takes being patient, and everyone has their own path! Even though two paths may seem similar, everyone will reach their destination when they are supposed to and never sooner! The key is to keep going!! Slow and Steady wins the race! It makes no sense to be in a rush or to try to be better than someone else…

Be better than YOU!! Find Your Pace!! Know that whatever goal you set forth for yourself will be yours, as long as you keep moving! Rushing comes from a sense of fear and a sense of lack!! Slow down and enjoy the scenery!! The process is the best part of the journey!!
-Ash’Cash

“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.” -William Shakespeare

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” -Winnie the Pooh

“Race to the finish not race from the start, pace yourself, run your own race and don’t get sucked into someone else’s.” - Kevin Sayers

“You were placed on this earth to create, not to compete.” -Dr. Robert Anthony

“In the Race of Life, don’t waste your energy and time trying to compare with others… Sometimes you are ahead, sometimes behind…. The race is long and in the end it’s only with yourself…” -Rashika Jains

“You have to pace yourself. If you have a day off, take it as a whole day off. Just relax. That’ll help in the long run.” -Chris Shelton

“Have fun in your command. Don’t always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you’ve earned it: Spend time with your families.” -Colin Powell

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to give a special shout out to the most important people in the world…… Mothers!!! Without their unconditional love, without their sacrifice, without their care, without their nurturing, God knows where we all would be!

Cherish your mother and be grateful for all that she has done to bring you where you are today… And when all else fails, remember that she gave you life!!! Something you can never pay back!!
-Ash’Cash

“No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you – life.” -Unknown

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” -Abraham Lincoln

“Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes by dozens and hundreds, but only one mother in the whole world.” -Kate Douglas Wiggin

“A mother’s love is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking.” -Helen Rice

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” -Tenneva Jordan

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” -Jill Churchill

“Mother – that was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries.” -T. DeWitt Talmage

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” - Washington Irving

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Once a television soap opera type series in the 1960s, Dark Shadows is the story of the wealthy Collins family that leaves the Old World for the New World in the 18^th century to broaden their riches by starting a fishing business in Maine. As the family prospers, the Collins family builds an amazing 200-room palace dubbed Collinwood Manor, and due to their business being the main source of income in their area, the city is named Collinsport.

Young Barnabas Collins, enjoying the fruits of his family’s wealth, galavants around Collinsport as the town’s playboy. Unfortunately for Barnabas, he becomes romantically involved with a young female servant of the house and breaks her heart. Why is this bad? Well, it turns out that the young maid is also secretively a very powerful witch. So powerful, that she causes Barnabas’ parents to die in an “accident” and puts a spell on his new love, Josette, that makes her leap off of a steep cliff to her death. If that isn’t punishment enough for the heartbreak, the young witch also puts a spell on Barnabas that turns him in to a vampire, and leads the town in condemning him to a chained coffin in which he’s buried alive.

Fast forward 200 years later, Barnabas is freed from his grave and returns to Collinsport in the “groovy” 1970s and sets to return his family (distant relatives that took over Collinwood Manor) to prominence. Johnny Deep, who has a history of choosing odd roles, once again teams up with director Tim Burton who has a history of choosing to make odd movies. It’s the duo’s eighth movie together, in fact. So how does Dark Shadows fare under them? To be honest, it is a very ridiculous story, but Depp and Burton use that to their advantage to create a humorous two-hour experience.

The makeup heavy Depp (a la “Edward Scissorhands”) gives Barnabas Collins a touch of charm as the vampire rediscovers life, love, and vengeance in the ’70s. Helena Bonham Carter, also one for odd roles and a frequent collaborator of Burton films, brings delightful life to her role as Dr. Julia Huffman, the family psychiatrist. Without Depp and Bonham Carter, the movie wouldn’t survive, as they are truly experienced in giving strange characters the right amount of charm, humor, and drama.

Another standout is the young Chloe Grace Mortez who plays Carolyn, the rebellious teen of the house. Although a 15-year-old playing a rebellious teen isn’t too much of a stretch, Chloe (who was marvelous as “Hit-Girl” in the Kick-Ass movie) does a good job of bringing teen angst to the ’70s hippie-era Carolyn. Michelle Pfeiffer has some decent moments as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the current family matriarch, as well as Eva Green as the witch and antagonist of the movie.

Director Tim Burton also does a splendid job of visually capturing the feel of both 18^th and 20^th Century of coastal New England, and musical director Danny Elfman scores the movie with music from the likes of Curtis Mayfield, The Carpenters, and Alice Cooper to give it a broad ’70s feel. I found Dark Shadows to be a fun and pleasant movie, and I feel that most audience members will, too, if they can allow themselves to get past some of the oddness and even ridiculous elements of the story.

Everything has its place, and always remember that it all happens for a reason! You can’t have faith and be a worrier at the same time! Have faith that everything that has happened in your life has brought you to this point….. and at this point, you can decide to move in the right direction and make life greater!

Those who don’t see the goodness in everything are in danger of allowing their blessings to just pass them by! You are blessed beyond comprehension, and regardless of your situation, you have everything to be thankful for! As you read this next sentence, I need you to begin to think about all the things you are grateful for, and immediately begin to tell your higher power thank you!!

Whether you believe in God, Allah, Buddha, or the Universe…something is watching over you, and you must not take that for granted!! Appreciate all you have, and everything you ever wanted will be at your disposal!! The world is YOURS and the more your realize that, the more you will KNOW that NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!!!!
-Ash’Cash

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey

“He enjoys much who is thankful for little; a grateful mind is both a great and happy mind.” -Unknown

“If you can’t be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped.” -Unknown

“There’s always something to be thankful for. If you can’t pay your bills, you can be thankful you’re not one of your creditors.” -Unknown

“It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.” -Unknown

“A thankful heart is always close to the riches of the universe.” -Unknown

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” -Buddha

“It is not Happy people who are Thankful. It is Thankful people who are Happy!” -Unknown

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Their divorce has been played out in the media over the past several months.

During the most recent incident at the couple’s multimillion dollar mansion in Prosper, Texas, Deion and Pilar Sanders were charged with misdemeanor assault, when an altercation between the pair became physical.

A judge issued a gag order against Pilar, which was lifted on April 23. Now she is speaking out against her a strange husband.

“This is just another game to Deion Sanders, his court room and media antics are part of his touch down dance, and he looks at our children as just another trophy for his shelf; something that helps him sell his next product, his next reality show,” said Pilar Sanders.

Pilar Sanders attorney Larry Friedman labeled Deion Sanders’ actions as “adolescent.”

“There are no winners in the divorce process, and there’s nothing that justifies an adolescent dance in a retired football uniform to taunt Pilar,” said Larry Friedman, Mrs. Sander’s attorney. “The focus should be on the best interest of the children and not on Mr. Sanders’ glorious past, forgotten football career,” he continued.

Check out Pilar Sanders’ full statement below, along with some facts from her camp, relating to the ongoing divorce proceedings between herself and Dion Sanders.

This is just another game to Deion Sanders, his court room and media antics are part of his touch down dance, and he looks at our children as just another trophy for his shelf; something that helps him sell his next product, his next reality show. I’ve been silent since September. Once Deion’s secret life was revealed and he laid all of his cards on the table, I just wanted a civil divorce for the sake of my children. This didn’t have to go down like this,” explains Pilar. “I obeyed the court, tried to protect my kids from hearing all of the trash talk, but still their father approached it like another ball game.

Seeing that Deion uses our children and the word ‘God’ in trying to disguise his image, I think enough is enough. He only cares about himself, manipulating and cheating to distract from the truth and let’s not forget about his open and flagrant philandering.

No one deserves to be treated like this, no one. I need the facts known and hopefully Deion’s public will convince him to just stop showing off, handle this situation fairly like a real man, and let my children and me get on with our lives.

FACTS:

1.) Deion Sanders was NOT granted temporary custody. Both parents have access to their children.

2.) Deion Sanders is NOT allowed to take the children out of school and out of state, without advising Pilar. He had been doing this in violation of Texas law, the State’s truancy laws, and the Court’s Orders.

3.) The Protective Order that Deion previously obtained against Pilar through the Prosper Police when she was arrested on April 23rd, was VACATED.

4.) Deion’s application for A Protective Order against Pilar For Family Violence in the Family Court was DENIED. Both Deion and Pilar Sanders have been told to stay 100 yards from each other making Deion’s assault charges against Pilar groundless.

5.) The Court awarded Deion the exclusive possession of the house in Prosper that he owned before he was married to Pilar which was his separate property with or without a premarital agreement. That ruling was nothing either way.

6.) The Court did NOT grant Pilar’s application for A Protective Order against Deion For Family Violence in the Family Court even though Pilar sustained serious injuries in the incident, including a broken thumb, a broken arm, a disjointed elbow, and bruises and contusions on her arms, shoulders, back, and neck. (Medical documents are available.)

7.) And, lastly the Court RESCINDED AND VACATED the Gag Order. That was an important ruling because Deion had continued to violate this Order with his relentless assaults against Pilar in the media while she continuously obeyed the Order. Now it allows her to defend herself against his verbal abuse.

Nothing else was decided. All of the matters relating to temporary orders will be determined on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

For the record, Deion’s attorney has a conflict of interested, while representing Deion he also represents the town of Prosper, The Prosper Police Department, and the Prosper Independent School District. That speaks for itself.

Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to working hard! Many people have many ideas, many people
have many talents, but they mean absolutely nothing if you are not willing to put in the work to obtain your goal! We are often told that we must have faith in ourselves and our abilities, but without that being combined with work, it means nothing!

You reap what you sow, and you get what you grind for! We already know there aren’t any shortcuts, but we should also realize that life is about doing your best at all times! You will never get out of life more than you put in!!! Put in the work, and watch the magic happen!!
-Ash’Cash

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” -Emile Zola

“Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy.” -Ralph Ransom

“Without labor nothing prospers.” -Sophocles

“All the so-called “secrets of success” will not work unless you do.” -Unknown

“Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it.” -Unknown

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” -Abraham Lincoln

“Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” -Unknown

“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” -Will Rogers

“Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still.” -Chinese Proverb

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Welcome to the most victorious day of your year!! The day that you can begin to take back control and go in the direction that will allow you to accomplish all of your goals!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to Taking Shortcuts! If you are as focused as I know you are, then I know you understand that there is never a shortcut to any place worth going! I’m also certain that you realize that the fastest and surest way to get anything in life is to do it the right way!

Many times people get caught up trying to find the easy way, not realizing that they are wasting time and setting themselves back! The work you put in is part of the price you pay to achieve success!! Easy Come!! Easy Go!! How you get it is how you will lose it!!

Quick fixes DO NOT work!! If you have a nail in your foot and keep taking pain killers to stop the pain, eventually your foot will rot!! Instead, take the nail out!!! Do everything in your power to
achieve your goals, but know that you are in no rush!! What is for you no one can ever take away!! Keep grinding!! Keep pushing!! and Keep making great things happen!!! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!!!! NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Ash’Cash

“There’s never an easy route to the things that matter.” -Charles de Lint

“Don’t waste time learning the “tricks of the trade. Instead, learn the trade.” -Unknown

“Champions know there are no shortcuts to the top. They climb the mountain one step at a time. They have no use for helicopters!” -Judi Adler

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” -John Wooden

“You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it.” -French Proverb

“Identify your escape route; destroy it.” -Unknown

“There are no shortcuts in life – only those we imagine.” -Frank Leahy

“The best way out of a difficulty is through it.” -Will Rogers

“Plans get you into things, but you got to work your way out.” -Will Rogers

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

From Styles P – rapper, member of The Lox, and proud owner of Juices for Life in New York:

I like to tell people that the biggest benefit of juicing is that it gives you an opportunity to put life back into your body. Unless you are a vegan, the food you eat is dead. But fruits and vegetables are alive! So when you take those fruits and vegetables and juice them up, you are taking all the good that those living foods can offer and putting that directly into your body. That’s how you put life back into yourself.

Also, juicing gives you more energy. When you juice, eat right and exercise regularly, you are definitely on the path to a healthy lifestyle.

This personally plays into my performance. I went from being 240 lbs down to 185 lbs and have been able to maintain that weight. I have an abundance of energy–from being in the booth to performing on the stage, all the energy I have is due to this lifestyle.

Check out a video of Styles P talking about his innovative take on nutrition, and look below and try his signature juice recipe for “THE GHOST”:

The Ghost:

• 3 pears
• 2 handfuls of grapes
• 6 strawberries
• 1 handful of blueberries

Juice all these together. Put some ice in there if you want. Then add a spoonful of honey or agave if you want, and pour it over a tall glass of ice.

Like a V8:

• 2 tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 leaves of lettuce
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1/2 handful of parsley

Juice all these together. Pour over a tall glass of ice. Sprinkle the top with black pepper and enjoy.

Like what you see and hear? Check out Feel Rich on Twitter and Facebook, or visit www.feelrich.com!

Welcome to a new day, a new chapter, and a new opportunity to do it better than before!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to temporary defeat! STOP GIVING PERMANENT ENERGY TO TEMPORARY THINGS!!! On your road to greatness, there will be many times you will be met with temporary defeat… This in no way means that you should give up or wave the white flag!! This only means that there is a part of your plan that you need to adjust!

Too often we get so close to our goal, and because of a minor setback, we decide to abandon ship!! DON’T!!! Victory is within the mile!! Keep pushing and realize that whatever the obstacle…it too shall pass!! The only thing that is permanent is death!!! IF YOU AINT DEAD, THEN IT AIN’T OVER!!

Your dreams will be yours if you are willing to sacrifice and pay the price!! That price may include some hardship and some defeat, but it’s a small price to pay once you get what you came for!! Defeat is temporary!! Treat it as such and keep making your dreams happen!! -Ash’Cash

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.” -Lance Armstrong

“Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” -Marilyn vos Savant

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” -Henry Ford

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.” -Denis Waitley

“Difficulties are opportunities to better things; they are stepping stones to greater experience. Perhaps someday you will be thankful for some temporary failure in a particular direction. When one door closes, another always opens.” -Unknown

“Great minds have purposes; little minds have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; great minds rise above them.” -Washington Irving

“The greater difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.” -Epicurus

“The permanent temptation of life is to confuse dreams with reality. The permanent defeat of life comes when dreams are surrendered to reality.” -Unknown

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Beginning his career rhyming with the likes of Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Stetsasonic, Kurtis Blow, and Run DMC, Glenn “Sweety G” Toby had a couple of modest hits in the early ’80s with the singles, “At the Place to Be” and “We Want to Get Down”.

“My first love was always music,” says Toby. “Just to feel, see, and connect with people on another level was incredible in itself.” But, eventually the rapper became an entrepreneur, specializing in marketing, management, and strategic business development. A former member of the LL Cool J management team, Toby also helps to provide the proper guidance and support for aspiring and active MCs including Saigon, Tru Life, and Q Da Kid.

Toby has also worked with over 50 NFL players. He and his business partner Alonzo Shavers provide a full scale of client services, including contract negotiations, publicity, marketing, and legal assistance. But ask Glenn Toby what he is most proud of, and it will likely be his work with The Book Bank Foundation (BBF).

In 1997, Toby founded The BBF, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting and advocating for literacy. With this mission in mind, Toby and the BBF have logged almost half a million hours of community service, helping to decrease the illiteracy rate by providing innovative ways of promoting learning, social awareness, and individual prosperity.

And, of course, a person who is focused at eradicating illiteracy would have to write a book. “We hope to inspire and develop a child’s mind to better understand the reality and challenges of the world they are living and growing in, through learning, critical thinking, and understanding life’s natural progression through a child’s view,” Toby says of his new children’s book.

With Lil’ G Faces the Brooklyn Bully, Toby tells the story of a boy, “Lil’ G,” who is homeless but possesses the ability to rap, which gets him up close to Sweety G. Sweety G then tells him about the BBF and helps “Lil’ G” and his mom get back on track to finding a home.

“Lil’ G is evidence,” says Toby, “that every child must have the right and opportunity to grow into a world that is greater than it was before they were born.”

Toby, who faced homelessness at one point in his own life, had a good perspective from which to write. Having to live on the streets, on subways, or find warmth on hotel hallway floors, he found solace in reading, as it allowed him to travel to foreign and distant places beyond his reality. “It was a frightening time for me and my siblings,” says Toby, “but it was also an enormous lesson in real character development and personal integrity.”

For more information on Glenn “Mr. Sweety G” Toby, visit www.glenntoby.com. Purchase a copy of Lil G Faces the Brooklyn Bully for a little one in your life at www.meetLilG.com.

Welcome to the week that will change your life forever! The week where you change your outlook
and realize that everything you want is within arms reach! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to your expectations!

What are you waiting for? A miracle? Your circumstance to change? Your big breakthrough? A
better job? Are you currently expecting the worst, but hoping that the best happens by chance? Life, at any moment, will become difficult if you are not in tune with how simple it really is! Beginning today, it is imperative to realize that life will give you what you expect! Keep expecting the worst to happen, and that’s exactly what you’ll get! Expect your road to be paved with difficulties, and you will see obstacles everywhere you go…

On the other hand… Expect greatness, and greatness will be yours! Expect the best, and the best will have no choice but to come to you! Don’t wait until circumstances change! Don’t look for a distant time, when you feel like expecting the best is realistic!! EXPECT IT NOW!! Be confident in the direction you are traveling and know that as long as you continue on the right path, THE
BEST is inevitable!! Life is simple! Change your thoughts; you change your world! Expect everything to work out and it will…. because as John Lennon said, ‘Everything will be okay in the end’… If it’s not okay, then it’s not yet the end!!!!
-Ash’Cash

“Whatever you expect with confidence becomes your own self-fulfilling prophecy.” -Brian Tracy

“You begin by always expecting good things to happen.” -Tom Hopkins

“Expect your every need to be met. Expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level…” -Eileen Caddy

“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.” -Les Brown

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” -Albert Einstein

“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” -Zig Ziglar

“Winners expect to win in advance.” -Unknown

“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” -John Ruskin

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

AllHipHop.com: Can you talk about your work ethic with respect to staying healthy? Hip-Hop has made some recent strides towards staying healthier, and we were just wondering how you remain fit.

Flo Rida: I mean, you know, prior to me having success, I always went to the gym and things like that just as a hobby. But then, as I got farther into music with the record deal and everything, and with all the shows I do, I just felt like me having the means to be able to pay for a trainer, I just take my trainer on the road with me.

A lot of times, I’m on the stage for over an hour, and as an artist, it really takes a toll on you if you don’t eat right and you don’t really work on your whole cardio, so it’s something that’s very serious to me. To have some longevity in this, you definitely have to take care of you body, which is your vehicle. If you don’t take care of your vehicle, you can’t get to your destination, so I’m really up on that.

Take a look at Flo Rida’s work out routine below, and maybe you’ll pick up a few tips! As always, be safe when working out, and make sure you have fun!

Armageddon of Funk by Michael Warr

This year, for the first time the Black Caucus of the American Library Association recognized books of poetry for its annual Literary Awards. In Armageddon of Funk, Warr examines numerous issues in American life by juxtaposing unlike situations side-by-side. Armageddon of Funk was awarded as a honorable mention for its interconnection of a world of opposites.

Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Hip-Hop has long been understood to be the poetry of disenfranchised people of the inner-city community. In this workbook-style book, Hip-Hop is understood through in-depth analysis of poetic literary devices and writing activities. The book compares the poetry of Robert Frost and Shakespeare to Public Enemy and Notorious B.I.G. Hip-Hop Poetry and the Classics is a great exploration of our culture for any lover of rhyme.

The Rose that Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur

A collection of poems written, between 1989-1991, these passionate and engaging poems were published after the legendary rappers death, in 1996. Complete with black and white photographs, drawings, and a preface by his mother and a foreward by Nikki Giovanni, The Rose that Grew from Concrete is a classic that deserves to grace the bookshelf of every Hip-Hop head.

Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip-Hop by Adam Bradley

Using the lyrics of Eminem and Jay-Z among others, the Book of Rhymes is a classic book that explores Hip-Hop as poetry, and as a source of revolution in the craft of poetry. Harvard Professor of African-American Studies, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. praises Book of Rhymes as, “a tour de force.” As Hip-Hop ages, and academic study of the culture grows, scholars, like Bradley, who grew up on the genre will be the champions of preserving its brilliance for future generations.

The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1998 by Nikki Giovanni

With a tattoo that reads, “Thug Life,” on her forearm, Giovanni is a poetic legend and lover of Hip-Hop music and culture. She has written numerous articles and poems for young people and remains a professor of poetry and literature at Virginia Tech. Giovanni helped fuel the” Black Arts Movement” which preceded the births of many Hip-Hop legends. Nikki Giovanni is a staple of Black culture and her contributions to Hip-Hop culture can’t be understated.

Biba Adams is a Senior Staff Writer and Book Editor for AllHipHop.com. She is a lover of all things literary, including poetry. Send her handclaps and fingersnaps on Twitter (@BibatheDiva).

Launched in 2008 by Nigerian-born, American-raised visual and graphic artist, Tunde, +FreshiAm+ started out as a culture blog and graphic design business. “I wanted to integrate music, art, fashion, everything. In culture everything should be as important as the other, there really is no separation,” says Tunde.

The designer notes that his focus quickly changed: “Fashion is the best business model for a visual artist who wants to create things for a lot people.” Starting with a line of one-of-a-kind T-shirts in 2009, +FreshiAm+ quickly grew in popularity, and in 2010, Tunde designed the hats that would take them from his little apartment in Atlanta to being an internationally recognizable symbol of cool culture.

“With the State of Mind hats, I wanted to move up from the sportiness of the snapback,” Tunde explains. “I didn’t understand how if I wanted to wear a hat, it had to have a team on it. I wanted to create something classic.”

There are 10 State of Mind hats each embroidered with one word – to be interpreted at will. Nine of the hats are always available; the 10th is currently the Le Alphabet Soup hat, of which only 50 were produced. Le Alphabet Soup is a collaboration with fashion phenoms, Dee and Ricky. The hat, with an assortment of 11-12 characters, made from bamboo fleece, and randomly ordered on a black snapback, retails for $120. Only 50 of the hats will made available worldwide.

The newest collaboration with Dee and Ricky is a major win for Tunde and +FreshiAm+. After all, Dee and Ricky, identical twins (in a set of triplets), are barely over drinking age, and are the designers who created the Lego Heart pin that Kanye wore in support of 808’s and Heartbreaks. If that’s not enough, Dee and Ricky are also working with Marc Jacobs and Pharrell. Their work has been worn by models and celebrities in every major fashion magazine including Vogue.

So, what’s next for +FreshiAm+? Tunde’s full fashion collection, LOVE is available on the site. The collection includes unique t-shirts, tanks, pendants, and tote bags. But, you better buy soon, because the entire +FreshiAm+ collection usually sells out.

The State of Mind hats and LOVE are available at www.freshiam.net. Follow them on Twitter (@freshiamatl).

Watch the video below his response, as he offers more sound advice to readers:

Peace and Blessings Family!! Today’s installment of “Ask Ash Cash” comes from Ms. Laura Goldstein… But, as I said last week, I also want to hear from you. If you have any business or finance questions, please tweet me (@IamAshCash) using #AskAshCash, or e-mail me your video or question to Questions@AskAshCash.com. I also stream live every Monday at 9PM on Wave45.tv!!

Dear Ash Cash: What are some things to be careful about when using my credit card?

There are many things that you should consider when using your credit card, but the two most important are: 1) Keeping your usage down and 2) Watching out for interest rate increases.

It is important to know that you should not be using your credit card to make everyday purchases for items like food, clothing, and gas. Credit cards should be used for emergency purposes only; using your credit card as a substitute for cash can put you into serious debt before you even know it. With that said, make sure you stay within 30% of your credit limit to avoid damage to your credit score.

Your credit score is broken down into five (5) categories… 35% is Your Payment History, 30% is your Usage, 15% is the Length of your Credit History, 10% is your New Credit, and 10% is your Credit Mix… With Usage being a large part of your credit score, make sure you are keeping your balances low to help keep your score high!!

Lastly, pay attention to your interest rate, and make sure it hasn’t increased. Your credit card’s interest rate can increase when you’ve defaulted on the original credit card terms. For example, you were late on a payment, went over the credit limit, or bounced the check for your payment. Before February 22, 2010, you could’ve even seen an increased rate if you were late on a payment to another creditor – a practice known as “universal default” – but due to new laws implemented by President Obama, this is no longer the case!

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Many celebrities and political figures want to make sure that they are protected all around. From bodyguards to armored cars, celebrities want the peace of mind that comes from being always guarded.

AllHipHop.com got a chance to speak with Mark Burton, Founder and CEO of International Armor Corporation (IAC), to learn more about the lengths celebs are going to to beef up their security. With reports of stalkers wanting just a little one-on-one attention from Nicki Minaj, Monica, Brandy, Halle Berry, Tyra Banks, and more, it may be a smart move.

IAC takes normal passenger vehicles and converts them into armored passenger vehicles. They strip them apart and install armoring materials from synthetic fiber laminates and ballistic glass, and then protect the entire passenger sides from all types of guns and ammunition. However, the appearance and performance of the vehicles constantly remains the same.

“Anyone that perceives a threat, an armored car can give them a peace of mind, from going from their office to their home, and their home to their office,” said Burton.

Costs range from $65,000 to $85,000, plus the cost of the car. A number of celebrities, musicians, athletes, and political figures have purchased the cars in the past 20 years. Naturally, we can’t reveal their names!

Would you cop this car for safety?

Welcome to the wrap up of this wonderful week! We had our ups and downs, but the fact that we are still here communicating with each other is a clear indication that we came out on top! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to dreaming!

Dreams are the fruit of life! They are what gives life meaning, and what makes it worth living! When you stop dreaming, you lose a piece of you that is vital for growth and happiness! The hope for future achievement makes any obstacle seem small, because your reward is greater! Caution to those who allow the everyday ups and downs of life deter them from dreaming grand dreams! You can do anything you want in life with no compromise! It takes belief, commitment, determination, and action but also the will to never give up!

Keep Dreaming! If your dream seem crazy, unrealistic, impractical, or all of the above , then know that you are on the right path! Nothing can and will stand in the way of a dreamer who refuses to let go of that dream! The power you possess is stronger than any force imaginable! Hone in on that power and make great things happen!!
-Ash’Cash

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” -Langston Hughes

“Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.” -Sigmund Freud

“The one person who has more illusions than the dreamer is the man of action.” -Oscar Wilde

“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” -Joseph Campbell

“You can be absolutely certain that when you feel you are being most unfairly tested, you are being prepared for great achievement.” -Napoleon Hill

“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart…. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” -Carl Jung

“Never waste your dreams by falling asleep. Never again.” -Eugène Lonesco

“We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” -Ray Bradbury

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Before we get into our “10 Reasons to See Marvel’s Blockbuster Movie: The Avengers,” let’s get the basics out of the way. The Avengers is the ultimate team-up featuring your favorite superheroes, most of which have already received their own solo films. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) all reprise their respective roles from the Marvel Universe’s previous films and one together to put an end to Loki’s mission to essentially rule the Earth. If you need haven’t seen it already, check out the trailer here. (Editor’s note: There are some minor spoilers in this list.)

10. The Humor:

The Avengers is not only the best Marvel film to date, it’s also the funniest. This isn’t one of those “Tony Stark steals the show” kind of flicks either as you’ll see everyone getting in on the laughs from Thor to Hulk to Captain America and Agent Coulson. Of course you can always expect a majority of laughs to come from Robert Downer Jr.’s iconic Stark, but The Avengers makes it possible to make everyone look like the comedian of the group throughout the entire film.

9. Scarlett Johansson In 3D:

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Scarlett Johansson in 3D, kicking major *ss as S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Black Widow. While a majority of people who have seen the film will tell you that Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is the stand-out character, I’ll go on record and say that while that sentiment is entirely true, Scarlett’s Black Widow is not far behind. She gets plenty of screen time, some of the most intense fight sequences, and as a “human with skills” she holds her own against demi-god’s, super soldiers, and giant green monsters.

8. Iron Man’s Mach VII Suit:

Thought that Stark’s suitcase suit in Iron Man 2 was cool? Just wait until you see what RDJ has up his sleeve for this go-around.

7. After-Credits Scene:

Dating back to Tony Stark’s first encounter with Nick Fury in Iron Man, every Marvel film has had an after-credits scene that built up to The Avengers. This film is no different and one of the extra scenes provides a great look at a possible foe for the superhero team in a future sequel. Make sure you stick around because there are two total scenes, the first being after the animated credits and the second following the total credits. Make sure you stick around!

6. Captain America vs. Iron Man:

The exchanges between Captain America and Iron Man, both verbally and physically, are some of the brightest moments of the film; of course you can’t just throw all these egos together and not expect them to duke it out once in awhile.

5. Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.:

The heli-carrier, the Quinjet, the weapons, it’s all as awesome as you’d want it to be, but the real gem is Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. Whether he’s using words, fists or a rocket launcher, Jackson takes no prisoners as Fury and the fans can’t help but be glad that he does the character justice after his cameo-like appearances in some of the previous Marvel movies.

4. Action, Action, Action:

The Avengers is the definition of a a comic coming to life. All of the mayhem and destruction previously portrayed on pages fills the big screen with explosions, weapons, brawls, and superpowers that provide pure blockbuster entertainment. Without a doubt, The Avengers contains more action than all of the previous Marvel movies combined, so sit back and enjoy!

3. Preview Of What’s to Come From Future Marvel Movies:

The Avengers acts as an immediate sequel in a sense to the events of Captain America: The First Avenger and shows an adapting-to-the-times Steve Rogers trying to make sense of what he’s missed and how far things have advanced.

2. The Hulk We’ve Been Waiting For:

Fans have finally been given the big-screen Hulk they’ve been waiting decades for. We get to see Bruce Banner’s character in a more evolved state then fans will remember him from 2008′s The Incredible Hulk. Mark Ruffalo delivers gold as the character of Banner and the soul and movements he provides as a CGI monster are practically flawless. Watching Hulk “smash” is pure fanboy gold and one of the coolest things to witness on film as he decimates enemy after enemy in the most awesome fashion.

1. It’s The Avengers!!

Yeah, like you really need another reason to see this movie!

Welcome to the day that you realize that your so called trials and tribulations are not that bad! Today is the day that you come to the conclusion that whatever you are going through could be worse! It is the day that you finally understand the strength of your higher power and realize that you will never be given more than you can handle!

Life and all of its challenges can become great the moment you say it is! It’s all about perspective! You can take the worst thing and make it the best depending on how you look at it! Spend time complaining and feeling sorry for yourself if you want to, but that will do nothing to make your circumstance better!

Look on the bright side! When life beats you up, realize that the fact that you are still alive to see another day is the best indication that you still have purpose! You can either be miserable or happy…. The choice is yours and the work is all the same!! Stop wasting your precious moments, and start living life to the fullest!!! NOT NOW BUT RIGHT NOW!!! THE WORLD IS YOURS!!
-Ash’Cash

“If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you’ve got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.” -Robert Fulghum

“For every dark night, there’s a brighter day…” -Tupac Shakur

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” -Maria Robinson

“We are as happy as we make up our minds to be.” -Abraham Lincoln

“No one ever injured his eyesight by looking on the bright side of things.” -Unknown

“It’s better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right.” -Unknown

“The hope is there. The sun is rising. Our best days are yet to come.” -Senator John Kerry

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” -Abraham Lincoln

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” -Oprah Winfrey

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Welcome to a new day and a new opportunity to do it better! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to teamwork! I know that we speak daily of your individual success and what it will take for you to maximize your full potential but I, in no way, want to mislead you….

Contrary to popular belief, winning is never an individual thing. Even if you take the most individualize sport that you can think of, I can guarantee you that there is a team in the background making sure that the individual is great! The common misconception that a lot of people believe is that they can do it by themselves!

In order to fully maximize your potential, you must surround yourself with people who will help push your limits and get you to the next level! Only a knife can sharpen a knife! If you are the smartest person in your team, then it’s time to find a new team! Stop thinking you can do it all alone! Build Your Team, and make great things happen! By yourself, you are powerful, but together, you can move mountains! As the old adage says, “Teamwork makes the Dream Work!” Get out of your way and Lets make it do what it does!!
-Ash’Cash

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” -H.E. Luccock

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” -Henry Ford

“A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others.” -Norman Shidle

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Meade

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” -Henry Ford

“Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible to reach the heights of your capabilities w/o becoming very good at it.” -Brian Tracy

“It is a fact that in the right formation, the lifting power of many wings can achieve twice the distance of any bird flying alone.” -Unknown

“A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!” -Unknown

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

“Where’s Brooklyn at? Where’s Brooklyn at?”

Or maybe just the chant: “Broooooooookkkkkklllllllyyyyyynnnnnn!!”

Whatever it may be, the Nets are no longer New Jersey’s own. Whether it’s the billboards in New Jersey wishing the team goodbye, or a famous Mayor lamenting the loss, everyday, something makes the team’s move to Brooklyn seem more real, and it’s also a sign of the demise of another New Jersey team.

Last week, Jay-Z unveiled the new Brooklyn Nets logo, which he designed himself. We gotta give it to the man, it’s a pretty great looking logo. But where does that leave New Jersey? Will Jersey EVER get a sports team for themselves? The New York Giants and New York Jets both play in New Jersey but hold New York names.

Despite the move, Jay-Z brings a fun twist with multiple Hip-Hop references on the new team gear including classic Jay-Z rap titles such as “Hello Brooklyn” (Jay-Z ft. Lil Wayne) and “Brooklyn’s Finest” (Jay-Z ft. B.I.G.).

AllHipHop.com spoke to someone who is taking the loss quite personally – Newark, New Jersey’s Mayor Cory Booker. During our “Politics & Pizza” chat with him last week, we asked the superhero politician how he felt about the transition. Watch the exclusive video below: 

While it’s a downer for New Jersey fans (and Mayor Cory Booker), we are pretty stoked for the Nets to go Brooklyn. The logo is dope, and it’s a new beginning. Hopefully, this will inspire the Nets to continue to be great.

The Barclay Center will officially open in September 2012.

Although the trailer was meant to be seen in front of theater prints of The Avengers, a very brilliant viral marketing campaign has allowed fans to unlock the trailer early so we could all see it just a few days earlier than expected.

The official plot in short, which takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight is as follows: “When Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) stumbles upon a plot to destroy the city from within, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) gets back into action as the Batman. Waiting for him is the mysterious Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and Bane (Tom Hardy), a lethal adversary on a crusade to tear apart Batman’s legacy piece by piece.”

Check out the brand new trailer for The Dark Knight Rises below:

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters on July 20.

Welcome to the first day of May, and the first day of the rest of your life!! Today’s Daily Word is
dedicated to making excuses! Getting straight to the point: If you want something bad enough you will make it happen… If not, you will make excuses!

Those who are successful in life are those who don’t allow anything to stand in their way! They are oblivious to failure and don’t understand what it is to lose! They keep going, no matter what the circumstance and adjust their methods along the way! Stop making excuses!! Making excuses is the habit of a losers and will NEVER get you the success you deserve!

Absolutely nothing can stop you! Believe in that fact, and you will realize that excuses are just a convenient way to justify failure! If you don’t accept defeat than excuses are useless! You have the power to live the life you want! Make the decision to do so TODAY!! Life is a choice, so choose wisely!!

-Ash’Cash

“Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure.” -Don Wilder and Bill Rechin

“No one ever excused his way to success.” -Dave Del Dotto

“How strange to use ‘you only live once’ as an excuse to throw it away.” -Bill Copeland

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.” -Henry Ward Beecher

“We are all creators of our world – some make good, some make trouble, and others make excuses.” -Unknown

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” -Benjamin Franklin

“We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.” -Rudyard Kipling

“The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.” -Unknown

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Houston, Texas rapper Slim Thug is next up in a growing list of rappers who are committing themselves to living healthier lifestyles these days. Check out a video below of him talking his growing up without home-cooked, nutrition meals and how he has changed his ways:

When Slim Thug hits Memorial Park in Houston for his runs, there’s no way he leaves home without his tunes. Here are his top five songs to add to your playlist today:

1.  Scarface – “Man Cry”
2.  Jay Z & Kanye West – “Ni**as in Paris”
3.  Young Jeezy – “All White Everything”
4.  Jay-Z – “Dear Summer”
5.  2-Pac – “Ambitions as a Ride”

Welcome to the day that you finally put the past behind you and begin to live life to the fullest! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to Today! The past is gone, the future is not here yet, so today is the only day you know you have for sure!

Many people waste today because they spend so much time in yesterday, thinking about what could’ve been done differently not realizing that everything happens for a reason! What may seem like a mistake is a blessing in disguise… Every moment carries its own lesson, but if you are too busy feeling sorry and having regrets, you will miss the lesson completely! Know that TODAY is the only day you fully have in your control! What’s done is done!

Stop giving your power up to shoulda, woulda, and coulda!! There is nothing they can do to change your circumstance! You are the only one that can change your situation in any direction you want it to go!! Effective immediately, I need you to put away the past!! It is what it
is, and it got you where it got you!! Start TODAY making sure that TODAY is the best that it can possibly be! If you do that EVERYDAY, then tomorrow will take care of itself! Every new day is an
opportunity to do it better! Take advantage of that fact, and make it great!! You are in TOTAL control!! NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!!
-Ash’Cash

“One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us.” -Michael Cibenko

“Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.” -Wayne Dyer

“People who live in the past generally are afraid to compete in the present. You’ll have your faults, but living in the past shouldn’t be one of them.” -Sparky Anderson

“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” -Mercedes Lackey

“If we spend our time with regrets over yesterday, and worries over what might happen tomorrow, we have no today in which to live.” -Unknown

“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.” -Unknown

“Whatever your past has been, you have a spotless future.” -Unknown

“Your past is important but it is not nearly as important to your present as the way you see your future.” -Tony Campolo

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

Watch the video below his response, as he offers more sound advice to readers:

Greetings and Salutations, my great people!! Today’s installment of “Ask Ash Cash” comes from Ms. Jessica Pace…. But I also want to hear from you.. If you have any business or finance questions, please tweet me (@IamAshCash) using hashtag #AskAshCash, or e-mail me your video or question to Questions@AskAshCash.com. I also stream live every Monday at 9AM on Wave45.tv!! It’s time to get our Mind and Money Right!! We no longer have any excuses!!

Dear Ash Cash: How does a Checking Account work?

A checking account is what you would use to conduct everyday transactions. Some people like to walk around carrying cash, but when they do so they become vulnerable to theft or losing their money. Opening a checking account is the best way to keep your money safe and pay bills. It is also a convenient way to receive money that is owed to you, whether its direct deposit from your job, money from your side hustle, etc;

To open a checking account, you need proof of identification, like your drivers license, passport, or any other state government-issued ID (It must have a photo) – or proof of residence, like a utility bill or lease – and an opening deposit. Once your account is opened, the bank gives you a checkbook and a debit card that you can use to take money from the account as you need it and also to make purchases (not more than you deposit of course). If you use more than you have in the account, the bank will charge you an overdraft fee, which can range from $30-$35 per item. This can be very costly if you don’t pay attention to your budget.

You will receive monthly statements so that you can balance your account against your records, as well as have the ability to check your balance and recent transactions online, over the phone, through the ATM machine, and by visiting the branch.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

We see them kick it in the club at NBA All-Star Weekend every year; they listen to Hip-Hop before games to get hype, and some NBA players love the music so much, that they even go on to start rap labels (i.e. Carmelo signed Cassidy…what!?!?).

But, what if the existing NBA Players were some of today’s top rappers? And what if rappers were some of our favorite NBA players? Who would they be? Who are their parallel artists or ballers?

We know everyone wants to be like Mike, but everyone can’t be MJ. This might be all barbershop talk and heresay, but this is a lil’ run down of our choices for the closest comparisons between NBA Ballers vs. Rappers:

Delonte West vs. T.I.

Ridin’ around strapped is what these dudes do. Well, T.I. might not anymore because he’s on that “Family Hustle,” but Delonte for sure. We all know about T.I.’s famous arrest a few years back before the BET Awards, but what about Delonte West? Getting caught riding around on the 2009 Can-Am Spyder motor bike with a 9mm Beretta on his waist, a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg, and a shotgun inside a guitar case slung over his back. WOW! CHILL, HOMIE!

Let’s not even get into the fact that they both like women who are a lil’ bit older.

Dirk Nowitski vs. Drake

Man, Drake ain’t finna hurt NOBODY.  He sure didn’t hurt Common. And neither is Dirk. He can def be a marshmallow in the paint. Honestly, though, they both got game  the ring and the hit records. Both have CRAZY RICH owners… Is Birdman the Mark Cuban of Rap? HA!

But, bottom line, these dudes are kinda S.O.F.T…

Hey, Dirk did pop bottles at Liv with Young Money when he won it all last year. Eh, it fits –  let’s just go with it.

Jeremy Lin vs. Chamillionaire

Chamillionaire said it himself. According to Cham, he is Jeremy Lin before he blew up, and the world’s media went into frenzy. Cham believes that his time to shine again is right around the corner. “Right now, I’ll be honest, I’m Jeremy Lin before he got off that bench. Capable of doing something good, but people have yet to see it. Had a little bit of success, but now I’m on the bench, so that’s me. I had a little bit of success, but now I’m ready to show people what I’m capable of doing. And I even don’t like New York teams,” Chamillionare told AllHipHop.com.

Cham definitely ain’t Scottie Pippen… Remember that run-in a few years ago when MJ wouldn’t sign Chamillionaire’s memorabilia??? LMAO!

It’s all good, though. Chamillionaire is def a good dude, and he works hard… kinda… like Jeremy Lin.

Meta World Peace vs. DMX

In the words of Ed Lover, “C’mon son! GTFOHWDBS.” Who does that, Meta? Dude BLASTED James Harden in the back of the head. Let’s not talk about him running into the stands to jack people throwing beer on him a few years back as a Indiana Pacer.

At least he has settled down a little bit as a Laker, and he’s not drinking from a flask at halftime like he used to do back in the day. Meta represents DMX’s unpredictable personality, as he’s had his run-ins with the law himself. It’s sort of like you don’t know if Meta or X is gonna wile’out and hit you, or if they are gonna dap you up.

Either way, don’t mess with these dudes. Period. Legendary, but please, please don’t F*CK with X.

Carmelo vs. Jadakiss

Both talents hold it down for New York. Melo doesnt have any rings yet, but he’s made his mark on the League and will likely go to the NBA Hall of Fame. Jada is legendary in rap and undoubtedly, will never be forgotten…

Nobody hits punchlines so consistently like Mr. So Raspy, and who could forget his signature… “Hehhhhhaaaaa!” *Jada voice*

Maybe Knicks fans will disagree, but you can generally expect Carmelo is gonna ball (and make his opponents look silly) when healthy. He consistently puts up numbers. We just need to see if he can work with Amare and Lin to put it all together.

Birdman vs. MGK

Simply put, these two are tatted up and straight WILD! Birdman was on dat ish for a sec and got kicked out of the League for doing that “H”. Machine Gun Kelly has a song called “Wild Boy” – call them both “Steve-O”, ’cause this was a comparison we saw instantly!

Josh Howard vs. Wiz Khalifa 

This man Wiz don’t play no hoops… except for in the BING commercial! (Which was pretty dope.) We didn’t even really have a comparison for Wiz – UNTIL we remembered Josh Howard’s comments about ole’ “Mary 3x” that raised eyebrows across the League a few years back.

“I think a lot of people have that problem [smoking marijuana]. How that could stop me from getting drafted, though? How many guys in the lottery smoke pot? The weed thing, just about everybody smokes,” said Josh Howard. WE FEEL YOU, BUT FALL BACK, JOSH!

“Yeaaaa, uh-huh, you know what it is…”

Lebron vs. 50 Cent

Most hated, yet most accomplished. But really, though, both guys are also going down as two of the all time greatest.

It’s undeniable: Power of a Dollar, Guess Who’s Back, Get Rich or Die Trying? Those are kinda like Bron Bron’s early years in the League with the Cavs. They also both look like they could throw somebody 100 feet in the air. Both have crazy, ridiculous amounts of paper from endorsements via sponsors and business ventures.

And, why not?  50 even said that he would ‘buy Lebron a ring if he came to New York.” That was all back when Lebron was looking for a new team, before “The Decision.” Lebron envisions his own Jay-Z comparison, but hold up. He doesn’t have the rings yet, while Jay-Z has classics and platinum projects for days.

Dennis Rodman vs. Lil Wayne

We took it back a little on this one, but…

Yo, that new Trukfit gear is WILD, SON! Wayne is the king of bright colors and crazy gear. You don’t want to admit it, but we know you see the similarities! Facial piercings, tats, and all. You also gotta give Dennis Rodman credit because he was one of the best rebounders that ever lived, and he has the rings to show for it! All he did was rebound.

Wayne, you know all he does is rap (and sing), too! That boy got bars on bars on bars, “long hair don’t care,” and probably enough Certified RIAA Platinum records to match Dennis Rodman’s rings.

Also, didn’t Baby kiss Wayne? We  gonna leave that one alone, since everyone knows Wayne got a new lady. CREW LOVE?

D Wade vs. Rick Ross

Perhaps Rick Ross puts it best in the song “Party Heart” when he says, “Me and Dwayne on the same strip….” These two both have been running the show in South Beach for some time now, and pretty much seem to have a pulse of the city.

From their humble beginnings to their larger than life pads in MIA, these two are the  ”South Beach Kings.” Rick even performed at D Wade’s birthday party (pictured below).

They’re both killing the game. Not much more you can say about that.

Kobe vs. Kanye West

Both have had a lil’ lady drama in their lives, but it’s all good because they kill it on the court and on the tracks. Kobe’s got six rings, Kanye has five or six classic albums, so they are also a pretty close comparison. They also had the commercial together! #KobeSystem.

Both keep it playerific on the international front – Kobe lived in Italy, and Kanye just moved to London and stays in the fashion game in Paris.

Woops! We were thinking about Kanye and Kris Humphries, but we’re just gonna let that one go, too, since Kanye gettin’ up in Kim nowadays, and that’s a touchy subject for a lot of people.

Lastly, both these dudes have serious egos! Just look at the “smugs” on those faces below!

Michael Jordan vs. Jay-Z

We can’t even list all of their accolades and come-ups, so just call them the “Kings of Everything.”

With all of the Jay-Z references, the endorsements, the rings, the lyrics – “When I come back like Jordan, wearin the 4-5, it ain’t to play games with you…”

Come on. We couldn’t give anyone else this look… “Cause every fourth quarter, I’m likely to Mike Jordan ‘em,” – Jay-Z

Don’t forget to leave your comments about our list, and make your own comparisons.

Let the Playoffs begin!!!!

Welcome to the day that you continue to realize that nothing can stop you!! No surrender!!! No Retreat!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to Embracing the Struggle!!

Fact: Life is not easy for those who dream! Those who have great aspirations will often be met with many setbacks and temporary defeat! On the other hand, those who want to remain mediocre or stay oblivious to what life has to offer will be satisfied with just getting by….

Despite the disparity, it is absolutely unacceptable to not maximize your full potential! The struggles you deal with in life are in no way suppose to cripple you! They are here to make you stronger and remove every ounce of doubt and weakness you have in your body!! If you don’t know your power and you dare to dream… You will learn today!! You are more powerful than you even know!! Nothing in this world can stop you unless you allow it!

Embrace your struggle and NEVER allow circumstance to dictate what you will accomplish! Life is abundant and anything you want out of it will be yours if you absolutely believe that you can have it!! Your setbacks are a setup for your comeback!! Your life is like a bow and arrow…. Before the arrow can fully realize its power, the bow must first take it back as far as it can…. But once it reaches the point of no return and it is let go…. God help anything that is in its path!!! BE THE ARROW!!!! Understand that no matter how far you are taken back, you CANNOT AND WILL NOT LOSE, because the force that is behind you can break through anything!! EMBRACE THE STRUGGLE!! DREAM AS FAR AS YOU CAN DREAM, AND BELIEVE IN YOUR POWER TO MAKE THOSE DREAMS COME TRUE!! There are those who think they can and those who think
they can’t!! Be the former and live life to the fullest!!
-Ash’Cash

“Every action we take, everything we do, is either a victory or defeat in the struggle to become what we want to be.” -Ninon de Lenclos

“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” -Abraham Lincoln

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

“Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be.” -Unknown

“Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you’re still alive, it isn’t.” -Richard Bach

“Whatever the struggle, continue the climb. It may be only one step to victory.” -Diane Westlake

“For better or worse, our future will be determined in large part by our dreams and by the struggle to make them real.” -Unknown

“Once all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible.” -Mao Tse-Tung

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Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.