Showing posts with label the five o five. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the five o five. Show all posts

Monday, December 03, 2007

The five o five : Monday, December 3, 2007

Ctrl+Alt+Delete

[1]<- What's This

Let me be the first to admit that sometimes I do too much. I look around at this great big old world and think to myself I'm not doing enough. I try to cram as many experiences as I possibly can into this one lifetime because I'm not guaranteed tomorrow and I have no idea if I'm coming back or not. I'm trying to get it all done in one shot but that comes with definite consequences.


R E S E T
"
It tickles me now to hear children talk about, "When I grow up," because I still sometimes feel like I'm waiting to grow up myself (even at 27). I still don't feel grown. I still don't feel that burden of responsibility that an "Adult" is described as having looming over their head like a dark cloud. The dark burden that often leads to alcoholism and drug abuse. The dark burden that leads to depressive and egotistical behavior. The dark burden that I remember looking up too when I was 5 thinking , How cool it would be to drive a car."
"

Do you remember the thing you wanted to be when you grew up from from when you were little? Some of us said fireman while others said "Super Model / Scientist" or "Police Officer / Actor". No one told us that once you honestly were set on the course of your "Dream occupation" that you were inevitably locked in even after you find that your selection was not a satisfying as your 5 year old self would imagine. Most of our younger selves (the ones that wanted to pursue multiple dreams) would be encouraged by deceitful adults into thinking that it was honestly possible to be a "World Famous Chef / Musician". The overachieving parent would even go as far as going out to buy us the Easy Bake Oven [hasbro.com Easy Bake Oven] and the big plastic microphone so we could hone our talents in the comfort of our bedroom. They would do all this because they just wanted to see us happy. But what is the sacrifice for their happiness? What were they talking about when you weren't in the room? They would smile in your face and reiterate at any given instant, "You can be whatever you wanna be," as long as you didn't wanna be something they didn't approve of. So how does that set us "Now Grown" children up for failure?

I'm gonna be 27 years old tomorrow (yep its my birthday) [Sojourner's Truth Website]. That only means that for the last 26 years I've been discovering who it is I want to become. It tickles me now to hear children talk about, "When I grow up," because I still sometimes feel like I'm waiting to grow up myself (even at 27). I still don't feel grown. I still don't feel that burden of responsibility that an "Adult" is described as having looming over their head like a dark cloud. The dark burden that often leads to alcoholism and drug abuse. The dark burden that leads to depressive and egotistical behavior. The dark burden that I remember looking up too when I was 5 thinking , How cool it would be to drive a car." I still see the world as a child would. The only difference of my 27 year old self versus my 7 year old self is that I have a child of my own [Destiney flickr]. That's it. If I could I would still play with GI Joes [GIJoe.com] and Lego blocks [legos.com]. If I could (and I have) I would still hitch a ride on a Merry Go Round and take a few hops from the swing. I like being able to enjoy life, unlike the way they want you to think that "Responsible Adults"should behave.

The kind of duplicity that I described become a burden itself, however. A child trapped in a adults' body still has to pay bills. There is no recess, nap time or cookies and juice for us at the end of the day. There are no gold stars for our effort or standing in the corner for our misdeeds. There is just cold hard reality which we still perceive with an innocent glare. Innocence has no place in the adult world. I read recently that they are even fighting to taint the youthful sanctity of video games with pornographic images and gratuitous violence. They label there debate as, "Video games need to grow up" obviously stating that being grown up means becoming as over sexed maniacal deviant. They want us to believe that being an adult purely equals the right to drink, smoke, fornicate and cuss. They want us to believe that maybe if this is not the stuff we're into then maybe we're not fit to wear the title of "Grown Up".


R E S E T
"
They love to talk about drugs and sex as though those are the problems of society but the problems of society is society itself. They try to make you something you're not and then when you finally do conform they look at you as though you committed a sin (in most cases you have).
"

I've been called childish before. Ironically it was by an 8 year old. He had seen me playing Pokemon [pokemon.com] on my Game Boy Advance [nintendo.com] and he pointed and laughed and said I was acting like a child. I was wearing a suit and tie at the time and I was sitting with my shoes off and my legs crossed enjoying my game. I told him to go away and that his words didn't phase me. I went off on a rant about how adults make the video games he called me childish for playing and he needed to stay in a child's place. I let him know that his words meant nothing and to wait until he was my age and see what he would be doing in the same situation. I pretended not to care at all but his single statement ate at my core for a long time. I went off to discover the definition of childish to validate my actions. I wanted to know for sure that I didn't fall into that category. I looked it up [dictionary.com childish]. I studied it. I wanted to be certain it didn't describe me. I discovered a loop hole. I found out I could also be labeled youthful.

Maybe after that day I began to overcompensate. That happened about 3 years ago and since then I have made a volume of changes. I began seriously thinking about what my "adult"self should be pursuing. I began to seriously think about becoming the thing I said I wanted to be. I began to go after it more seriously. I filled my days with networking and power lunches. I filled my evenings with clubbing and intoxication. It was not a lifestyle I chose for myself but the one that the adult world chose for me. I have no regrets but maybe several "I-wish-I-could-do-that-over's". That is the way the world will do you if you let it, and I did. I took everything for granted. My skills. My time. My affection. Everything that made me worth something I over did it. I thought the world wanted all of me so I share every single molecule of my being with reality. I saved nothing for myself. I would go for weeks without sleeping. I would go for months without visiting my family. I would allow a year to go by before I would even think about what I was supposed to be doing because I wanted to fit in to the "adult" world.

They love to talk about drugs and sex as though those are the problems of society but the problems of society is society itself. They try to make you something you're not and then when you finally do conform they look at you as though you committed a sin (in most cases you have). I lived a brief stint as an adult before I found that it wasn't for me. I still take care of my responsibility. I still act as though I have that stick stuck in my you-know-what around certain judgmental individuals. Sometimes you have to play the game but never let the game play you. Sometimes you have to look back on the things you've done and ahead on the things you have let to do and think about where you're standing and where you would like to stand. I want to end on top. I want to go out at the pinnacle of my game. I want to be that spry and youthful 101 year old that clocked the mess out of that would-be mugger in New York [Associated Content 101 year old woman]. I want to be George Burns with a fat cigar tucked into my jaw still singing lullaby's at 98. I want to go out clothed in my immortal youth.

Sometimes I do to much but if I honestly want to make it then I pause for a moment and take inventory of all that I'm doing to see if it matches with all that I want to do. I'm closer now than I've ever been. My graphic design is real [asublimecreation.com]. I found a way to make my own clothes [cafepress.com]. I have a wonderful family [Alisha flikr]. Just a few other things to work on. Don't be afraid to stop and reset.

Tomorrow I turn 27.

Its time for a new me.

Ctrl+Alt+Del


Monday, November 26, 2007

The five o five : Monday, November 26, 2007

Nine to Five o Five

[1]<- What's This

Watching: Mamma's and The Pappas, Monday Morning


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 :)



Thursday, November 22, 2007

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.





Tuesday, November 20, 2007

The five o five : Tuesday, November 20, 2007

SET UP FOR THE LET DOWN

[2]<- What's This

Watching to: Dragenet Intro


T H E L E T D O W N
"
Isn't disappointment nothing more than the unknown variable that was not even considered. Why not expect the unexpected and get it over with? People do it all the time, right? Why else would people spend valuable money and time on things like Life Insurance, Living Wills, Retirement Funds, IRAs, Playing the Lottery, CD's and so on and so forth. Why else would we even plan for something to go wrong if were not expecting something to go wrong?
"

What do you do when everything is going all right. The world is at total peace. Birds sing your introduction into the day and the wind whistles your theme song. Its just a beautiful, wonderful, delightful, exciting, vivid, colorful, cheerful, great, remarkable CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OWEHJF{ IWH#Q*RYU #Q_(*RY #Q_( Q(P

What do you do when the unexpected guest known as disappointment visits?

My fiancé and I go into this conversation a lot. She is very easily disappointed. She likes for things to go the way they are planned with no alterations of any kind (not even small one's). She likes for things to be perfect or else she goes 100% Incredible Hulk [You Tube Incredible Hulk] and just loses it. Me, I'm more laid back, relaxed and calm about that sort of thing. I'm used to let downs. They don't phase me and actually I plan them into my day. Why not? Isn't disappointment nothing more than the unknown variable that was not even considered. Why not expect the unexpected and get it over with? People do it all the time, right? Why else would people spend valuable money and time on things like Life Insurance, Living Wills, Retirement Funds, IRAs, Playing the Lottery, CD's [BoA Money Management] and so on and so forth. Why else would we even plan for something to go wrong if were not expecting something to go wrong?

Sometime I think I was just born without the "OH MY GOD WHAT AM I GONNA DO!" [OMG mp3] gene. Seriously, if I look back at the OMG moments in my life they never really phase me that much. Come on let's take a trip down memory lane. (It's ok I have Geico [Gieco.com]).

In 1992 I lived in Homestead Florida. Life was good and things were great (to a 12 year old anyway). My brother and I felt like the most privileged kids in the world. We didn't have all of the material things any kid could want but we had each other and a caring mother and a devoted step father to top it all off with. Life was great.

Now! For $200 dollars who remembers what significant event altered the peaceful suburb of Homestead Florida in June of 1992 ranking the town #4 on the list of most expensive damage to a residential area?

A. Flood
B. Tornado
C. Hurricane
D. Fire

Time's up. It was C, Hurricane.


[wikipedia Hurricane Andrew]
Nothing like a hurricane to shake things up a bit. Now as you would expect most of the adults and even the other children were running around, scrambling to pick up and secure their precious memories in safe and secure places so that the "Mean ol' Hurricane" couldn't get to them and rip them to shreds and smash them to bits. Me, I was intrigued by how low the birds flew and how animals could sense the coming of danger before even the news reports. I was a stone standing in the rapids of a raging river, anchored by serenity and secured by ignorance and faith. I wasn't stupid. I was aware of the damage that a hurricane, with its might wind speed and invisible sharp claws, could do. I knew that a hurricane was as serious as life and death but the way I was even before 12 (the way my though process worked) always questioned, "What's life and death without the former?"


T H E L E T D O W N
"
When it was all over depressed slumps of middle class citizens flocked to the street to collect the remains of their once manicured lives. Boats, Corvettes, Jet Skis and other expensive possessions were dissorientedly laying about like the room of a three year old after playtime. Andrew had thrown a temper tantrum alright, a 26 million dollar one.
"

Later on that evening, after most of the scrambling had settled, my family, including my moms friends and their niece and nephew, all huddled together within a small boarded up house awaiting the arrival of the monster named Andrew. We weren't at our 2 story Town House (Sea Grapes Village) but at my mother's friend house because it was only one story and it was further away from the city (Miami) where they thought it was gonna hit to begin with. We all sat curled into tiny little balls of shivering human flesh (all except for me that is). I was sleepy. I was up all day watching birds fly and dogs run with their tails tucked between their legs towards high ground. I had spent all of my energies on the fascinations of nature and I was ready to turn in hurricane or not.

My mom told me to go into one of the bed rooms and lay on the bed (which was nothing more than an old un-sheeted mattress but it was gonna have to do. I layed my head on the soft (spring filled) mattress for what seemed to be only a single second when my mother bursts into the room screaming,

"JERMAINE GET UP! THE ROOM IS FLOODING!"

I wobbled to my feet and sleepily shuffle (half way being dragged by my arm) towards the crowded hallway of human shivering when I slowly begin to realize that Andrew had arrived. He was finally here. The monster. The Maniac. The fire breathing beast sent from the east. The news spoke of him as though he were some ferocious monster with shards of glass for teeth and semi trucks for fists. The news talked about him like he could reach into each home and consciously feel around, with his wind made fingers, for the most ripe, delectable human treats that any monster would enjoy.

I stared him directly in the eye (literally). He was nothing. He was just wind. He had no claws, teeth, fangs, scales and he barely even howled. He was a big softy on the inside, Nothing more than nature's temper tantrum.

When it was all over depressed slumps of middle class citizens flocked to the street to collect the remains of their once manicured lives. Boats, Corvettes, Jet Skis and other expensive possessions were dissorientedly laying about like the room of a three year old after playtime. Andrew had thrown a temper tantrum alright, a 26 million dollar one.


Most people would have let something like that derail the rest of their life. Most people would have looked at surviving a hurricane as a traumatic life experience that forever alters the course of their actions. Most people would allow a simple natural event to alter their perception on reality and afterwards develop some complex to cope with the fact that (excuse the expression) Shit Happens.

We all know that things can go wrong. We had a great life down in Florida. I was attending one of the best Elementary schools in the city and I was on my way to middle school. Life was good. After the hurricane we (my brother and I) had to move up to North Dakota to live with my aunt on an air force base which is another story for another time.

Crap! I've run out of time. Here's what I'm gonna do. I would like to complete this post and get to the point (trust me I'm close) but in order to do so I have to bend my own rules just a bit. So tomorrow won't be as random but I'll try my best not to mentally plot out its course either during the day.

Leave me comments and let me know how you think I'm doing so far with the five o five. Give me suggestions how I can improve and if you think it all totally sucks then let me know that too. Whatever.

I appreciate the feedback, the support, and the interest. Until tomorrow.

Are you disappointed?





Monday, November 19, 2007

The five o five: Monday, November 19, 2007

I Am Whatever You Say I Am

[3]<- What's This

Waiting For: I AM LEGEND

I don't believe in limits. I don't believe in these invisible barriers that the hard edged warden known as reality tries to enforce down unto us. I don't believe in "I can't" because there is nothing that exists in this universe that I am unable to learn. I don't believe in anything that limits my god given limitless potential. I still hold fast to the shiny silver wordage on the stickers my kindergarten teacher stuck to the top of my worksheets. "You are super!" "You can do anything!" "You are special!"

YES I AM. YES I CAN [Nutty Professor "Yes I can"]

How did I get this way. Most of the world holds selfishly to their shortcomings even going as far as often times using them as interpersonal identification. Most of the time we even describe people by what we perceive as their limitation as though we are verbally sizing them up.

*Phone conversation

"Look at Becky the fat girl.

You know the crazy chick that sits next to the guy with glasses, James.

Yeah, James. You know James, the sleepy guy with the crazy hair and the slight limp.

Yeah, Becky is mad because he's marrying my sister next weekend.

You know my sister!

Stacy, the one with the lob sided breast.

Yeah! That one."


We define ourselves and each other with the limits that have defined the world around us but can we break free of this prison known as reality and go beyond our limits?

Maybe I just watched a bit too much television as a child but I don't recall ever believing in limits. Seriously. Even hard defined and nature reinforced laws didn't hold me back. In my eyes everything I saw on television was fair game. Time travel, unassisted flight, super human speed, inhuman strength, telekinesis, teleportation, levitation, [term for shooting electricity from my hands] I tried them all. Observing adults thought that I was playing but I was for real.

I think I tried flying more than once. I keep having this recurring dream that I am actually soaring on a cushion of air and nothing more. Everything is so real. I can feel the wind resistance. I can feel the vibration of the turbulent sky and gravity both trying to reclaim their escaped prisoner. In those moments I am free from it all. Limits, liabilities, fault. There are nothing but endless possibilities and then.... I wake up.

I've never grown out of thinking that there is nothing that I can't do. I honestly believe that if I focus hard enough the rules of reality will be become momentarily unchained and I will be able to escape to a haven outside of the depressed race of humanity. I will be able to soar amongst the birds and run along the cheetahs. I will be able to swim with the dolphins and lurk with the slithering snakes. I will be more than the limits I was born within. The container known as human, further defined by race, age, gender, height, weight, income bracket, intelligence level, vehicle I drive, color I wear most often, woman I'm dating and/or married to, women I've slept with, house I live in, occupation, shoe size, running speed, criminal history, offspring, siblings, mother, father, cousins, penis! WHY WHY WHY!

Why does any of it matter? Beyond being descriptive introductions to define those we don't know we have taken it a step further to actually design the limits for which we hold ourselves back. We are plagued with a limited mind. A mind that, if allowed to, creates our prison for us. Throughout history men have proven theory's and ideas wrong but even modern science continues to tell us what things are possible and what things aren't.

A perfect example of the contradiction that is the modern world is religion. I honestly believe that religion has its place within our daily lives and modern world but not in its outdated 10th century representation. No matter what religion you practice it was probably founded way back before television, internet, toasters, telephones and even polyester fiber. (I'm gong to be careful with the following statements as not to offend any one persons' religion but please feel free to defend and/or ask any follow up questions you like before making multiple clicks on the inappropriate flag above, Thank you :) With a practice being formed that long ago you would expect a few major revisions along the way just to keep up with the times. Think about medicine. What if the practice of medicine was still in the form it was today as when it was first created. Would you really support and stand for blood letting and routine lobotomy's for mental patients [wikipedia Medicine history]? What about science? How far would we now be if those in Christopher Columbus's day won the debate over whether the world was round or flat? Would our airplanes exist? How about our satellites and space ships? So what about religion?

I'm not saying that there needs to be a reform on the general morals and principals that modern religion contains (which are actually beneficial to society) but I'm hard pressed on the limits that religion sets on humanity itself. Those who read The Bible (also known as The Good Book, The Gospel, MY Right Arm, etc...) talk about Jesus as though he was there favorite cousin. Jesus could do it all. Jesus was the living legend of the biblical times. He could exceed the gravitational pull of the earth's rotation (he could fly). He could adjust his metabolic buoyancy so that he could stroll across the turbulent surface of an unsteady substance (he could walk on water). He could change the material properties of hydrogen dioxide to those of an alcoholic beverage created from the fermentation of grapes (he could turn water into wine). Jesus was the first super hero [Who will save us?] and to top it all off, he was only a man.

Now bible folk talk about Jesus this and Jesus that and they even hold on to the belief that he is one day gonna return but do they really believe the things they say or is saying those things so habitual that it just drips off of the edges of the regular conversational, defensive sentence structure. What I mean is in watching the news or reading the newspaper you see stories almost everyday of miraculous proportion. A man in New York jumped onto the tracks of an oncoming subway train to save someone [news story]. Or in California a group of firemen survived the intolerable blaze to extinguish an out of control flame [news story]. Or on the Simpson's Maggie saved Homer from drowning [You Tube Maggie Saves Homer]. Now, as much as Jesus believers believe in Jesus they are not willing o believe that any of these instances were Jesus manifested in human form. They will argue with you to the death that the Jesus they know has long black hair and fair skin and that he will come without fault or flaw and float on a cloud. The Jesus they talk about kind of resembles Fabio in description anyway.

But a man like Jesus, given exclusive lenience from the laws of reality by god, is one to be admired. We should all try to exceed our limits. Jesus should be an example not solely because of his sacrifice (which is mostly what religion wants to make of him, a glorified martyr) but his conviction to exceed the limits of not just reality but infinity. He believed that mortal death was not the end. He knew that your actions, ideas and emotions transcend your humanness into eternity. His name is spoken more than even our living relatives and we know they are just a phone call away. We should use his example or whomever example that can teach us a lesson in going beyond. People like Lance Armstrong [Lance Armstrong] surviving cancer and winning the Tour De France. People like Martin Luther King [Martin Luther King] who stood against what everyone else accepted as a reality and sought to change it. People like my own mother who doctors told her she would never walk again and she did [the five-o-5]. People who push the limits. Those are the ones I look up too.

So next time crazy eyed Tommy comes up to you with his yellow, gapped teeth tell him that you don't believe in limits and then ask him, "What would Jesus do," and fly out of the room contained within a bubble of confidence and content. At least that's what I would do.








Friday, November 16, 2007

The five o five : Friday, November 18, 2007

The Way You Do The Things You Do

[3]

Watching: Temptations "The way you do the things you do"

Birds build nests. Beavers build dams. Bees construct hives. Groundhogs dig holes. Mary sews quilts. Tammy paints portraits. Joe works on cars.

Why do we human beings fill our short days with lots and lots of often meaningless yet fulfilling activity? We wake up (some of us) as early as 5am to do some project or task that really has no bearing or effect on our livelihood. We are dedicated. We are committed. We are serious about what we do even if it is just some silly random early morning blog project [what s the five o five]. It is our world and our contribution to the world. We love, cherish and protect it as though in its absence we would wilt away. Why is it so important.


B U S Y
"
Salmon swim up stream. Bears hibernate in the winter. Caterpillars spin cocoons. Spiders weave webs. Why don't animals have our issues? Could you imagine the Paris Hilton of pigeons acting the way her human counterpart does? Can you see her lying around all day being chaffered on the hood of some limo while being feed gourmet worms and warm toasted Quiznos buns? Can you imagine her living this über plush (bird) life and then on one tragic evening she suddenly just get eaten by a cat? What if animals had television? Do you think that all of her pigeon compadrés would be watching the tragic event and mourning her passing?
"

Most would say that humans do scurry around doing a whole lot o' nothing. If you pay any attention to the celebrity scene that's exactly what seems to be going on with our society. The media enjoys showing us the way these privileged individuals live. Their daily activity includes shopping, skiing, golfing, diving, hang gliding, skating, sun bathing, tanning, adopting random African babies for poor African countries [Rueters Angelina Jolie] and sleeping. They get to lie around and do absolutely nothing at all and this is the life that a lot of people are aiming for. So essentially we (the ones at the bottom) work harder so we can be like them (the ones on top). It almost doesn't make any sense. Why would you do more work so you don't have to do any work?

I'm the type of person that does a lot myself. I may have told you this before but my day is full of just as much meaningless activity as the next guy. I wake up at 5am to do this blog (of course) for about an hour.At 6:30 am I pull out my dance mat and do an 30 minutes to an hour of DDR [slashdot ddr workout] each morning followed by 200 crunches and 50 push ups [revolutionhealth.com]. I take a shower, get dressed then check my daughter out to see if she is ready for school. I drop her off at school and then I go to my job [SETT Myspace] at 8am (which is an hour earlier than the time I'm supposed to be there. I check my email; look over my bank accounts; review my budget [mint.com]; and then I set my daily to do list carrying over unfinished items from the previous day [tadalist.com]. Some mornings, in the midst of doing all these other things, I write poetry while I'm driving (in my head). During the course of my day (while at work), I answer phones, type up memos and other various documents. I assist (or I do it myself) in the planing of the after school rehearsals. I build websites [www.asublimecreation.com]. I design tee shirts [cafepress store]. I write blogs [sublime space blog]. I do this, that and the other. All of the above happens before its even 12 noon. After that my day just becomes more random but by the day's end, after putting my daughter to bed and kissing my girlfriend goodnight, I lay my head on my pillow ready to do it all again. But why?

Why do we waste our time waking up everyday doing little menial things and performing the smallest task that most don't even notice. When I started this blog it was just myself writing it and my mother reading it. How lovely right? No offense to my mom [the five-o-5] whom I love to death and respect with all my heart but why aren't us lowly servants of and the world getting more attention. How come when Britney Spears cuts off her hair [You Tube Britney Spears] there is a news crew and several International News Papers there to capture the act LIVE? Was it really that serious? Was it that significant an act? On top of that why do a lot of us get so tied up in keeping up with all of that garbage that we schedule our own lives around the T.V. programming that will keep us up [E Online Kim Kardasian] to date on the latest celebrity garbage [VH1.com I Love New York 2] that spill out of the privileged filth pile [e online]? Is it because we like to see other people who have done so well do bad so we can eventually take their spot? Most of us claim that the fame won't change us but who knows what 10 million dollars might make you do?



B U S Y
"
So why do we do the things we do? I say its for our own sanity. Most animals live very short lives. So short in fact that we even count their years differently. They don't often get a chance to rest and relax. We do. But we, still driven by animal urges, try to make our lives a bit more meaningful then a dogs life. We try to leave something of ourselves (other than our debt and our carcass) to the rest of humanity.
"

Salmon swim up stream. Bears hibernate in the winter. Caterpillars spin cocoons. Spiders weave webs. Why don't animals have our issues? Could you imagine the Paris Hilton of pigeons acting the way her human counterpart does? Can you see her lying around all day being chaffered on the hood of some limo while being feed gourmet worms and warm toasted Quiznos buns [quiznos.com]? Can you imagine her living this über plush (bird) life and then on one tragic evening she suddenly just get eaten by a cat? What if animals had television? Do you think that all of her pigeon compadrés would be watching the tragic event and mourning her passing? Do you think they would fly down to the scene and rally to bring the terrible cat bastard to justice? Can you see this cat being tried and convicted of the murder of Pigeon Hilton and then summarily sentenced to 90 years in the kennel with no chance of free time and no access to a scratching post? Can you imagine the news paper headline, "CAT GETS CANNED FOR KILLING PARIS THE PIGEON." Have I taken this too far? Well think about it.

A lot of what we do (or think we do) of any level of importance has little to no value at all (in the present anyway). I wrote about it before [Cruise Control] but this is a little different. This has nothing to do with our motivation because most of the time this is the stuff that we do while we are supposed to be doing the other stuff that we do. The sewing, the drawing, the building, the programming. Most of this takes us away from the real stuff we are supposed to be doing. The working, the planning, the cleaning, the responsibility. The only difference between us and animals is that animals have no choice. They are obligated to their nature. If an animal slacks off (such as miss Paris Pigeon) well those are the ones you see lying on the side of the road dead (I guess that is the same way it goes for humans too).

So why do we do the things we do [Yahoo! Music Temptations lyrics]? I say its for our own sanity. Most animals live very short lives. So short in fact that we even count their years differently. They don't often get a chance to rest and relax. We do. But we, still driven by animal urges, try to make our lives a bit more meaningful then a dogs life. We try to leave something of ourselves (other than our debt and our carcass) to the rest of humanity. We want people to remember us. We want people to love us even though we are no longer around. We still love Ghandi [WikipWdia Ghandi]. We still love Martin Luther King [Wikipedia MLK]. We still love Tupac and Elvis [Wikipedia Tupac] [Wikipedia Elvis]. We still love them and talk about them like they are still here. We still love Mother Theresa [Wikipedia Mother Theresa]. We still love Princess Diana [Wikipedia Princess Diana]. We still love JFK and his little brother RFK [Wikipedia Kennedy's ]. We love them because they meant something to us. Their little bits of nothings affect all us. What they did in their spare time was something of noteworthiness. No one remembers Paris Pigeon at all.

Are you doing something that will be remember beyond your mortal life? Will the world love you too? Can you handle it? Why do you do the things you do? You tell me.

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



Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The five o five : Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Upgrade

[1]

“You're so special.”

“You're the best student I ever had.”

“I've never loved anyone else like I love you.”

“This is the slickest blog I have ever read!”


Any of this sound familiar? Who doesn't like to be complimented? Who doesn't like to be poured over in sweet nothings and wet sticky afterthoughts. Who among us soaks every ounce of it in with a massive portion of raspberry blushes and big white toothy cheese? Exactly. Most of us are sincere pleasure whores, it's just human nature. It's the way that we are born. It takes no energy to receive satisfaction at all. As an infant if we are hungry, we cry. If we are wet and uncomfortable, we cry. If we are tired and cranky, we cry. If we have nothing else to do, we cry. If we are crying and tired of hearing our own annoying, shrill, infant shrieking then (you guessed it), we cry loud. From that very early time most of us learn the definition of instant gratification [dictionary.com gratification]. The moment we begin bawling over food, comfort, sleep deprivation and no reason at all, most us learn that our loving and caring parents (if they were within an earshot) would soon come to rescue us from our dilemmas. So if we are all raised poised and ready to receive satisfaction and service then how do we learn to return the favor. Well if you think about it, really we don't.


P O L I T I C A L L Y C O R R E C T
"
What if Jim Carey were walking through the mall and suddenly a bowling ball in the sports shop rolls off of the top shelf onto Mr. Carey soft (possibly graying) pink head? What if the impact opened a massive bleeding gash down to his pale gray skull and he was now on the floor convulsing and shaking similar to how he did in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective? Would you laugh? Would you help him? Would you step over Mr. Carey to get to the Tennis Rackets that he is blocking?
"

In our modern world the majority of the population is just utterly selfish and unquestionably rude. (If you disagree with that statement make sure you read the entire post before shooting me with flaming comments and unfounded slurs. Thank you.) Just look at what we think is entertainment. We revel in other's pain and misfortune. It could almost be called comparative comedy because we watch and secretly think to ourselves, “I'm glad that's not me”. Jim Carey [imdb Jim Carey] specialized in that particular brand of self-immolation [dictionary.com self-immolation]. He jumps around around in a buffoonish manner bonking himself on the head with bowling balls and ferrets and such and people just laugh and laugh as though it was the funniest thing in the world. That's how we really feel. Now what if the same thing were to occur in real life? What if Jim Carey were walking through the mall and suddenly a bowling ball in the sports shop rolls off of the top shelf onto Mr. Carey soft (possibly graying) pink head? What if the impact opened a massive bleeding gash down to his pale gray skull and he was now on the floor convulsing and shaking similar to how he did in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective [you tube Ace Ventura]? Would you laugh? Would you help him? Would you step over Mr. Carey to get to the Tennis Rackets that he is blocking? Most of us would think twice because, being who is we wouldn't want to be the victim of some television prank show. But we love it when its somebody else; We hate it when its us.

We are just simply selfish, but there is nothing wrong with that. If we didn't have a sense of self preservation then we would have been dead a long time ago. All of our food and energy would be spent to the point of death on others if we weren't a bit selfish. Selfish just means to serves one's self [dictionary.com selfish]. If we don't do this then, like I said, we would just die. So how do we combat that sense of instinctual self preservation in order to serve others? We don't, we just mask and label it. It's called: Being PC.

Those in the upper echelons [dictionary.com echelon] of service are masters of being PC. They know how to serve and when to serve. They know the secret to making you feel that you are the only one that matters. They know ways to avoid offending or defending even the smallest gnat in the room. They have tact, swagger, style, charisma, whatever you call it (Its all a lie!). PC is short for Politically Correct [wikipedia politically correct]. It is a term that describes how people interact with one another without offending anyone else regardless of affiliation, race, ethnicity, etcetera. It basically means smiling when you don't feel like it. Laughing when you don't want to. Being nice to someone that you honestly don't like. Holding in a whole bunch of garbage that may eventually spontaneously combust [dictionary.com spontaneous combustion]. We do it for our own selfish reason's though.


P O L I T I C A L L Y C O R R E C T
"
Back in the cave man days you would club the mess out of someone if they tried to steal your Tyrannosaurus steak. You would do it because its what you have to do in order to eat. These days (but only because the law prohibits violence against others) we would dialog with the accused steak thief and [kindly] ask them to apologize for their gross misbehavior.
"

Yeah, the people pleaser's are the Kings and Queens of communication. They are the Presidents and CEO's of major corporations. They are the Diplomats and Prime Minister's of various countries. They represent the whole of a people so we don't have to show who we really are. We appreciate them for their efforts. They put forward all of our good qualities and none of our bad. The world thinks we're spotless. But in reality being a people pleaser is honestly a selfish endeavor. Why do we waste our time? Back in the cave man days you would club the mess out of someone if they tried to steal your Tyrannosaurus steak [wikipedia tyrannosaurus]. You would do it because its what you have to do in order to eat. These days (but only because the law prohibits violence against others) we would dialog with the accused steak thief and ask them to apologize for their gross misbehavior.

So what are the people pleaser's out to prove? A lot. Being a people pleaser makes you more likable. It reminds people of the time when they were shrieking infants and their loving parents. People pleaser's know that almost every single human being has forgotten the "real reason" you parent's would burst into the room. They bank on the fact that you don't recall that your parents were themselves....selfish. How can this be? When is the last time your crying baby (or any crying baby) woke you up from your soft comfortable slumber? Did you feel a sudden rush of irritation or enlightenment? Did you delight in your 1am journey to diaper doo doo land or did you dread every step? Crying babies get swift service because they are just a nuisance [dictionary.com nuisance][simplythebest.net crying baby.mp3] to everyone (but crying adults are even worse). So PC people attack with preemptive precision. You make people happy so they don't even have a chance to whine, moan or even complain. You bring back that special infantile feeling of satisfaction and you make it appear as though you had to invest no effort at all. People love you for your sacrifice. Almost as much as they love laughing at Jim Carey getting hit by a bus [you tube Jim Carey]. They want to be happy and PC know how to make every on happy at the same time. They know in the end it all pays off. They receive the most plush fringe benefits of any profession I know of. Diplomats, actors, public speakers. You always see them in their fine hotel rooms at the most plush parties. To us its just right. They earned it. They are holding in the very thing that we just find impossible to contain. They are the masters of deception but the champions of communication. You love them but don't trust them and they don't care (or should I say "we"). I am to a degree one of them too. Do you love me? Will you be here tomorrow at 5am to see what other wonderful ideas I've come up with? I'll make sure I have cookies and milk ready or do you prefer coffee? Is everything ok? Good.

“You are the best reader ever.”

“You're wonderful.”

“Great job, you made it to the end.”


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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

The five o five : Tuesday, November 13, 2007

May The Force Be With You

[2]<- What's this?

I'm slippin' ya'll. I sincerely apologize for my absence. A lot has been going on lately and its none of that cry baby, "Wha, wha, wha, life is too hard," crap, but its just me out here taking care of some business. Of course I'm still going through some crazy adventures but that kind of stuff gives me the inspiration I need to keep going. Life is my muse (as crazy as she is)and as long as I'm alive, life will provide my best material (did I tell you I was a poet [tigga76 blog]). So today let's talk about creativity.

[[Side Note]]
Now, I'm going to be totally honest with you and let you know that I did attempt to blog yesterday and I even got as far as a draft of the post done, but in the end it was my first misfire. My brain just shut down and went blank and I was more concerned with the cosmetics of the previous posts that by the time I attempted to complete yesterday's issue it was already an hour too late. I'm a man of my word. I thought about finishing it sometime during the day but then I didn't want to break my own rules (If I finish anything beyond 6am then it can no longer be called the five o five [explaining the five o five]) so it was a total creative abortion and for that I'm sorry. I will post the remnants of it soon but just not here. I'll maybe post it on DA [tigga76 on deviantArt] or something. Just be sure to check the News and Updates post [news and updates] for the time and place. Now we return to our regularly scheduled blog post already in progress.



C R E A T I V I T Y
"
Creativity. She is an elusive mystery. She wades within our day to day activity hiding beneath our stacks of paper and our piles of bills. She plays peekaboo behind our cup of coffee and snorkels beneath our bath water. She pokes her head out from between the words in our favorite book and taunts and teases us at every given opportunity she can. She is the child that never grows up. The part of us that reminds us of who we used to be. She is the daughter of inspiration and the sister of depression. Creativity is the soul of evolution.
"

Creativity. She is an elusive mystery. She wades within our day to day activity hiding beneath our stacks of paper and our piles of bills. She plays peekaboo behind our cup of coffee and snorkels beneath our bath water. She pokes her head out from between the words in our favorite book and taunts and teases us at every given opportunity she can. She is the child that never grows up. The part of us that reminds us of who we used to be. She is the daughter of inspiration and the sister of depression. Creativity is the soul of evolution.

When I talk to people about god and stuff I always tell them (based on my observations) that human beings, so far, are the only creatures on the planet that possess, or utilize, the force known as creativity. As much as we would like to give animals the credit for emulating human behavior I honestly doubt that even a monkey could blog every morning at 5am. So we humans, the sole possessors of this creative force, have some responsibility on our hands. Creativity can not be stolen from us. No matter what has happened to any group of people on the planet, by any other group or natural event, creativity still carved its shiny emblem into the ruins of our lost civilizations.

Look at Egypt for an example [wikipedia Egyptian Mythology]. Every inch of their society was washed over in a shiny burst of human creativity and wonderment. The Egyptian people told stories about everything from where the sun [wikipedia Amun-RA] came from to where you go when you die [wikipedia Egyptian Afterlife]. To top all of that off they believed it. "Why not, I say" Perception is reality. Everything from their embalmed pharaohs all the way down to their mummified cats, Egyptians knew that they were going somewhere in the afterlife because a creative vessel such as the human form can not just die. They even were speculated to have built giant ships that would carry them across the rivers of the underworld. Crazy huh? Well, their "craziness" inspired almost all forms of modern religion [wikipedia religion] if you really think about it. They had the underworld and we have hell. See any similarities. The bottom line is those people were creative.

Some might call the Egyptians crazy as they do for almost every individual that walks the fine line between the "Real world" and the "Creative World" (and it is a fine line indeed). Creativity is nearly a state of mania if you think about it. In order to design something that has not yet materialized into solid form before us so that we may touch, taste, smell, hear or see evidence of its existence we must bend the rules of what we know to exist and use the building blocks of reality to construct the vessels of our imagination. We are the only beings on the planet that can make something that we can mentally perceive become something that we can physically interact with. I do believe however that this ability comes with great consequence.




C R E A T I V I T Y
"
Creative people don't fully accept this prison for which we live known as the real world. Creative people don't abide by the rules of the real world. If they did a few of your most prized luxury's would never have been invented.
"

Like I said before, being creative is one step away from being crazy. Creative people don't fully accept this prison for which we live known as the real world. Creative people don't abide by the rules of the real world. If they did a few of your most prized luxury's would never have been invented. Who would imagine that human beings, as awkward and heavy as we are, would be soaring through the skies faster than the birds them self? Good thing the Wright Brothers did [wikipedia Wright brothers]. Who would imagine being able to speak to someone more than a billion miles away almost instantaneously without the ruse of telekinesis or psychic phenomenon? Good thing Alexander Bell did [wikipedia Alexander Bell]. Who would have thought that we would be able to stare into a shiny black box and see live images of an entire world right outside our window from the comfort of our own home? Good thing the inventor of the television did [wikipedia Television]? All of things we take for granted born of some other person (or people's) imagination.

In most cases the inventors of our modern conveniences were labeled with the standard disclaimers for those for whom we wish not to understand (crazy, lunatic, insane, strange, out of their mind, head in the clouds, etc, etc). If it weren't for them (and all of the other's like them) however we would not be able to advance or go beyond the perceived limitations of the world around us.

Who would have thought a man would be able to walk on the moon. Throughout our human existence we have imagined it. We even named the moon "moon" from a character that exists within our fiction [wikipedia moon]. Today where're talking about going to Mars [BBC Mars]. Imaginations affords us boundless opportunities. We are no longer confined behind the bars of gravity, light nor perception. We can go above, beyond, within and without in almost a fraction of a second. I still sometimes wonder if this is the real world. Are we somehow (being as creative as we are) projecting our desires onto the dark gray carcass of reality? Have we simply grown so manically creative that we have reshaped the perception(s) of an entire planet? Are we all "crazies" running around free while the normal ones are being locked away? There would probably be no one to tell.

Creativity is the ship on which I sail the turbulent seas of reality. I'm headed off to discover new territory, are you coming with me? I hope there is enough wind in my sail? I hope that we don't run aground nor encounter any fierce hurricanes. I can only imagine that this is going to be an adventure of a lifetime. I can only imagine.

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Friday, November 09, 2007

The five o five : Friday, November 9, 2007

Keep the change

[2]<- What's this?


C H A N G E
"
People are terrified of change. Change is looked at just like the knife wielding villain in the horror movies. He makes us uncomfortable. He hunts us down mercilessly and we are powerless. We run and he calmly walks behind us with a confident demonic swagger tightly brandishing his shiny blade. We fall down a few times as he nicks at our skin but our every effort is to escape the unknown fate that change has come to deliver.
"

Sometimes it just happens. I sit down in front of my computer after the difficult cold journey from my room to downstairs and a flood of ideas just flow from my brain down to my fingertips. Other times I have to shovel through yawns, crust sealed eyes and daily concerns until I get down to the fresh fertile creative soil within. It all depends on the day and the time I went to bed the night before. I talked about this a while ago, balance [The five o five : Monday, October 29, 2007], and it truly does serve as my life philosophy. Balance is an act and as with any other act or activity, the more you work at it the better you become with it. Sounds simple right? Well there's more to it then that.

To achieve balance you have to make some modifications to the way you do things already. These modifications are labeled as compromise and sacrifice. Extremely painful words meant to discourage us from a very simple concept known as change. People are terrified of change. Change is looked at just like the knife wielding villain in the horror movies. He makes us uncomfortable. He hunts us down mercilessly and we are powerless. We run and he calmly walks behind us with a confident demonic swagger tightly brandishing his shiny blade. We fall down a few times as he nicks at our skin but our every effort is to escape the unknown fate that change has come to deliver.

Why must change be the bad guy? Where were we taught this or is it some form of instinctual byproduct that evolution and modernization has yet to erase. Change equals pain in the most simplest terms imaginable). Why would I say that? If you think about it, any time you change something that event usually signifies some sort of growth. Ask any woman who has ever delivered a baby, "What was your experience like," and you may have to endure the slimy details and painful description but in the end most will say it was worth it. The same goes for sports heroes (in a different sense). Lance Armstrong had to go through a lot of changes with his cancer and everything even having to sacrifice a piece of himself to save the rest of himself [ Lance Armstrong : Wikipedia]. For a man its almost too painful to talk about but you understand. Or, what about when you were transitioning from a child to a teenager? Do you remember how a few of those changes brought pain but at the same time pride? Do you remember not knowing or understanding exactly what was happening but knew in some way it was a good thing?

Change equals pain. That's just the way it is. We can run but we can't hide. But boy do we try to hide. Have you seen the variety of dyes, creams, gels, injections, surgery's, exercises, gimmicks, gadgets and strait up crap they have out there to keep us from change (and specifically in this case getting older). We fight hard to preserve our youth as though old age was the worst sin since gluttony [7 deadly sins]. We was away our wrinkles and dye away our gray hairs. We get breast implants and Botox injections. We are willing to deal with the discomfort (or pain) of full on surgery [You Tube:Nip Tuck] before dealing with the small pinches of change.

Some changes are major. Some changes are minor. Some changes are by choice. Some changes are against our will. You can change your mind. You can change your hair style. You can change your clothes. You can change jobs. You can change a light bulb. You can change the world. You can even change your gender if you just feel like that's gonna make you feel better. In the end, however, we can chose whatever it is we want to change but when change finds us we have no choice but to submit.


C H A N G E
"
SO next time you see change coming why don't you just give him a chance. He might just be bringing you some good news. He might have that promotion you've been waiting for or that raise that you've been needing. He might be carrying that pretty little girl in his arms while pulling the 4 bed room house of your dreams. He's not a villain; He's an angel. Change, you're the best!
"

People always talk about how they are going through some changes. That normally just means they are facing some natural challenge for which they just weren't prepared for. We are deathly afraid of giving up our perceived comfortable reality for some unknown alternative. We are set on losing weight but we don't to endure the long and hard 15 minute a day work out session nor do we want to give up our McDonald's Chicken Nuggets [McDonald's dot com]. We want to get a better job and make more money but we don't to deal with starting over as the new guy in some unfamiliar high rise office jungle. We talk as though we're all for it but we run away as though it was death incarnate when the opportunity arrives.

I guess in the end we really don't want change or at least change that we didn't invite on ourselves. We treat change like an unwanted guest. He does nothing but give, give, give. Sure he takes, just a little, but that little is well worth the gifts he brings with him. But we hate him. He doesn't get the couch because we make him sleep on the floor. He doesn't eat at the dinner table because we don't want our kids to talk to him. He might tell them the truth about our embarrassing secrets. Bobby doesn't know you have dentures. Becky has no clue that you wear a toupee [plasticsurgeons.com]. Change is a low life heathen but don't you just love him?

SO next time you see change coming why don't you just give him a chance. He might just be bringing you some good news. He might have that promotion you've been waiting for or that raise that you've been needing. He might be carrying that pretty little girl in his arms while pulling the 4 bed room house of your dreams. He's not a villain; He's an angel. Change, you're the best!

After thinking about it like that getting out of bed and coming downstairs at 5am doesn't seem like such a terrible undertaking after all. I know eventually its gonna pay off. Either I'll grow incredibly rich (in money) or well off in character. Its a win win. Sometimes it just happened. I'm thankful that it did once again.

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Thursday, November 08, 2007

The five o five : Thursday, November 8, 2007

Red Pill, Blue Pill

[1]<- What's this?

We all have choices to make. Some more important than others. What to wear today. What to eat for lunch. Who to take to lunch. Whether or not to call off of work. Whether or not to quit your job. Whether or not to blog at 5am [explaining the 505] every morning. No matter what the options, you have to decide one way or the other. Staying neutral just allows someone else to make the choice for you.

I know most of you remember the movie The Matrix [imdb The Matrix], particularly the scene where he had to choose which pill to swallow [wavecentral.com Blue Pill | Red Pill]. If you haven't then it basically boils down to this guy named Neo [imdb Keanu Reeves] being told by this other guy Morpheus [imdb Larry Fishburn] that he's been living in a dream world his entire life and if he chose to take the right pill then he would be able to wake up and finally see the world for what it really was [youtube red pill, blue pill]. Decisions like that are the stuff of Hollywood but in real life we do have some hefty options to weigh. For those of us that have children especially, we have some irreversible selections we make every time we interact with our kids. The choices we make while they are younger transfer directly over to their "responsible adult account" or "deviant grown up fund" when they get older. Every choice is investment in some future action that we have yet to encounter.


C H O I C E S
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No matter what the options, you have to decide one way or the other. Staying neutral just allows someone else to make the choice for you.
"

Have you ever sat down and written out the decisions you've faced in the past and mapped out the alternate reality that could have occurred if you had chosen differently? If you haven't you should try it (it's kind of fun). But do it just to see if your imagination can accurately project the consequences of your actions (committed or non). If you are able to map out the past choices you've made then that allows you to better sketch out the future choices you have to make. Most of us our afraid of choices that lead to life altering end results. Some of us have had more serious decisions than others.

As children most of our choices are made for us so we start out small. What toy do I play with? Is it wise to hit that girl and run away or should I take her a flower? As we get older the choices get a bit harder. What do I want to pack in my lunch? Should I do my homework now or wait till tomorrow in class? Is it wise to hit that girl and run away or should I take her a flower? Then, when we reach our late teens it gets really hard. Should I be a band geek or a math nerd? Which one of these five girls who asked should I take to the prom [tigga99 photo]? Is it wise to hit [urban dictionary *hit] that girl and run away or should I take her a flower? And finally we reach adulthood.


C H O I C E S
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Choices are the substance of life and experience. It fills our cups with happiness and success or poison and grief. Maybe next time when you are asked do you wanna do this or do you wanna do that, maybe you'll take just a second to think about what will come with the decision you make. Who will benefit or suffer from your selection? What will change in the world tomorrow? Will you earn respect or ridicule later in life? Am I making the right decision?
"

Adults have impossible choices to make. Some people refer to life as a game because of these "Impossible Choices" but the seriousness of the game makes it more of a gamble. Which job offer should I accept? Am I crazy enough to run for public office or should I keep working as a humble janitor? Should I hit that girl and run or should I take her a flower (I promise I'm done with that one now)? These choices at this level affect not only us but those directly in our sphere of influence. You remember ENRON [wikipedia ENRON] don't you? How about Richard Nixon, George Bush, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Louis Farrakhan, Russel Simmons, Mike Tyson, Jesus, your mom? All of these people made (or make) decisions that have an impact on all those around them. Without their keen decision making ability we wouldn't have hip hop, equal justice, peace, scandal, war, something to talk about or most simply dinner.

Sometimes decisions make them self. Sometimes we are faced with a choice with no easy out. Veterans returning from the war often bring home the tales of hard choices made and not made. Each press of the buzzer in life's game is a life saved or a life lost. My daughter asked me one day, "How do people end up homeless?" I answered simply, "Choices". Choices are the substance of life and experience. It fills our cups with happiness and success or poison and grief. Maybe next time when you are asked do you wanna do this or do you wanna do that, maybe you'll take just a second to think about what will come with the decision you make. Who will benefit or suffer from your selection? What will change in the world tomorrow? Will you earn respect or ridicule later in life? Am I making the right decision?

Its hard to imagine a future unborn but its not wise to walk around like it's never gonna get here or its not gonna affect you.

Morpheus:This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

Are you ready to wake up? A.Yes B.No C.Hit that girl and run away then take her a flower?

Do you wanna make the right choice? Read the follow up question to this post on Yahoo! Answers

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

The five o five : Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Cruise Control

[1]<- What's this?

Watching: Why Are Gas Prices So High

Let me first start off by apologizing for being so rude. We have been meeting like this almost everyday for the past two weeks and I don't believe that I've told you a thing about myself. So allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Tigga76 [Ziggs Profile]. I'm a poet, writer, artist, graphic designer, public speaker, father, son, brother, man. I am in a supportive relationship and have custody of my eight year old daughter who I take care of everyday. I work for a teen theater drug prevention program [SETT] and I design web sites and fliers on the side [Sublime Designs]. I also teach a fitness class [Step FX] and I plan on going back to school to receive my personal trainer degree. Sounds like a lot huh? Well sometimes it is but then other times it pays off. So with all this stuff going on it made me wonder what is my motivation? What pushes me to do so much expecting so little in return? What drives anyone to want to be successful? Money, fame, recognition, acceptance? Let's talk about that shall we?


F U E L
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What pushes me to do so much expecting so little in return? What drives anyone to want to be successful? Money, fame, recognition, acceptance?
"

Like I mentioned above, I work for a teen theater drug prevention group [SETT] (which happens to be the easiest way to break it down because it gets a bit complicated) that is my main 9 to 5 hustle. I normally get there at 8am (before anyone else shows up at our regular 9am time) and take care of all of my personal responsibilities (checking my email, calling the bank, paying my bills online, etc, etc) before I have to tackle the challenging tasks of the regular work day (writing grants, revising newsletters, making phone calls, etc, etc). I like having a head start. I like being able to get things out of the way before anyone else arrives. It makes me feel like I'm in the lead. If the work day were a race then I'm already a quarter mile closer to the finish line then all the rest. Is it considered cheating? I don't think so. I think its called drive.

So yesterday, after doing my "first one there" routine, we eventually went out to fill up for gas (Oh. I forgot to tell you that I also drive a 15 passenger van to transport the teens home every evening) I noticed something that wasn't peculiar but it was interesting. The program normally covers the cost of the gas during the week and with sort of arrangement you rarely stop to think how much the gas actually costs. So with that sudden realization I looked up at the gas station marquee and read $3.19. Three nineteen!? I think I did several double and triple takes looking up at the sign trying to figure out was I delusional or is this really happening. For those of you in places where it is much higher, I apologize for being such a baby about this it just shocked me. But the real shocker wasn't the price that people were willing to pay for gas but how many people were actually filling up at the same time I was. I would assume that none of them would top my $90.73 grand total for my 15 passenger behemoth but I know whatever they spent was a pretty penny compared to four years ago [USA Today]. (Now just hang in there I'm getting to the point soon. If you like you can repeatedly squeal, "Are we there yet," until the end of this post. I don't have to worry about you because you're more than likely going to annoy someone other than me anyway).


F U E L
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It looks like human fuel is a lot cheaper than gas because it can be made out of anything. In school we have grades and report cards and I would assume then that making the honor roll would be the equivalent of NoS. In adult life we have paychecks. In relationships we have love. In parenting we have, "Well adjusted, productive children". At our jobs we have promotions. And so on and so on.
"

I began to think. Gas is fuel. It is an essential component to a cars' system of gears and motor to produce mobility and kinetic force thus propelling a vehicle forward (or backwards). Without it you go nowhere. So even if the price of gas went all the way up to (god forbid) $20 a gallon, those motivated enough to be mobile would line up at the gas station pumps ready to burn. YEP, all three of us. So there has to be a connection. How does gas at a service station (which ironically don't serve anymore) relate to this human term known as "drive"?

Let's look at the similarities. A car needs fuel, and in this case its called gas. Humans need fuel. But what is human fuel called. Motivation? Inspiration? Dedication? Constipation? What makes us go? (pardon the pun?). Growing up I was motivated to things "fueled" by the simple fact that I had never done it before. As a teen I would reach for accomplishments "fueled" with the idea that people thought I couldn't or wouldn't do it. As an adult I live each day "fueled" with the thought that I want my family to live a comfortable life. It looks like human fuel is a lot cheaper than gas because it can be made out of anything. In school we have grades and report cards and I would assume then that making the honor roll would be the equivalent of NoS (Nitros Oxide) [example]. In adult life we have paychecks. In relationships we have love [see, "Waiting to Exhale"]. In parenting we have, "Well adjusted, productive children". At our jobs we have promotions. And so on and so on. So if human fuel is so easy to attain then why are there some people who go places and others that sit still? Why is the four lane highway of success so barren and wide? Where are all the other vehicles? Did the price for human fuel suddenly top $3.19? Am I the only one driving here? People tell me I should only worry about myself but I want to bring some friends along (I think I have enough room. I do drive a 15 passenger.) Maybe I'll look deeper into this another time, but seriously think about it. What is your fuel? What drives you? Where are you going? And will you make it without running out of gas?

Well....We're here now (at the end). I hope you enjoyed the trip. Have a nice day, and you can stop saying ,"Are we there yet," now. Until next time. Get out and don't slam my door. See you later.

*Screeching off----------
*Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, vrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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