What a specimen of a 21 year vintage I am. :) tehe

What it means to be a man:

I think being a man means being honest in all you do, and always striving to be better. Being knowledgeable about the local and global affairs. Having an educated opinion, standing by it, and always being able to rethink it. About being passionate about life, your interests, your family and friends and your gal. Being a man means living life, laughing, and loving. These are The Things I see, live, do, think, read, watch, love, like, want and more.

Cheers, Jared

Monday, February 28, 2011

Notes on Revisiting Haiti through the TV

You know when you suddenly realize you're tense, you let your muscles relax, your back relax into the couch.  This wave of emotions had washed over me, unexpectedly.

Haiti changed who I am.  It will always hold a special place in my heart.

This feeling of despair and hope likens itself to a hurricane in my emotions, swirling their coldness and heat, affecting my demeanor.

I curl up on Liv, my head in a pillow, my body is splayed out as she rubs my back in comfort as I watch Anthony Bourdain get his first real experience of Haiti.

He was there shooting No Reservations, in Port Au Prince, on the outskirts at a local food stand.  When you are in Haiti, and blanc, you will be watched, called out to, mocked, appreciated, adored, hated.  You will feel emotions from every stranger wash over you, that is those of less affluence.

He was eating with his guide, a local rising star in the Haitian movie industry.  The kids were everywhere hawking not at Anthony, nor his guide, but the styrofoam and food.  First three or four, then nine or ten.  Tony began to notice, and feeling like he could do something, something good, something easy, something he should do, he decided to feed them all.  He bought out the rest of the woman's food and would pay her for every plate she could muster up.

This is where the tension came in.  I was shaking my head, I dig my nose into the pillow as Liv rests her hand on top of my head.  I know what's going to happen, what always happens when hungry people see free food......

Tony said something in the show that was perfect, absolutely perfect. 
Poverty makes people feel broken inside.  That is the true earthquake of Haiti.

While he was speaking with Sean Penn, he also said something that stuck with me.
There is a history of aid failure in Haiti.  But, there is a history of aid failure in the world.  This is our neighbor, our opportunity to show aid can work.

There are a few lessons repeated to me, and maybe taught for the first time to others who watched, if they really watched.  You don't fix problems such as Haiti in one day, or one year even.  You fix it in generations.  Just because something is easy and makes you feel good doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.  It means you should find something else that will make you feel good for the rest of your life, that will fulfill you, if that is what you want.  There is certainly a place for the people that want this instant gratification, but, please, be prepared for shallow satisfaction, a fleeting contentment.  You will not fix the problem, you will actually perpetuate the problem, most of the time.  But, it is not wrong, how could it be?  Yet, it is.  I don't really know the way to express this.

Please, go experience it for yourself, perhaps you'll understand.

Check out the NGO two of my best friends and I have recently started. @ http://helpingoneworld.wordpress.com - CEED - Children Education Empowerment Development

The Age of Dressing Down is Dead

Says Bill Cunningham, famous photographer of all things clothing in New York City for the Times.


https://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2011/02/27/fashion/27street-popup.html

I am very happy to hear this.

There is definitely nothing wrong with dressing "comfortably", but I personally think wearing a pair of jeans you've been breaking in for the past year beats a pair of sweat pants any day.  For a few reasons: 1. They ARE more comfortable.  2. They look way better, they actually show off the shape of your body, rather than hiding it.  3. You don't look like a lazy F***.


What say you?

Friday, February 25, 2011

Notes on Meditation

I received some good advice in the comments on my last post from an anonymous poster.

While I can't say I have become a huge meditation aficionado, but I can definitely say that a few things have changed.

First, I downloaded the app "Altered States" from the iTunes App Store, it was pricey @ .99 (as comapred to free :D) but I definitely like it.  I put on the Dreamy Sleep waves and lay back and relax.

I find myself laying on my back, relaxing and slowly drifting off to sleep.  The first night I listened to this whilst sleeping I ended up having three vivid dreams, two of which I'd rather not share, and one which was just odd. 

To sum it up: chat conversation between my girlfriend and I, taking the shape of a set of stairs where each message was a new step, another friend was chatting but I could not see any of his messages, then all of his messages showed up in the form of a stuffed horse on each step where one of his messages was supposed to be, as well as a stuffed horse at the top of the stairs peeking down.  I have no clue.
I have tried one of the methods from the tips.  You are supposed to imagine, with your eyes closed, the symbol for eternity (imagine an 8 turned on the side) and physically trace that image with your eyes closed.  One side represents the past, and the other the future, and the intersection the present...this part was hard for me.  However, focusing my mind on the symbol allowed my overactive brain to calm down.  This was hugely beneficial for putting me in a relaxed state in order to go to sleep.

So, if you're having a problem getting that go-go-go brain to chill out, try these out.

Cheers,
Jared

Monday, February 14, 2011

I Want to Learn to Meditate

I want to learn.  For various reasons.  Any good resources, ideas, thoughts?

Help.