Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?
William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a Summer's Day?
Thou are ore lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometimes declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Song of the Day: Wedding Bell Blues - the Fifth Dimension
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sherlock or Basil?
I was just in the shower and Baker Street (by Gerry Rafferty) came on. It is such a great, great song that I think is always just kind of known as "that saxophone song" - but for those who have never gotten past the haunting sax melody, here are the words:
Windin' your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You'll drink the night away
And forget about everything
This city desert makes you feel so cold.
It's got so many people but it's got no soul
And it's taking you so long
To find out you were wrong
When you thought it had everything
You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy
But you're tryin'
You're tryin' now
Another year and then you'll be happy
Just one more year and then you'll be happy
But you're cryin'
You're cryin' now
Way down the street there's a lad in his place
He opens the door he's got that look on his face
And he asks you where you've been
You tell him who you've seen
And you talk about anything
He's got this dream about buyin' some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands
And then he'll settle down there's a quiet little town
And forget about everything
But you know he'll always keep movin'
You know he's never gonna stop movin
Cus he's rollin'
He's the rollin' stone
And when you wake up it's a new mornin'
The sun is shinin' it's a new morning
You're goin'
You're goin' home.
Song of the Day: Baker Street - Foo Fighters cover version
ps - to add to the previous post, I would also like to learn new things as part of my daily activity.
Windin' your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You'll drink the night away
And forget about everything
This city desert makes you feel so cold.
It's got so many people but it's got no soul
And it's taking you so long
To find out you were wrong
When you thought it had everything
You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy
But you're tryin'
You're tryin' now
Another year and then you'll be happy
Just one more year and then you'll be happy
But you're cryin'
You're cryin' now
Way down the street there's a lad in his place
He opens the door he's got that look on his face
And he asks you where you've been
You tell him who you've seen
And you talk about anything
He's got this dream about buyin' some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands
And then he'll settle down there's a quiet little town
And forget about everything
But you know he'll always keep movin'
You know he's never gonna stop movin
Cus he's rollin'
He's the rollin' stone
And when you wake up it's a new mornin'
The sun is shinin' it's a new morning
You're goin'
You're goin' home.
Song of the Day: Baker Street - Foo Fighters cover version
ps - to add to the previous post, I would also like to learn new things as part of my daily activity.
If you could do anything, what would you do?
Tonight I was talking to a friend of mine about her job, which she hates...but she's not sure what else she can do that would still pay as much as she makes now.
Money needs aside, it got me to thinking about what I would REALLY want to do, if I could really do anything. I think that the possibilities are so endless that to just start from scratch and try to think of things is not only difficult, but also somewhat counter-productive because you become limited by your own known parameters and experiences.
So, here's a list of actions I would actually like to do every (well, most) day(s), if I had the choice:
-not have to get up early (i.e. before 9) [says the one with a 7:30am meeting in few hours]
-help people in some capacity
-make the physical world around me better
-do something creative
-talk to different people throughout the day
-organize people in some kind of fashion (like for an event or purpose but not limited to only those)
-connect people/work to other relevant people/work (let's try and cut-down on so much internal wheel re-inventing)
-be outside
-travel occasionally
-[to be fair I dance almost every day, but just for myself - I don't think I would want to make that part of my official list, although it is an action I would want to continue on a daily basis]
-[same with listening or playing/making music]
I think that's a pretty good place to start. Now I just need to figure out what occupations could possibly fit that description. Or maybe it's time for me to make my own. Any suggestions?
If you could list just the actions that would make you happy every day (ok, most days), what would they be? Are you working toward making that a reality?
Song of the Day: Workin' for a Livin' - Huey Lewis and the News
Money needs aside, it got me to thinking about what I would REALLY want to do, if I could really do anything. I think that the possibilities are so endless that to just start from scratch and try to think of things is not only difficult, but also somewhat counter-productive because you become limited by your own known parameters and experiences.
So, here's a list of actions I would actually like to do every (well, most) day(s), if I had the choice:
-not have to get up early (i.e. before 9) [says the one with a 7:30am meeting in few hours]
-help people in some capacity
-make the physical world around me better
-do something creative
-talk to different people throughout the day
-organize people in some kind of fashion (like for an event or purpose but not limited to only those)
-connect people/work to other relevant people/work (let's try and cut-down on so much internal wheel re-inventing)
-be outside
-travel occasionally
-[to be fair I dance almost every day, but just for myself - I don't think I would want to make that part of my official list, although it is an action I would want to continue on a daily basis]
-[same with listening or playing/making music]
I think that's a pretty good place to start. Now I just need to figure out what occupations could possibly fit that description. Or maybe it's time for me to make my own. Any suggestions?
If you could list just the actions that would make you happy every day (ok, most days), what would they be? Are you working toward making that a reality?
Song of the Day: Workin' for a Livin' - Huey Lewis and the News
Monday, May 26, 2008
The sun is always rising...for what it's worth
As I walked down the alley to my house this morning I realized it has been a very long time since I got home as the birds were beginning to chirp their morning greetings.
a haiku for the evening (morning?):
At camp jitterbug
we dance around all night long
and have class all day
...and I wonder why my feet hurt so much...
Song of the Day: Don't Pass My By - the Beatles
a haiku for the evening (morning?):
At camp jitterbug
we dance around all night long
and have class all day
...and I wonder why my feet hurt so much...
Song of the Day: Don't Pass My By - the Beatles
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right
This evening I was reading Reem Abeidoh's blog on Competitiveness in Social Media and it got me to wondering about the category into which I would fall, and into which category I would WANT to fall.
This makes me wonder what exactly is my endgame? Why do I participate in various forms of Social Media? What is the motivation, and does that motivation produce competitiveness?
I think that at this point I seem to be going backwards through the Social Media ladder. This is completely by choice; as a political candidate I was thrown into the pseudo-public arena [I say pseudo because we know how much the public pays attention to any election other than the presidency - and even that turnout is atrocious] and as such, needed as much exposure as possible. What better way to take advantage of free marketing than through Social Media? If I had really been more on top of it, I would have made sure to use twitter, del.icio.us, digg, etc. and not just the basics like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, etc.
I have gone from wanting my image, and message on as many sites and discussions as possible to wanting to be myself without the scrutiny that comes from under the candidate microscope. Even so, there are certain things I will never publish on any form of social media, and to an extent is why I keep this blog anonymous. A candidate is no different at times than any other marketed product, and you want to maintain the integrity and value of the brand. I don't doubt that soon all candidates will have a social media team to maintain their online activity. It is no longer only the neighborhood forum that matters; the heated debate on twitter needs to be addressed as well.
Even so, what if my goal was to have an online expertise that would then translate into an illustrious political career? I would most certainly be maintaining all kinds of Social Media and have a blog that was more focused on political and/or urban space issues.
The thing is, at least on this blog, that is not my point. The point is making me feel somewhat obligated to my invisible loyal readers (Do you exist?! Thank you!!) to keep writing, even when I don't want to. There is a phase in any activity where you don't want to continue; but the only way to transcend to the next level is to bust through these mental block times. Without the invisible eyes of the potential reader, I would have hardly posted half as many posts as I have already. And that's not saying a whole lot. :)
Reem's blog has actually made me reassess in some ways what it is I am trying to accomplish. It makes me think that ideally - to really network and use social media to its fullest potential - you need to have a focus and clarity on your message regardless of exactly which form of media you are using. Since I am currently in the search/creation of my next message to the world, it would make sense for me to take a few steps down on that Social Media pyramid.
Song of the Day: The Way I Am - Eminem
This makes me wonder what exactly is my endgame? Why do I participate in various forms of Social Media? What is the motivation, and does that motivation produce competitiveness?
I think that at this point I seem to be going backwards through the Social Media ladder. This is completely by choice; as a political candidate I was thrown into the pseudo-public arena [I say pseudo because we know how much the public pays attention to any election other than the presidency - and even that turnout is atrocious] and as such, needed as much exposure as possible. What better way to take advantage of free marketing than through Social Media? If I had really been more on top of it, I would have made sure to use twitter, del.icio.us, digg, etc. and not just the basics like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, etc.
I have gone from wanting my image, and message on as many sites and discussions as possible to wanting to be myself without the scrutiny that comes from under the candidate microscope. Even so, there are certain things I will never publish on any form of social media, and to an extent is why I keep this blog anonymous. A candidate is no different at times than any other marketed product, and you want to maintain the integrity and value of the brand. I don't doubt that soon all candidates will have a social media team to maintain their online activity. It is no longer only the neighborhood forum that matters; the heated debate on twitter needs to be addressed as well.
Even so, what if my goal was to have an online expertise that would then translate into an illustrious political career? I would most certainly be maintaining all kinds of Social Media and have a blog that was more focused on political and/or urban space issues.
The thing is, at least on this blog, that is not my point. The point is making me feel somewhat obligated to my invisible loyal readers (Do you exist?! Thank you!!) to keep writing, even when I don't want to. There is a phase in any activity where you don't want to continue; but the only way to transcend to the next level is to bust through these mental block times. Without the invisible eyes of the potential reader, I would have hardly posted half as many posts as I have already. And that's not saying a whole lot. :)
Reem's blog has actually made me reassess in some ways what it is I am trying to accomplish. It makes me think that ideally - to really network and use social media to its fullest potential - you need to have a focus and clarity on your message regardless of exactly which form of media you are using. Since I am currently in the search/creation of my next message to the world, it would make sense for me to take a few steps down on that Social Media pyramid.
Song of the Day: The Way I Am - Eminem
Monday, May 19, 2008
One in Ten
Time never ceases to amaze me. The last post I made was ten days ago and yet it seems like it has been eons since I sat down and typed on my laptop (I don't count making moves on scrabulous as typing). As Einstein would suppose, time moves differently dependent upon whether the person experiencing the time is moving or stationary.
While I'm not quite sure how that translates to my past week and a half in the mathematic way, I certainly know that time often feel relative. I've been travelling, house/cat-sitting, bike commuting etc. and it seems as though all my time is spent on the move. Please note I have excluded my time spent at my desk from work into this very scientific calculation. I need to make a graph for graphjam.
Since I am house-sitting during bike-to-work month, I'm really making a conscious effort to bike even though I have been further away from downtown than I would be from my house...while I will inevitably (and hopefully) be in better shape by the end of the month, my commute has shifted from mindless music-listening, out-of-the-window-staring, thought-wandering bus riding to pedal-pedal-pedal-I-can-(huff-huff-breathe-breathe)-make-it-(pant-pant-breathe-breathe)-up-this-(wheeze-wheeze-breathe-breathe)-hill.
So, while perhaps I have embodied more of the 'living in the moment' zen so many seek, I haven't quite had the same sub-conscious down-time. While I would love for this excuse to be the reason I haven't been writing that much, I don't know if that's really the case.
For anything in life, you either do it or you don't. So, if you want something to be done, you just need to get off your ass, over yourself, and just do it.
I have a friend who gets up every morning at 5am (5AM!!!!) to write. Now that is a dedication and commitment that is truly impressive, and I think really shows where her priorities are for herself. At the end of the day, it's what we gives our priorities to that dictates the life we lead.
I will bend over backwards to save pennies and PTO to be able to travel as I want; if there is something else I want to successfully accomplish I need to be as willing to sacrifice and re-arrange other things to give that new item priority. If I can bring lunch every day knowing my saved money will contribute to my Hawaiian vacation, why can't I walk away from the television knowing that hour could be better spent writing lengthy stream-of-consciousness diatribes? (you may disagree with the 'better spent' sentiment)
No matter what it is you are trying to pursue, you can only accomplish it by not just thinking about it and dreaming about it but by actually doing it; until you are ready to willingly make that dream your priority in your every-day life, it will continue to merely remain a dream.
Song of the Day: Monkey Wrench - the Foo Fighters
While I'm not quite sure how that translates to my past week and a half in the mathematic way, I certainly know that time often feel relative. I've been travelling, house/cat-sitting, bike commuting etc. and it seems as though all my time is spent on the move. Please note I have excluded my time spent at my desk from work into this very scientific calculation. I need to make a graph for graphjam.
Since I am house-sitting during bike-to-work month, I'm really making a conscious effort to bike even though I have been further away from downtown than I would be from my house...while I will inevitably (and hopefully) be in better shape by the end of the month, my commute has shifted from mindless music-listening, out-of-the-window-staring, thought-wandering bus riding to pedal-pedal-pedal-I-can-(huff-huff-breathe-breathe)-make-it-(pant-pant-breathe-breathe)-up-this-(wheeze-wheeze-breathe-breathe)-hill.
So, while perhaps I have embodied more of the 'living in the moment' zen so many seek, I haven't quite had the same sub-conscious down-time. While I would love for this excuse to be the reason I haven't been writing that much, I don't know if that's really the case.
For anything in life, you either do it or you don't. So, if you want something to be done, you just need to get off your ass, over yourself, and just do it.
I have a friend who gets up every morning at 5am (5AM!!!!) to write. Now that is a dedication and commitment that is truly impressive, and I think really shows where her priorities are for herself. At the end of the day, it's what we gives our priorities to that dictates the life we lead.
I will bend over backwards to save pennies and PTO to be able to travel as I want; if there is something else I want to successfully accomplish I need to be as willing to sacrifice and re-arrange other things to give that new item priority. If I can bring lunch every day knowing my saved money will contribute to my Hawaiian vacation, why can't I walk away from the television knowing that hour could be better spent writing lengthy stream-of-consciousness diatribes? (you may disagree with the 'better spent' sentiment)
No matter what it is you are trying to pursue, you can only accomplish it by not just thinking about it and dreaming about it but by actually doing it; until you are ready to willingly make that dream your priority in your every-day life, it will continue to merely remain a dream.
Song of the Day: Monkey Wrench - the Foo Fighters
Friday, May 9, 2008
making lemonade
It seems that more than writing about actual topics I seem to write about writing. I have had so many things I have wanted to say about a variety of topics - my friend's death, my brother's graduation, the surreal feeling of returning to places you know so well but seem so different the longer you are away...
So why can't I take the leap to actually write what I'm thinking? Why is it that I can seem to have an entire essay monologue in my head and the instant I get in front of a screen it is no longer there to be transcribed?
The point of this exercise was for me to start writing more, and the more I push the writing times into "when I have time" the more difficult it is to actually write.
If I'm going to make writing a real priority I'm going to have to start giving it priority time. Rather than "if I have time" it should be "I'm going to write now"
The apprehension behind this is, of course, the fear of becoming one of those blog-obsessed people who feel they can't discuss something because it was already posted on their blog or are wary to discuss the topic of a future post.
Overall though, I think the new ability for us blogger folks to post at a specified time will help; although only time will tell if that will work out...
Song of the Day: No Time - The Guess Who
So why can't I take the leap to actually write what I'm thinking? Why is it that I can seem to have an entire essay monologue in my head and the instant I get in front of a screen it is no longer there to be transcribed?
The point of this exercise was for me to start writing more, and the more I push the writing times into "when I have time" the more difficult it is to actually write.
If I'm going to make writing a real priority I'm going to have to start giving it priority time. Rather than "if I have time" it should be "I'm going to write now"
The apprehension behind this is, of course, the fear of becoming one of those blog-obsessed people who feel they can't discuss something because it was already posted on their blog or are wary to discuss the topic of a future post.
Overall though, I think the new ability for us blogger folks to post at a specified time will help; although only time will tell if that will work out...
Song of the Day: No Time - The Guess Who
Friday, May 2, 2008
Stay Young. Stay Foolish.
Words of wisdom from Steve Jobs:
"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Song of the Day: Lonesome Day by Bruce Springsteen
"When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
Song of the Day: Lonesome Day by Bruce Springsteen
Thursday, May 1, 2008
This April has brought both of life's inevitability's
Today I found out that someone I knew committed suicide.
I just tried writing a second sentence to that more than 3 times. Words are not easy at this time, but since this is a blog of my inner monologue, I really felt that perhaps by launching my hurt into cyberspace I might be able to get a little sleep tonight.
For a variety of reasons, this is one that is really hitting me hard.
I'm sure there will be some tangible writing to be done once my sub-conscious sorts things. In the meantime, please give an extra hug to those around you.
Song of the Day: I Will Not Take These Things for Granted - Toad the Wet Sprocket
I just tried writing a second sentence to that more than 3 times. Words are not easy at this time, but since this is a blog of my inner monologue, I really felt that perhaps by launching my hurt into cyberspace I might be able to get a little sleep tonight.
For a variety of reasons, this is one that is really hitting me hard.
I'm sure there will be some tangible writing to be done once my sub-conscious sorts things. In the meantime, please give an extra hug to those around you.
Song of the Day: I Will Not Take These Things for Granted - Toad the Wet Sprocket
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
