3312

I've found myself being more and more withdrawn from social media lately. There is so much animus going on every time I open a page that it has kept me from wanting to even be online. I get that with the internet there will always be contention. Usually it is two opposing view points holding a pissing contest for attention. Just like on the playground in school one kid has to prove he's better than another by assailing another. I get that we all need our ego stroked and need to feel superior at something at some point in time, but I've seen more and more groups attacking individuals online and it has been a major turn off. I have no problem with groups attacking other groups, that's just the way life is, but the individual attacks I've seen really show me how juvenile some people can be. It's sad really. But it isn't the individual attacks. I think the whole social media scene has become poisoned by the rancor that some people harbor. Group thought abounds and the whole place is becoming more of a cesspool. I know I can't point a finger without one coming back at me, and I admit I spew forth my fair share of negativity, but I am working on it. To anybody that feels like I've been a cyber bully in the past, I'm sorry. That being said, I will still defend myself as unfledged as that may sound, but I vow to personally hold myself to higher standards than the group bashing I have taken part of in the past. This is also not to say I won't partaking in some locker room ribbing of others either, but the direct support of genuinely hateful attacks will be squashed. Sports teams, cars, etc. are still open season, so if you have a NASCAR sticker on your Ford, I'm probably gonna refer to you as in inbred hillbilly, but even inbred hillbillies deserve the right to be made fun of for their tastes, not who they are. As long as it stays good natured, we can still trade buying rounds at the end of the night. So, that being said, I might be dropping a few of you from my social circles, but I also might be adding a few I wouldn't have thought of before just because I'm trying to be a better person, not a bitter person.

3480

I cannot believe how lax I have been with my postings. I doesn’t feel like it has been 25 days since the last time I posted, but the calendar doesn’t lie.  One thing that that tells me is, writing is far more inspired than I initially thought.  I’m not sure why I haven’t been inspired to post anything.  There has been plenty going on in the world.  From Crimea to MH370, the news has been filled with plenty.  Perhaps I’m just a little burnt out.  Maybe it’s spring fever.  Spring definitely hits Arizona sooner than anywhere else I’ve been which is quite odd considering for the most part we don’t have a winter.  The weather here has been fantastic, and although we have had a sever lack of rain which means summer will be dreadful, I have enjoyed it.  Many a day has been spent with windows and doors open, letting the warm breeze flow throughout the house.  I’m sure the neighbors will be glad when the temps heat up and the sounds of music flowing out of my abode are muted.  Although in my defense, I at least play a variety of music depending on my mood, and not just the same repetitive cumbia music that my neighbors blare. At least the wonderful smells from their backyard grill compensate somewhat for the ear pollution that is emanating from their speakers.  All this is still only mildly annoying. Here I sit and complain about first world problems when at this moment global boundaries are being redrawn and the families of 237 people must come to grips with the fact they will never be seen again, and nobody knows why. I think tonight, as I grill something while imbibing in an Angry Orchard cider, I will try to reflect more positively on what I have and worry less about my first world problems.
I’d also like to thank anybody that still reads this blog.  I know I have strayed far from my original goal.  So in trying to be more faithful to this little space on the web, I again ask if there is anything you would like me to blog about, just let me know.  I definitely am opinionated and appreciate interactions.  Don’t be afraid to broach a topic, you never know what dialogue can lead to.

4080

Arizona has been in the news lately and for nothing good. It's sad that a few people that represent the state(poorly I might add), have caused such a negative light to be shed on our great state. The truth is, we are a collective hodge-podge of people of all walks of life, and that is what makes us great. Arizona has always been a "transient" state. The running joke here is natives are more rare than immigrants. The diversity of the backgrounds that have found themselves residing in Arizona make for wondrous melting pot. Maybe that is what outsiders don't get. We really don't have an identity, because we take on so many values from the people that have relocated here. Arizona truly is a melting pot, and it's a fabulous thing. Sadly, over the last few years there have been a few outspoken individuals, that have somehow found their way into seats of power, that have brought negativity to us. Let me assure you, that is not a very good representation of our state. I have been able to experience such a wonderfully diverse upbringing by living in Arizona that I know I would not have found east of here. The culture here speaks for itself, and it's something that is truly remarkable to experience due to its diversity. The black eye we have gotten will heal. What scares me more than a tarnished reputation is the fact that there are people in this day and age that think it is ok to discriminate. To hide behind the veil of religious freedom and decry the rights of others is not only shameful, it shows cowardice. Life is ever evolving, and to hold steadfast to norms and mores that are antiquated shows a lack of growth. There used to be a time when the world was flat, and to think otherwise was to subject yourself to persecution. The world has been proven not to be flat. Beliefs had to change to evolve with this fact. It is no different with anything else. You can't plant your roots so deep that when the earth moves you are stuck, or the world will swallow you. You have to be able to change with the landscape. This is not our forefather's world anymore. This is our time. Time to change, to evolve, to leave behind a place our children will be proud of. It's time to live in the now and not in the dark ages. It is time to accept that maybe what we have been taught has been proven to have a different meaning than what was originally inferred. I also think that if you can't, and you have tried, that is ok too. Just don't force others to live in the dark when you are scared to turn on the light.

4320

What an amazingly perfect day today turned out to be. I took a random day off needing a recharge. I figured I'd end up spending the day with the kids, but both had stuff going on so went to work with the wife. This left me home alone. With only the dogs randomly making the smallest noises, I had the entire house to myself. I was able to wake up, shave my head, shower and turn out from life. I spent the day drifting in my mind to various music, avoiding as much of the outside world as possible. The windows and doors open, inviting the warm 80 degree breeze to flow through the house. The sole connection I had to any sort of technology was turning on the tv to play music films. I was able to spend time alone with my guitars, make sounds solely for myself, letting whatever was inside drift away through an array of string combinations that, while maybe not melodically accurate, were exactly the right sounds to emanate from the strings to draw out all the poison that had been building up in me for who knows how long. I truly wish everyone could experience a day like this. Alone in solitude, but in the companionship of ethereal vibes melting away the layers that life lays upon us. At times picturing the waves flow from the music, through me, into another, experiencing the whole transgression as one epic emotion. There is truly nothing like the experience when the body and soul combine in harmony with a sonic array of emotions. I fell relaxed. I feel cleansed. I feel ready to take on life again. I feel the munchies kicking in. I feel like I cannot wait for another day like this, that this connection to the cosmos is something that needs to be reminded of more frequently.

4656

Dear Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee/NFL, It is now the day after the Super Bowl, and I am still mystified as to why Bruno Mars was the halftime entertainer. I think that we have a great opportunity before us next year to do something much better. Mr. Mars is a fine entertainer in his own right, but I don't think he was the appropriate fit to showcase New York. Hopefully next year, the entertainment can be a better reflection of the host city. There are myriad Arizona artists, or artists with Arizona roots that would do a fantastic job representing Arizona as the halftime entertainment of the 2015 Super Bowl. While many of the artists of the past few Super Bowls have been superb entertainers, I don't think they correctly represented the host cities they way they should. I know Tampa may have stolen New York's thunder by recently having Bruce Springsteen perform, but how epic would it have been to have the Boss play the Super Bowl halftime show in his home state of New Jersey? What about Bon Jovi? These would have been much better selections to represent the host city than Bruno Mars. While Arizona doesn't have a large list of megastars, they do have plenty of artists that are more than entertaining and would represent the state fabulously. Imagine the world getting to experience our local flavor by having Jimmy Eat World open by playing "The Middle", followed by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers doing a blazing rendition of "Banditos," leading into The Gin Blossoms shredding "Hey Jealousy" only to have Alice Cooper come close the show with any one of his hit songs. Maybe fun. could play one of their hits (Nate is from Glendale after all). Chester Bennington is from Phoenix, maybe Linkin Park could do a rendition of 1 Stp Clsr. The point is, we have a lot of local talent and if we are showcasing our state, we might as well showcase it's talent instead of bringing in an outsider. Just my $.02, but it seems like something we might want to present to the powers that be.

4848

Sometimes it isn't what you know, but who you know. Other times, it isn't so much that you know who you help, but you help the right person. Yesterday karma paid us back in a huge way. One of the parents my wife works with is a manager of a mobile wireless retail store. Since my wife has been working with him to help keep his daughter in the dance class she loves, he was willing to do all he could for us from his place of business. The bottom line was we ended up shaving over $80 a month off of our mobile bill, and also added a tablet (which was free) and data service for it. This gentleman also did the same thing for my sister. I know there are many out there that knock the cell phone provider I have, and some of it is deservedly so, but I have never had a problem with their customer service and this is another example of why I stick with them. I'm also more confident staying with them as their data, while by no means at the levels of other providers, is improving every day. Bottom line is this company works for my needs, at the most efficient price. So as I sit her on this lovely Sunday, doors open, breeze coming through the house, I wish you all to find that karmic retribution that pays you back in just the way that fits your needs.

5088

There is definitely poison in the atmosphere at work.  I get it.  Year-end is stressful in this environment.  Stress leads to weakened immune systems, sickness sets in, the ability to cope lowers.  Still, the poison is growing tiresome.  I’m definitely empathetic, but I no longer wish to hear complaints about every little thing.  You have to take some ownership of the situation, especially if you are habitually ill for no good reason other than you are trying to manipulate the PTO black out due to your own unhappiness with your current situation.  I don’t want to be in my position any more than anybody else, but if you allow the poison overtake you, you become the weak link.  You become the black sheep.  You make yourself an outcast.  You become sheeple.  Rise above.  Find creative solutions.  Be proactive as opposed to reactive.  Make a difference or shut the fuck up.  Don’t spread your negativity, it isn’t fair to others. If you can’t do your part, others suffer.  Move on.