Censorship

Some of you may recall when I first started blogging on 360, it's nice to know that some of you still follow the blog. Not much has changed with the way I write since I've moved to a wider audience; I'm still just as blunt and opinionated here as I was there.
It has come to my attention that SOME people feel I am too opinionated, well, that's too damn bad. This is a blog, my blog to be specific. This blog originates in the United States of America where I excercise my constitutional right to express myself.
The last time I checked there were no laws that forced individuals to read blogs, namely my blog; doing so is done by your own free will. In case you are unsure as to what that means, it means you read because you want to, not because someone makes you. With that said, if my blog offends you, there is a simple solution, STOP READING IT! IDIOT!
Yep, I said idiot, my blog remember? I can say what I want, its a beautiful thing!
This blog does not exist on the basis of advertisements, endorsements, etc. It exists because I choose to sit and use my creative mind in writing. It will exist whether you read it or not. It will exist whether you like it or not. I write for myself, not for other people. It is a nice thing to know that other people take an interest in some of the things that I write, however, I will continue to write regardless of whether anyone reads or likes it. Writing makes me happy, it's a wonderful outlet. Censorship of this blog is futile. You do however have control over ever seeing it again... STOP READING IT!
It warms my heart to know that the mere writings of little ole me could spawn such an uproar! I'm a success!

Censorship, like charity, should begin at home, but unlike charity, it should end there. –Clare Boothe Luce

My 2 Cents

Life is good dude. Know it!

Simple is not always good. Sometimes, but not always.

Be free. Who needs underwear.

You pay for a college education over time. You pay for being uneducated forever.

Dogs are cute. Dogs stink. I don't own a dog.

Greed is a disease. I think I have it.

Lonely is boring. Make friends.

I'm laughing at this moment for no reason. It feels great. Try it.

Just my 2 cents... :-)

What's Playing

Music is my medicine, no matter what the ailment, I can get a dose of music to aid in the healing process.
Music is my aphrodisiac, nuff said on that!
Music is at the very core of me.

It's Friday and I LOVE Fridays, who doesn't right?? Anyway, I have the music pumping as I'm going about my daily to-do's, What's Playing you ask, well, let me share with you... I'm in a soulful old school mood today, anybody remember these...

• The More I Get, The More I Want - Teddy Pendergrass
• Holding On When The Love Is Gone - LTD
• Flashlight - Parliament
• Fire - Ohio Players
• September - Earth Wind & Fire
• Darlin' Darlin' Baby - O'Jays
• Got To Give It Up - Marvin Gaye
• One Nation Under a Groove - Funakdelic
• I'll Take You There - The Staples Singers
• Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder

Things We Should Know

Sometimes the simple is not always the obvious. I am a person that likes to watch other people and their actions and reactions, in doing this, it becomes apparrent that there a many simple things that we should know and/or do that we overlook in our daily lives.
I doubt that there could ever be a conclusive list of these things because each of us could always add just one more entry; the items below are just a few oddballs that I have noticed seem to get overlooked frequently.

• If you stink, please take the stairs. Smokers, we all stink. Please stay out of the elevator. If you pump your cologne or perfume bottle more than twice, your scent is no longer subtle, its now intrusive, you too should stay out the elevator. The universe thanks you in advance.
• If you weigh a good 400 pounds, and you are enthusiastically licking an ice cream cone in each hand, expect a few amazed stares and don't return and offended glare.
• The yellow light - it means CAUTION people! You can still proceed through the intersection, just do it cautiously! Those of us behind you would appreciate it.
• If you had cod fish for dinner last night, it is not appropriate to bring it to work and heat it in the community microwave that the rest of us have to use. The stench remains for hours and it has a tendency to venture over into what the rest of us are having for lunch. (this also applies to other foods that have a distinct long-lasting odor)
• Remember please and thank you? Yes, they still apply and yes they still work, use them.
• There are sinks in the bathroom for a reason, and no its not so you can get a sip of water. WASH YOUR HANDS!
• Just for MARTA (atlata bus/train system) riders. Those large seats with all the extra spaces that are adjacent to the doors, they really are for persons with disabilities and the elderly, the sign is not there for giggles.
• Folks with dogs, these are your pets, not your neighbors pets. Please keep their waste in YOUR yard and don't let it venture into the yards of your neighbors.

Enough! But as you are pondering these, I'm sure you will have your own to add.

Goodbye Artful Monday

One of my favorite blogs to create is Artful Mondays, unfortunately, it seems to be a favorite blog to steal. After only two postings of the Artful Monday blog, I have found my art on more than 13 sites where someone is claiming it as their own.
I know that imitation is the strongest form of flattery, but theft is theft. When art is created, it becomes an extension of you, albeit, its an extension you want to share with others, its still your and a very personal part of you.
Due to the theft of intellectual and creative property, I will no longer be posting the Artful Monday blog.
Thanks to all who responded to the blog entries during their short run.

Artful Monday - Up Close

Up Close

In Times of Depression

It's that time again, all my regulars know we take a minute to ponder God's word on Sunday, and I hope that on your own, you spend some time during the week in study of the bible, koran, etc.
Today, we are pondering "In Times of Depression". As always in this blog, each person is encouraged to apply words, phrases, and the blog as a whole to their lives and experiences in a way that it best serves them. Depression can be an emotional, financial or even physical state; regardless of the state, God's word has a message for us in response to depression.
At some point, all of us have been depressed in some form. Many people suffer silently from severe depression, never going for the professional help from man or the spiritual help from God. In all things that we experience in life, God has given us the tools we need to survive and to overcome obstacles, depression in no different.
Although its natural and human to be afraid and get discouraged, especially in times when we might be depressed, God has supplied us with a roadmap to make it through the darkest of hours. In Deuteronomy 31:8, the bible tells us "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged". This scripture lets us know that all of us can expect some trying times and some depressing times. It is in these moments when we must trust in God and in his word. He has assured us that he will not leave us alone in our darkest hour. Sometimes when the times are the toughest, it is only God that remains with us, even when our closet friends and family have withdrawn.
When you are depressed, do you draw near to God and lean on his word and the promises he has made? Even though your faith is tested and it seems depression has overcome you, can you still feel the hand of God supporting you through the toughest of times? For You To Ponder...

Artful Monday - SURFACE

Surface

Artful Monday

Ok, we are trying something new, be nice and oblige me by playing along. It's time to expand our horizons. I think it's clear we all love the written word and dissecting its meaning as it pertains to each of us, if we didn't we wouldn't blog or read blogs would we.
I'd like to embark on new territory; I'm a fan of abstract art, partly because it leaves lots of interpretation to the viewer, and its a wonderful tool for expressive conversation. I'm no Pablo Picasso, but I like to dabble in abstract art, I find it to be a useful mechanism in relaxing. Starting today, we will make Mondays our art day. I will post a piece of abstract art with no supporting verbiage, the piece should communicate to you on its own. Let's see how each of us views it and what comments it can shake up, most of all, lets have some fun doing something different!
Today's piece For You To Ponder is titled Madness.

Is Prayer Enough

You know Sunday always brings a dose of religion for you to ponder. Today, we ponder, Is Prayer enough? I know, you're thinking "prayer is all you need", well, not exactly. Prayer is the main ingredient in making requests and expecting a response from God. The part that seems to be overlooked is another main ingredient, believing. Matthew 21:22 tells us " And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Many of us forget this key word and ingredient when going to God in prayer. It is essential that we believe that God CAN answer our prayers. It is not enough just to pray, we must also believe.
This ingredient is again provided to us in Mark 11:24 where we are told "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. God has provided all the directions we need for prayer to be a major vessel in our lives, we need only follow the instructions provided and believe in him that has the power to deliver.
I would be remiss if I neglected to also mention that our character comes into play when we pray. It is not intended that we go out and knowingly commit sin, yet turn around and ask God for blessings in prayer, never stopping to ask for forgiveness for our sins. God takes into account the status of our soul when we pray. Proverbs 15:29 tells us "The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous". The status of our soul does matter when we pray. 1John echoes this in 3:22 as it tells us And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight". The scripture is telling us that another main ingredient in prayer is following God's commandments.
On this Sunday, let us ponder, are our prayers enough? Are we including all the needed ingredients to get our prayers answered? For You To Ponder.

A Simple Tune

I'm awake. It's the middle of the night and a simple tune is playing in my head. Over and over again I hear the opening bars of Harold Melvin and the Blue Note's I Miss You. I'm trying to think of other things, was I dreaming something that sparked this tune? Was it something I was thinking as I eased into sleep earlier? Whatever the reason, this simple tune is relentlessly playing in my head.
I don't quite know what to do with myself. I could drink, of course I have to be up and ready for work in a few hours so drinking now would make me resemble an alcoholic and there will be none of THAT round here! I could eat, but then I would be packing on pounds that I am so doggedly trying to loose. I guess it's clear to see what I will do as I attempt to get this song out of my head, I will blog.
The keystrokes seem to be in time with the tune playing in my head, I type faster but the song is still there. I see her picture when I close my eyes, it fits with the song. I am tempted to look at old pictures but that will only bring up old memories and give a new hurt.
I'm convinced some higher power has decided its necessary that I am awakened and reminded of the past and how it came to be the past. The mistakes i've made where she is concerned are being shown to me during these wee hours of the morning, they are masquerading as a Simple tune, I Miss You. Perhaps this is not for you to ponder, but for me to ponder.

Public Air Freshener

WARNING! This blog will be petty in nature. I will not even pretend that I don't know that it's petty, I do, regardless of this, I will proceed.
I have never been a fan of using public restrooms, I prefer the comfort and safety of my own private bathroom at home. There are times however, when the bowels or the bladder simply will not allow for waiting until you get home, today was one of those days! I've been slacking on my water intake so this morning I decided to kick it up a notch. By lunch I had consumed close to a gallon of water and I had to go reeeaaallly bad!
I work for a large corporation in a large office building so that bathroom has multiple stalls and plenty of space, no cramped little box with a toilet and a sink. One would expect that a bathroom of this size would not allow for the lingering of the foul smell of, well you know, yet today I learned that not to be the case.
Here is where my problem comes in... The company has been generous enough to provide cans of air freshener in EVERY stall in the bathroom. The cans are conveniently placed in each stall for anyone to use. On this morning, someone apparently thought there must be a CHARGE for the air freshener since they decided NOT to use it after leaving a smell in the air that ranked right up there with public landfill!! How hard is it to extend your arm, grasp the can, and push the little button??!!?? Those three simple little steps would save those that come behind you from being nauseated from the stench of what you left behind. It's free! It's PUBLIC use air freshener! Use it!
Like I said, it's petty, but I had to tell you... SOMEBODY out there needs to ponder why they don't use the public air freshener. (baffled, shaking head and walking away)

Building My Jail

It has occurred to me that I've mastered the art of imprisoning myself. Recently I took the time to reflect on past relationships in hopes of being enlightened on why the relationships did not flourish but instead ceased to exist.
As I thought back over not so distant relationships as well as those from long ago, I could clearly see a pattern; I was clearly in a pattern of seeking relationships with the wrong people. By calling them the "wrong people" I in no way mean that the people were bad, they were simply bad for me. It must be true that as humans, we tend to want that which is not good for us; the very things that do us damage are the things that we want and seek to obtain.
In reviewing all of my past loves, I could see a common theme, I felt imprisoned. Oh they all started out as most new loves do, the excitement of someone new, the phone calls till 3 A.M. yet waking at 7 missing the person as though you had not spoken in year. The endless nights of great sex, the long walks and talks... You get the picture I'm sure. The problem I saw was that these things never lasted long and when we should have been moving into the comfortable stage of familiarity and contentment, I was moving towards feeling imprisoned.
Over and over again, I repeated the same cycle, and each time, I found ways to blame my partner. In reflections, it was clear that the things that I complained about were simply a part of that person's personality, it was who they were and had been all along. Had I taken a chance to think before plunging ahead, often aggressively chasing the person, I would have been able to see that the person was not for me. Instead, I constantly followed my feelings of immediate gratification, enjoying the thrill of the chase and the smell of victory and accomplishment once I had won their affection, blindly ignoring that these things would pass and I would need to be able to go through the routine of daily life with this person who in actuality I could not tolerate, and more than likely, they could not tolerate me.
Once the light would come on and the little things that I disliked about them became HUGE things that I hated, that familiar feeling of imprisonment would inevitably return. The bickering would become arguing, the thoughts of cheating would become true infidelity, and in my mind, I was justified because this person would not or could not be the person I thought they should be.
Each and every time, I built my own jail, brick by brick. Every time I ignored things I disliked about the person in the beginning, every time I pretended to be someone I was not to gain the affection of this person, yet knowing I could not keep up the charade, I was building my jail to imprison myself.
The next time your mind is tempted to be idle, take a minute to reflect on your past relationships, you might be surprised with what you find... Just something For You To Ponder.