==Welcome to Squeezed Fresh==

Untitled

2009-05-08T23:00:00.004-04:00

Gnawing, Sucking, Ripping free

Soul on a hook, for all to see

Leaving a gaping hole in me

Only one can set me free

Stained hands, stained lips

Stained heart

I stand shattered, and as I

Fall apart

You Hold me, fiercely, closely

To Your chest

As I taste my hot tears

You say child

Rest

Personal Space: why you need it and how to create it.

2009-05-02T14:24:00.001-04:00

Over the last few months, one of my projects has been to clear out an old garage next to my apartment. I worked on it a little at a time, between studying for my medical boards and tending to the other duties of living. Initially, I had no concrete vision for the space; it was merely a place for the overflow from my life to be stowed away. As the project progressed however, I became increasingly enamored with my “man cave” as I had come to call it. I began envisioning all of the things that I could do with the space. I could set up my guitars inside, and create a studio space. I could put some weight lifting gear inside, and get fit. I could organize all of the various tools around the farm and set up a nice little shop in which to work on my motorcycle, four-wheeler, and truck. As my dreams became increasingly grandiose, I began to wonder what it was about this space in particular that brought me so much enjoyment. After all, I live alone in my apartment. Its not as if I need to retreat to the garage to have some “me” time. In order to get an idea of what my inner process was, I compared my feelings when in the living room as opposed to what I felt when standing in my newly created garage. The difference, it turned out, was the purpose of the space. I love my living room, its comfortable, tidy, and I feel that it is an accurate reflection of who I am as a person. It is however, the place where I actually live. And living for me has meant a lot of studying of late, as well as paying the bills and such. My garage however, is a different story. When I go to the garage, I know that it is in order to enjoy myself. The sole purpose of the space is to provide storage for all of my outdoor toys, and to provide a place to engage in all of the projects that I delight to be absorbed in. I have in recent weeks finished the renovation of the garage, and I heartily recommend it to anyone. It is truly a refreshment to the spirit. If you have a family, and especially if you have children, I think that it’s of even more importance that you have a space of sanctuary. It need not be a garage or separate building; it can be any room in your house. If you don’t have any one room free, you can use just part of a room. If you choose to use only part of an room however, I recommend that you partition it off with dividers or hanging tapestries. The reason for this is that there is something psychologically significant in the physical separation of this room from the rest of your house. Once you have isolated your space, its time to arrange it. Be sure to do so in a way that is pleasing to your eye, and is equipped for the projects that you most enjoy. Keep it simple, with comfortable furniture and good lighting. Now you’re set up! The last instruction is the most crucial one: ONLY do things that you love doing in this room. Don’t pay bills in your sanctuary, don’t talk on the phone to people that stress you out, don’t answer business email, don’t sit and worry, don’t study (unless it is leisure learning). You want this room to be connected in your mind with only good things. If you allow the drudgery end of life to inch its way in, you have ruined the efficacy of your place of enjoyment. If, however, you maintain this room only for the good things in life, you will find it to be a wonderful retreat from the stress of daily living. Having such a place will not only increase your quality of life. It will also enable you to return to life refreshed and invigorated.

Change of Direction for SqueezedFresh

2009-01-21T14:34:00.001-05:00

My choice has been made. Although I do have a pipe dream that involves SqueezedFresh producing a nice little financial stream someday, I also have other dreams. Like the dream to wake up every day and be excited to blog. And I am the type of guy who is excited about a different thing every day. And so, it is with some trepidation that I embracing a new direction for the blog, that of the renaissance man. I will post on the things I am passionate on, even if no one cares to listen. But I hope you will join me on this journey. Look out for a new post soon!

A renaissance man in a culture of specialization.

2009-01-16T20:42:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about the direction that I want to go with squeezed fresh. Oh, I know all of the sound advice that various experts across the web offer. If you want to gain any real following, you need to become an expert in an area. You need to be on topic and consistent with all of your posts. You need to post regularly placed, useful posts in your area of expertise. I know all of that. And the infuriating thing for me is that it is all sound advice. I know that I need to settle into the type of blog I am running. Am I a self improvement blog, a political blog, or a music blog? The obvious answer would be to just pick what you are most passionate about and stick with it.
Therein of course lies the problem for me. I am not jesting in the least when I tell you that I am PASSIONATELY INTERESTED in everything. I love music, and politics, and self improvement, and photography, and technology, and culture trends, and outdoor sports, and the arts, and spirituality. If I were to blog on what I was passionate about, I would blog on everything. I am a jack of all trades in a sea of specialists. According to princeton word net I am a renaissance man:

"Renaissance man, generalist; a modern scholar who is in a position to acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests"

This is so true of me. And I love being me. I love learning for the sake of learning. I thrive on new experience. But is there a place for a person like myself in a culture that prizes specialization? Am I doomed to a 10-hit-a-day blog if I focus on being a modern renaissance man? Or, on a more positive note, will the long tail have grown so long that I can connect with hundreds of thousands of other individuals like myself? The reward of connecting with other renaissance people everywhere would be beyond value to me. Who knows, perhaps I could be the progenitor of a new movement of learning and thinking outside of our specialties! But enough dreaming. For now, I have a choice to make. either pick a blog specialty and stick with it, or chronicle my passion for passions, even if nobody listens. Any advice you, o reader, can offer me would be most welcome.

How to comply with the new Progressive order

2009-01-14T12:45:00.001-05:00

How to comply with the new Progressive order
Originally uploaded by hyperspoon

I take no credit for this. This is from on of my groups on flickr, and was uploaded by hyperspoon. I don't agree with every point, but there are some interesting and valid contradictions in progressive logic presented here.

Obama's Change, and the change I can believe in

2008-11-06T15:54:00.008-05:00

Obama today has already shown the direction of his ambiguous yet oft trumpeted promise of change. He Tapped Rahm Emanuel to be his chief of staff, crushing the niave hopes of some of us that he would be leading from a centrist veiwpoint. Here are just a few facts on the new chief of staff for your perusal:

Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)

Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)

Voted NO on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)

Voted NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance. (Sep 2004)

Voted NO on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2000)

Voted YES on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance. (Jul 2006)

Voted YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges. (Mar 2006)

Voted NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. (Oct 2005)

Voted NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. (Apr 2003)
Voted NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay. (Feb 2006)

Voted NO on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 damages. (May 2004)

Voted NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. (Nov 2003)
Voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. (Sep 2006)

Voted NO on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project. (Jun 2006)

Voted NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. (May 2004)

Record doesn't lie. If Obama had any interest in "uniting the country", he would not have tapped this extremely partisan man as his chief of staff. I think its obvious that beneath his polish, he has very little interest in anyones desires but his own, and those of the left most leaning in his party.

On the other hand, Obama has brought change I can believe in. And no, Im not talking about the fuzzy feeling, Im mad at Bush so I'll lap up any feel good rhetoric kind of change. Im talking about the change that is coming to the republican party. I'm registered a republican, but Im a conservative first, and I have been totally disenfranchised as it were, by my own party. When the republican party no longer guards against the erosion of my personal liberty, and instead spends like a democratic fat cat, it DESERVES to fail. The election was a vote for Mr. Obama, and my hat goes off to him. He is very slick. But the vote also said something else. Twenty percent of conservatives voted FOR Obama. Thats 20% who feel so disillusioned by their party that they decided to bite back. And now all those do-nothing republicans are wondering what went wrong. I know went wrong, they forgot their roots! The eight year reign of the GOP has corrupted their principles, and they are paying the price. I for one am ready for some fresh blood in the party, and I am not alone. The next four years will likely make a conservative come back very possible, but only if the party cleans up its act and is ready once again to defend freedom and not their special interest groups. There is already a party for the special interest groups, its called the democratic party. Where is the party for the american people?

Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the economic train wreck.

2008-10-10T13:21:00.004-04:00

"It is the duty of a good shepherd to shear his sheep, not to skin them." ~Tiberius Caesar

The Last week has seen our economy become a flaming wreckage. It has seen members of both parties working to stop the bleeding by saddling the US taxpayer with an 8oo Billion+ debt. This measure has been only partially successful, and stocks continue to plummet. Naturally this has brought a sense of angst to the American people that has been unmatched since the tragedy of 9-11. We are all worried about our jobs, or pensions, our school loans and our mortgages. Everyone is casting about, grasping for solutions. I have a solution that perhaps has not been considered. How about instead of worrying about our economic train wreck, we consider the benefits of the recession? Has anyone really stopped to consider why we are in the quandary that we now find ourselves in? Everyone is so busy pointing fingers, its the Dems, its the GOP, its the banks. If we were to stop for a minute and engage in some intellectual honesty, I feel that the finger of blame would be pointing right back at us. Now coming true are the predictions of "alarmists" of the past such as Paul Kasriel, cheif of economic research at Northwestern Trust: "Prior to the recent, unprecedented string of deficits, Kasriel says there have been only seven other years American households have been so upside-down in their finances since 1929. Two of those were during the Great Depression. Three more were just after the end of World War II. Another was in 1955, then again in 1999. That leads to an obvious question: If they can't afford it, how are people continuing to spend as Thursday's report of retail sales suggested they are continuing to do as if all is well? The answer, which has become all too obvious in recent weeks and months, Kasriel says: They appear, in large part, to be borrowing against their homes, which will become less available as a piggy bank going forward. "Households are going into debt like never before," he says. They also have been net sellers of stocks. All of this means, Kasriel says, that there will be less cash for things we like to buy." This article, written over a year ago, says what all of us should have seen coming. Did we think that we could go on forever spending more than we make, living in houses much bigger than our paycheck could support, forever? Before you point a finger at the predatory practices of the real estate industry, ask yourself this: Wht is it that almost the entire industry offered these dangerous loans? The answer of course is that we the ameican people were straining at the bit to get in the yoke for one of them. In our greed to live in a house that was four times what we could afford, we ignored the danger. In their greed to take our money, the real estate industery ignored the danger. In their greed to cash in on the "bubble", the stock brokers ignored the danger. We are all GUILTY. And guilt deserves punishment. The only regret I have is that the american taxpayers are now forced to pay the price not only for their own mistakes, but for the mistakes of the industry. Unlike the industry, our "lobbiest" don't have our best interests at heart. In my opinion, we should have let them burn, and damn the concequences. Bad business deserves to go under. And don't belive that jive that there would be no businesses to step in the gap. The few businesses that have been responsible and ethical in their lending practices are still standing strong, and our government has denied them the reward for their good business by giving all of these greedy companies a pass. All of that is water under the bridge, as the big G has already saddled you and I with a massive load of debt. There is a reason for this current economic mess, and if both the industry and the american people need to have a fire lit beneath them in order to realize that fact, so be it.

image by Tom Giebel

Governmental pipe dreams: should government subsidize private sector economics?

2008-07-07T13:13:00.003-04:00

“Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”     -Ronald Reagan-


   Whilst perusing my RSS feeds last week, I ran upon an intriguing article from the Guardian. Its essence can be encapsulated in the opening paragraph, which reads thus: “Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.”   The article went on to show that biofuel initiatives have caused far more economic damage than anyone had estimated, stating that: “Rising food prices have pushed 100m people worldwide below the poverty line, estimates the World Bank, and have sparked riots from Bangladesh to Egypt. Government ministers here have described higher food and fuel prices as the first real economic crisis of globalization”. The potential political ramifications of the report are likely to put massive pressure on world leaders to reconsider subsidizing biofuel on the levels that they presently are.
        Reading this article caused me to think of the recent government move to subsidize loan institutions, and to wonder what unforeseen consequences will occur as a result of the government bail out during the sub-prime mortgage crisis. It is obvious that in the short term this government assistance was welcome, and probably helped to reduce the depth of the current economic recession. The question is, what will be the long term ramifications? Will government subsidy be the de facto solution for unwise and greed driven financial moves gone awry in the public sector? The government is increasingly moving to a policy of in stepping in to assist the private sector, but is that wise? Is providing financial assistance for underdog alternative fuel technologies really the answer to our fuel crisis? Is taking on the debt of irresponsible lenders really the solution to our financial woes? I think in both cases the answer is no.
        While I am not opposed to some governmental subsidy and tax breaks, I do not think that most governmental intervention into the private sector is wise. America became great on a free market economy, and it continue to perform best in a free market. Free market pushes strong business and strong tech to the top, and buries weak ideas. I really feel that solar power will be coming into its own in the next ten years. Its widespread use will be due not to government assistance however, but to its increasingly strong technology. Increased productivity and decreased cost is what is, and what should, propel a business forward. Government subsidies often create false market conditions, allowing weak businesses to cripple along to the disadvantage of strong tech, not to mention the taxpayer. The real solution is to allow market forces to work of their own accord, with minimal government interference. It may be painful to wait the extra time for a new technology to bloom, but forcing unripe technologies into the market before they’re ready is just a recipe for disasters such as the global food shortage we are now mired in. Lets end on the lighter side with a working model of an ethanol powered perpetual motion machine. Wonder of wonders, there’s hope for the world yet!

My new article is available on CultureFeast

2008-05-19T17:35:00.003-04:00

It's not good enough that we do our
best; sometimes we have to do what's required.

~Winston Churchill

Well, I'm back from the beach, and it was amazing. Thus rejuvenated, I'm geared up five weeks of hard studying. what does this mean for you dear reader? well, less output from me. After June 20th, I'll be back with a vengance, but in the meantime, I will be focusing mostly on just getting out one article a week to my friends over at CultureFeast. So head on over and read my latest article on how a die-hard capitalist really can embrace the green revolution! P.S.~ The picture on the left is a close up of a venus flytrap that we saw at the Fort Fisher Aquarium. I will leave it to to you as to whether it has any connection to the current post. Sure does look cool though!

News Flash: I'm warmer than you.

2008-05-14T21:12:00.009-04:00

I am a beach bum this week, and I refuse to write any more than necessary. Until then feel free to be jealous of these pics: Harley Dog, Awesome Girlfriend, and Perfect sunset! I'll post again later this week (if I want). :P

Life's a Beach.

2008-05-09T12:45:00.001-04:00

It's vacation time, and I am currently getting ready to go to Holden Beach, North Carolina. As you can imagine, I'm getting really pumped. By this time tomorrow, Ill be within sight of the ocean, shell searching, feeling the fresh sea breeze, and of course dining on delicious seafood! The beach to me is just an awesome vacation spot. I often think of how lucky those permanent beach bums are, With the panorama of the ocean outside their window day after day, and the freshest shrimp and fish on their plates every night. But do those said bums really feel that lucky? As spring has turned to summer, I have seen an increasing trickle of out of state traffic, all heading through the hills of West Virginia where I live. Many of these cars have plates from such far flung places as North and South Carolina and Florida. I Wonder why these beach bums are venturing nine hours or more north, to a landlocked, hilly state. Could this be where beach bums go for vacation? I imagine the conversations that must be going on in the cars: " are we there yet? I wanna see a real bear!" "wow. look at all those deer kids" "Smell that fresh air, I'm so glad we could make it to the mountains this year. everything is so green and the weather is nice and cool". etc etc. So the beach bums head to the mountains, and the hillbillies head to the beaches. Both I and the beach bums have valid points about how great the mountains and the beach can be. How would our life change I wonder, if we had the same appreciation for our home territory that out of staters have? How much would it increase the quality of our lives to walk out on our porch each morning and let the wonder of our surroundings wash over us as if we were experiencing it for the first time? Like I said in the title, when you get in the right frame of mind, regardless of where you happen to be at the moment, life's a beach.

Introducing Culture Thursday

2008-05-08T11:21:00.001-04:00

"The reason one writes isn't the fact he wants to say something. He writes because he has something to say."
~F. Scott Fitzgerald~

After some thought, I have decided to move up to every day posting! This is quite a commitment given my workload at this time, but I feel that it is do-able with a little forethought and commitment. I will be using my Tuesday and Thursday posts to open my information mine to you, dear reader. I will post only the absolute best finds that I have encountered in my search for truth, culture, and knowledge. Today I want to share with you the site of a philosopher named Ravi Zacharias. Dr. Zacharias is in my mind one of the most lucid and eloquent reasoners alive today. He speaks from a classically trained philosophic viewpoint, and comes to some startling conclusions about the trends of culture and where we are going as a people. His site has made available for free a massive archive covering a plethora of relevant cultural topic. I have never heard arguments stated so logically, so eloquently, in all of my searching. check him out!

Questions that need to be asked?

2008-05-07T12:16:00.002-04:00

As I was considering what to post, I thought about how nice it would be to get some feedback on some of the issues that I've been thinking about recently. Additional perspective is always welcome, and almost always reveals facets of a subject that I had not thought of. So what I'm going to do is release to you all some questions and concepts that I've been considering writing a post on. Read them, think about them, and get back to me. I would really love to hear from any of you, so sound off! Here are some questions that I think need asked:

· Is teaching evolutionary theory as fact in the school system causing a detrimental effect on society?

· Is the Constitution still a viable document as is, or does it need to be amended or restructured to accommodate modern times?

· Are we Americans really as terrible as we are making ourselves out to be?

· Is MTV poisoning society?

· Why is there such a push towards “zen living” and “information diets” recently?

· What is the value of reading the classics?

These are just a few of the things that I've been thinking about lately. Feel free to comment, email me @ joeaholmes@gmail.com , or IM me via the digsby app on the right hand side of the site. I look forward to connecting with all of you!

After a Short Hiatus....

2008-05-05T12:00:00.003-04:00

Lots going on here in Joe Land. I have been crazy busy trying to keep up with the schedule I have set myself, as well as working on some of the many dreams floating around in my head. Oh yes, and I shaved my head. If all of this sounds like a mental breakdown, fear not. It is rather the delightful sound of life buzzing on down the track. Of special interest to you, dear reader, is the happy fact that I have been accepted as a contributor at http://www.culturefeast.com ! In fact, My first article, entitled has formal education become passe is on the front page today. So support my work, and my new friends over at culturefeast, and check it out!

Creative Outlet

2008-04-25T11:46:00.005-04:00

Greetings everyone. I am pleased to announce the opening of my freshly minted site, PhotoLuminous. The purpose of its creation was to provide an outlet for our creative work. I say our because the lovely Micalyn will be uploading some of her excellent work as well. Its a little bare bones as of now, but thats due only to time constraints, not lack of material! So if you are tired of reading my rants, or just want to explore, feel free to drop by. comments, compliments, and critiques are all very welcome.

Happiness is a Warm Gun

2008-04-21T09:55:00.007-04:00

With the general election looming in the near future, its time to start taking a look at the issues. Not that I'm really electrified about any candidate this go round. I suppose the question at this juncture is "Which candidate will leave me alone the most?". Which one will let me make a living without dipping into my pockets too deeply, and which will allow me the option to protect myself in the manner that I see fit? Looking at McCain, I see a saddening, but not entirely surprising bland voting record. Some cursory research @ Glassbooth reveals that he voted against a ban on assault weapons, but was for greater restrictions on gun access. So while he's not really an opponent of gun ownership, hes not exactly a champion of our rights either. Naturally, both of the democratic candidates are strongly supportive of all types of gun control. This is totally expected, as the democratic candidates generally are supportive of any law by which government can further intrude into, and control, the lives of the citizenry. So I am left one one hand with a candidate who doesn't really care what goes on with gun rights, and on the other hand, I have a candidate so naive that they actually think criminals go through legal channels to obtain weapons. Frankly, thats a stupid notion. I don't see why people have such a hard time seeing that gun control only takes weapons from law abiding citizens, NOT the criminal. To me this is an obvious conclusion, but it appears that many today are so smothered in PC rhetoric that they can't see it. Gun control advocates have gone to some ridiculous lengths in proposing solutions to the problem of crime, but few make them look as stupid as the "Gun Free Zone". Want an example of a gun free zone in action? How about Virginia Tech? Is there not room in this world for an individual to be optimistic and realistic? Do I have to be an unrealistic starry eyed hippie, or a soulless corporate tycoon? Is that really what the two parties in this country have become? A troop of far left clowns who want to run your life, or a group of money hungry power brokers? Once again, I'm optimistic yet realistic, and it looks like this election will be another case of picking the lesser of two evils.

On Experiencing Wonder Again

2008-04-16T11:42:00.006-04:00

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

~Albert Einstein~

How long has it been, I wonder, since you’ve had your breath taken away, since you’ve been completely delighted? When was the last time that you were speechless with joy, or laughter? If you aren’t experiencing moments like these in your life with some regularity, perhaps it’s time to reassess the reason your doing what you’re doing. I've been blessed in the last 6 months to have many such moments, and its awakened me to the fact that for a time, I wasn’t having so many of these moments. In looking back, I believe I can identify three things that I was doing in my life that were keeping me from having those “speechless” moments:

1) I was moving too fast~ I know I've mentioned this in my previous post, but it just can’t be overstated. During the time when my life had few moments of wonder, I was constantly on the run. My weekends were spent seeking some fun and adventure that was at least several hours from home. Now, there's nothing wrong with travel, and I love travel. But when you try to force too much travel, too many experiences, too much fun, into too short an amount of time, what you end up with is one fun but stressful blur. I have experienced many more moments of wonder laying in the grass around my house, or walking in the woods right outside my door.

2) I was spending too much~ This really goes with point one. I've found that my low key, low cost adventures yield my a much richer experience than those that I payed out the nose for. There are some exceptions to this, but they are few and far between.

3) I had no time for introspection~ At the end of my day I was so tired and exhausted that I usually couldn’t even fire off a half baked prayer, let alone have the leisure to reflect on the events of the day. This kind of living leads to what I call a reactionary lifestyle. We get to moving so fast that we have no time to determine why we are doing the things we do. We simply must react. This type of unconscious, unintentional living is one of the best ways to waste ten years of your life, or find that somehow your life is not turning out anything like you had planned.

So those are just three things that, once removed, have brought back the “wow” factor in my life. So take some time today and reflect. What makes you smile? What stops you in your tracks? What makes you laugh so hard that you cry? Figure out what it is, and put your life back in tune.

Fever Dream

2008-04-14T17:43:00.002-04:00

Please forgive me dear reader, I have just experienced the worst fever I have had in years. It hit me at about 4 am Friday morning, and is just now loosening its hold. fear not, I have had a lot of feverish visions that I need to share with you all!

Exploring Digital Culture

2008-04-09T10:43:00.003-04:00

Today I want to make my music loving readers aware of a really nice little piece of software that you can use to really explore the net in a whole new way. Its called songbird, and it’s a music centric Mozilla based browser built by the developers group pioneers of the inevitable (the people who made winamp). If you’re like me, you may have tried songbird in its early stages of development and found it simply too rough around the edges to use on a regular basis. Well thankfully, times have changed. The recent release of the 0.5 build has really, in my mind, ushered in the first incarnation of songbird that is usable on a daily level. The load up time is a bit long, but once up and running (or flying), the software is smooth and mostly snag free. Speaking of snag, here’s where you can download the build. So, the point is give the bird a try. I guarantee that if you’re a music fan you’ll find something worthwhile. Still not satisfied? Want more? Here’s an excellent link to lots and lots of free music for you to peruse. Support the remix culture and enjoy the work of artists whose prime concern isn’t making money, but being heard. Speaking of just wanting to be heard, try out Jamendo while your at it. Although linux users are probably familiar with this music community because of its integration with rhythmbox, mac and windows users may be surprised to learn that you don’t need to run the GNOME interface in order to participate in this creative commons music community. So listen, make, and Create!

The Perfect Now

2008-04-08T11:01:00.003-04:00

As you might have noted, there was no post for yesterday here on SqueezedFresh. No I haven’t given it up, in fact, I've been making some great online relationships, and just recently got included in the Living by Design blog carnival number 23! All of this has been great, so why skip the all important Monday? Well, I was out having adventures and misadventures on my motorcycle all day. Long story made short, I rode over 200 miles, experienced both some of the most stressful and most relaxing road that I've yet rode on, and failed a motorcycle skills test. Although this may sound like a weak excuse for missing my post day, I really feel that I realized something important out there on the road. The pavement was perfect, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and I was HAPPY. I wasn’t reading about being happy, I wasn’t thinking about how to have happiness in my life, I wasn’t trying to lifehack anything. I was just enjoying the beautiful perfect NOW. I had another moment of perfect now yesterday evening. I was laying in the grass with Micalyn, and we were listening to the sounds of kids playing, watching clouds, and simply enjoying one another's presence. It was perfect. It didn’t need to be thought about, or analyzed. The perfect now can’t be looked at in that sense. Instead, you’ve just got to absorb it, soak it in. If any of you are like me, you have a mind that needs to make lists, analyze, and ponder. But sometimes in our pursuit of happiness we just need to stop all of that higher intellectual function and just BE. So today’s post is an encouragement to you. Leave your desk, skip the blog post, and go find your perfect now!

Culture Trends in America: The Illusion of Escalating Needs

2008-04-02T12:06:00.005-04:00

Last Sunday I had an epiphany while attending services at my local church. This wasn't a moral or spiritual epiphany (although I've had some of those lately as well). No, this was an epiphany of a much more concrete sort. The lesson was dealing with cultural trends, which as you all know I have a great interest in. The minister was enumerating some features of our culture, among them was a concept that I found to be particularly insightful. It was titled the illusion of perpetually escalating needs. The gist is this: we always find something else to "need", and our consumer culture makes sure that its always there for the purchasing. And that's when I had my epiphany. I have fallen prey to this escalation of "needs" on at least a level. Raise your hand if you've upgraded your ipod, cell phone, or computer before you really needed to. How about your car, bicycle, or wardrobe? Can you see just how prevalent this concept is, and how deeply ingrained? Now, if you've read my previous post you know that I am a strong proponent of capitalism as a governmental model. It is however not without weakness, and this is perhaps one of them. The free market pushes companies to get the average individual to consume consume consume. And one of the most effective ways to achieve this is through the escalation of perceived needs. The tech world is positioned well for this strategy due to its rapid advancement and lowering cost. So now, in tech at least, we can have a new "must have" item every month. So the question is, have you fallen prey as I have to the escalating needs? Is this attitude wrecking your finances and stealing your enjoyment of life? I have made a list of three questions that you can ask yourself in order to escape from the escalator:

What really makes me happy? This is a crucial question. Many times we assume, without really thinking about it, that new gadgets will make us happy. If your like me though, a quick look around the house at all of yesterdays "must have" items tell a different story. It may even be helpful to make a list of things that make you happy. Most of the time, you'll find that they aren't the latest and greatest thing.
What's Wrong with what I have? Yesterday, I noted that my younger brother was still listening to a old discman that I had given him when I got my first ipod. I've since upgraded three times and probably spent at least five hundred dollars on the process. Sure, I can carry all eleven thousand songs in my pocket, but do I need to? When I listen to the Zepp, does it sound any different than on my old discman? I don't think so. Asking yourself this question, I have found, will save you loots of money.
Why do I want the "new thing"? if your answer has anything to do with a new commercial or because your friend owns one, you're probably falling prey to the "escalator". If you didn't need it until you realized it existed, you probably don't need it.

If you consistently ask these questions, it becomes much easier to jump off the escalator, free yourself of "stuff", and just get down to loving each day. That's where it's really at after all.

*********************************POSTSCRIPT***************************************

Here is a simply fascinating series of articles dealing with the concept of digital culture. Many thanks to Artmaker for the link!

INTERACT: Breaking down the barrier beween the reader and the author

2008-03-31T11:52:00.007-04:00

Well, its the end of my first month of consistent blogging. I must say that I am enjoying it quite a lot thus far. The ability to voice ideas and be read is extremely cathartic to me, and I have begun to anticipate each posting. One aspect of blogging that I have grown to really love is the immediate and instant contact with the reader. I find that this instant feedback refreshes me, and inspires me to write well. What I want to do with this post is get even more personal in my interaction with my readers. To that end, I have placed a twitter widget and a IM widget on FreshSqueezed. So please, feel free to drop me a line. Complain, comment, trade ideas and opinions, or just say hi. I would love to hear from you. This to me is one of the most exciting aspects of digital publishing. not only for ones voice to be heard, but to build relationships with ones readership. how exciting!

Weekend Pearl: The Best Place to Learn Guitar

2008-03-29T10:16:00.004-04:00

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."

~Berthold Auerbach~

I love music. A lot. For years, my love was limited to appreciating the work of others, then I learned to play guitar. Now my love borders on obsession. The ability to play has really enriched my life, and I want to share with you what I have found to be the best site to learn how to play. Its Called Chordie.com. You don't need any formal training or knowledge of guitar in order to get started. In fact, with a little persistence you could probably learn a simple song in just one day. There are even diagrams to show you how to play each chord. Check out this public songbook that has some easy to play songs. So use the weekend and open some new doors in your mind!

Vapid dialogues and Shallow Demagogues

2008-03-28T13:18:00.006-04:00

“What is your substance, whereof are you made,

That millions of strange shadows on you tend?”

~William Shakespeare~

I don’t know about you, but I'm sick of hearing about the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Senator Obama’s racist, anti-Semitic minister. I know, I know, it’s important to the campaign. And it’s not that I'm sitting in Obama’s corner wringing my hands about his chances of winning the primary elections. I'm simply weary with the fact that we as a people haven’t moved beyond this. In my estimation, the dear Reverend isn’t even the main issue here. There have always been and always will be madding, divisive demagogues spewing forth their vitriol to the masses. The question that looms in my mind is, when the masses will stop listening? The real moral tragedy isn’t that the Reverend hates me because I'm white, or hates me because I'm middle class, or hates the Jews. The tragedy is that he has been able to make a lifelong career out of playing the race card and harming his own ethnic community through his attitude of learned and eternal victimhood. If he was one crazy, hateful man, it wouldn’t matter. But he’s not. He’s one hateful man that has 10,000 people in his congregation who evidently really enjoy listening to his drivel. THAT is a moral travesty. My suspicion is that, as senator Obama maintains, many in the congregation aren’t even listening to what he’s saying, perhaps the senator and many others are only there to enjoy the reality-TV-show like shock factor. Regardless of the reason, this huge following is very telling. Our popular culture seems to be more fixated on ideas and people that are shocking or entertaining than upon those that have substance. Our world has become so superficial that we have in many ways regressed into a pre-enlightenment dark age in which spectacle reigns supreme. We look with horror or morbid amusement at the savage glee surrounding witch hunts, but have we not become the same? Giving our attention, and often times support, to an idea or public figure merely because we are amused by the grotesque nature of them? In the last few decades, we’ve lost our moral anchoring, and drifted into hedonism. Now I fear that even hedonism has lost its allure, and something darker and uglier is beginning to hold us in its thrall. Are we becoming modern barbarians? Fixated on the spectacle of watching proverbial blood spill? Only time will tell. We desperately need a grassroots movement that champions ideas , entertainment , and people of substance. The greatest hope for this, I believe is in the free exchange of ideas we find here, on the web. So let’s stop having vapid conversations about hateful men, and move on the dialogues that have some substance!

Use Multitasking to Enhance your Focus

2008-03-26T14:57:00.006-04:00

Vision, discipline and focus. With these three life skills in abundance, there's very little that we can’t do. I like to think of my life as blank slate upon which I am free to express myself as I choose. But what if you or I lack one of these skills? Does missing of one of these hold us back from becoming who and what we want to become? When I look at them, I can see where a deficiency here does indeed hold me back. For me, its focus. I have always had a distinct vision of what I want to do with my life, and medical school has taught me a lot about discipline (though I'm still learning). What really holds me back from my aspirations becoming reality is my lack of focus. Maybe it’s that I have a touch of ADD, and maybe it’s that I just have a busy mind, but it seems that throughout life, I've had trouble focusing on a task, and completing tasks. Of late though, I've been becoming much more productive through the art of conscious multitasking. This really first occurred to me when I realized that I constantly broke up my study by doodling, or checking on something on the internet, or just walking around my apartment. I just couldn’t seem to focus for more than about 20 minutes at a time. And so, as you can imagine, my productivity was horrible. That’s when I decided to consciously multitask. Instead of just performing random activity when my attention needed to focus, I had other things I could do that would be a productive distraction. Now I can set out things at the start of the day, and when I feel my attention drift, I pay bills, answer email, write my blog post, or study something entirely different for about ten minutes. Even on medical rotations, there is often an opportunity for some calculated distraction (ie, reading a handbook on downtime, etc). This has allowed me to indulge my desire to multitask, and actually become more productive. I realize that not everyone is like me. I have friends who need to be distraction free in order to concentrate. But if you’re someone who finds it maddening to try and focus in a “quiet study environment”, then maybe it’s time to stop fighting your nature. Put on some music, go with your flow, and be productively distracted. [photo via businessweek]