It's What We All Long For..

Written By: HipHopSince1989

Love...its what we all long for in some way or another. To find that special someone to live out the rest of your years with. Contrary to popular belief, it's somethin that even us guys often search for, women just tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves. For those that are single and on that steady quest for completion, worry not. Imma tell you the reason why you shouldn't be too frustrated if you can't exactly find your Romeo or Juliet right now. Let's take a look at this shall we?

I was talkin to a friend earlier today, and she was tellin me about the frustrations of not being able to find love in a "timely fashion". I used a pretty good analogy as i explained why she shouldnt fret about stuff and why she should enjoy the very days that she's living right now. I told her that finding love is kinda like Christmas...most of the excitement does not come from the actual gift, the thrill comes from the WANT. It's the shaking of the gifts, the Christmas carols, the decorating of the tree, and ahhh yes...writing that good 'ol Christmas list, that makes up the Christmas spirit, which is the fun part. In translation, its the love songs, the crush, the thought of your "perfect other", and yes, even those occasional feelings of loneliness that make the quest for love exciting! Have you ever noticed how boring Christmas day is? The rush is gone because you now have nothing to hope for because you already have what you wanted...

Her response to my Christmas analogy was "Christmas has a date". I quickly replied "And so does your destiny...you just don't know when it is..and thats the exciting part about it all."

I think we've become a society that is addicted to the ideal concept of what love is. Hollywood is to blame for that. They've painted their picture of what love is to be, but in real life, things don't necessarily end as they do on the silver screen. We're simply in love with love. Remember that you also have to take the bad with the good. Along with that girl or guy thats intelligent, funny, and has a nice smile, also comes things like disagreements, fights (hopefully not physical lol) and the occassional "THIS BITCH/NIGGA IS GETTIN ON MY

LAST GODDAMN NERVE!" I think that alotta people enter relationships with the pre-conceived notion that things are gonna be as they appear on TV. When they find out that love isn't what it's broadcasted to be, then they want out. (60% divorce rate in California anyone?)

Im not tryna downplay love and relationships in any kinda way. I think love is an extraordinary and euphoric high that everybody should experience at LEAST once in a lifetime. And yes, a relationship can make life more enjoyable at times. All i'm saying is that love should never define you and or hinder you due to an absence of it. Enjoy your time alone, as you work on the most important relationship in life, the one with yourself. Use this time to really find out what it is that you want and make yourself available to what it is you're wishing for. You should view yourself and the love that you can possibly give to someone as a gift. One day that person will find you and your love shall be your gift to that person. You choose to give that person that gift because you know in your heart that they truly deserve it. It'll be then, when you really learn to love and appreciate someone and it will make that person's presence (presents) that much greater.

The Time Machine

Written By: HipHopSince1989

There's been much discussion on whether time machines actually exist. Some believe that top secret branches of the government have these devices that can allow one to travel back into time. Well, if you need confirmation on whether time traveling machines are fact, then i'm here to tell you that they're very much real, and i know this because i...*looks left and right suspiciously* i have one. (mumbles in a very discreet voice)

Alrite alrite ALRITE, shit! So maybe i really don't have one...but music is about the closest thing we have to an actual time machine. I believe that music is capable of triggering the strongest feelings of nostalgia...nobody in my family understands the love i have for music. My brother always says 'Music don't mean shit to me, all it is, is sounds comin out the speakers!' I CRINGE AT THAT REMARK! How could somebody say that with a straight face? Music has the power to take you back into time...whenever i wanna travel back to the best years of my life, i have this 90's R&B playlist that i have on my iTunes that i dive into. It's something about 90's R&B songs that really hit home with me...however, this can work with any type of music. Music, for me, marks the time for certain eras. I can hear a song or a certain album, and i'll remember EXACTLY what i was doin, who i was with, and the frame of mind i was in at the time when i first heard it. I'm pretty sure these same feelings are triggered within YOU as well, whether you've taken the time to purposely travel back to those days, or maybe you heard a song on the radio that briefly took your soul down memory lane.

Nostalgic feelings are so strong, so clear, and so vivid, that a simple song can amazingly bring out the kid in you. Or an ex that you still love...or fun and exciting times of your life that you so dearly miss. So don't be afraid to try this exercise...find a quiet space, compile a list of tunes that you love from different eras throughout your life, grab a pair of headphones, close your eyes, and let your mind take you back into time as you let your heart fill with those memories of the past. Who said time machines don't exist? They lied to you. Call 'em out on that.

-The Time Machine

T. Franklin 'Casual Part II'

Casual Part II by HipHopSince1989

The Meaning of Life - Story Waters

You are amazing. You are the creation of yourself. You are that which creates. You are the choice to experience existence – beingness. The only limit to what you can be is your self-belief and your imagination. To be born into this reality is to enter a wonderful, shared illusion that grants you complete free-will in the creation of your own personal reality; this is your creatorship. Within the illusion we believe that we are looking at a separate, objective world where we experience self and other; beneath this apparent separation we are unified; we are one.

Reality is a mirror of your being. You are creation exploring itself in a space-time mirror. Through what you choose to believe you create your reality. You change your reality by changing your beliefs about both it and yourself. The eyes with which you look actually shape what you see (this is now shown in quantum physics). Perception is not passive; it is an act of creation. Your choice of perception forms not only how you experience yourself, but your entire reality. Awakening to your creatorship leads your experience of reality to become more fluid and direct. This is to enter conscious creatorship where what you desire is quickly manifest.

The key to conscious creatorship is the allowance of change; the birthing of the unknown into the known. The basis of allowance is acceptance. To change your reality you must first accept it. As long as you reject what you do not like about your reality you are in denial of your creatorship, leaving you feeling stuck. To accept that you are choosing your reality, release attachment to any preconception of how life should be and instead love what is. This comes through the taking of complete responsibility for every element of your reality. This is to love your choice. It is to love yourself. You are the choice of yourself.

Release your fear. Fear is fear of the unknown, fear of being limitless. Fear creates limitation. There is a natural, beautiful unfolding to life that can only arise when you let go of the control that arises through fear. To face your fear is to allow yourself to be vulnerable and put down the shields you have used to protect yourself. All shields are a representation of a belief in danger and therefore lead you to the very danger you want them to protect you from. Whilst you are barricaded behind shields (fear) you will never truly feel safe. All that blocks you in life is the manifestation of your fear. The discovery of freedom is the realization that the only force pushing against you is you. You hold the key to any cage you may be in. To cease to judge and control your own being is to release struggle and enter joyful, effortless creation.

You are awakening to your creatorship and the nature of the illusion. This is a natural process and requires no more than fearlessly being yourself. This means opening and following your heart. This is your freedom: believe whatever your heart feels to believe. This is to live in the Now. It is to awaken to the equality of all beingness and release judgment of both yourself and the world. Ever changing truth is the reflection of the ever unfolding birth of beingness that is life. In this state there is no such thing as ‘The Truth’. There is no need of an answer for there is no problem. Just be. There are no limits to what you can be; you are infinite. The joy of this life arises through completely allowing your own being.

Within your heart is a dream. The meaning of life is to live that dream. You can only live that dream if you believe you can. Believe in your dream. You are free to be whatever it is you wish to be. You are an embodiment of all creation. The answer to every question you can conceive is within you, for you are both the creator and perceiver of all you experience. Allow your beingness to blossom without limitation or control and you will experience the limitless love and freedom that you are.

~Story Waters

Carpe Diem

Written by Sam Floyd:

Being new to this blog, I wanted to make my first post slightly indicative of my personality. My life motto is "carpe diem". It's latin for "seize the day", and it's tatted on the backs of my arms for many reasons...

Life, as we perceive it from the first-person point of view, is one big experience consisting of the what's happening RIGHT NOW, and what's happened in the PAST. We all know that there are 3 main classifications of time: the past, present, and future. It's clear to see that life, as we experience it, does NOT consist of the future. (Yes, I realize that the future is very important, is is often what drives us to do the things we do in the present, but that's for another day).

What I am trying to say is: to make the most of life, you must make the most of EVERY SINGLE DAY. No one knows what the future holds, and your life could very well end tomorrow. Ask yourself this: If my life were to end tomorrow, would I be satisfied with what I have experienced in my life so far? If you can't honestly answer "yes", then this is the post you NEED to be reading.

One of my favorite music artists, B.o.B., has a tattoo on his forearm that reads "be in the moment". That is some of the best advice that anyone could ever give/receive. If you make the most of every moment, then you for damn sure have made the most of day. Days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months, months turn to years, and years turn into a lifetime. You only get ONE life, make the most of it. Kiss slowly, love hard, and most importantly, do what you WANT to do. A good friend of mine told me that he wouldn't trade our high school memories for all of the gold in africa. Memories are priceless. Those moments that you made the most of, will fade to memories that will bring you joy in moments in the future that you wish you weren't in, but unfortunately are.

Don't sit around waiting for life to come for you. Go get it. Make it happen. Live life to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised. (yeah, I DID just end that with a cliche')

A Lost Generation?

A Dope AARP Advertisement:

We CAN Change the World

Understanding Auras...

We have all heard of the term, "aura" before, but what does that really mean?




More on Auras and Chakras Coming Soon . . .

Keep on Flowin'

Be like water.

MOVING FORWARD-LK
Love.Energy.Knowledge.Time

Invisible Money

Troy Harris

If you have ever heard any of the following phrases, you are reading the right blog:

"It's not about what you make. It's about what you bring home."

"It takes money to make money."

"A penny saved is a penny earned."

"Money doesn't grow on trees."

Well, truth be told, all of these cliches are true. Very true. True to the bone. In America, Jews recycle their money over 12 times in the Jewish community. Blacks? LESS THAN ONE. Whites, Asians, and even Hispanics are somewhere in between the two. Alright, to put it plainly, the easiest way to restrict financial growth, and subsequent success, is to spend money before you "get it". So many blacks in the world do this very thing and it is a significant part of the problem we face when trying to become a more powerful race. Why? Its the same thing that makes us buy lottery tickets, have unprotected sex, smoke weed, and rob people. Immediate gratification. The idea of getting what you exactly want exactly when you want it (without regard for much of anything else). Ok, so now the question is "Why blacks?" Immediate gratification isn't some racist form of intangible energy out to get us. No it isn't, but sometimes I wonder if we're out to get ourselves.

What you listen to, you think, what you think, you become. Every time. Our music, generally speaking, talks mostly about having nice things: expensive chains that start depreciating as soon as you buy them, rims that are too big and scrub the bottom of your car every time you make a turn, owning a different pair of shoes for every other shirt you own, etc. Thus, the moment we get one penny over the required amount, we buy houses with pools in the backyard that end up serving as habitats for the amphibian wildlife because we can't even afford to get it cleaned, suits to impress people at church that we don't even care about, and other related things. So, yes, our music is leading to our downfall.

"Gator boots, with the pimped out Gucci suits. Ain't got no job, but I stay sharp. Can't pay my rent cuz all my money's spent. But thats ok, cuz I'm still fly. Got a quarter tank of gas in my new G-Class. But that's alright cuz I'm gon ride. Got everything in my momma's name. But I'm hood rich....." -Mannie Fresh

We can try very hard to explain this misfortune to no avail. Maybe its the fact that we, as America's most oppressed people, take advantage of any and every opportunity to get something nice because we've simply just never had it before. Maybe its not even a problem and we just value nice things more than financial stability (which directly equates to power nowadays). Maybe we just like everyone to know we have money. After all, it is easier to see Mercedes and shiny jewelry than 401k's and account balances. Or maybe its just niggas being niggas: the nature of the beast. Maybe not.

In economics, the MPC (Marginal Propensity to Consume) is the number that explains people's tendency to spend in relation to how much they save. (If you make $100 and spend $80 the MPC is .8) Without a single statistic, I'm pretty sure its easy to see which race's MPC is the highest. Now, when people consume, it speeds the flow of money up and usually makes for a better economy. The only problem is we aren't in America alone and there are very few black businesses today to help recycle our money and give it time to multiply. So we buy from everyone else.

That all boils down to this: WE, the people with the highest tendency to consume and the LOWEST amount of businesses, in proportion, are the main contributors in speeding up an economy in which we are but the CONSUMER and rarely the PRODUCER. This is two-fold. Not only are we making ourselves worse off by saving little and spending lots, we are helping to boost other races' status in this country by giving them our money to stack on top of their people's (who are wise enough to actually support their race). Its bad enough when we consume so much and save so little, but every time we consume, we do it elsewhere. So while they're moving forward with robust pockets and smiles on the way to the bank, we're running backwards, smiling just as hard, on the way to the white owned car dealership thinking we're just as "rich" as them. smFUCKINGh. Imagine playing Monopoly, rolling the dice and it reading "-3" and go past "Go" the wrong way and go $200 dollars in debt. That's the reality of it.

So there it is... Invisible Money. The money that DOESN'T grow on trees or show up in the piggy bank on that rainy day. The money that is in our hands just long enough to deposit and spend. The money that's made and never brought home. If we changed our music we wouldn't be bred so frivolously. If we altered our attitude towards black owned businesses, we would create a positive environment to surround them in, making it conducive for success and our money would GROW. If we changed our consuming habits, we could move up from the bottom of the totem pole and start living up to our potential. Break the mold. We're a powerful people. Act like it.

When is Motivation MOST Important?

Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review

How (and When) to Motivate Yourself

I woke up this morning to pouring rain and temperatures in the low 40s. I had planned on going for an early bike ride in Central Park but now I wasn't so sure. I like to get some exercise every day and given my commitments for the rest of the day, this was my only opportunity. But did I really want to get so wet and cold?

I decided to go for it, though I continued to question myself as I put on my biking clothes and got my bike out of the basement. I paused under the awning of our apartment building, as rain streamed down on either side of me.

A friend of mine, Chris, happened to be dashing home to avoid the rain and stopped under the awning for a second.

"Great day for a bike ride," he said, before running on.

He's right, I thought, this is dumb. I stayed under the awning for a few more minutes as I considered retreating into the warmth of my apartment.

Finally, knowing that I'd feel great after a good, hard ride, I got on my bike and took off, pedaling hard. The initial sting of the cold rain had me questioning myself again but I kept going.

Then, after less than five minutes, the rain stopped bothering me. And after a few more minutes, it felt kind of good. Invigorating. It turned out to be a great ride.

When I got back to the apartment building — drenched, a little muddy, and with a big smile on my face — one of my neighbors commented on how motivated and disciplined I was to be out on a day like that.

But he was wrong. My ride in the rain taught me a good lesson about motivation and discipline: we need it less than we think.

"I didn't need to be motivated for long," I laughed. "Just long enough to get outside."

Because once I was already in the rain, it took no discipline to keep riding. Getting started was the hard part. Like getting into a cold pool. Once you're in, it's fine. It's getting in that takes motivation.

In fact, when you think about it, we only need to be motivated for a few short moments. Between those moments, momentum or habit or unconscious focus takes over.

I write at least one post a week. Does that take discipline? Sure. But when I break it down, the hardest part — the part for which I need the discipline — is sitting down to write. I'll find all sorts of things to distract me from starting. But if I can get myself to start a post, I don't need much discipline to finish it.

Need willpower to work on something difficult? Ask yourself when you need that willpower the most. Received feedback that you should talk less in meetings? Figure out when are you most susceptible to blabbing on. Trying to maintain a commitment to yourself or someone else? Identify the times when you are most at risk of violating that commitment.

Then, whatever you do, don't give up in the moments when you're most vulnerable. Don't give up the bike ride while standing under the awning watching it rain. Even when your friend tells you you're crazy to go out.

In other words, never quit a diet while reading the dessert menu. It's too tempting. That's not the right time to second-guess your commitment. It's precisely the time to use your willpower and discipline.

We waste a lot of time, energy, and focus second-guessing ourselves. Am I doing the right work? Is this project worthwhile? Is this employee going to work out? That moment-by-moment deliberation is a distraction at best and sabotage at worst. If you keep asking yourself whether a project is worth working on, you'll reduce your effort on that project — who wants to spend time on something that might fail? — and doom its success.

On the other hand, it's impossible to ignore those feelings of uncertainty. The solution? Schedule them. Create an established time to second-guess yourself, a time when you know your commitment won't be weakened by the temptations of the moment. If you're going to break the diet, do it when your need for willpower is at its lowest. Decide to decide the next day, maybe after a healthy breakfast or a little exercise, when you know your inclination to stick to your goals will be naturally high.

Then, if you decide to stay on the diet, commit fully and powerfully until the next scheduled time to deliberate. Knowing you have a planned pause allows you to focus and concentrate without hesitation until the established time to second guess yourself.

And if you do eventually decide to change your commitment, you'll know it's not from momentary weakness. It'll be a strategic, rational, intentional decision.

What's important is that your moment of choice is when you are in the right state of mind — when you need the least willpower — to make the best decision.

Which is why, sitting here at my computer, dry, comfortable, and having had a great ride today, I've decided to go out again tomorrow.


I think that this article touches on a very important note. The hardest part of most tasks is just STARTING. Once we start, we can do it... so like Nike said JUST DO IT.

Think and Grow…

Rich that is…..

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve” – Napoleon Hill

MOVING FORWARD-LK

Love.Energy.Knowledge.Time

"Religious vs. Spiritual" Perception of Reality

THINK.

Where Are You... and Why Are You There?

Reality: If we could see it for what it really is, then we would know for sure where we came from, what we are, where were going and why everything happens..

The Space Chimp's Journey

Space Chimp from Leo Burnett on Vimeo.

Take 5 minutes to watch this video and see how it makes you feel...

Ikaros -- The Space YACHT.

Japan hopes to turn the wildest fantasies of science fiction into reality today with a "space yacht" that will draw on the power of the sun to take it to Venus and, perhaps, far beyond.

A Mitsubishi H-2A rocket carrying Ikaros (an acronym for Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun) is set to blast off from Tanegashima island in south-west Japan at 6.44am local time.

The long-awaited launch is seen as part of a mission that could change the course of interplanetary exploration.

If it is successful, Ikaros will be carried through deep space at high speed with the help of a 20-metre sail, propelled by the pressure from solar particles.

The flexible membrane sail, which at 32.5 micrometers is about half the thickness of a human hair, is covered with thin-film solar panels that will create a hybrid of electricity and pressure, according to Jaxa, the Japanese space exploration agency.

Solar photons will bounce off thousands of tiny mirrors to give Ikaros the thrust it needs to complete manoeuvres such as rotating and hovering.

"This will be the world's first solar-powered sail craft employing both photon propulsion and thin-film solar power generation during its interplanetary cruise," Jaxa said on its website.

Although the name of Japan's craft may give rise to anxiety (Icarus, the figure from Greek mythology, having fallen into the sea after flying too close to the sun) Jaxa officials say they are confident the high-tech version will stick to its planned trajectory.

The craft will spend a few weeks rotating before unfurling its sail. If all goes to plan, the craft will use draw on the energy provided by the sun's photons to gather speed during its six-month journey. Experts believe that by developing hyper-powerful sails drawing on laser light instead of sunlight, solar yachts could one day reach speeds of 500,000mph.

After passing Venus, Ikaros is expected to continue its voyage for three years towards the far side of the sun, although contact is likely to be lost after a year.

Jaxa officials say that, if the technology proves viable, they could send a similar craft, Akatsuki, to Jupiter by 2020.

That mission could deepen our understanding of how Venus, thought to have once resembled Earth, became the mysterious, cloud-covered, planet of today. The probe is equipped with instruments that will observe the planet's atmosphere from distances of between 186 miles and 49,710 miles.

"Once we can explain the structure of Venus, we will be able to better understand Earth," said Akatsuki's project scientist, Takeshi Imamura. "For example, we may discover the reasons that only Earth has been able to sustain oceans, and why only Earth is abundant in life."

The $16m project will be the first to deploy the new technology deep in space. Previous space yachts have achieved no more than orbiting Earth, while Nasa and Europe's space agency appear to have resigned themselves to losing out to Japan in the race to test solar sails in outer space.

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/17/space-yacht-ikaros-japan-venus)

LogoRama

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

There's a lot of subliminal messages going on in this short film. What character does McDonalds play? What role does OIL play in the ending?

This is a short film that was directed by the French animation collective H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy + Ludovic Houplain. It was presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2009. It opened the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and won a 2010 academy award under the category of animated short.

In this film there are two pieces of licensed music, in the beginning and in the end. All the other music and sound design are original. The opening track (Dean Martin "Good Morning Life") and closing track (The Ink Spots "I don't want to send the world on fire") songs are licensed pre-existing tracks. All original music and sound design is by, human (www.humanworldwide.com)

The Secret

The secret is here in the Present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. – The Alchemist.

MOVING FORWARD-LK

Love.Energy.Knowledge.Time

The Black Church

Written By: Troy Harris

How do you value your religion? Is it important to you? Do you feel at one with it? What about your church? Your pastor? Your church friends? How religious are you? How spiritual are you?

I wouldn't consider myself to be extremely religious, but I AM spiritual. No doubt about it. In church yesterday, for the first time in a while, I experienced a nice and spiritually rewarding feeling. Listening to the songs from the choir, I realized that no matter the religious denomination that one chooses to follow or associate themselves with, there is one God that is present in all true worship, faith, and everything thing else in life. As these thoughts graced my mind I could do nothing but smile.

My church has recently been changing a lot of things (pastors, buildings, service structure etc.) while I've been away at school for the past couple of years and most of them disturb me and reveal some of the impurities in Black society. One of the most shocking things to me was our new pastor and his ways. Though I have never doubted his faith and his desire to lead others to God and Christ, I often wonder if he is sending the right message to the congregation. One of the first things he changed was the church service program handout from a more simple and inviting one to an almost intimidating and boastful one that resembled a mini magazine more so than a program. Among other things, the church has become much more commercial and is looking more like something you see on TV than the cozy haven that I, and many others, grew up in.

Secondly, I noticed the direction of our church was moving more towards a business-minded atmosphere. Along with an organizational chart that included positions like Executive Assistant and CFO, there was a video that showed pictures of many beautiful buildings that were envisioned for the church. All of the pictures were found online and were not actually drawings or blueprints for what they planned on really doing with OUR money. As expected, the church greeted each picture with thunderous applause as if they were to just appear out of nowhere seemingly not realizing that it would be their money that was really bringing these changes. Don't get me wrong, I love change, and upgrading equipment and buildings is all well and good, but the way it was proposed might have been a bit off-base.

Then came the sermon...

(Keep in mind that the "Offering" section of the program had also been moved from before to after the sermon while I was gone.) He then went on to center the entire scripture passage from the Bible and the sermon around his main motive, which was to get money for the new plans he had for our church. The sermon seemed to captivate everyone in the room, which was great, but towards the end it changed. He made an apply placed analogy comparing a car's dead battery to our church and the jumper cables to our church's money. Basically saying we need a "jump start" which, in this case, was money to build and change things that probably don't need building or changing. Then, we went directly into offering for TWO separate funds with motivational music playing from the choir, increasing morale with perfect timing. Isn't church about being spiritually healed? Becoming closer to God, the ruler of all things?

I think that most Black churches have ventured from their original purpose. We place a lot of emphasis on how good our church looks, or what we wear, or what the pastor is wearing. For example, the transitive property, in its most primitive form, states that if a=b and b=c, then a=c. Simple. Well, the church has fell victim to this in a most consuming manner. People who go to church attend so that they can become closer to God. Naturally, the preacher is assumed to be the closest to God, so they emulate his/her mannerisms, habits, and ways with hopes of divinity in mind. Most, but not all, preachers often over emphasize how good they look and the type of car they drive, which subsequently trickles down to those who frequent the church. So, with a top-down effect, those who truly try and become closer to God subconsciously, in my opinion, are driven to focus on how good they, their car, and their church look. Now, unfortunately, the Black church, just like most other things in this world, are transforming to a money hungry environment, not conducive to optimal worship and praise. He finished the sermon off with an envelope in each hand asking for two separate donations with his last words being "Give. Give. Give.", which were also the last words of the church program and in all caps.

I just don't agree with everything that is going on in churches as of now. The more and more we become concerned with money, appearance, and TV time, the further we are from being the best we can be in God. Some of church is really church, and other parts are just a person or group of people who feel the need to take advantage of the psychological shackles placed on the congregation and exploit it for their benefit.

Next time you go to church, sit and really make a conscious effort to filter out the excess and focus more on the true reason that you're there. It can be hard, but at the end of the day, thats what you're there for. The meat & potatoes... nothing else.

CERN?

Discover CERN in 3 minutes. It's something you might want to be a little more knowledgeable about. .

Think, Period.

Posted by Terrence Franklin:

The following videos are a recording of me choppin it up wit my homie Steven about a buncha random stuff....interesting tho. LMFAO @ how i started the conversation on the second video.

Be That Sore Thumb

Written By: Troy Harris

"Individual liberty is individual power, and as the power of a community is a mass compounded of individual powers, the nation which enjoys the most freedom must necessarily be in proportion to its numbers the most powerful nation." -John Quincy Adams

You ever wonder why America is becoming less and less powerful in the world everyday? Or why we can't seem to break this cyclical process of our ignorant tradition? Why are so many of us afraid to be different? Why don't people take pride in their gifts and other things that make them differ from the flock? Why does the "system" teach us to conform at all costs to increase our chances of success? Doesn't this seem wrong?

So the true question is.... Why don't people do anything about it? (

Breaking a habit takes work and most people don't like doing work. Trying to stop or start doing something that you have or haven'y been doing all of your life is difficult, so most people consider society's oppressive nature to be less harming than the difficulties of turning over a new leaf and starting something different and they are content. What we fail to realize is that without conflict, growth cannot and does not exist.

Now, there are a lot of people out there who are aware of this unfortunate predicament we, as Americans, are in. Sadly, the people who want to break away from the norm become discouraged because of the lack of support (family, encouragement, money, etc.) they would receive for their actions (I've fallen victim to this as well).The reality is that the way our society has been constructed, whether right or wrong, can completely dominate our options, opinions, lifestyles, careers, decisions etc. to fit the skewed, lopsided, and clouded version of living what we like to call "The American Dream". So, naturally, when people's ideas don't align with this standard, they get discouraged and often times fall back "in line".

Imagine this:

What if the stigma around "sore thumbs" was altered to that of a more desirable position in society? One that showed what it TRULY meant to find yourself, recognize your individual differences, and fortify them for the utmost benefit. The result would be awesome. There would be so many "sore thumbs" that eventually the regular "thumbs" would feel the need to conform (which is to NOT conform in this case) and things would undoubtedly be better.

At the end of the day, you truly can only control yourself. The central theme of the quote above is that a country's power is directly related to the amount of individuals within that country who aren't afraid to be themselves. Simple enough. It starts with YOU. Start something today. Most people are really just afraid of what they are capable of and it takes a brave someone to affect their environment with individualistic positivity to spark the "snowball effect" of unconformity.

"Dream big. And when you wake up, make it happen."

The Necessity of Counterbalance: Mental Stability

Written by Gabriela Blanco:

I was up late last night doing research on what balance meant and what counterbalance meant. I even spent all day observing my family and my interaction with them and vice versa.

After a day of hi and lows, after looking up the definition of both words, and testimonies through the blogs of others, I've come to one conclusion; chaos is absolutely necessary for the survival of mankind; therefore, mental health is the key to this locked door of survival.

Mental stability exists in everything we do, whether it is school, career, romantic relationships to friendships, and even in self-validation.

For everything that goes up and down, the option of going left and right exists.

For everything that is black and white, people can still see things in bright colors & dull colors.

For everything that is good and bad, there are justifications for it all.

So why is this? Why does contradiction exist? Do people not understand how much confusion is cause in the thought process because of it?

I believe it is because the power of CHOICE is what ultimately defines who you are and that power in the wrong hands is self-destructive. I have struggled with choosing and honestly, I have picked up the poor habit of being indecisive. Luckily, I am taking steps everyday to change that by simply reminding myself, "make the HONEST choice." It helps me to focus on what my heart and mind agree on. Helps me trust myself.

How often have you heard a loved one say, "I didn't have another choice..." or, "What else was I suppose to do?" Of course, we have probably said it ourselves to others. Now how often have you gotten upset because of their choices? How often have you been your toughest critic because of the choices you've made?

Being mad, angry, upset, or simply feeling let down is all a part of our brain activity. Though it is natural and normal to feel those things, if not treated properly, it can lead to major (or minor) mental disorders. Anxiety, stress and depression run DEEP in the black community; however, people do not speak about it to each other because they do not want to seem weak or like something is wrong with them. Yet, people get upset when something happens to their family or friends because that person decided to not speak up. BAM! Negative counterbalance.

The statistics are very much right in front of you, therefore do not hesitate to talk about what is right or wrong. Respect what other believe in because although you do not have to agree, you should always be understanding. Never know when judgement day will come for you. At the end of the day, it isn't your life they are basing a decision on, it is theirs! You must be understanding of the journey people decide to take with their lives. Life isn't personal; and if the choices others make are or seem that way, it is out of your control anyway, so why stress over it?

Counterbalance is an equal amount of force coming back. Feeling challenged? It is only because you are going back on what you have already made a choice on. Stick to your original plan; Follow through; TRUST yourself! The balance you create in your world is the one that is in tune with your mind, heart, and spirit! Don't contradict your own beliefs if you do not have the mental stability for it. Try new things, yes! But do not change the way you narrow you choices and make a decision just so you don't seem like a hypocrite. What others think about you isn't any of your business anyway.

Stay happy, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. It's key to surviving.

What was Buddha Talking About Anyway?

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
Buddha

All things appear and disappear because of the concurrence of causes and conditions. Nothing ever exists entirely alone; everything is in relation to everything else.
Buddha

All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?
Buddha

He is able who thinks he is able.
Buddha

He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.
Buddha

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.
Buddha

Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
Buddha

The mind is everything. What you think you become.
Buddha

When Adversity Becomes Your Inspiration . . .

There’s a line in a Quest song that states, “When adversity becomes your inspiration, a MAN will arise.”

That line is very powerful because the only thing that is promised on this Earth plane when going after a goal is FRICTION and ADVERSITY.

This adversity comes into your life through situations and obstacles that will challenge you and force you to get around them in order for you to get closer and eventually acquire or achieve the goals that you have set for yourself.

In order for you to be a NEW you with a NEW thing, or have a NEW notch under your belt, you would have to, in essence, go through an experience that will mold you into being the NEW person that you need to be in order to handle any challenge.

The things that are the most worth it in life and what we cherish the most are those things that we found DIFFICULT. It’s a triumphant feeling to climb Mount Everest because quite frankly it’s HARD to do.

The fact of the matter that we must accept is that we’re going to go through things like pain, suffering, death, and hard times in order for us to not only LEARN, but EVOLVE into the people that we need to be to handle future situations.

It is easy to stay away from difficult situations; and that’s also very boring. It’s really easy to just sit on your couch and smoke weed all day. In doing so, you’re never going to face any contrast or adversity on your day to day life, but you’re also not going anywhere either.

When a man or woman has goals and chases them he or she will find that there is always some sort of adversity that lie in his or her path, and that should be a sign to them that they are on the right path.

Reading a book is hard because it takes focus and concentration to read every single page, but after you take in all of the knowledge you will be able to think from a completely different perspective that is better apt to make decisions based on what you’ve learned.

Staying on a workout regiment is hard because if you don’t stay on your schedule you’ll never get results. But if you do stay steadfast and strong, you will see all of the results that you’ve imagined.

Starting a business is hard, but once you do EVERYTHING that you need to do and have covered all bases, you will find that you are the most happy working for yourself like you originally wanted to but didn’t think you could do it.

Being in a relationship with someone is hard because you really have to understand and respect another person for all of their traits good and bad, but when you work through the hard times, you’ll find you have a mate that will stick by your side forever and ALWAYS be there when you need someone, even when you don’t think you do.

When ADVERSITY pops up, and you counter it with confidence and pride, you will emerge to be a better, stronger person.

A MAN will ARISE.


Download Quest - The Anecdote

The Kids Don't Stand A Chance

Written By: Troy Harris

"We're trapped inside the matrix. Forced to play our hands. We're filled with so much hatred. The kids don't stand a chance." - B.o.B

I had the privilege of being able to speak at a local middle school's Career Day today with one of my good friends. When I originally heard that I was on the program I was excited. For those of you that don't know me, I love to inspire others to feel the same feeling of fire that I feel everyday. Nevertheless, I showed up excited for the day to come.

We were assigned to an 8th grade class to talk to them about the importance of college and the benefits of attending an HBCU (FAMU in particular). When I first stepped foot in the room, I heard murmurs and whispers about how young we looked and that we didn't "look" like we had anything important to say. About midway through our spiel about SATs and study habits, I noticed the general sense of boredom shared by most of the children in the class.

One student was asleep. One wasn't paying attention at all. A few were conversing in the back of the class, and at times the teacher seemed like she lacked control of both their attention and actions. In fact, at times, the only individuals that would listen were the few that had actually visited FAMU's campus before. I soon realized that if the children can't relate, then they won't be interested. If they're not interested, then they won't learn. Period. "A mind is like a parachute. It works best when open."

With this in mind, I decided to switch it up a bit to a more atypical, interactive session. I began to ask them about their dreams and aspirations, trying my best to stray from the cliches ("stay in school", "follow your dreams", etc.), which I knew they would naturally tune out. We began to garner more interest as the conversation progressed. We started talking more about what they WANTED to do than what they were FORCED to do.

We discovered that the inattentive kid in the back was a guitar player who was out casted by his peers because of his unconventional skill ("Black people don't play the guitar nigga!") The kids in the back both wanted to be architects and artists, but just didn't feel the need to express it because of their environment. The kid that was sleep had dreams of being an entrepreneur but was under stimulated by talks of "fitting in" After a while every kid had stood up and said what they really wanted to do with their life and in the eyes of the youth I saw drive and passion. A rewarding experience to say the least.

All in all, the talk was ultra productive. Instead of GPAs, ACTs, and scholarships. We spoke of discovering, seizing, and reaching their full potential. At the end of the day, SCHOOL REALLY ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT. Even the most staunch conformist will tell you that it isn't always WHAT you know that gets you places in life. So I encouraged the hoop dreamer to keep playing basketball, and the guitarist to keep strumming because after all, its YOUR life to live, and no one else's. Money isn't everything.... really.

Strangely, my own words became applicable to my personal life. And yours too. Life is for living. For experiencing. For exploring and discovering. The thing I've learned in the classrooms while in school have, and probably will, be of little benefit to REAL LIFE. Get out of the matrix. Believe little of what you hear and some of what you see. Only embody the lessons learned, and you'll make it. I encourage everyone to read Carter G. Woodson's "The Mis-Education of the Negro". Learn, because an empty mind in America will be filled with thoughts and ideals that shouldn't be there. If we don't help the kids, who will?

I'm on my way. You should join me.

YOU, the most important person in the universe.

What if you were the most important person in the universe?”

What if the actions that you made today had the potential to impact EVERYONE on the planet for the next 500 years?  What if when you stand up and to speak your mind, you inspire MILLIONS of people to be better? What if you realized that you dreamed, and because you did, people have the courage to chase theirs?  What if you knew there was going to be a giant bronzed statue of you made one day? What would you want it to symbolize? What if you knew that no matter what adversity lie in your face, that you could overcome and ALWAYS win as long as you had faith in yourself? What if YOU were God, or a part of God ... and you were unstoppable? What if you found out that you were MORE than what people tell you, you are because they were scared of what might happen if you really understood how much impact you could make? What if your DREAMS were a message from God on the path that you should walk to live a HAPPY LIFE, carefree and blissful for all eternity? What if your face was going to be in history books?  What if children say they want to be like YOU?

Would you act the same?  Would your days still run the same way? Would you have different hobbies?  Would you study the same thing in school?  Would you be hang out with the same people?  Would you be more confident?  Would you ever give up?

What if, it is really the way you THINK that determines the way your life goes and when you are GRATEFUL, CONFIDENT, and OPTIMISTIC you are doing your best?

Would you still think the same?  Would you still act the same?

Wouldn’t you LOVE LIFE?

Isn’t it TIME for you to LIVE NOW?

Live.

Ignorance is Bliss, but IMAGINE the POSSIBILITIES

They say ignorance is bliss, and to a certain extent, this is true. It’s rather easy to go day by day and be completely oblivious to who you really are, what you’re really capable of, and what’s going on in the world.

See when you choose to be open to the TRUTH about things, you’ll notice that things become a littler harder because you see that there’s a lot more responsibility. If you want your life to be better it relies completely on YOU, you control the way you think, the way you carry yourself, and the way you act.

When you find out what you really are, you find out that the simple flesh and bones explanation that you use to understand the world isn’t quite complete. It can be pretty rough to have to think deeper about EVERYTHING, and to have to reevaluate the world, change your core beliefs and think DIFFERENTLY.

When you take a look around at your country, and the world that you live in and see how backwards, corrupt and wrong things are ... that can REALLY piss you off. They say that the TRUTH will set you FREE, but it’s going to piss you off first ... and it will. Nobody likes to be upset, and of course, it would be easier to remain ignorant. It’s a lot easier to just BLINDLY trust the people that are in charge ...

But if you find out that all of these things that you remained ignorant about are true; your entire WORLD changes ... for the better.

The nice thing about personal responsibility, depending on how hard you work on it, is that your effort will be directly shown and you can make major improvements on yourself that nobody will believe ... and you’ll find out that you are a limitless being that can achieve anything you set your mind to. Doesn’t that sound promising?

The nice thing about finding out what you really are beyond a physical understanding is that you get a chance to see that the complexities of you and the universe are eternal, yet we may never really understand.

With real self discovery, you’ll realize that you are connected with fellow man and the Earth in a way that evokes the most tremendous LOVE within that allows you to share it with the world ... LOVE feels good, I mean REAL LOVE feels good. This loving feeling will not only make you happy,, but you will have a concern for every individual and their life in their own pursuit of happiness. You will realize that you and your fellow man or woman share the same value, and everyone deserves to live the life they truly desire.


... and when you get REALLY mad once you take a conscious look at the society that we live in and see how your people have been brainwashed, controlled, and bamboozled into living a worthless existence based on consumption of material things, a switch inside of you will flick “ON.” When that ON switch is flicked, you’ll realize that you have more power than you ever knew and that on an individual level, you can make an impact. You can inform more of your peers and loved ones of what’s going on so that they don’t fall into the same traps. You will STAND UP. You’ll start thinking of ways that you can save your generation ... and you’ll see that the more people we have with no IGNORANTLY BLISSFUL BLINDFOLD on . . the more people we have to FIGHT BACK for our natural HUMAN RIGHTS and for all the beauty and love that is God given that can never be taken away from us. You’ll have something to really LIVE for.


. . and when you have a REAL relationship with GOD, you’ll find that everything ALWAYS goes your way.


Now that’s what I call BLISS.

Let's Face It, Privacy is DEAD.

They say that in exchange for SECURITY, you must give up FREEDOM. Technology advances have pushed us to an all new level of surveillance and we are more monitored by our government than ever before.

Take a Look at Jessie Ventura's Conspiracy Theory episode, "Big Brother"

Library of Congress Archiving Tweets

"For all of you who "TWEET," You will now be going down in history"



Privacy is definitely something to take into account here. They don't have to ask you if they want to archive your tweets, meaning that ALL tweets will be kept unless you have a private profile.

It's important to realize that EVERYTHING that you do on the internet is stored somewhere. . and all of that information about you is used daily, and you have one hell of a profile in some government office that knows EVERYTHING about you.

Be careful....

Check out this video about Facebook.



Think Think Think . . . This is just about awareness here.

An Inconvenient Truth

"America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy."
-John Updike

What if the "Inconvenient Truth" about Global Warming is that a real problem based on the heating of the Earth by the Sun is being blamed on all of us and we were about to experience the most extreme tax because of it for the profit of a few. What if this Carbon tax is even more cruel because there are loopholes set for the LARGEST contributors to pollution to continue to pump out toxins into the atmosphere as much as they desire. What if the government was lying to you?

Jessie Ventura's "Conspiracy Theory" is a great show and I'll make an effort to post all of the episodes. This is the GLOBAL WARMING episode.













Keep your eyes open, It's good to be aware.