Archive for the ‘Basketball News’ Category
Wondering what to give to those on your Christmas list? I can’t help you with the kids’ presents (I’m giving my kids a Ping Pong Table!), but I certainly know that you can change people’s lives with great books and tools that will help them excel in their professional lives. So here are a few recommendations:
For anyone contemplating a sales role:
Spin Selling by Neil Rackham
For college grads and professionals who are job hunting:
A LinkedIn Profile Tutorial – LinkedIn is the very best social networking site on the net for getting a job or making a contact that can help you in your career. Your friend/wife/hubby needs to be here – you can make it easy for them to do it right.
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For sales professionals who are interviewing:
A 30/60/90-Day Sales Plan Template – This little tool/template could get them the offer (or it could be used to get a promotion!):
For sales managers:
Topgrading: How Leading Companies Win by Hiring, Coaching, and Keeping the Best People by Bradford Smart – this is a great book about hiring and how to do it successfully.
Other great ideas:
Amazon Kindle – Wireless Reading Device
Selling Power Magazine
One last thought (this one’s just for you):
What have you done for your career lately? Have you considered hiring a career coach? When I think about it, I have purchased music lessons, horse riding lessons, gymnastics lessons for my girl and sent my son to football and basketball camps. I am investing in their success. It is that important to me. But what do we normally invest in our careers? This is the area where our investment can have a true ROI (return on investment)—in the short-term, as well as in the long-term.
Surprisingly, Jay Kubassek is not impressive looking, and if you met him on the street the words millionaire, internet marketing genius, or film maker would never connect with the image of his face in the mind. Although he might not be impressive in person, the truth is that Kubassek has made himself into a great success and would like to teach you to do the same.
Kubassek, a native of Canada, grew up on a farm. At the young age of 19, Kubassek was already running the farm and speaking at seminars about sustainable farming. It was these experiences early in his life that made Kubassek into the entrepreneur he is today.
Five years ago, Kubassek was selling mufflers at the local Midas shop. Fortune was in his favor however as he discovered the Internet marketing industry, and soon after founded Carbon Copy pro along with his partners, Aaron Parkinson and Alan Moore. Their company, Carbon Copy Pro, was created to show others how to replicate the success they had with internet marketing. The company has even set an admirable goal for themselves, with the hope that they can create a hundred or more new millionaires by 2012. Without a doubt, this is a goal that is worth working towards.
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On top of his success with Carbon Copy Pro, Mr. Kubassek has also started Aliquot Films, his own film production company. Their first film is “Chelsea on the Rocks.” The film was centered on the Chelsea Hotel and it’s residents, following along with their struggles and attempts at improving their lives. More recently Spike Lee partnered with Aliquot Films to make “Evolution of a Criminal,” a film about the life of 17 year old bank robber, Darius Clark Monroe.
On top of his success with his various businesses, Kubassek also spends a great deal of time helping out charitable organizations. The list of charitable foundations he contributes to include the Tracy McGrady Basketball Camp, Mount Sinai Juvenile Diabetes, the Breast Cancer Foundation, the Children’s Institute for Autism, and the Name Campaign in Africa.
Bringing balance to Kubassek’s already full life are his wife, Jamie, son, Milo, and their dog, Cooper.
ONE WEEK LEFT TO SUMMIT YOUR MUSIC/PERFORMANCE VIDEO
California Peace Prize winner, U.S. veteran, actor and musician, Chill E.B.will be performing live at a
Huge Block Party to announce the top 3 winners of a Nation-wide music video contest.
Artists from all over the country have submitted music/performance videos in a contest sponsored by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida to help raise awareness of the harms of psychiatric drugs. As L. Ronald Hubbard wrote: “A song can racket down the ages. It doesn’t corrode. It doesn’t have to be polished, maintained, oiled, shelved or put in a vault. It happens that a song is far more powerful than any blaster ever invented”.
When: Sunday, Sept. 26th 6:00-8:00pm
Where: Postcard Mania
2145 Sunnydale BLVD Building 102
Clearwater, FL 33765
Judges: from Cleartrack Productions, will determine the winner of the contest.
Rap Singer, Chill EB will be performing his famous “Y’all Busted” song that exposes the fraud of ADHD.
Sally Gatza will be performing her new song as well.
Donation:
Call 727-442-8820 to get your tickets now.
A donation will be for those who buy their tickets at the door.
California Peace Prize winner, U.S. veteran, actor and musician, Chill E.B. raps to the beat of a very familiar message. His song, “Y’all Busted, has started to rise to the top in views on YouTube. His message is clear and it is one that people of all ages and all walks of life can relate to. His message speaks to the youth in all of us who remember being at school and being identified as hyper, unfocused, or unable to “fit-in”. Y’all Busted is one of his most recent works, in a long line of performances.
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Chill EB has entered this song in a music/video contest that is being sponsored by the non-profit watchdog organization, Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida. Musicians and performers from all over the country, are entering their songs and performance poem in a contest that will help to educate families regarding the facts behind mental health and behavioral health issues.
(Chill EB will be in Clearwater, Florida and is available for guest appearances Aug. 16th-21)
Call 727-442-8820 or email info@cchrflorida.org to schedule Chill EB for an interview for this week in August or any other time.
Bio: Chill E.B. Rap Singer and Humanitarian
Chill E.B. was first discovered by James Earl Jones (Field of Dreams, Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, Coming to America, voice of Darth Vader, etc.) who inspired his acting and music career. The video for his first hit, ..Menace To Society.. appeared on BET during the early 90′s–remaining on rotation for several months and launching his career nationally.
In addition to his own albums and singles, he has collaborated with many Bay area hip hop and rock artists with groups including Consolidated, MCM & the Monsters and has appeared on the Tech & Sway Wake Up Show several times. Chill has also been billed along side many of the greats in co-op hip hop concerts such as KMEL’s Summer Jam, and the Bay Area Music Awards–then known as the BAMMIES. He is also know for becoming the first hip hop artist to perform live backed by an orchestra. In 1994, Chill performed 3 songs from his album Born Suspicious in which he was backed by the world renowned California Symphony, conducted by Barry Jekowsky.
Others know Chill for his acting career which includes screen credits for the movie ..Mad City.. with John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman and as the international spokesperson for Sega/Genesis video games for which he starred in more than 8 commercials aired internationally, several voice-over performances and several public service announcements. Chill E.B. provided the voice for a popular PSA which won 7 Cleo Awards.
Due to the humanitarian content of his music, his social betterment campaigns such as the Knowledge is Power Revolution, work with youth sports and education programs including the many basketball camps he manages throughout the year, Chill won the first-ever California Peace Prize from The California Wellness Foundation, based in southern California. Chill is also recognized as a finalist for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award by county supervisor Sunne Mc Peak. One of Chill’s most prized accolades is the proclamation from the mayor of his home town and City of Jacksonville, NC proclaiming August 14, “Chill E.B.” Day. Chill E.B. is a veteran of the U.S. Army—and comes from a line of military veterans. Chill E.B. is also an ex-collegiate athlete
Am Beijing time on September 10, from “ESPN Sports News Network” news, the Bulls used to exchange – Carmelo Anthony chip surface, he is NOAA. According to an alliance sources, the Bulls are currently dealing with the Denver Nuggets Carmelo Anthony on the matters discussed. For the Nuggets begin rebuilding, the Bulls have flashed their cards, waiting for the Nuggets on a high-level position. Initially, the Bulls hoping to Roll – Deng in exchange for chips, but the Nuggets do not want to get the British nationals at small forward. The reason is from July 1, 2011 onwards, NBA will implement the new labor provisions. Roll – Deng and the Bulls two years ago signed a six-year value of about 71 million U.S. dollars. Today, five years left on his contract, the Nuggets begin rebuilding, the five years so they definitely can not afford. Clearly, the long drag into the transaction!
In addition, NOAA rookie next season will be the final year of the contract, his salary will be 3.1 million U.S. dollars. If the Bulls this summer, and NOAA is not renewed, so that by next summer, NOAA will become a restricted free agent. Obviously, NOAA is really interested in the Nuggets. NOAA young, in recent years he has demonstrated tremendous inner potential. For the Nuggets begin rebuilding, the NOAA is a good choice. NOAA also is the salary of mobility, should the deal to get him, the Nuggets can do to prepare both hands, or renewed, or put him in the next summer free agent market. No matter that, on the Nuggets only benefit. According to one day before the “Yahoo Sports” in the media, Anthony is desperate to hasten their departure from Denver, he most like to join the two teams are the Knicks and Bulls. In fact, Anthony had Nuggets general manager of the Masai – Uggeri express their wish to be traded out. Anthony, the Nuggets to the news that provided a three-year contract worth 65 million U.S. dollars of contract, “melon” for the refusal. In this case, the Nuggets trade Anthony choice is rational.
“I think I will continue to convince Anthony to stay in Denver,” Uggeri seems Huan did not give up, “but now the situation I do not know, so I can not make accurate judgments! Like I said, we hope He can come back, the city needs him, he also hopes he can come back! “In fact Anthony is definitely a wise man, in public, he never said he will leave Denver or wish to be traded. Organized themselves in the summer basketball camp, a reporter asked to leave the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony news, this “melon” for the denial. “I’m in Denver players, I and Denver together, we have been together for seven years, yes, that’s it!” Anthony said. 26-year-old Anthony last season averaged 28.2 points, while his career has averaged 24.7 points while recording.
14 years established his own personal website ojmayo.org Mayo, in the NBA did not suddenly become a big star.
He had just come into the league’s reputation been affected: 11 May 2008, he was exposed three years in high school and university year, a total of four years of receiving thousands of dollars in cash, clothes and other benefits. The violation of NCAA requirements. Negative impact is inevitable: USC to its expulsion from the team, his year was excluded from the NCAA Tournament outside the Pacific Division.
More cruel, God seems to have not to be favored when he was young: he bullied 15-year-old rival, the height is 1.93 meters, and now, is but 1.96 m, 2 bit too short to play no defense, playing No. 1 position is and “how could not find his teammates”; he really inanimate, stern, but the older one-year-old Oden, Durant big two, and Andrew Bynum in the same year, this young Army in Memphis is especially dazzling; he has handled properly and the relationship between team-mate, rookie season with Darius Smiles, fooling around, then have an argument with the guy, until recent days, the plane hit a ball with Tony Allen.
This brought up surrounded by flash and predicted the child, whether because of excessive pressure gradually collapse, then obliterate all, or as its own words, “In pursuit of freedom, I sometimes go too far, come back often forget ?
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Arrogant, rebellious, not gregarious, “My mind is only the family,” the peasant-style selfish, step by step as the years these weaknesses embedded in the bone marrow, he first entered the NBA, began to hurt him.
Now, the once favored, because they deal with the relationship between teammates (he twice Lai gambling account, beaten by Allen, is very unpopular in the squad), has become a substitute. The first two seasons, Mayo’s playing time in more than 38 minutes, averaging 18.5 points and 17.5 points. This season, he’s less playing time a whole 9 minutes, the score also fell to 13.2 points.
Mayo is so Kuzhongzuole to see the location of the problem yourself: “Although I did not start playing the game, but I often hit the last second.”
Kobe Bryant before he liked, and now, “I think I’m like a little more like Chauncey, I like his defensive commit yourself to doing well in terms of command of the team.” When Mayo played at USC, he was from the former Hornets and Bulls coach Tim Floyd at the essence of learning the defensive. Now, he also intends to make good use of:
“Tightly pegged to the opponent’s waist, your chest, and his alignment. Sigmund Freud coach said, God gave me a pair of Rush’s feet flying, I must make good use of them.”
Regardless of how people evaluate him, and he added every day practice. “Every day I have to train two and a half to three hours.” Mayo said, “I think the biggest advantage of this training than to keep fit. Whether the court or field, to maintain the physical condition is very important. “
The board was still in grade 7, “Sports Illustrated”, on entering the high school is considered to be a champion, the Michael Jordan basketball camp in front of the god of bubble gum blowing talent, now in addition to people outside of Memphis, has no go to care.
Mayo starting from seventh grade to live under the flash, fighting, truancy, contradicting the referee, was cited for possession of marijuana (this last, admitted to Mayo, another car he was carrying marijuana is let the matter rest), at least three were suspended.
Today, Mayo is not a rookie replacement contract, while the squad’s other two backcourt Gay and Conley have been large contracts;
Now, “SLAM” five of its ten players in the league in the fourth sixteen, “still some over-estimated”;
Now, the local media has been clamoring for Memphis: “In the trade deadline, Mayo had to leave”;
Now, the Grizzlies are in the weak teams pick me, he also had the opportunity to achieve star dream?
“Hi.” Mayo said, “My NBA has only just begun.”
By Lee Harrison, Publisher, http://BoysBestBooks.com
Yes, it’s sad, but true: Parents and grandparents who seek out articles like this very likely are already doing all they can to help their boys become great readers. So, if you fall into that category, maybe you could pass this article along to those who could use a few basic tips to get their boys reading. And, please, feel free to send me your tips for getting boys to read. Here are my tips:
First and foremost, as parents and grandparents, you must lead by example: If you want your boy to learn to love reading, you must be a reader yourself. You must have books and magazines around the house. You must introduce your sons to the wonders of the public library – librarians always stand ready to help – and of course, you must read aloud to them. And start reading aloud EARLY – before they even know what a book is!
Back in 1985, The Commission on Reading, which was organized by the National Academy of Education and the National Institute of Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, issued a report saying, “The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” It went on to say reading aloud should not be limited only to the home. ”It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.” Are your boys’ teachers reading aloud in class? If not, why not?
Before you read aloud to your boy, familiarize yourself with the book. This will allow you to put the proper emphasis on words, prepare you to explain unfamiliar concepts, and even help you to develop a voice or style for each character. Oh yeah, please don’t read in a monotone. You don’t have to render a performance fit for the Royal Shakespeare Co., but you must appear fully engaged in the story. Remember, you are leading by example, and your boy will reflect your excitement and interest in the book.
Make it a fun experience. Discuss the book with him, and answer his questions. But if he doesn’t like the book, don’t panic. I don’t finish books I don’t like, and you probably don’t either. Just keep plugging away and find something that tickles his fancy.
Today’s kids are very much into technology. So, why not use it to help them read. Introduce your boys to audiobooks and E-books. Back in the 1980s, I taped BBC radio productions of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars so our son could listen to them on his own, even in the car. Publishers have got the message, and most new books for kids are available as audiobooks. Likewise for E-books. Amazon’s Kindle is a great device, but many E-books can be read on your son’s computer or smart phone.
If your boy isn’t into novels, read about something he is into: baseball, football, basketball, camping, boating, surfing, etc. Idea: Try The Worst-Case Scenario series of books about surviving all kinds of hazards. It covers stuff most boys eat up. The Guinness Book of World Records, National Geographic magazines and books, and all kinds of sports almanacs should be on his shelf, too.
If you have answered affirmatively to either of these two questions, then you should definitely keep on reading this article. You will soon find out that, online, it only takes a couple of minutes before you come across a stationery store that will provide you with everything that you need, be it printable invitations, personalized cups or anything else for that matter.
If you are especially interested in bordered paper for example, then you should know that the Internet and its specialized sources put a lot of interesting choices to your disposal. The bordered paper that you will purchase from the online store can be used for various purposes, including creating your own invitations or letters, to write different announcements, newsletters or anything like that. The prices are great and the diversity offered pretty impressive, so you will definitely find something interesting to purchase. The same goes for personalized plastic cups or printable invitations.
Once you find a stationery store that seems to be both reliable and professional, you will certainly have a pleasant time while browsing through the options presented. If you know what you want, such as personalized Styrofoam cups or bordered paper for example, then things are even simpler. However, if you are still not certain what to purchase, then you can take advantage of the different search opportunities that are put to your disposal. For example, you can search for various products according to the occasion, finding products that are recommended for Administrative Professionals Day, Easter, graduation or spring.
If this option does not seem enough, then you can proceed to the next stage, looking for paper products and gifts according to the theme. This category is a little bit larger, encompassing a wide range of products, and not just personalized cups or printable invitations. Among the most popular themes, you will find the following: anniversary, baby, birthday and wedding. However, there are less popular themes available, as the specialists working for the stationery store are trying to satisfy the tastes and demands of even the most pretentious customer: basketball, camp, crawfish, cruise ship, Mexican, moving, picnic, race car and tennis. So, you see, there are a lot of interesting choices available, provided you have enough patience to search for them.
Take advantage of what the Internet has to offer and purchase any of the products present online at the stationery store at the most attractive prices. Keep in mind that new items are added on a regular basis, whether we are talking about personalized cups, bordered paper or printable invitations. You can purchase personalized stationery or any other product, knowing that you are getting a product that matches the highest standards of quality, without having to pay a fortune for it. And the best thing about it is that you do not even have to move from your computer, solving everything with just a few clicks on the mouse.
Have you ever thought that the shampoo you are using or the Mac and cheese that you had for lunch the other day was produced using conveyors in the manufacturing process? You might have not thought so. But I won’t be surprised when one day you are craving for a bowl of macaroni and cheese and you find out that they not available anymore you will be wondering what happened to these common day to day items. When we really ponder about the many things that we use in daily and how conveyors have played a role in producing them, we will appreciate how important conveyors are in our lives.
At a quick thought, we might consider that conveyors don’t really play a huge part in our lives. However, if we really take time to ponder about the many things that we use daily that are produced in factories that use conveyors, we will finally realize how important conveyors really are in our day to day lives. Conveyors are working non-stop unseen and unnoticed in many if not all of the manufacturing facilities all over the world. We will be able to gain a deeper appreciation for the roles conveyors play in our daily lives after we take into account the comforts we have because of these useful machines.
While contemplating this writing expose I was under the dulled impression that conveyors were a boring after thought within the midst of my comings and goings. The more I pondered the existence of conveyors the more it struck me how much I not only embrace there mechanical wonders but how staggering it was the number of positive conveyor encounters I could remember.
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I thought of watching my grocery items swiftly moving to the register. I pondered about the times I was at the mall on an escalator, at a hotel in an elevator or at the airport on a people mover. Or what about the times I was at basketball camps in large cafeterias and watched my tray zoom away to a mysterious house of cleansing. I have witnessed my donuts at Crispy Kreme move across them and plates of sushi at the finest Asian restaurants gingerly travel along them tempting my eyes and stomach.
It is beyond doubt therefore that conveyors play a very important part of our daily lives. You have experienced picking your luggage in the airport from a recent plane trip or have sat in patience as your car is being washed in an automated car wash. There are many conveyor systems that are very visible in our daily lives but those that we cannot see are equally useful in making our lives easier and more enjoyable.
We should always remember that even if things are not seen and held it does not mean that they are useless and of no worth in our daily lives. Sometimes, even if conveyors are very much utilized and do contribute a lot to our comfort, we take no time to appreciate their worth. Humans should never forget how useful and important conveyors are in our lives. You will see conveyors in many places such as stadiums, recycling centers, mines, factories and even inside research laboratories.
The food that we consume and even the clothing we put on our backs have taken a ride on a conveyor system at some point in their lifetimes. It is an admitted fact that much of the daily things that we do depend in one way or another to a properly working conveyor system. Without these conveyors, our life will be outright hard and difficult.
Regardless if you’re picking up your dry cleaning and see your clothes flying around on one or you’re taking a jog in a new pair of running shoes that you paid for online and were shipped next day, the conveyor will always play some type of role in our futures. You just never know when the benefits of a conveyor will pop up or what daily utensils creation came about with ones aid. We often fail to realize that conveyor are fun and exciting machines that have helped us for decades and will continue to do so for years to come and most likely in even more grandiose ways.
Parents, teachers, students, administrators I welcome you on this happy occasion and congratulate all those who have and will graduate today.
As a student of this mosque for almost my whole life and a teacher now for the last 4 years it is so wonderful to see how much this community tries to do for these students.
Today, I wanted to speak to everyone about the state of these students and our young generation. This is especially addressed to parents.
The subject of my speech is about the need to bring up your child Islamically, to prioritize this and do everything in your power as a parent and community member to inculcate true Islamic understanding and faith in our young people. I would like to give some examples of what is happenning today that highlights the extreme immediacy of this need and how important it is for all of us to begin making changes. Lastly, I would like to give some practical suggestions on how to do this.
At one time I thought that every parent would have the goal of raising his or her child Islamically, but now, through experience, I really have to wonder. I don’t think some parents WANT to raise their child Islamically. They believe that if their child has basic knowledge and practice, that’s enough. That Islam should be in the background while other things, such as being a doctor, going to an Ivy League school, enjoying the good life with a big house, car, good job is more important for their child in the future. They kill themselves so that their kids can have everything in this life.
There is something extremely wrong with this. I’ll tell you why. How narrow-minded is it if a parent prepares their child for this life and does nothing for their child’s Hereafter. If a parent really, really loves their child and wants the best for them, their goal first and foremost will be to raise the best Muslim they can. This is the best you can ever do for your child, in this life AND in the Hereafter, which is eternal. If your child is a good Muslim, they will want to do well in everything they do. They will want to attain knowledge, security, help those around them and become good people. They will avoid so many harms and difficulties in this society.
Islam will NEVER, NEVER hinder your child from anything good. It will only enhance whatever they do.
Let me give some examples of what happens when Islam is NOT the first priority in families. In college, where I attend graduate school right now, you find the most amazing things. I have met Muslims raised their whole lives in Muslim families who don’t pray, who date, who attend MSA meetings but go out to parties and clubs and drink, who take drugs.
Why is this happenning? These are not extreme cases. These are ordinary Muslims who were raised without Islam as their priority. They were taught, consciously or unconsciously, that Islam was cultural and secondary. They were taught Islam blindly and do not understand it and are lost.
We should be concerned, if not alarmed. Do not shrug this off and say, “It won’t happen to me, It won’t happen to my kids.” Do not live in a fool’s paradise and say “Oh ma’shallah my son or daughter is an honors student, they would never do anything bad.” It can and it will and is happening now.
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We are too late to save Muslim college students. I say this even being an MSA worker for the last 5 years. I even would say it is too late for high school students. How many of them will ever come back to Islam? Very few. It’s too late for them.
But it’s not too late for your kids, the young generation we have today.
We need to raise them with Islam and with being good Muslims as the priority, the #1 goal as a parent and community.
So, how can we do this? I would like to give just 10 simple, positive, proactive things we should all be doing.
#1 Be consistent. Bring your child consistently to attend mosque activities. That doesn’t mean every so often, for jumah, or every Sunday. I mean EVERY Friday, Sunday class. It is extremely frustrating for us as teachers to have students who come only Fridays or students who only come Sundays, or maybe every other week. It is unfair to the whole class and unfair to your child. It sends a message to your child of how important you think Islam really is.
I really do see the difference (even between test scores) of students who come eratically or just one day a week with students who come consistently. This also cannot drop off when they are 12 or 15, it needs to continue.
#2 Get involved as a parent or community member. Take an interest in what goes on at mosque, in their class, help with homework, help them memorize, discuss Islamic issues with them, ask questions, answer their questions. Do not expect us, the teachers to do everything. YOU, as parents, have the responsibility to give your child an Islamic education. How much can we teach 2 hours a week? We can only help. How many parents have volunteered at the Islamic school? Have said, “How can I help my child’s Islamic education at the mosque?” How many single people have volunteered to teach or help out at the mosque? Help build the so badly needed school building, the playground?
#3 Create Islamic alternatives. Your kids should never think Islam is boring or dogmatic. It is a complete way of life, which is good and fun. Parents should help organize camps, festivals, sleepovers, fun days, sports, and Islamic movie days for them.
#4 Buy Islamic books. How many of us have Islamic kid’s books, tapes, games or videos at home? If you don’t, buy some. IQRA, Soundvision, Astrolabe all produce excellent quality fun educational materials for Muslim kids. Why buy your kids Home Alone when you can buy Salam’s Journey or Adam’s World? Why buy a Barbie coloring book when you can buy an Islamic coloring book. We should take advantage of this to create more of an Islamic culture for our kids.
#5 Send your kids to Islamic camps, conferences and conventions. How many of you take vacations to Disney World or somewhere? How many of you send your kids to those 4-H or basketball camps? Why not go to ISNA together as a family or send your kids to MYNA where they can meet other Muslim kids from all over? Have a problem sending them somewhere alone? Go with them. I guarantee anything in public schools is 1000% worse.
Which brings me to #6 Be aware. I don’t know if some parents are deliberately oblivious or just don’t care. What is your child’s public school environment like? Do you know? Do you know what they watch on TV, sitcoms, MTV, that just about everything there is 90% sexual and inappropriate in content? Do you know who their friends are?
This is not to say go overboard. The best type of parent is flexible and not rigid over things that are not worth fighting over. Give alternatives. You can’t forbid them from having any friends but must facilitate them having Muslim friends. Establish limits. Start with limiting TV to 3 hours a day maximum and watch WITH them.
#7 Eliminate the cultural baggage. Cultural baggage are all those things that parents have been raised with which are not part of Islam but are part of their culture. Separate what is your culture from what is Islam. Cultural aspects only seem confusing, hypocritical and unreasonable to young people. Get rid of them now or else your children will equate them with Islam.
#8 Use the resources of this community. There are many experienced parents, teachers, and Imams in this community that can help you if you are having problems with your child. They can help you if you are not sure how to incorporate Islamic education for your kids or don’t understand its importance. You know how your child says “But everyone else’s parents are letting them do it”. Now you can ask other parents if they are. 
Work with them to help solve any problems now. Do not wait untill it gets out of control, when the child is 15 and refuses to listen to anyone.
#9 Teach understanding, not blind ritual. We can’t keep teaching our children things without explaining why they should do them or what they mean. How many of your kids say Surah Fatiha in prayer and have no idea what it means. Has no idea what they are saying in prayer at all? This is so wrong. Saying you have to pray and here is how to is not enough. Islam turns into blind ritual for them and they won’t be able to transfer Islamic principles or practice to their daily lives.
Lastly and maybe most importantly, #10 be a good Muslim. You must be a good, practicing, active Muslim for your child to be one. If you have little knowledge about Islam your child will have less. If Islam isn’t a priority for you, it will not be for your child. If you are not continuously learning about Islam, your child will not be either.
Inshallah I pray I have conveyed the present need for making Islam a priority for young Muslims. I hope parents heed the true-life examples of the prevalent situation, which can only get worse.
Inshallah, let’s make the intention now to try to do some of these simple things to help our kids understand and practice Islam. Let’s not leave this need unfulfilled for another generation.
Ashadu anna la ilaaha antastaghfiruka wa itubu ilaik. Please forgive me for any mistakes I have made. Anything good I have said is from Allah, the mistakes are mine.
For more visit www.islamicnet.com and www.qurantutoring.com
It is one thing to make a sales presentation, but it is another thing to make a sales presentation without first evaluating your customer. For all you know, you could be selling your customer something that they already have, or something they don’t want, don’t need, or can’t afford.
This is why it is so very important to take your customer in, sit them down, make them feel comfortable, and get to know them and what their needs are. Once you have done this, you can then sell them a product based on what their needs are and not what you think they are.
On a personal note . . .
I learned the importance of evaluating your customer the hard way. A few years ago, I was a branch manager working in a bank branch. One particular customer of the bank approached me in my office about opening a savings account for her daughter.
Once I explained to her the process of opening a savings account, I proceeded to tell her all about a current promotion we were having on our home equity loans. She sat there and listened very politely and patiently as I very proudly went down the list of all the benefits, features, and tax breaks that come with a home equity loan.
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Once I had finished my rehearsed presentation, she said to me;
That all sounds very nice, and it is something that I will consider in the near to distant future. She than went on to tell me that she and her husband rented the house they lived in.
So there you have it, I tried to sell a home equity loan to someone without a house.
Needless to say, my face turned a deeper shade of scarlet, and I felt like an idiot.
But hey, I learned from my mistake. Had I asked some simple probing questions before I went straight for the sale, I would have saved myself a lot of embarrassment.
You will be amazed at what you can find out from people just by asking them a few simple questions about themselves. Remember, people love to talk about themselves. Their jobs, their pets, their kids, just about everything.
I once had a friend who owned a shoe store, and his inventory was made up mostly of sneakers. One day a man walked into his store to buy a pair of sneakers. As my friend assisted him with his decision, he struck up a friendly conversation with him. As it turned out, this customer ran a basketball camp during the summer and he loved to talk about it. A few minutes into the conversation, my friend and his customer had come to an agreement. All of the boys and girls that attended the customers basketball camp would receive a 10% discount on their sneakers if they purchased them at my friend’s store.
So, as you can see, my friend increased his sales that summer simply by striking up a conversation with his random customer and asking a few questions.
Imagine going to your doctors office with an ailment and having him prescribe you a medication without asking what your symptoms were. Would you take the medication?
The same principal applies.
It really isn’t rocket science, it’s just friendly conversation, get to know your customer and watch one sale turn into many.
Why service only one of your customers needs when you can service them all.