The five o five : Monday, November 26, 2007

Nine to Five o Five

<sub>[1]<- What's This

Watching: Mamma's and The Pappas, Monday Morning</sub>

M O N D A Y
"
The nagging thought of Monday gnaws at your conscious. It grabs you by the ear and drags you into the bathroom. You enter the cold chamber groggy and disoriented. You click the switch on the wall and the light bulb (sun) nearly burns your eyes out. You cringe at the torturous self inflicted pain but after a few splashes of cool water from the sink you begin to feel a bit more adjusted. Monday begins to settle in. Itineraries and plans (including four day weekend, unfinished business) enter the scene and take their place within the room. Monday begins to set up shop.
"

Well, it's Monday. Time to go back to work. Time to get back to the daily grind and grind out whatever needs to be "grinded". Its not that I have any problems with my job but you know how it is. You just had a four day holiday weekend. You slept till 12 on three of those four days. You walked around in your boxers and old tee shirts for the most part and didn't go outside unless it was absolutely necessary. You became a heaping pile of unwashed sloth and you enjoyed every second of it. You have a stack of unanswered mail. You have a collection of unreturned phone calls. Responsibility got evicted but you didn't like him anyway. Life was good. But now its Monday.

The 5am alarm screeches in your right ear, nudging you violently in your ribcage (or was that you fiancé?). The room spins as you stumble out of bed and in the direction of annoying morning pest of an alarm clock. You flick the switch on his back and he is easily silenced. You then pull on the comfortable unwashed attire of the four day sloth fest instantly settling into their nostalgic grip the moment they rub your skin. You pause at the warm familiar feeling, almost being lured back into the deep pit of soft, satisfying, slumber. Your eyes close and your forehead goes numb. The fluffy pillows and soft sheets call to you. Your fiancés wriggling body seduces you into Medusa's pit. You are more than willing to be turned into a statue. It feels so good. BUT NO!

The nagging thought of Monday gnaws at your conscious. It grabs you by the ear and drags you into the bathroom. You enter the cold chamber groggy and disoriented. You click the switch on the wall and the light bulb (sun) nearly burns your eyes out. You cringe at the torturous self inflicted pain but after a few splashes of cool water from the sink you begin to feel a bit more adjusted. Monday begins to settle in. Itineraries and plans (including four day weekend, unfinished business) enter the scene and take their place within the room. Monday begins to set up shop. He starts to write a to do list as you bounce down the steps. He makes long lists of things he wants for you to do and people he thinks that you should call. You cell phone greets you as you enter the living room. He delivers the list of unanswered calls to you as dizzy flashing names on his face. You silence him just as easily as the clock with just a simple flick and then you walk over to the main attraction.

Its Monday. The thought, the idea, the feeling, the realization all dance behind your forehead. For some its a relief ; For others its a burden. The morning air will soon be filled with grunts and sighs as the rest of the world is dragged out the bed in a similar matter.

The computer blinked to life as the thought was now vividly realized in my mind. My fingertips danced the words reluctantly onto the keyboard as I began this post.

The five o five : MONDAY, November 26, 2007

I hope you all had a good weekend.

I hope you all have a nice week.

_{P.S. Wouldn't Monday Morning make a good Guitar Hero Song :)}

The five o five : Thursgay, Novemeber 22, 2007

Thanks & Blessings

_{[1]<- What's This}


First of all I must say good morning, afternoon and good evening to all of you (depending on what time of the day you're reading this) and second I have to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Now, I'm not entirely geeked [urban dictionary geeked definition 3] about the fact that its actually Thanksgiving day (you know with the food, and the time off time off, and the food) but I more geeked that I really do have a lot to be thankful for this time.

H A P P Y H O L I D A Y
"
Why do people wait for certain holidays to to do certain things that they should be doing everyday?
"

I must warn you before I continue that I am typing this post from the soft pillowy comfort of my nice warm bed this morning because I wanted to soak in a few more hours of "snuggle time" [Alisha pic] before we head out holiday hoppin' [tigga definition Holiday Hoppin] and enjoying the day. SO yes, I'm laying here blogging, wearing nothing more than bed sheets and the warm glow of my computer screen and I'm enjoying myself. With that out of the way let's continue, shall we?

Thanksgiving is a special day designed to remind people that there are some things out there that they need to recognize. Things they should be thankful for. I had a conversation yesterday with someone who asked a profound yet simple question,
"Why do people wait for certain holidays to to do certain things that they should be doing everyday?"

I though about it and it really did make a bit of sense. We have Valentines day to think about the one we love yet many only use it to salvage a ruined relationship and not to strengthen a flourishing one. We have Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus however everyone in the world is not a Cristian so its now a day that we are supposed to be nice to one another and spend our hard earned cash on expensive gifts and items to prove it [Sears holiday sale ad]. Finally we have Thanksgiving [wikipedia Thanksgiving]. A day where it is said that the Indians and the Pilgrims bonded together and shared food and tools right before they stabbed them in the back [wikipedia Manifest Destiny] and marched them all [wikipedia Trail of Tears] off to their prospective and aptly named reservations (sorry for being so cynical). The point is, Thanksgiving is supposed to be the day of thanks but my friend and I were thinking why do people only take a day? Can't we be thankful everyday? I know I am. So, if you must know, I am going to tell the world what I'm thankful for, but not just because its Thanksgiving, but because I feel that you should know.

_{[The following appear in no particular order other than when I think of them.]}

1. First and foremost I'm thankful for my life. I have been through a lot and nearly been through a lot more and I now know that I come from a family of survivors. My mom had her serious car accident (that she survived) and then not too long ago her breast cancer [breast cancer awareness] (that she made it through) and if you saw her you would have no idea that she had any trauma anywhere during the entire course of her life. My brother [hi5 Boss Moe] (who I sometimes can't stand but only because I don't understand him) had a serious work accident (that he survived) and he would like to pretend that hes not thankful about but you can tell. And of course myself [myspace SublimeSpace] (Graphic Design extrodinaire) who has been through hurricanes, blizzards, bake outages, nervous breakdowns, unfair fights, racism, injustice, slavery (lineage counts for thanks), and just life itself. I'm thankful that I get to wake up each morning just to experience the ups and downs know as life. They drive me and give me purpose. Why else would I be up right now? Its 5am for god sakes. I'm thankful that I woke up on time.

2. I'm thankful for my beautiful daughter Destiney [Picasa Destiney]. Its kind of a long and complicated story but she is the reason I do so much (seriously). A lot of people claim that but I truly mean it. She is my driving force and she is gonna do great things some day, I just know it. She is an eight year old genius with the most humble, affectionate, kind spirit you will ever see. She is my angel and my "Partner in Crime". I know there will come a day where she may think that my jokes are corny and my hugs are icky but until that day I'm gonna soak in all the "daddyness" I can.

3. I'm thankful for my (wife to be) Alisha [picasa Alisha]. Sure, she's crazy. Sure, she makes me think I'm crazy. Sure, she makes me wanna jump out of the window of a moving car sometimes but that's the reason I love her. She challenges me. She makes me think of all the things that I refuse to process until the last possible moment. All the "stupid" important things that I wish I didn't have to deal with. She makes sure I at least have them on my mind. Without her I would probably be going crazy. I probably wouldn't have his blog (what reason would a single guy have to get up at 5am for other than to go to work?).

4. I'm thankful for all of the people that helped me get to where I am now. I know that line is super cliché but I truly believe that teachers, counselors, mentors, role models and others like them need a lot more credit than they receive (I'm one of them so I should know [myspace Settinstitute].

5. I'm thankful for my god given gifts and abilities and all of the tools that I have acquired in order to express my talents and skills and all of the people that surround me that appreciate my art and performance. Without them I wouldn't have the motivation or the drive to do the things I do and I know one day it will all pay off. I just know it [deviantArt tigga76].

6. Finally, I'm thankful for you. You are the reason I get up this dang on early in the morning because I checked the stats and I know people come on at 6am to see if I decided to call it quits or not yet but I'm still here. I'm definitely thankful for your support though. I really appreciate you.

H A P P Y H O L I D A Y
"
I guess the benefit to this whole "Thanksgiving" thing is that it does give you a second to reflect outside of the flurry of the "working world." Even though I have my obvious issues with it I am still thankful for the general concept and of course the fact that it is a day off.
"

Now, in real life this would be the point where we would sit down together at that log, table cloth covered, mahogany table covered in various holiday dishes (Turkey, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, greens, potato salad, corn, gravy, spaghetti, etc... [thanksgiving pic]) with our forks and plates in hand ready to smash [urban dictionary smash] but since this is only a digital diner engagement then allow me to leave you with this food for thought (clever huh?). Be thankful everyday for you never know which one will be your last.

That's all from me. I'm getting ready to do a little more "snuggling" before I have to head out in the cold to enjoy the warmth of the many family gathering I have planned for today. I guess the benefit to this whole "Thanksgiving" thing is that it does give you a second to reflect outside of the flurry of the "working world." Even though I have my obvious issues with it I am still thankful for the general concept and of course the fact that it is a day off.

Thank you all for reading this and I promise I'll see you later. In the mean time ask yourself this question, "What are you thankful for?" Comment Back.

The five o five : Monday, November 5, 2007

Scardey Cat

_{Watching: zoolon.deviantart.com (Gorrilaz Music Video)}

F E A R
"
Fear is nothing more than untested curiosity. It is the unknown manifested in monster form to keep us out of the woods at night and away from top secret government bases. Fear is our emotional police force. It is meant to arrest our childish adventurous spirit and keep our inquisitive nature in check.
"

BOO! Did I scare you? No? What if I told you that your mother in law was coming to live with you? You can handle that too? What if I told you I work for the IRS? No big deal huh? What if I said this is the last entry I will ever make in this blog ever? No, no no, stop crying. I was just joking. Awww come on don't blow snot on me!

Fear [definition]. What are we so afraid of? Why does it still drive our decisions and guide our lives down a path of safety and Bleh. What do we still need it for? I remember when I was younger being afraid to (and please don't laugh at me) pull a shirt over my head because I thought, for some irrationally odd reason, that I might not come out on the other end. Fear is nothing more than untested curiosity. It is the unknown manifested in monster form to keep us out of the woods at night and away from top secret government bases [area 51]. Fear is our emotional police force. It is meant to arrest our childish adventurous spirit and keep our inquisitive nature in check. But why?

Human beings, from what I've observed, are the only creatures that are allowed to act outside of direct stimuli. Example: If a dog is afraid of something it will either puff up and try to look bigger or tuck its tail between its legs and shuffle on, whimpering, out of the way. Humans, however, can postulate [dictionary.com] a wider range of action. We can simply bluff our way beyond the situation. That doesn't mean that the most basic primal instinct isn't still boiling down in the pit of our belly it just means that we are better actors. So if we are so advanced then why do we still need the fear instinct?

Halloween passed not too long ago and I watched a variety of witch, goblin, princess, and ghost children go door to door begging for treats (or tricks) somewhat oblivious to what their costume is supposed to represent. My daughter went out as a "Glamorous Witch" (Fergie immediately comes to mind). I began to wonder if we were so fearful of being scared that we don't even want to risk scaring anything else. Think about it. There are a lot of real things to be scared of right now. There are fires burning in California [CNN]. There was a noose hanging from a tree in Louisiana [wikipedia]. Hurricanes are pounding the east coast [CNN]. Iran [CNN] is building nuclear capability along with North Korea [CNN]. The country is now at "Level Yellow [DHS.org]" security, meaning a terrorist attack can happen at any time (This is the granddaddy of them all), and finally your T.V. not work anymore once they switch to an all digital signal [cnet]. With all of this real stuff to make us cringe (with the exception of the last one), who has time to be afraid of the little things?

F E A R
"
Is it because I'm a male that I am just naturally equipped to overcome fear? Are we men the real reason our ancestors ventured outside the caves into the unknown to build this modern world in which we now dwell?
"

In my house I'm almost considered superman [imdb]. My duties are to remove all that causes fear. I live in a house with two girls (my fiancé and my daughter) and so I get to be their hero. My duties include killing spiders, ants, "strange blue lights", "weird shaped shadows", and on one occasion a (very slow moving) killer slug. Whew. I always ask, though, once my job is complete, "You do realize that you are 1000 times bigger than them right? I always get the same answer, "It was gonna get me!" Is it because I'm a male that I am just naturally equipped to overcome fear? Are we men the real reason our ancestors ventured outside the caves into the unknown to build this modern world in which we now dwell? Are women our balance? Are they here to keep us from going too far? If you look at it closely it does seem to be a perfect system. Men are the "risk takers" and women are the "circuit breakers".

So it looks like fear does have a purpose. We do have reasons to be afraid but that's nothing that good old fashioned logic and rational thinking can't resolve. Maybe one day we will fully understand the true purpose of our inhibitions. Maybe one day we'll stop being so afraid (or at least stop being afraid of the wrong things). There is nothing wrong with being scared.

But I will leave you with frightening this question:

What are you afraid of? (Are you afraid to answer?)

Read the follow up question to this post at Yahoo! Answers

The five o five : Friday, November 2, 2007

Patience is a Virtue

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick.

What are you waiting for? Money? Fame? Recognition? A Promotion? Love?

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick.

How long are you willing to wait for it? An hour? A minute? A year? A decade? A millennium?

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick.

Time's up! Put you pencils down and turn in your tests. Now let me look at your answers.

.........................................................................................

Its worse than I thought. Please have a seat on the couch and lets get started.

Patience. For some people its a terrible word. It means waiting. It means not getting your way right now. Its a contradiction to the commercial reality that we live in. Some of us just simple loathe every non eventful moment of our lives. We got to keep moving. There's got to be something happening at every second of everyday or else we'll make something happen. Why are we like this? What is out problem?

P A T I E N C E
"
We tap our foot and curse at the red light. Our server is the annoying barrier between us and our hot plate of food at the restaurant. We dread every minute we have to sit and wait for our doctor to call us in. The lines at the amusement park are there to delay our exciting ride experience. Microwave pop corn just takes to long to pop.
"

An impatient lifestyle is marketed to us at a very early age. What do babies care about time? Nothing. But how many crying babies have you seen send their idle mothers and fathers into a scrambling frenzy the moment they hear the shrill teary eyed hollering of a hungry, tired, wet, lonely infant? Look at the way we are entertained as children also. When we were wide eyed inquisitive toddlers we probably watched brightly colored cartoon role models zip across the T.V. screen running, jumping, falling, and chasing some other neon hued nemesis or ally (think Tom and Jerry, Coyote and Road Runner, Speedy Gonzales, etc). From an early age being slow was never acceptable. Little boys played with fast cars and bicycles that resembles motor cycles. Little girls had it a bit easier with their toys, that is until Barbie could instantly grow hair. SO we grow up thinking, "I WANT IT NOW NOW NOW!"

We tap our foot and curse at the red light. Our server is the annoying barrier between us and our hot plate of food at the restaurant. We dread every minute we have to sit and wait for our doctor to call us in. The lines at the amusement park are there to delay our exciting ride experience. Microwave pop corn just takes to long to pop. Why is waiting such a bad thing? What makes patience such a villain?

....................................................................................

I'm patient. I sometimes enjoy the hours between the something and the nothingness. Red lights are the times I use to write down important ideas. I enjoy the conversation that waiting for food at restaurants allow. The doctors office is the perfect place to work on an unfinished art project. The lines leading up to the new ride is what make the ride so much more exciting. But you are right that microwave popcorn does take too long.

So what can we do about patience (or our lack there of). Is not having patience truly that big a deal? Is having patience honestly that great a virtue? Does waiting or not waiting illustrate to the world what our agenda is? How far we'll make it in life. In the end don't we still have to wait? No matter how fast you can run. Now matter how much pointless activity we fill our nothing moments with we still have to ride along with the stream of time itself.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I know its somewhat of an annoyance but what can anyone do about it?

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick.

We just have to relax a little bit and hope that every thing turns out right.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick.

A watched pot never boils, nor does grass grow, or paint dry quicker, or life move any faster.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick.

Time's up.

Read the follow up question to this post at Yahoo! Answers

The five o five : Thursday, November 1, 2007

Family Values

I'm starting to believe all this talk that the end of the end of days is upon us. Have you seen the world lately? Everything is falling to pieces but the media wants to pretend like its no big issue. No one wants to admit that the whole thing is going to hell in a breadbasket because no one is ready to go yet. I know I don't because I just got started. It really doesn't matter though, what I think or how I feel. God does what he wants to do. It is his world anyway and we are his creation. So I appreciate everyday that I am allowed to think, breathe, sing, dance, work, struggle, fail, succeed, live. Isn't that how it should be? What about the rest of the world though? Why does it seem like some people are more fortunate than others? Why does it seem like some are rewarded tremendous successes while others suffer the worse disappointment ever? Maybe its all about perception, the way you see the things around you. I tend to enjoy the smallest and most insignificant pleasures in life while some look at it with the attitude of, "That's it?" It all falls on one single word and concept in the end. VALUES.

I work for a teen prevention program and my boss is always talking about "values" as though it were stronger than the strongest brand of Gorilla Glue[tm]. He always says that, "Values determine the way that you live your life. Values determine what you become. Values determine how you spend your time and the company you keep. Values are the only possession we own that can show our true worth to the world." Values, after hearing him talk about it, sound like a big deal.

V A L U E S
"
The world was a lot more simple then. Children, in my day (I sound old now), did things like go outside, play tag, climb trees, ride bikes, roller skate, jump rope, cut grass, etc, etc... It was all about being creative. I think it made us appreciate the world more. We didn't have virtual reality the real world was our playground.
"

Back in the eighty's I remember most of the television sitcoms focused on that very same concept of values. Their melodramatic half hour quips set the tone for how they wanted people in society to act, live, and resolve issues and conflicts. Sure the world wasn't perfect back then either but people did seem a bit nicer. These days sitcoms come packaged with "off the wall content" and ignorant displays of rudeness or plain idiocy. I'm still trying to figure out if its art that imitates life or vice versa? You can't blame T.V. for everything though. Some of it is our own fault. But what is it that sets the stage for what we value?

When I was younger I was one of the happiest children in the universe. We didn't have PSP's or DS's. We didn't have cell phones and text messaging. We didn't have Cartoon Network of satellite. We only had each other and our imagination. Now, some of you younger readers are probably sitting and glaring wide eyed and open jawed at the screen re-reading the previous sentence over and over to be sure you understood it correctly and I assure you that you did. This next sentence is the killer though. Are you ready? We didn't have the internet[check it out on wikipedia] either. Now calm down it's not that serious. The world was a lot more simple then. Children, in my day (I sound old now), did things like go outside, play tag, climb trees, ride bikes, roller skate, jump rope, cut grass, etc, etc... It was all about being creative. I think it made us appreciate the world more. We didn't have virtual reality the real world was our playground.

So when did we make this introverted transition into the realm of selfish behavior and self confinement? That answer I do not know but I do know that people are going to truly regret not taking notice of the world around them especially after it all breaks down. We don't have long and I know this for a fact. The proof is in the way we treat each other. Yes that's what I said. We treat our fellow "Human Beings" like crap. Look at the stories that make the headlines. At one time the news was a respectable outlet for information and morality but now its filled with the same garbage that fluffs the edges of our sitcoms. But stories like "Britney Spears loses it," and, "Paris Hilton goes to jail". Or stories like, "Michael Vick arrested," an "OJ looses it all." This is what the news is all about these days. The stories don't end with a positive spin or comparison, they just end. So now we sit in front of screen (while the Viagra commercial fills your head with even more disturbing images) not knowing what to think.


I know for sure that the world is almost over, I have proof. There was something that happened to me yesterday evening that I must share with you all. It was almost the most disturbing thing that has ever happened to me but it says a lot about the way people think. So sit down kids a get ready for a story. Ok here it goes.

V A L U E S
"
I could have been a preacher, a teacher, a counselor, his regional manager, GOD. I could have been Jesus returning to judge humanity and he alone damned the whole of existence.
"

I was at my favorite store yesterday, Best Buy, when I was elated to find out that my favorite game, Dance Dance Revolution [check it out on ign], had released a sequel to the play station version of their game. I had a brief internal argument with myself over the decision to get the game or not because I still have other bills to pay and I didn't want to have to sacrifice my responsibilities for a game (how is that for values?). So I walked over to the live display they had set up for the game to see if it was worth the purchase because if I could afford it then I would at least like to try it out first just to see if I would enjoy it in my home. I was dressed in my work clothes at this time which consists of a collard shirt, neck tie, basic slacks and dress shoes. Nothing that would say anything less than, "That guy handles his business." So I step onto the dance mat sorting through the selection of songs to see if there were any that I would be interested in. The game had a nice collection of tunes and I was even impressed to see that a Chris Brown [Chris Brown on Chris Brown world.com] number had made the list. I was sold. A couple of the employees (not gonna mention their race so you already know who they were) walked over and started a casual conversation with me. I half way answered their questions because I was more interested in experiencing the game at this point. One of them shot a half insulting statement my way but I batted it back unimpressed (picture Barry Bonds for that one). I was now ready to play. The song was Le Freak by Chic and even on expert mode it was a bit slow for my tastes but I guess it was just the right speed for a guy wearing a suit and tie. The two employees continue to talk to me as I played and I ignored most of what they had to say until one statement finally pierced my confident bubble of ignorance. I had made the statement that I teach a class for those wanting to learn how to play DDR (and I do it's called Step FX [visit my cafe press store]). I had also told them how I lost 30 pounds over the summer playing the game every morning for a half hour. One of these ignorant individuals responded with what he thought was a funny joke but it had literally made me feel sick to my stomach. He said,

"You wanna know how I lost 30 pounds this summer?"

Before I could blatantly tell him no and continue with my game he continued,

"I found me some fine girls and I "F_ _ _ _ d" them."

YES! HE SAID THAT TO ME! I could have been a preacher, a teacher, a counselor, his regional manager, GOD. I could have been Jesus returning to judge humanity and he alone damned the whole of existence. Values have left the building.

I'm ok now. After the incident I lost my appetite (not for food but just in general). I even stopped playing in the middle of the round. After he said what he said he did go away but I wonder how long had he been waiting to display he immaturity. His lack of morals. His lack of values. All day? All week? His whole life? Is this what our society is coming to that you can approach a complete stranger and on top of that a potential customer and insult their ability and interest with an inappropriate remark? Whatever happened to tact? Whatever happened to respect? Did all of those get canceled along with Family ties and Different Strokes? Who's in charge of the fall line up for reality? Can we get a few reruns? I would love to see a few old episodes of compassion? I would appreciate watching a show or two of honesty. I would even sit through an hour of respect, if that still comes on anywhere. That's the way I feel.

I still ended up buying the game. I need something to take my mind off of the world. Something that I can appreciate. It is the end of the world so I might as well find some enjoyment.

Cue the theme music and roll the credits.


Read the follow up question to this post at Yahoo! Answers

The five o five : Wednesday, Octobober 31, 2007

Make Believe

I M A G I N A R Y
"
Now I don't debate the fact that there are real people behind each cartoon avatar that appears on his friends list. Nor do I doubt that these animated representative are sponsored on the other end of the high speed cable by true emotion, invested by real human beings (or very intelligent cats).
"

Well so far so good readers. You probably thought that this little experiment would have crashed and burned by now but it still treks on. Even though gas is $2.99 a gallon I still have enough momentum to coast this bad boy to the finish line, SO THERE.

Now with that out of the way every one all together now, "WHO CARES!"

Right? I mean this is the freakin' internet for god sakes. Its not real. Its an imaginary world of make believe. Sure it has its lists of benefits but in the end what is it all worth really?

Can you imagine future civilizations discovering humanities lost ruins? Can you picture our shiny pc cases littering the ancient earth landscape? This entire internet universe would be completely invisible to them. All they would see is that we kept these mystical plastic boxes in our dwelling spaces for worship, storage, and possibly to ward off evil spirits. You remember how long it took for us to decipher the Rosetta Stone. So how much longer would it take to unlock the complexities of a Gateway Convertible CX210X?

There is a recurring debate I have with a friend of mine over how serious he takes the internet. He logs on daily to one of those popular internet social networking sites (need I say the name) and he visits with "friends", reviews their comments and replies to their utter, tacky, glittery non sense, as though they were real words. Now I don't debate the fact that there are real people behind each cartoon avatar that appears on his friends list. Nor do I doubt that these animated representative are sponsored on the other end of the high speed cable by true emotion, invested by real human beings (or very intelligent cats). I do argue, however, the level of emotion he should invest in responding to these imaginary people in this imaginary universe. It usually goes like this:

Someone send him a message with a few questionable items of inquiry and he responds with honest frustration as though they were standing right before him in the same room. He pounds on the keys and shakes his head with a dull angry grimace as though the idiot on the other end will digitally receive his expression. He smashes down the "CAPS LOCK" key and peppers the screen with as many exclamations as can fit in the response box hoping that they get the point.

I M A G I N A R Y
"
I know most people would want to live near MySpace, or Google. I would probably live down the street from Blospot just around the corner from E-Bay.
"

All this wasted energy, I argue, shot into an endless void of ones and zeros! The person on the other end (or cat) can just as easily hit delete and never see that he replied or they can open it, read it and completely misinterpret his reply as some creative form of "asci text art" artistically devised for their enjoyment.

The internet is not real. Nothing here truly exist. It is only the representation of all thing real. It is a virtual catalog of reality itself. That's was what it was built for [link]. It was devised to hold all of our "Back up information" but for some reason we are trying are hardest to traverse fully into the digital realm.

What if we could really live in cyber space? Not like how the matrix did it but what if we could somehow digitize our physical form and build a quaint little house somewhere along the edge of the internet super highway. I can imagine how much more junk mail I would have to sort through. I can picture how many unwanted guest I would need to dodge. I can see some benefits though. Travel would be faster. Everyone could look however they wanted to look without surgical procedures and scaring. And.... That's about it. I know most people would want to live near MySpace, or Google. I would probably live down the street from Blospot just around the corner from E-Bay. We would all get along swell until the lag hits us. Did you forget about that? Or instead of burglars breaking into you house and stealing your T.V. we would have to worry about a skilled hacker stealing our house and spamming us with porn and Viagra pop ups (get it?). This is not the world I wanna live in.

So I tell my friend, almost everyday it seems. "The internet is not real, the internet is not real, the internet is not real." The good news is that at the end of the day we can shut down our browsers. We can log out of our operating system. And finally we can press off.

Read the follow up question to this post on Yahoo! Answers

The five o five : Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Waiting to Exhale

*Inhale

Why do fools fall in love?
Money can't buy me love.
Love don't cost a thing.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, LOVE!!!!! What is really going on with the world? Everybody is talking about it, "Love this, and love that."

"I think I love my wife, I found love on a two way street, love me or leave me alone." but I honestly wonder do people really believe in love or is it another one of those commercial marketing schemes like Ginsu Knives or the Swiffer Sweeper. Love does sound more like something you can rub on a bad relationship to get the stains out or at least that's how American culture treats it.

L O V E
"
I opened it carefully not wanting to nick or tear this fine delicate artifact. This was an historic event. My journey into manhood documented on college ruled eight and a half by eleven inch paper. The first entry into my personal history book. It was finally open lying before me naked and wrinkled. Large bubbly words danced about the surface ignoring both lines and margins but holding firm within their blue and white cage. This was it.
"

I remember being younger and around Valentines day everyone was buzzing about this love thing, but back then love (for a 5 year old) was only applicable to your mommy, your auntie, your granny, and maybe your doggie. Love had nothing to do with girlfriend or boyfriend or anything even nearly that icky. As a teenager, I remember love becoming a bit more complex with the acquired knowledge of kissing and the opposite sex. It seemed like the most exciting thing in the world. The best activity ever. I imagined it in the same category as monopoly, scrabble or something similar to tag. Love was the greatest game I couldn't wait to play. The problem with love, however, was that it wasn't as simple a game as you would like it to be. You don't just pick teams and your players don't always play fair. I remember several of my teenage crushes (potential team mates) being interested in signing to my fall roster but negotiations never followed all the way through. I didn't have a girlfriend until I was 14 y'all. A freshman in high school.

So what about that? How did that first time really feel? What was my first experience with the game of love all about and why did I do it? Well, it happened like this (cue the flash back sequence);

I was sitting in an auditorium in front of some random girls (I was a nerd so you only sat near girls or by girls but never with them) when one of them, from behind me, hands me a note. It was folded up neatly along with the standard, "I'm a girl," signature fold and at first I thought it was to be passed along to someone else. I didn't look back. I was afraid to. Looking into the eyes of a girl back then was just like staring directly at the sun. You instantly become blind and powerless and no 14 year old boy wants that to happen. So I look down at the letter and written on the front fold was my name, spelled incorrectly of course. Nervousness swept over me in a way that almost made me pee on myself. It wasn't the fact that a girl had handed me a letter but it was the fact that a girl had handed me a letter that was actually for me. I opened it carefully not wanting to nick or tear this fine delicate artifact. This was an historic event. My journey into manhood documented on college ruled eight and a half by eleven inch paper. The first entry into my personal history book. It was finally open lying before me naked and wrinkled. Large bubbly words danced about the surface ignoring both lines and margins but holding firm within their blue and white cage. This was it.

The letter was less of a letter and more of a survey. It was one of those simple questionnaires that almost every "love crazed" youth has taken part in. I carefully chose my own answer.

Do you like me? Yes | No

I circled yes not even looking back to see which of the girls had actually sent the inquiry but any girl that liked me then It was a shoeing that I would like them back. I circled yes more than one to be certain that whoever had sent it could see it clearly then I clumsily folded the note back and nervously passed it over my right shoulder. It seemed like an eternity before it returned to my possession. In the seconds that passed in between me have the note and passing it back I had projected an entire future with this mystery girl. We were married, had children, lived in a big house together, had a dog, and were in love. Ahhhhhhhhh love.

The letter came back to me and this time with a bit more confidence I opened it a read the response,

I think you're cute.

L O V E
"
I think love needs to be redefined. Our lives are so over saturated with the word and concept of love that it no longer holds the value it once did. Love is one of the biggest marketing tools ever. We wear it. We eat it. We blow our noses on it. It covers our baby's bottoms. It tastes great and is less filling. Its damn near everywhere.
"

That's all I needed, confirmation that this wasn't god's sick joke for a lonely dweeb. I wrote back, "I think you are cute too," folded the letter and slowly turned around to sacrifice my vision for a glance into the eyes of a goddess. (All girls were goddesses back then) When my neck finally carried my head the full circumference of the 180 degrees there she was before me. I handed her the letter and shot a semi confident glare in her direction. She let out a shy giggle and just like that, boom. Confidence gone. My brawn bubble had busted and I was reminded that I was a nerd all over again. Its one thing to look at them but it’s an entirely different thing to hear them speak. My hands were shaky and my entire body was tense. I was sick. I felt like I was gonna die. No. I was in love.

After that day me and the girl "went together" which was nothing more than a phone calling and note passing activity to occupy the otherwise boring school day. It was the sort of game you'd play on a rainy day because you can't go outside. All 14 days of our relationship turned out to be nothing like they had shown on television and I was slightly disappointed yet thoroughly intrigued.

Of course she broke up with me in the end. It was not more than a simple phone call saying her mom said she was too young for relationships. Where do girls learn how to let a man down so easy from anyway?

So love. What is it really for? What is its honest purpose? I genuinely loved this girl. I think I even said it to her after the third conversation. Is it something we do to ourselves to bond us with another individual or is it something that happens to us as a result of meeting the "right one". Why is love such an utter mystery. Why is love such a scavenger hunt? Why is love such a dice game? Why is love such a joust match? Why do we play this game? Are they any actual winners? It reminds me of the lottery, have you ever known anyone personally who won. Why does love not come with an instruction book? Are their any rules? How do you know whose turn it is? What happens if you lose? Do you go to jail and go directly to jail, do not pass go and do not collect your $200 dollars? Can I cash in my love for money now? What is the point?

Now, before someone tells my fiancé that I have cold feet and she needs to leave me alone allow me to conclude with an explanation. I think love needs to be redefined. Our lives are so over saturated with the word and concept of love that it no longer holds the value it once did. Love is one of the biggest marketing tools ever. We wear it. We eat it. We blow our noses on it. It covers our baby's bottoms. It tastes great and is less filling. Its damn near everywhere. We don't love each other, we love LOVE! But what about the true essence of it all? I thought it at one time was an actual emotion? Not just a word. If I could go back in time I would ask my first "girlfriend" did she really "love" me? If she didn't outright say no she would probably respond with, "I don't know". We play the game before we even understand the rules and that even goes for adults. What are we doing? We know how the pieces work. Rooks move straight. Bishops move in diagonals. We hold hands. Kiss. Look into each others eyes. Such an incredible chess match is love indeed. But what is the prize? Happiness? Security? Love itself? Sometimes, this, I still wonder.

Do you believe in love? Yes | No

*Exhale

Read the follow up question to this post on Yahoo! Answers

The five o five : Monday, October 29, 2007

Back to the future

Ever since I was was young I was obsessed with time. You have to imagine though (with me being an eighties baby and all) that I had a very good reason to be. It

B A L A N C E
"
All you have to do is devise an itinerary of the things you need to do and the things you want to do in order to get them all done and if you don't get them done today then just carry the activity over to tomorrow. So you you go through your whole day crossing things successfully off the list. All the way up until the sun goes down. You wake up the next morning and make your new list including the things you didn't do the day before. You make it to the end of another day, once again without finishing the list off, so you you once again put them on the next day's list. You continue to do do this everyday until you realize (when you turn 26) that you are still carrying over list items from when you were 18!
"

seems that the entire world was contemplating the dilemma of time and mortality. We had the songs on the radio, the movies at the theater, and the shows on television all talking about the intricacies of time and the universe. For an impressionable young person it was enough to mold me into the mildly crazed adult that you see here. So what is it about time that had us so befuddled? Back to the Future stands out the most. You remember; Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly) jumps into his Delorian (Time Machine) and travels back in time (totally by accident) and ends up almost dating his own mother thus altering the course of history thus almost erasing himself from time all together. Now Back to the Future was an interesting examination of the consequences of time travel but for some reason (ignoring the films own stark warning about the dangers of such an act) Marty goes on to do it on three other occasions making his time travel adventures a trilogy. Soon after there was a television cartoon series produced based on the show and every episode had Marty traveling through time not only mucking up his own family linage but altering important historic events as well. What the hell? So what does all of this have to do with balance?

Growing up (being influenced by the world of media imagination) I was one of those wide eyed youth that didn't believe in limits. At one point I seriously thought I could fly. I would make audible sound effects every time I punched my fist or jumped off a high curb. The world was not exciting enough so instead of being depressed about it I imagined it more eventful. As I got older I grew out of most of my childish activity. I still sometimes make sound effects when I jump but I still held firm to my obsession with time. Now since I discovered in adulthood that time travel is not yet possible I decided to make try to make the most out of the time that we are all given to work with. That means balancing your activities to fit within this stiff box of daylight and night time. There is so much too do and so little time. It almost upsets me that this is the way that human life goes. You have to cram all that you have to do with all that you want to do into this small window of hours between the time you wake and the time you go back to sleep. When you're a child you don't worry about this sort of thing but as an adult it becomes an all consuming activity. So you are taught that you have to balance.

At first it sounds so simple. All you have to do is devise an itinerary of the things you need to do and the things you want to do in order to get them all done and if you don't get them done today then just carry the activity over to tomorrow. So you you go through your whole day crossing things successfully off the list. All the way up until the sun goes down. You wake up the next morning and make your new list including the things you didn't do the day before. You make it to the end of another day, once again without finishing the list off, so you you once again put them on the next day's list. You continue to do do this everyday until you realize (when you turn 26) that you are still carrying over list items from when you were 18! What kind of sense does that make. How can your life ever be or feel accomplished when there is simply not enough time to accomplish anything. Add in school, work, family, friends and yourself and everyday of your life is filled with multiple demanding possible unfulfilled list items. If you look at it like that you are likely to just give up and become one of those "timeless" slackers that are looked down upon. The ones that carve away their waking moments playing Halo 3 and chatting on their cell phones. I didn't want to be one of those. I know to many of them personally and I wanted a higher quality of life (although sometimes their lifestyle appears quite appealing). I wanted to be somebody so I tried to wark hard at balancing my list.

I thought that maybe all I had to do was reorder my list in such a way that the things of most importance get done first and the other things (of I suppose least importance) go to the bottom. For a while this works but then life has its way of throwing its curve balls at you (i.e. bills, children, family, relationships etc...) So frustration sets in. I almost had given up. I'm 26 and I haven't finished college. I'm 26 and I'm not a professional anything yet. I'm 26 and I don't have my own house, my own car or a billion dollars in the bank. Those were on my list but at this rate I won't get to them until I'm 90.

What I wouldn't give for a Delorian right now.

B A L A N C E
"
Suddenly the picture was complete. The puzzle was finally finished. The Rubix Cube of life was now solved.
"

Then as I had lost all hope. As I had thought this is the way that it was gonna be from here on out I had ran into the sole reason I had so many list items in the first place (my role model, Jeff Johnson). When he was my age he had a posh condominium. He drove a Beamer. He had style. He had swagger. He was everything I knew I wanted by the same age. So when we met again I almost wanted to call him a liar or blame him for all my failures. I almost wanted to start throwing things and yell "liar this" and "ass hole" that, but I remained composed. We conversed about time and all other things "adult" until we finally came to the subject of balance. I told him how overwhelmed I was that my life had taken such an off centered and he responded dryly, "There is no such thing as balance." I wanted to punch him dead in the nose but his statement had literally stole my breath away. He had just burned my entire life agenda in one fiery huff.

"Balance is an act that must always be maintained," He continued.

Suddenly the picture was complete. The puzzle was finally finished. The Rubix Cube of life was now solved. He had not said much but he had said everything I needed to hear. It all made sense now. I thought back on Back to the Future and I understood the real point of the film. I understood that every time he went back and changed something in the past he had to change something else in order to restore the balance. Balance doesn't happen on its own you have to make it happen and not just once but whenever needed. His statement didn't make me forget about all that I was hoping for in life but it did make me think about how to better manage the present. The present is all we have. Balance is an act. It requires maintenance. If life leans left then tilt right. Its just like riding a bike. Of all the lessons I've learned in life this late chapter may be the most profound. This lesson is the reason I do this very blog at 505 in the morning. This lesson is the reason why I still push towards my the goals even though I may have already lost the race. Balance is an act. So as the curtains close and the spotlight goes dim I hope that there is applause when I take my final bow.

Balance is an act. Marty would be so jealous.

Balance

The five o five: Saturday, October 27, 2007

Who will save us?

What is your definition of a hero? Think about it for just a second and then give me a complete

H E R O E S
“
Even though we have yet to explore the vast depths of the ocean, the immense breadths of the polar arctic or even the complex makeup of our own minds we are now pointing our shiny NASA death bullets at the planet Mars and beyond with prospects of colonization even before we have stepped one grimy Neanderthalic foot on its dusty red surface.
”

and honest answer. What comes to mind the moment this simple four letter word is muttered amongst the masses? Close you eyes and visualize what a hero looks like and what a hero’s job description might be. Think about what types of questions you would ask a hero in an interview and what qualifications and references you would expect from them before they could be officially hired. Now look around and count (out loud) how many heroes you personally know. (You can stop reading this blog for just a second to do that... Oh you're done already? Just as I suspected...)

The problem (and I suppose benefit) of human existence is that we are always looking for something that is bigger and better then what we already know [See the post I did about optimists]. Even though we have yet to explore the vast depths of the ocean, the immense breadths of the polar arctic or even the complex makeup of our own minds we are now pointing our shiny NASA death bullets at the planet Mars and beyond with prospects of colonization even before we have stepped one grimy Neanderthalic foot on its dusty red surface. Where are you going so fast? Why is it that the things we presently have or the world that presently entertains our curiosity seems to be the dullest thing that god could have ever devised to occupy our time? Why is it that something as magnificent as a sunrise, majestic as mountain range or miraculous as childbirth can not hold our muse long enough to be sung about, written about or blogged about on a daily basis. Instead our minds are being poured glasses of filth and nonsense. Glasses filled with gossip, violence and pornographic material all the way to the brim. Mental drinks are being mixed with Iraq and Kevin Federline (the equivalent of Vodka) as the base and The Dallas Cowboys, Barak Obama and Bill Gates (the sweet chaser) all blended into a toxic elixir which distorts our reality just the same as alcohol does. We closely monitor the intake and distribution of alcohol so why not the other crap (Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, President Bush, Michael Vick, Steve O etc, etc...), Isn't it just as intoxicating?

So back to my initial question, "How many heroes do you know?" Modern society would have you think (with its' big budget Hollywood films with their elaborate plots and expensive special effects) that heroes are those individuals or beings that are gonna descend from upon high down to save us from who we are internally. Who comes to your mind when someone says "Hero". For some of us we think of that popular television show on ABC which tries investigate the idea of what it would be if Heroes (of the "super" variety anyway) really walked amongst us and how the whole of humanity respond to their presence. It does an ok job but it really just boils to down more special effects and a story about discrimination as usual. Why are our heroes are always freaks of nature? Spider Man got bitten by a radioactive spider. Superman is not even from here. The X Men are mostly all genetically superior to the rest of the human race and Fire Man... Ummmm Fire Man just saved some guys house from burning down.

Who is Fire Man you ask? Well he is just who he signed up to be, a distinguisher of fires too large for your kitchen fire distinguisher to distinguish. I know the people in California appreciate him. What about Police Man and Garbage Man? What about Dr. Man or Volunteer Man (I'm stretching it now). Why don't they have big budget films where they do what it is they really do? Is it because they don't wear capes? Is it because most of them won't look very attractive wearing spandex tights and brightly colored boots? Where are their trading cards? Didn't some of them die saving people in the world trade center and aren't some of them risking their lives everyday to protect us from us? Why is it that in Hollywood the "Spandex and Caped ones" have no respect for them tossing them aside so they can do the job of us regular heroes? Where are these flying freaks in real life? Are they in Iraq? NO! Are they fighting the fires in California? NO! Did the go down to Jena Louisiana to help protest the unjust system of racism in America? NO! So where the hell are they?

H E R O E S
“
The way they tell it even Jesus will be wearing a cape on his return but I for one hope he doesn't (capes if you haven't noticed are utterly tacky and distracting).
”

I'll tell you where they are. Go to your local school and peek into a classroom. Do you see that person standing in the front of a room full of restless and energetic pop and candy addicted adolescents? She's one of them. Now come with me into any random modern American living room after 7pm. Do you see that woman cooking dinner while on her cell phone picking up toys and entertaining the children at the same time? (Don't worry, she can balance that pot, math, and check book at the same time). She's one of them. Now follow me thorough this door here and over to this dimly lit food storage warehouse. You see that guy over there loading food pallets onto the back of that old roughly painted truck? How much do you think he makes an hour? Less than minimum wage I bet? He's one of them. Now turn in a full circle and visually take inventory of every other person in the room. Have any of them ever saved someone’s life (even in the most subtle of ways)? Has any of them taught a child to read, bought someone a cup of coffee, sat there and listened to someone talk about their day? Have any of them risked their own life to make a difference? Have they sacrificed their last dollar to satisfy someone else's needs. Now ask yourself do any of them wear a cape? Have you seen any of them fly down from the sky? How about superhuman strength, can any of them life a standard SUV? No. Well that's what a hero is. A regular person who cares to make a difference. Can't we just appreciate that without all the glitz and glamor? The way they tell it even Jesus will be wearing a cape on his return but I for one hope he doesn't (capes if you haven't noticed are utterly tacky and distracting). Maybe heroes don't need praise but they surely deserve it. I hope “I” in some way am praising the "Everyday Hero" with this blog. You guys are great. Thanks, from all of us.

The five 'o five: October 26, 2007

Am I dreaming?

D R E A M S
"
Maybe dreams are here only to fill the cold quiet nights with sounds and colors so we can remember who we are in the morning. Something like mental screen savers to prevent brain burn in.
"

I used to think that dreams were the by products of our waking moments. A mental reconfiguration of unresolved emotion, activities and incomplete thoughts. The scraps of a day gone by. I used to think that in the world of sleep there were no real danger or no real truths to behold. After last night though I think I'll change that theory.

I experienced a dream that resorted the people I know and the situations I have been through but in a seemingly peculiar fashion. The dream almost seemed to make mockery of a few of my unexamined insecurities. It involved a brief incident where a younger man who was attracted to my fiancé now pursued her more fervently which eventually morphed into some sort of casual orgy. Dreams sometimes don't follow any logical time line but I do clearly remember the rage that finding "love bites" on my woman's body by this other guy (in the dream of course) produced. It was a strong burning rage much like I had experienced before when I suspected an ex girlfriend of mine was cheating and discovered it was true. It was a rage unusual for a man so calm such as I. This rage turned into a sharp welded sword of drawn fist and curse words but the little punk ran. He ran from me in a dream!

Dreams are supposed to explain the real world and not confuse things, but this one did. Maybe dreams are here only to fill the cold quiet nights with sounds and colors so we can remember who we are in the morning. Something like mental screen savers to prevent brain burn in. Maybe the reshuffling and resorting serve the purpose of allowing us to examine our mistakes and successes in order to formulate the new day's itinerary before we wake.

But what if it goes even deeper? What if our dreams connect us all together? Most of us hardly ever discuss our dream (less the more vivid recounts) let alone remember them so what if our dreams all take place on the same plain of consciousness. What if every time we lie down to sleep we are plugged in to the subconscious internet like the MySpace of the mind? What if dreaming is our way sharing what we have learned with other who might benefit from our experience? I mean think about it? How often have you had a dream where you were the only one present? How often have you had a dream where the only activity you were doing was sleeping? We plan to travel the entire spans of the universe without even understanding the simplicities of our own human existence? What if our dreams can get us there faster? Everything you can imagine can become real so what if by collective dreaming we are designing the world in which we live. The images on the news. The people at our work and school. Can we simply dream a better existence or will it take a bit more than that?

This is almost a complete thought. Its beginning to fade now that morning is growing older. You can piece this together the best you can. Let me know what you think about what you understand though. What do your dreams mean to you?

Explaining the five 'o five

The fiveofive [updated 11/06/2007]

The Orgin

T H E 5 : 0 5
"
Early Morning Random Blog Ramblings of an Overactive Mind Held Hostage by a Restless Spirit.
"

One morning after awakening exactly at 5am I was compelled to record my first waking thoughts somewhere and somehow and so I started a blog. It was initially posted as the 5am report but that sounded to news like so I tweaked the name a little. The idea soon developed into a series of morning thoughts and other unscrambled dream data to produce what I now call the fiveofive (and this is all in the course of a day). It is called the fiveofive because (for the most obvious reason) that is the time when I normally make it downstairs to my computer in order to type it out. I plan on waking every (possible) morning to post something at sometime after 5am. I'm not sure if has been done yet but if I'm the first then that is all the better.

The Process

After my alarm rings, promptly at 5am, I spring from my comfortable bed and skip merrily down the stairs where my Gateway Convertible CX210X is patiently awaiting my cold rigid morning fingers to grace its warm plastic keyboard. Once I sit down in front of the brightly glowing screen (turning on a lamp or two so to avoid eye strain) I reflect on the first smidgen of a thought rattling around inside my mind. The moment I access the thought and begin typing I push forward without preparation, planing or provision (using a freestyle, free flowing, non fiction equivalent of "stream of consciousness" ). So far this method has produced all of the entries you read here in the five o five without incident, but I already have a plan in place in case my mind is totally blank.

The Plan

If you don't have any ideas in your head first thing in the morning then there are ways you can kick start your creativity and imagination.

• ~I take a brief glance at one of the day's top story's and then blog about what it means to me or how I relate.
  
• ~I look around my house and think of some of the memories that dwell within my living quarters.
  
• ~I reflect back on the day (or week) before and think of any hot topics that would interest my audience.
  

There are some other online resources you can use to get that creativity going and a few are listed below, check them out for some ideas and please message me if you have any others I can add.

• ~So, You Want To Write!
  

The Protocol

Because I live such an unpredictably active life I decided to develop a protocol in order to revise this blog in passes that will also allow the reader to know when a post is complete and ready to read without having it sit in draft limbo until it is good looking. The five o five blog revision protocol [brb] is a method of posting that allows the author to create post including supportive content and visual aides in an uninterrupted process or edit notes and link leasing. The protocol allows a blog author to post an unedited blog post with simple notation describing to the reader how much more the author has left to do and allows the choice of perusing the raw material or returning when the final edits are made and the blog is at its prettiest. This method is beneficial in that it gives the reader options based on their personal preference.

[#] <- What's This?

A number in brackets represents the stage of editing. The numbers count down from 3, which is the raw unaltered post with edit notations, to 1, which is the final aesthetic incarnation of the post.

Edit Notations: Edit notations are a temporary place holder for extra material including links, images, music, and references. Edit notations themselves usually appear in brackets and can be as simple and general as a note *[see cats] or may even be an unedited link reference *[insert google.com link].

Revision Stage:
Below is the brief description of what each number in the brackets represent.

[3] Raw unedited original
[2] Ascetically edited post with images and pull quotes
[1] Final edited post with aesthetic modifications and contextual links and references.

If you have any questions or suggestions for how I can improve this system please contact me via email, IM, or comment. You are free to use and improve upon this method without permission but I do ask that you send me a link so I can see what you have done with it and reference you in this post.

The Principal

Below is my personal pledge to keep the five o five fresh and un-commercialized by following a simple protocol and procedure for every post. If you decide to follow my model you can either use this preset structure or design your own. The bottom line is to make it yours.

On my honor:

1. ~I will not alter nor falsify any time codes on post entry's nor will I make any excuses for missed days (sometimes we just oversleep or sleep in - you understand).
2. ~I will not plan or sketch out ideas for the next morning blog the day (or days before).
   
3. ~I will not alter nor change the core content of any published post once it is live.
4. ~The only changes I will make upon publishing are aesthetic and grammatical.

I hope that this experience produces deep conversation and great debates. I hope it reaches, not out to the masses, but into them. That's where I want to go. That's what I'm all about.

Tigga76 (Jermaine Antonio Young)

The 5am report

Maybe this is what its all about. Scientist are always out to discover what makes the world go round but this one hits closer to "my" world then all the rest. Optimism is my fuel. Optimism is my "Warp Core Engine" revving at full throttle. Optimism is what drives those few creative individuals to wake up at 5am (despite their partners whines about how tired they're gonna be later on)

O P T I M I S M
"
I believe optimism may be a form of extreme depression. A coping mechanism that the mind engages in order for us not to spiral into a ball of pity whenever something doesn't work out.
"

with enough drive and vision to project that today is gonna be a great day even if it doesn't turn out that way. I consider myself part of that breed. Are we disillusioned? Are we the one's who are the true "crazy's"? The ones who should be really locked away in padded cells with the little white coats that tie up in the back? I believe its a means to survival and advancement of the human race. Imagine if all this stuff about dinosaurs and cavemen really did happen the way it is told to our young mystified, impressionable children. Imagine that back in those utterly dismal times full of ravenous blood-thirsty monsters and incomparable heat and cold that our "ancestors" (the cave dwellers) decided that life in the cave was much safer and that no good would come to them on the outside. Imagine that that was the final decision on our fate? What type of existence (if any) would we now have? What would our quality of life be? Would be the pets of a super advanced race of "Lizard People" or the snack or the dominating "Ape Species".

Optimist are the ones that make it happen (whether on purpose or totally by accident). We are the ones that fight against impossible odds like Shaka Zulu or the Sparta 300. We are the one that never stay down like the Japanese army or African slaves. We are the Bill Gates', The Malcolm X's, The Adolf Hitler's, The Mahatma Gahndi's, and we are even the George Bush's and the Barak Obama's. We are the ones that can't be told no because we can imagine that their must be a yes buried somewhere in the improbable odds. It doesn't mater whether an optimist Succeeds or fails. It's about trying, doing, wanting, wondering, wishing. It's about exhausting every possibility that it "Can't be done" only to look for another way to do it.

I believe optimism may be a form of extreme depression. A coping mechanism that the mind engages in order for us not to spiral into a ball of pity whenever something doesn't work out. It is what actually makes us the dominant race. All other small creatures (birds, squirels, cats, rabbits, etc) can only see the danger in every scenario. "When a human walks up, he's gonna hurt you". But us humans will stand stark in the middle of a hurricane and curse god that he interrupted our chess match.

We are the winners. We are the champions. We are the elite. Or are we just full of it?

Scientist always think they have the answer. What do you think?

Reposted from The 5AM Report

>>>Brain regions responsible for optimism located on Yahoo! News

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