Stop and Light your Cigarette

College was my first time truly being around a bunch of independent peers, and my first look of how others act, feel, and think without the influence from parents, family or teachers. After a few days, and then a few weeks, I noticed trends would occur. For instance, the earlier in the morning, the greater propensity for sweats or even pajamas (bless you hoodie) to be worn. During the cooler but not cold months fleeces would emerge, and most noticeably, "The North Face" made its mark. (I still remember our sociology teacher talking about that one). But one trend I noticed throughout my entire college experience was that of smokers. Smokers always had me more curious than anyone. For one, I never quite grasped the concept of "needing a cigarette." Two, I couldn't understand how, with all the knowledge everyone had received and processed, why anyone would even consider it. But, once I finally got past my dismay, and my constant silent judging mind you, I started noticing smokers, and more specifically, smoking.


Have you seen someone try to walk from point A to point B and light their cigarette? Almost always, universally, the smoker will stop walking in order to get a spark. Every day I would see a smoker walking where they would make full-hearted attempts to light their cigarette while on the move, but what ultimately always happened was the same. He or she would stop walking, put the focus on their lighter, and voila, ignition. Could this have something to do with the fact that a lot of smokers are as athletic as Rosie O'Donnell or are as coordinated as a 3 year old child? Maybe. But that isn't my point.

What really matters here is what happens in between. The smoker has no alternative but to stop with what they are doing and focus solely on their one task. And in my sagacious wisdom I noticed that, by placing full value on our current task we are able to provide a quality outcome and get the most satisfying result. This is the alternative to speeding through our input and producing a negative outcome. While a smoker may eventually get that cigarette lit after walking for a ways' further, by the time it happens, they will be more irritated and have wasted a great deal of their input, which could have been used elsewhere.

Often we are so consumed from one point to the next that we often don't consider what is going on in between. When this happens in life, typically we are just moving too fast. Are there appropriate times to get the quickest result? Sure. But do not be so busy looking for the slam dunk (the best car, most perfect house, best looking woman), that we devalue our current experiences and lose the great things we already have.

This Memorial weekend as we appreciate our soldiers and what they have done, try and appreciate all the other things that you may take for granted. Need some help thinking of some? Here are some topics: Your health. If you are reading this now, then I imagine its decent. Where you live. Does it have a roof and a safe surrounding? That's pretty cool, especially considering how we used to live in caves and hunt for our lives every day of our existence. Your friends and your family. What you will always have is the memories that you have created. The outdoors. Having oxygen and sunshine is pretty cool right? Answer: Yes, always. And as the weather warms up you have an opportunity to be outside on the grill, play lawn games, swim or just sit and watch the stars at night.

As I grow older and wiser, I appreciate more and more every single day and often have to remind myself to not take for granted all of the aforementioned things. It is a day to day thing that we live on the Earth, and we should treat it that way. And if you were wondering, no I do not  want you to start smoking, but if you do, you sure as hell better stop and enjoy the world around you when you stop and smoke your cigarette.

Live Every Day like it was your First

What the hell does that mean? It means you are in control of your own life, whether you like it or not.Take the time to live today like there's no yesterday. The universe presents us with a new opportunity to start differently.  Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do one thing every day that scares you." This does not mean you have to go bungee jumping or speed 100 MPH on the freeway. It means take the time to go out of your way to do something different. Complement a stranger at work, regardless of their attractiveness level, or the personal gain you may get from it (like free twinkies). Most people like to hear good things about themselves. If enough people start saying how great you are, you may eventually start believing it, and that goes the same for saying it to yourself. Wear pink and be proud of wearing pink. You made the decision for a reason to stand out, so embrace it; be that person and forgo the negative thoughts.

It is a hard thing to do to break our routines. It is okay that we have our own. For example I like to get to sleep before midnight and get up around 8 AM. I follow a regular diet and keep a regular exercise schedule, but I also have decided to explore life around me. Have you ever gone to a busy restaurant and ate by yourself? It may almost be a liberating feeling to know you have the power to control your own actions and not be swayed by what anyone else might think. Maybe try volunteering your time to the community or to a charity and see what kind of return comes of it. Take a cooking class and learn how to make the chocolate cake you crave. Chat with a random stranger at the train station. Dig yourself into someone else's shoes, if only briefly.

Why do all this you might ask? What are the benefits? Well the mind is a muscle and it needs new sensory experiences to stay sharp. Chances are you have heard of P90X, right? It works your muscles by changing up every day's exercise. The muscles in turn never get used to their workout, creating a constant curve to build and get stronger. Now think of your mind in the same light. You are building your way to a more creative and more innovative self. That's what I mean by living each day like it was your first. Remember, before you can live, you first have to be born.

Best Adult Animated Cartoon

When I think about animated cartoons and all that they have to offer I think about a variety of things. Number one of course: humor. How funny is it? Number two, I think of practicality. Is relevancy the reason the show is funny? Number three, I think of redeeming qualities that keep me interested. For instance, is the cartoon idea well thought out and used to the advantage of the show. I am going to rundown my top five as I see it. Feel free to discern your own opinions, even if they're wrong.

Honorable Mention: Archer, King of the Hill

5) The Simpsons

Funny quote: "Alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of life's problems." - Homer Simpson

The Simpsons is truly an American classic. It is number five because it paved the way for other adult cartoons to come. Its longevity is truly what makes it stick out from any others. I was never allowed to watch this show growing up as a kid, which tells me that if my parents new about it, it had simply transcended generations, and was a staple to our American fabric in terms of cultural relevance. This iconic family has created a gigantic following and though I never thought the show to be truly that funny, there are always pieces of the show that carry with me. Homer Simpson will always be a classic character, and he has provided us with numerously funny quotes over the years. Thank you to the Simpsons, for they paved the way for funny comedies to come. 

4) Family Guy 

Funny Quote: Peter Griffin: "Hey Brian check it out, there's a message in my cereal. It's saying: oooooooo." 

                     Brian Griffin: "Peter, those are Cheerios."

An overweight dad with a family full of mischievous characters. Sound familiar? It is. However, what sets Family Guy apart from other comedies is its ability to utilize its cartoon characters to extraordinary circumstances. In Family Guy's prime the cutaways and outlandish plot removals became essential to the show's humor. While the flashbacks and other high jinks were often over the top and sometimes a bit ridiculous, they were often funny. There was a time when just about any young adult male (and often females) would associate with the show at some level. The stories of Stewie and Brian often made for some great television, and in the early 2000s no one could touch the level to which this show rose. Now it is a bit too over the top, even for a cartoon, with long flashbacks or cutaways that exhaust you more than interest you. Only the most die hard can get in to some of those plot turns now, but you cannot deny that the show provided a strong foundation for adult cartoons to continue. 

3) South Park

Funny Quote: "Nothing mom, I'm just a little bi-curious." - Butters

South Park has been around approximately 15 years. Where my two previous picks struggled, South Park has not, by remaining edgy, funny and relevant. Part of the ability for South Park's ability to remain so substantial is it's network. Unlike the others you see before, this show had the gift of being on Comedy Central. With this network supporting the show, the characters and stories became much less limited and opened up a new way of thinking about cartoon comedies. Without these limitations of the major networks, we have seen episodes with gruesome deaths, no limit topics (such as rape and racism), and anything else you might imagine. Even though you have these incredibly volatile story lines, there is often a message involved in the show. While Cartman provides all the drama the show is grounded by Stan and Kyle, who often offer sensible solutions and explanations to the problems around them. While I never watched the show as a kid, I have caught much more of it as an adult, and what sets the show aside from others is its relevancy. The creators are able to create shows within a week of production. This leads to current topics which are often right on the money with American opinion, the only downfall is that when the show misfires, it does so, hard.

2) Futarama

Funny Quote: Farnsworth: You've killed me! You've killed me!

Leela: Oh, no! What have I done?
Farnsworth: I just told you - You've killed me!

What The Simpsons were to generations before me, Futurama is to me now. While the show may never be incredibly laugh out loud funny or hold any serious messages along its way, there is one word I always think of when thinking about the show: FUN. It truly is. The consistency of how it is based allows me to know what to expect each and every time I watch an episode. Fry is just a casual, dim-witted man who has embraced his new surroundings. The flying cars, aliens and mutants offer a humorous realm to how we may or may have thought of our future. The characters in the show each bring their own unique touch, maybe more so than any other cartoon on my list. The professor will always be brash and not afraid to hold back how he feels about his crew. Bender is as egotistical as it gets. Leela is the good looking cartoon chick that is ready to defend herself at a moment's notice. Fry, our main character, will always be the dumb sap who never gets Leela but never stops trying. There are a host of other great characters that make the show run, and the stories they provide never go too deep. This light-heartedness of the future makes this show a true treat any time you watch.

1) Dilbert

Funny Quote:

In an episode where Dilbert is trying to impress a woman during a softball game the following was stated: 

Juliette: "I'll be playing 2b, if you ever get that far we can talk there." 

Dilbert: "Second base? No engineer has ever gotten that far."

This may seem as a peculiar pick to many of you, but for me it is right on the money. Like many quality shows of their time (Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development, etc.), this one was cut short. Propelled by its relevance from Scott Adams's comic strip, the show was put onto the screen in 1999 and lasted all of two seasons. I enjoyed this short lived cartoon because of its brilliant writing. With the help of Scott Adams, executive producer Larry Charles put together a very funny, thoughtful, witty show. In the show Dilbert is your above average working stiff who has a bright mind but is often stuck in the ways of corporate drudge. His boss is a bumbling idiot and his co-workers often encourage the opposite result of productivity. The strongest character of the whole show is Dogbert, who is a mastermind of manipulation, control and power. Dilbert often refers to Dogbert whenever he is in a bind, and Dogbert is at times seen as an evil genius. His character has produced numerous quotes with his own cult following. You can find many t-shirts or mugs with one of his numerous sayings. While many of us may not work in the type of work environment Dilbert does, it does provide an insight to corporate America, and how irrational things can be at times. It rationalized the ultimate "man getting us down" theory. One can say that Dilbert's comic strip paved the way for The Drew Carey Show, where the main characters share sparkling resemblances as well). Some other characters that standout in the show are Wally, a below average worker who equivocates to today's office worker that always plays on facebook. Catbert is the "Evil Director of Human Resources" which no one ever wishes to disturb. And as briefly mentioned before, "Pointy Haired Boss" is the buffoon that runs the branch and often makes terrible decisions. There was nary an episode where Dilbert was not hilarious, and its too bad it did not get more time. Most of this can likely be blamed on its network, or its network audience. Can you guess which station carried this cartoon? If you guessed UPN, you were right (and possibly surprised). The show even managed to win a prime time emmy before disappearing. But Dilbert still lives on every day in comedies and is a wonderful treat to the more absurd side of corporate America. I enjoyed its two years of great brilliance, and maybe its short run amplifies its greatness to a different level. 

So that's my list! Feel free to talk about your favorites, tell me shows I left off, and tell me your number one show, or what shows I missed!

Thank you NFL

This season has provided me with some very wonderful ups and downs which I must say has saved me from what I have thought to be a mostly mediocre college football season. On week 17, the last week of the regular season, we have many meaningful games. Will we have the two "best teams" in the championship game? Probably not. But that is perfectly fine. Instead we have a slate of games that have an impact on the playoff chase, and none more so than my Oakland Raiders hunt for a seed. Frankly, thinking of all the different scenarios gives me a headache, I can just say I am happy Oakland is even in this position. From the mixed feelings of Al Davis's passing, to the ups and downs that would be the rest of the season, it has been a whirlwind. 

College football probably does has its two best teams, but will they be at peak level playing more than a month after the season has finished? In the NFL the hot teams are the ones that make their mark going forward. And it seems like any scandals in the NFL were supremely dwarfed by all of college football's drama. It was just one nonstop thing after another.

So make me proud NFL. Week 17 should be a "doozie."

Find Your Breath

The premise of this is relatively simple. Find your breath. But what does it really mean? In short, it means a lot of things. It was not that long ago that I was having trouble sleeping due to lack of energy, a poor work schedule, general anxiety about my job, and just unhappiness. I had to discover a way to counter all this but money was limited, and frankly, it still is. Where did I turn? YouTube. Behold, the greatest power in my life was in the hands of people I never knew and never will. What I discovered was incredible.

This started my search for sleep meditation and anxiety help, and what I found were some great remedies for a lot of things in my life. And where did it all start? It started with my breath. And it's not just your breath, it's the power in your mind to reduce your anxiety and worries just through meditation. My focus  became slow, deliberate breathing. Long breaths in and long breaths out. When I really concentrated on this for minutes at a time I found that my brain was put into a different state. I could feel my blood pouring into places more vibrantly than ever before. My heart would get a little stronger and and my anxieties lessened. It was a simple step that seemed almost too easy, but it does take effort, especially to repeat this meditation.

Now this might not be groundbreaking material for most of you but it is a reminder to appreciate everything that we have. But it is more than mental well being; physically you can alter sensations and heal yourself like you are your own shaman. During meditation, once you have captured your breath, start scanning your body. That crick in your neck, the pain in your lumbar region, or even a sore foot can feel better with just a little concentration. Do a body scan and try and figure out where things feel off and essentially "let it go" like it is literal dust in the wind. Focus on the specific area and think about the pain escaping out of the body. If thoughts of your day sweep in your brain push them aside and stay in the moment. Really try to listen to what your body is saying and embrace it. While you will not be fixing broken bones or curing cancer, you are living a healthier life and improving your state of mind.

After I had practiced this meditation just once my sleep became much better, and deeper too. In addition with getting a new job and exercising more, many of my day to day issues minimalized. Now the challenge is not just to find your breath, but too also discover it, because you're not just discovering your breath, you're discovering the world around it in ways you may have never thought about it. When you are chowing down on your next pepperoni pizza feel its ingredients hit each taste bud. Be thoughtful when you take a drink of water down and it whistles beneath your pallet. Watch and listen to a raindrop as it splashes against your window sill. Take note of the rustling leaves flowing in a cool summer breeze. Do all of this with relaxed, deep breathing and see how the world around you is effected. Feel as if every moment in your life is the most important you have ever experienced.

Finally, remember to take time for yourself each day to be without distraction, where you can really focus on yourself and recharge for whatever you need. Think about the famous Bill Murray line in Caddyshack of  "total consciousness." Maybe it isn't as far off as you had previously thought. Keep your focus and determination and slow yourself down and discover your life, you won't regret it.

A renewed sense of purpose

After a renowned sense of purpose, it is with great pleasure that I return to the blogging world. I would like to try to incorporate all worlds into my life with this new blog. Before I had two blogs with two different types of material and I felt it was challenging to bring two different forms of my life (sports and/or entertainment) into one blog. Additionally I didn't know my username or password before, so here I am. But I am going for it now. So, with the NFL lockout, presumably coming to an end and starting anew, consider this my rebirth as well. I hope to provide some laughter, some positive points and some great sports material in the future. As my roommate would say, and after I would understand it from urbandictionary.com, "BET!"