Chapter 80: Today.

i love pop culture, and frankly, i am not afraid to admit that. i love immersing myself in the culture that describes the today, the right now, the very minute in which i exist.

upon reading this statement, one should think, "what's the big deal?" but apparently, there is a deal. for centuries, someone who appreciates pop culture is considered to be lacking in culture. doesn't that seem like an oxymoron? why do i keep finding those around me seeking out obscure artists or movements in order to seem like the pioneers of such-and-such? in one conversation after the other, i'm finding people competing to be the world's biggest fan of something no one has ever heard of.

so how does this work? the more obscure, the cooler one is deemed to be? nope, not for me. that utterly-out-of-touch-with-the-now person is pretty lame, as far as i'm concerned. not because they are seeking out something new, but because they are seeking out something different. after all, the old adage is that everyone who tries to be different is really just the same.

do i like all aspects of pop culture? of course not. but i appreciate it because in the end, it will be what defines my generation and my peers. there is a reason why certain ideas become famous, and my fascination is why it is such. why shun the very things that surround you?

Chapter 69: Recessionista.

no blog would be very hip and happening (do people still say that?) today if it didn't mention the recession. it's everywhere: in tv commercials that start off with "these days, it's important to...", in the newspapers and news channels, even on your paycheck. or lack thereof. it's impossible to turn the corner or simply stroll down the street without the recession sneaking up on you, one way or another.

even webster's is getting a make over with words like "recessionista" popping up. according to the nytimes, this refers to "the style maven on a budget" (article here). basically, there are women out there who refuse to give up style for financial difficulties. even in an economic crisis, fashionistas everywhere are still making an effort to look effortless.

to be honest, this is the healthiest reaction to the recession i've seen yet. i'm not saying that we should refuse to accept what's happened and put our heads in the sand, and neither are these women. they're adapting to their surroundings, something humans have lost the ability to do. we're used to running in, taking over, and depleting the resources around us. and yet, evolutionarily speaking, we've done pretty well so far, so what could possibly be stopping us now?

today, a recession is the equivalent of an ice age or sudden global warming: an unwelcome change in our surroundings that makes us re-evaluate our lives and living situations. we wake up one morning, and suddenly, the world is not the way we left it when we went to sleep the night before. so shouldn't we be dealing with this the way homo-sapiens have for ages? we adapt, we make the best of the situation, we survive, and we go on. we may not be as resilient as the cockroach, per se, but we are pretty good. if even style can withstand the recession, imagine our possibilities.

Chapter 64: Titan.

we've all learned in greek mythology that at one point, titans ruled the land. these creatures were giant in size and their power seemed absolute. their steps shook the highest of mountains and their voices caused the winds to blow. they were seemingly indestructible as there was no one in the world who was as great as they were. each titan was ruler over a natural element, such as the ocean or the moon or memory, and each ruled well. thus, the age of the titans is known as the golden era because it was an era of simplicity and goodness.

despite what they seemed to be, even titans could fall. it took the strength and guile of zeus, his mother, and many other beings to take them down, but they did. and down the titans went, deep into the nadir that is known as tartarus.

i'm not sure if anyone today can say that they have lived in a golden era of anything. we are each plagued by the terrors of society in our own ways. but one thing we can all say for sure is that today, a titan has fallen.

this one started as a boy and grew into a titan before our eyes. his talent was giant in size and his power over people seemed absolute. his dance steps shook the highest mountains of racism and segregation, and his voice caused the winds of change to blow. he was seemingly indestructible as there is and was and will never be anyone who is as great as he. his natural element was his song, his voice; he ruled it exceptionally.

and today, he fell. but unlike those greek titans who fell down, this titan managed to fall up. up to own his rightful place among the stars so that one day, far from now, stories and legends will be told of his greatness. one day, people will bask in the light of his talent. one day, someone will lose his faith and look up for guidance. and on that day, he will remember that anything is possible.

RIP Michael Jackson. May he rest in peace among the stars.

Chapter 63: Let's move on.

there are moments in my life when i just don't want to talk. it's nothing anyone should take personally because sometimes, i just don't want to talk about what is bothering me at that particular moment. i know that talking things out can be good for the soul and all, but i don't think this should be considered a rule of thumb. it's my problem, and it's my decision to keep it as my problem.

it should also not be construed as selfish when i attempt to keep these things to myself. rather, it should be considered a compliment that i decided not to ruin your day by unleashing my list of complaints and disasters into your world that five minutes ago seemed quite good. i am not keeping things from you, i am saving you from a life of negativity. besides, this will past as mostly all bad moods pass. i'd rather not prolong it by continuing to talk about it. doesn't that just make more sense?

Chapter 60: Starting over.

i've found that this blog comes in handy at major moments in my life. anyone who said that writing is therapeutic was absolutely correct. it's at these major moments in my life that i realize how much i can unload onto this mere web page that's wonderfully lost in the abyss of the internet. the world wide web can be an excellent place to hide those very thoughts that go through our heads or our hearts that can be so difficult to tell anyone else. who knew that such a public sphere could be so private?

so what major moment has prompted this comeback? i'm starting over. completely. thank god i'm only 22 because this would be impossible to do if i were any older. this would also be impossible to handle if i were any older. but that's the beauty of youth. not only do we retain those attributes of strength and attractiveness and energy, but we can also get hit with wave after wave of disappointment and not sustain any injuries. at least not on the outside.

but i know i'll get through this, and i know i'll get through this alone. but that's ok. i've found that regardless of how much i may lose faith in the world and those around me, this blog always welcomes me back with open arms and a blank page.

Chapter 59: Elections!

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight...

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."
* Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.
* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.
* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.
* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's
Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.
*If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.
* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.
* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America' s.
* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

God bless America...

**I didn't write this; something I found that seemed worth reading.

Chapter 58: New beginnings...

i love the first day of school. even as a kid when every other kid dreaded that first day, that first bus ride, that first bell, i loved it. i loved it mostly for the school supplies. nothing gets me off quite like a fresh new stack of sharpened pencils, unopened pens (red, black and blue), pristine red erasers, highlighters in every fluorescent color. don't even get me started on color coordinated folders and notebooks for each subject.

there's something to the newness of these supplies that attracted me. notebooks that were untouched and unwritten in, without those little scraps left behind in the wiring when you rip out a page. the pencils had perfect erasers and the pens were full of ink. my stacks of post-its were all even, all the same since not a single one had been hastily scribbled on and smashed onto my wall. they were perfectly undefiled and new, just waiting for the school year to take its toll on them.

beginning anything is exciting. a new adventure that could go anywhere and lead you to anything, good or bad. it could be a new year at college or a new relationship, the excitement is amazingly scintillating. especially when you are so excited for it. it's like a new chapter, a new chance, an amazing start.

as for me, i've learned to go to the stationary lane at cvs whenever i'm down and take in those pristine supplies. ah the feeling of new. nothing beats it.

Chapter 56: Gods and Men.

the world is currently crazed with the recent olympic games held in beijing. each athlete has become a beacon of hope for his or her country, a symbol of hope, etc etc etc. i can't help but see greek gods on those fields, sculpted bodies that perform the most amazing of deeds. they are never mere men and women; they are the extraordinary, the sublime, the blessed. i'm always in awe at the sheer power i see in those pumping biceps on the track or the veins that push through in those arms racing through water or even the sweat that slowly drips down a face so intent on proving something amazing.

more than that, i see what the mere mortal is not. here are men and women intent on winning, but never forgetting their team members or the talent of those around them. my father, an athlete himself, would always impress upon me the importance of good sportsmanship, the willingness to take what comes with dignity and pride. these people are the epitome of this view point for they've won just by being there.

in all honestly, why don't we just leave world matters to these god-like beings? to decide who gets more of a particular resource, the fastest athlete wins. to decide who wins a dispute, the most agile gymnast wins. the best part is that there are never any sore losers, never anyone grabbing for more, each happy with the work that he/she has done and what each has earned. no losers, no sad faces, no loss. sounds good to me.