David is a Goliath

So last night was the culmination of a pretty amazing sporting event. I did not watch the first half at all though. I was too busy watching Aaron Eckhert figure out how to cripple an alien invasion in the streets of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. If you think about it though Battlefield LA and the NCAA national championship game have a lot of similarities. You have the attackers and evil doers who travel into our polluted atmosphere to harvest our earth and steal our water. Then there are the unsuspecting "too busy fighting some other war" Marines who could never have imagined they would be fighting this finely tuned advanced machine in the Alien forces coming into earth.

So clearly Butler would be the Marines, and Matt Howard (the goofy slow hardworking senior) would play Aaron Eckhert. Shelvin Mack would be Ne-Yo, who is trying to get through the war to finally marry his wife who he is planning a wedding with in the first scenes of the film. In this case Mack is just trying to get out the game unscathed so he can get married to Daniel Stern the NBA commissioner and make millions of dollars hooping alongside other Butler greats like......Gordon Haywerd? Butler somehow is the underdog...let me repeat this. The team who played in this same exact game the year before were again the UNDERDOGS against traditional powerhouse UConn, led by the head alien Jim Calhoun and his lightening fast killer alien general Kemba Walker.

Casual observers, some sports fans, and especially the media love the underdog story. It is apart of our history that dates back to pre-biblical times. We are all raised on the notion that as a community you can raise up greater than your individual parts to accomplish greatness. That the last thing you would do is count little Thomas the train engine out when it comes to pulling a load three times his weight. We are inspired by those stories and they bring us hope. Take America for example, would we be a country if we didn't stand our ground against the English? Forget about the facts in this example. We all know they were just trying to tax us for wars they felt needed to be waged regardless of our feelings about them (cough cough Iraq/Libya/Vietnam). As Americans we stood up and said "We don't want your stinking tea" and "No taxation without Representation" as well as "Give me liberty or give me death". The point is we were the underdogs, the little guys standing up to the giant. The big dumb English giant who wanted to ballroom dance and eat crumpets.

Okay, enough with the history lessons. I am going to get down to it. We are a nation of overachievers. We strive to be the best in everything we do. It is an imprint in the DNA of every inhabitant of the 50 states. With the exception of Maryland and New Jersey where they refuse to become better drivers and to make left turns. Like come on New Jersey, why do I need to make a roundabout right turn? Are you trying to waste my gas so I have to awkwardly sit in my car while some 19 year old freezes his butt of pumping my gas and cleaning my windshield?! Maryland drivers are just the worst, they treat every road like it is the Audubon. That being said Mark Zuckerburg is from New Jersey and his website started a revolution in my country and a Maryland University graduate created Under Armor and opened up a whole new athletic apparel segment that Nike and Addidas are trying to catch up in. So in every state there is a story of a regular Joe or Josephine who make it big and impacts the world in such a major way. We are a nation of underdogs. Proving that hard work can trump talent and privilege any day of the week.

Now I am a Duke basketball fan, I like them and I take a lot of heat for it as well. I don't mind because y'all just hatin (Vince Vaughn from "Be Cool" voice). They are not an underdog they are a powerhouse school in a power conference that everyone loves to hate. The night Arizona beat Duke in the tournament I could have put restraining orders on dozens of my closest friends for harassment. After careful consideration I voted against it because deep down they still had some redeeming qualities. Plus no one wants to explain why they are on http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/. Duke had an early exit, but VCU my Alma mater made their stay a little longer. They beat 5 different teams from 5 different power conferences. As the team that was first 4 in defeated and deflated their opponents in their run to the final four you could also see the wheels on their bandwagon slowly lose air.

No one in the country had really heard of VCU and if they had they probably thought they shouldn't be in the tournament. That being said, VCU was included into the mix and took on the role of David and pounded 5 "Goliaths" to win their region and play in the Final Four. It was a record breaking run to the Final Four, no team had one 5 games to reach the that stage and VCU had never made it that far into the tournament. Some will say that VCU played better than anyone in the tournament and did it with a bit of flare. Their run ended at the hands of Butler another Cinderella story of the tournament. Only fitting that there would be one David commissioned to take on a Goliath coming from the other side of the bracket. So we cheer for the underdog and we pray for the oppressed. It is in our nature, because we all want to feel normal. We all want to know that anything is possible and it isn't just some tag line Disney glossed up in the shape of Hannah Montana. This is real life stuff that drives Americans and it is what makes us unique. We defy social structure, we drive through thunderstorms of adversity and make it out on the other end with our head held high. This is who we are, and quite frankly because of it we have collectively become Goliath. Who really wants a piece of the United States?! We strive to be greater than our individual parts and are united behind ideals of success and prosperity.

We stick up for the little guys (privately) because we know that we can. George Clooney is leading the charge in Darfur, for goodness sake he is a movie star. He uses his influence to bring light to a subject we can hardly get our representatives to take on. We are a machine (sometimes) finely tuned and focused because we have our small parts. Overachieving and thriving under any circumstance and racing harder and faster than any Chinese person.... Well maybe we aren't this anymore. Maybe we rubbed off on everyone in the world. They were inspired by our David's, by our under dogs, and our hard work. We have it in us though. Like we cheer for the most unlikely and pray for those who have less. Like we battle to win social wars for human rights across the globe, we can do it here at home. We are a Giant made of dwarfs. Dwarfs unwilling to feel inferior, unwilling to be brought down and bewildered. It isn't a Napoleon complex, no one likes the French. It is the American way, it is what makes us great and what can launch us to heights we never imagined. I hope you take it to the next level in your life. Love yourself, love your family, appreciate what you are given and make the best use of it. For me it is remembering that God has given me gifts and that I have to graciously receive them and pay him back by being the best person I can.

Have a wonderful week everyone! Make someone smile, do something to make yourself smile, and be positive! You can accomplish anything...well I wont say anything because I can't dunk on a 10ft rim and that probably won't happen ever.

The Most Important thing Pt.2 Continued

So I am back to my old ways. Kind of just woke up from a deep literary slumber, and feel really ready to knock one of these out. Now before we begin I do feel an obligation to catch you up on what has been going all around us. Just in case you are like 90% of America and deliberately ignore the fact that the world is round, and there are things happening outside of your city. It really is amazing how people just neglect there are other human beings that inhabit this earth and look, dress, smell, and think differently than them. So for a quick recap:

1. Charlie Sheen is a very rich crazy person who has destroyed the word "winning" and gave Lorne Michaels and SNL a jolt of tiger blood. (Bill Heder is awesome)
2. The Situation was at the Roast of Donald Trump and got booed off the stage.
3. Tiger Woods has a new Girlfriend
4. Chris Brown went "Four Loko" on the set of Good Morning America dressed as a stretched out Sisqo.
5. Some stuff is happening in Libya, and Muammar Qaddafi is still a war criminal
6. The earth reminded us again that we are only temporary after it decided to ransack Japan. (please donate to the red cross for the Japanese people and keep them in your thoughts)
7. Paul King a U.S. legislator and member of the IRA accused all American Muslims of being members of Al-Qeada and had some panel of random people sit in and agree with him.
8. March Madness began and of course there were some awesome upsets, including Morehead State destroying my 10 year old sisters bracket. (she had Louisville was going to the Final Four and by "she" I mean I filled it out that way)
9. VCU keeps dominating teams from the AP top 25, and giving greater meaning to the money I spent getting a degree there. Shout out to Coach Smart and his players Skeen, Rodriguez, Burgess, Nixon, Rozzel, Reddic, and the rest of the squad! You guys make my education more valuable with each victory!
10. I discovered Sports Dome, thus making ONN (Onion News Network) the most amazing thing to happen in comedy.

So that's a full recap of what happened, a lot of other crap happened but I wanted to keep this Letterman-Esq with the top ten things I heard the most about. Not because they are important but more because this is my blog and I get to write what I want. (Read it or leave Brian Tran)

Now onto this post. Very early on I took a unique approach at describing what the most important thing was to me on the dance floor. It was very descriptive critique at what I have noticed women tend to proclaim is dancing. Now this is a continuation of that conversation because I was advised that I should be fair and balanced. So in the spirit of Fox News I am going to do just that. My time on this desktop will solely be aimed at assisting those of us with a X and Y chromosome how to be efficient on the dance floor. Too many times men become gaudy or needy on the floor as opposed to what their true role is.

So as a heterosexual man, I can only speak to other ones. I want to make clear that my views and opinions on this matter are meant for the guy trying to dance with a girl. Gentleman, let me be clear... your role is that of support/escort/and highlighter. You are not the body of work on the dance floor, you are the staple that holds the document together. You aren't a leading man on the red carpet you are that guy who knocked up Natalie Portman. You are not the piece of information pivotal to the exam you are just the florescent accent over top of the ink. So that being said, here are few things men should remember when dancing.

Let me start off by saying, the movie's Step Up were horrible. The only good thing that came out of them was Channing Tatum. Dance circles and battles with other guys are just ridiculous and probably uncool unless you live in Florida. (For some reason or another break dancing and all that jazz is still very cool down there). Now, I will say that you can indict me on charges of breaking my own rules, but I have thought about this a lot. I am in my mid 20's and yes I can dance but today goes down as the day in which I give up being the Jester at a dance party. Yes everyone who knows me will probably be upset but honestly, I am getting old, my knees are getting weaker, and I rather not be on showcase for everyone else's amusement. My wish is for you guys to stop trying to hog some sort of attention by creating these dance circles. It attracts the bad kind of attention, i.e. drunk white guys who want to be involved and really serious dancers dispatched onto the dance floor to judge your every moment. Now it is always fun to win such people over but at the end of the day it isn't about that.

Next fellas is the hand motions that you all seem to rely on for your lack of footwork and hip-flexer muscle. Put your hands down, there is no need for you to wave your hands around like you are in a gang. The drink in your hand doesn't require a birds eye view of the dance floor either and boasting your cranras-tini to a crowd of girls does not scream "I GOT MONEY" or "I HAVE TASTE" it more resembles " I get my nails done more than you.." to a female. Stop beating the beat "The Situation", Pauly D isn't on the wheels of steel and Snooki wants nothing to do with your pickle unless you are tan, gelled up, and wearing a rhinestone tiger saving a unicorn from a horrific helicopter accident. Your hands are not needed at any point of the dancing. Just avoid overly using your hands and arms to express your jubilation with the music being played. All it really does is take up space and invade the space of those around you. You are not only attracting bad attention to yourself you are probably going to hit someone in the face.

Finally gentleman, we are no longer in middle school. You shouldn't be trying to grind on your female counterpart. Most of the time I can never tell if it is a deliberate decision to dance that close or the two involved are so intoxicated or tired that they are trying to hold each other up. It looks extremely sloppy and immature. What exactly do you do that for? There is no reason I can think of other than a mans fetish of voyeurism to attempt to get that close to a woman for an extended period of time in public. I think it actually should be illegal to watch every article of clothing on that female ride up. Innocent spectators like me are exposed to the flaws that these guys will not discover until the next morning. In most cases if there is a woman allowing you to do that in a club then she attends George Mason University and is in English 101 or she has lost her "bff's" and you are going to be feeling really blue later. I don't know whats better dropping the girl off at her dormitory in the morning or the empty but yet blood filled feeling you have after that experience.

So gentleman here is my advice, instead of causing all sorts of strange attention to yourself I recommend doing a few things different. First, just bob your head or tap your feet. It is OK to get into the music but you don't want to just start dancing in your own world. People get weirded out by that, now I do it because I like repel people. It is a weird habit I have of being in a social place and doing everything I can to avoid socializing with people. If you stay in a small radius roughly the size of your shoulder, you allow for people to make eye contact as well as not obstruct any ones path or movement. It really is an easier way to meet a person if that is your goal and also gives you the ability to be cognizant of what their state of mind is. Another thing you should remember is that if you are in the act of dancing with a girl you should keep a good distance and dance with her so she can feel like she is a Rihanna video and the "only girl in the world". Don't take the spotlight away from her but let her express herself and feel sexy and valuable. Give her a twirl...but not to many twirls because no one likes ballroom dancing. Avoid too much footwork, I am positive that 80% of the people reading this don't salsa so STOP pretending like you can. It is really weird to watch a guy try and work his hips and mix in footwork. It more resembles Ronaldihno dribbling a soccer ball than dancing. Now if you are at a salsa bar, or you can actually do it with a girl who is also knowledgeable then by all means take it south of the border. If you are there and you are trying to teach the girl how to do it, take her no rhythm having booty somewhere else (preferably to a dance studio).

I hope that everyone has learned a little something about what is acceptable when dancing. Men should not be the center piece of any dance floor unless they are getting paid to do so. If you are a male stripper like my friend Z then by all means dance away. If you are out on the town, keep your hands and arms in side the radius of your shoulders at all times, stop beating up the beat, remember it isn't a step or tap dancing competition, and really remember you aren't there to prove you have skills. If that were the case there would be a cash prize or a camera crew filming you in 3D/Slow motion.

As always I hope you have a wonderful day and that you enjoyed a little bit more of my thoughts!

Lent-il Soup for the Soul

Hey everyone, I apologize for not getting one of these in sooner. I have had a busy week and unfortunately it has taken me away from my passion. By passion I mean surfing the web and deciding what topic I should focus on. I also use T.V. and good friends to stimulate my intricate blog posts that have had you so riveted. I am kidding of course, I doubt I write anything that keeps you all on the edge of your seats. If I do I am honored and humbled....and if you aren't sure what that looks like. Picture a Duke basketball player slapping the court and beating his chest, because he knew he was going to dominate your mind with amazing food for thought!

Speaking of food, I have several friends going through their 40-days of Lent. Of course not being Catholic myself, I only realized this on Ash Wednesday. Outside of not eating meat and substituting it with Fish on Friday, many also opt to give up their most sinful indulgences. Now I go through Ramadan once a year and I totally understand the idea and the benefit of such a spiritual time. Although I understand its importance I still enjoy the perspectives of those who live it, hearing it from my friends gives it more relavance.

As my friends typically do, I received an email from a friend laying out plans for what sounded like an awesome weekend. Just in case you wanted to know how to plan an excellent weekend do the following gentleman:
1. Cook Italian Food on a Friday Night and watch College Basketball and Hockey
2. Wake up late Saturday discuss in depth topics like bust size during brunch at your local Dennys
3. Watch more Basketball
4. Grill Meat
5. Hit the town and make a fool of yourself by dancing to a Myley Cyrus Song.
6. Fit in a Vampire movie starring Leslie Nielsen or Snoop Dogg

Anyway, the author of this amazing email mentioned how he was being proactive and avoiding doing certain things. I remembered that he was a devout Catholic who was trying to honor his promises to God and exhibit constraint and sacrifice. I chatted him up a bit and came to the conclusion that his journey to personal growth was in many ways rooted to the sacrifices he was able to make for his own good.

Recently I haven't been a stranger to sacrificing things in my life. I gave up all drinks that have caffeine or sugar. Now if you have read earlier posts or know me personally, you know this is a large undertaking. I am happy to say I have been this way for two weeks now, but this is a sizeable change in my life. It is as if there was a sugar and caffeine ruler, dictating all the things my body did and was bringing it down to its lowest physical state. For the first week, my body revolted against this cruel unjust dietary dictator. It struggled through fits of low energy and a headache or two. In the end the body and soul was freed with minimal casualties. Clearly all Arabs are revolting against one thing or the other, and I was feeling a bit left out. Sacrificing this large section of my Food Pyramid has been a tough task but I am looking forward to the future. Feeling better everyday and instead of craving a Monster or a coffee, I prefer some Water with a little Crystal Light. I have never been this hydrated in my life, I think I restored the balance of my body. 70% water, 30% mass and 100% where amazing happens (just like the NBA).

So with all this proactive sacrifice going on, my main message is this: You can always stand to give up something small in order to better your life or another.

We all have seen documentaries and news segments highlighting people who have had to make sacrifices as well as those who have chosen to do so in order to help themselves or others. I think it is an excellent lesson to learn. We live in the age of A.D.D. and we already give up on everything very quickly. Well that being said, what we should focus on is how we can make sacrifices proactively to improve situations. This can look like a lot of different things, you can give up a fattening food that you don't need in your diet. You can use the 5 dollars you will spend on something silly and donate it to an important cause. Even still you can give up some of your own personal time to make another persons feel special. In our lifetime there are opportunities to make decisions that can effect us positively later. In many cases it is deciding what we will be sacrificing.

Now I am no lovey dovey hippie, I have a business degree. I see practicality and I know that your Total Revenue- Total Cost = Total Profit. There is always going to be a cost, but if you can manage your costs properly and effectively you can yield a higher profit. Yes this may seem childishly simple, but in reality it is simple for you to make small sacrifices that can boost you and others every day. I urge you to make those sacrifices so that you continue to succeed and grow. I also hope that you take the opportunity to make a small sacrifice for the sake of others. Who knows, your 5 dollar bill may help people more than you can imagine, the time you spend being a mentor can help a kid realize their ambitions, or even lose a few pounds not eating that donut in the morning!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Detention

So last night me and my pal went to catch a movie for our "Something New Thursday" weekly event. Initially we were a bit stumped at what we could do. Our mutual friend was hosting and providing the musical entertainment to a really classy event. One of those high-brow social functions that really begin to bloom in the spring time. It was a chilly night though, but we figured it would be nice to support our friend. Ultimately we decided against going to the bikini contest being held at the "Backyard Grill" in Manassas, Virginia. I think we felt like it was just going to be too elitist for our simple tastes. Although the thought of 20 to 30 year old women in bikini's on a 35 degree March night was tempting. We decided to pass on the toothless, flat tire entrees that would be parading their pre-beach bodies on a ply-wood stage. Instead we decided that if we were going to spend over 20 dollars in an evening it should be done where we can fully enjoy it. A large stadium theatre ticket : 11.50, Refreshments : 8.50, an evening watching a hilarious movie: REALLY FREAKING EXPENSIVE.

Now this movie had some excellent comedic actors. I won't get into the actual cast of the movie because you can look that up on your own , but the movie was "Hall Pass". The actors are all recognizable and the ones I had not seen before are extremely relatable . You can see your life ending up like theirs, you can see friends growing into these characters. What else would you expect from the Farrelly brothers! Well written and meticulous in every aspect something that people overlook in comedies. So the premise was that these two married men got a week off from being married, and in turn their wives had the same privilege at the same time. As if they hopped in the Dolorean (I feel like a rapper using this metaphor) and went back to when they were single and free of any commitments. Of course the two males caused this extreme situation to happen because of...well the fact they are warm blooded males! Yes, they gawked at women, yes they made crude jokes, and gave intimate details that are "reserved" for only your partners ears. It is almost a shame that women expect men to be at their best all the time. Not that we aren't capable of it, but we are incapable of being perfect gentleman 100% of the time. Group think comes into play, and we regress back to our adolescence. Essentially every time the "guys" "wolf pack" or "crew" get together we bro-out. We ask the "What would you rather?" and "Who would you rather?" questions. Not meant to be-little you but meant for us to feel like we are kids again. Take us back to a simple time of washing down an applesauce, worm, and mustard concoction with soda. Its what guys do, and we do it well.

Now if you are in the unfortunate situation of witnessing this ladies, you shouldn't be surprised. We clean up well, but won't hesitate to unzip the trousers and pull out the measuring tape (if you want I mean). It is an unexplainable occurrence. You can give the Brookings institute infinite amounts of money to research it and they wont figure it out. Want to know why? If its a team of men researchers they will be too busy having pissing contests, if it were a team of women it would be oversimplified and just come off extremely bitter (you know its true), and if it were a team of women and men they would never understand each others points and get no where(also called marriage). So I just say we leave it alone. Ladies just let us have our immature time with our buddies, we will be back home on time. Just the other day my four friends and I wasted a good hour passing a soccer ball around in the living room and talking about our favorite foods and beverages. This is also the same group that spent over an hour throwing a plush ball back and forth in creative Harlem Globetrotter-Esq ways trying to one up and fake out the recipients. It was the happiest time of my life, literally.....

So now that we have come to an understanding that men are in essence very simple, we can move onto this idea of a Hall Pass. The movie allowed you to see a married man, fantasize like all of them do about what it's like to be single. Then it expanded on that by portraying what really happens when a man is single! In the mind of a guy who is "taken" single life is a magical time. Where you ride into town on a chariot, pull up next to a sea of half nude supermodels all waiting for you to show them what it was like to be a noble in the Roman empire. All the girls are Athena's and Aphrodite's, and you are Zeus sneaking in and out of their rooms and flipping through a golden Rolodex of eager women. <----- I realize my mythology maybe off and Zeus is potentially the father of these two but I don't care enough to research it. Also Zeus is Greek and I made mention to Romans, whatever. I again don't care....

So what happens when a guy is single, is pretty pitiful. We are literally reduced to hunting. Taking every waking moment planning some sort of fun excursion or activity to improve our chances of meeting attractive girls. The hope is one will go out on a limb and accept our advances. The movie really keyed in on how much easier it is for a girl to gain attention and enjoy single life than a man. Men put in a considerable amount of work to put themselves in a good situation to find a potential mate. They go to the hottest places, they do all the inviting. Whether they are hounding their wing men to come along or they are persuading a "prospect" to enjoy the night with them. Yes, there are men who have it considerably easier (eff you tall guys). There are those guys who always seem to be getting what they want when they want it. What you have to understand though, is that those guys have put in a lot of leg work. They have laid a foundation, as if they were building a pyramid. Most guys retreat to their comfort zone though. They have the eclectic group of guys that usually appeal to every kind of girl in one way or another. That group does everything together, and from an outsiders point of view it looks like they aren't interested in women. That is where you are wrong ladies, those guys just have no idea how to approach you. They are more content (and nervous) to sit around on couches and chill. Wolf Packs such as these don't call attention to themselves because they are average guys. None of them look like Channing Tatum but they all have seen "Fighting" twice.

It's always easier to be the single girls. Guys are dying to be around women and are eager to give a girl attention (as long as it may lead somewhere). Ladies go out on the town and can do whatever they like. The two wives in the movie, had a much easier time mingling and flirting than their husbands. It is true though, as funny and as ridiculous as it is. Men have to do a lot more work. Woman aren't typically stimulated by the same things men are. We men react to sight and women react to sound. So for men to obtain what is in their sight they have to be quiet long enough for the women to hear themselves speak. Men are not the ones who are desired, women are desired and some of you know that. You go out to bars either indifferent to the idea of a male approaching you, really excited about that idea, or so hostile that you are willing to make him feel so inferior that he starts a scuffle with anyone who looks at him the wrong way after your interaction.

I am not saying that Women have it easy, but in this situation they do. You ladies know it is true and you can't deny it. Yes there will be men who are not interested but that's probably for the better. There will be plenty of men who are interested in doing anything you ask. Including eating an apple from a forbidden tree (biblical zinger).

So this is just me explaining to you how it is being single. For a man its a lonely, boring, unfruitful time(outsiders p.o.v) that is filled with awesome male bonding activities with a little crude and rude behavior in it. For a Woman, it can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a time to explore hobbies, or engulf yourself into your career. It can be a time where you go out and get a sun tan from all of the testosterone filled males burning a hole into your skin with their gaze. In the end it all has its ups and downs, and we all just want to be cared for and supported. I hope you guys see the value in both and can grow from those experiences!

Something New Thursday

Here is a little something for you to listen to. Not a new song but I want you to press play while reading my post Friday Morning! Have wonderful night everyone.

LOL, Smiley Face

So I am sitting here, half watching this movie. "Last House on the Left", my FIOS information guide says that these parents are going to exact revenge on a group of people who brutally attacked their daughter. In my opinion the premise is pretty awesome. Imagine if someone attacked your child, or family member and you were presented with the opportunity to torture them. Some of you may think its barbaric and that the law will provide justice. As much as I want to agree that the legal system will punish them properly, I would also love to beat the crap out of some hoodlums. Can someone make a website where its at the very least simulated? Just kidding, violence is wrong and if the legal system does not deal with criminals properly I hope there is some higher being that does. Whether it is Karma, God, or Marvel's Superhero "The Punisher" something is bound to catch to up to these evil doers!

Really though the idea of violent attacks that are senseless make me sick to my stomach. In many ways we have degenerated ourselves as a society. We used to have a heightened sense of community. Yes people I am talking about small tribes, colonies, and townships that relied on each other to make it through harsh winters and deadly droughts. They had a sense of respect for one another, an understanding of community that we lack. Yes we have progressed with technology, commerce, and personal hygiene. It has clearly been a give and take. We have been able to become more modern societies that do not rely on one another to provide for things and barter, but we have lost respect for each others worth. Look, of course there were criminals back than and people were more primitive, but even at that they had manners. They showed each other respect. I am not talking about the Egyptians, or the Romans, or any of the empires of old. They had specific social constructs but that exists everywhere. I am talking about small townships and tribes. Those empires had slaves and lacked respect for the working class and eventually crumbled because of it.

So what am I trying to say? I am just imploring you as a human being to show some respect and be NICE. What ever happened to please and thank you? What happened to chivalry? What happened to etiquette? I understand that life is a very stressful fast paced one now-a-days, but that doesn't mean we have to forget lessons we have learned as kids. Just the other day I witnessed two middle eastern girls chase another girl into the gym because they were upset that the girl tapped the front of their car as they were driving. Turns out the two middle eastern girls ran a stop sign and HIT the other girl. So instead of trying to examine the situation Jasmine and Cleopatra thought the other girl was just being a B-word and hit their car. Now you can say it boils down to a misunderstanding, and you are right. Jasmine and Cleopatra misunderstood what a stop sign was, and hit this unsuspecting person, who in turn slammed her hand down on the hood of their over priced German car. The victim misunderstood that when you get hit by a car you should fall forward and defy all laws of physics avoiding any whiplash effect, and because of that last misunderstanding between victim and car it led to the two middle eastern girls chasing down their victim in attempts to pull her hair or whatever it is girls do in a fight (yell and whip their neck around violently, I don't know).

So some of you are probably like: "I don't hold doors for people, that's not my thing" or "I shouldn't have to say please and thank you, because it's their job to do it". Point well taken, and let me know when you return from your high speed electric train ride from "Inconsiderateville" No such thing as Inconsiderateville or a high speed electric train, well at least in America (Europe and Japan don't count). The fact is that the world would just be a lot more pleasant if you did those things. I am not asking you to stand at the corner of a busy congested street and give random people hugs. Dave Matthews already did that, and I don't like to imitate. I am an original, so what I am saying is that you should just be a nice person. Be a person that on first glance people don't want to murder with an Axe.

So what does that entail? I am glad you asked! How about you start with using your blinkers on the highway. Try not cutting people off on the road, and if it does happen a wave back to the driver helps. Smiling, is a great way to start your day. If you make eye contact with someone just try it, what's the worst that can happen? [insert really example of the worst case scenario] The worst thing that ever happened to me when I smiled at someone was that they literally jumped back in awe of the prospect that someone smiled at them. Chivalry does not have to die, and having manners shouldn't just be a subject in preschool or a segment on PBS. We can genuinely change each others lives with generosity and kindness. The wonderful thing about it, is that you can never get tired of it. There is no possible way for us as humans to get sick of genuine care and respect. Having consideration for people around us and being positive is a natural energizer. It is a natural stress reliever and it is something easily practiced. I am going to make a commitment to this effort and I hope we can share the experience together. Have a wonderful week everyone.