Good evening and Happy Saturday,
As I am in the middle of a "work week" (don't feel bad, I get weekdays off that I consider my "weekend"......remember, I'm an ED guy), I am not doing much tonight but chilling out with myself and my thoughts. One thought that ran across my mind is that I (and all of us) should try and be a better version of myself everyday. Now, I completely understand, that this sounds like a daunting task. I mean, to improve everyday??? Is it possible?? Can I do it?? Can You do it?? The answer is an inevitable, 100% YES!!!
The thing is, the change does not need to be anything monumental, nor does it need to be noticeable to anyone but YOURSELF.
For instance, if you think you could have smiled more today, smile more tomorrow. Smiles are one contagious mother father and the more you smile the more you make others smile. So yeah, if that is something you can do BETTER tomorrow, give it a shot.
If you did not hold the door for anyone today, try and do it at least once tomorrow. Chivalry and manners have been forgotten in this age of Tinder, text messages, Snapchat, and the other numerous ways we "try" to show the world who we are. Try and holding a door open for a real person, searching for their Pokemon or not, and see what happens. Perhaps you'll receive a smile, perhaps that person will hold the door open for someone else, perhaps the person will not say shit. Who cares, you will have improved yourself from the previous day....And that, my friends, is a good thing.
If you did not compliment someone today, try it tomorrow. If you add a smile, you could even double up the love. Many people walk this earth self conscious, shy, never receiving compliments from anyone. You could potentially save a life by giving a compliment. A little dramatic, I know, but think about it. You never know who is contemplating suicide or other means of self harm. Perhaps, your compliment could have that person second guess if that's the right idea. I know......that's kind of a powerful notion.... EMBRACE IT!!!!
If you are trying to get in shape and you did not make it to the gym today, or if you quit early on your workout. Tomorrow, try to crush that ish. The whole idea is to improve on the person you are everyday you are alive....As you have good workouts, you will feel better about yourself which will, in turn improve your attitude, which will result in you being nicer to others, which is never a bad thing. Humans are too mean to each other, PERIOD. Try to be the difference maker.
I am not asserting that you will change the world, get a Nobel Peace prize, or rise to the levels of existential bliss. I can say, that your life could seem a little sweeter, your sun may shine brighter, your stresses less important. If you think who would NOT want that?? It is easy to get stuck in a rut, to approach life with negativity, to not enjoy every day you walk this earth. By focusing on improving yourself, you can improve the life of others without even realizing it. That's a win win!!!
That's all for now. Have a great night y'all and remember, if you don't agree, I do not really care.....After all, these are just one man's thoughts.
One Love
Ant
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Don't drink so much coffee
Good morning everybody,
In an attempt to resurrect this blog I thought I'd begin to give you all a reason to appreciate EVERYTHING that you have in your life. As a Pediatric resident in Miami, Florida I had the opportunity to meet and care for some of the most amazing families I could have ever imagined. It is so easy in medicine to focus energy on the "bad" encounters at the expense of forgetting the great ones. This is just a quick story about one little girl I had the absolute fortune of being able to care for. If any of you know I have tattoos, I have one tattoo specifically designed in her memory.
As an intern (first year resident) I began my journey with Heme/Onc being my very first rotation. Through this rotation, for those not in medicine, you get to care for those children with cancer or other blood illnesses (i.e. Sickle Cell disease). On the first week I met a young girl who, unbeknownst to me, would change my outlook on life. She was a young Jamaican girl recently diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (muscle tumor) to the muscles that help move the eyeball. Ultimately, she had a racquetball size tumor removed from the right side of her face (including her eyeball) and then subsequently had to undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
I met her shortly after her surgery and was able to take care of her as she received that chemo. Chemotherapy is essentially "poison" to the rapidly dividing cancer cells and ultimately has a large effect on the other "healthy cells". Just an educational point, This is why people lose their hair during chemo. The medicine attacks cells that divide at an alarming rate (i.e. cancer) but hair cells divide very fast, so are subject to the effects of the chemo. Anyhow, needless to say, a 7 year old girl missing 1/4 of her face and undergoing weekly chemo sounds almost unbearable. I mean, how many of you all could brave this challenge? Exactly!! This young lady, though, was able to smile, be pleasant and make jokes every time I saw her, no matter what. Additionally, her family was the best. Always bringing doughnuts to the ward and always thankful of our efforts. As many of you in the medical field are aware, ANY FREE FOOD AND POSITIVE COMMENTS ARE 100% GOLD!!!!
Now for those who know me, to this day, I always have a cup of coffee in my hand, and during residency I probably drank even more coffee than I do now (hey, I had to survive residency). One day, I stumble into this little lady's room to pre round and of course I had my coffee. She quietly and with a huge smile on her face handed me a note and told me, "Dr. Pickett, you have to read this." Of course, I could not deny this smiling face her request. On the note, she had written about 7 times... "I will not drink so much coffee". Followed with a note at the bottom that said, "read this everyday". I instantly burst our laughing, she started laughing and in her Jamaican accent told me she was worried because I alway seemed to be drinking what I like to call the nectar of the gods. I sat with her for a while just chatting until I had to get back to my pre rounding. I mean, hey, it was already 5:30 am and I had to be ready by 6. In case you are wondering, I still have that note!!!
I was fortunate enough to take care of her intermittently for the 3 years of residency (depending on what rotation I was on), getting to know her and her family better with every encounter. Needless to say, they were some of my favorite people I have EVER had the pleasure of meeting. After finishing residency I was fortunate enough to spend a year as chief resident. Sounds impressive but it actually is a year more as an administrator, educator, and babysitter to other residents. (yeah, I was the one who had to deny resident's requests for time off to attend dog birthday parties....yeah you read correctly, some residents would request time off for their dog's Bday!!! C'MON MAN.....this is residency).
I was almost done with my chief year when someone told me that this young girl's mother was asking if I was in the hospital. As it turned out my favorite patient, the one who approached her illness with nothing but optimism and smiles, had succumbed to her illness. Her mother was asking if I could come to the bedside since I was one of the child's favorites. Once I heard (I actually just now got chills, thinking about it), I immediately went to her room. When I arrived, mom was standing next to the bed with her hand resting on her daughter's forehead. As she saw me enter the room, she wrapped me in the most meaningful hug I think I've ever received. We said nothing; sometimes silence is best. We sat in silence next to this young girl's bed where she lay deceased. After a while, we began reminiscing about the past 3 1/2 years. The laughter we shared, the struggles when she was really sick, the promise of optimism. The mother mentioned to me, that I had a lot to do with her child's approach to illness. That, even when I was on a different rotation, this girl alway was asking about me and when I'd be back on the heme/onc service. Honestly, I was touched beyond words to feel that at such an early point in my career I was already able to touch an entire family so positively. We sat together for about one hour before I had to go. Her mom, again, thanking the entire healthcare team for all that we had done to try to save her baby girl.
To see this young girl, laying on the bed with no life in her I began to reflect. Despite all that life had thrown at her, she always was upbeat, she never gave up, and she was more worried about my coffee intake than her next round of chemo. Then, I think of everything that I hear everyone complaining about. The list is too long to start naming the infinite amount of things that adults whine, complain, and fester about, but you can only imagine.
This girl, suffering a life threatening disease, had a large part of her face removed, and constantly suffering the painful effects of chemotherapy, KEPT SMILING!!! SHE FREAKING KEPT SMILING.
So I want to put you all to task to stop and think before you complain, before you replace your smile with a frown, or before you are rude to others. Think about this 7 year old Jamaican girl and how she approached life and ultimately the disease that ended her life prematurely. Think about how good you actually do have it despite how bad things may appear. It can ALWAYS be worse. That being said, have a blessed day. I hope I inspire a smile or two, some kindness to others, and perhaps the realization, that things are not that bad.
Have a great day and remember....These are Just One Man's Thoughts
One Love,
Ant
In an attempt to resurrect this blog I thought I'd begin to give you all a reason to appreciate EVERYTHING that you have in your life. As a Pediatric resident in Miami, Florida I had the opportunity to meet and care for some of the most amazing families I could have ever imagined. It is so easy in medicine to focus energy on the "bad" encounters at the expense of forgetting the great ones. This is just a quick story about one little girl I had the absolute fortune of being able to care for. If any of you know I have tattoos, I have one tattoo specifically designed in her memory.
As an intern (first year resident) I began my journey with Heme/Onc being my very first rotation. Through this rotation, for those not in medicine, you get to care for those children with cancer or other blood illnesses (i.e. Sickle Cell disease). On the first week I met a young girl who, unbeknownst to me, would change my outlook on life. She was a young Jamaican girl recently diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (muscle tumor) to the muscles that help move the eyeball. Ultimately, she had a racquetball size tumor removed from the right side of her face (including her eyeball) and then subsequently had to undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy.
I met her shortly after her surgery and was able to take care of her as she received that chemo. Chemotherapy is essentially "poison" to the rapidly dividing cancer cells and ultimately has a large effect on the other "healthy cells". Just an educational point, This is why people lose their hair during chemo. The medicine attacks cells that divide at an alarming rate (i.e. cancer) but hair cells divide very fast, so are subject to the effects of the chemo. Anyhow, needless to say, a 7 year old girl missing 1/4 of her face and undergoing weekly chemo sounds almost unbearable. I mean, how many of you all could brave this challenge? Exactly!! This young lady, though, was able to smile, be pleasant and make jokes every time I saw her, no matter what. Additionally, her family was the best. Always bringing doughnuts to the ward and always thankful of our efforts. As many of you in the medical field are aware, ANY FREE FOOD AND POSITIVE COMMENTS ARE 100% GOLD!!!!
Now for those who know me, to this day, I always have a cup of coffee in my hand, and during residency I probably drank even more coffee than I do now (hey, I had to survive residency). One day, I stumble into this little lady's room to pre round and of course I had my coffee. She quietly and with a huge smile on her face handed me a note and told me, "Dr. Pickett, you have to read this." Of course, I could not deny this smiling face her request. On the note, she had written about 7 times... "I will not drink so much coffee". Followed with a note at the bottom that said, "read this everyday". I instantly burst our laughing, she started laughing and in her Jamaican accent told me she was worried because I alway seemed to be drinking what I like to call the nectar of the gods. I sat with her for a while just chatting until I had to get back to my pre rounding. I mean, hey, it was already 5:30 am and I had to be ready by 6. In case you are wondering, I still have that note!!!
I was fortunate enough to take care of her intermittently for the 3 years of residency (depending on what rotation I was on), getting to know her and her family better with every encounter. Needless to say, they were some of my favorite people I have EVER had the pleasure of meeting. After finishing residency I was fortunate enough to spend a year as chief resident. Sounds impressive but it actually is a year more as an administrator, educator, and babysitter to other residents. (yeah, I was the one who had to deny resident's requests for time off to attend dog birthday parties....yeah you read correctly, some residents would request time off for their dog's Bday!!! C'MON MAN.....this is residency).
I was almost done with my chief year when someone told me that this young girl's mother was asking if I was in the hospital. As it turned out my favorite patient, the one who approached her illness with nothing but optimism and smiles, had succumbed to her illness. Her mother was asking if I could come to the bedside since I was one of the child's favorites. Once I heard (I actually just now got chills, thinking about it), I immediately went to her room. When I arrived, mom was standing next to the bed with her hand resting on her daughter's forehead. As she saw me enter the room, she wrapped me in the most meaningful hug I think I've ever received. We said nothing; sometimes silence is best. We sat in silence next to this young girl's bed where she lay deceased. After a while, we began reminiscing about the past 3 1/2 years. The laughter we shared, the struggles when she was really sick, the promise of optimism. The mother mentioned to me, that I had a lot to do with her child's approach to illness. That, even when I was on a different rotation, this girl alway was asking about me and when I'd be back on the heme/onc service. Honestly, I was touched beyond words to feel that at such an early point in my career I was already able to touch an entire family so positively. We sat together for about one hour before I had to go. Her mom, again, thanking the entire healthcare team for all that we had done to try to save her baby girl.
To see this young girl, laying on the bed with no life in her I began to reflect. Despite all that life had thrown at her, she always was upbeat, she never gave up, and she was more worried about my coffee intake than her next round of chemo. Then, I think of everything that I hear everyone complaining about. The list is too long to start naming the infinite amount of things that adults whine, complain, and fester about, but you can only imagine.
This girl, suffering a life threatening disease, had a large part of her face removed, and constantly suffering the painful effects of chemotherapy, KEPT SMILING!!! SHE FREAKING KEPT SMILING.
So I want to put you all to task to stop and think before you complain, before you replace your smile with a frown, or before you are rude to others. Think about this 7 year old Jamaican girl and how she approached life and ultimately the disease that ended her life prematurely. Think about how good you actually do have it despite how bad things may appear. It can ALWAYS be worse. That being said, have a blessed day. I hope I inspire a smile or two, some kindness to others, and perhaps the realization, that things are not that bad.
Have a great day and remember....These are Just One Man's Thoughts
One Love,
Ant
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Trying to resurrect this BLOG
Good afternoon all,
I have decided to resurrect this BLOG. I started it years ago but due to a variety of reasons (mainly my crazy work schedule) I've slipped on keeping it going (feel free to browse prior posts from way back when). With recent events in the world, US, and the lovely city where I reside, I've decided I need to find a place to vent my frustrations and attempt to give my own opinions on things. Do not fret, it will not be intended to force feed you my beliefs or try to sway your opinion to fall in line with mine. I feel there will be a therapeutic release for myself as I can get some of my thoughts out of my mind and down on paper (hahaha, paper, who uses that anymore).
I must say, I'm kind of educated, and have been blessed with quite a variety of life experiences that I hope will allow me to at least touch some part of anyone who reads my li'l ole posts. Also, I WILL include my cooking adventures to help anyone looking for tips, recipes, advice, etc. as it relates to home cooking. I am not a trained chef but have been baptized by the Food Channel religion. I trained under the expertise of Emeril Lagase, Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence and a host of other sermons aired on their shows.
Anyhow, welcome back and I hope that any and all of you that read my posts walk away from the computer/Phone, smiling, laughing, nodding or scratching your head thinking "he has a point". The most important thing to remember, as I am aware of the ignorance that runs rampant in our society and the internet courage that makes people feel they can write/say/treat others in heinous ways, is that if you don't agree with what I write, chill the F$&* out. These are Just One Man's Thoughts.
Have a great day and take time to smile, open the door for someone, say "excuse me", you know, the things that people used to do ALL the time in the past.
One Love,
Anthony
PS: I plan on adding the #Ellen to all my new posts......I'll explain why in a later post:-)
I have decided to resurrect this BLOG. I started it years ago but due to a variety of reasons (mainly my crazy work schedule) I've slipped on keeping it going (feel free to browse prior posts from way back when). With recent events in the world, US, and the lovely city where I reside, I've decided I need to find a place to vent my frustrations and attempt to give my own opinions on things. Do not fret, it will not be intended to force feed you my beliefs or try to sway your opinion to fall in line with mine. I feel there will be a therapeutic release for myself as I can get some of my thoughts out of my mind and down on paper (hahaha, paper, who uses that anymore).
I must say, I'm kind of educated, and have been blessed with quite a variety of life experiences that I hope will allow me to at least touch some part of anyone who reads my li'l ole posts. Also, I WILL include my cooking adventures to help anyone looking for tips, recipes, advice, etc. as it relates to home cooking. I am not a trained chef but have been baptized by the Food Channel religion. I trained under the expertise of Emeril Lagase, Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence and a host of other sermons aired on their shows.
Anyhow, welcome back and I hope that any and all of you that read my posts walk away from the computer/Phone, smiling, laughing, nodding or scratching your head thinking "he has a point". The most important thing to remember, as I am aware of the ignorance that runs rampant in our society and the internet courage that makes people feel they can write/say/treat others in heinous ways, is that if you don't agree with what I write, chill the F$&* out. These are Just One Man's Thoughts.
Have a great day and take time to smile, open the door for someone, say "excuse me", you know, the things that people used to do ALL the time in the past.
One Love,
Anthony
PS: I plan on adding the #Ellen to all my new posts......I'll explain why in a later post:-)
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Life giver or Life sucker
Good evening everyone,
I recently had a great conversation with a friend of mine and I noticed that this person was walking on clouds, smiling, and having the best day in a long time. I casually asked, "what has got you in such a good mood". My friend told me, that they figured out the key to life. What?!?!?! The key to life, please share.
To paraphrase, my friend said they figured out the importance of having "life givers" in their life rather than "life suckers".
Can you say, "FREAKING GENIUS" !!!!???!!!!
So......what the hell does that mean....life giver vs life sucker
Well, let me break it down in my own terms. I apologize to the friend who dropped this li'l gem on me in case I don't state it as eloquently.
Essentially, if we divide people into two categories regarding how they approach life, we have those that give, add, or contribute to the quality of their life, the life of their friends and acquaintances, and to life in general. Then there is the second group, those who suck the life from their friends, suck the life from those who they casually come into contact with, and those who seem to try to bring down anyone who may be feeling positive at any giving time.
If you look at your own life, I'm sure you can easily identify people that fit into one of these two categories. The key is this, if you surround yourself with "Life Givers" your life will be that much more enriched and filled with smiles, laughter, happiness, empathy, and overall feelings of positivity. It is when we surround ourselves with the "life suckers", or even allow one malignant "life sucker" to enter our world, that life all of a sudden can appear darker, more limited, less pleasant, and can have you changing the way that YOU see the world around you, and can ultimately change how you treat others.
First question, who would you rather spend time with? Givers or Suckers??
Second question, how do you want to see the world around you? Full of optimism, possibilities, and happiness or dismal, negative, and fraught with problems??
Third, how do you want to go about your days? Smiling, helping others, seeing the goodness in people or Frowning with a persistent RBF or RDF (Resting Bitch Face or Resting Dick Face), feeling that the world is against you, and being depressed??
I know how I answer those questions, all you have to do is ask yourself.
If you are like me, you should make all attempts to surround yourselves with positivity, Bring on the Life Givers!!! I want to have reasons to smile, I want to be positive more often than not, I want to spread smiles, laughter, and good karma. I want people's lives to be enriched by being around me. I want to feel like things are not so bad no matter how bad things may seem. I want the energy that life givers tend to impart. I'll go even further, I want to be considered a life giver as well!! I mean, hey, Pay it forward right??
All I'm saying is that in this world of soooooooo much negativity (see previous post) we need to try to increase the chances that every day we are blessed enough to live on this earth, that we spend those days happy. Life is way too short and I know how I want to spend my heartbeats (again, see previous posts). By surrounding myself with those who give life through their actions, words, work ethic, and overall approach toward life, I hope to limit the negativity that I, and virtually anyone can encounter onany and all days of the week.
If you are a life sucker, you are probably reading this shaking your head with a frown on your face. That's ok to me.... To each their own. If you find yourself in that category, I ask you to take a step back, consider what has been written and see if changing to a Life Giver is something you would like to do. It is not that hard, just remember how blessed you are for being above ground and upright (there are plenty of people who would probably be happy just with those two things), remember how blessed you are to be able to see the words on the screen (blind people would probably trade anything to be able to see), remember how lucky you are to be able to understand what you are reading, how lucky you are to have the motor skills to scroll down the screen, you get the idea. All these blessings surround us and if you stop to appreciate them, and NOT take them for granted then , you are on the path to becoming a "life giver". When you look at life this way, it makes you more appreciative of the little things and that is a great start to becoming someone who can enrich and positively affect the lives of others.
Our time on this earth is limited, that is one of the guarantees of life, so why not try to make it a fun ride on this planet?? Try to smile more than you don't, try to laugh more than you cry, try to have people thankful they met you rather than trying to avoid ever seeing you again.
If you can do this. LIFE CAN BE GRAND
Have a great day everyone. And to all my Life Givers' KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
To my life suckers, good luck, and remember.......
These are just one Man's thoughts!!
One Love and Happy Easter
ANT
I recently had a great conversation with a friend of mine and I noticed that this person was walking on clouds, smiling, and having the best day in a long time. I casually asked, "what has got you in such a good mood". My friend told me, that they figured out the key to life. What?!?!?! The key to life, please share.
To paraphrase, my friend said they figured out the importance of having "life givers" in their life rather than "life suckers".
Can you say, "FREAKING GENIUS" !!!!???!!!!
So......what the hell does that mean....life giver vs life sucker
Well, let me break it down in my own terms. I apologize to the friend who dropped this li'l gem on me in case I don't state it as eloquently.
Essentially, if we divide people into two categories regarding how they approach life, we have those that give, add, or contribute to the quality of their life, the life of their friends and acquaintances, and to life in general. Then there is the second group, those who suck the life from their friends, suck the life from those who they casually come into contact with, and those who seem to try to bring down anyone who may be feeling positive at any giving time.
If you look at your own life, I'm sure you can easily identify people that fit into one of these two categories. The key is this, if you surround yourself with "Life Givers" your life will be that much more enriched and filled with smiles, laughter, happiness, empathy, and overall feelings of positivity. It is when we surround ourselves with the "life suckers", or even allow one malignant "life sucker" to enter our world, that life all of a sudden can appear darker, more limited, less pleasant, and can have you changing the way that YOU see the world around you, and can ultimately change how you treat others.
First question, who would you rather spend time with? Givers or Suckers??
Second question, how do you want to see the world around you? Full of optimism, possibilities, and happiness or dismal, negative, and fraught with problems??
Third, how do you want to go about your days? Smiling, helping others, seeing the goodness in people or Frowning with a persistent RBF or RDF (Resting Bitch Face or Resting Dick Face), feeling that the world is against you, and being depressed??
I know how I answer those questions, all you have to do is ask yourself.
If you are like me, you should make all attempts to surround yourselves with positivity, Bring on the Life Givers!!! I want to have reasons to smile, I want to be positive more often than not, I want to spread smiles, laughter, and good karma. I want people's lives to be enriched by being around me. I want to feel like things are not so bad no matter how bad things may seem. I want the energy that life givers tend to impart. I'll go even further, I want to be considered a life giver as well!! I mean, hey, Pay it forward right??
All I'm saying is that in this world of soooooooo much negativity (see previous post) we need to try to increase the chances that every day we are blessed enough to live on this earth, that we spend those days happy. Life is way too short and I know how I want to spend my heartbeats (again, see previous posts). By surrounding myself with those who give life through their actions, words, work ethic, and overall approach toward life, I hope to limit the negativity that I, and virtually anyone can encounter onany and all days of the week.
If you are a life sucker, you are probably reading this shaking your head with a frown on your face. That's ok to me.... To each their own. If you find yourself in that category, I ask you to take a step back, consider what has been written and see if changing to a Life Giver is something you would like to do. It is not that hard, just remember how blessed you are for being above ground and upright (there are plenty of people who would probably be happy just with those two things), remember how blessed you are to be able to see the words on the screen (blind people would probably trade anything to be able to see), remember how lucky you are to be able to understand what you are reading, how lucky you are to have the motor skills to scroll down the screen, you get the idea. All these blessings surround us and if you stop to appreciate them, and NOT take them for granted then , you are on the path to becoming a "life giver". When you look at life this way, it makes you more appreciative of the little things and that is a great start to becoming someone who can enrich and positively affect the lives of others.
Our time on this earth is limited, that is one of the guarantees of life, so why not try to make it a fun ride on this planet?? Try to smile more than you don't, try to laugh more than you cry, try to have people thankful they met you rather than trying to avoid ever seeing you again.
If you can do this. LIFE CAN BE GRAND
Have a great day everyone. And to all my Life Givers' KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
To my life suckers, good luck, and remember.......
These are just one Man's thoughts!!
One Love and Happy Easter
ANT
Monday, March 9, 2015
PLOW THROUGH THE NEGATIVITY
Good evening everyone,
I made the mistake of watching the news this evening and given all the crazy stuff that is going down I just want to remind anyone reading this that we need to all try to Plow through all the negativity. Given all the snow that the rest of the country has faced this winter (not me, as I enjoy sunny Scottsdale) the term "plow" should be very familiar.
The main point of this post is to remind everyone, that despite all attempts for the media and other outlets we are exposed to that try to sour our view of humanity, I'd like to believe that the majority of all of us are NOT representative of what the media is reporting. I may be wrong, but in my heart of hearts, I believe that most people are truly good people. It is unfortunate that the "bad apples" are the ones who are put on display for all of us to see. Now, I'm not saying that everyone is good, as a matter of fact, there are some really really really bad apples out there. But in a nation of over 318 million citizens, we cannot all be represented by the fraction of us Americans (yes, we are ALL americans....despite color, creed, religion, political affiliation, etc) that are displayed in the media coverage, internet posts, and in movies,TV, magazines, etc.
Recently, there has been footage of some po-dunk, ignorant, clown ass folk that are members of a fraternity in the Midwest. First thing that comes to mind is the reaction; the shock, the horror, that this video was released and what is depicted. Why are people so surprised regarding this footage? Is it a surprise that these college kids feel this way or that the video actually puts it out there in such a way that the issue has been brought to the forefront?? Now, anybody with a head on their shoulders and a brain in that head, regardless of the IQ, should know that racism has gone nowhere in this country except "undercover". Anyone, who is surprised that racism still exists in this country are ostriches with their head in the sand. I am ALWAYS aware of this fact and the point is, we cannot let these ignorant, closed minded individuals have the upper hand. What I'm saying is that, remember, although it exists, AND IT ALWAYS WILL, we must make an individual effort to rise above this idealism. We cannot change the world overnight, but if we make a conscious effort, to change ourselves, and educate those close to us; hopefully we can make a dent. Racism has been around for eons. I mean just look at the people who criticize immigration....... Aren't every citizen other than Native Americans immigrants to this country?? The last time I checked, that is an indisputable fact. (however, I'm sure some toothless, overall wearing, good ole boy may try and debate it). The most important thing is to plow through this closed minded, negative, way of thinking and try to remain positive. I find myself struggling with the positivity thing as, unfortunately, there are always reminders that this is the world we live in! Just remember, The majority of people are NOT this way and we have to remind ourselves of this constantly or we become numb to the fact that we can and should work to improve the world we live in. Plow on folk, Plow on
Next, I just heard a story on the news about some woman who works for the VA in a position where she helps veterans once they've returned back to the states after SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND HELPING PROTECT OUR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS. This crazy lady, had been caught via email mocking those same individuals. This is another example of how we are constantly reminded how "bad" people are. Now, this woman, should be fired, raked across the coals, and stripped of any and all titles she holds if this is truly her behavior. The point I'm making is, with all the negativity being pointed out to us constantly, we have to work so hard to plow through all this negativity. This woman is only a tiny fraction of those who work for the VA but for some reason, deserved or not, she is news worthy. Granted, her behavior is deplorable, she is just one messed up individual. For every story the media posts about the bad, I'd love if they made a statement regarding how many other good people are out there. For instance, In New York the Delta plane slid down the runway and almost ended up in the river, on another note, the other 86,999 flights in the US that day landed without incident, and all passengers were content with their flight. Y'all get the idea.....hopefully
It is easy to let our every day existence be plagued by negativity. It is everywhere, it is in the commercials we watch, the movies released, the news that's reported, the newspapers we read, The T-shirts people wear, the magazines on the shelves, and don't get me started on the dayum internet. We are constantly bombarded with this negativity. I beg of you all, just try to put your head down and plow through it. Ideally, at the other end there will be nothing but POSITIVITY. My dream of dreams, is that others will see us plowing through and decide to do the same. Now, by no means am I saying that this is easy. Conversely, it is VERY difficult to remain positive given all the "information" we are inundated with. The world has a lot of work to do to get us in a place where happiness out weighs the unhappy but it has to start somewhere. I challenge everyone to try and have it start with the one thing in our control.......YOURSELVES.
If you are reading this and in disagreement, THAT IS OK. Hopefully I'll reach a few people out there.
Most importantly, remember,
These are Just One Man's Thoughts!!!
One LOVE
Ant
I made the mistake of watching the news this evening and given all the crazy stuff that is going down I just want to remind anyone reading this that we need to all try to Plow through all the negativity. Given all the snow that the rest of the country has faced this winter (not me, as I enjoy sunny Scottsdale) the term "plow" should be very familiar.
The main point of this post is to remind everyone, that despite all attempts for the media and other outlets we are exposed to that try to sour our view of humanity, I'd like to believe that the majority of all of us are NOT representative of what the media is reporting. I may be wrong, but in my heart of hearts, I believe that most people are truly good people. It is unfortunate that the "bad apples" are the ones who are put on display for all of us to see. Now, I'm not saying that everyone is good, as a matter of fact, there are some really really really bad apples out there. But in a nation of over 318 million citizens, we cannot all be represented by the fraction of us Americans (yes, we are ALL americans....despite color, creed, religion, political affiliation, etc) that are displayed in the media coverage, internet posts, and in movies,TV, magazines, etc.
Recently, there has been footage of some po-dunk, ignorant, clown ass folk that are members of a fraternity in the Midwest. First thing that comes to mind is the reaction; the shock, the horror, that this video was released and what is depicted. Why are people so surprised regarding this footage? Is it a surprise that these college kids feel this way or that the video actually puts it out there in such a way that the issue has been brought to the forefront?? Now, anybody with a head on their shoulders and a brain in that head, regardless of the IQ, should know that racism has gone nowhere in this country except "undercover". Anyone, who is surprised that racism still exists in this country are ostriches with their head in the sand. I am ALWAYS aware of this fact and the point is, we cannot let these ignorant, closed minded individuals have the upper hand. What I'm saying is that, remember, although it exists, AND IT ALWAYS WILL, we must make an individual effort to rise above this idealism. We cannot change the world overnight, but if we make a conscious effort, to change ourselves, and educate those close to us; hopefully we can make a dent. Racism has been around for eons. I mean just look at the people who criticize immigration....... Aren't every citizen other than Native Americans immigrants to this country?? The last time I checked, that is an indisputable fact. (however, I'm sure some toothless, overall wearing, good ole boy may try and debate it). The most important thing is to plow through this closed minded, negative, way of thinking and try to remain positive. I find myself struggling with the positivity thing as, unfortunately, there are always reminders that this is the world we live in! Just remember, The majority of people are NOT this way and we have to remind ourselves of this constantly or we become numb to the fact that we can and should work to improve the world we live in. Plow on folk, Plow on
Next, I just heard a story on the news about some woman who works for the VA in a position where she helps veterans once they've returned back to the states after SERVING OUR COUNTRY AND HELPING PROTECT OUR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS. This crazy lady, had been caught via email mocking those same individuals. This is another example of how we are constantly reminded how "bad" people are. Now, this woman, should be fired, raked across the coals, and stripped of any and all titles she holds if this is truly her behavior. The point I'm making is, with all the negativity being pointed out to us constantly, we have to work so hard to plow through all this negativity. This woman is only a tiny fraction of those who work for the VA but for some reason, deserved or not, she is news worthy. Granted, her behavior is deplorable, she is just one messed up individual. For every story the media posts about the bad, I'd love if they made a statement regarding how many other good people are out there. For instance, In New York the Delta plane slid down the runway and almost ended up in the river, on another note, the other 86,999 flights in the US that day landed without incident, and all passengers were content with their flight. Y'all get the idea.....hopefully
It is easy to let our every day existence be plagued by negativity. It is everywhere, it is in the commercials we watch, the movies released, the news that's reported, the newspapers we read, The T-shirts people wear, the magazines on the shelves, and don't get me started on the dayum internet. We are constantly bombarded with this negativity. I beg of you all, just try to put your head down and plow through it. Ideally, at the other end there will be nothing but POSITIVITY. My dream of dreams, is that others will see us plowing through and decide to do the same. Now, by no means am I saying that this is easy. Conversely, it is VERY difficult to remain positive given all the "information" we are inundated with. The world has a lot of work to do to get us in a place where happiness out weighs the unhappy but it has to start somewhere. I challenge everyone to try and have it start with the one thing in our control.......YOURSELVES.
If you are reading this and in disagreement, THAT IS OK. Hopefully I'll reach a few people out there.
Most importantly, remember,
These are Just One Man's Thoughts!!!
One LOVE
Ant
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Internet courage
Good evening again y'all,
I just thought I'd sit in this chair and speak to anyone who is listening about internet courage. Isn't it SOOOOOOO funny what people post on the internet?!?!? It makes me smile, laugh, cry, get upset, give "prison eyes to" and do all kinds of stuff when I read some of the stuff people think they can post on the "world wide web". I remember when if you could get your ass beat, you'd keep your mouth shut. That is NOT the world we live in anymore......
Since being a witness to some of the most horrific stuff anyone should need to see AND seeing the responses that people think are acceptable, I'm almost ready to hop on a puddle jumper and open a food truck in a remote, beautiful, area in the world like St. Thomas, or St. Croix.
How can people feel that they can post the MOST ignorant, Asinine, douche-bagger-ific posts and get a way with it??? The answer....INTERNET COURAGE.
When you are protected behind a MEME, profile pic, alias, or Catfish scheme, you feel you can get away with any and every thing that crosses your mind.. Guess what, at some point, your bad Ju Ju will catch up with you TRIPLE FOLD!!!!
There is no way to restrict what people post as this is one of the greatest things about being American!!! Freedom of speech!!! Buuuuuuttttt.... Half of these cowards posting crazy shit, would keep their mouths shut if , on the other end, there was a well supported knuckle to their lower lip... Now, I'm not saying violence or aggression is the answer...What I am saying is that if people had to think twice about repercussions, maybe they would think twice before posting some ignorant ass stuff. Being a mixed cat (a post is soon to follow ), I've been privy to all kinds of MADNESS!! I've always been bi-racial, never had a choice...and if I could choose, I WOULD NEVER CHOOSE ANYTHING ELSE!!!! All I'm 'saying, it is nuts to consider the stuff that has been whispered in my ear ALL MY LIFE. I've been lucky enough to end up on the positive end of the spectrum..... But I've learned the true madness that lies within man.....
Just saying.
I have always been the kind of cat that watches from afar, knowing that people will show me way more than I would ever want to know, as long as I pay attention. This has NEVER let me down. Additionally, if you've read my previous posts, I do NOT WASTE MY HEARTBEATS (they are limited as is) following or encouraging BullShit!!
Long story short, just cause you have an internet profile, you should at least have the courtesy to think at least a few seconds before you respond to a post you disagree with,; You would be better served if you would think a li'l bit before you repeat the rhetoric you've grown accustomed to, or before you "like" a post made by some uneducated, naive, person who is a mouthpiece to the ideal that they never had a choice to rebel against...Internet courage will only get you so far.. and to be honest.....It won't be THAT far....
What i'd say, is just try to keep it positive. Woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's are a waste of time so DONT DO IT... Just try to be a better person today than you were yesterday.
As always, if you don't agree, IT"S OK.....These are just One Man's Thoughts/
ONE LOVE,
ANT
I just thought I'd sit in this chair and speak to anyone who is listening about internet courage. Isn't it SOOOOOOO funny what people post on the internet?!?!? It makes me smile, laugh, cry, get upset, give "prison eyes to" and do all kinds of stuff when I read some of the stuff people think they can post on the "world wide web". I remember when if you could get your ass beat, you'd keep your mouth shut. That is NOT the world we live in anymore......
Since being a witness to some of the most horrific stuff anyone should need to see AND seeing the responses that people think are acceptable, I'm almost ready to hop on a puddle jumper and open a food truck in a remote, beautiful, area in the world like St. Thomas, or St. Croix.
How can people feel that they can post the MOST ignorant, Asinine, douche-bagger-ific posts and get a way with it??? The answer....INTERNET COURAGE.
When you are protected behind a MEME, profile pic, alias, or Catfish scheme, you feel you can get away with any and every thing that crosses your mind.. Guess what, at some point, your bad Ju Ju will catch up with you TRIPLE FOLD!!!!
There is no way to restrict what people post as this is one of the greatest things about being American!!! Freedom of speech!!! Buuuuuuttttt.... Half of these cowards posting crazy shit, would keep their mouths shut if , on the other end, there was a well supported knuckle to their lower lip... Now, I'm not saying violence or aggression is the answer...What I am saying is that if people had to think twice about repercussions, maybe they would think twice before posting some ignorant ass stuff. Being a mixed cat (a post is soon to follow ), I've been privy to all kinds of MADNESS!! I've always been bi-racial, never had a choice...and if I could choose, I WOULD NEVER CHOOSE ANYTHING ELSE!!!! All I'm 'saying, it is nuts to consider the stuff that has been whispered in my ear ALL MY LIFE. I've been lucky enough to end up on the positive end of the spectrum..... But I've learned the true madness that lies within man.....
Just saying.
I have always been the kind of cat that watches from afar, knowing that people will show me way more than I would ever want to know, as long as I pay attention. This has NEVER let me down. Additionally, if you've read my previous posts, I do NOT WASTE MY HEARTBEATS (they are limited as is) following or encouraging BullShit!!
Long story short, just cause you have an internet profile, you should at least have the courtesy to think at least a few seconds before you respond to a post you disagree with,; You would be better served if you would think a li'l bit before you repeat the rhetoric you've grown accustomed to, or before you "like" a post made by some uneducated, naive, person who is a mouthpiece to the ideal that they never had a choice to rebel against...Internet courage will only get you so far.. and to be honest.....It won't be THAT far....
What i'd say, is just try to keep it positive. Woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's are a waste of time so DONT DO IT... Just try to be a better person today than you were yesterday.
As always, if you don't agree, IT"S OK.....These are just One Man's Thoughts/
ONE LOVE,
ANT
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Don't be afraid to DeFriend
Good evening y'all,
I just recently was thinking about something I thought I'd share with you guys. Do any of you have a "friend" on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram who always posts shit that has you shaking your head, asking yourself "What that Eff", making your blood pressure go up, or just helps sour you day?? My question.....Why do they have to be your FB friend, IG friend, or Twitter friend??
We, as society, seem that we are so caught up with public approval and having "a lot" of friends that we forget all we have to do is hit one button and DEFRIEND them. The refreshing freedom!!!!
Now, before you all gasp with thoughts of disdain.....hink of this; Our friends (at least as i see it) are supposed to support us, bring smiles to our face, be there when we need them, be the shoulder to lean on, be the attentive ear to our grievances. Nowhere, in the definition of friend, does it mention that it should be someone that upsets us regularly, makes us uncomfortable, or truly pisses us off more often than not.
If you find yourself subscribing or subjecting yourself to one of these so called "friends" it is very easy, actually way easier than you think.... Just defriend them. You can still be their friend in real life. Remember real life?? ?When people actually talk face to face, when people do not have to try to assign a "tone of voice" to texts and other emails, when people actually shake hands and smile at each other (not just put a colon, parenthetical, and a dash to make a smiling face). Ahhh, I remember those days..... Those that have stayed with you through the thick and thin of REAL LIFE will always be true to you and can really be considered Friends..... For all the others that choose to keep these sour face folk in order to pad your Facebook stats, validate your crazy pictures always posted, or are just there to remind you that you do not have it so bad, good luck as I've found, these types are kinda expendable......Friend-wise, of course.
If you choose to limit the crap that you are forced to read just because one of your internet "friends" posts shit and now you defriend them....Congratulations!!!! That's a step..... Now this does not mean that you are truly NOT this persons' friend. You are just making a statement, that if you post stuff that upsets me more than lifts me up, I am making a conscious decision to NOT ALLOW that to happen.
Remember, Life is waaaaaaayyyyyy to short to be bothered with unnecessary BS. I personally, want my scrolling, pointing, and clicking to make me smile more often than not. Time is money, and I am not gonna waste any of my MONEY letting you influence how my day is.
Just saying. And as always, if you do not agree.....THAT IS OK...These are...Just One Man's Thoughts.
ONE LOVE,
ANT
I just recently was thinking about something I thought I'd share with you guys. Do any of you have a "friend" on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram who always posts shit that has you shaking your head, asking yourself "What that Eff", making your blood pressure go up, or just helps sour you day?? My question.....Why do they have to be your FB friend, IG friend, or Twitter friend??
We, as society, seem that we are so caught up with public approval and having "a lot" of friends that we forget all we have to do is hit one button and DEFRIEND them. The refreshing freedom!!!!
Now, before you all gasp with thoughts of disdain.....hink of this; Our friends (at least as i see it) are supposed to support us, bring smiles to our face, be there when we need them, be the shoulder to lean on, be the attentive ear to our grievances. Nowhere, in the definition of friend, does it mention that it should be someone that upsets us regularly, makes us uncomfortable, or truly pisses us off more often than not.
If you find yourself subscribing or subjecting yourself to one of these so called "friends" it is very easy, actually way easier than you think.... Just defriend them. You can still be their friend in real life. Remember real life?? ?When people actually talk face to face, when people do not have to try to assign a "tone of voice" to texts and other emails, when people actually shake hands and smile at each other (not just put a colon, parenthetical, and a dash to make a smiling face). Ahhh, I remember those days..... Those that have stayed with you through the thick and thin of REAL LIFE will always be true to you and can really be considered Friends..... For all the others that choose to keep these sour face folk in order to pad your Facebook stats, validate your crazy pictures always posted, or are just there to remind you that you do not have it so bad, good luck as I've found, these types are kinda expendable......Friend-wise, of course.
If you choose to limit the crap that you are forced to read just because one of your internet "friends" posts shit and now you defriend them....Congratulations!!!! That's a step..... Now this does not mean that you are truly NOT this persons' friend. You are just making a statement, that if you post stuff that upsets me more than lifts me up, I am making a conscious decision to NOT ALLOW that to happen.
Remember, Life is waaaaaaayyyyyy to short to be bothered with unnecessary BS. I personally, want my scrolling, pointing, and clicking to make me smile more often than not. Time is money, and I am not gonna waste any of my MONEY letting you influence how my day is.
Just saying. And as always, if you do not agree.....THAT IS OK...These are...Just One Man's Thoughts.
ONE LOVE,
ANT
Friday, February 6, 2015
Just be nice
Good afternoon all,
Since I decided to get back into putting my thoughts on "paper" I thought I'd begin just to remind people to just be nice!!! It sounds so simple but as I've observed it does not happen that often. I personally believe, that in this fast paced society of immediate gratification people have been way too concerned with THEMSELVES. Remember, we all live on the same planet, we all bleed the same, and you never know when your kindness can change lives. I know it is not easy to be nice all the time, but make a promise that you will be nice as much as you can. By nice, I don't mean you have to search for people stranded on the side of the road and give them a ride; I do not mean to dig in your pockets and donate money; I'm simply referring to the easy, often taken for granted niceness. For example:
Smile at another
Open a door
Say Thank you
Give someone encouraging words
Help someone put groceries in their car.
I recall days where these thing happened regularly and now it seems so infrequent. What I hope, is that your kindness will remind someone else to be kind which in turn will trickle down to where it is the norm rather than the exception. If you know me, you hopefully are nodding your head thinking, "Yep, Pickett is a person who seems happy and "nice" more often than not".
Anyhow,
Just a quick post to remind everyone out there to make attempts to be nice and you never know how, by paying it forward, you may ultimately be rewarded yourselves. Just imagine if everyone was kind, polite, and considerate to each other
Have a great day, and remember as always, if you do not agree.....That is ok...These are Just One Man's Thoughts
ONE LOVE,
ANT
Since I decided to get back into putting my thoughts on "paper" I thought I'd begin just to remind people to just be nice!!! It sounds so simple but as I've observed it does not happen that often. I personally believe, that in this fast paced society of immediate gratification people have been way too concerned with THEMSELVES. Remember, we all live on the same planet, we all bleed the same, and you never know when your kindness can change lives. I know it is not easy to be nice all the time, but make a promise that you will be nice as much as you can. By nice, I don't mean you have to search for people stranded on the side of the road and give them a ride; I do not mean to dig in your pockets and donate money; I'm simply referring to the easy, often taken for granted niceness. For example:
Smile at another
Open a door
Say Thank you
Give someone encouraging words
Help someone put groceries in their car.
I recall days where these thing happened regularly and now it seems so infrequent. What I hope, is that your kindness will remind someone else to be kind which in turn will trickle down to where it is the norm rather than the exception. If you know me, you hopefully are nodding your head thinking, "Yep, Pickett is a person who seems happy and "nice" more often than not".
Anyhow,
Just a quick post to remind everyone out there to make attempts to be nice and you never know how, by paying it forward, you may ultimately be rewarded yourselves. Just imagine if everyone was kind, polite, and considerate to each other
Have a great day, and remember as always, if you do not agree.....That is ok...These are Just One Man's Thoughts
ONE LOVE,
ANT
Just Let Me Re-Introduce Myself..... My Name Is .......
Intro to Ant (A re intro.......actually)
I've made the executive decision to revive my little forum that I can let y'all know about things that cross my mind, bother me, annoy me, entertain me, piss me off, please me...you get the idea....Along that line of thinking, I thought that a formal "re-introduction" was appropriate. I came across this first post, when, this evening, I finally logged back in. I tweaked it a li'l bit from the original, but you get the idea. This time, I hope to be way more consistent with the frequency of my posts. Any-Hooooooo ....
Hello all,
Just a quick blog to let you know what you are getting into by reading this. I consider myself a forward thinking guy who tends to analyze and learn something from every experience I encounter. Watching the world around us, there are numerous opportunities to learn and better one's self. I often times, read the newspaper, watch the news, or just look at what's around me and find myself asking...."What is Really going on??!!??" I hardly know everything and barely know anything......but I always try to learn from any and all experiences and interactions I come across. I'm not saying I am an authority on anything but maybe if I run my mouth enough, maybe I might stumble on some advice, knowledge, or other li'l life worthy gem that people may benefit from reading....It has been Sooooooo long since I've visited my "blog" (BTW.....what does that even stand for)..... I really want to try to get back at it.
Just a quick blog to let you know what you are getting into by reading this. I consider myself a forward thinking guy who tends to analyze and learn something from every experience I encounter. Watching the world around us, there are numerous opportunities to learn and better one's self. I often times, read the newspaper, watch the news, or just look at what's around me and find myself asking...."What is Really going on??!!??" I hardly know everything and barely know anything......but I always try to learn from any and all experiences and interactions I come across. I'm not saying I am an authority on anything but maybe if I run my mouth enough, maybe I might stumble on some advice, knowledge, or other li'l life worthy gem that people may benefit from reading....It has been Sooooooo long since I've visited my "blog" (BTW.....what does that even stand for)..... I really want to try to get back at it.
The purpose of my blog is not to force my opinions on others or even expect people to agree with me. I Just need to let my feelings about certain things out and I welcome other's opinions and Ideas. The topics I will comment on are random and may or may not be interesting to the reader. I'm sure that if you follow this blog, EVENTUALLY, I'll touch on a topic that may strike an accord with you. That being said, keep your eyes open for future posts. My mind is already swimming with ideas to comment on.
Most importantly,
Remember.....These are just One Man's Thoughts
Most importantly,
Remember.....These are just One Man's Thoughts
Monday, July 15, 2013
Just 1 man's response to Trayvon
Good evening all,
It's been way too long since I've shared my thoughts, but for some reason tonight, I cannot help myself. Perhaps it's due to the recent turn of events involving Trayvon Martin (RIP) and the man who ultimately took his life. Now first of all, this was a HORRIBLE tragedy!!! A young man with no evil intentions (as a matter of fact he was walking enjoying one of my childhood favorites... SKITTLES and ARIZONA ICED TEA) had his life ended way to early at the hands of another. The thought of this is sickening!!! I mean, when did the world we live in become so f&*$ed up?? I am no legal expert, nor have I reviewed the thousands of court documents detailing all the minutia that was considered during his trial. All I know is that a young man is dead for no reason. You notice, I did not say a young black man....the fact, A CHILD IS DEAD....and for what???
The reason I felt the need to share this 1 man's thoughts is that it is equally disturbing seeing what has happened since the verdict. I understand that everyone is angry about the verdict....as a matter of fact, when I saw the TV and read the words NOT GUILTY, my head almost exploded. For a person with no legal knowledge (i.e I do not speak nor understand legaleze) the thought that an adult could follow a young person, start an altercation, and ultimately kill him, THEN claim self defense is CRAZY. I mean, can you imagine if I see someone walking down the street, I subsequently attack him, he kicks my ass....then I sue for assault?!?!?! I'd be laughed out of court!! So, first of all, let me say I truly understand the anger that fills people's hearts right now. Secondly, that is the double edged sword of living in the U.S. Remember, innocent until proven guilty, reasonable doubt, these are all terms aimed at preventing an innocent man from going to prison. I once spoke to an attorney who said he'd rather 10 people who are guilty go free than have one person imprisoned unjustly. It makes sense as I thought more and talked more about it. If you commit a serious crime and get off, chances are your dumb ass will continue to commit crimes until finally, justice gets served. I mean recidivism demonstrates this (i.e how many people do a stretch in prison, only to get our, commit another crime, and whoops, back in the klink). The situation is less than ideal but I understand the due process and the steps needed to convict someone of a serious offense. Then next question, is how long do you think people will be angry?? My answer, once the news stops inundating all of us with details about it. If you think about recent tragedy; Haitian earthquake , The guy who shot up the movie theater during the Batman movie, plane crash in San Francisco, Train Crash in Canada, forest fires. You'll notice that the media will let you ride the train of despair, drama, sadness, and any guttural emotion they can get out of us to make us keep their channel on. Then when they feel that the story has lost it's legs, they stop reporting about it and search for the next horrible thing that happened to get us back in their viewership. In other words, to alot of people who seem so passionate about the verdict, lets see where your moral compass is in 2 weeks. People jump on the Bandwagon for more than just the Miami Heat!! So, what do we do\??
Live well everyone,.....just live well. Try to make every day better than the one before it. Treat others how you want to be treated. Just, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't act in a way that will allow others to pass judgment about an entire race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. There are too many people out there chomping at the bit to condemn a hole group of people for essentially no reason. So, let's not give them a reason. Let me say it again, TREAT OTHERS HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED!!!
In other words, to the jury members who acquitted the man who took Trayvon's life ( I dont even think he deserves for me to type the letters that make his name)...I now know how you would want to be treated if the shoe was on your foot. To those who ask for the death of that guy, now I know how you guys would want to be treated if something happened in your life that others didn't agree with. For those that pray for tolerance and for us all to move past this horrible injustice, AMEN.
What I'm trying to say, is that at some point we all have to move on. The past is behind us, the future is not here yet, today is what we have, and it's a gift. THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED the PRESENT!! (corny I know, but makes a point). In this horribly painful time where now the undercurrent of racism, prejudice, and injustice seem to be bubbling to the surface, I challenge EVERYONE to be the better person. Kill people with kindness, open doors for others, let that person with the blinker on merge without you getting pissed. Smile at others as you pass them on the street, say hello to a stranger.
I KNOW THIS IS HOW I'D LOVE TO BE TREATED. And for the 90% of the time people treat me the other way, so be it. I STILL WILL TRY AND TREAT EVERYONE HOW I WOULD WANT THEM TO TREAT ME OR MY LOVED ONES.
I challenge you all to do the same. Rest in peace Trayvon, and Zimmerman, you still have to answer to the highest power!!! Anybody that reads this, I hope at least one person will take what I'm saying to heart and try to be a better person, create a better world, and hopefully some day this belief and way of life will spread to where it is the norm, not the exception.
Have a great day you guys. And to those who disagree, just remember
These are Just One Man's Thoughts
One Love,
Anthony
It's been way too long since I've shared my thoughts, but for some reason tonight, I cannot help myself. Perhaps it's due to the recent turn of events involving Trayvon Martin (RIP) and the man who ultimately took his life. Now first of all, this was a HORRIBLE tragedy!!! A young man with no evil intentions (as a matter of fact he was walking enjoying one of my childhood favorites... SKITTLES and ARIZONA ICED TEA) had his life ended way to early at the hands of another. The thought of this is sickening!!! I mean, when did the world we live in become so f&*$ed up?? I am no legal expert, nor have I reviewed the thousands of court documents detailing all the minutia that was considered during his trial. All I know is that a young man is dead for no reason. You notice, I did not say a young black man....the fact, A CHILD IS DEAD....and for what???
The reason I felt the need to share this 1 man's thoughts is that it is equally disturbing seeing what has happened since the verdict. I understand that everyone is angry about the verdict....as a matter of fact, when I saw the TV and read the words NOT GUILTY, my head almost exploded. For a person with no legal knowledge (i.e I do not speak nor understand legaleze) the thought that an adult could follow a young person, start an altercation, and ultimately kill him, THEN claim self defense is CRAZY. I mean, can you imagine if I see someone walking down the street, I subsequently attack him, he kicks my ass....then I sue for assault?!?!?! I'd be laughed out of court!! So, first of all, let me say I truly understand the anger that fills people's hearts right now. Secondly, that is the double edged sword of living in the U.S. Remember, innocent until proven guilty, reasonable doubt, these are all terms aimed at preventing an innocent man from going to prison. I once spoke to an attorney who said he'd rather 10 people who are guilty go free than have one person imprisoned unjustly. It makes sense as I thought more and talked more about it. If you commit a serious crime and get off, chances are your dumb ass will continue to commit crimes until finally, justice gets served. I mean recidivism demonstrates this (i.e how many people do a stretch in prison, only to get our, commit another crime, and whoops, back in the klink). The situation is less than ideal but I understand the due process and the steps needed to convict someone of a serious offense. Then next question, is how long do you think people will be angry?? My answer, once the news stops inundating all of us with details about it. If you think about recent tragedy; Haitian earthquake , The guy who shot up the movie theater during the Batman movie, plane crash in San Francisco, Train Crash in Canada, forest fires. You'll notice that the media will let you ride the train of despair, drama, sadness, and any guttural emotion they can get out of us to make us keep their channel on. Then when they feel that the story has lost it's legs, they stop reporting about it and search for the next horrible thing that happened to get us back in their viewership. In other words, to alot of people who seem so passionate about the verdict, lets see where your moral compass is in 2 weeks. People jump on the Bandwagon for more than just the Miami Heat!! So, what do we do\??
Live well everyone,.....just live well. Try to make every day better than the one before it. Treat others how you want to be treated. Just, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't act in a way that will allow others to pass judgment about an entire race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. There are too many people out there chomping at the bit to condemn a hole group of people for essentially no reason. So, let's not give them a reason. Let me say it again, TREAT OTHERS HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED!!!
In other words, to the jury members who acquitted the man who took Trayvon's life ( I dont even think he deserves for me to type the letters that make his name)...I now know how you would want to be treated if the shoe was on your foot. To those who ask for the death of that guy, now I know how you guys would want to be treated if something happened in your life that others didn't agree with. For those that pray for tolerance and for us all to move past this horrible injustice, AMEN.
What I'm trying to say, is that at some point we all have to move on. The past is behind us, the future is not here yet, today is what we have, and it's a gift. THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED the PRESENT!! (corny I know, but makes a point). In this horribly painful time where now the undercurrent of racism, prejudice, and injustice seem to be bubbling to the surface, I challenge EVERYONE to be the better person. Kill people with kindness, open doors for others, let that person with the blinker on merge without you getting pissed. Smile at others as you pass them on the street, say hello to a stranger.
I KNOW THIS IS HOW I'D LOVE TO BE TREATED. And for the 90% of the time people treat me the other way, so be it. I STILL WILL TRY AND TREAT EVERYONE HOW I WOULD WANT THEM TO TREAT ME OR MY LOVED ONES.
I challenge you all to do the same. Rest in peace Trayvon, and Zimmerman, you still have to answer to the highest power!!! Anybody that reads this, I hope at least one person will take what I'm saying to heart and try to be a better person, create a better world, and hopefully some day this belief and way of life will spread to where it is the norm, not the exception.
Have a great day you guys. And to those who disagree, just remember
These are Just One Man's Thoughts
One Love,
Anthony
Monday, December 12, 2011
The World Needs A Tebow
Good evening all,
As usual, it has been quite a while since I've shared my thoughts with you. That being said, I'm back and wish to comment on one of the most striking occurrences in current news.....
And that is.....
The Tim Tebow effect.
Now, to start this post, I will be the first to admit that I did not have ANY trust that Tim Tebow, when given the opportunity, would produce and/or succeed in the NFL. The reasons for this stem from the fact that I am a Miami Hurricane through and through and the thought of an ex Florida Gator doing well makes me sick to my stomach. In addition, there were all the "analyses" of his game, pointing out that he just did not have what it takes to succeed. Talk about a man having to prove the majority of NFL fans, NFL analysts , as well as his own teammates wrong.
After several weeks, Tebow continues to prove everyone wrong and WIN. It is amazing how public opinion has shifted regarding his football prowess. I even have heard several ESPN anchor's mention the words: "special", "Magical", and "Amazing" when reporting on his progress. I, after watching the 1st three starts of his, AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!!
Not only what he is doing is "magical", "amazing", and "special", It seems that people are starting to believe in a higher power. I mean, what else explains a player who can be absolutely shut down for 3 1/2 quarters of an NFL game, only to lead his team to victory at the end of regulation or in overtime, SIX TIMES IN A ROW?? Even if you don't truly align yourself with a certain faith, you must admit there is something kinda crazy going on.
So why do I say "The world needs a Tebow"??
It is refreshing to see a player who is as humble as Tim Tebow. In this modern era of sports where it seems that even in team competition, the trend is to try to identify an individual responsible for the team's success, it is so nice to see Tim remind the media that it is about the Broncos and not one person. In addition, his unwaivering faith seems to be the driving force behind his success. So many sports stories are about, fights (i.e the most recent Cincy v Xavier clash), criminal missteps, failures, and unbridled ego. Now as I've observed, people are taking notice on the intangible qualities that make Tim Tebow who he is and even beginning to allow for the discussion of "higher power" enter into the fray. (I by no means am a religous individual but I do believe that there is a higher power. In addition, I've always felt that believing in a higher power, does have profound positive effects on outcomes.). This is a novelty in today's professional sportsworld, other than athletes thanking God only AFTER they have received an award or other accomplishment. People are focusing on the "good things"; the humility, the hard work it takes to succeed, the extent of what a team player he is. Now this is the kind of story that young athletes, hoping to make it big someday, should be exposed to. Not only can the Tim Tebow experience positively impact young atheletes, perhaps this new found appreciation of what being a good human being means will permeate into everyday life. Imagine a world, where people in general were humble, recognized the important things and people in their lives that help enrich their experience on this earth. Imagine a world where everyone treats others how they wish to be treated. No more of this "me first" mentality, people greeting other's with smiles instead of snarls or complete apathy, people actually looking to help others BEFORE helping themselves.
Wouldn't that be nice?
Coming from a true Miami Hurricane who really has no love for the Denver Broncos, this has been my own epiphany and I have truly become a supporter of Tim Tebow and the Broncos; or Tim, might prefer I say a supporter of the Broncos and Tim Tebow. Even if you hate the Gators, Have profound discontent when the Broncos win, or just are a hater in general, You gotta give Tim his props
Have a great day and wonderful week, and remember
These are just one man's thoughts
One Love
As usual, it has been quite a while since I've shared my thoughts with you. That being said, I'm back and wish to comment on one of the most striking occurrences in current news.....
And that is.....
The Tim Tebow effect.
Now, to start this post, I will be the first to admit that I did not have ANY trust that Tim Tebow, when given the opportunity, would produce and/or succeed in the NFL. The reasons for this stem from the fact that I am a Miami Hurricane through and through and the thought of an ex Florida Gator doing well makes me sick to my stomach. In addition, there were all the "analyses" of his game, pointing out that he just did not have what it takes to succeed. Talk about a man having to prove the majority of NFL fans, NFL analysts , as well as his own teammates wrong.
After several weeks, Tebow continues to prove everyone wrong and WIN. It is amazing how public opinion has shifted regarding his football prowess. I even have heard several ESPN anchor's mention the words: "special", "Magical", and "Amazing" when reporting on his progress. I, after watching the 1st three starts of his, AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY!!!
Not only what he is doing is "magical", "amazing", and "special", It seems that people are starting to believe in a higher power. I mean, what else explains a player who can be absolutely shut down for 3 1/2 quarters of an NFL game, only to lead his team to victory at the end of regulation or in overtime, SIX TIMES IN A ROW?? Even if you don't truly align yourself with a certain faith, you must admit there is something kinda crazy going on.
So why do I say "The world needs a Tebow"??
It is refreshing to see a player who is as humble as Tim Tebow. In this modern era of sports where it seems that even in team competition, the trend is to try to identify an individual responsible for the team's success, it is so nice to see Tim remind the media that it is about the Broncos and not one person. In addition, his unwaivering faith seems to be the driving force behind his success. So many sports stories are about, fights (i.e the most recent Cincy v Xavier clash), criminal missteps, failures, and unbridled ego. Now as I've observed, people are taking notice on the intangible qualities that make Tim Tebow who he is and even beginning to allow for the discussion of "higher power" enter into the fray. (I by no means am a religous individual but I do believe that there is a higher power. In addition, I've always felt that believing in a higher power, does have profound positive effects on outcomes.). This is a novelty in today's professional sportsworld, other than athletes thanking God only AFTER they have received an award or other accomplishment. People are focusing on the "good things"; the humility, the hard work it takes to succeed, the extent of what a team player he is. Now this is the kind of story that young athletes, hoping to make it big someday, should be exposed to. Not only can the Tim Tebow experience positively impact young atheletes, perhaps this new found appreciation of what being a good human being means will permeate into everyday life. Imagine a world, where people in general were humble, recognized the important things and people in their lives that help enrich their experience on this earth. Imagine a world where everyone treats others how they wish to be treated. No more of this "me first" mentality, people greeting other's with smiles instead of snarls or complete apathy, people actually looking to help others BEFORE helping themselves.
Wouldn't that be nice?
Coming from a true Miami Hurricane who really has no love for the Denver Broncos, this has been my own epiphany and I have truly become a supporter of Tim Tebow and the Broncos; or Tim, might prefer I say a supporter of the Broncos and Tim Tebow. Even if you hate the Gators, Have profound discontent when the Broncos win, or just are a hater in general, You gotta give Tim his props
Have a great day and wonderful week, and remember
These are just one man's thoughts
One Love
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
"Reality TV".....Really
Good evening all,
All I have to say is. Snooki was a speaker at a graduation!!!!
I should end this post here and let you, the reader, come up with your own thoughts. But that would defeat the purpose of this Blog. It is, after all, Just 1 Man's Thoughts. So, that being said, let me inform you all what I think.
How on earth have we gotten to the point in our society where a well respected University (I'll protect the name of the school as I dont want them to send any muscle bound guidos to my front door to fist pump, GTL, and profess their love of all things Italian), thought it was appropriate to have Snooki from The Jersey Shore address a class of graduating collegiate seniors??? Sounds like a great idea!!.....NOT
I recall when graduation speakers were well educated, successful, people who actually had something to offer by speaking to graduates. How does Snooki qualify?? As embarassed as I am to admit it, I've seen a few episodes of The Jersey Shore. It does not take much more than that to come to the conclusion that the cast of that show are, for lack of a better, a bunch of tools. First of all, I cannot believe that our society encourages this behavior, and not only that, will pay to see it. I mean, the cast members of that show, are now practically millionaires as a result of what?? I have yet to identify a talent, that should put them in a position to earn nearly a million dollars. Physicians, teachers, police officers, military, all of whom spend a great deal of time in school, training, and honing their craft, do not even come close to making this kind of a living. Yet, if you spray tan, drink excessively, fight, be promiscuous, treat others with NO respect, get arrested, and act as if you have no respect for yourself, not only will you succeed, there is a chance of being rich and famous. Is this really the message we want our collegiate graduates receiving?? If I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars sending my kid to college and as I look at the graduation announcement seeing Snooki as the speaker, I'm demanding my money back.
This era of reality TV is a very slippery slope. Children are so impressionable, soaking things up like sponges, by watching what they feel is "reality", It's no wonder they grow up with a warped perception of how life should be. It is an etirely differnt blog I can write about how parents no longer monitor what their children watch. Not only do children watch what they want, often times they are watching these shows in their rooms with no parent to discuss what's wrong with what is being shown to them. Remember the days where there were NO TVs in children's rooms, and you watched TV as a family (ahhhh, the good ole days). (Keep posted for following up on that comment). If I was a hormone crazed teen watching reality TV, alone to make my own judgements on the appropriateness of what I'm watching, I can imagine the conclusions I'd come up with. I mean, hey, if this is reality TV, this must be how the real world is.
Now we have to worry about. If you survive your Highschool years without doing something to sabotage your future, you get into college, and work hard enough to graduate. Now the last thing you hear before being set out into the workforce, is a speech by one of the cast members of not just a realit show, one of the most infamous shows on TV. Talk about an insult. You mean, I've worked so hard to graduate, now I have some uneducated, floozy speaking to me about my graduation and what to expect in the post college world.
Ok, so it's not just The Jersey Shore that contributes to this problem. The amount of reality shows that are on every network at all hours of the day provide numerous opportunities for young, impressionable teens to make their own assessments of what is reality and how they want their own reality to be. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons of why our society as become what it has. In my experience the number of young people with no desire to study, to work, to treat themselves with respect, and do something positive with their lives is steadily decreasing. I cannot blame them. We as a society are failing our youth.
To finish this post, I'd like to encourage all parents out there to play an active role in bringing up your children. Engage them with questions about what they've seen on TV, that will allow for future dialogue between you and yours. Encourage them to speak freely about what they are exposed to, that is the one of the only ways to police their behavior. If you can do this from an early age, talking about difficult topics will become easier. If your fortunate enough to have your child graduate from college, demand a speaker that will actually deliver useful information that can ensure they use their degrees to attain financial and emotional independence. But for the love of God, do not send them to a school that thinks that Snooki serves as a useful speaker at graduation.
I know a lot of you may like The Jersey Shore, and I apologize for using ur beloved Snooki as my example. You cant be too mad at me though. These are, after all, Just One Man's Thoughts
One Love,
Anthony
All I have to say is. Snooki was a speaker at a graduation!!!!
I should end this post here and let you, the reader, come up with your own thoughts. But that would defeat the purpose of this Blog. It is, after all, Just 1 Man's Thoughts. So, that being said, let me inform you all what I think.
How on earth have we gotten to the point in our society where a well respected University (I'll protect the name of the school as I dont want them to send any muscle bound guidos to my front door to fist pump, GTL, and profess their love of all things Italian), thought it was appropriate to have Snooki from The Jersey Shore address a class of graduating collegiate seniors??? Sounds like a great idea!!.....NOT
I recall when graduation speakers were well educated, successful, people who actually had something to offer by speaking to graduates. How does Snooki qualify?? As embarassed as I am to admit it, I've seen a few episodes of The Jersey Shore. It does not take much more than that to come to the conclusion that the cast of that show are, for lack of a better, a bunch of tools. First of all, I cannot believe that our society encourages this behavior, and not only that, will pay to see it. I mean, the cast members of that show, are now practically millionaires as a result of what?? I have yet to identify a talent, that should put them in a position to earn nearly a million dollars. Physicians, teachers, police officers, military, all of whom spend a great deal of time in school, training, and honing their craft, do not even come close to making this kind of a living. Yet, if you spray tan, drink excessively, fight, be promiscuous, treat others with NO respect, get arrested, and act as if you have no respect for yourself, not only will you succeed, there is a chance of being rich and famous. Is this really the message we want our collegiate graduates receiving?? If I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars sending my kid to college and as I look at the graduation announcement seeing Snooki as the speaker, I'm demanding my money back.
This era of reality TV is a very slippery slope. Children are so impressionable, soaking things up like sponges, by watching what they feel is "reality", It's no wonder they grow up with a warped perception of how life should be. It is an etirely differnt blog I can write about how parents no longer monitor what their children watch. Not only do children watch what they want, often times they are watching these shows in their rooms with no parent to discuss what's wrong with what is being shown to them. Remember the days where there were NO TVs in children's rooms, and you watched TV as a family (ahhhh, the good ole days). (Keep posted for following up on that comment). If I was a hormone crazed teen watching reality TV, alone to make my own judgements on the appropriateness of what I'm watching, I can imagine the conclusions I'd come up with. I mean, hey, if this is reality TV, this must be how the real world is.
Now we have to worry about. If you survive your Highschool years without doing something to sabotage your future, you get into college, and work hard enough to graduate. Now the last thing you hear before being set out into the workforce, is a speech by one of the cast members of not just a realit show, one of the most infamous shows on TV. Talk about an insult. You mean, I've worked so hard to graduate, now I have some uneducated, floozy speaking to me about my graduation and what to expect in the post college world.
Ok, so it's not just The Jersey Shore that contributes to this problem. The amount of reality shows that are on every network at all hours of the day provide numerous opportunities for young, impressionable teens to make their own assessments of what is reality and how they want their own reality to be. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons of why our society as become what it has. In my experience the number of young people with no desire to study, to work, to treat themselves with respect, and do something positive with their lives is steadily decreasing. I cannot blame them. We as a society are failing our youth.
To finish this post, I'd like to encourage all parents out there to play an active role in bringing up your children. Engage them with questions about what they've seen on TV, that will allow for future dialogue between you and yours. Encourage them to speak freely about what they are exposed to, that is the one of the only ways to police their behavior. If you can do this from an early age, talking about difficult topics will become easier. If your fortunate enough to have your child graduate from college, demand a speaker that will actually deliver useful information that can ensure they use their degrees to attain financial and emotional independence. But for the love of God, do not send them to a school that thinks that Snooki serves as a useful speaker at graduation.
I know a lot of you may like The Jersey Shore, and I apologize for using ur beloved Snooki as my example. You cant be too mad at me though. These are, after all, Just One Man's Thoughts
One Love,
Anthony
Sunday, July 31, 2011
What's in a name??
Ok guys,
I know it has been a long time since I posted. I've been kinda pre occupied with golf as I get the chance to play at Pebble Beach in less than a month. After some thought, and since I have time while my gumbo cooks, I thought about something I'd like to share my thoughts about. And remember as you read this, These are Just One Man's Thoughts.
That being said, let's talk about names. Now, as I am a pediatric ED doc, I get the opportunity to take care of children of all ages and all ethnic groups. This is what I, absolutely, LOVE doing. Through my career I've personally seen all types of names as well as heard "urban legends" of other children's names (i.e. Lemongelo, Orangelo, Shithead [pronounced Sha-theed]. Now, if you are a parent who named your child something "creative", "unique", or "trendy" I do not intend to offend you.
My first question, is how many of you have met, read about, or seen a news story on people with the name of; "diamond", "neveah", "Thomasina", etc....? If so, what was the story about???
Next question, how many presidents, kings, and CEO of Forbes 500 companies share these names??
I bet, NONE.
In other words, does the name you are given pre determine where you will end up??
I hate to say it, but I believe so. (Just one man's thoughts, remember).
By naming your child a "unique" name (for lack of a better term), you are putting a restriction on their potential. Now with everything, there are exceptions to this rule. I'm sure some day there may be a billionaire or President named Diamond Cinnamon Mc Bride (or something to that extent) some day, but I feel it's a long time coming. When turning in a job application, college application or undergoing some other attempt at success, by having a "unique" name, your application/idea will likely get put into the "I dont think so" pile. I know it seems a bit unfair that you will be pre judged based on your given name, but welcome to the USA!!!! Pre judgements are made all the time and , unfortunately, affect our chances at success.
I'd submit to soon to be parents that you give your child the best chance at success. That is the least you can do for your child who, for the first several years of their life, rely on you to get them in a position to succeed. This extends far beyond your child's name (diet, education, keeping an open mind), but something so simple can have PROFOUND affects on your child's future. I'm not saying that we cannot be creative when naming our kids, but think before you scribble down the first unique thought that comes into your mind. You may say, "What about movie stars?? They name their kids the craziest of names!". This is true, however, they have already allowed their children chances of success via their own success and fortune already established; So unless you are already a millionaire, president or CEO of a company, or an heir to a fortune, think at least a few minutes before you decide on a name.
When thinking of the name Alize...the most common phrase that comes to mind is : "Next on the mainstage, please welcome Alize" or " Next on Jerry Springer, please welcome Alize, who's baby daddy has been sleeping with her roomate's, brother's cousin who is a hermaphrodite tranny with 88 body piercings and 33 tattoos." Ok, ok, that's a little extreme, but you get the point.
When thinking of the name David, Jason, Lilian, Christoper, etc...The possibilities are endless.
Please parents, give your children the best chance at succeeding in a country that clearly has lines drawn to separate the upper from the middle from the lower class. There is no reason your family should not have as good of a chance to reach the upper class as others. That is what's great about this country.
Don't place a limit on them from the first day of their life. There are enough challenges out there.
And please remember, These are just One Man's thoughts.
Peace and Love
Anthony
I know it has been a long time since I posted. I've been kinda pre occupied with golf as I get the chance to play at Pebble Beach in less than a month. After some thought, and since I have time while my gumbo cooks, I thought about something I'd like to share my thoughts about. And remember as you read this, These are Just One Man's Thoughts.
That being said, let's talk about names. Now, as I am a pediatric ED doc, I get the opportunity to take care of children of all ages and all ethnic groups. This is what I, absolutely, LOVE doing. Through my career I've personally seen all types of names as well as heard "urban legends" of other children's names (i.e. Lemongelo, Orangelo, Shithead [pronounced Sha-theed]. Now, if you are a parent who named your child something "creative", "unique", or "trendy" I do not intend to offend you.
My first question, is how many of you have met, read about, or seen a news story on people with the name of; "diamond", "neveah", "Thomasina", etc....? If so, what was the story about???
Next question, how many presidents, kings, and CEO of Forbes 500 companies share these names??
I bet, NONE.
In other words, does the name you are given pre determine where you will end up??
I hate to say it, but I believe so. (Just one man's thoughts, remember).
By naming your child a "unique" name (for lack of a better term), you are putting a restriction on their potential. Now with everything, there are exceptions to this rule. I'm sure some day there may be a billionaire or President named Diamond Cinnamon Mc Bride (or something to that extent) some day, but I feel it's a long time coming. When turning in a job application, college application or undergoing some other attempt at success, by having a "unique" name, your application/idea will likely get put into the "I dont think so" pile. I know it seems a bit unfair that you will be pre judged based on your given name, but welcome to the USA!!!! Pre judgements are made all the time and , unfortunately, affect our chances at success.
I'd submit to soon to be parents that you give your child the best chance at success. That is the least you can do for your child who, for the first several years of their life, rely on you to get them in a position to succeed. This extends far beyond your child's name (diet, education, keeping an open mind), but something so simple can have PROFOUND affects on your child's future. I'm not saying that we cannot be creative when naming our kids, but think before you scribble down the first unique thought that comes into your mind. You may say, "What about movie stars?? They name their kids the craziest of names!". This is true, however, they have already allowed their children chances of success via their own success and fortune already established; So unless you are already a millionaire, president or CEO of a company, or an heir to a fortune, think at least a few minutes before you decide on a name.
When thinking of the name Alize...the most common phrase that comes to mind is : "Next on the mainstage, please welcome Alize" or " Next on Jerry Springer, please welcome Alize, who's baby daddy has been sleeping with her roomate's, brother's cousin who is a hermaphrodite tranny with 88 body piercings and 33 tattoos." Ok, ok, that's a little extreme, but you get the point.
When thinking of the name David, Jason, Lilian, Christoper, etc...The possibilities are endless.
Please parents, give your children the best chance at succeeding in a country that clearly has lines drawn to separate the upper from the middle from the lower class. There is no reason your family should not have as good of a chance to reach the upper class as others. That is what's great about this country.
Don't place a limit on them from the first day of their life. There are enough challenges out there.
And please remember, These are just One Man's thoughts.
Peace and Love
Anthony
Thursday, May 5, 2011
86,400
Good afternoon all,
It has been a while since my last post and I thought I'd get you guys caught up on my thoughts. Now the number in the title is what???
Can anybody guess???
Well, it is the number of seconds in each day. You can do the math if you like, but I', pretty sure it's right on the money. Now the focus of this post is to consider what you use that 86,400 to accomplish.
If you spend it wisely, aka cherishing each heart beat, doing good things for others, being a responsible parent, etc. Congratulations
If you spend the majority of those seconds thinking: " I wish I WOULDA done that", or " I SHOULDA done this", or "I COULDA spent my time doing this"......then you are not fully taking advantage of the time you've been given.
In other words. And we've all heard it; Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda's aint S#$&!!!!
Why spend your days wishing for what could have been, instead, do something about at and make things happen. Don't think about what you Should have done with your time.....DO it!!! I cannot tell you how many times I hear people looking back on an unproductive day, wondering where the time went and complaining that they did not get done what they needed to, only to waste the next day they've been given replaying the error of their ways the previous day.
I mean really, there are 86,400 seconds in EACH DAY. Make as many of them count as possible.
Spend each day like it should be. Treat it like its a gift, because, in all honesty, IT IS!!!!!! That's why they call it the "present". Wake up each day with a goal...then do everything in your power to accomplish it. I'm not saying, each day has to produce Nobel Prize Winning actions, but just take advantage of every moment we have on the earth. Have you told a friend, how lucky you are to have them in your life?? Have you told your kids you love them?? Have you finally started that home improvement project you've been talking about?? Have you stopped to look around, smell the air, feel the wind on your face, and said to yourself , "How lucky am I??". These types of things can be the start to great things where your day's are filled with positivity and potential. We all have to start somewhere.
At the end of the day, the moments you spend thinking about the Woulda's and Coulda's and Shoulda's, you are wasting those heartbeats.
Keep that in mind tomorrow morning when you will be given another 86,400 (if you are lucky).
But also remember,
These are just One Man's Thoughts
One love
Anthony
It has been a while since my last post and I thought I'd get you guys caught up on my thoughts. Now the number in the title is what???
Can anybody guess???
Well, it is the number of seconds in each day. You can do the math if you like, but I', pretty sure it's right on the money. Now the focus of this post is to consider what you use that 86,400 to accomplish.
If you spend it wisely, aka cherishing each heart beat, doing good things for others, being a responsible parent, etc. Congratulations
If you spend the majority of those seconds thinking: " I wish I WOULDA done that", or " I SHOULDA done this", or "I COULDA spent my time doing this"......then you are not fully taking advantage of the time you've been given.
In other words. And we've all heard it; Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda's aint S#$&!!!!
Why spend your days wishing for what could have been, instead, do something about at and make things happen. Don't think about what you Should have done with your time.....DO it!!! I cannot tell you how many times I hear people looking back on an unproductive day, wondering where the time went and complaining that they did not get done what they needed to, only to waste the next day they've been given replaying the error of their ways the previous day.
I mean really, there are 86,400 seconds in EACH DAY. Make as many of them count as possible.
Spend each day like it should be. Treat it like its a gift, because, in all honesty, IT IS!!!!!! That's why they call it the "present". Wake up each day with a goal...then do everything in your power to accomplish it. I'm not saying, each day has to produce Nobel Prize Winning actions, but just take advantage of every moment we have on the earth. Have you told a friend, how lucky you are to have them in your life?? Have you told your kids you love them?? Have you finally started that home improvement project you've been talking about?? Have you stopped to look around, smell the air, feel the wind on your face, and said to yourself , "How lucky am I??". These types of things can be the start to great things where your day's are filled with positivity and potential. We all have to start somewhere.
At the end of the day, the moments you spend thinking about the Woulda's and Coulda's and Shoulda's, you are wasting those heartbeats.
Keep that in mind tomorrow morning when you will be given another 86,400 (if you are lucky).
But also remember,
These are just One Man's Thoughts
One love
Anthony
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
We are what we eat
Good afternoon all,
After some thought about what I should bug you guys with this time I decided to tackle one of the most well known sayings in the English Language:
"You are what you eat"
Now, you can imagine what that saying means. Chances are, the originator of the phrase meant to convey the idea that if you put garbage into your body, your body will be garbage itself. I can talk about this at length, but I will only make a quick point. Just look around you. The incidence of obesity is an EPIDEMIC and it is only getting worse. I cannot tell you enough, how many overweight children I see on a daily basis while at work. It has gotten so bad that the people that look "thin", by definition, are probably still overweight (based on ideal body weights and BMI). This is a reflection of our Fast Food mentality. We are so busy as americans that we put anything in our mouth that can be prepared quickly and shoveled onto our plate. What happened to the days of taking time to prepare a meal, using healthy ingredients, and enjoying the time spent with family and friends consuming the meal.
This aspect is what I wish to discuss.....
As a child, dinner was a ritual in our family. We actually sat down together, talked about daily events, and took our time......What a concept?!?!? I believe this is beneficial far beyond the nutritional benefits. It was during these family meals that my parents were able to check up on my progress in school, the other children I was associating with, and my goals for the day, week, semester, or year. The info my parents were able to troll for, enabled them to be GREAT parents and make sure I was not straying off the right path.
Families today, routinely do not have this "ritual". Meals are prepared separately, families do not sit down to share the meal, and as we see in our everyday lives, some things have changed drastically as a result. First, the health factor, how can you learn to eat healthy things, as this is a life-long decision, when you are constantly gorging yourself on the fastest meal, the largest meal that one can consume in the shortest amount of time, or the meal that you eat while in the car?? In my opinion, this dumbing down of our knowledge of healthy foods has resulted in the average body habitus (i.e childhood obesity) we see all around us.
Second, how can parents keep their fingers on the pulse of what is going on in their kids life when they don't spend enough time to troll for information. Kids want and need structure in their lives although as teens it may seem that is the last thing they want. If I, as a kid, spent my meals alone, texting others, or trying to eat as fast as I can so I can watch Skins or The Jersey Shore, I can only imagine where I"d be now.
Long story short,
Parents, get back to the routine of eating as a family. I know schedules today are more hectic than ever, but try, try, try to at least share a meal or 2 as a family per week. You'd be surprised what you find out about your children and how easy it will become to get them talking. That's all you want; Your child talking to you. That way you know if school is tough, if they are being bullied, if they are experimenting with risk taking behavior. How else, can you ensure your child is developing in a healthy way. Remember, as a parent, it is YOUR responsibility to provide your child with the best chance at success. It is their responsibility to respond to the challenge.
So the next time you hear the phrase "You are what you eat"....try to find the deeper meaning. Although the health benefits are numerous, there is much more to be achieved by taking time to share a meal as a family. One can learn the value of hard work (preparing the meal), where our food comes from (talking about healthy ingredients and what makes them healthy), how to carry a proper conversation (No texting, no video games, and no social networking at the dinner table), how to know what proper portion size is (No super sizing at family dinner), and most importantly how to talk to your children and how your children can talk to you, etc.
So in essence, the "garbage" we eat or HOW we eat can have profound, long lasting consequences, that when done the right way can help ensure a fit body, sound mind, and functioning family unit.
Finally, hope this reaches at least one person and makes sense, and possibly, makes a difference....
These are after all,
Just one man's thoughts
One Love
After some thought about what I should bug you guys with this time I decided to tackle one of the most well known sayings in the English Language:
"You are what you eat"
Now, you can imagine what that saying means. Chances are, the originator of the phrase meant to convey the idea that if you put garbage into your body, your body will be garbage itself. I can talk about this at length, but I will only make a quick point. Just look around you. The incidence of obesity is an EPIDEMIC and it is only getting worse. I cannot tell you enough, how many overweight children I see on a daily basis while at work. It has gotten so bad that the people that look "thin", by definition, are probably still overweight (based on ideal body weights and BMI). This is a reflection of our Fast Food mentality. We are so busy as americans that we put anything in our mouth that can be prepared quickly and shoveled onto our plate. What happened to the days of taking time to prepare a meal, using healthy ingredients, and enjoying the time spent with family and friends consuming the meal.
This aspect is what I wish to discuss.....
As a child, dinner was a ritual in our family. We actually sat down together, talked about daily events, and took our time......What a concept?!?!? I believe this is beneficial far beyond the nutritional benefits. It was during these family meals that my parents were able to check up on my progress in school, the other children I was associating with, and my goals for the day, week, semester, or year. The info my parents were able to troll for, enabled them to be GREAT parents and make sure I was not straying off the right path.
Families today, routinely do not have this "ritual". Meals are prepared separately, families do not sit down to share the meal, and as we see in our everyday lives, some things have changed drastically as a result. First, the health factor, how can you learn to eat healthy things, as this is a life-long decision, when you are constantly gorging yourself on the fastest meal, the largest meal that one can consume in the shortest amount of time, or the meal that you eat while in the car?? In my opinion, this dumbing down of our knowledge of healthy foods has resulted in the average body habitus (i.e childhood obesity) we see all around us.
Second, how can parents keep their fingers on the pulse of what is going on in their kids life when they don't spend enough time to troll for information. Kids want and need structure in their lives although as teens it may seem that is the last thing they want. If I, as a kid, spent my meals alone, texting others, or trying to eat as fast as I can so I can watch Skins or The Jersey Shore, I can only imagine where I"d be now.
Long story short,
Parents, get back to the routine of eating as a family. I know schedules today are more hectic than ever, but try, try, try to at least share a meal or 2 as a family per week. You'd be surprised what you find out about your children and how easy it will become to get them talking. That's all you want; Your child talking to you. That way you know if school is tough, if they are being bullied, if they are experimenting with risk taking behavior. How else, can you ensure your child is developing in a healthy way. Remember, as a parent, it is YOUR responsibility to provide your child with the best chance at success. It is their responsibility to respond to the challenge.
So the next time you hear the phrase "You are what you eat"....try to find the deeper meaning. Although the health benefits are numerous, there is much more to be achieved by taking time to share a meal as a family. One can learn the value of hard work (preparing the meal), where our food comes from (talking about healthy ingredients and what makes them healthy), how to carry a proper conversation (No texting, no video games, and no social networking at the dinner table), how to know what proper portion size is (No super sizing at family dinner), and most importantly how to talk to your children and how your children can talk to you, etc.
So in essence, the "garbage" we eat or HOW we eat can have profound, long lasting consequences, that when done the right way can help ensure a fit body, sound mind, and functioning family unit.
Finally, hope this reaches at least one person and makes sense, and possibly, makes a difference....
These are after all,
Just one man's thoughts
One Love
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Raise that bar
Good evening all,
I thought I 'd write a quick post regarding the bar that parents hold for their children. Some background why I am addressing this is that two days ago I heard a story on the news about a couple of kids that were involved in a fight, a pretty violent one at that, on their school campus. A school security guard responded and in an attempt to break up the fight, one of the kids was hit with the officer's walkie. The father of this child is upset that the guard "hit" his child, and feels the guard should be punished.......
Now.....C'MON
What happened to the days where no matter what happened, parents would hold their kids accountable?? The way I was brought up was that if there was, ever, an incident where a child and an adult were at odds.....the CHILD WAS AT FAULT. This, I think, stems from the old saying "respect your elders". Why on earth is the father that I mentioned previously NOT upset with his fighting child??
My belief is that children now are held to a lower standard than when I was young, and this may be partly accountable to the craziness that we see around us everywhere.
The fact is, that no matter where a parent sets the bar of achievement, children will try to reach that bar.
If you are happy with your kid getting C's in school and getting into trouble at any opportunity, your children will do just that. If you are happy with your child skipping school to play video games, or to meet up with other children causing trouble, so be it......That is what you will get.
I recall when I was a child and I'd get all A's and one B. My father would greet me with the statement; "What happened on that B". At the time, I'd be frustrated thinking it's only one B. But I'll tell you what, next grading period, I'd do WHATEVER it took to get rid of that B. Now look, I'd like to consider myself a moderately successful guy with a future and career earning potential. The bar my dad had for me allowed for this level of success, and although sometimes life was not a box of chocolates, things couldn't be sweeter now that I am an adult.
As long as parents are "OK" with mediocrity for their children, that is what they will get. I submit to ALL parents, young and old, new and experienced; SET THAT BAR HIGH. You will be surprised how your child will respond. As long as you keep the bar to a level that is easily reached your children will not learn how to face adversity and pull up those boot straps when times get tough.
One final example follows. Several months ago in Phoenix a group of students were on an international school trip. They were caught with alcohol in their hotel room and were subsequently disciplined by the school. The parents of these "fine" children raised a fuss and were mad at the school!!!! Really!?!? The school?!? How about being disappointed in your kids. They let you down, the school is just trying to let them know there are consequences to behavior like this. The parents set quite the example for their kids....Do what you want, and if you do something wrong and get punished, maybe it is the authority figure's fault. Do you see how this way of thinking can lead a young mind down the wrong path?? With no sense of wrong and right, no sense of consequences and furthers the nation's sense of entitlement. I can go on and on about this but will stop here.
As I end this post....Parents, please raise the bar for your children. Instead of fearing that you expect too much and your bar may be too high; let them see what you expect and figure out a way to meet those expectations. Teach them right and wrong. Let them know that there are consequences for EVERY action. Teach them to treat others how they want to be treated. That is the only way to get them in the best position for future success.
You may or may not agree with me.....but just remember.....
These are just one man's thoughts
One Love
I thought I 'd write a quick post regarding the bar that parents hold for their children. Some background why I am addressing this is that two days ago I heard a story on the news about a couple of kids that were involved in a fight, a pretty violent one at that, on their school campus. A school security guard responded and in an attempt to break up the fight, one of the kids was hit with the officer's walkie. The father of this child is upset that the guard "hit" his child, and feels the guard should be punished.......
Now.....C'MON
What happened to the days where no matter what happened, parents would hold their kids accountable?? The way I was brought up was that if there was, ever, an incident where a child and an adult were at odds.....the CHILD WAS AT FAULT. This, I think, stems from the old saying "respect your elders". Why on earth is the father that I mentioned previously NOT upset with his fighting child??
My belief is that children now are held to a lower standard than when I was young, and this may be partly accountable to the craziness that we see around us everywhere.
The fact is, that no matter where a parent sets the bar of achievement, children will try to reach that bar.
If you are happy with your kid getting C's in school and getting into trouble at any opportunity, your children will do just that. If you are happy with your child skipping school to play video games, or to meet up with other children causing trouble, so be it......That is what you will get.
I recall when I was a child and I'd get all A's and one B. My father would greet me with the statement; "What happened on that B". At the time, I'd be frustrated thinking it's only one B. But I'll tell you what, next grading period, I'd do WHATEVER it took to get rid of that B. Now look, I'd like to consider myself a moderately successful guy with a future and career earning potential. The bar my dad had for me allowed for this level of success, and although sometimes life was not a box of chocolates, things couldn't be sweeter now that I am an adult.
As long as parents are "OK" with mediocrity for their children, that is what they will get. I submit to ALL parents, young and old, new and experienced; SET THAT BAR HIGH. You will be surprised how your child will respond. As long as you keep the bar to a level that is easily reached your children will not learn how to face adversity and pull up those boot straps when times get tough.
One final example follows. Several months ago in Phoenix a group of students were on an international school trip. They were caught with alcohol in their hotel room and were subsequently disciplined by the school. The parents of these "fine" children raised a fuss and were mad at the school!!!! Really!?!? The school?!? How about being disappointed in your kids. They let you down, the school is just trying to let them know there are consequences to behavior like this. The parents set quite the example for their kids....Do what you want, and if you do something wrong and get punished, maybe it is the authority figure's fault. Do you see how this way of thinking can lead a young mind down the wrong path?? With no sense of wrong and right, no sense of consequences and furthers the nation's sense of entitlement. I can go on and on about this but will stop here.
As I end this post....Parents, please raise the bar for your children. Instead of fearing that you expect too much and your bar may be too high; let them see what you expect and figure out a way to meet those expectations. Teach them right and wrong. Let them know that there are consequences for EVERY action. Teach them to treat others how they want to be treated. That is the only way to get them in the best position for future success.
You may or may not agree with me.....but just remember.....
These are just one man's thoughts
One Love
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Dont waste those heartbeats
Good evening,
I thought i would begin this blog by explaining one of the most important statements that I've ever heard and the rule that I try to live my life by....
' Don't waste your heartbeats'
As you read that you might figure you "feel me", or at least have a hunch what this statement means. Briefly, if you think about the fact that from the moment you where born to the moment you leave this earth, your heart has a finite number of beats that it is programmed to beat before it stops. There is no dispute that this fact is true. No matter where you believe the "program" comes from; God, a predetermined fate, or just dumb luck; you cannot dispute the fact that your heart, at some point, will stop beating. This fact is scary to some, unavoidable to others, and a blessing to few. The important point, is what are YOU going to spend your heart beats on??
Your heart beat generally beats at a constant and consistent rate. There will be moments where your heart will beat slowly (i.e. during sleep) and quickly (i.e. exercise, stress, etc.). Now, taking into account that your heart has a "set" number of beats, it is the times where your heart beats quickly that you are "spending" them faster. In moments that you are worrying about things out of your control or other trivial items you may ecounter in life, in my opinion, you are wasting those beats. It may be something as simple as when you are driving your vehicle and the light turns yellow. If your response is to accelerate and beat that light, I bet your heart rate increases. Do you really want to "spend" those heartbeats hoping to beat a yellow light? Or if, for instance, you don't know if your flight will leave on time and you worry about it, your heart rate will increase. Now, the flight leaving on time has NOTHING to do with anything in your control. Don't waste your heartbeats in instances like this.
The take home point is this. If we are blessed with a finite number of heartbeats, spend and utilize each one in a positive way, even if the positivity is sitting at a red light, relaxing, thinking about how good you have it. You are alive and upright, you have the ability to see if the light is red or not (many unfortunate people live on this earth blind and would do anything to be able to sit a red light looking around), you have the motor skills to operate a vehicle (many people suffer from diseases that affect their ability to operate machinery, or are paralyzed). Do you see what I'm getting at??? Each minute of every day is a gift to be enjoyed. Not rushed, not taken for granted, and not wasted rushing to get to tomorrow. I submit that we should all try to live our lives with a constant, slow, relaxed heart rate. Just imagine how much more pleasant life could be if we all did not let ourselves get worked up over trivial things or things we cannot control.
That's all I will say for now. And wether you agree or not, remember this....
These are just 'One man's thoughts'
One Love,
Anthony
I thought i would begin this blog by explaining one of the most important statements that I've ever heard and the rule that I try to live my life by....
' Don't waste your heartbeats'
As you read that you might figure you "feel me", or at least have a hunch what this statement means. Briefly, if you think about the fact that from the moment you where born to the moment you leave this earth, your heart has a finite number of beats that it is programmed to beat before it stops. There is no dispute that this fact is true. No matter where you believe the "program" comes from; God, a predetermined fate, or just dumb luck; you cannot dispute the fact that your heart, at some point, will stop beating. This fact is scary to some, unavoidable to others, and a blessing to few. The important point, is what are YOU going to spend your heart beats on??
Your heart beat generally beats at a constant and consistent rate. There will be moments where your heart will beat slowly (i.e. during sleep) and quickly (i.e. exercise, stress, etc.). Now, taking into account that your heart has a "set" number of beats, it is the times where your heart beats quickly that you are "spending" them faster. In moments that you are worrying about things out of your control or other trivial items you may ecounter in life, in my opinion, you are wasting those beats. It may be something as simple as when you are driving your vehicle and the light turns yellow. If your response is to accelerate and beat that light, I bet your heart rate increases. Do you really want to "spend" those heartbeats hoping to beat a yellow light? Or if, for instance, you don't know if your flight will leave on time and you worry about it, your heart rate will increase. Now, the flight leaving on time has NOTHING to do with anything in your control. Don't waste your heartbeats in instances like this.
The take home point is this. If we are blessed with a finite number of heartbeats, spend and utilize each one in a positive way, even if the positivity is sitting at a red light, relaxing, thinking about how good you have it. You are alive and upright, you have the ability to see if the light is red or not (many unfortunate people live on this earth blind and would do anything to be able to sit a red light looking around), you have the motor skills to operate a vehicle (many people suffer from diseases that affect their ability to operate machinery, or are paralyzed). Do you see what I'm getting at??? Each minute of every day is a gift to be enjoyed. Not rushed, not taken for granted, and not wasted rushing to get to tomorrow. I submit that we should all try to live our lives with a constant, slow, relaxed heart rate. Just imagine how much more pleasant life could be if we all did not let ourselves get worked up over trivial things or things we cannot control.
That's all I will say for now. And wether you agree or not, remember this....
These are just 'One man's thoughts'
One Love,
Anthony
Friday, December 24, 2010
Intro to Ant
Hello all,
Just a quick blog to let you know what you are getting into by reading this. I consider myself a forward thinking guy who tends to analyze and learn something from every experience I encounter. Watching the world around us, there are numerous opportunities to learn and better one's self. I often times, read the newspaper, watch the news, or just look at what's around me and find myself asking...."What the hell??" I have opinions that I feel have some people may benefit from reading....whether it be a way to improve everyday life, identify someone you share opinions with , or just to play devil's advocate when discussing hot button topics (just to name a few).
The purpose of my blog is not to force my opinions on others or even expect people to agree with me. I Just need to let my feelings about certain things out and I welcome other's opinions and Ideas. The topics I will comment on are random and may or may not be interesting to the reader. I'm sure that if you follow this blog, EVENTUALLY, I'll touch on a topic that may strike an accord with you. That being said, keep your eyes open for future posts. My mind is already swimming with ideas to comment on.
Most importantly,
Remember.....These are just One Man's Thoughts
Just a quick blog to let you know what you are getting into by reading this. I consider myself a forward thinking guy who tends to analyze and learn something from every experience I encounter. Watching the world around us, there are numerous opportunities to learn and better one's self. I often times, read the newspaper, watch the news, or just look at what's around me and find myself asking...."What the hell??" I have opinions that I feel have some people may benefit from reading....whether it be a way to improve everyday life, identify someone you share opinions with , or just to play devil's advocate when discussing hot button topics (just to name a few).
The purpose of my blog is not to force my opinions on others or even expect people to agree with me. I Just need to let my feelings about certain things out and I welcome other's opinions and Ideas. The topics I will comment on are random and may or may not be interesting to the reader. I'm sure that if you follow this blog, EVENTUALLY, I'll touch on a topic that may strike an accord with you. That being said, keep your eyes open for future posts. My mind is already swimming with ideas to comment on.
Most importantly,
Remember.....These are just One Man's Thoughts
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