Struggle is a part of life. Buddha said it.

9/10
If you're enduring a struggle, please understand that that's normal. Struggle is a theme that permeates our reality, from literature to history and religion. See in your own life. See in the lives of others. Everyone struggles, but as someone wise told me, "You can either break down, or break through."

And some have learned to accept it as a part of life, a normalcy, and grow more successfully. Move beyond dichotomies of success/failure, toward a feeling of gratitude and thankfulness for what is given, for each blessing.

Anyway, wrote this for my brothers who struggle too. It's okay bro!
For my sisters too, who are so valuable to our society, yet bear burdens even heavier than the guys.

Understand life's cycles. You may be in the negative for years, but if you stay on the positive slope long enough, you'll make it out. Things aren't always a straight line, very often life zig-zags, curves, and loops. It's all part of the roller coaster, gotta know both to really appreciate either, enjoy your ride.

My previous post was not an implicit nod at smoking herb

I'm aware it was a "420" post, and I said explicitly DO NOT SMOKE SYNTHETIC WEED, and then I proceeded to describe how spice is basically catnip and twigs sprayed in chemicals.... without mentioning anything about weed/herb/ganja/marijuana/cannabis.


So there's an implication that can be made there... UNLESS I explicitly address that implication!


So.... NO, by saying DON'T SMOKE SPICE, I am NOT implying GO SMOKE WEED.


In fact, I usually don't think it's good to smoke weed! NOT THESE DAYS! More important things to handle! My days for that stuff been fading... no pun intended, they just happUN. ha ha ha. I still prefer it over alcohol, for relaxing and reflecting, but I got bigger priorities now than I did before, so very little time to waste.

To weed defenders:
So what if it's natural? What's more natural is our childhood physical state, pristine, unspoiled, and undisturbed by the physical nature of reality. Reality, by the way, is not limited to the physical, but that's another story altogether. I'm trying to get back to my younger, virginal self.

So what if there's no tobacco or nicotine? It still burns and leaves tars and resins in a smokers body!

So what if it's not chemically addictive? It's psychologically addictive, and that can be just as bad! I would know, I've been! I kinda still am! It's a struggle for me still. What keeps me sober is my gf... and my mom... and the thought of my future children.

Truth is, weed damages. Socially, financially, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And professionally. I could write at least a paragraph on each of those points, but the essay's not worth the effort (essayer means "to try" in French, right?).

I've seen weed damage minds, bboys, careers, health in people I know... some are just lookin not healthy!

Now I say "usually" I don't think it's good, because I found some things that it IS good for.
All of which you can do fine on your own without it, so go do that.


I should note that I'm a very functional partaker. Meaning I prefer to do stuff, or create stuff, while some prefer to watch TV, eat, or do nothing. That's not for me. I like to be active. I don't like to call myself smart, but mathematically, I could say I'm probably on the above average side of intelligence... maybe a standard deviation or two above the median. I've been driven, hungry for knowledge, and well-educated, so my experience with the stuff is REALLY different from people on the other end of the spectrum.

There are a lot of dumb smokers out there. They're not reading this though, cuz I know my audience is smarter than that. But I bet a "high" number of weed-smokers would not be even able to spell "cannabis" properly without a spellchecker.

If you need tutoring, hit me up.


Damn, 2 weed-related blog posts in a row.. Mostly anti- though, so I probably won't get fired from my job. Kids... don't smoke! Drink tea, caffeine, and derive inspiration from the earthen nature, space, family, and the simple beauties of the universe.

Don't Smoke Legal/Synthetic Weed! 4/20

Legal weed is bad!

What's THAT??
It's also known as Synthetic Weed, Spice, spices, herbal incense, has a lot of fancy names, Head Trip, ... you can get it at smoke shops in California if you're over 18. And it's DANGEROUS!

People overdose and go to the hospital from it.



The reason this topic came up is because.... I have a cat, here in New Orleans. Really nice pussycat. And I went to buy some catnip, thinking he'd enjoy it. PetCo ran out of ordinary catnip, so I bought the higher-grade organic stuff. $5 for a nice bag. Cuz Cats love catnip, I learned from National Geographic... But I was looking at my bag of catnip... and it looks JUST LIKE THAT LEGAL WEED I BOUGHT FROM THE STORE on NEWPORT BLVD off the 55!!

They just spray that shit with chemical (JWH-###) and it burns easily, so it makes for easy "Herbal Incense."

Dammit! I knew it. Shit is poison. Catnip combusts easily, but you're not supposed to smoke it.

It's not NORMAL weed. It's not natural. There's no THC. It's some flammable shit that they spray a chemical on. It's some shit called JWH-number-number. Not safe. People have overdosed and had terrible experiences. Only a little bit gets you as high as a lot of weed. And when people with high weed tolerances smoke spice/herbal incense/JWH in large amounts, they pass out! They get owned!

Why do people smoke it?

It doesn't show up on drug tests, though I think the drug test facilities are catching on.

I knew when I tried it, the stuff is terrible for you!

Turned out I was right:

CNN: Synthetic Drug Raid Reveals Scary Reality


Happy 420. Play safe.

Positive Thinking Needs Limits!!

 I'm surrounded by positive people, and that's a dangerous trap.


I. The Negative Side of Positivity
I'm a positive person. Most people know me as being very happy and positive-thinking. And I am that, most of the time, but most people don't know that I also love negative thinking, skepticism, criticism, and the Underdog mentality. Embrace both! Positive thinking has to have its limits.  No one wants to border on delusional, but that's what overly positive thoughts/expectations can sometimes do! I think I've made that mistake before.

At the same time, you don't wanna be a Debbie Downer, or a Negative Neddy.  You can use both positive and negative to empower your life. Mis-use both and it can stifle your life.


Just so you know I'm not speaking out of my ass, here's an NYU/Hamburg psychology article on how "Positive Fantasies about idealized futures sap energy."
http://www.psych.nyu.edu/oettingen/Barry%20Kappes,%20H.,%20&%20Oettingen,%20G.%20%282011%29.%20JESP.pdf

Here's a poignant article I found a while back (skimming facebook) on The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2014/02/the-powerlessness-of-positive-thinking.html

II. Co-Existence of Negative and Positive

Need both

In regards to embracing both, just accept that both positive and negative exist, and also co-exist, meaning one brings the other into existence. You have to know a bad day to appreciate a good day. You can't have success without failure, or at least the risk of failure. You can't have triumph without struggle, since there would be nothing to triumph over. You can't fly without wind resistance. The negative reality not only exists, it is necessary! for us to appreciate the tremendous positivity that is also around.

Need both for a complete picture

I just don't dwell on negativity. I bring it up, it makes for good references, point out potential areas of growth, identify problems, resolve issues and conflicts. Don't dwell, condemn, or complain, basic rules from Dale Carnegie.

III. The Positive Side of Negativity
That feeling of negativity can be good in the long-run, a blessing in disguise, if it pushes you to try harder.  It can also discourage and crush a soul. But you gotta know what it feels like to hit the ground first, before bouncing back.

That's the Earth

As the article from the New Yorker suggests, negative thinking can push people to try harder, over-prepare, and apply themselves more than optimism and over-confidence.

For more on negative space art, do a Google search.

Hahaha... "Breaking teachers are everywhere"

So this little video I made got shared a few times, a few people told me I was viral.
breaking teachers are everywhere

I was like: "Viral? What viral?" Cuz I was SICK at the time too so yeah, I definitely WAS viral or bacterial or had something unbalanced in my system. The video was shared, mostly by strangers,  and liked up to about 570ish, by about 400 people that I don't even know.

Only about 130 of those 570 "likes" were my network of wonderful friends, truly amazing people, most of them. Haha. And I love the hell out of them. I'm blessed for the people I know in my life. They're probably amongst the ones reading this. Thank you for being in my life!

For the other 440, I guess a dancing professional is amusing to people. Refreshing to see. Engaging to students (I hope).

When I made the video, I didn't think much of it. Just responding to my friends tagging me in the Strife.tv video. It only took like 5 minutes, I figure I'd put the quote in at the end, to make it be about Knowledge ultimately. Knowledge reigns supreme.

Anyways, that was a pretty funny experience,

and that's not even my best dancing! Most bboys wouldn't like it, cuz it's not new or dope, it's just better than that older guys', but he deserves props too for getting down in the classroom and nurturing minds daily!!

Original video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151989988466655

In fact, truth be told, it's not even a great representation of real bboying, just a simple power combo.

To a non-breaking person, it looks hard. But to be honest, even to a 2-3yr bboy, that's a basic combo.

But the idea is POWER.

You thought it was hard?
What if I told you it's actually easy?

You can harness it, and it becomes easier once you have the Knowledge.
Everything is easier once you Know how to do it.
Knowledge makes things easier.
Knowledge is Power.
And having knowledge of your power makes doing powermoves easier.

Anyone can learn it.

So I had to wrap up at the end of the video: It's easy once you have the Knowledge, so the key is the Knowledge. That unlocks your abilities to do amazing things.

Home-made Frozen Blueberry Cream Smoothie

I bought one of those invisible boxes full of blueberries, from the fruit aisle.

I turned it into this delicious serving of natural berry antioxidants,
which is way less expensive than a Jamba Juice or Boba store. Less sugar too.

Here's how I made this refreshing frozen smoothie, in 9 pictures:

1) First. I put the frozen blueberries in a big cup.

2) Then I added water to clean the blueberries out without abrasively damaging the berry skins.

3) Put the washed blueberries in a blending machine.

4) Added just a little bit of milk. Don't need much, plus it's saturated fat.

5) Then I added a vitamin shake to my berries and milk. 

I prefer Vi-Shape for nutritional content.

6) Set the cover in position...

7) ...Hit blend...

8) Done in about 5-6 seconds, no ice to crush, just berries.

9) Last step, drink!

I spot a parabola and an ellipse.

This feels pretty healthy. Super easy to make, process is simple.

Mid-Night, a Counter-intuitive Time for Productivity

I can proudly say, that I fall asleep at fairly regular hours now. And I wake up early.
Now that the work-week is over, I am able to experiment with 2 sleeps per night.

That's when you wake up in the middle and have 2 sleeps per night.

It's a counter-intuitive time for productivity, a fun time to do stuff,
And a great time for writing, reading, journalizing.

Hyperbolic Reflection 

I. Journalizing is internalizing. Reflect.
"Journal-ing" about your day/week/month/year, and "realizing" things in reflection of that Time period, are the two components to "journalizing."That's an effective practice that I encourage everyone to have: Keep a Journal! Do the "write" thing by journalizing.

II. Mid-night also feels like a good time to write creatively, I'm definitely working on making this (Fre)eBook happen. "Astro-Logic: An exploration of Astronomy and Religion" yeah? Always making rhymes regardless.  I think my SoundCloud subscribers deserve a few new recordings too.

New book of rhymes, available in FREE (for all),
1.20 (for all)  or 3.60 for 18+ — Starting 9/27.

III. Then there's reading, which I'm just ready to do right now, after I journalize some more. Excited to spend time with this new book that I got from Baylor's stepdad Bruce. For any book, at least a few people thought it was good enough to be published, so maybe there's value in each book.

IV. The mid-night and early morning hours feel like a fun time to do stuff. Get stuff done. Pay bills. Wash dishes. I could do anything right now. hehe.


The point remains, it's a very counter-intuitive time for productivity. I can imagine weird/new ideas happening at this time.
I'm going to continue reading for now, before going back to sleep. This is a fun practice, but I can perceive one downside/counterpoint:

Might be just waking up and staying up! That's why I'm getting off the computer after this.

No more of this.

Also, if you want to try 2 sleeps per night, you can't start the first sleep later than 10pm. Someone who wants to practice 2 sleeps per night would have to sleep earlier, like around 7-8pm, 9-10pm latest, when the sun goes down. That takes you through at LEAST 1 R.E.M. cycle and makes it easier to wake up around 12-3am, for a Mid-night romp. It's an experience. I'm feeling a different calmness and clearness of mind in the quietude of these hours. I just wrote a 4-point-counterpoint/7 paragraph essay.


The first sleep gives a mental recharge.
Mid-night a very interesting time to do things.
There's a different feel to early morning.

Though I attempt my best to be highly effective, I'm not the most efficient person, in fact, I sometimes take forever to do things. In the end, I'm finding this hour to be more productive than most.

Things You Can Do This Summer 2013

Check it out... this list contains NOTHING that you HAVE to do, just things you CAN do, because it's summer!

jumping off a rock in Hawaii screaming WU-TANG!!! (2007)

1. See something new - Travel!
One great thing about traveling is, you don't have to travel far. And it doesn't have to cost much money. A Google search can give you access to all the info you need. You can go to another side of town and have a local vacation (called a "staycation", look it up). Walk, skate, bike, or drive to an area of town you haven't been, and see something new. Just be safe!

this was on a staycation in Long Beach @the Grand Prix!

And for the more "monetarily-inclined," another great thing about traveling is, you can travel far!

Traveling to different places will help you understand the world in ways that books and videos cannot. Experience new things, see new communities, meet new people, shop/eat at new places! Shopping and eating at new places might sound funny, but don't take it lightly, because you're actually re-routing your money into another local economy! $400 in America can go quickly, but over in another country, it might help a few families! If you have time off from work or school this summer, then you can travel! Vegas doesn't count!

For more on why traveling is great, see Lena Desmond: Date a Boy (or Girl) Who Travels


2. Learn something new - Practice!
The best things are learned outside of school. How many people do you know would agree with that?

Summer Learning is the BEST learning! Practice something. My best summers are ALL about practicing something new. It's when I learned to swim, and when I learned to break. Summer was the time I had AWAY from school that allowed me to focus on something else and learn something new!

This was what I learned one summer!

If you already found a passion, art, sport, or hobby that you like to do, PRACTICE! Get those 10,000 hours of deliberate practice in, you'll be in good shape!

MOST PEOPLE have wasted summers. I've had it too, the summers where you don't learn anything, and just get really bored! Turn your boredom into fascination. Go find a hero, role model, or competitor/enemy to motivate you to practice something! Have a goal or greater vision in mind!

You don't necessarily have to take a class... just be OPEN to learning. Position yourself to grow and get help from others.

I learned this from a gas station!

I learn stuff all the time just by keeping my eyes and ears open.


3. Help someone new - Teach!
This might be the most inexpensive and meaningful thing to do this summer. But don't teach before you get enough practice or experience.

"Approach tests like a warrior,
And ATTACK each problem!"

Knowledge is powerful, and throughout the years of your life, you might LEARN something that other people don't know. Not only is knowledge powerful, it's useful and beneficial to other people's lives. If you're in a position to teach, give advice, or mentor someone... can be a younger sister, brother, FRIEND, or colleague... then not only will you have a positive impact on someone else's life, but you can also build a great relationship. Help someone new.

Some people combine traveling WITH teaching, as I know a few friends who are on English-Teaching and Mission Trips abroad, doing excellent work that I highly commend! And AT THE SAME TIME, by traveling, they are spending money locally and circulating it back into another country's local economy!


4. Do/Feel/Try something new - Experience!
Hey, if your idea of having fun is climbing a mountain, or going camping, or anything else experimental (but safe), then go for it! I know technically, everything's an experience, but I mean experience something NEW. TRY something new. Step out of your comfort zone.

You might make a mistake... Turn it into a learning experience. You can do something adventurous. Or do something awesome. Just DO something. And enjoy it! Live in the now, take in each precious and unique moment. Appreciate this temporary life.

5. Make something new - Create!
Go do something that no one else can do.
Everything you make will be unique to you.

We all have a unique fingerprint, but no one will see it unless we make a mark. Once you make something, it's yourself forever. Write, sing, record, put something together that you want to be remembered for. Think of the future, you can make something for your kids and grandkids. Think of the present, you can make something for your friends and family.

Current example: This blog post.

A thought I just had!

Do things for the good of the people, not to be popular, and you'll be popular anyway. 

Cuz whats the population populated with? People. The words share the same root.

It's that JFK shit, except instead of saying "country," it's replaced with people. 

Don't ask what OTHER people can do for you... ask what you can do for other people.

I was told one time, "The key of living is giving."

That's pretty good, the idea of making a difference.

It's more than having success, it's having significance.

Being a good influence.

Every interaction is energy exchange – what are you doing with yours?

Remember when I wrote...

"I'm trynna be the potent quotient,

Answer to the system's divisions.

Wisdom can be given through visions,

beats, or rhythms, if you can tell the difference.

Listen,

Greater than the Sum of all my rhymes,

I'm just a Product of Mother Earth and Father Time.

When it comes to heart and spirit, I'll give you all of mine"

-2009

Yayy dancing is fun

Discussing the BEST times to dance, and also, the most annoying thing we encounter, as dancers.

Then there's the clip of me at the beach, back in high school.

Life in NOLA been busy, so enjoy!

Fun tips for lowlifes

Here are a few tips for low lives. If you're a bum, or if you don't mind compromising your morals, you can get tons of free stuff.


1. Free pocket-sized stuff
It's pretty easy to get stuff for free, by simply shoplifting. Most stores don't have sensors. I even made an ode to that in a piece, called "Worse Thieves (Pilfering)" to be uploaded in my SoundCloud soon. Black pants and jackets with big pockets are the best clothes to wear for shoplifting. Avoid shirts that make you look like a hoodlum or derelict. If you have glasses, wear them, and you will look less suspicious. If you're gonna by stealing shit, don't look around beforehand like you're doing something shady. Stay calm. Those eyes-in-the-sky cameras can be intimidating, but have no fear... their blind spot is actually DIRECTLY underneath the camera. (thanks to MGS for teaching me this) Pilfering is an art. I don't recommend it.

2. Free toilet paper

In an actually Coffee Bean.

If you can't buy your own toilet paper, then with bookbag/purse in hand, go into your local Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and use their bathroom! Most of them have a cabinet for bathroom supplies... you can load up on toilet paper, paper towels, even spray bottles for your stink loads.

3. Free hand soap
From the $1 section of Target, you can get an empty soap dispenser, and then stock up on soap in ANY public restroom, as mentioned previously. If you don't want to buy a soap dispenser, you can pilfer it, or use a Ziploc bag.

4. Free food/drink
Go to Costco, load up. Trader Joe's has food/drink samples. Albertson's and TotalWine have alcohol samples.

5. Free weed

The lowliest of the low is taking from your own friends, aka, people you know. For normal people, this is out of the question, but for low-lives... it just depends on how low you're feeling. Just ask to take a look at your friend's weed, inspect it, smell it, say "it looks really dank." Comment on the trichomes. When your friend's not looking, just take a small nug. Your friend won't notice, and will most likely by high, and also most likely not remember exactly how many nugs were in his possession.


Again, this is advice for LOW-LIVES and BUMS.
If you're a bum... Godspeed. If you're not, I salute you and your moral integrity.

If you have more tips, let me know.

My Taco Bell Prophecy and UCI/VIFF Trip!

An alternative title to this post could have been "Why a Trip to UCI/VIFF had me in Tears"

I'm not much of a crier, but recently I've been allowing myself to cry again! It feels pretty good afterward, kinda like throwing up, or taking a dump, but more therapeutic. I recommend a good cry sometimes, if you've forgotten what it feels like. 

WHATEVER THOUGH. I went to UCI on Saturday for the Vietnamese International Film Festival (VIFF), and one of the films had me bawling! I had to refrain from making crying noises LOL. So here's the story, it's actually pretty upbeat:

Part I. My Taco Bell Prophecy

I parked near the Taco Bell and In-N-Out on Campus Street, so that I wouldn't have to pay for parking. The gay cashier was pretty cool, and much friendlier than the average Taco Bell employee. I like gay people (might as well be open about that), and I think I'll dedicate a blog post for that in the future. 

When I got my food, I asked the guys working if they thought Taco Bell was going to introduce the Strawberry topping into their new slush drinks, similar to the Fruitista. I thought a red and white drink would aesthetically be a winner. It wouldn't be bad to add some extra flavor and color to their Pina Colada, Mtn. Dew, and Pink Lemonade slushes, right? Strawberry-Pina Colada? Strawberry-Mtn. Dew? Strawberry-Pink Lemonade? Who could resist?

I figure they'll probably add this to their product line, it's gonna be a great idea, and they will make a ton of money. My reasoning is because Taco Bell likes to start with one new item, then add upgraded versions of the item (like the Dorito Locos with Cooler Ranch).

If this prophecy comes to fruition, don't forget where you heard it! The workers agreed with my light-hearted projection, and one of them said "Hey, check THIS out." He had a new creation and showed it to us. It looked pretty trippy, and he offered it to me for free. The reason I share this is because I believe things go your way when you're nice to people and smile a lot. They "messed up" my order and gave me free cinnamon snacks too. hahahahaa!!!!

Trippy pina colada/mtn dew/lemonade drink^

Part II. My UCI Experience (in pics)

It's a beautiful campus. I'm not at UCI often, so I enjoyed the scenery. The main walking path paralleled BruinWalk in several ways, so I thought "Cool, this is where the Anteaters walk." I took some picture that I found humorous:

Damn, people seem to need a LOT of help in math! HAHAHAH

When I saw this, I thought: "Oh yeah, I'm definitely at UCI." ZOT.

I do NOT know my way around this campus, but the organizers of VIFF were thoughtful enough to erect signboards. Well done, organizers, I applaud your efforts in putting together a quality film festival!

Fool-proof. Even I could figure that out. 

Part III. The Movies!

Going into a lecture hall with the lights dimmed and watching independent films felt more like a movie-going experience than an academic experience. How fun! Why can't going into lecture be as exciting as going to the movies? Certainly it CAN be. So why ISN'T it? Envisioning my future in education, I intend to make learning more like a movie-going/concert experience, than an un-engaging lecture experience.

I saw 3 movies: Return to Sender (which had me in tears), Awaken: Story of a DREAM Act Student, and Mr. Cao Goes to Washington.

I won't do a whole movie review, but in watching the movies, I was brought back to my undergrad years, when I was more politically vocal. I toned that part of myself down in the past few years for personal/professional reasons. Either way, this re-sparked my fuel. 

Cuz really, why is the Federal DREAM Act STILL not passed? It's a sensible piece of legislation, Obama has already endorsed it, AND it passed the House vote (I think). It does NOT equate to amnesty, and only allows the best and brightest with no criminal record a path toward citizenship. 

Realistically... I know this type of talk disengages certain people, so that's one of the reasons I toned down my politicized views... Either way, that shit needs to pass already so the government can take their tax dollars, and so they can work/create jobs. Comprehensive Immigration Reform is needed!!!

Speaking of change that is needed, the movie Return to Sender had me bawling. Mad tears flowing down my face. Shit is straight injustice! I felt a connection to these guys because I want to be a great father myself some day, and I can feel their pain being separated from their families... damn, it just hurt to watch, but it's reality. Most of them are Californians. Deported years later for crimes they committed as kids! Wack. 

For some reason, Blogspot won't let me embed the video, so I will just have to Link to it: 

Return to Sender (8 min)

Share the film to spread awareness!

Part IV. Final Reflections

After my dad died, it took a lot for me to cry. At least in the 12 years that followed, I didn't really cry at all. I used to be proud of that, because I wanted to feel tough. Guess the truth was that I had trouble expressing some emotions. It was a mixture of being an arrogant teenager, and being numb to the pain after losing my dad. It's no wonder that I started dancing shortly after to outlet some of those feelings. 

This post was a little bit more sober than my last one, but I guess that's life. Gotta have contrast. Shoutout to VSU @UCLA and VIFF!

What It's Like to be Awake During Wisdom Teeth Extraction!

I figure this story has some value.

Unlike many, I had the unique experience of being completely AWAKE and conscious of what was going on during my Wisdom extraction surgery. 

I had FOUR 3rd molars (wisdom teeth) removed, though only one of them was sticking out from my gums.

I was given the option to get knocked out for $800 or just get sedated/numbed for $400. If you want to talk to my friend Irvin, he'll knock you out for free. After some deliberation, and being very tempted to experience getting "knocked out on medical drugs" I decided to go with the $400 sedation-numbing method, which turned out to be a GREAT choice, and I saved 400 bucks!

Photo Cred: Victoria, the best assistant ever

The procedure itself wasn't too bad, I was awake throughout the whole thing and remember it vividly.

First was the pre-numbing gel that tasted like my mouth-numbing Benzocaine cough drops. Pre-numbing... sounds too close to pre-cumming. Not something I'd normally want in my mouth. But that day it was okay.

Then it was the 4 jaw-numbing Lidocaine shots. I had never been injected that intensely. Straight into the hard part of my gums. It was probably the MOST pain throughout the entire operation. But after that, I was numb TO THE MAX. 

Then the nitrous (laughing gas) started hitting. They strapped a nitrous mask on me to ease my apparent anxiety. And good thing too, that nitrous shit was fun!!!

whooo-hooooo!

Dental lights aren't normally blinding, but the one this guy had was fucking BRIGHT. They put sunglasses on me, and it felt almost like a comical situation. Coupled with the nitrous, I couldn't help but ask the assistant, Victoria, to snap me a photo! For memorabilia, she took 4!

As we waited for the Lidocaine to kick in, I kept inhaling the nitrous. Deep breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Started feeling like a really fun form of meditation.

I was clearly having a lot of fun.

Soon, I was as numb enough not to be trusted with drinking water. The doctor started cutting my gums and yanking out each tooth. He said "Tom, good news buddy, we got the whole tooth out, and doesn't look like your nerve is damaged." That was relieving. I said "Thanks Doc, Thanks Victoria." 1 by 1, he pulled out the teeth, then stitched me back up. I was getting loopy on that nitrous though, I got the assistant Victoria to get me a pen and paper so I could write down some shit I thought of. Overall, $400 for a pretty fun experience. The worst part was just bleeding a shit ton from my mouth. But ya know... that's temporary.

Honestly, it was pretty horrifying to see my mouth full of blood. That's what I went through on Monday, and I would not want to do it again. This guy was a pro though.

Codeine medication wasn't really that cool. Just made me drowsy and sleep extremely well.

Kinda stinks that the new tooth that I used to play around with with my tongue is now gone.


I heard the knock-you-out medication is pretty intense, and can cause vomiting, nausea, or death. If I have kids, I'd get them on the nitrous! Save $400 that way too! LOL

The Evolution of Man - Level Up!

This song opened me up to new perspectives of what music, love, and poetry could be.

Binary Star - Evolution of Man (1999)

Opening Lyrics:

[One Be Lo]

It's like... Beyond physical attraction, 

Your explosive personality blows my mentality.

Actually, my emotions on a rampage. 

We ain't the same age, but we in the same book, on the same page.

Your conversation calls for meditation.

Never amateur. Check the calendar, let's make a reservation.

Communication is the bridge.

At times, I wonder what you thinkin'.

The truth will set you free like Abe Lincoln.

[Brenda J]

Free, I'm totally emancipated.

Proclaiming is due to the love together we've created.

Our thoughts no longer separated,

Past barriers and roadblocks, 

You've opened my heart, no need to pick the lock.

[One Be Lo]

The key to my heart should be the sole controller,

Life is full of ups and downs like a roller coaster.

I'm hip to your vibe like Motorola...

...it goes on, and it don't stop.

I. This Song Bang Hard!

A hip hop looove track. Right up there with "The Light" by Common and "Beautiful" by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Mary J. Blige. It's the softer side of hip hop, and without the major label.

So I posted a few weeks ago about how Binary Star opened me up to underground hip hop with the song "Honest Expression," but THIS song, "Evolution of Man" opened me up to new levels of poetry and love. The girl's lyrics are really poetic too.

What struck me most when I got introduced to this in 2005 WASN'T just the subject matter and clever rhymes, even though I love the subject matter and it's clever as shit, delivered over that smooth beat.... so lovely, enjoy the song!!! What struck me about "Evolution of Man" was that it sounded genuine, and authentic, as if he wrote it specifically for his loved one, and not to sell a million records to a mass audience. Just look at the first line! There must be someone special that this song was inspired by, and THAT's what stuck with me... inspired rhyming!


Words packed with emotion are much more powerful compared to words that lack feeling and passion.

II. Songs don't change your life, YOU DO!

From that point on, I did something that changed my life: I adopted the habit of writing whenever I got inspired. Started when I was bored in detention. Continued when I found poems to be a fun way to surprise a girl I liked. Didn't always charm them, but sometimes it did. My early rhymes were pretty terrible, but they got better over time. Writing has become a habit that exercises my creativity muscle and keeps me producing. I'm doing it right now. I can't ever stop, and I have no reason to because it's fun and enriches my life.

Wise words/Free plug for a respected bboy's blog: 1nspiration is Free.
Inspiration could come from a girl (as it often has), from a story/picture/song/video, from dancing, or from a specific event or experience. From family. From clouds. From the weather. From Morgan Freeman's voice. From natural patterns I notice. From social/economic/political issues that need to be addressed. Just like hip hop, it's FREE. The point is, after falling in love with this song, something was triggered in my poor head to find inspiration through MANY sources, and convert that inspiration into inspired words.

I'm inspired by people who write better than me, those who are more accomplished than me, and that's what keeps me hungry to improve my writing, making new rhymes, and blogging. I want to get better... I'm not ready to plateau!

I'm inspired by great people, accomplished people, genuinely happy people, passionate people, responsible people, disciplined people, entrepreneurs, people with skills and abilities...

III. In Conclusion:

I know I talk about myself a lot, BUT... It's not about me, it's about everyone around me, friends, family, and students. Future children and grandchildren. I wish for their lives to be better. That's what this blog is for. I wish for my energy to be contagious. Some people who don't know me well talk ill on me/my blog/my videos, but I just wish the best for them. I don't wish to spend my time spewing hate... I'd rather spend my time doing great. Haha. Rhymetime!


Back to the topic, Evolution of Man.

Here's what I learned from writing/dancing/living, and here's what matters most: When your mind changes, your life changes. That's why teachers, mentors, friends, and family are important! They affect your mind, and can help you grow. When you learn new skills, you evolve. Life IS like an RPG game, in the sense that you explore the world collect new experiences; when you fight through battles, you gain "experience points," and when you get better, you level up! And LIFE IS AWESOME!

There's no limit to what humans are capable of learning and doing. Evolve yourself!

to infinity

Like the late great business philosopher Jim Rohn said:

"Don't wish for things to get easier, wish for yourself to get BETTER.

Don't wish for less problems, wish for more skills!"

Nice philosophy! It works in reverse too: When you get better, things that were once difficult become easier for you. Think... walking, dancing, driving a car, etc.. It's not about magic, it's about good habits!

So in high school when I focused on evolving MYSELF, and getting better at things that I wasn't good at, my life got better! My dancing, my rhyming, my relationships all get better, when I improve myself.

More recently, I had this revelation (self-talk): "Stop trying to prove yourself to people. Stop trying to prove that you're knowledgeable about hip hop culture, and that you can dance, and rhyme, etc.... Focus instead on IMproving yourself; do what you're meant to do on this earth, and let others think what they will anyway."


Live with purpose, and on purpose. Always striving for the next level. It's the evolution of man.

~~~

Haha, just noticed another pattern as I was writing this:

Bored during lunch/after-school => started breaking.
Bored during detention => started writing/rhyming.
Bored during non-work hours => started blogging/business planning.


Last words:

Consistency is the Key.
That's what I learned from L-I-F-E.
And my friends agree.
Consistency is the Key.

5.5 Tips to get from Friendship to Relationship (Pt. II)

Couple disclaimers before we get it in:

-This advice is for going from Friendzone to Relationship. Nothing sleazy. Hooking up with a girl you don't know is DIFFERENT, and not necessarily sleazy, but requires a different approach. Maybe a different blogpost.

-This is what works for me. Some people have different philosophies that work for them. You can listen to them, or listen to me, but in the end, make your own decisions. These are tips, not rules.

-I'm not Romeo Casanova, but I've been in the Friend Zone. And once I got out of it, I've never been back in a situation where I liked a girl, and she didn't know, but would rather just be friends.

That's a shitty situation.

But, there is a way out!

So here's

5.5 Tips to get from Friendship to Relationship

1) Start as FRIENDS - The positive news is, being friends is GOOD! If you're friends with someone, be HAPPY, it means she doesn't hate you. Friendships that turn into relationships are healthy because the foundation is already built.

If you're NOT friends with any girls, and you don't put yourself in situations to see girls, then that's a different problem altogether! But if you're open, friendly, and don't smell terrible, then there's someone out there for you, and you'll both be happy together. 

Establishing a common ground, a mutual connection, and even chemistry as FRIENDS is the basis of a strong relationship. Many strong relationships begin as friendships, and grow from there. Not all people want a strong relationship, but something that starts too quickly can end just as fast. 

So be friends first. You don't have to wait 5 years, but maybe a few weeks/months.

Stay patient. Persistency pays, and time reveals character. 

The tricky part about starting as friends is navigating THROUGH the Friend Zone, and not getting stuck there. That's why you need Tip 2.

2) Be clear about what you want - Is it a relationship? is it a study buddy? dance partner? partner in crime? a fellow superhero? looking for fun? keeping options open? all of the above?

Partnerships are about building trust, but you gotta have a CLEAR INTENTION that you're not just looking for new friends. You ARE looking for new friends, but if you want more than that, then you have look for more than that. If you search you will find. Not "if you keep quietly to yourself it will drop on your lap." That won't happen. It's better to be looking for a lot of things, than to not be looking for much, or even worse, to wander aimlessly. This often makes the difference between staying in the friend zone, or opening up more possibilities, so observe the power of clear intentions.

3) Do something mutually beneficial - Make both your lives better. A relationship should serve you, not hurt you. Personally, I study, dance, stretch, eat, and have fun - these are all things that can be done with another person. 

People mess up here a lot, but I think it's very important. You should still have fun doing mundane things. If the chemistry is right, then it won't be BORING because you'll get to know each other. The intuitive idea for many people is to look for something fun to do, so the default choices are... movies, clubbing, partying, etc, and these are cool to do too, especially if you're the kind of person that does that, but if the chemistry isn't there, the reaction still fizzles. 

It doesn't have to be unique, but if it's unique, like doing something she's involved in (like a performance, hint), it's even cooler. Even just supporting/encouraging each other is major.

As a friend, think about what's in it for HER?

Having a boyfriend/girlfriend can be very rewarding.

She might not consciously think it, but she does think "Will my life be better with this guy or not?"

If the time you spend together is mutually beneficial, then that answer should be a no-brainer. 

Seeeee?

4) Support YOURSELF! My favorite pick-up line is: Can I be your bra? Cuz I'd like to support you!

Cheesy? Yes. Original? Also yes, I made it myself. But how can you support a girlfriend if you can't support yourself? So it's not about money, but having money helps. Having a job helps. Getting good grades helps. Having your shit together helps. Having some promise and showing some future helps.

Have a future!

No woman wants to be with some guy who has no future. 

And if she did, I'd be worried for her!

Here's the phenomenon that blows my mind, and I think it's a result of the Women's Rights/Independent Women's Movement: Girlfriends who support their bum boyfriends. Is it an empowering feeling for her? Idunno, but either he's got potential for something that's not there yet, or she can do better than that but chooses not to. Either way, bumming bums. No scrubs LOL.

5) DEVELOP yourself - Don't just support yourself financially, take a holistic approach and develop yourself into a better overall person. Probably the most important tip I could give a young fella. This is a good time to fix little holes in your character. Everyone's got them, so it's okay.

What holes? Something needs fixing? Yeah, are you frequently late or on time? Do you smell bad? Is your car dirty? Room dirty? Do you waste time doing stupid shit? Do you still play games? Do you have a good attitude or do you complain, whine, and talk smack? Do you rarely follow through with what you say? 

The wrong answers may explain why you can't get a girlfriend.

Knowledge and Skills come in handy too. Can you read a map? Can you fix a car? Can you dance? There are a lot of people who say they dance now, so can you dance WELL? Do you know your history? Along with these skills, do you know how to tell when a girl is interested in you?

~~~

On that note, here's my final tip, in closing. 

If a girl chooses to spend time with you, more than once, then MAYBE she likes you. It's no guarantee, but it's important to read the signs; I've definitely made the mistake of not knowing when a girl was interested in me back in high school, and I was TOTALLY into her, but put MYSELF in the friend zone, just cuz I didn't have the confidence. That's super lame. I'm not doing that anymore.

"Nice guys can get girlfriends; passive guys can't."

-My girlfriend

No one taught me about girls, so I just learned from my own mistakes.

If she genuinely inspires you to do or write something, let her know. That's part of the magic.

I've been in the Friend Zone myself. I got out of it myself.

It's kinda a shitty place to be if you can't figure out how to get out of it.

Also, if it's NOT right, and a relationship realistically wouldn't work out, be open to being friends and finding someone else. If she's not feeling you, chances are, she's not really the love of your life.

GOOD LUCK!