Over the past few years, I've tried to improve myself in various ways. Nutrition, health, physical activity, school, work, etc. and one of the more subtle yet rewarding improvements I've tried to develop is that of habitually utilizing manners.
It's simple things, really: holding the door for someone; saying 'please' or 'thank you' or 'excuse me'; being more hospitable to guests and more grateful to hosts. I think it's these subtle but lost habits that are taken for granted in today's society, a society that seemingly spends every waking hour connected to some sort of communication device, cut off from the other human beings around them and too preoccupied to care, much less acknowledge, those around them.
I think if we were to all take a step back while putting our cell phone in our pocket or turning off our mp3 player and opening our eyes to the world around us, we would appreciate more the world we live in, and thus be more considerate of others.
I have kept my phone in my pocket, and I only use it to send the occasional text message and maybe talk on it a few times a day. I hate sending e-mails and I absolutely loathe instant messaging. I use my mp3 player only in certain situations (if I have some free time to relax or doing some sort of physical activity). I fear that the astronomical leaps in communication technology have also made society take those same leaps away from basic human interaction and consideration.
In my opinion, this has come full circle in the form of Twitter. It seems multiple times per week, high profile individuals have posted something on Twitter (probably in the midst of an emotional outburst), and due to the accessibility and speed with which one can utilize Twitter, they make a post before they can even stop to think about it, much less comprehend its consequences. Again, it goes back to taking a step back, and realizing what you're doing.
And, finally, if you have one of those wireless "bluetooth" devices for your phone, please disconnect it if you're not in your car. You look like a pompous douche walking around with it stuck in your ear. Furthermore, if you're having a phone conversation and are using it, people either think (a) you're talking to them, or (b) you're talking to yourself, but assuredly everyone thinks (c) you look like a jackass.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Media's Agenda?...
For the many of you who don't follow sports closely, you probably haven't heard about the minor controversy involving Buffalo Bills star wide receiver Terrell Owens and Sunday's post-game press conference after the Bills lost 27-7 to the New Orleans Saints.
Owens, an uncanny lightning rod for media attention and thus, controversy, was clearly trying to squash any potential controversy about the Bills' lack of performance on offense, especially when it was the first game since 1996 that he didn't have a single reception.
From where I'm standing, it appeared as though the media knew very well of Owens' reputation and tried to use it against him. It seemed to me that they were more interested in creating the news than just merely reporting it, and planned to exploit Owens' clearly (and visibly) frustrated state-of-mind.
Video from the press conference can be seen below:
A follow-up story about Owens appearing on a local radio show can be read here. Some revealing quotes from the segment:
Certainly, Owens' answers during the press conference weren't ideal, but take any high-profile athlete whose team gets blown out at home and whose impact on the game is virtually nil, and see how revealing he becomes. I can't say I blame Owens, especially considering his history with the media (including, but not limited to: questioning the sexuality of his former former quarterback, Jeff Garcia (who's now married to a Playboy model); crying while defending his former quarterback, Tony Romo; inviting the media to his house so they cover his holdout, specifically him doing sit-ups in his driveway and playing basketball; etc.)
What are your thoughts? Did Owens handle it properly? Did the media try to create news or "goat" him into controversial answers?
Owens, an uncanny lightning rod for media attention and thus, controversy, was clearly trying to squash any potential controversy about the Bills' lack of performance on offense, especially when it was the first game since 1996 that he didn't have a single reception.
From where I'm standing, it appeared as though the media knew very well of Owens' reputation and tried to use it against him. It seemed to me that they were more interested in creating the news than just merely reporting it, and planned to exploit Owens' clearly (and visibly) frustrated state-of-mind.
Video from the press conference can be seen below:
A follow-up story about Owens appearing on a local radio show can be read here. Some revealing quotes from the segment:
"It really just shows you the angle that the media has taken all these years," Owens said during the interview. "Over the years I've always kind of spoken openly about whatever is being asked with my answers, so the last four or five years I've kind of noticed that and tried taking some steps to prevent some of those things from happening.
"But [Sunday] as you saw, it was obviously ... [the media] took some more than initiative to try to get me to kind of go down the wrong path. I know the last two teams that I've been on, I felt like I left those teams prematurely due to media interviews that I've done and things kind of taken out of context and they created sort of a media whirlwind in the locker room and things kind of went downhill from there. I'm just trying to do the best job I can do as far as answering the questions and trying to be a better teammate and not try to throw people under the bus."
Certainly, Owens' answers during the press conference weren't ideal, but take any high-profile athlete whose team gets blown out at home and whose impact on the game is virtually nil, and see how revealing he becomes. I can't say I blame Owens, especially considering his history with the media (including, but not limited to: questioning the sexuality of his former former quarterback, Jeff Garcia (who's now married to a Playboy model); crying while defending his former quarterback, Tony Romo; inviting the media to his house so they cover his holdout, specifically him doing sit-ups in his driveway and playing basketball; etc.)
What are your thoughts? Did Owens handle it properly? Did the media try to create news or "goat" him into controversial answers?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Discourse in Discussion...
"Racist", "Nazi", "Liar", "Hypocrite", "Elitist", "Astro-turf", etc.
These are such words that are being heard more than any actual discussion about domestic policies. Many are to blame, not the least of which are the fringe faction on the right and left, and even many of the Democratic and Republican politicians and supporters enabling them.
The mainstream media, which I'm afraid has become nearly irreparably partisan, is also to blame for engaging in much the same fashion. Editorial at best and bigotry at worst, each night on "news" networks, obviously biased talking heads spew their side's rhetoric whilst doing nothing short of demonizing their counterparts on the other side of the aisle: who's more corrupt, who's more in-bed with special interests, who's deceiving the public the most, and so on and so forth.
The internet is also a major factor in this decomposing of civilized discourse, as anyone with an internet connection, maybe even on this very blog service, can spew their opinion (framing it as fact, of course) and the age-old "I read it on the internet, so it must be true" adage tends to take hold, whether it's the President's birth certificate or George W. Bush's desertion of military service (both of which have been widely discuss on mainstream websites and even airways).
All these factors and more leave "We, The People" to suffer the consequences: the general public is just as deceived by partisan hackery as it was a century ago. It is ultimately the people's responsibility to seek out the facts on their own, conducting their own "citizen investigation" if you will, or just a good old fact-finding mission. As with many things in life, the truth won't just arrive in your mailbox or email inbox, unless of course it's been forwarded to you from a friend who forwarded it to all of their friends: THEN you know it must be true.
Right?
These are such words that are being heard more than any actual discussion about domestic policies. Many are to blame, not the least of which are the fringe faction on the right and left, and even many of the Democratic and Republican politicians and supporters enabling them.
The mainstream media, which I'm afraid has become nearly irreparably partisan, is also to blame for engaging in much the same fashion. Editorial at best and bigotry at worst, each night on "news" networks, obviously biased talking heads spew their side's rhetoric whilst doing nothing short of demonizing their counterparts on the other side of the aisle: who's more corrupt, who's more in-bed with special interests, who's deceiving the public the most, and so on and so forth.
The internet is also a major factor in this decomposing of civilized discourse, as anyone with an internet connection, maybe even on this very blog service, can spew their opinion (framing it as fact, of course) and the age-old "I read it on the internet, so it must be true" adage tends to take hold, whether it's the President's birth certificate or George W. Bush's desertion of military service (both of which have been widely discuss on mainstream websites and even airways).
All these factors and more leave "We, The People" to suffer the consequences: the general public is just as deceived by partisan hackery as it was a century ago. It is ultimately the people's responsibility to seek out the facts on their own, conducting their own "citizen investigation" if you will, or just a good old fact-finding mission. As with many things in life, the truth won't just arrive in your mailbox or email inbox, unless of course it's been forwarded to you from a friend who forwarded it to all of their friends: THEN you know it must be true.
Right?
Please allow me to crack a big smile, because...
Pearl Jam has released their latest album "Backspacer" today and my favorite band of all time, Alice In Chains, is releasing their latest album "Black Gives Way To Blue" next Tuesday. More information on both of these albums can be found by clicking on the respective album arts below:
With the rather tumultuous life of a musician, I never thought I'd see a Pearl Jam, much less an Alice In Chains, album in 2009. For those of you who don't know (which most likely encompasses a vast majority of you), Alice In Chains' former singer Layne Staley passed away from a drug overdose in 2002, and the band disbanded (no pun intended) shortly after. To this day, the three remaining members of Alice In Chains still find it hard to cope with his loss.
It is a testament to both of these bands' members and their bonds with one another that they're putting out great albums almost 20 years after bursting onto the 1990s alternative/grunge scene. Pearl Jam's "Ten" is arguably the best album of the 90s and Alice In Chains' "Dirt" is a personal favorite of mine.
I've been starving for some good music, and will never stop listening to Pearl Jam or Alice In Chains for as long as I live, and these two albums are doubly sweet for me: they bring me back to one of my favorite musical periods and provide me with new listening material for two of my favorite bands of all time.
Music, like film, is something that's very personal and close to my heart. I have everything from Marvin Gaye to As I Lay Dying and everything in between on my mp3 player, and I enjoy them all as much as the other.
Needless to say, between these two albums, I think my music time will be occupied quite nicely for AT LEAST the rest of the year. I can only hope that the reader(s) of this blog will have their lives as musically enriched as mine will be for the next several months. Happy listening!
With the rather tumultuous life of a musician, I never thought I'd see a Pearl Jam, much less an Alice In Chains, album in 2009. For those of you who don't know (which most likely encompasses a vast majority of you), Alice In Chains' former singer Layne Staley passed away from a drug overdose in 2002, and the band disbanded (no pun intended) shortly after. To this day, the three remaining members of Alice In Chains still find it hard to cope with his loss.
It is a testament to both of these bands' members and their bonds with one another that they're putting out great albums almost 20 years after bursting onto the 1990s alternative/grunge scene. Pearl Jam's "Ten" is arguably the best album of the 90s and Alice In Chains' "Dirt" is a personal favorite of mine.
I've been starving for some good music, and will never stop listening to Pearl Jam or Alice In Chains for as long as I live, and these two albums are doubly sweet for me: they bring me back to one of my favorite musical periods and provide me with new listening material for two of my favorite bands of all time.
Music, like film, is something that's very personal and close to my heart. I have everything from Marvin Gaye to As I Lay Dying and everything in between on my mp3 player, and I enjoy them all as much as the other.
Needless to say, between these two albums, I think my music time will be occupied quite nicely for AT LEAST the rest of the year. I can only hope that the reader(s) of this blog will have their lives as musically enriched as mine will be for the next several months. Happy listening!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
On The Unexpected Pleasantries Of Life...
I'm a firm believer that life is just, well... life. I refuse to use the saying "full of ups and downs", because I believe that's too much of a simplistic interpretation. I, for one, always try to cherish the enjoyable moments, while both learning and growing from the tougher times.
As aforementioned in this organized chaos of a blog, I lost a good friend from swine flu, and instead of dwelling on what was lost (which I, admittedly, did do for a period of time), I also spent the recent days contemplating what was gained by my friend's life, and how my friend's life had positively impacted my own. It made me also ponder my own life. What exactly were my aspirations? How much progress had I made towards them? If I was to die tomorrow: what had I done, experienced and most importantly, accomplished?
Needless to say, the tough time of dealing with the loss of my friend, Jason, was turned into a partial self-realization, a recollection of past experiences, analysis of current situations and appreciation of my current life, as much as it is. Life is funny sometimes, though...
As it so happens, yesterday afternoon I received a call from my father saying that not only had one of my cousins moved to Orlando from the northeastern United States, but that he was coming down to visit (along with his brother and his girlfriend). I hadn't seen him in a couple years, and he hadn't been down to Florida in many years. I didn't exactly know what to expect, even though I'd always gotten along very well with him.
Having them over and the subsequent visit was like a breath of fresh air. We caught up with each others' lives over the past few years (mostly just filling in minor details here and there), sharing many memories, experiences and most definitely laughs (often at the expense of each other). It was in that visit that I realized (yet again) how important my family is in my life, and how it has shaped me as a person.
The past couple weeks have been memorable, to say the least. With the loss of my friend and the reconnection with a few of my family members, I have taken measure of what parts of my life have affected me, each in their own special way. I have reflected back on the memory of my friend, and even elder family members who have long since departed this earth, and what each of them has meant to my life.
I can only hope that readers of this blog have taken measure of such influences in their own lives, and especially that their family lives are even one-eighth as tremendous and fortunate as mine has been.
As aforementioned in this organized chaos of a blog, I lost a good friend from swine flu, and instead of dwelling on what was lost (which I, admittedly, did do for a period of time), I also spent the recent days contemplating what was gained by my friend's life, and how my friend's life had positively impacted my own. It made me also ponder my own life. What exactly were my aspirations? How much progress had I made towards them? If I was to die tomorrow: what had I done, experienced and most importantly, accomplished?
Needless to say, the tough time of dealing with the loss of my friend, Jason, was turned into a partial self-realization, a recollection of past experiences, analysis of current situations and appreciation of my current life, as much as it is. Life is funny sometimes, though...
As it so happens, yesterday afternoon I received a call from my father saying that not only had one of my cousins moved to Orlando from the northeastern United States, but that he was coming down to visit (along with his brother and his girlfriend). I hadn't seen him in a couple years, and he hadn't been down to Florida in many years. I didn't exactly know what to expect, even though I'd always gotten along very well with him.
Having them over and the subsequent visit was like a breath of fresh air. We caught up with each others' lives over the past few years (mostly just filling in minor details here and there), sharing many memories, experiences and most definitely laughs (often at the expense of each other). It was in that visit that I realized (yet again) how important my family is in my life, and how it has shaped me as a person.
The past couple weeks have been memorable, to say the least. With the loss of my friend and the reconnection with a few of my family members, I have taken measure of what parts of my life have affected me, each in their own special way. I have reflected back on the memory of my friend, and even elder family members who have long since departed this earth, and what each of them has meant to my life.
I can only hope that readers of this blog have taken measure of such influences in their own lives, and especially that their family lives are even one-eighth as tremendous and fortunate as mine has been.
On to a more enjoyable topic...
With the myriad of recent happenings in my life, I took some time to take a step back (and a deep breath) and revert back to the things that I find enjoyable, and one of my passions is that of movies.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a film critic and am, in fact, far from possessing extensive knowledge about film history or types of film around the world, but I know a good movie when I see one.
Some of my favorite movie sites are IMDB, RottenTomatoes, AtTheMoviesTV.com> (which recently made a change [and substantial upgrade, in my opinion] in co-hosts). I also like to peruse Youtube to find reviews of movies that I've either recently seen and/or have especially liked.
As you may or may not be wondering, I have watched a good collection of films that have been released this year, and these are some of my favorites:
Watchmen
Star Trek
Up
Public Enemies
Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
Inglorious Basterds
Some of films I'm looking forward to are: Where The Wild Things Are (yes, based on my all-time favorite children's book), The Wolfman, The Lovely Bones and Avatar (the James Cameron one, not the M. Night Shyamalan one).
I find movies to be many things that fascinate me. They are works of art (and contained within that, means of expression), forms of entertainment, adaptations, interpretations, but I think what is most valuable about films is that of the contribution of talent to society. Whether it's the spectacle of the beach landing at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan or the acting talents of Daniel Day-Lewis as the morally void oilman Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood".
It is such talent that continues to awe me. I myself aspire to one day write a screenplay, and with every great movie I watch, I'm given a new idea of where to start.
To wrap this post up, I'd like to suggest you watch King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Before you watch it, I have to let you know that it's NOT a mockumentary, but it is, in fact, one of the most real and bizarrely entertaining movies you've never seen. This movie encompasses the age-old saying "you can't make this **** up".
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a film critic and am, in fact, far from possessing extensive knowledge about film history or types of film around the world, but I know a good movie when I see one.
Some of my favorite movie sites are IMDB, RottenTomatoes, AtTheMoviesTV.com> (which recently made a change [and substantial upgrade, in my opinion] in co-hosts). I also like to peruse Youtube to find reviews of movies that I've either recently seen and/or have especially liked.
As you may or may not be wondering, I have watched a good collection of films that have been released this year, and these are some of my favorites:
Watchmen
Star Trek
Up
Public Enemies
Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
Inglorious Basterds
Some of films I'm looking forward to are: Where The Wild Things Are (yes, based on my all-time favorite children's book), The Wolfman, The Lovely Bones and Avatar (the James Cameron one, not the M. Night Shyamalan one).
I find movies to be many things that fascinate me. They are works of art (and contained within that, means of expression), forms of entertainment, adaptations, interpretations, but I think what is most valuable about films is that of the contribution of talent to society. Whether it's the spectacle of the beach landing at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan or the acting talents of Daniel Day-Lewis as the morally void oilman Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood".
It is such talent that continues to awe me. I myself aspire to one day write a screenplay, and with every great movie I watch, I'm given a new idea of where to start.
To wrap this post up, I'd like to suggest you watch King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Before you watch it, I have to let you know that it's NOT a mockumentary, but it is, in fact, one of the most real and bizarrely entertaining movies you've never seen. This movie encompasses the age-old saying "you can't make this **** up".
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Life Lessons In School...
The President's speech that aired in schools all across the country Tuesday was an excellent message for all of America's youth. It was excellently well-intended (even if ulterior motives were an attempt to increase poll numbers), and all schoolchildren should have the opportunity to watch it, not as a lecture from a person in a power position, but as an opportunity to have the President speak to them about something that is both relevant to their current stage in life and that they can both understand and relate to.
Video of the speech can be viewed below, or a transcript of the speech can be viewed here.
It was a great speech to both inspire kids to find how they can contribute to our society, and stress the importance of education in that search. As well intended as it was, I'm certain that it will have little to no effect on the academic proficiency of today's youth.
The greatest affect on our youth, as it has always been, will be in the home. Parents must take the lead in the raising of our children. Often times, whether by divorce or other circumstances, it is up to one parent to raise a child. To coincide with support from home, support in the classroom is vital as well, especially in the neighborhoods where teachers and school administrators are the only role models that the students know.
Speeches, education reforms, increase in funding and any other measures by governmental officials, while having a positive effect, can only achieve up to a supportive role in the raising (and education) of a child.
Make no mistake, education is a part (though a vital one) of a child's upbringing. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have been as well off in high school or as prepared for college if it wasn't for my parents constantly nagging me about the importance of education in my life.
I fear that high school kids who are without strong support from the parents will, at best, take this speech to heart for the rest of the week. The President didn't say anything new or revolutionary or announce anything new in his speech, but as the famous saying by Marshall McLuhan goes, "the medium is the message". They were stressed the importance of education, contributing to society and challenged to push themselves by the President of the United States.
To me, that is an inspiring thing, but I fear (and am even convinced) that, for a vast majority of today's youth, it will fall on deaf ears.
Video of the speech can be viewed below, or a transcript of the speech can be viewed here.
It was a great speech to both inspire kids to find how they can contribute to our society, and stress the importance of education in that search. As well intended as it was, I'm certain that it will have little to no effect on the academic proficiency of today's youth.
The greatest affect on our youth, as it has always been, will be in the home. Parents must take the lead in the raising of our children. Often times, whether by divorce or other circumstances, it is up to one parent to raise a child. To coincide with support from home, support in the classroom is vital as well, especially in the neighborhoods where teachers and school administrators are the only role models that the students know.
Speeches, education reforms, increase in funding and any other measures by governmental officials, while having a positive effect, can only achieve up to a supportive role in the raising (and education) of a child.
Make no mistake, education is a part (though a vital one) of a child's upbringing. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have been as well off in high school or as prepared for college if it wasn't for my parents constantly nagging me about the importance of education in my life.
I fear that high school kids who are without strong support from the parents will, at best, take this speech to heart for the rest of the week. The President didn't say anything new or revolutionary or announce anything new in his speech, but as the famous saying by Marshall McLuhan goes, "the medium is the message". They were stressed the importance of education, contributing to society and challenged to push themselves by the President of the United States.
To me, that is an inspiring thing, but I fear (and am even convinced) that, for a vast majority of today's youth, it will fall on deaf ears.
Saying Goodbye...
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.” - Pope Paul VI
I went to bed on Tuesday night just as any normal Tuesday, having finalized my first contributions to this very blog. I woke up the next morning to find out that one of my best friends since high school was gone. Forever.
Admittedly for whatever reason (him moving, school, work, different circle of friends, etc), I hadn't reconnected with him in a few months, and to gain knowledge of his passing by way of the local paper's obituary was most regrettable and upsetting.
He was taken by (of all things) swine flu, as he was susceptible to it due to his asthma and the relative weakness of his lungs due to their numerous bouts with pneumonia. I take some solace in the fact that he actually contracted the disease while doing something he loved: going to concerts.
I still feel the same emotion that I felt as I stared down at his lifeless body on Friday during the visitation. Disbelief that he is gone forever; incomprehension of the manner of his passing; contemplation of: "what if I had met up with him recently? Would I have contracted swine flu as well?"; anger at the hospital who may very well have been able to prevent his demise but couldn't; regret that I hadn't stayed in contact over the past few months, and most of all grief, especially for his parents who lost their only child.
Too often, whether in wars or natural disasters, or in this case a pandemic: we see statistics and words such as "casualties", "cases" and "displaced".
Well, this case of the swine flu hit home. This specific case of H1N1, clad in his favorite shirt, accompanied by his favorite hat and adorned with his beloved ornate pocket knives, was... gone. I went to the same Elementary, Middle and High School, was in the same cub scout troop, drove to Miami just to see a movie premier, went to Halloween Horror nights and even got my car silly-stringed by this case.
I was there to see the disgust on his face after he was told that he would receive a zero on a final project because he forgot to put his name on it (even though he did a vast majority of the work) and thus failed an english course by 3 percentage points. Therefore, he would not be able to walk with the rest of us at graduation, and would have to pass a semester of summer school to be able to get his high school diploma. I still remember the happiness that overcame him when this case finally found something that he enjoyed doing: being a meat cutter. I shared his happiness when he got his first car and endured with his frustrations as I had to follow him down US1 because the power steering belt on his car fell off (if you've ever had to drive like this, you know how frustrating it is).
His name was Jason Christopher Schenck.
Rest in Peace, good buddy. I'll both miss and never forget you.
PS, make sure to hold a good seat in heaven's movie theater for me.
“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.” - Pope Paul VI
I went to bed on Tuesday night just as any normal Tuesday, having finalized my first contributions to this very blog. I woke up the next morning to find out that one of my best friends since high school was gone. Forever.
Admittedly for whatever reason (him moving, school, work, different circle of friends, etc), I hadn't reconnected with him in a few months, and to gain knowledge of his passing by way of the local paper's obituary was most regrettable and upsetting.
He was taken by (of all things) swine flu, as he was susceptible to it due to his asthma and the relative weakness of his lungs due to their numerous bouts with pneumonia. I take some solace in the fact that he actually contracted the disease while doing something he loved: going to concerts.
I still feel the same emotion that I felt as I stared down at his lifeless body on Friday during the visitation. Disbelief that he is gone forever; incomprehension of the manner of his passing; contemplation of: "what if I had met up with him recently? Would I have contracted swine flu as well?"; anger at the hospital who may very well have been able to prevent his demise but couldn't; regret that I hadn't stayed in contact over the past few months, and most of all grief, especially for his parents who lost their only child.
Too often, whether in wars or natural disasters, or in this case a pandemic: we see statistics and words such as "casualties", "cases" and "displaced".
Well, this case of the swine flu hit home. This specific case of H1N1, clad in his favorite shirt, accompanied by his favorite hat and adorned with his beloved ornate pocket knives, was... gone. I went to the same Elementary, Middle and High School, was in the same cub scout troop, drove to Miami just to see a movie premier, went to Halloween Horror nights and even got my car silly-stringed by this case.
I was there to see the disgust on his face after he was told that he would receive a zero on a final project because he forgot to put his name on it (even though he did a vast majority of the work) and thus failed an english course by 3 percentage points. Therefore, he would not be able to walk with the rest of us at graduation, and would have to pass a semester of summer school to be able to get his high school diploma. I still remember the happiness that overcame him when this case finally found something that he enjoyed doing: being a meat cutter. I shared his happiness when he got his first car and endured with his frustrations as I had to follow him down US1 because the power steering belt on his car fell off (if you've ever had to drive like this, you know how frustrating it is).
His name was Jason Christopher Schenck.
Rest in Peace, good buddy. I'll both miss and never forget you.
PS, make sure to hold a good seat in heaven's movie theater for me.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Injustice System...
As I am oddly fascinated by regular goings-on of our current American society, I cannot help but be at a loss for words or even suffer a loss of faith in our society multiple times throughout the week.
A recent example of this has to do with sports, but not exactly. Recently, the National Football League (NFL), specifically its players, have constantly been in the news for troubles with the law. Most notably is that of Michael Vick, who headed up a dog-fighting and illegal cross-state gambling operation. As expected, a vast majority of the outrage has been over the revelations of the heinous mistreatment of the animals. Multiple protests and other such actions have been taken by animal rights groups (as expected), but underneath all that lies the most significant crime in the eyes of the American justice system: the illegal gambling operation.
Animal cruelty may land you a slight amount of time in jail, but most of the time it will just be a hefty fine. The gambling operation is what landed Vick in the slammer for nearly two years, but yet it wasn't the gambling that tortured and executed the animals. As a personal lover of animals, I may not ever forgive Vick for what he did to those dogs but I feel he has paid his debt to society and should have a second chance (and ONLY a second chance), but ironically enough, that isn't what got him in the worst amount of trouble.
More recently, there have been the ordeals of Donte Stallworth and Plaxico Burress. To make a long story short, Plaxico Burress took an unlicensed gun into a club and somehow accidentally shot himself. Stallworth, on the other hand, drove drunk and killed a pedestrian with his car. Take a guess as to who to over a year in prison and who paid a fine and will spend less than a few months in jail?
Like I said, at times I'm just at a loss for words over my loss of faith in American society. To make a somewhat humorous ending out of this, here is a video of uproarious comic Dave Chappelle who ponders "how old is fifteen, really?" and it is somewhat vulgar in the beginning, but he makes a lot of good points starting at about 4.5 minutes in, along what my post is about:
A recent example of this has to do with sports, but not exactly. Recently, the National Football League (NFL), specifically its players, have constantly been in the news for troubles with the law. Most notably is that of Michael Vick, who headed up a dog-fighting and illegal cross-state gambling operation. As expected, a vast majority of the outrage has been over the revelations of the heinous mistreatment of the animals. Multiple protests and other such actions have been taken by animal rights groups (as expected), but underneath all that lies the most significant crime in the eyes of the American justice system: the illegal gambling operation.
Animal cruelty may land you a slight amount of time in jail, but most of the time it will just be a hefty fine. The gambling operation is what landed Vick in the slammer for nearly two years, but yet it wasn't the gambling that tortured and executed the animals. As a personal lover of animals, I may not ever forgive Vick for what he did to those dogs but I feel he has paid his debt to society and should have a second chance (and ONLY a second chance), but ironically enough, that isn't what got him in the worst amount of trouble.
More recently, there have been the ordeals of Donte Stallworth and Plaxico Burress. To make a long story short, Plaxico Burress took an unlicensed gun into a club and somehow accidentally shot himself. Stallworth, on the other hand, drove drunk and killed a pedestrian with his car. Take a guess as to who to over a year in prison and who paid a fine and will spend less than a few months in jail?
Like I said, at times I'm just at a loss for words over my loss of faith in American society. To make a somewhat humorous ending out of this, here is a video of uproarious comic Dave Chappelle who ponders "how old is fifteen, really?" and it is somewhat vulgar in the beginning, but he makes a lot of good points starting at about 4.5 minutes in, along what my post is about:
The wait on the weight...
There are many health risks to the human race, including (but certainly not limited to) numerous forms of cancer, infections, viruses and just the latest is H1N1, more commonly known as "Swine Flu". However, one of the most widespread and controllable health risks among human beings is that of obesity.
I myself know all too well of this condition (I refuse to call it a disease, as I don't see obesity as something that is communicable or a mutation of the body), having been overweight during virtually my entire high school and college years, but it was only recently (but numerous signs before then) that it has really hit me as to how bad my weight was. I was tagging along with the rest of my family to do some summer clothes shopping. We perused the usual mall tenants looking for clothes. I was very troubled to find that I couldn't find any clothes that fit me. I figured "oh well, they probably just have sizes for skinny people", but I was even further disheartened to eventually find out that every store, save for one, didn't have a single article of clothing that would fit me (save for maybe hats, and even then I have a pretty big head).
That store would just so happen to be the "big and tall store", and I sure as heck wasn't there because I was tall. As a looked around the "big and tall" store, I noticed the sizes: XXL, XXXL, XXXXL and even, yes XXXXXL. I was surprised to realize that the store actually had a somewhat decent fashion variety (not that I plan on regularly shopping there, but just an observation). It was during the trying-on of clothes that it had hit me: I need to make a drastic change in my life... and NOW. Not just to get rid of a substantial amount of fat and look better, but to feel better, to sleep better, to be more active, and most importantly, to actually live to see 65.
It turns out that this was the perfect time, as I've found a weight loss plan through my work that is simple and that I can attest is very effective. As of today's weigh in, I've lost 24 pounds in as many days. Of the nearly ONE-THIRD (according to the National Center for Health Statistics) of Americans who are obese (Body Mass Index of 30 or greater), this is one who is determined to change the way I eat and live life, and thus enjoy a more active and rewarding, and hopefully much longer and healther, life. I also have a little side goal for this weight loss. My sister is getting married in February, and I haven't seen her since long before I started the weight loss plan, so it is my goal to surprise her with my whole new body shape.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go play soccer, something I haven't done in a long, long time.
I myself know all too well of this condition (I refuse to call it a disease, as I don't see obesity as something that is communicable or a mutation of the body), having been overweight during virtually my entire high school and college years, but it was only recently (but numerous signs before then) that it has really hit me as to how bad my weight was. I was tagging along with the rest of my family to do some summer clothes shopping. We perused the usual mall tenants looking for clothes. I was very troubled to find that I couldn't find any clothes that fit me. I figured "oh well, they probably just have sizes for skinny people", but I was even further disheartened to eventually find out that every store, save for one, didn't have a single article of clothing that would fit me (save for maybe hats, and even then I have a pretty big head).
That store would just so happen to be the "big and tall store", and I sure as heck wasn't there because I was tall. As a looked around the "big and tall" store, I noticed the sizes: XXL, XXXL, XXXXL and even, yes XXXXXL. I was surprised to realize that the store actually had a somewhat decent fashion variety (not that I plan on regularly shopping there, but just an observation). It was during the trying-on of clothes that it had hit me: I need to make a drastic change in my life... and NOW. Not just to get rid of a substantial amount of fat and look better, but to feel better, to sleep better, to be more active, and most importantly, to actually live to see 65.
It turns out that this was the perfect time, as I've found a weight loss plan through my work that is simple and that I can attest is very effective. As of today's weigh in, I've lost 24 pounds in as many days. Of the nearly ONE-THIRD (according to the National Center for Health Statistics) of Americans who are obese (Body Mass Index of 30 or greater), this is one who is determined to change the way I eat and live life, and thus enjoy a more active and rewarding, and hopefully much longer and healther, life. I also have a little side goal for this weight loss. My sister is getting married in February, and I haven't seen her since long before I started the weight loss plan, so it is my goal to surprise her with my whole new body shape.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go play soccer, something I haven't done in a long, long time.
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