So, I know this month’s Cosmo Says is fashionably late (blame it on a premature reaction to Tryptophan), but it’s here now. And you should be happy because not only was the December issue chock full of goodies, but now you have something to distract you while your little cousins run around your house screaming and you attempt to digest that 3lbs of stuffing you just inhaled.

There was an equally awesome/puzzling interview with Fergie (she looks great, poses in yoga moves and has dachshunds). The gift guide contained about 70% of my Christmas list (srsly, check out the Smashbox brushes on p. 100). There were tons of adorable mini skirts, and a ridiculous article where two guys keep diaries for 10 days about everything that goes through their minds. Spoiler alert: These guys think about sex a lot. These guys also happen to write exactly like Cosmo staffers. Hmm…

The crown jewel of the entire issue, though, had to be “Hidden Secrets His Hug Reveals.” Apparently, a hug can mean more than “not just a handshake, not quite a kiss.” Enjoy what Cosmo has to say about:

The Sneak Attack

Cosmo says: If he encircles you from behind, he’s totes “blanketing your body” with his love. Unless he does it all the time—then he’s too much of a pansy to hug you from the front.

Kari says: He better have highly recognizable cologne, because if an unknown dude suddenly wraps his arms around my chest, he’s getting a sample of that self-defense course my sorority held. Other than that, IDK about this “sense of oneness” that you’re going on about, Cosmo. I normally equate those three little words with meaningful eye contact and slow dancing non-ironically to “Forever young”…

The Rub

Cosmo Says: “You can’t see your back,” so rubbing it means he wants to nurture and protect you. Also, rubbing is sexual! So don’t be alarmed if he tries to get frisky. Or, he’s just doing it because he’s sad, can’t verbalize it, and wants you to rub his back (Awww).

Kari Says: Actually, I can see my back, thanks to strategically placed mirrors I use to straighten this one crazy piece of hair at the back of my head… Anyways, whenever I get a back rub, it’s usually because I explicitly asked for it, but my second assumption would definitely be horniness. And I’m not sure how to differentiate between the varieties of back rubbing (counterclockwise if he’s horny? Above the 5^th vertebrae if he’s nurturing), but for future reference, I’ll try to make sure he doesn’t look sad while he’s doing it.

The Pat

Cosmo Says: A) he’s not into you B) he’s mad at you or C) he’s encouraging you. Or maybe D) he just isn’t into PDA or E) he’s on his iPhone.

Kari Says: Thanks, Cosmo for narrowing that one down. If I was left to my own devices I probably would have thought for days about what his “pat” meant. In all seriousness though, the only semblance of rationality I can take away from this analysis is that if you don’t know him that well, pat = bad. If he’s your 5 star chick (or whatever the male equivalent of that is) pat = neutral…or ADD.

The Waist Wrap

Cosmo Says: No surprise here! Homeboy wants to knock boots. Pronto. Oh, and if he touches his forehead to yours, he wants to “merge his thoughts with yours.” Keeper!

Kari Says: If a guy casually hugs you around the waist (as most men do, considering they’re probably taller than you), count to ten before you whip out the condoms. If there is any hip gyration involved in the hug, then yes, Cosmo, you are right on track.

Alright ladies, what’s your fave hugging style? Do you think that guys go home after Beat the Clock and intently discuss their elbow placement during your embrace? Yea, me neither…

Sudah banyak ulasan saya mengenai bisnis MLM yang saya terbitkan diblog saya ini, tenyata hanya cacian yang di dapat…dan ada beberapa yang memberikan komen positif serta curhat dari mereka yang merasa tertipu…..mungkin blog saya ini boleh di bilang satu satunya blog yang berani mengupas habis bisnis MLM dan para pemainnya….tidak tanggung tanggung sangat mengena bagi beberapa pemain MLM (baca : MLM ers) yang bermain kotor dan jorok (jarang cuci tangan)….beragam curhat dan bukti yang saya temui di lapangan secara langsung sudah cukup bagi saya untuk memberanikan membuat blog ini.

Tak di sangka, begitu blog ini saya luncurkan…langsung menyontak beberapa MLM ers yang memang atau merasa tipu daya dan intrik intrik yang dilakukannya ketauan dan dibocorin di blog ini…

Begitulah orang INDON…kalau dibongkar dikit langsung maki maki…..kesimpulan saya adalah….kalau ada yang maki maki berarti dirinya nyadar atas perbuatan yang dilakukan selama ini memang salah dan penuh dosa…

Biasalah…maling teriak maling

Dan bahkan ada yang mengkomen : “kalau selain dari MLM memangnya situ mau kasih rekomen bisnis apa??”…………..

Come on guys…..pertanyaan goblok bin bodoh…..gunakan otak kalian untuk berpikir..gunakan otak kanan kalian jika mau bisnis..bisnis itu banyak jenisnya….dari yang modal kolor…sampai modal miliyaran…

Ada lagi yang memberikan komen : “memangnya situ ahli bisnis MLM ya, wah wah berarti sudah kaya donk?”……….

Saya hanya manusia biasa yang masih mencari duit halal da tidak membodoi dan menipu orang lain yang bermodal jas item, dasi minjem, dan sepatu kinclong…naik mobil mewah milik temen……

Saya hanya seseorang yang sehari hari naik motor dan kerja apa adanya….yang penting uang yang saya dapatkan halal dan berkah….serta satu hal…saya masih memiliki teman yang banyak…..

Kebanyakan MLM ers merasa di jauhi teman kosnya, teman sekampusnya, teman se-tongkrongannya, teman seperjuangan bahkan saudaranya…..betulkah demikian ??……saya langsung jawab IYA!!!!
Bukti ada pada kalian semua wahai MLM ers…..kalianlah yang merasakannya…bagaimana rasanya ditinggalin temen2 nya, bagaimana rasanya kalau nongkrong cuma nge-BULSHIT peringkat, bonus yang tak pasti, ngimpi yang gak jelas, antara ada dan tiada, antara realitas dan idealis mana yang kamu pilih???

Saya sudah merasakannya bung…..dan tidak mau saya ulangi lagi!!! SUMPAH!!!!

Bagi saya bisnis MLM itu hanyalah batu loncatan saja….inget hanya sebuah BATU saja untuk meloncat….banyak dilapangan saya temui para mantan MLM ers yang kerja sebagai agen di ASURANSI, BROKER, FRANCHISE, MBANGUN BISNIS SENDIRI, dsb……Ilmu yang di dapatkan di bisnis MLM lebih berharga ketimbang UANG dan DOSA yang di dapat…..

Banyak yang beranggapan bisnis MLM itu abadi…..betul, memang abadi kok…bisnisnya loh..bukan perusahaannya!!

Mau bukti ???

Coba tengok perusahaan FOREVER YOUNG yang bangkrut….bagaimana nasib MLM ersnya??? Yang kata kalian mereka narh harapan pasti pada bisnis MLM….Mana???? padahal usianya sudah 13 tahunan….

Trus bagaimana dengan LEADERNYA???….gampanglah, tinggal ganti baju ke MLM lain yang sudah di set sejak awal…..dan NANGKRING di puncak lagi….enak kan?? Lah trus kalian ini bagaiman? Yah ngeset dari awal lagi, prospek lagi dan kalau perlu nge-BULSHIT lagi lah…ka sudah pada jago

Kalau saya bongkar seperti ini gak usahlah njerat njerit seperti anak kecil yang kejepit pintu…..instropeksi sajalah…apakah memang begitu kelakuan kalian?, apakah memang begitu cara berbisnis MLM yang baik dan bener?……ya kan…itu saja..

Gak usah pakai sumpah serapah….kalau saya ini orang gagal di MLM atau saya ini dibayar perusahaan MLM tertentu…saya memang gagal di bisnis MLM tapi saya tidak gagal dalam mengaplikasikan ilmu MLM yang saya ambil ke dalam bisnis saya sendiri…GAGAL dari segi mana yang kalian maksudkan???

MLMers berkoar koar kalau orang gagal di bisnis MLM itu disebabkan kurang IMPIAN, KUTU LONCAT, TIDAK SERIUS, TIDAK COCOK, NYAri BONUS YANG LEBIH GEDE, dsb…..memang ada sebagian yang bener….bahwa bisnis MLM tidak selamanya cocok bagi orang lain…….sebab bisnis ini adalah COCOK COCOK AN

Bagi saya tidak ada istilah GAGAL di bisnis MLM..karena bisnis MLM hanyalah SEBUAH BATU loncatan bagi siapa saja yang hendak memiliki atau membangun BISNIS-nya sendiri dengan ILMU MLM yang dia dapatkan kelak……

An Open Letter to Cyrus Irani, the TEDx Vancouver organizing team and everyone who has raised concerns about the event,

Welcome to a crash course in the difficulties of shaping and guiding something that belongs to the Public Trust!

That people feel passionately about the TED Lectures is beyond question.  The organizing team are passionate enough about it that they’ve dedicated their time and energy to making it happen. The people who have made their thoughts known since the event was announced many months ago – who put their ideas forward to speak at the event, who applied to attend and, perhaps especially, those who have turned up the volume across the social media channels over the past day – are just as passionate about what TED means to them.

It’s been a fascinating conversation to watch, a very public conversation and I’ve tried to bite my tongue on it but I just can’t do it.  There’s a few things that I am feeling compelled to say.

But first an admission: I will be attending TEDxVancouver.  I will be listening and speaking to people at the event that day with an open mind.  It’s about respect.  Make no mistake, I am honoured to be a part of the first TED event in Vancouver.

My expectation is that the presenters at TEDxVancouver will deliver an amazing, inspirational and life-affirming day and that optimism and a renewed commitment to action will reign.

But that doesn’t mean that I am exactly enthralled by how the organizers have handled things or that I’m 100% in agreement with what the dissenting voices are saying.

For those of you coming a late to the party, a little background.

TEDx Vancouver was announced some time during the early summer, I believe, and during those early months people could apply to present a lecture.  I applied to present but was not chosen.

Then the organizing team opened the registration for attendees.  I applied to attend (I know how ridiculous that sounds and I will leave it to others to pick this aspect of the whole thing apart and offer creative solutions) and was accepted.

I printed my evite when it arrived and happily waited for the event.

Then yesterday the TEDx Vancouver organizers announced the line-up of speakers and the shit hit the proverbial fan.

Twitter and Facebook lit up with links, opinions and commentary like your drunk uncle had just found a secret stash of roman candles in the attic.

People were outraged that only 1 of the 11 speakers chosen to present that day is a woman.  There were questions about the racial mix of the speakers’ panel and the intellectual pedigree of some of the speakers.

People wanted to know: is Vancouver really best represented by video game designers, television personalities, film makers, web strategists, environmental entrepreneurs and Terry McBride?  (Does any Vancouverite really want an honest answer to that question?)

Was the agenda of the organizing team too narrow in its scope?  Did the organizing team bother to look any further than the corporate rolodex at the EA headquarters where the event is being held?

Some people weren’t ‘feeling’ the vision.  They weren’t sure that venture capitalism, advertising and cinematic special effects were the stuff of ‘inspirational genius.’

The voices that were speaking out wanted something.  And they were passionate about it, but what did they want?

They wanted to be heard.  They wanted to feel like they were a part of TEDxVancouver even if they weren’t going to attend the actual day.

I’m not sure that their outrage really had too much to do with the speakers on the panel.  I think that it’s actually more about how the organizing committee communicated their vision for TEDxVancouver to the public over time, and how they handled the backlash when it happened.

The best expression of how people felt was written by Stephanie Vacher in this post that appeared shortly after the news broke.

A very eloquent and thoughtful letter.

Those are not the terms that I would use to characterize TEDxVancouver’s response posted on their site the next day.

Their letter, in my opinion, sucks.  It’s appallingly generic and does little more than gloss over the concerns expressed by Stephanie and others.  It reads like a form letter from Telus and I think it exposes the true root of the problem.

The Root of the Problem: a perceived lack of accountability/communication on the part of the organizing committee for 2 things that people feel very strongly about: a very personal vision of what the City of Vancouver represents to them and the founding ideals of the TED brand. Then mix in a sensitivity to how the rest of the world perceives Vancouver and its relationship to the TED brand.

Especially in this city of boundless interconnection and frenetic, highly-caffeinated intellectual and artistic energy you’ve got to meet people on their turf and share the info.

It is better to have transparent processes and more open public communication when handling things that are so connected to people’s aspirations and sense of place.

To me, that is what we have learned over the past 36 hours.

I think that Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD said it best in his response to the letter posted online:

There is one point that I think is far from obvious and that I want to address in print. TED’s success in promoting “ideas worth spreading” hinges on successfully exploiting the scalability properties of information flow in a networked society. In other words, for TED to succeed, the videos and talks need to go viral and have the broadest reach in the shortest amount of time. Best medium to accomplish that? The online world.

And the online world favors transparency and accountability.

]]> http://crazyinagoodway.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/ung/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:26:26 +0000 crazyinagoodway http://crazyinagoodway.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/ung/

I alphavilles forever young har jag har alltid trott att de sjunger ” Can you imagine when this face is one ” men jag har inte riktigt förstått vad det har med att forever young att göra. borde ju vara tvärtom att när man har barn är man inte längre ung.
i alla fall nu när jag läste texten stod det att de sjunger “can you imagine when the race is won” inte riktigt samma sak. Egentligen lyssnar jag på axel rudi pells cover av forever young. tycker den är bättre, men eftersom den är mest känd genom alphaville och för att de har gjort den skriver jag de.

i alla fall tänker jag ha kvar tanken om can you imagine when this face is one. av någon underlig anledning har jag tänkt can you imagine when this faces are one det är ganska fint egentligen. med risk för att bli läskigt djup och känslosam. men när jag börjar se människor jag vuxit upp med få barn börjar jag tänka i de banorna. tänk att ha ett barn. att se sig själv och den man älskar mest av alla i samma människa. i sitt och dennes barn. jag vet inte men det måste vara en märklig men härlig känsla. jag tror det är en annan dimension av kärlek som jag hoppas att jag får uppleva. stop.

påtal om forever young är det en sak jag tänkt på. tänk er kändisar som dött relativt unga. ja det finns flera men för att nämna någon så elvis. de flesta var ju påväg mot fördärv och ja på dekis kan man säga. kanske var det bästa som kunde hända de att de dog unga. förlåt det låter hemskt. men då blir de ihågkommna för det bra de gjorde. Som en vacker bild för eftervärlden. elvis var väl vad jag förstått mycket nära att gå ner sig ännu mer. skulle han idag varit en 200 kilosman som gör tafattiga comebackförsök. för att nämna några mer som eftervärlden minns och troligen vill minnas som unga och vackra. james dean, kurt cobain, jimi hendrix, heath ledger, åh.. han som jag skulle gifta mig med.

Om jag vore ta för exempel ozzy osbourne. kanske jag hellre hade varit ihågkommen som en av de grymmaste artisterna genom tiderna istället för en sönderknarkad rockgubbe. för han gör riktigt bra musik den mannen. sen resten kan vi diskutera. att han har jobbat med så bra artister också kan vara en del. två helt grymma gitarrister. toni iommi och zakk wylde. I LOVE. iommi har något magiskt. och wylde han något sound som bara han kan. få människor får mig helt stum när de får tag i en gitarr. de är wylde och iommi, erik och mamma. de är de som fått mig helt tyst. lyssna på iommis orchid så förstår du. jag får samma känsla av lugn och trygghet som när mamma spelade för mig när jag var liten som när jag hör de och när jag träffa han med stort h.

men nu åter till forever young. jag tänker lite som lenny i ace of spades. I don’t wanna live forever han har förövrigt bra texter.

imorgon ska jag lära mig att skriva lagom långa inlägg.

look, i have real friendsies!

where's tom hanks?

is that...walter matthau?!

paging dr. freud!

forever jung.

it's all about the benjamins

Hello gorgeous people! Most of you are reading this on Wednesday, November 18, also known as my birthday. Twenty-one has been so good to me that I refuse to leave it. Therefore, I deem age 22 to be 21, part two. I hope you understand.

Also, as you’re reading this on a fine Wednesday, I’m probably working out, reading or writing. Most importantly, I’m eating foods I love and spending time with people I love.

Alas, I am writing this Tuesday night after having finished a day of nothing too spectacular. Wait. I take that back. It’s been lovely, but it hasn’t been as lavish as birthday weeks should be.

Instead of sleeping till noon, I awoke at 7:45am. My mind has been so busy with thoughts of moving to NYC on Saturday that it can’t turn off. Poor thing. I treated my mind, body and soul well with a toasty breakfast:

Snowman ain't goin' nowhere.

In the bowl: 1/3 C oat bran, 1+1/3 C water, 1/3 C So Delicious coco milk, 1/2 naner, cinnamon, sugar-free maple sizzurp and sunbutter. The sunbutter was gasmic:

Sunbutter and maple got. it. on.

When I say I fed my soul, what I really mean is that I watched three episodes of Sex and the City. Yeah, sometimes I’m not that deep.

I galloped to the gym at 10am-ish for another sweatfest. The elliptical treated me well today and I had sweat trickling down the area where cleavage should be. This was followed by 20 minutes working my phenomenally strong arms on weight machines. By the end of this, my bod was dripping with as much sweat as this post is with sarcasm.

At noon my fellow students and I met with our business magazine professor for lunch. She is the sweetest woman in the world (she also has a bossy sense of humor–thank goodness she’s my advisor) and treated us all. We dined at Salaam, a fabulous Mediterranean restaurant. The decor looks a little like this:

Dark, moody, drapey.

And a little like zeese:

More drapey.

I did what any good SnackFace would do and ordered hummus with flatbread:

Best flatbread ever.

And like other healthy food bloggers, I practiced this odd thing called “portion control” and ate only half of what you see here. Oh wait. No I didn’t. I owned 95% of it. How could I not when it’s this luscious:

Multiple gasms.

As long as I have hummus and food to dip into it, I’m cool, but I thought some greenage would help balance things:

Romaine with candied nuts (the best kind, muhaha), orange segments and vinagrette on the side.

We all had a lovely time talking about our dream cities in which to work and what we’ll be doing with our winter breaks. No one wanted to leave to return to a day of studying.

But walk home I did, where I finally showered my stank ass. Once dressed, I spent an hour going through emails and tending to blog work. To further avoid studying or writing, I took a picture of my non-outfit:

Sex pot. Tee, jeans, Sperry moccasin slippers, no makeup, no hair did.

Vitaminwater peeps sent me a tee, which I clearly took straight out of the envelope and placed directly over my clean torso. Such a class act. At least I kept my tots out of this logo shot:

If by "it works" they mean "will make you addicted," then sure!

Somewhere between putting my laundry in the washer and moving it to the dryer, I got started on brainstorming for my English final paper.

At 4:40pm I recall eating an apple and drinking a diet soda, and then some dryer action happened and then some more snackage took place:

Distraction snack. Had maybe a serving? No idea. Also, why the hell did I pick up the reduced fat Triscuits? Like that even matters? Sweet yay-zeus.

That would be the Fitnessista in the background. Honestly, all I can think about is New York at this point. I’m screwed for finals.

I’m almost positive some writing started to happen after this. Or maybe I was just Gchatting? Either way, I had these beauts for dinner, part one:

Cheetahs and nips. Ketchup obviously needed its own plate.

I threw a turnip onto the baking sheet for fun. They are so delicious! They have the sweetness of carrots, but the texture of a potato. Check it:

Close-up of the nip. The skin separates from the starchy innards--jadore.

Belly semi-full, I was prepared to focus. I wrote a 5-page paper in 90 minutes. I wasn’t messing around, homes! Naturally, I was ready for dinner, part two afterward:

Mixing-bowl salad. Uber green.

In the mix: greens, green beans, cucumber, mushrooms, pickle, leftover sketti squash, waxy peanuts and a homemade dressing of sugar-free maple, mustard, Frankie and balsamic. Just put sugar (real or pretend) on it and I’ll eat it. Truth.

This was not enough, however, and I had some plain shredded wheat with carob chiplettes. I may never leave the
bathroom on my b-day.

I’m off to continue studying… and being forever young!

Ciao for now,

Kailey/ Birthday Girl

QUESTION: What are your favorite things to do on your birthday? If it’s rated-X, please keep it to yourself.

I finished the architecture major as early as I possibly could so I could have a semester like the one I’ve been having. So I could have this semester.

I have visited LA twice in one month and have seen my best friend back home on both occasions. The first was to watch the UCLA vs. Cal game in which we won and everything was awesome. The second time was for my friend Pete’s birthday, in which we drove down to LA to attend HARD Haunted Mansion and to have the best weekend of our lives. I’m terribly in love with my lifestyle right now, I think it’s actually unhealthy.

I just, really wanted to upload photos of the weekend in question, because dammit, it was amazing.

All in all, it was amazing. And I loved every single moment of it.

Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?

30-something year old white guy from the UK spits out love songs like it’s a disease and hooks up with Mr. West for his first US release entitled Straight No Chaser. Mr. Hudson is definitely my favorite find from 2009.  You can tell his music has evolved genuinely from his first LP to the new one.  In the song “Knew We Were Trouble” he says, ” I’m just a boy from Birmingham, another imposter on a major label roster. How did I get here? No fear.” He knows who he is and he’s just living his dream. That’s what I like most about Mr. Hudson.  Plus he produced and featured on one of Jay’s best songs off of BP3, Forever Young. Did I forget to mention he has impeccable style? Check out his personal page HERE. Watch the video below of my favorite song off the new LP, Instant Messenger.

Contrairement à ce que subodorait Libération du 6 novembre 2009, aucune des guest stars présentes sur l’album New Yorker (incroyablement au top des votes d’albums en France) de reprises de Bob Dylan n’est venu accompagner Hugues Aufray sur la scène du Grand Rex hier 7 novembre.

Le pionnier du folk n’en a pas moins réussi un concert plein de vigueur malgré ses 80 ans. Un savant mélange de chansons de Bob Dylan (dont un remarquable Cauchemar psychomoteur, à mon humble avis meilleur que l’original) et de vieux classiques comme Dès que le printemps revient ou l’inévitable Céline. En final, Stewball et Santiano, pour lequel le public un peu apathique se lève enfin, avant une très belle chanson (dont je n’ai pas noté le titre) de son avant-dernier album.

En résumé, un excellent concert porté par d’excellents musiciens et la bonne humeur communicative d’Hugues Aufray !

Hugues Aufray nous a montré qu’il est Jeune pour toujours, titre de sa remarquable adaptation de Forever Young de Bob Dylan, qu’il interprète en duo avec Johnnny Hallyday sur l’album New Yorker.

Et vous qu’en pensez-vous ? Hugues Aufray est-il un boy-scout sur lle retour qui n’a pas sa place sur un blog Bruce Springsteen ? Ou est-il un précurseur ? Vos avis sont les bienvenus !

Shot at the Alexandra Palace, London.

forever young, just forever!

Last night a few other leaders and I took a pack of kids from our youth to go see Hillsong United’s “The I-Heart Film,” which was a one-time event, broadcast via satellite from Australia to North America. Since we have youth group every Wednesday night, we couldn’t take everyone (potentially 200 kids), so we made it optional for whoever wanted to come along. If you’re a follower of Christ and don’t know what this film is, first, emerge from the cave in which you dwell (take no offense, I’m kidding, sort of), then do a Google search with terms like “The I-Heart Revolution” or “we’re all in this together” and read up on this movement. Or just go to I-Heart.org and get involved.

I could talk all about the injustices and horrible atrocities that we were made privy to through this film, but I won’t. I could talk about how I have been given a kick in the butt to start reaching out to the people around me, but I won’t. I could talk about a lot of the things this film was mostly intended to get us talking and thinking about, but I won’t… because there’s other bloggers that are probably doing the job better than I can. And to be honest, I’ve heard it all before. Don’t get me wrong, I mean that in the most positive way because we need to keep hearing it. We are a desensitized people living in our affluent Western bubble. What was different about this film compared to the way we’ve heard it before was the delivery. It wasn’t an old guy holding a hungry and dirty child in his arms asking for $.04 a day (which nonetheless is still somewhat effective on me), it was a broad reawakening to the condition of the “have-not’s” and a call to action for us “have’s.” It was an empowering message to us that, for example, leaving ten minutes early for work and chilling for a bit with the homeless guy that sits outside of your office can actually put a dent in this pandemic of loneliness that knows no cultural or socioeconomic boundaries. Like they said in the film, “it’s happening on your doorstep if you want to look for it.”

But I said I wasn’t going to talk about all of that “help the poor” stuff. One of many things that really stuck with me about this film was what I believe Jadwin Gillies (can you find a more Australian name?) said, “…a lot of people look at us as the future, but I think we need to see that we are the present as well.” Cliché? Maybe. True and pertinent? Yes.

Joel Houston, who co-wrote the film, did a wonderful job throughout to point out various stories of people in every part of history who took initiative and had a serious impact on the world. The trend in each of these stories was that these “game changers” were all young men and women/teenagers/20-somethings. In every generation, it’s primarily young people who stand up and challenge the status quo. Why do you think it’s so popular for the youth of today to take a liberal political stance as opposed to a conservative one? It’s not just Viacom’s subliminal influence through MTV to push the left wing agenda on teenagers (conspiracy!), it’s simply in our nature to think forward and progressively, and to not “conserve” the ways of our fathers, but to rethink them. (I am not advocating any political view.) This is especially true in this “your-MacBook-Pro-is-outdated-three-weeks-after-you-buy-it” society.

It’s funny because probably every tired and worn out status quo was once a progressive idea that was pioneered by some group of young people. Then that same group of young people grow old and hang on to their once progressive ways until another group of young people come along and challenge that status quo. It’s a beautiful cycle. It’s a natural cycle. We need not fight it, or we will suffer the consequences of division and generational gaps. Do us youngsters need guidance and wisdom? Absolutely. Do we have it all figured out? Not a chance. But we are free, full of energy, and ready to conquer the world. So why not harness this fervor and zeal, rather than reject it? Harness it, and watch your local church body revitalize with a passion for God and a heart for the lost. Reject it, and your local body will likely die in its ways. Every time I turn around, I hear about another traditional church in New England closing its doors. Our generation is no longer concerned with religious ceremonies, pretty buildings, stained glass windows, and the like. We want to see church as it relates to those who are not yet part of it, not how it relates to those who are “preferred customers.”

And finally, let me throw some scripture out there. I think Ezra 3 captures this concept well. The Jews had returned from Babylonian captivity and had begun laying the foundation for the new temple. To make a long story short, some of these Jews were old enough to remember Solomon’s temple, yet some of them only knew a life of worship without one. As construction commenced, there were mixed emotions: shouts of joy from the young who were grateful to have a temple at all, yet weeping from the older priests and family heads. There are two explanations for the weeping. One says that these older folks were letting out cries of joy. The other explanation says they were weeping because this new temple wasn’t nearly as elaborate and extravagant as the last one, so they let out cries of nostalgia for the “good ol’ days.”

Maybe there’s a reason theologians can’t decide on why they were weeping. Maybe it’s because we are supposed to make a choice between the two. I have seen the glorious unity that takes place when generational gaps close as those who have gone before us come to our side and let out cries of joy as the old passes and the new rises up. Yet too often in church our fathers and grandfathers fall into the latter category, holding tightly to the way things used to be, letting their cries of nostalgia taint and discourage the young cries of joy. It’s important that we keep a healthy balance of praise between where your local church has come from and where it’s headed.

I often joke with my buddies that we’ll never turn out to be petulant old men with no tolerance for the youngins, but we don’t know that. It’s just too easy to settle down into our ways. I see Ezra 3 as a challenge to stay forever young, as Bob Dylan sang. Some seek perpetual youth with Botox and Acai berry extract concoctions, but as a friend once Tweeted, “Old or young isn’t about age. If you find your excitement in the future, you’re young. If you find it in the past, you’re old.”

When I’m all ripe and grown up, I want to put my hand on some stupid punk-kid’s shoulder and weep for joy as we peer into the metaphorical sunset and look to the days to come. After all, We’re All In This Together, and that stupid punk-kid could be the next Martin Luther for all we know.

Mr. Hudson- White Lies

Mr. Hudson Fea. Kanye West- Anyone But Him

“Incase You Dont Know Mr. Hudson is one of the new artist on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music Label. Mr. Hudson appears on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 Album song Forever Young which they will be shooting a video for in London. Check out his mixtape Straight No Chaser out now!”

Have You Seen Grey’s Anatomy: Season 4 Episode 8 – Forever Young?

Episode Synopsis:

Bailey crosses the line when the guy she had a crush on in high school shows up in the ER during an onslaught of high school students involved in a bus crash. The Grey sisters run and hide when their father shows up drunk, while Derek tries to get back into the dating scene with another doctor and Cristina tries her best to get back into Hahn’s good graces.

So what do you think of this episode?

If you missed it, you can watch it here.

my boys

Listening to Blink always makes me procrastinate because I always stop whatever I’m doing to lay down and listen. Really listen and soak in the feeling that they give me. Whenever their music is playing, I am attentive and paying attention to all of the words and riffs and beats even though I’ve heard them a thousand times. I tend to fill up with happiness and contentment when spinning some of their stuff, but sometimes, I get hit with an unexpected burst of sentiment and longing. I don’t even know what I want, but usually it works to play the song or album again, just so I can experience that feeling.

DAMN GIRL

November 23rd is only 30 days away!

Esta es una cancion, que ultimamente la he escuchado muchas veces, y es un buen dueto de Jay Z con Mr Hudson y habla que uno de ellos quiere ser por siempre ser joven, por siempre vivir y estar aqui. Espero que les guste porque para mi es una de mis favoritas canciones.

FOREVER YOUNG – Jay Z feat Mr Hudson

Lets dance in style, lets dance for a while
Heaven can wait were only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?

Let us die young or let us live forever
We dont have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The musics for the sad men

Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders were getting in tune
The musics played by the madmen

Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever

Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why dont they stay young

Its so hard to get old without a cause
I dont want to perish like a fading horse
Youth is like diamonds in the sun
And dimonds are foreverSo many adventures couldnt happen today
So many songs we forgot to play
So many dreams are swinging out of the blue
We let them come true

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTdFqNrwgEU

Say Hello To A Forever Young You

As you grow older, your priorities become redirected. Before, the greatest problem you could possibly have is what to wear on your school/office wash day. Fast forward, the hurdle you’re facing is a 2-year old child. Fast forward again, you look in the mirror and realize that all those worrying and problematizing finally took their toll on your skin.

It’s about time that you know yourself more and pay less attention to your outside appearance. After all, what really matters is how you feel inside. A rich man can feel that he still needs to get richer; so in principle, he is not rich at all. However, a poor man can be more contented than a millionaire and at the end of the day, the poor man becomes happier. Lets’ cruise through what keeps one young by not applying a wonder cream or doing a wonder work-out.

MEDITATE

The day-in, day-out stress will make you feel like slipping away from the things which used to make you happy and things which used to make you feel like a child again. Rekindle these good memories by meditating at least ten minutes a day. Take some time to detach yourself from the world and think. You don’t need to philosophize deeply or to draft your next blog entry. Just enjoy some silence and a piece of world peace.

Choose a ten- to fifteen-minute break in your day. Just a short while. You have twenty four hours a day. Surely you can find or MAKE time for some productive self-healing.

KEEP A DIARY

A diary is a very important tool for a writer. However, even if you’e not a writer or even if you are not a grammar expert, it is also advisable to keep a diary. A diary is an outlet. It is a friend which will listen, will not judge and handy also. A diary is a tool of letting-go of the bad things that have happened to you which pull you back from moving forward.

You need to pass on some of your worries somewhere so you can focus to more important things like the relationships around you and the smallest get-happy detail of your everyday life. Keeping a diary also is like keeping a record of your psychological states. There are people who freak out when they realize that they’re starting to age and surely you don’t want to be one of them.

Don’t look at it as a task. Just write whenever you want to. Even in the middle of the night. Isn’t it just neat that someone will listen to every detail of your nightmare and not brand you a lunatic?

HAVE A DATE WITH YOURSELF

The most important person in your life should still be yourself EVEN IF you have aged. Remember when you were younger, when all you wanted was the latest gadget and the, in pair of jeans? That’s exactly how you should still feel, albeit being more mature. Try not going into the selfish path; that’s too much.

Watch a movie alone; save yourself from the pains of having to explain to someone how the plot should have gone. Devour your favorite cake alone, go shoe-shopping alone, brim in front of the mirror and say I’m the king/queen of the world! Err, please remember to do the last thing alone too. Please. It’s for your own good.

When you were young, it was all about you. Now that you’re older, let it still be all about you. The secret to staying young is all in the mind. You don’t even need to get out of your home right? There’s no use studying what certain chemicals can do to save your skin while not learning to know, love and embrace yourself. You’re beautiful, be the real self.

This is my birthday song haha.  It’s been stuck in my head ever since going out Monday night, and it’s on the new Jay-Z Blueprint 3 album.

It’s definitely fitting for today.  I just want to be forever young.