Memorial Day

Today is a day to reflect on our loved one's, especially the ones we have lost. We look back on the times we shared with them and reminisce fond memories. We hold them in our hearts and carry thoughts of them and thank them for the footprint they left on our hearts. This is a toast to the lost one's and to the precious sacrifices our service members make. God bless them all!

Tornaders!!!

Ok so maybe the apocalypse a day or two or not! The weather lately has been absolutely insane with the tornadoes and microbursts going on. The devastation in Joplin has touched th hearts of many Americans and especially us in the Heartland. Days later Kansas City experienced avery bizarre weather pattern with rotating clouds and small funnel clouds throughout the metro. I believe we lucked on the damage that could have been done...it would only take the right rotation and land mass to develop a massive tornado that would wreak havoc on us. As sick as it may seem it was actually pretty cool to see how the weather developed and how dark the city got. Maybe just some sort of an adrenaline rush. Be safe y'all!

Hip Hop

There's something about hip hop that I just love. I'm not talking about todays "hip-pop." Todays stuff is weak compared to what it used to be. I like the old school sound of Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, Afrikka Bambattaa, and Fab Five Freddie. This is when hip hop began to solidify itself as a genre and culture. The lyrics were fun and frivolous yet gave a voice to the inner city. It was an escape of daily pressures through powerful emotion recollected in tranquility. The beats and sounds weren't just toe tappers , they made you want to get up and move! Motion created the emotion and the music got into your soul, you felt what the emcee was saying. This is a time when pictures were painted with words while the drum line and record scratching kept the flow of the energy. This is when hip hop had a voice! Now all you see is an image of glitz and glamour, no soul and no flavor. Sure there is talent and good songs but Hip Hop as a genre is dead! If you ever want to check out track with hip hop at its finest click on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w8-lXBtJlk

End of the World

Well I have been up for twenty one hours anticipating some type of cataclysmic event however I have been disappointed so far. According to some nut job today is the last day for all of us on earth as fire will fall from the heavens and the earth will begin to shake as the tumultuous rapture unfolds. Still waiting!!! Anyway, I began to give a bit of thought to "what if today were the last day?" How would I spend it? What would I do? Who would I call or go see? All kinds of things began running through my mind. First I would wake up next to a lovely woman I have had the blessing of being with for the last several years and make her breakfast, light delicacy many of us enjoy called a parfait. I would enjoy the entire morning with just her and I not saying many words but staring into each others hearts and soul. As the day continues she would go her way and I would go mine to see my family; mom, dad, my sisters, and my beautiful god-children. I would tell each of them how much they mean to me and that having them has made life seem a whole lot easier. I would kiss each of them goodbye with a firm hug for one last time. I would then meet my buddies for a beer and a cigar we would tell jokes, make fun of each other, laugh uncontrollably and toast to one hell of a ride together...I would also kiss and hug them, their my brothers!!! As the rapture begins to unfold I find myself racing to find my lovely woman, hurrying back to the spot we met as kids, our elementary school playground. I finally arrive and their she is sitting at the swings in a beautiful long white gown with her hair up...just how I like. I run directly for her touch to feel her warm embrace and hug her tighter than I ever have. We fall to the ground holding each other whispering quiet I love you's. We lay on the grass feeling the gentle wind blow without anticipation or agenda. The moment is timeless as we go the exact same way we found each other...in love.

Prayer

I was at lunch today with me lady and I happened to look to my left and saw a man praying at a table. He was quick to open his eyes and look directly at me. "I like to pray, not only for myself but for you and your wife as well. I love praying for people." The man said these words with the most joyous and infectious smile I have seen from stranger in long time. It takes a lot for some people to pray but this man took the time before his meal to pray the others around him. I told the man "we need more people like you." We went about our meals but I could feel the warmth of his prayers throughout our lunch. I'm not the most religious man in the world but I do believe in God and the power of prayer and believing. It reminded me that I should pray for others more than I pray for myself, its a very selfless type of love.

Annoying Neighbor

Not too much to say lately except the fact of my ridiculously annoying neighbor has gotten out of control! I've been living with my main squeeze for quite some time now and things are really going good however we have never experienced living in quarters bigger than a large room...a house is certainly in our future. But for right now the neighbor below us has three dogs in a studio apartment and has an incredibly annoying infatuation with slamming doors and talking on the phone through a loud speaker. My girlfriend lost her cool and ran downstairs knocked on her door and asked to be quiet. Soon after that request the noises got louder and louder so I finally had it! I immediately jumped off the couch and started jumping up and down like a crazy man screaming obscenities I have never heard of...it was frightening but now that I look back its more funny than scary. Anyways the neighbor got upset as well and reached for something ceilings-length and started pounding on our floor/her ceiling. Silence deafened the room and peace and quiet was awarded from then on. However, I am sure the battle for silence will continue, I'll keep ya posted!

The Art of Selling Toilet Paper

Who would have thought that I would be a professional toilet paper salesman? Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would grow up and be selling a necessary commodity that is pretty much recession proof. Indeed it is not a flashy career however it is quite a lucrative one depending how hard you are willing to work (as is any career). Of course toilet tissue is no the only commodity we sell! Aftyer someone uses TP they will need soap for the soil on their hands and paper towels to dry their hands afterwards, perhaps some sanitizer just for good measure. Toilet paper is what it is and by no means do customers care what kind of ply it may be. All they are concerned with is th cost, so what we do is make a small profit margin on the product by selling low and with the other commodities such as soap and paper towels try and sell ata margin of 30% or higher. Soap and paper towels areas where customers are willing to pay more for the cost effective solutions. Such as automatic dispensing units to curb over consumption and waste. Here is where a premium quality system is desired to show savings over a long term investment. So ineveitably selling toilet paper is not so glamorous however it is a business that thrives during tough economic times and takes good skill in the art of selling...as any product would.

Music

Something about music reflects our thinking, our moods, our behaviors, and our fears. Whether the topic be love, sorrow, happiness, and joy, music has a tendency to make us feel what we are truly feeling or experiencing at the moment. It guides us through the tough times and helps us appreciate how beautiful the good times are. It does not discriminate nor violate one's thinking however extracts the emotions of one's thinking, without music how would be able to relate to a notion, belief, or feeling. It is through this wonder and gift we can allow ourselves to experience desire and passion. Inside of us are vast amounts of energy that can be utilized to get us where we want to be and feel...music is the portal to that very level of individuality. It is my own very experience that music has guided me through a journey of courage, heart, failure, victory, fear, and discovery. Through it all music has helped me feel every emotion and experience every weakness and strength I have. Music is our souls lifeline