You Better Plan On It Podcast!

Hello Listeners!

The Giveaway Challenge Plan is about us coming together as a society of good people and giving some of what we have to those who are in dire need. The challenge for you and I is to go into our closets and shoe chests and pull out quality clothing and shoe items that we are willing to part ways with. 

With Winter already upon us, I'd like to believe that we are people who will go out of our way to give to others to keep them from freezing to death and ending up in near-death experiences, especially our homeless! I am not asking you to give your very best but rather give those clothing and shoe items that you never wear and they sit in our closets for good looks. 

Listen, I'll be the first to admit that I have clothing and shoes in my closet and shoe chest that have been there for years, only to be worn a handful of times, so I'm recently loaded up a duffle bag of quality and shoes and I donated the items to several homeless people I have come to know. I am doing the same thing again within  the next couple of days.

My challenge to you is to follow suit within the next 7-10 days and give to a family, individual or shelter of choice. We got to do it now because the weather has already turned and will get worse for so many moving forward. So please, let's give now and make this challenge a success and I guarantee you that you will be abundantly blessed in your giving!

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Hello All!

Please do me a great favor and take a moment and think about your homes…Your families…You know those key things such as where you live and how you live daily. Are you in a private community or a community that is open to drive directly into and out of? Is the community safe? Are the people in your community good people? Do you have specific worries because of where the community that you live in is located?

Take a listen to the story regarding the Harper Family Trespasser Tragedy. The Harpers meet a nice younger couple who states that they checked out a home for sale within the community and is interested possibly moving into it. The couple and the Harpers hit it off and hit it off so well that Dad Harper invites the couple in to meet the family and tour the home. He even tells them that the family is packing for a weekend camping trip but fails to tell them that it is only an overnight trip. The Harpers, like most of the community, believe their community is super safe, despite a recent break-in. They get too comfortable and fail to ensure the home is secured before going to bed on the evening they returned from the camping trip. Unfortunately, the failed plan to ensure the home was completely secure cost the family the most valuable thing ever, and that is life! 

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Hello All!

Have you ever encountered the likes of a major Blackout in your city because of a violent storm…I’m talking about the entire city? I’m talking about a Blackout in which you learned that it would be a lengthy period before Emergency Services personnel could respond to your area of the city. Did you have the necessary communications setup, equipment, supplies, first aid, food and water to easily sustain you and your family through the blackout? Were you and your family prepared to function as a complete unit or were you caught in a panic and trying to figure things out on the fly?

Listen to the story regarding the Kennedy Family and how they handled a major city-wide blackout crisis. To shed some light on the matter, the family lived in well-built, elevated location so worrying about major crises was not in the DNA of the community. Sure, the Kennedy's encountered bad weather from time to time but had never encountered a crisis involving a major city-wide blackout that resulted in a significant injury to a family member, leaving them with a possible life and death situation and without an adequate plan!  

Additional Information from the National Safety Council

Note 1: A blackout supplies list should include a three-day supply of water and non-perishable food, plus essentials like flashlights, extra batteries, a battery-powered radio, and a first-aid kit. Don't forget items for hygiene, sanitation, and specific needs like medications, baby supplies, or pet food. Having a manual can opener, cash, and important documents is also recommended. 

Food and Water

• One gallon of water per person per day
• At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Manual can opener
• Pet food and supplies, if needed 

Light and Power

• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (with NOAA weather alerts if possible)
• Portable power bank or charger for cell phones 
  
  

Health and Safety

First-aid kit, Any necessary medications, Whistle to signal for help, Matches in a waterproof container, and Dust mask or cotton t-shirt to filter the air. 

Sanitation and Hygiene

• Moist towelettes, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer
• Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Soap and disinfectants
• Paper plates and plastic utensils 

Documents and Communication

Copies of important documents like ID and insurance papers, Emergency contact list, and Cash. 

Other Essentials

Warm clothing and blankets, Paper map of your area, and Small portable generator (optional). 

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The podcast topic, "African American Men & The Cycle of Hate," stems from me personally taking the time to watch the movie, "South Central," a crime-based film written and directed by Stephen Milburn Anderson, released on September 18, 1992.

The movie sheds light on African American men and our "Cycle of Hate" towards the world because so many of us grew/grow up in the projects, the hood or very impoverished areas. Our communities are much more prone to violence because it is a daily fight for survival because of where we live/lived and how we grew/grow up. It is that out of control anger and hatred inside of us that leads too many African American men to prison, on drugs or selling drugs, gang life or dead, thus leaving far too many moms and especially children without fathers. The movie tells us that so many African American men are either in prison or dodging prison while our kids suffer at home. When kids see a life in the gang world that shows them that school is a waste of time but making money by dealing drugs as well as robbing and stealing is the way to go, then our kids without their fathers are more destined to go the gang route or seek other negative ways of life. The bottom line is that every African American man, and for that matter, any non-African American man who grew up in or still live in a less than adequate communities, please take the time to see if you still possess that same anger and hatred today. In fact, watch 2 specific scenes from the movie that are identified in the episode so that you understand what is meant by the "Cycle of Hate," and then ask yourselves am I still that man today and how do I break the Cycle of Hate I continue to harbor! 

Additional Information:  

How the Cycle Perpetuates

• Initial provocation: This can be an act of violence, discrimination, or a perceived injustice that one group commits against another. 
• Retaliation: The victimized group responds with its own act of hate or vengeance, believing it is justified as a form of justice. 
• Escalation: This retaliatory action provokes a further response from the first group, creating a continuous, escalating spiral of conflict. 
• Root causes: The cycle is often rooted in deeper issues like power imbalances, historical grievances, and a sense of fear or threat from an "other" group. 
• Reinforcement: This cycle is further strengthened through echo chambers, the spread of propaganda, and the normalization of hate within certain communities.   

How to Break the Cycle

• Cultivate empathy and compassion: Choosing warmheartedness, kindness, and understanding can help de-escalate conflict. 
• Choose forgiveness: Recognizing that vengeance perpetuates a cycle can lead to a choice for forgiveness, which can stop the pattern of retaliation. 
• Address root causes: Addressing the underlying issues of power, control, and historical trauma can help prevent the cycle from starting in the first place. 
• Promote critical thinking: Challenging narratives that demonize certain groups and being critical of media that fuels hatred is crucial. 
• Encourage dialogue: Open and honest communication between groups can foster understanding and break down the "us vs. them" mentality that fuels hatred. 

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This episode provides a recap to my previous episode, The House is on Fire Part II, and the ultimate outcome to Dad's dire plan to save his two young sons from a deadly house fire and Mom's ultimate plan to ensure, not only her and the children, but also the community and her other family and friends learned the knowledge, importance and understanding of implementing and properly executing a House Fire & Equipment Safety Prevention Plan to combat the possibility of a deadly house fire. 

The episode also has a two-part challenge, with Part I being you, the Listener, tasked to watch Season 11, Episode 1, of Chicago Med and specifically note the scene involving a dad, son and babysitter thought to be the son's mom and closely witness the damage a deadly house fire can do to the human body and psyche of a family moving forward, especially when it concerns a child or children. Part II of the challenge tasks you with taking inventory of your home (square footage, # of bedrooms, # levels) while imagining you and your family being trapped in your bedrooms and in need of a plan to get the entire family to safety. You have no actual Fire Safety & Equipment Prevention Plan, so you are first tasked with looking within the bedrooms to see if you have anything that can assist you with combating the house fire. Second, you are to jot down in detail, what you believe you would do to get to safety with you and your family trapped in your bedrooms, with a fire that has breached the hallway(s) and all main entry and exit points. Finally, you are asked to provide feedback to the show and share that information because you may have information that is viable to other Listeners and they may want to share it with others as well!    

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This episode is fiction but tells the story of the well-known Bennett family, a dad, mom and 3 young children, who encounter an unsuspecting house fire in the wee hours of the morning while sound asleep. A small electrical fire starts in the kid's upstairs bathroom and intensely grows steadily from there. In the case of dad, he gets mom and daughter to safety first, but is now left with the dire decision regarding how too get to his 2 young sons with the fire blazing between him and them. He calculates an insane plan, and without regard for his own life, he executes getting through the fire and into the room on the other side of the upstairs hallway where his sons are located. The plan is reckless and dangerous but he has no other alternative and refuses to lose his boys. He then has to create another immediate plan to get them to safety because the fire has consumed the hallway and stairs so there is no way out, except from the 2d floor bedroom window. With Police, Fire & Rescue finally on the scene, but no time to wait for them to get completely into position, and with the fire pushing into the room and filling up with smoke, dad realizes that It is too far to jump and too far to lower them down using his arms, so he remembers a movie from 1975 and executes the only plan that can save him and his sons. Wow, the fire is now inside the room and starting to consume everything in it's path, so dad executes the plan. However, the plan works to get everyone to safety, but does it comes with a major cost?      

Note 1: Contact your local Fire Department for detailed information regarding Fire Safety Prevention and Equipment Plans for homes and other types of residences. Ask them if they would be willing to come out to your home or resident, look at your blueprint and help you in putting together the best possible plan for you and our families. 

Note 2: Google Fire Safety Prevention Plans for outlines that can help you and your families put together a detailed plan to aid you in combating house fires. 

Note 3: Google Fire Safety Equipment to learn about different types of protective equipment you and your families can use to aid you in combating house fires. Ensure you have an equipment expert to walk you through using the equipment properly as well as the best place to keep the equipment.

Note 4: Top-rated fire safety equipment suppliers in the U.S. that you can contact for details as well include, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Carrier, Siemens and Amerex Corporation. These companies are the best of the best and can give you the level of advice you need to best protect you and your families from the dangers and destruction of house fires.   

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This episode is fiction but tells the story of the well-known Bennett family, a dad, mom and 3 young children, who encounter an unsuspecting house fire in the wee hours of the morning while sound asleep and how not having an actual Fire Safety Prevention "Plan" possibly puts them in grave danger. Dad and Mom's bedroom is on the first floor of their two-story home whereas the kids' bedrooms are located on the second floor of the home. A small electrical fire starts in the kid's upstairs bathroom. Once the family is aware of the fire, they can only be reactive versus being proactive because there is no plan in place that tells them what to do in this situation. The family has never held a fire drill in their home or took the time to discuss, "This is what will be done in the event of a house fire crisis!" The only plan the Bennett family has to go by is the plan from whatever dad tells them to do, which is a plan that could have deadly consequences.

Note 1: Contact your local Fire Department for detailed information regarding Fire Safety Prevention and Equipment Plans for homes and other types of residences. Ask them if they would be willing to come out to your home or resident, look at your blueprint and help you in putting together the best possible plan for you and our families. 

Note 2: Google Fire Safety Prevention Plans for outlines that can help you and your families put together a detailed plan to aid you in combating house fires. 

Note 3: Google Fire Safety Equipment to learn about different types of protective equipment you and your families can use to aid you in combating house fires. Ensure you have an equipment expert to walk you through using the equipment properly as well as the best place to keep the equipment.

Note 4: Top-rated fire safety equipment suppliers in the U.S. that you can contact for details as well include, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, Carrier, Siemens and Amerex Corporation. These companies are the best of the best and can give you the level of advice you need to best protect you and your families from the dangers and destruction of house fires.   

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This episode takes us into the family home and opens the door to parents taking the opportunity to teach children from the ages of 10-17 years old how to write an actual plan. This is what I have nicknamed, "Parent-Teach." In this case, it is a perspective in which the child will be fully briefed by the parent on a particular upcoming family event and be required to implement a plan via a checklist exercise. The exercise will have a completion deadline and will also be reviewed and graded by the parent. Upon grade completion, the parent will conduct a one-on-one brief with the child to let him or her know the outcome of the exercise.  

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This episode takes the plan into the homes of our families and gives everyone real-time perspective on why my belief is that we are far too comfortable and why we continually take so much for granted today. Simply put, when something does not have a direct impact on us or our surroundings then we tend to go about our day without the least bit of panic or worry. We just know that because things look good, then it must be all good and that is what scares me America! So, what is your plan from a home and family perspective? Is it one that you the parent typically deliver in a verbal and authoritative manner, expecting 100% execution or does the plan have an identity that the entire family can understand and follow to success?    

Additional information:  7 key components of a good plan include, 1. Goals should be defined using the SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 2. Break down your overarching goal into a series of smaller, concrete tasks. Identify who is responsible for each task and ensure they are aligned with the overall objective. 3. Create a realistic schedule with deadlines for each task. Also, identify and allocate the necessary resources, such as budget, tools, and personnel, to execute the plan successfully. 4. Anticipate potential problems and roadblocks and include contingency plans for how to address them. 5. A good plan is not rigid; it should be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and allow for adjustments as needed. 6. Ensure the plan is easy for everyone involved to understand. Effective communication is essential for keeping the team organized and focused. 7. Prioritize tasks based on their importance and impact on the goal. This helps in allocating time and resources more efficiently. 

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This episode leans into Mass Shootings in America that specifically target our school children. It depicts the latest shooting at a Catholic School in Minneapolis, MN on the morning of 27 August 2025. A destructive 23-year-old barricaded the doors to where kids were in prayer at the Annunciation Church and opened fire, killing an 8-year-old and 10-year-old while also injuring 14 other children and 3 adults. I did not include any names in this episode out of respect for the victims and their families. The Shooter apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I did, however, provide specific input for POTUS, all levels of Government and for Parents towards a plan with actions that I believe will strongly aid in mitigating Mass Shootings in our schools!  

Important Fact:

Signs of mental illness in children include significant and persistent changes in mood (prolonged sadness or irritability), extreme behavioral issues (aggression, disobedience, social withdrawal), difficulty with school or daily functioning, intense fears or worries, frequent nightmares, eating or sleeping problems, and physical complaints like headaches or stomachaches. If you notice behaviors that are unusual for your child, last for weeks, or interfere with their ability to function, it's important to consult a healthcare professional.

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