So I am sitting here listening to a Lupe Fiasco song. This guy is impressive in every sense of a hip hop artist. He reflects the three aspects of hip hop. He has a unique style and is always ahead of the curve when it comes to it. I remember seeing him wearing this leather jacket at a concert at Virginia Commonwealth University. One of those jackets with all the straps and and race car collar. Of course everyone on campus was wearing them for the last two months of winter, me included. His style also lends itself to his lifestyle which is another huge part of hip hop. You can be a gangster, a pimp, a pothead, or the skater. "Kick Push" put Lupe on the scene, so clearly he is the rapper all about graffiti, skating, and that whole rage against the machine/anti-big business/freedom and whatever it is the alternative culture complains about. Now Lupe is a smart guy, and I won't sell him short. I will say that he speaks to middle class kids with "identity crises". Relax Brad... the fact your parents didn't buy the free range turkey for Thanksgiving doesn't mean you need to go on a hunger strike. Finally Lupe is an amazing lyricist. His metaphors have endless meaning and can resonate in a different ways each time you listen. I won't lie, I sometimes listen to him and say to myself "man that was creative, but what the heck is this guy talking about?" That is a rare moment though, because I am so wise and have an infinite capacity to learn and be better. Basically I am the smartest man in the world... so you are welcome planet Earth.
Speaking of the Earth, this weather is driving me nuts. I live in the mid-Atlantic region very close to Washington, D.C. home to the largest consortium of out of touch arrogant people. I mean the Redskins are bad people, we can't keep claiming we are going to win the Super Bowl every year. There are 20 plus, other teams who seem to have athletes receiving less money and winning more games. Anyway, that's not the point I am making. Last week, the weather was in the 60's and 70's for the majority of the week. People were hiking, biking, and any other "ing" verb you can imagine particpating in outdoors. We were really praising that prophetic rodent that apparently predicts the seasons in Pennsylvania. Even I was hailing King Phil, for his prediction. I despise snow and cold weather. Snow is a combination of three things that make me uncomfortable: Cold, Wet, and White! <----- There is a deeper meaning here, just think about it.
So now we come to this week, where I have to pull out the sweaters and jackets again. I know these fluke weather conditions occur but mother nature is really messing with us. She is acting like well....an upset mother! Think about it, how many times did your mom tell you to clean up your closet and you ignored her because you were to busy on AIM with your boo boo. Only to come home from school to see all of your clothes piled up on your bed and your closet empty?! What's that? Never happened to you? (that's doubtful) Look, mothers get extreme when they see that simple reasoning will not work. Can you blame them? We go out of our way to ignore their requests and all of the sudden get upset that she dumped 14 inches of white destruction on to our highways. Than mother nature makes sure you know she means business by turning up the thermostat so that those 14 inches turn into a flash flood drifting your brand new Jetta down the hill into Mr. Johnson's two car garage, that apparently was always meant for three cars. I don't know about your mothers, but some enjoy the three strike rule. So that ultimately means you get three major catastrophes. For me it was cleaning the closet I put off for months, being grounded for a weekend, and then she would take something from my possesion. Usually my cell phone was hidden in her closet and if I even thought about retrieving it there was a death stare and a Muhammad Ali style butt whooping. So mother nature tops it all off by somehow fitting in black ice in. So clearly I exaggerated a bit here, but you get where I am going. We used to expect a cycle, you could predict what this lady was going to do year in year out. I am assuming this is like menopause for her. She is hot and cold, moody and emotional.
Ladies I am not trying to downplay your physical changes. This does make sense though, especially since I just made it up 8 lines ago. As a whole though, we need to do a better job taking care of our planet. We are letting those ice caps melt and we will be experiencing some major climate shifts. I, like most men appreciate beautiful things. Men are stimulated by sight, we like the nice car, the big boat, and beautiful women ( you are all beautiful honestly).<---BROWNIE POINTS.
That being pretty clear, I like a beautiful earth. Trees, mountains, hills and the basic scenery that our Earth provides us are all at risk by how we live our lives. We all have heard about our carbon imprint and all of the marketing terms used to evoke a connection with our planet. I am not here as a tree hugging hippie (I was never attracted to trees like that, I wont even climb them). We are all entitled an opinion and mine is simple. Pick up your trash, recycle your cans and be a decent temporary resident on this earth. We all are going to pass away, and I would appreciate it if we didn't destroy every Forrest we have. I would really like my kids to be able to look up on a late night drive in the summer and see the stars. All of these wonders on earth were here before we decided that we needed them to make our lives easier. Obviously to survive and to ensure our species moves on we need to use the resources on our planet, but we have to really focus on the longevity of the planet itself. We have always been able to answer the call and take society to new heights. America is the perfect place to take on the new challenge. It is as simple as demanding recycling and being consistent with ourselves. I work at this airport in the Washington D.C. area as an HR manager and on my walk into my office, I pass trash cans but not a single recycling bin. This is an airport people. and I drink a lot of energy drinks and soda. Do you see my dilemma?!
Lets work together and be clear about where we go from here. I am sick of this weather, Mother Nature is really killing me right now! I hope you have a wonderful day and that your weekend is relaxing as well.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Something Different Thursdays
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As a part of a commitment me and my good friend Stephen have made. We were fortunate enough to be introduced to Darwin Deez on Wednesday and go see his show at the Black Cat Thursday night. Really creative fun show, Darwin and his band are excellent performers. I recommend them to anyone looking to spice up a dance party! I will have to admit my jeans were not the appropriate tightness at the show, but I did have a V-neck t-shirt, vans, and a hoodie on. Shout out to my friend Jessica for the introduction!
As a part of a commitment me and my good friend Stephen have made. We were fortunate enough to be introduced to Darwin Deez on Wednesday and go see his show at the Black Cat Thursday night. Really creative fun show, Darwin and his band are excellent performers. I recommend them to anyone looking to spice up a dance party! I will have to admit my jeans were not the appropriate tightness at the show, but I did have a V-neck t-shirt, vans, and a hoodie on. Shout out to my friend Jessica for the introduction!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Musick
So I started this boot camp class yesterday at my gym. There is no real reason to bring this up other than the fact that the 12 hours prior to the class I consumed three burritos. I had a craving for Mexican Tuesday night so I convinced a few friends to join me. It didn't take much coaxing since they essentially go to this particular restuarant every week. So in essence they met their quota for the week and brought some satisfaction to a dear friend. I had a huge burrito with all the 'fixins'. Woke up the next morning pretty early and rushed out of my home. I needed something for breakfast so of course I directed my vehicle as I have done many times before through the drive thru at McDonalds. I have been doing so well avoiding the salty greasy cow slaughtering machine, but I needed another burrito. I got the number 10 off the breakfast menu and consumed like it was the starship enterprise entering a black hole. It isn't completely through the black hole (my body) but I will explain that later. Hours pass and my brain decides it needs to fill my stomach up again. I think my brain has a vendetta against my other body parts.
Brain: " you can do one more set on bench press, don't worry chest" ;" stay out until 3 a.m. you will be in at work at 9 a.m. for sure!" ; and the one that it instructed my body to do yesterday "yea, you should eat a chipotle burrito with your coworkers! Remember how much you enjoyed the previous two?"
Regardless my body obliged my brain and I had the burrito. Bringing my grand total to three huge burrito's in 12 hours. It also meant that I would sacrifice dominating my boot camp because with two sets left in my circuit I could taste chicken/steak/potatoes/guacomole/cheese and the drugs McDonalds and Chipotle infuse into their foods to keep you coming back. Needless to say I was feeling a bit nautious but I finished the workout with no regurgitation of burrito byproduct. Only problem is I haven't been to the bathroom to cleanse myself. I am scared of what I will be doing to a public restroom later on today. Never use your home bathroom after food binges, you have to treat that toilet like a porcelin statue.
Alright now that I told that embarrassing story, I am going to move onto the real one. This one is only minorly embarrassing. I mentioned in my first post how I love music. It is true, I mean what grown man admits to practicing dance moves in his room? (this guy) Music has been apart of my life since I was young. As a kid my parents would set aside time for us to watch old Egyptian movies together. Egypt used to be the Hollywood of the Arab world. Their grand productions rivaled any film industry. People loved the characters, they loved the belly dancers, and they loved the deep soul singing of the leads. The movies were always musicals, even if you thought it was a serious one bridging social gaps and taking on tough ethical questions of humanity. There was somoene at some part of the movie, stopping preceedings to sing or belly dance. It was weird to me at first, but it was something that became a part of me. As much a part of me as well...sugar. Yes I taste like sugar; this shouldn't come as a surprise.
As I grew older, I began to get deeper into music. My social situation geared me towards alternative and urban outlets. I was a hip hop and rock kid, not Fred Durst though. I didn't do anything for a stupid nookie or snookie....whatever it is that guy was singing about. I remember watching documentaries on rappers like Tupac. I also loved head banging to jams on DC 101. As much as I enjoyed the angst and the depth of rock bands and wordsmith hip hop artists, I did partake in the sillyness of the pop scene. Look I fully understood the strangle hold JC Chazes and Justin Timberlake had on girls my age. What hormone driven teen wasn't trying to impress a girl? So I snuk my sisters tapes and these weird circular things called C.D.'s into my boombox and jammed out while avoiding geometry homework. Geometry is the worst, I played with shapes when I was a toddler why can't we just leave it at that?!
Mtv used to play videos, so I would pretend I was Usher Raymond and took every opportunity to walk into alley ways when it was raining to do a spin and slide combination. If it was socially acceptable I would have had a radio and speakers attached to my life, playing out an epic soundtrack to it. God knows I day dreamt to a mixture of BET's "106 n Park" and "Total Request Live" absent Carson Daily's bug eye's and bland personality.
In college my tastes began to change a little more. I became a bit of a snob about music. I was always searching to be ahead of the curve ( I was the original Mtv U). I guess as an aspiring DJ I did everything I could to get the scoop on new music. As the internet got more effecient and easier to use, I was able to expose myself to artists. I listend to all genres (country music is horrible) and was like a human search engine that rivaled Sky Net. Suck it John Connor! Music was my hobby and my major interest. I wanted to live the lifestyle and look the part. It was enfused in me and became apart of how I was feeling. You could tell what emotional state I was in by turning on my Ipod. You probably still can, and it kind of messed up my "DJing" career. I wasn't worried about the audience. If I was in a bad mood it was going to be a mixture of dark hip hop music and whiny rhythm and blues. I apologize to all that had to deal with that, I was 19 so my judgement was a bit hindered by circumstances. Example: the fact that I got a C+ on an exam.
So I can't really say that any of that has changed. Music is my mood, it is what sets the tone for my day. If I am determined to do something, I will pop in some Lupe Fiasco or bump some Katy Perry to keep the show going on and the sky filled with fireworks that originated from my chest hair. If I want to mellow out and be introspective, maybe put some "Beirut" on. If I am in a funky mood I go from dance pop, to dance hall, to electro music. I have probably gone mad on music, but I enjoy it. I love listening to it, I like reading about it and learning about its origins. Maybe it's my generation, maybe it's just me. I could care less explaining the causes. I am going to listen to some Kanye West and think of how I can be more of an arrogant prick to unsuspecting strangers now...
I hope you guys have a wonderful Thursday, and a good holiday weekend. What holiday is it again? I have no clue, I am a foreigner so I use a different calendar than you regular people. <------ That is a joke you racists.
Brain: " you can do one more set on bench press, don't worry chest" ;" stay out until 3 a.m. you will be in at work at 9 a.m. for sure!" ; and the one that it instructed my body to do yesterday "yea, you should eat a chipotle burrito with your coworkers! Remember how much you enjoyed the previous two?"
Regardless my body obliged my brain and I had the burrito. Bringing my grand total to three huge burrito's in 12 hours. It also meant that I would sacrifice dominating my boot camp because with two sets left in my circuit I could taste chicken/steak/potatoes/guacomole/cheese and the drugs McDonalds and Chipotle infuse into their foods to keep you coming back. Needless to say I was feeling a bit nautious but I finished the workout with no regurgitation of burrito byproduct. Only problem is I haven't been to the bathroom to cleanse myself. I am scared of what I will be doing to a public restroom later on today. Never use your home bathroom after food binges, you have to treat that toilet like a porcelin statue.
Alright now that I told that embarrassing story, I am going to move onto the real one. This one is only minorly embarrassing. I mentioned in my first post how I love music. It is true, I mean what grown man admits to practicing dance moves in his room? (this guy) Music has been apart of my life since I was young. As a kid my parents would set aside time for us to watch old Egyptian movies together. Egypt used to be the Hollywood of the Arab world. Their grand productions rivaled any film industry. People loved the characters, they loved the belly dancers, and they loved the deep soul singing of the leads. The movies were always musicals, even if you thought it was a serious one bridging social gaps and taking on tough ethical questions of humanity. There was somoene at some part of the movie, stopping preceedings to sing or belly dance. It was weird to me at first, but it was something that became a part of me. As much a part of me as well...sugar. Yes I taste like sugar; this shouldn't come as a surprise.
As I grew older, I began to get deeper into music. My social situation geared me towards alternative and urban outlets. I was a hip hop and rock kid, not Fred Durst though. I didn't do anything for a stupid nookie or snookie....whatever it is that guy was singing about. I remember watching documentaries on rappers like Tupac. I also loved head banging to jams on DC 101. As much as I enjoyed the angst and the depth of rock bands and wordsmith hip hop artists, I did partake in the sillyness of the pop scene. Look I fully understood the strangle hold JC Chazes and Justin Timberlake had on girls my age. What hormone driven teen wasn't trying to impress a girl? So I snuk my sisters tapes and these weird circular things called C.D.'s into my boombox and jammed out while avoiding geometry homework. Geometry is the worst, I played with shapes when I was a toddler why can't we just leave it at that?!
Mtv used to play videos, so I would pretend I was Usher Raymond and took every opportunity to walk into alley ways when it was raining to do a spin and slide combination. If it was socially acceptable I would have had a radio and speakers attached to my life, playing out an epic soundtrack to it. God knows I day dreamt to a mixture of BET's "106 n Park" and "Total Request Live" absent Carson Daily's bug eye's and bland personality.
In college my tastes began to change a little more. I became a bit of a snob about music. I was always searching to be ahead of the curve ( I was the original Mtv U). I guess as an aspiring DJ I did everything I could to get the scoop on new music. As the internet got more effecient and easier to use, I was able to expose myself to artists. I listend to all genres (country music is horrible) and was like a human search engine that rivaled Sky Net. Suck it John Connor! Music was my hobby and my major interest. I wanted to live the lifestyle and look the part. It was enfused in me and became apart of how I was feeling. You could tell what emotional state I was in by turning on my Ipod. You probably still can, and it kind of messed up my "DJing" career. I wasn't worried about the audience. If I was in a bad mood it was going to be a mixture of dark hip hop music and whiny rhythm and blues. I apologize to all that had to deal with that, I was 19 so my judgement was a bit hindered by circumstances. Example: the fact that I got a C+ on an exam.
So I can't really say that any of that has changed. Music is my mood, it is what sets the tone for my day. If I am determined to do something, I will pop in some Lupe Fiasco or bump some Katy Perry to keep the show going on and the sky filled with fireworks that originated from my chest hair. If I want to mellow out and be introspective, maybe put some "Beirut" on. If I am in a funky mood I go from dance pop, to dance hall, to electro music. I have probably gone mad on music, but I enjoy it. I love listening to it, I like reading about it and learning about its origins. Maybe it's my generation, maybe it's just me. I could care less explaining the causes. I am going to listen to some Kanye West and think of how I can be more of an arrogant prick to unsuspecting strangers now...
I hope you guys have a wonderful Thursday, and a good holiday weekend. What holiday is it again? I have no clue, I am a foreigner so I use a different calendar than you regular people. <------ That is a joke you racists.
Monday, February 14, 2011
A Lovers Ballad
I have to begin with talking about how pleased I am with how my weekend went. I traveled through the depths of Maryland, the crab and football state. Emphasis on crabs, and crabby drivers to be exact. I get it Maryland, you guys don't have actual roads just highways so you drive aggressively. Calm down though! 90 miles per hour is pretty fast for a Subaru climbing a steep hill.
I was fortunate to meet a dozen new people this weekend. Introduce a few level headed young professionals to a cabin covered in snow with good eats and some organized gaming, you get a pretty special time. I guess I came into it a bit apprehensive because I literally knew two people going on this trip prior. At the end of the weekend, my facebook friend requests got some heavy volume. Not like Tila Tequila on "friendster" volume, but what do you expect a 25 year old guy to do in one weekend? My name isn't the Situation, regardless if there was some Jersey Shore-esque story lines. Plus I am pretty sure the IQ level at the house I was in is about 500 % higher and the VD rate was 500% lower (OK the last part of the statement is questionable).
Now onto the good VD, Valentines Day. The weekend I just had is a great way to introduce you to my idea of this day. Being on a trip with strangers who turned into friends showed me something about the whole love thing. Yes, there were some cute couples spewing their pheromones around the house and an unsuspecting Jacuzzi. Imagine if a hot tub had emotions, it would be one messed up stripper. That's neither here nor there.
As I went about my business this past weekend, I learned a valuable lesson about who I am. I am in the middle of a new group of people that I have never met before. First things first, you find common ground and open up small "get to know you" conversations. With the high number of people in the small space, you are really speed dating (or friendship dating). Finding who likes what, where they are from, and if you can play 7 degrees of separation. It takes energy but if you can keep it genuine than its never a chore. Some people like to focus on work and "what you do", that's probably the most annoying thing. Work is a great way to identify yourself but I think the fact you are a Detroit Lions fan is much more important. Mainly because it takes someone with big cojones to admit they like that franchise. I am a Redskins fan so I guess I don't have much room to talk. Sometimes you get lucky and someone will tell you something really strange like, " I am from Indianapolis". No joke I have never met anyone from there, my guess you haven't either so shut it.
With all this talk of friendshipping, you have to wonder where the openness comes from. I think I benefited because the people I went on the trip with were confident with themselves first. They had identities, they had personalities, they had the willingness to enjoy life. Everyone I was with was completely open to talk about anything, yea it may have taken some coaxing and a confessional room. Oh I didn't mention this, we had a confessional room. Real World style.... we also had set questions to answer. Did you guys know that penguins have knees?
So in all the fun and excitement, I realized that my joy comes from entertaining people. I am not talking about dominating conversations. I know that sometimes I can get so deep into a conversation that's hard to believe I even took a breath to gather myself. I was bouncing around the kitchen, buzzing up and down each floor. I tried to steal a moment with everyone in the house. See what they were doing, how they were feeling, and what their next fun move was going to be. That was exciting to me, and I am sure everyone in the house took me for a poster child of Attention Deficit Disorder. I guess it's warranted, considering I was asking everyone to give my a high five and jumping up and down like a "Cameron Crazy" pressuring the shooting team on a pong table. They seemed to enjoy it, and it caught on. Everyone was participating and dancing. They found my jokes funny, the kind of jokes that my 10 year old sister glares at me for even trying to pass as funny. In all the fun and games, I realized that I was having fun because they were. I was feeding off of them. I may have brought a smile to their face, but it was really them making me smile. I love that about myself.
That is what Valentines Day is about. Loving your life, your situation enough to care about someone else. It isn't a chore, it is not you showing appreciation because it is the right thing to do. It should not be about that. It should be about you, and if it isn't about you than you are missing the point. I think most people forget that you can only love another person as much as you love yourself. It is easy to say you love someone, harder to show it. You make or break that "love" with how you treat yourself. The best mate, is someone who has come to the realization that they are happy with themselves. Not complacent, but open. Not arrogant, but confident. Not selfish, but selfless. They achieve that identity by essentially worrying about themselves first. They are able to balance their life and achieve their goals. They aren't concerned with telling you about themselves, but concerned to learn about you. See, I love myself. I have a great family, wonderful friends, but I realize there is much to improve. I have humps to get over and goals to achieve. I can't let my problems overwhelm me, let alone the person I am interacting with. I want balance, to be able to do the things that make me happy, and share it with those people who make me happy.
I am by no means perfect or even implying that. Frankly it is pretty easy to fall into regret for my past indiscretions. I will not allow that to happen though. I pledged to myself to learn from mistakes, and take lessons from my surroundings. I pledged to focus on my goals and incorporate those closest to me. Its nice to have a differing opinion, give a little perspective to what your doing (or lack thereof). Valentines Day is about love, if you want to give love you have to be able to receive it. It starts with you, if you can't let people in, you aren't ready. If you won't take care of your own problems how are you going to help anyone solve theirs? See single people, just because you didn't spend a ton of time and money and feel lonely today, doesn't mean today goes to waste. Go do something for yourself. Sign up for that dance or art class at your community center, go for a jog or bike ride on your favorite path, or pull out that scrap book you haven't finished yet. Enjoy this day and realize the more you know yourself, the more others will want know you!
Happy Valentines Day My Valentines <------- By far one of the silliest things I have ever said.
I was fortunate to meet a dozen new people this weekend. Introduce a few level headed young professionals to a cabin covered in snow with good eats and some organized gaming, you get a pretty special time. I guess I came into it a bit apprehensive because I literally knew two people going on this trip prior. At the end of the weekend, my facebook friend requests got some heavy volume. Not like Tila Tequila on "friendster" volume, but what do you expect a 25 year old guy to do in one weekend? My name isn't the Situation, regardless if there was some Jersey Shore-esque story lines. Plus I am pretty sure the IQ level at the house I was in is about 500 % higher and the VD rate was 500% lower (OK the last part of the statement is questionable).
Now onto the good VD, Valentines Day. The weekend I just had is a great way to introduce you to my idea of this day. Being on a trip with strangers who turned into friends showed me something about the whole love thing. Yes, there were some cute couples spewing their pheromones around the house and an unsuspecting Jacuzzi. Imagine if a hot tub had emotions, it would be one messed up stripper. That's neither here nor there.
As I went about my business this past weekend, I learned a valuable lesson about who I am. I am in the middle of a new group of people that I have never met before. First things first, you find common ground and open up small "get to know you" conversations. With the high number of people in the small space, you are really speed dating (or friendship dating). Finding who likes what, where they are from, and if you can play 7 degrees of separation. It takes energy but if you can keep it genuine than its never a chore. Some people like to focus on work and "what you do", that's probably the most annoying thing. Work is a great way to identify yourself but I think the fact you are a Detroit Lions fan is much more important. Mainly because it takes someone with big cojones to admit they like that franchise. I am a Redskins fan so I guess I don't have much room to talk. Sometimes you get lucky and someone will tell you something really strange like, " I am from Indianapolis". No joke I have never met anyone from there, my guess you haven't either so shut it.
With all this talk of friendshipping, you have to wonder where the openness comes from. I think I benefited because the people I went on the trip with were confident with themselves first. They had identities, they had personalities, they had the willingness to enjoy life. Everyone I was with was completely open to talk about anything, yea it may have taken some coaxing and a confessional room. Oh I didn't mention this, we had a confessional room. Real World style.... we also had set questions to answer. Did you guys know that penguins have knees?
So in all the fun and excitement, I realized that my joy comes from entertaining people. I am not talking about dominating conversations. I know that sometimes I can get so deep into a conversation that's hard to believe I even took a breath to gather myself. I was bouncing around the kitchen, buzzing up and down each floor. I tried to steal a moment with everyone in the house. See what they were doing, how they were feeling, and what their next fun move was going to be. That was exciting to me, and I am sure everyone in the house took me for a poster child of Attention Deficit Disorder. I guess it's warranted, considering I was asking everyone to give my a high five and jumping up and down like a "Cameron Crazy" pressuring the shooting team on a pong table. They seemed to enjoy it, and it caught on. Everyone was participating and dancing. They found my jokes funny, the kind of jokes that my 10 year old sister glares at me for even trying to pass as funny. In all the fun and games, I realized that I was having fun because they were. I was feeding off of them. I may have brought a smile to their face, but it was really them making me smile. I love that about myself.
That is what Valentines Day is about. Loving your life, your situation enough to care about someone else. It isn't a chore, it is not you showing appreciation because it is the right thing to do. It should not be about that. It should be about you, and if it isn't about you than you are missing the point. I think most people forget that you can only love another person as much as you love yourself. It is easy to say you love someone, harder to show it. You make or break that "love" with how you treat yourself. The best mate, is someone who has come to the realization that they are happy with themselves. Not complacent, but open. Not arrogant, but confident. Not selfish, but selfless. They achieve that identity by essentially worrying about themselves first. They are able to balance their life and achieve their goals. They aren't concerned with telling you about themselves, but concerned to learn about you. See, I love myself. I have a great family, wonderful friends, but I realize there is much to improve. I have humps to get over and goals to achieve. I can't let my problems overwhelm me, let alone the person I am interacting with. I want balance, to be able to do the things that make me happy, and share it with those people who make me happy.
I am by no means perfect or even implying that. Frankly it is pretty easy to fall into regret for my past indiscretions. I will not allow that to happen though. I pledged to myself to learn from mistakes, and take lessons from my surroundings. I pledged to focus on my goals and incorporate those closest to me. Its nice to have a differing opinion, give a little perspective to what your doing (or lack thereof). Valentines Day is about love, if you want to give love you have to be able to receive it. It starts with you, if you can't let people in, you aren't ready. If you won't take care of your own problems how are you going to help anyone solve theirs? See single people, just because you didn't spend a ton of time and money and feel lonely today, doesn't mean today goes to waste. Go do something for yourself. Sign up for that dance or art class at your community center, go for a jog or bike ride on your favorite path, or pull out that scrap book you haven't finished yet. Enjoy this day and realize the more you know yourself, the more others will want know you!
Happy Valentines Day My Valentines <------- By far one of the silliest things I have ever said.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Most Important Thing pt. 2
I first want to thank my good friend Bilal, he took this picture that I use. He is a wonderful photographer and a dynamite guy. I don't just say that because he is Muslim and Pakistani, I am referring to his personality. I also would like to thank all of my friends who let me know they are keeping up with my random thoughts and opinions. I appreciate your support as I virtually guide you through the inner-workings of my mind. I know that sometimes its troubling for you to come to grips with my ideas and actually agreeing with them to an extent. At the end of the day I won't tell anyone you said it. I will just store it my memory so that in the off chance you try and mess with me, I can use it against you. Kind of like the live score sheet a woman uses to get you to obey them. My mother does this all the time to me and it forces me to be accountable for what I say and do. Really is a downer, since I am a 17 year old trapped in this manly 25 year old body (don't deny it ladies, I am hot).
So in an earlier post, I mentioned a few important facts about myself. Today I wanted to address one of those topics in a unique way. I try to see myself through other peoples eyes. I have been told that I am a pretty good dancer. I won't lie to you, I spent hours of my pre-teen years blasting Z104 (the old school pop station in D.C.) dancing and moving around my room. I guess it was all the Usher and NSYNC on the television at the time that made me want to do it. It also has to do with my background. Egyptians love drums, chanting, singing, and dancing. When I was a toddler my parents took me with them on a cruise of the Nile for dinner. Instead of sitting in my highchair I was mixing it up with the belly dancers on the boat. I am not sure how much of the story is true, but apparently they were fond of my moves even back then and allowed me to entertain with them. I guess it's a part of me that is natural, and probably when I have the most fun. It also shows how irresistible I was as a toddler. God has truly blessed the women on this earth........(just playing).
Now this explanation of me leads to another more important conversation. Ladies, if I could ever criticize some of you, this would be the only thing. Please for the love of all that is visually appealing fix your dance moves! I might be getting a little cocky about this subject, but it's really just a constructive critique of your skills. I know sometimes the music takes control over you and your ability to control limbs gives way to the euphoria of the moment. I can never object to a person having a really good time. At that point your individuality comes out and being yourself is important.
For the times where you are consciously attempting to be a seductive temptress in a dress and leggings, heed my words. Focus on the beat of the song, sometimes you try and dance to beats that aren't there. If there is a drum follow its lead, and stay within the lines. I know your kindergarten teacher encouraged you to think outside of the box, but in music the artist has already done that. You will not and can not improve on it. It reminds of a quote that my good friend Stephen said once. "these girls, be dancing to the words and not the beat man".... Now Stephen can speak proper English but when he takes on his DJ persona of "Stoundyn" he sounds cool, he is cool. He is the guy swaying your hips and letting your hair flow. Needless to say his attention to detail is critical because his job is to make a fantasy out the "dark room and neon lights" setting. He watches and observes it all and its true, I have caught some people just stop because Ludacris wasn't saying "when I move you move". Music is about the rhythm and the flow. Not the crazy metaphor comparing money to some random green object. Enjoy the words of course, but dance to beat...focus on the beat.
Avoid excessive use of your hands and arms. I don't know if most girls do this as some sort of protective shield against intruders, but it looks silly. Unless you are belly dancing or on America's Next Best Dance Crew, it is simply unnecessary. It never is what you think it looks like. You may think you are resembling Aphrodite the ancient goddess flowing about in the middle of a sweaty dance floor, but in reality you look like those spooky paper mache ghost things my parents put on our balcony around Halloween. I am not trying to make fun of you, but sometimes its best to keep your limbs close to avoid smacking your dance partner or girlfriends in the face.
You should truly focus from the hips on up. Watch that Shakira and Beyonce video, there is a lot to be learned there. Their arms go up and down and not side to side. Their feet don't move, because dancing at a bar or a club is not about your feet. Its about your hips, so don't kick out like you are swing dancing. In fact don't do anything that resembles swing dancing/ river dancing/ or salsa dancing unless you are at that exact setting. Its actually really annoying and not cute. All it says is that "I am an obnoxious girl here to rain on every ones fun by doing this really atrocious ONE move as if I have mastered it, but really not at all". If you want to swing dance go to a swing dance venue. Want to salsa? There are plenty of places where you can do that to!
Now I know that women love to dance in big groups to provide protection. I have seen the infamous backdoor intruder, sneak up on an unsuspecting girl from behind. So I am willing to yield to the idea you dance so badly in order to deter them from harassing you.... actually never mind. I know that's not the case. Just take my advice, use your hips. Now some girls will say I am all bust and no hips. OK you have a different body shape that's not strange, but it does not mean you don't use them. Just ask Salvadorean women, they have no bottom half but seem to do well for themselves. Your shoulders are a key part of your moves, but I would not let them take over the dance. The shoulder should take a back seat to your hips and your back. Those two parts of your body in unison are the key to a good dance. I recommend practicing these dance moves, like I did in my room. If you are concerned with how you are coming along, youtube is a great platform for opinions. You can post a video of you dancing and people will comment on it. I am just kidding about that but if you go into youtube and search girls dancing it is amazing how many videos there are. I guess its like the monster.com or career builder of the video vixen world.
I hope you enjoyed this commentary and it shed some light on the subject. No girl wants to dance with a guy who is off tempo, but have you ever thought that maybe it was you with that problem? Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!
So in an earlier post, I mentioned a few important facts about myself. Today I wanted to address one of those topics in a unique way. I try to see myself through other peoples eyes. I have been told that I am a pretty good dancer. I won't lie to you, I spent hours of my pre-teen years blasting Z104 (the old school pop station in D.C.) dancing and moving around my room. I guess it was all the Usher and NSYNC on the television at the time that made me want to do it. It also has to do with my background. Egyptians love drums, chanting, singing, and dancing. When I was a toddler my parents took me with them on a cruise of the Nile for dinner. Instead of sitting in my highchair I was mixing it up with the belly dancers on the boat. I am not sure how much of the story is true, but apparently they were fond of my moves even back then and allowed me to entertain with them. I guess it's a part of me that is natural, and probably when I have the most fun. It also shows how irresistible I was as a toddler. God has truly blessed the women on this earth........(just playing).
Now this explanation of me leads to another more important conversation. Ladies, if I could ever criticize some of you, this would be the only thing. Please for the love of all that is visually appealing fix your dance moves! I might be getting a little cocky about this subject, but it's really just a constructive critique of your skills. I know sometimes the music takes control over you and your ability to control limbs gives way to the euphoria of the moment. I can never object to a person having a really good time. At that point your individuality comes out and being yourself is important.
For the times where you are consciously attempting to be a seductive temptress in a dress and leggings, heed my words. Focus on the beat of the song, sometimes you try and dance to beats that aren't there. If there is a drum follow its lead, and stay within the lines. I know your kindergarten teacher encouraged you to think outside of the box, but in music the artist has already done that. You will not and can not improve on it. It reminds of a quote that my good friend Stephen said once. "these girls, be dancing to the words and not the beat man".... Now Stephen can speak proper English but when he takes on his DJ persona of "Stoundyn" he sounds cool, he is cool. He is the guy swaying your hips and letting your hair flow. Needless to say his attention to detail is critical because his job is to make a fantasy out the "dark room and neon lights" setting. He watches and observes it all and its true, I have caught some people just stop because Ludacris wasn't saying "when I move you move". Music is about the rhythm and the flow. Not the crazy metaphor comparing money to some random green object. Enjoy the words of course, but dance to beat...focus on the beat.
Avoid excessive use of your hands and arms. I don't know if most girls do this as some sort of protective shield against intruders, but it looks silly. Unless you are belly dancing or on America's Next Best Dance Crew, it is simply unnecessary. It never is what you think it looks like. You may think you are resembling Aphrodite the ancient goddess flowing about in the middle of a sweaty dance floor, but in reality you look like those spooky paper mache ghost things my parents put on our balcony around Halloween. I am not trying to make fun of you, but sometimes its best to keep your limbs close to avoid smacking your dance partner or girlfriends in the face.
You should truly focus from the hips on up. Watch that Shakira and Beyonce video, there is a lot to be learned there. Their arms go up and down and not side to side. Their feet don't move, because dancing at a bar or a club is not about your feet. Its about your hips, so don't kick out like you are swing dancing. In fact don't do anything that resembles swing dancing/ river dancing/ or salsa dancing unless you are at that exact setting. Its actually really annoying and not cute. All it says is that "I am an obnoxious girl here to rain on every ones fun by doing this really atrocious ONE move as if I have mastered it, but really not at all". If you want to swing dance go to a swing dance venue. Want to salsa? There are plenty of places where you can do that to!
Now I know that women love to dance in big groups to provide protection. I have seen the infamous backdoor intruder, sneak up on an unsuspecting girl from behind. So I am willing to yield to the idea you dance so badly in order to deter them from harassing you.... actually never mind. I know that's not the case. Just take my advice, use your hips. Now some girls will say I am all bust and no hips. OK you have a different body shape that's not strange, but it does not mean you don't use them. Just ask Salvadorean women, they have no bottom half but seem to do well for themselves. Your shoulders are a key part of your moves, but I would not let them take over the dance. The shoulder should take a back seat to your hips and your back. Those two parts of your body in unison are the key to a good dance. I recommend practicing these dance moves, like I did in my room. If you are concerned with how you are coming along, youtube is a great platform for opinions. You can post a video of you dancing and people will comment on it. I am just kidding about that but if you go into youtube and search girls dancing it is amazing how many videos there are. I guess its like the monster.com or career builder of the video vixen world.
I hope you enjoyed this commentary and it shed some light on the subject. No girl wants to dance with a guy who is off tempo, but have you ever thought that maybe it was you with that problem? Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Opinionated
As events continue to transpire in my homeland, I have to find new ways to be optimistic and respectful of their struggle. I have such wonderful friends that always ask about my family in Egypt and even inquire about my thoughts and perspective. I appreciate their concerns and am humbled by their compassion. It is no doubt what we are witnessing is history, and undoubtedly special. In my opinion, my own opinion does not matter. I am not there physically and I can not relate. I have been afforded so many wonderful opportunities in my life that the only thing I can do is sink into emotional pain. It hurts to watch footage of people suffering and putting themselves through such stress. On the other side it angers me the level of stubbornness that a regime can exhibit after witnessing such an outcry in the streets.
The only opinion I can give is one that applies to all of us. On this earth some are given an abundance of wealth, some receive intellectual strengths far greater than most, and yet others will receive an abundance of some other talent/skill/or adverse condition to overcome. At the end of the day we are given what we need to find our solitude on this earth. A wonderful friend who I can openly admit is smarter than me, once said "I just think about how we are all connected" the simple statement is as profound as it gets. We are all connected, apart of the spinning globe and what happens in Bloomington, Minnesota can affect people in Beijing.
The fact is our strengths and our weaknesses are there for a reason. Its a fact that we have brilliant people on this earth, and we trust them to take humanity to new heights. There are ground breakers, the kind of person who sees what's coming. Visionaries on this earth help us open our minds and hearts. 10 years ago we got a glimpse of Toy Story, now there are three of them and a host of other Pixar movies that cross generational gaps in 90 minutes. Our world is constantly changing and we have those gifted individuals who have the ability to connect with people across the globe. Leaders who can command attention and influence people of all social classes and cultures. We trust them, we support them, we will work for them, and we will die for them. Some of you are those people I am referring to. Honestly I feel like all my friends who are reading this are special people meant for great things. You might be saying thats silly moejank... I am not interested in your opinion about it. Take my word for it, you are special.
It is not just the ground breaker, visionaries, and natural leaders though. We all can make a difference in each other lives and we should want to improve our situations. An economics professor once preached to my class, when a business seeks profits (ethically) it will be socially beneficial for all. Think about it this way, if a company is growing they will need to make products consumers need thus filling a void. They will have to hire and create jobs to manage their business and seek new avenues of revenue as well. This is a very simplified description of the business cycle but my point will help clarify. If you are seeking to develop and expand your station in life, you will in turn be benefiting others. Your hard work, your drive for success, and behavior will help you reach your goals. The better you do the better others can do as well. Now some people will remind me of the selfish nature and corruption that comes with it. I am talking ideals here, so lets just say that I am assuming people are ethical and honest (it shouldn't be a stretch but for some reason it is).
We all can make a positive impact, we all can help each other. If you make a commitment to be your best, you are also saying you will be giving everyone that crosses your path that as well. Not only is that inspiring and pleasant, it will yield high levels of achievement. Some of us try and compete and win at any cost, sometimes there is a cost. Of course life has its winners and loser. Those who have and those who have not. That is natural and that is life. Fortunately improving our station does not have to be a selfish task. We are all connected, we all deserve the same basic rights. What we do with those is totally up to our own intentions and our own strengths. All I ask is that you make a commitment to yourself and to others to be the best. The best person to work with, to do the best we can with every task, and to find what we are best suited for. It won't just help you it will help everyone. Find your strength and use it.
Love you people.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Gy-udgemental
So after a pretty long day, I made into the gym just as I had planned to. Well I originally planned on going in at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Clearly that's never going to happen with the guy unable to sleep before 11 p.m. and who needs at least 8 hours of sleep to function in a civilized manner. If I sleep for less than 8 hours I tend to act like an angry owl twisting and rotating its head to give you a chilling stare. Just ask my co-workers or anyone who has had the displeasure of dealing with me before 10 a.m.
OK, back to business! I was at the gym getting a workout in like I enjoy doing 3-4 times a week. More on the side of 3 times a week, but they are efficient workouts that have helped me get stronger. As anyone who goes into the gym does, there is a certain amount of "people watching" going on. Usually where I am located on the weight floor its "dudes and bro's" checking out other "dude's and bro's". Like any situation where the testosterone outmatches brain cells, they are judging and competing with one another. Grunts and heavy breathes on the free weight floor are met with sarcastic scoffs and under the breath comments meant to belittle the other bro. This kind of behavior is acceptable in my eyes. It is just a way the male species reacts if they feel threatened. Its a natural reaction and it isn't like we are grunting at each other and kicking our feet back in preparation to charge head first. Men just do it because; well we are not human in the gym. Most guys will get a sense of accomplishment if they are called "buff" "an animal" "jacked" or "ripped". None of these adjectives mean much outside of the realm of lifting weights. So I will graciously pass on making a comment on that setting.
The reason I bring this up is due to the judgement not just stopping on the weight floor. It extends all over a gym and the health and fitness realm. People who workout or work at the gym become very caddy and disrespectful to anyone who is not like them. They can be an out of shape person starting back at the gym and be discouraged from asking another question when they seek help from an employee.
"Well sir, this is a resistance machine, and you actually use it like this..." says the smart alec 20 year old personal trainer.
It can be the overweight ex-athlete who always has a grasp on a third persons ear and pretends like he invented the gym.
"Why would you ever do that workout?! It really does nothing special for you." says the ex-athlete to the trapped teenager polarized by the mans stature and age. Mainly the teen listens because he knows its the respectful thing to do.
Unfortunately it seems as though the number one thing holding people back from exercise is the fear of judgement from others. I worked at a gym and had countless cancellations due to the fact that people were just not comfortable in a building where hormones take over the brain. It is tough to workout in an environment like that, and who would want to. Others come into the gym incessantly because of the same reason. They fear being judged by their outward appearance so they workout 4-5 times a day doing everything they can think of. When they run out things to do they will repeat the process or find something new to do.
Ah, but alas their are those who do it for the feeling of accomplishment. Those who do it for the sake of being active and maintaining a good livelihood. The person who works out not to look good, but to feel good. You know these people because they move around the gym and their life quickly and seem to notice everything but never stick their nose into anything at the same time. These individuals seem to have a passion for their choice exercise. There is the yoga instructor who is always so calm and elegant. You have the runners and cyclists on the streets of the city or your neighborhood abiding by the same principles as a mailman. There are a ton of examples of these people, who have an exercise that they love and "do it" like the nike slogan.
In my opinion we should all stay active. Do what makes you happy, don't be limited by gym memberships or magazine images. We all are not meant to look like Spartans, but we are meant to enjoy our time on this earth. Our bodies are magnificent things that can, and have done amazing things. If you don't like lifting weights, try rock climbing. If you don't like to run, try biking on a trail or swimming. If you enjoy a sport and love playing it, seek out a league and get involved. Too often we let outside influences dictate our lives. We all have a realm of influence, a small circle in our life that we can truly impact on day to day basis. I know how hard it is to come home and to muster up energy to go exercise. All it takes is a week of consistency to break your body into the routine. If you can manage that you can take it to new levels! Forget about social constraints and popular trends. You have muscles in your body sleeping right now, find a way to wake them up and they will repay you in kind.
Have a wonderful day everyone! Stay active and live healthy, you don't need anyone to tell you how.
OK, back to business! I was at the gym getting a workout in like I enjoy doing 3-4 times a week. More on the side of 3 times a week, but they are efficient workouts that have helped me get stronger. As anyone who goes into the gym does, there is a certain amount of "people watching" going on. Usually where I am located on the weight floor its "dudes and bro's" checking out other "dude's and bro's". Like any situation where the testosterone outmatches brain cells, they are judging and competing with one another. Grunts and heavy breathes on the free weight floor are met with sarcastic scoffs and under the breath comments meant to belittle the other bro. This kind of behavior is acceptable in my eyes. It is just a way the male species reacts if they feel threatened. Its a natural reaction and it isn't like we are grunting at each other and kicking our feet back in preparation to charge head first. Men just do it because; well we are not human in the gym. Most guys will get a sense of accomplishment if they are called "buff" "an animal" "jacked" or "ripped". None of these adjectives mean much outside of the realm of lifting weights. So I will graciously pass on making a comment on that setting.
The reason I bring this up is due to the judgement not just stopping on the weight floor. It extends all over a gym and the health and fitness realm. People who workout or work at the gym become very caddy and disrespectful to anyone who is not like them. They can be an out of shape person starting back at the gym and be discouraged from asking another question when they seek help from an employee.
"Well sir, this is a resistance machine, and you actually use it like this..." says the smart alec 20 year old personal trainer.
It can be the overweight ex-athlete who always has a grasp on a third persons ear and pretends like he invented the gym.
"Why would you ever do that workout?! It really does nothing special for you." says the ex-athlete to the trapped teenager polarized by the mans stature and age. Mainly the teen listens because he knows its the respectful thing to do.
Unfortunately it seems as though the number one thing holding people back from exercise is the fear of judgement from others. I worked at a gym and had countless cancellations due to the fact that people were just not comfortable in a building where hormones take over the brain. It is tough to workout in an environment like that, and who would want to. Others come into the gym incessantly because of the same reason. They fear being judged by their outward appearance so they workout 4-5 times a day doing everything they can think of. When they run out things to do they will repeat the process or find something new to do.
Ah, but alas their are those who do it for the feeling of accomplishment. Those who do it for the sake of being active and maintaining a good livelihood. The person who works out not to look good, but to feel good. You know these people because they move around the gym and their life quickly and seem to notice everything but never stick their nose into anything at the same time. These individuals seem to have a passion for their choice exercise. There is the yoga instructor who is always so calm and elegant. You have the runners and cyclists on the streets of the city or your neighborhood abiding by the same principles as a mailman. There are a ton of examples of these people, who have an exercise that they love and "do it" like the nike slogan.
In my opinion we should all stay active. Do what makes you happy, don't be limited by gym memberships or magazine images. We all are not meant to look like Spartans, but we are meant to enjoy our time on this earth. Our bodies are magnificent things that can, and have done amazing things. If you don't like lifting weights, try rock climbing. If you don't like to run, try biking on a trail or swimming. If you enjoy a sport and love playing it, seek out a league and get involved. Too often we let outside influences dictate our lives. We all have a realm of influence, a small circle in our life that we can truly impact on day to day basis. I know how hard it is to come home and to muster up energy to go exercise. All it takes is a week of consistency to break your body into the routine. If you can manage that you can take it to new levels! Forget about social constraints and popular trends. You have muscles in your body sleeping right now, find a way to wake them up and they will repay you in kind.
Have a wonderful day everyone! Stay active and live healthy, you don't need anyone to tell you how.
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