Criminal Minds – Matthew.  Gray.  Gubler.  That is all.  I’m actually very sad of the news that Garcia and J.J. may not be returning due to salary squabbles.  I hope they get that stuff worked out.  Penelope is my girl!
SVU – While Criminal Minds is better, SVU is still pretty good.  Mom introduced me to it, indirectly, when she started DVR-ing the new episodes.  To be honest, I’ve seen every episode of Criminal Minds, so much so, that Tom and I play a “which episode is this” game when he watches reruns on ION.  SVU is a new thing for me, and even the reruns are fresh for me because I’ve never seen them before.
The Real World:  New Orleans – Julie, Melissa, Kelly, Matt, Danny, David and Jamie.  My favorite season of this show, and the only one I watched all the way through.  In fact, the summer after it aired, my stepdad took Nicole and I to see the Belfort Mansion, and we took pictures in front of it.  I badly want it on DVD, but I cannot find it anywhere.
The Big Bang Theory – I’m certainly not alone here.  I LOVE this show.  I think we all have a friend like Sheldon Cooper.  Well, either that or you ARE Sheldon Cooper.  I have seasons 1-5 on DVD (thank you Black Friday Target deal), and keep up with the new episodes, too.
Whose Line is it Anyway? – No longer filming new shows, but improve is something I’ve been fond of since my theater days in high school.  Ryan, Colin, Wayne…I watch reruns and old segments on Youtube and I still laugh.
Dawson’s Creek – What kind of girly girl would I be if I didn’t mention a fond teenage soap opera?  I spent a summer in Louisiana with my grandfather and watched the series premier with my aunt, and I have been hooked ever since.  If you haven’t seen this show, you can search “Dawson’s Creek full episodes” on Youtube and watch them, commercial free!
Master Chef, Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen – Gordon Ramsay is a culinary genius who screams and yells to show his passion for food and t.v.  I love all of these shows in equal measure, though it is often more convenient to watch Kitchen Nightmares on Friday nights, or reruns on Saturday BBC daytime television.
Ellen DeGeneres – I don’t care what your opinions are about her personal life choices, this woman is a funny, good-hearted, charitable human being, who plays the best practical jokes and tells the best stories.
Jersey Shore – A guilty pleasure.  At a previous job, my friend, Heather, and I, dressed up as Snooki and J-Wow, respectively, for Halloween.  Don’t you love how stupid people make money off of us, just because they’re SO stupid, that it’s entertaining?  Fist pump.
Jon and Kate Plus 8 – Notice I didn’t say Kate Plus 8.  I only like the pre-drama episodes that include Jon…the ones where the kids weren’t total brats.  Pre-plastic surgery Kate, and tiny sextuplets.  Netflix purchased this show a while ago.
Teen Mom – The ORIGINAL.  Amber, Maci, Farrah, Catelynn.  Tom and I tuned in every Tuesday at 10 for this show.  “Oh mah Gawd, Sowffeeah.”  Another guilty pleasure.
Chopped – A Food Network show.  Four chefs compete for $10,000 by opening a box of mystery ingredients and using all of them to make one dish for a panel of judges to critique.  The ingredients never go together, and that’s the point.  One chef is eliminated per round until a champion is named.  *Note:  Every once in a while, they’ll run a “Chopped All-Stars” series, where Food Network chefs compete for $10,000 for the charity of the chef’s choice.  These are the best Chopped episodes.
Frontier House – This was a 2000 PBS reality special.  Three families “travel back in time” to the 1880s to see if they can survive without electricity or grocery stores or running water, and live on limited resources (off of the land).  I love the drama this show portrays, and I try to keep up with the families that were on the show thirteen years ago.  Connor, who was recently outed as being gay, wins the prize for the best reality show quote ever.  “I was attacked by a vicious dog.  I lost my worm without even having a bite.  You call that fun??”
Swamp People – My baby sister, Madeline, got me hooked (no pun intended) on this show.  I never liked it before, because I thought it made Louisiana look bad.  Then I realized, yes, it does, but these people, once again, are making their MONEY off of us!  Who’s the bitch now?!
America’s Funniest Videos – Tom picks on me for liking this one.  I have a sick sense of humor.  Watching people fall, or run into things, or get hit in the balls, or get stuck in a Cozy Coupe, or a tire.  Sick practical jokes, animal tricks, kids’ smart mouths…all can be seen here.  It’s fabulous.

I encourage all of my readers to view these shows for themselves.  They’re great.

One of my sisters is getting married tomorrow so I probably won’t blog again until Monday, BUT, it’ll be a good one, so watch closely!  Have a good weekend!

I like this more for the perfect wording.

Yes!

I rate we need to be a generation that aims to expand its vocabulary, a generation that strives for eloquence and excellence. We need to refrain from using words like ‘very’ and ‘nice’ and replace them with words like ‘extremely’ and ‘superb’ or whatever the case may be. We need to stop limiting ourselves. We need to aim for greatness, and what better way than to start by being great speakers and writers?

Go on, feed your mind.

A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another, the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden.

~ Buddha

Konsepsi merdeka menurut KHD ini menekankan adanya tujuan untuk menghasilkan peserta didik yang berkepribadian merdeka, sehat fisik, bermental, cerdas, menjadi anggota masyarakat yang berguna, dan bertanggungjawab atas kebahagiaan dirinya serta kesejahteraan orang lain. Beberapa penjabaran nilai-nilai diatas jika diakumulasikan dalam satu kalimat menurut KHD adalah cipta, karsa, dan karya.[3] Cipta merupakan nilai-nilai intelegensia dalam diri manusia (intelektual), rasa merupakan nilai-nilai moral dalam diri manusia (kekuatan batin dan karakter), sedangkan karya merupakan hasil ciptaan original manusia (ciptaan manusia). Konsepsi tersebut memperlihatkan adanya tujuan pendidikan secara humanis yang dibangun oleh KHD.[4] Humanisme dalam ajaran KHD tidak lepas dari pandangan beliau bahwa pendidikan merupakan suatu proses yang berkesinambungan dan berkeseimbangan agar merdeka. Kesinambungan dan keseimbangan aspek cipta, rasa, dan karsa tidak dapat dipisah-pisahkan karena pendidikan bukan merupakan hasil dari salah satu dari ketiganya namun semuanya.

KHD berpendapat bahwa pengembangan aspek pembangunan manusia harus dilakukan secara seimbang. Karena ketimpangan akan terjadi jika pengembangan hanya menitikberatkan pada satu aspek saja. Pengembangan satu aspek hanya akan menghasilkan ketidakutuhan dan ketidakseimbangan perkembangan dalam diri manusia. Secara jelas, KHD mengatakan bahwa pendidikan yang menekankan hanya pada aspek intelektual (cipta) belaka akan menjauhkan peserta didik dari masyarakatnya. Peserta didik yang demikian hanya akan menghasilkan manusia yang pintar secara keilmuwan namun tidak memiliki aspek nilai-nilai moralitas seperti kejujuran dan tanggung jawab. Peserta didik seperti ini merupakan peserta didik yang tidak merdeka. Diakui atau tidak, hal inilah yang masih berkembang secara merajarela hingga saat ini di dalam pelaksanaan pendidikan di Indonesia. Pelaksanaan pendidikan Indonesia hanya menekankan pada aspek pengembangan daya cipta, kurang memperhatikan pengembangan aspek rasa dan karsa.

Contoh paling kentara mengenai kurangnya aspek rasa dan karsa dalam pelaksanaan pendidikan Indonesia adalah pelaksanaan Ujian Nasional (UN). UN merupakan gambaran nyata mengenai nilai-nilai pendidikan yang kurang memperhatikan rasa dan karsa. Bagaimana tidak, pelaksanaan UN hanya berlangsung selama 3 hari dengan menguji peserta didik ke dalam beberapa mata pelajaran pokok dan berlaku secara universal di seluruh Indonesia. Selama 3 hari, peserta didik nantinya akan dilihat apakah layak lulus atau tidak. Sepintas hal ini terlihat konyol, karena sama sekali tidak mengadopsi pemikiran KHD mengenai adanya pendidikan yang mengutamakan 3 hal, yaitu cipta, rasa, dan karsa. UN memperlihatkan pendidikan Indonesia era sekarang hanya menonjolkan aspek kognitif atau cipta sebagai tolak ukur kemampuan peserta didik. Dengan sistem demikian maka tidak salah kiranya ketika ada berbagai bentuk kecurangan di dalam pelaksanaan UN. UN memaksa peserta didik untuk melakukan perbuatan curang untuk memperoleh tanda kelulusan. Rasa tentang kejujuran dan tanggung jawab peserta didik diredam demi memperoleh ijazah kelulusan dan menghindar dari sebutan “gagal/tidak lulus”. Sehingga peserta didik tidak dapat merdeka seutuhnya, tidak dapat menjadi manusia seutuhnya. Tentunya, hal ini menjadi perenungan bersama karena semakin hari anak-anak bangsa kita semakin didegradasikan secara moral. UN, baik konsep dan pelaksanaannya berkali-kali mendapat kritik tajam namun tetap tidak berubah dan berlangsung hingga sekarang. Hal tersebut menunjukkan bahwa para stakeholders pendidikan kita sudah semakin keblinger dengan konsepsi barat dan melupakan ajaran-ajaran Ki Hadjar Dewantara. Ajaran mengenai cipta, rasa, dan karsa seakan menguap begitu saja dari konsepsi pendidikan Indonesia saat ini. UN hanya merupakan salah satu contoh, karena masih banyak lagi contoh-contoh lain tentang bagaimana ajaran-ajaran pendidikan Ki Hadjar Dewantara dilupakan dan menjadikan anak-anak kita tidak merdeka.

Tentunya hal ini menjadi bahan renungan kita semua sebagai orang-orang yang peduli dengan masa depan bangsa. Semangat KHD perlu kembali digelorakan bahwa pendidikan selayaknya memerdekakan seseorang. Penerapan pendidikan harus dilihat dari konteks bangsanya sehingga sudah selayaknya pemikiran Ki Hadjar Dewantara mengenai cipta, rasa, dan karsa dikembalikan dalam sendi-sendi pendidikan Indonesia. Pemikiran KHD tersebut merupakan orisinialitas dari perenungan KHD atas konteks Indonesia sehingga tidak lekang dimakan zaman. Kembalikan konsep dan ajaran Ki Hajad Dewantara agar anak didik kita dapat merdeka seutuhnya.

SUMBER TULISAN

Niel, Robert Van. 1984. The Emergence of the Modern Indonesian Elite. Ab. Zahara Deliar Noer. Munculnya Elit Modern Indonesia. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya dalam Jurnal “Sistem Pendidikan Taman Siswa; Studi Kasus Pemikiran Ki Hadjar Dewantara” ditulis oleh Dheny Wiratmoko, diunduh di situs http://ejournal.stkippacitan.ac.id/index.php/JPP/article/view/66/5, diakses pada tanggal 30 April 2013 pukul 21.33

Tulisan Dhany Efendi berjudul “PEMIKIRAN KI HADJAR DEWANTARA TENTANG PENDIDIKAN” dalam situs http://dhany-sites.blogspot.com/2012/08/pemikiran-ki-hajar-dewantara-tentang.html, diakses pada tanggal 30 April 2013 pukul 19.17.

Nurul Zuriah, Dra. M. Si, “Pendidikan Moral & Budi Pekerti Dalam Perspektif Perubahan” dalam tulisan Khotijah Zahriah berjudul, “PENDIDIKAN BUDI PEKERTI UPAYA MENDIDIK MANUSIA SEUTUHNYA”, http://kisidupku.blogspot.com/2012/12/pendidikan-versi-ki-hajar-dewantara.html diakses pada tanggal 30 April 2013 pukul 19.55.

‘Quando sono arrivato a Napoli ho visto i bambini giocare per strada con le maglie di Juve, Milan e Inter, ma non con quella del Napoli’.

Non cito testualmente, ma è questa la frase che mi ha colpito di più di questi primi otto anni di De Laurentiis a Napoli. Già, perché realizzare che quei bambini, cresciuti ai piedi del Vesuvio, che parlano napoletano e che sono figli di chi, negli anni d’oro  sull’altare degli scudetti e della coppa Uefa, era in giro a fare festa, non tifano Napoli, mi ha fatto male e mi ha sorpreso. Io, che non sono nato a Napoli, che non parlo il dialetto lombardo, ma nemmeno il napoletano, che sono stato a Napoli solo due volte e che non ho mai visto la mia squadra giocare al San Paolo, non posso accettare una cosa simile, perché di fede partenopea sono cresciuto, lontano e isolato. Da mio nonno a mio padre e da mio padre a me e mio fratello. Non si sceglie, è così e basta. Tifare Napoli non è una mera questione di convenienza per cui in quel momento è la squadra che vince di più e allora cresce una generazione di tifosi del Napoli, no, tifare Napoli è diverso, un’altra storia.

Avevo tra i quattro e gli otto anni, si giocava tutti la domenica pomeriggio, le partite passavano alla radio e la televisione non dava tutta questa risonanza al calcio, quando Maradona ci trascinò verso l’impensabile. Di quel periodo, ricordo bene i caroselli di auto in giro per Busto Arsizio dopo la notte di Stoccarda, ricordo la mia frustrazione dovuta al fatto che ero troppo piccolo e non potevo partecipare adeguatamente alla festa. Di quel periodo, dell’unico periodo vincente, in cui ci sarebbe stato da festeggiare, mi ricordo solo che non ho potuto festeggiare. Assurdo, non trovate? Eppure, tifo Napoli.

Mi ricordo molto meglio i vari Beto, Di Canio, Carbone, “Il Cobra” Agostini, Thern, le prodezze di Taglialatela, Cannavaro Senior e la coppa Italia perduta contro il Vicenza. Eppure, tifo Napoli.

Ero lì, quando Pecchia nel ’95 segnò a Torino, contro la Juve, il gol del provvisorio zero a uno; c’era Boskov in panchina e fino al pareggio di Vialli, giunto dopo una manciata di minuti, il mio Napoli era proiettato in testa alla classifica, in solitaria. Balzai in piedi incredulo, che gioia provai. Sufficiente, per tifare Napoli.

Poi la storia la conosciamo tutti, finimmo per ben due volte nella polvere della retrocessione, fino al fallimento. Il vuoto. Il nulla. Eppure, tifo Napoli.

Alla fine, è arrivato il patron Aurelio e siamo risaliti, dalla C alla “Chempion”. Ha ripulito la città, ma non dall’immondizia, ha ripulito la città dalle maglie a strisce verticali. Sì.

E adesso che il tweet dell’ufficalità è arrivato, io sono pronto a vivere la mia tentatreesima stagione da tifoso del Napoli, anche se al san Paolo non ci sono mai stato, anche se del periodo degli scudetti mi ricordo ben poco, anche se la pizza da “Michelino” non l’ho mai mangiata. Trentatre volte Napoli, senza mai capire il perché. O meglio, il motivo l’ho capito fino in fondo due stagioni fa quando abbiamo battuto il City. Lo sguardo incredulo e sbigottito di mia madre davanti ai miei balzi sul tappeto, io, che di solito guardo la partita in maniera pacata, ero più scalmanato di mio fratello e mio padre messi insieme; non riuscivo a stare fermo, ero letteralmente impazzito di gioia. Ecco, in quell’esatto momento ho capito perché tifo Napoli, in quel preciso istante ho capito che ero un napoletano, le mie urla e la mia gioia erano pari a quelle dei tifosi allo stadio. Non c’è bisogno di un perché o di tanti scudetti e trofei da mostrare agli avversari, per sentirsi fieri e sicuri di tifare Napoli. Si tifa Napoli e basta.

E rileggendo questo scritto, per correggerlo, mi sono accorto che manca anche poco per essere come Napoleone, perché rileggendo questo scritto ho contato che sono due le volte in cui siamo finiti nella polvere, ma solo una quella in cui siamo finiti sull’altare.

Adesso che c’è anche l’ufficialità presidenziale, sono pronto: Vamonos quagliun!

Since me and Tee noticed that people haven’t bought our items in the Postal Travels Shop so we decided we’ll revamp everything. We’ve decided to just make stuff and sell those things. Its from the our creative hearts & minds. 

I’m excited for the revamp. 

How truthful this is! – John Loeffler, Fountain City, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

There is much for one to take away from this tremendously insightful article. For one, how big of a problem suicide really is in not just the United States, but on a global level. As the article points out, self-harm takes more lives than war, murder and natural disasters combined. That’s a mindboggling perspective to consider. And it makes study into mental illness, the causation of suicide, and the prevention therein, even more imperative.

Amidst the slew of important statistics that give further perspective to the issue, the article is primarily anchored by a personal story from Thomas Joiner, a clinical psychologist and the suicide of his father, which led the junior Joiner to a career in clinical psychology to better understand the incremental demise of his own father. As a former Marine, successful businessman and generally thought of tough guy, his father’s suicide was perplexing to him. And instead of a typical fall into the stigmatization culture, where some relatives wanted to refer to his suicide as a “heart attack,” Joiner, as mentioned, went into clinical psychology and his work has brought much to bear on the subject.

For instance, Joiner’s Theory of Suicide is a Venn diagram that involves three segments that create the perfect storm for suicide: thwarted belongingness (“I am alone”), perceived burdensomeness (“I am a burden”), and capability for suicide (“I am not afraid to die”). When those two former understandings come together, you get a “desire for suicide,” but add in the capability for suicide and you get suicide.

A great example of the perceived burdensomeness is famed lead singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain. He killed himself with a shotgun, but left behind a lengthy suicide note. In the suicide note, he signs off with this bit directed towards his daughter, Frances, “For her life, which will be so much happier without me.” He clearly saw himself as burdensome not only to her, but to her future potential, as in another section he stated, “I can’t stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable, self-destructive, death rocker that I’ve become.”

With respect to Joiner, his father, the perceived strongman, he states that is perversely, what killed him. He was “strong enough to fall on his own knife.” Such words are powerful in conveying the opposite of the perception associated with suicide: that it is cowardly, weak or selfish of an individual to take his own life. When discussing how one reaches the capability for suicide, Joiner mentions how individuals uniquely conditioned for violence, which enables numbness therein, such as athletes, doctors, prostitutes and so forth, have found a way to negate the “human instinct to scream,” which goes against the stigma of “cowardliness.” The human instinct is to fight death, not court her.

Also, of interest, is that understanding pinpoints the alarming suicide rate among those in the military. They are quite obviously conditioned to negate that “human instinct to scream” as well.

Joiner makes an impassioned argument towards the end of this brilliant piece. “Suicide is the rare killer that fails to inspire celebrity PSAs, 5k fun runs, and shiny new university centers for study and treatment. That has to change, says Joiner. “We need to get it in our heads that suicide is not easy, painless, cowardly, selfish, vengeful, self-masterful, or rash,” he says, “And once we get all that in our heads at least, we need to let it lead our hearts.”"

Are we ready to lead with our hearts? I would say not yet. If anecdotal evidence amounts to anything, casual conversations with my folks, other family members and friends, indicate that we have a long way to go to not only understand suicide, but the causes for it such as severe depression and other mental ailments.

If time could stand still

For the most important moments

So that we could fix them in our minds

Our first love

The feel, the look

That wonderful reeling feeling

If only it could last for more than a second or two

If time could stand still

When we realize that love is real

That moment when we both say I love you

Holding onto that for longer than time would allow

If time could stand still

At the moments which mean the most

Those special times

When we are together

When kisses mean so much

And passions smolder

If time could stand still

When we spend quiet times

Just you and I

Holding hands and silent strolls

Being together for many moments more

How lovely are the nights spent

Under the stars

When we dream of days gone by

Times we had that were so special

If only time could stand still

Just to give us a chance

To embed it forever in our hearts

Just so the special times

Wouldn’t disappear in the blink of an eye

The Lord created man from the earth and let him return to earth. He settled a fixed time for them and a set number of days, giving them power over everything on earth. He endowed them with a strength like His own, making them in His own image.

He put the fear of them in all living things, thus they had mastery over the animals and birds. He endowed them with knowledge; He gave them tongue and eyes, ears and a mind to think with.

He filled them with wisdom and knowledge; He taught them good and evil. He put His own eye in their hearts so they would understand the greatness of His works. They will praise His Holy Name and relate the magnificence of His creation.

He gave them revealed knowledge as well and handed over to them the Law of Life. He established an everlasting covenant with them and let them know His judgments. Human eyes saw the splendour of the Glory of God; their ears heard the grandeur of His voice.

i feel as if someone has hurled a hatchet into my sternum and i’m in great physical and spiritual pain.

and of course making any sort of decisions while in such a place is never a good idea.

so i took my day off and went to the woods.

i know this is what i need so often, but current circumstances prevent it from transpiring.

my heart and mind do need a physical workout, and a spiritual reboot amongst the trees.

hiking along, trying to push hard to get enough mojo workin in the bloodstream, while at the same time wanting to be slow and quiet because i am in need of SO MUCH QUIET right now so struggling to find some sort of balance between everything i need, which is always the predicament, isn’t it?

and i see this guy.

it was one of those moments.

stumbling along in my personal boggy mire, and i look over to see the old guy.  straining there at some point along the way to lean out over the creek and then UP UP AND UP!, straight to the sun, through the clearing amongst all the other trees going about their straight and narrow ways.

and i said to him, “well, old guy, if you can do it, why can’t i?”

then again, maybe he was just being selfish and soaking up all the sun and conniving his way into taking the best spot in the forest.

but i kind of doubt it.

as much as i needed to hike hard and fast and get myself moving, i didn’t.  i took it slow, savoured the trees, the sounds, the smells, the quiet, the solitude in the woods (didn’t see another person while there, perfect!), stopped and closed my eyes and listened to the wind in the leaves, the chattering creek, the birds, the squeaking and creaking of limbs and trunks (not just my knees) and for the first time in weeks, lovely sounds overtook my screaming chiming tinnitus and my aural receptors could take a big deep breath.  yes.

the senses need to be nurtured.

eyes, ears, nose, skin.

]]> http://apnatalks.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/education-is-to-make-minds-careers-quotes-apnatalks-com/ Sat, 25 May 2013 14:29:48 +0000 apnatalks http://apnatalks.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/education-is-to-make-minds-careers-quotes-apnatalks-com/
The True Purpose careers Quotes
The true purpose of
Education is to make
minds, not careers.

Education is to Make Minds careers Quotes

http://www.apnatalks.com/education-is-to-make-minds-careers-quotes/

There is so much turmoil around us in the world, and for some of us, turmoil exists in our own worlds at home and school so much so that it is hard to find a reflection of peace. Peace can be hard to come by when much of the world goes hungry each night. Peace can be hard to think about when people are living in war zones or living in fear of being killed, persecuted, abducted, imprisoned or harmed in some other way.

Not only is there not much peace in the world, but sometimes peace is hard to come by in our own worlds at home, school, work, or recreation. The devil oftentimes uses tension, conflict, miscommunication, and bitterness to invade our lives and rob us of the peace that God wants us to experience. It is at these times that we must turn to God for inner peace in our heart, mind, and soul.

“Peace that transcends all understanding” is a calm in the midst of conflict, trouble, and turmoil. It is peace that we cannot understand. It is that feeling that only God can give when we need it most. When all around us is seemingly going wrong, we must choose to not get caught up in the whirlwind of life, but to surrender our hearts to God and ask Him for that “peace that transcends all understanding.” This is a peace that only God can give. God will put you in a bubble of peace so you can hear and experience Him at all times, even in the most difficult situations.

           ”Artist Wale said in mid March 2013 that he had an album dropping called “The Gifted”. We tried to contact him via twitter saying “Wale you should purchase our ORIGINAL Gifted Snap for your album cover” along with a picture of our design since our hat said “Gifted”, we were trying to reach out in a positive manner. He never replied, even though we didn’t expect him to. A month later after the tweet he releases a picture through his instagram of a “Gifted” snapback created by Nicky Diamonds who is a very similar look to our snapbacks that’s been in the market for over a year (see pictures). Our fans, members and followers online started to bash him for the look alike hat, not only the look alike but more because of him trying to start a Gifted movement that exist, talking about signing artist and embracing the Gifted this year. Artist Wale then replied via Instagram claiming ” They just wrote the title of my album on a snapback bruh..Don’t be one of those weirdos..i”mma busy man…etc” (see pictures). He ignored the fact the hats do in fact look alike, and the fact his album title is “The Gifted” not “Gifted” is what makes this a coincidence. His fans started to defend him, but once they seen our hats, pictures, and dates they began to agree with us and view the situation from our point of view, and that his hats are a real look-alike (see pictures). Once it began to get viral designer Nicky Diamond also responded(see picture) using their fame to belittle us saying ” haha .. i have never seen or heard of your brand”. We did not do it for publicity, ignorance, but for a stand on what we have been building the last few years. If and when these hats go on retail for $30, $35 they will be over charging on what they claim to be just a “word”, easy money huh? But when we sell and ship around the world for $25 flat and add more to that “word” with our pyramids it seems unfair to our following, our business, our creative artist and mostly the customers buying. When that word has more of a value, appearance and meaning to us more than anyone.”

What do YOU think?? Comment below, share the post on your Facebook and Twitter. Show your love and support! 

http://www.therealstreetracers.com

- Take The Fast Lane -

Pentecost is a very important day in the history of the Church and indeed is a crucial event that all of us who believes in Christ must treasure and understand. For Pentecost, as many of us would have known from our early days that it marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles in Jerusalem, when the Advocate, that is the Holy Spirit promised by Christ our Lord finally arrives and inflames the hearts of all the disciples, and teach them all that they need to know about the Lord.

Pentecost, through the Holy Spirit’s entry into the hearts of the disciples, transformed them from the weak, ordinary human that they were, to be the powerful champions of God and His presence in this world. Through the disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the believers in Christ, which once was cowered in great fear and confusion by the death of Christ, exploded outwards and began the work of salvation of all mankind, which continues even to this day.

Today marked the birth of our Church, the Roman Catholic Church. This Church had begun on that day, with the conversion of more than three thousand souls to the cause of the Lord. That because Peter, the leader of the Apostles, filled with the flames of the Holy Spirit, rose up to defend the Lord and preach the truth to the people, without fear that once gripped the hearts of all the disciples. Gone were the fear and confusion, and with the Holy Spirit giving them all the knowledge of the faith, all were clear to them, and they preached the Gospels of the Lord, the Gospel of truth, and many accepted the Lord that day.

As Christ had once told His disciples in His sermon, He told them that the Holy Spirit brought with It various gifts to those whom the Spirit was willing to come and dwell within. The Holy Spirit gives courage to the hearts of mankind, and they encourage those who had been paralyzed by fear, and that was why the apostles suddenly became so forthcoming in proclaiming the truth of God, when they were just moments before so fearful of capture by the Jewish authorities that they were gathered in a locked room.

The Holy Spirit also gives the gifts of tongues, that is the ability to speak in various languages, and this was told in the first reading today that the apostles spoke various languages, praising the Lord, and were heard by the visitors from all over the world that were at the time gathered in Jerusalem for the Festival. This gift allows the disciples to preach to the people in their own native tongues and therefore greatly enhanced their ability to spread the Good News of the Lord to the peoples of various countries, and this itself also played a crucial role in the birth and growth of the Church of God.

The Holy Spirit also gives guidance to those who have uncertainty in their path, and this Holy Spirit becomes truly the Advocate, guiding the apostles in their missions throughout the Mediterranean, for the next few decades, particularly in the missions and travels of St. Paul the Apostle, who brought the Word of God to many people, Jews and Gentiles alike, that many of them became the believers in Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, many became the children of God and be saved.

The Holy Spirit remains at work in our Church today, and is evident in the many works of evangelisation by our courageous and tireless missionaries that preach the word of God in many areas of the world today, bringing the light of God to many in various nations. We too can play our part, as we too have been given the Holy Spirit through our own baptism and strengthened in our own confirmation.

We can help the process of evangelisation, by reflecting Christ in our actions, our words, and all our deeds, that through us, the light of Christ can be seen by those around us, and then they may believe and become followers of Christ too, just like all of us. But do not seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit with greed, just like what some ‘Christians’ like to do. Some like to claim the gift of tongues and languages, blabbering in unintelligible words, as if they truly speak in tongues. Be warned, brothers and sisters, the gift of the Holy Spirit does not always mean external displays and shows such as these, as if we are not careful, instead of the Holy Spirit, we may be dealing with the devil.

Rather, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us use the Holy Spirit within us, and the subtle gifts that It has given us, that is mainly love and hope. Love that inflames our hearts to zealously spread the Word of God to all those around us, through our words, and through our actions. The Holy Spirit also gives us hope and strength of mind, to be always ready and willing to evangelise in the Name of God. With these gifts in our hands, let us become modern missionaries of Christ, spreading the Good News to all nations.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, many people have yet listen to the Word of God, and many also have no chance of receiving the baptism of the Lord, because either they had no access to the Word, or no access to God’s message, or the Scripture, or because of external pressures and prejudice against the faith in the Lord that prevents many from becoming the children of God.

Let the Holy Spirit transform us and through us, let the Holy Spirit do His work in our world, to renew this world, bring the light of Christ into it, and make this world worthy of the Lord our God, when He comes again in His glorious Second Coming. May God strengthen us all with the Holy Spirit that He has sent through His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave the Holy Spirit as the breath of life, to His disciples, and from His disciples to our bishops and priests, and from them to us.

But Easter does not end here and at that time, my dear brothers and sisters, for indeed, the mission Christ had entrusted to the Apostles still continues today, that is to baptise all the nations in the name of the Holy Trinity and to make disciples of all the nations. That is the charge placed by God upon us, and we should then do something in order to fulfill this mission.

Remember that we too are disciples and apostles of the Lord, apostles and witnesses of Christ in our own times and in our own places, bearing witness for the Lord in our own societies and in our own neighbourhoods, among our own friends, our own family, and our own surroundings. We reflect Christ through our own words, our thoughts, our actions, and how we interact with others, especially whether we have reflected the love of God in all that we do.

Today, we celebrate the feast day of St. Matthias, one of the Twelve Apostles. But, St. Matthias was in fact not in the original Twelve, which include Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus in their number. After Judas had betrayed Jesus, he was filled with the sense of regret for having sold his Master for a mere thirty pieces of silver and that he had betrayed innocent blood. Alas, it was way too late for him. He was condemned and his place was taken by another.

Yes, that was because he was unworthy of being one of God’s disciples, and therefore was cast off and replaced with someone who was more worthy of that honour, and St. Matthias was chosen by God to fill up that role. St. Matthias was also one of the longest followers of Jesus but was not included in the Twelve until after the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Yet he is equally as good as any of the remaining Eleven Apostles of the events surrounding the salvific mission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That clearly shows that the work of evangelisation and conversion of the world to the cause of Christ is not yet done, and will always continue, that is until the second coming of our Lord into this world. This world is still bathed in darkness, and much of mankind with it, without seeing the light of Christ. We, the disciples of the Lord, who have received the faith from the teachings of the Church and thus the Apostles, therefore have the duty to continue the mission that has been entrusted to us.

St. Matthias carried out his task with fervour and strong love for God, evangelising the faith to the people in the distant regions of Asia and met martyrdom in the region now known as Georgia. He was martyred while in the midst of working in the fields of God, spreading the seeds of faith on the soil of mankind. Many did heed his call and became believers, but there are many too who rejected the faith and also caused St. Matthias’ own martyrdom.

In our world today, there are many who had drifted away from the light of Christ. Many of them were even former believers in Christ, but drifted away due to various reasons, many of which involve the worldly temptations and developments that took them further from the words of God. The loud noises made by the world has shut the Lord’s voice from them, that they can no longer listen to Him in their hearts and minds.

It is therefore up to us, brothers and sisters, to bring the words of the Lord back to them, to show them once again the true path to salvation that Christ had revealed to all of us. Let us follow in the example of St. Matthias and the Apostles in evangelisation, in order to bring the Good News of the Lord to the ends of the earth, and to all mankind, that they all may live. Amen.

RE:  LIFE LIVED AS A TRUTH SEEKER

Ohh my my, let me tell you…I most certainly don’t know much, and in comparison to all there is to know, I am eternally destined to knowing very little.  But today, in this moment, I know this much to be true – most people in life, or at least most of the people that I have known, settle.  And the decision to settle makes sense, sometimes I think much more sense than not.  But the fundamental reason, I think, that people settle, is because when you settle, at least you know you have something, at least you know that some sort of concrete certainty fulfills the basic premise of your life.

The most depressing part about settling, though, is that in many cases, persons that settle find out later that what it is that they settled for was not at all what they really wanted.  To hold out and put yourself out there is a fundamentally difficult task – it requires perseverance and faith, hope and belief.  The most difficult thing I have found in refusing to settle for less than I deserve, and most certainly less than I want, is that in doing so, I assume the risk that I will find myself empty-handed in the end.

I told Stella once, and felt absolutely ashamed and embarrassed after having come clean, but I did tell Stella once, that I think the most brilliant people that have ever existed and walked the face of this earth were also very much so those that others found to be insane.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think there are different kinds of insanity, and when I speak here I do not intend to include them all.  But the idea very much so goes hand in hand with the premise that the most brilliant of all minds come at the cost of isolation, misunderstanding, mental illness and oftentimes death.

I believe that the most brilliant, poignant and creative minds I’ve come to know are contained in the hearts of people who are fundamentally incapable of disregarding truth.  We all know that the truth hurts.  It follows, then, that the life of a person who lives by truth and truth alone, is destined to be one full of pain and strife.  Call me crazy, but to me, it makes absolute perfect sense that in order to esteem living in truth, one must voluntarily open their hearts and their minds to all that is out there to be had.

And so, to bring you round full circle (in what now seems to be also a very roundabout way!), I just want to say that one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do in this life is to be willing to give freely and voluntarily, without thereafter becoming resentful when I feel that I have not justly been appreciated or adequately compensated in return.  To give and not expect in return seems such a simple, elementary concept.  And what’s even more tricky is the fact that it immediately feels good to have given.  But as time passes and my efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated, at least in my mind, my immediate reaction is to close my heart and mind.  It hurts to put yourself out there and get rejected…as elementary a concept as it seems, I have found that in life the most elementary of concepts often turn out to be the most complicated of all.

It would be so much easier in the now, to close my heart and my mind, and to judge others and pretend I already know what is right from what is wrong.  But I’d be lying if that were so.  Life is rather more about varying degrees than it is full of pretty little boxes that house bright lines and morals without decay.  But the very sense of morality without conflict is premised upon the assumption that life can be lived without gray.  The more I live, every day that I spend, all these days that I have to spend on this earth, I find, that life is ever more gray than I ever thought it could be, and this realization comes in waves, but also with increasingly exponential velocity.

I don’t know any other way to live, than to live in the pursuit of all that is true.  And as much as I suffer as a result of living this way, I truly believe that I would rather die than live any other way.  It’s funny in life, how most things are actually gray, but every once in a great while you find a hint of light completely separated from the darkness.

And Jesus said: This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In that kingdom, the most humble who are most like this child are the greatest. And whoever welcomes a child,welcomes her in My name, welcomes Me. (The Voice. Matthew 18:3-5)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,  and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me (NASB, Matthew 18:1-5)

I’m a little all over the place, ever changing, ever growing. I can’t stay stagnant.

And why would I want to? I want to change more and more everyday into the person God is creating me to be, in the likeness of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This effervescence inside of me is my childlike heart, spirit, mind. My whole family is like this! Head in the clouds yet feet are firmly planted on solid rock, on Biblical morals, on Christ the chief cornerstone.

So yes, sometimes change happens quickly for me-but so it does for the 2-3 year olds I work with. Conviction happens quickly for me. One minute, they’re sad because they miss their moms, and the next they are content with a simple toy providing endless amusement and boundless energy. But they’ll stop on a dime for a piece of chocolate.

I’ve been told that I’m overdramatic, insane, wild, demonstrative, childish, too much. but Jesus says let the little children to Me. He says to have faith like a child.

So I come to Jesus just as I am. A redeemed sinner who in the eyes of God is righteous as Christ. I come to Him…childlike: a heart full of energy, a mind racing with ideas, and eyes open for opportunity.

The Lord tells us to come to Him like this! He says we must be like the children, humbling ourselves.

• Our hearts must be full of vigor, energy, for Christ. With the love of Christ. Of course, we must guard our hearts, but in that same verse it tells us that it is the wellspring of life! (Proverbs 4:23). Christ’s life has been placed into our hearts. In Jeremiah it says that God is writing His laws on our hearts, our hearts that used to be of stone but are now made alive in Him! (Jeremiah 31:33). This is the new covenant. Our hearts used to be deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9) but now we have new hearts. The old has gone and the new has come! So go forth with hearts wild about God, overflowing with vigor for His name!
• We were created in the wonderful image of God! We bear His nature of creativity in our minds. God has given us beautiful ideas, not to be selfish with them, but to explore them, to develop them, and to further His kingdom with them! He has given us minds to explore Him and the things of Him. Our minds are to dwell on the things above (Colossians 3:1-4). We can walk in the will of God because we continually renewing our minds (Romans 12:1-2).
• And lastly, we must keep our eyes set on the prize. Both the angel who came to Mary in Luke 1 and Jesus in Matthew 19 make it clear that ALL things are possible with God. We mustn’t close doors that the Lord hasn’t Himself closed. Often we allow ourselves to close doors in our lives, close off opportunities because they are “unrealistic.” Well it’s unrealistic that God would come in the flesh! That He would eat with prostitutes and tax collectors! That He could raise from the dead. But He did! He is immeasurably more capable than we allow Him to be.
  

  For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family, in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the full measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and our Lord Jesus Christ throughout generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

• Christ has put His power in us. The very power that overcame the grave. Our Father in heaven is capable of doing incredible things through you. Don’t close the doors where He hasn’t. 

So that’s my encouragement, dear friends. Explore this faith, the faith of a child, wide-eyed and hearts on the sleeve. Don’t apologize for your eccentricities and quirks. You are uniquely created in the image of God and are full of the power of the Holy Trinity. Go forth in Him because He is able to do immeasurably more than you could ever imagine. Go as you are before the throne of grace and start using the Power within you. Have faith like a child.

Enjoy the life you have been given.

Meet! Greet! Business and Bonding! Come out and Celebrate with Me….

When: Saturday, June 22
5:00-8:00 PM

Where: The Paramount
1425 S. Eads Street
Arlington, Virginia 22202

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