Gangnam Style!

This is going to be a brief post. Don't feel like writing a lot at the moment. But, this is amusing and somewhat thought-provoking. If you haven't already, feast your eyes on the hilarity of Gagnam Style!

Now close this window and read the rest tomorrow. No joke.

Ah, you chose to read the rest. You fool. Well, I tried. Now you have to read the link to the follow-up article! At first, I thought the video was catchy and hilarious. Now, I have to consider that it's also quite serious. Even a parody can have deep meaning. Here's why...

Gangnam Style, Dissected: The Subversive Message Within South Korea's Music Video Sensation

Wasn't that interesting? Now think for a moment: do you live a Gangnam-style life?

Cogito Ergo Facere

I missed the chance to give away my Chacos today.

Shut up and read. Yes, you. Sit down, be quiet, and let your mind do the talking while your eyes catch up. Read. I know, they're brand new sandals. Good brand, good sandals. I still missed out.

I was on my lunch break, wandering over to the state office building to put something in the mail. On the way back, I was waiting at the crosswalk. There were two people waiting on the other side. One was a man who might have been a little warm. Lincoln's cooled down in the last couple days but mid- to high-eighties is still on the warm side for wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. It wasn't until I was halfway across the street that I realized what made the man noticeable. I'd seen him bend forwards and backwards before the light changed, but that was just stretching. It started when he stepped down onto the street. His first step was cautious, like a person stepping onto a frozen lake. After that, he strolled forward casually, but my mind had already catalogued an important fact: this man was walking barefoot.

If you've ever walked barefoot over gravel or concrete, you know it's not pleasant. Making it hot just reduces the pleasantry. Your brief "hello" in passing becomes a frantic head bob as you sprint past. But this man walked unhurriedly across the street and continued on his way.

Sadly, it wasn't until I was across the street that I realized I could have offered him my sandals. My second thought was an objection that the sandals cost $80. The third thought gave the second thought a fatal beating and reminded me that it would have been Jesus-like to give away my footwear, new or not.

I missed an opportunity to preach. Not sermoning, not lecturing, not 28-fundamentalizing--preaching. I will remind you of the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach at all times. Use words when necessary."

I missed an opportunity to do. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and I've found that some of the lines are solidly true. For example, "Do, or do not. There is no try." I did not do today. I only thought of doing. The difference between the two is so massive that you can fit an entire universe between them. Let me illustrate. When the world ends and everyone is judged, Jesus will not say, "I was thirsty and you thought of bringing me a drink. I was hungry and you thought of making food for me. I was naked and you thought of clothes for me. I was in prison and you thought of visiting me." Doesn't work like that. The phrase, "It's the thought that counts," is a lie. If thought is all you offer, don't be surprised if thought is all you get. Action begets action. "Cogito ergo sum--I think, therefore I am." Not, "I think, therefore I do."

So let's stop thinking about doing and just go do. Instead of thinking of exercise, go exercise. Instead of thinking of food, go eat. Instead of thinking of chasing God, get your runners on (not your Chacos) and sprint down the street. He won't run too far ahead of you. Just far enough to keep you running.

Do you get it? Or do you only think you do?

Updating Me

As my wife mentioned the other day, it's a terrible thing for a writer to not write. And, I admit, I haven't been wordcrafting lately. Perhaps I should have someone remind me to write every so often, or have someone bother me if I go too long without posting. We'll see. Anyone want to volunteer for the position?

Lately, life has been rather pleasant. Job's going well, my wife and I are settled into our new place (if you're behind in the news, yes, we moved), and we're enjoying life right now. With the possible exception of the weather. It's too bloody hot in Nebraska. Lots of sun and very little rain. The average temp is over 100 degrees Farenheit. There are a lot of outdoor activities that one can enjoy in the summer. Regrettably, the heat drains any enthusiasm for indulging in said activities.

On to music. I haven't been as much of an audiophile lately as I used to be. Perhaps that's a good thing, perhaps not. In large part, I think it's because I listen to the radio too much. And most of the sound on the radio is dissonance in my ears. A friend posted an article on FB the other day that said scientists have proved that pop music is starting to sound more and more alike and that the industry is compensating by cranking up the volume. It's sad, but confirms what I've suspected for a while. I need to find other methods of discovering music. Maybe I should listen to Pandora more. And, of course, there's always Tiesto. I'd like to get some of his latest music like Maximal Crazy and Zero 76. "Something with a little... bounce in it." And don't start singing the coconut song.

As for the other love of my life, my inner bibliophile has been having a great time. I picked up Sara Douglass recently. I've been reading her Wayfarer Redemption series lately and I can't put them down. The editing has been deteriorating and part of me is tempted to send a letter or e-mail to her and mention it. Perhaps I can point out all the errors and the books can be re-released? Anyways. The editing may be rotting, but the story is well written. If you want to sample them, pick up Wayfarer Redemption and see for yourself. Don't blame me if you go through the whole series, though.

Anyways. That's all for now. I type a lot at work and I don't think I want to type much more tonight. Still have some gaming to do. I'll cover that next time. Tomorrow, perhaps. There's always tomorrow. =)

The Importance of Frozen Yogurt

What does one do when confronted with something right out of a Chris Rock song? Stay tuned for the answer. (No Pumas were harmed and no smudges were made. If you don't get the reference... you're probably better off not knowing.) Last week, my wife and I decided to get some frozen yogurt on our lunch break. Well, she decided and texted me to ask if I wanted some. Same thing. Anyway. We were walking to Red Mango to get our frozen treat and chatting as we went. I happened to look down the block and noticed a black man approaching. Most of the time, I consider this a normal event and don't write a blog about it. This time was an exception. This particular fellow was angry, as noted by his scowling features and the "Get out of my way!"s that he gave to the people in front of him. Oh, and he was staring at me. Without further speech, this guy stalked up to me, stopped, and inserted his face into my bubble. His glare bounced off of my shades, but his face was about two inches from mine. I consider that to be a little too close for comfort. This is where the teacher in me says that a lesson should be illustrated. Perhaps something along the lines of "don't stereotype", "don't be racist", or "don't fight". Or I could tell you about how I utilized the skills I learned during my decade-and-more of karate training and beating the crap out of this guy for giving me the evil eye. But I won't. What happened? I kept walking with my wife so as not to miss out on frozen yogurt. Let's get a couple of things straightened out so that you follow my reasoning. First, I had no idea who the guy was. Still don't. Not good policy to get in a fistfight with a stranger over who-the-hell-knows-what. Secondly, lest you get the wrong impression, I used what I learned from my karate training. Don't get all "waitaminutewhattheheckareyoutalkingabout" on me yet. Remember that karate is meant for self-defense. And, as I was told by one of the black belts, "Your first option is to run away." The easiest way to defend yourself, as an aikido practitioner could tell you, is to not be there. So, when our belligerent, bellicose, African-American friend decided to be a stone in my path, I chose to be water and flow around him. After slipping past, I heard, "Smart. Smart." No doubt my would-be antagonist meant that I was smart to walk away as he would have beaten me to a pulp. I'm not as certain that a fight would have gone that way, but one can never be certain. I chose to interpret his comment this way: I was smart to avoid a fight because it would have been senseless violence. And because it would have run past my lunch break.

Irrational Glass Urges

For some odd reason, I have the capricious urge to take photographs. I suppose I could blame it on my friend Jaz. She posted some fabulous photos on FB that someone took of her. I can't take photos like that. I've never been very good with a camera. I'm a point-and-shoot type. I know about the Rule of Thirds because my dad's a photog and because I learned about it in Critiquing Film. That's about the extent of my shutter knowledge. And still... I want to shoot. I want to capture beauty in a single glance. Doesn't have to be human, doesn't have to be art. It simply must be something riveting. Perhaps one day I'll get that. For now... I'll just have to grab a camera and sate my lust for likable light.

Lest We Forget

There's a lot of attention on US troops. Some negative, such as protests at soldier funerals. A lot of positive, pictures and messages saying, "Support our troops!". It's an internet meme now. That's how many of those messages are out there. Understand, I don't want to bash the troops. I don't support the invasion of the Middle East, but that's the fault of politicians, not the soldiers. I agree that the men and women serving overseas deserve respect and admiration. And for those that die... there's a reason we say, "Lest we forget." (A phrase that I remember repeating in Canada.)

But there are other things that we should remember.

Lest we forget...
Abuse is intolerable, so is neglect; discipline is a must.
Lest we forget...
Music is meant to be felt, not heard.
Lest we forget...
Humans are not immortal, they are not gods. From dust we came, to dust we go. Swiftly.
Lest we forget...
Reading without enjoyment is meaningless.
Lest we forget...
Existing is life without a meaning; living is meaning to exist.
Lest we forget...
There is always a choice, we are powerful, and we should be responsible with our choices. Lest we forget...
"Luminous beings are we; not this crude matter."
I'll expand on this list as my thoughts flow, freeze, and thaw. Think a moment, however. What else should be repeated, lest we forget?

Techno Craving

I miss being able to post what I was listening to or watching while writing my blog post. That was one feature that I appreciated on MySpace. I'm listening to some techno right now. You can blame Tiesto for that. I susbscribed to his YouTube channel and I've been hooked on the last few songs that he's posted. Still, I think I need to branch out a little more in my techno. So I'm sampling a few things by Armin van Buuren, Kyau & Albert, and a few other random bits. Not sure if I've found anything that's supremely enthralling, but there are some catchy beats. We'll see what my search turns up. Lemme know if you have any suggestions. No need to mention David Guetta, though; I already listen to his music.