Project Omniverse

I’m always thinking about deep things. Abstract concepts distilled into their purest forms excite me in ways beyond what should be considered normal. I’m just especially fond of Abstracts, Archetypes, and the things that purvey the Extremes. Concepts like Sin, Perfection, Transformation, and Apotheosis inspire me to thought-filled action. If Transcendence isn’t the ultimate goal for everyone, do tell me what is. I’d be very interested in knowing for myself what you know by default.

Making Bacon Pancakes.

That’s what we’re gonna make.

I’m taking a break from the normal routine for a minute to learn more about this hardware I’ve acquired and the software that comes with it. At first glance it seems like I’m in way over my head with it. Fortunately, I’m a determined person with no little grit. I’ve worked with programs far in excess of this, so it should be no more difficult to learn this than any other. I’m already making short, simple, fun recordings for the sake of experimentation and practice. Before long, I should be able to use this with my other software to enhance my performance and record some music for consumption. This goes hand in hand with my other projects that I am also working on. I will be able to enhance my guitar performance using these methods and I will be able to utilize the music I come up with in the computer games I produce. Seems like a fine way to me. We’ll see what the universe has for me.

However, being a fairly novel plural form, it is seldom used; the plurals platypuses,platypus, or, more rarely, platypi are more common. It should be noted that some use the plural form platypi under the impression that platypus is a masculine Latin second declension noun, which it is not.

Platypodes

Feels Good – Tony! Toni! Toné!
Oh. Yes.

That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;

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All the Glory goes to God.

We have the tools. We have the talent.

It’s Miller Time.

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I’ve been learning how to make music in various forms since I was a young child. I’ve been using a computer to do it since I was a teenager. Yet somehow, throughout all that time, I have never had what I considered to be the most important tool for the job. It’s one thing to use a mouse and computer keyboard to manually insert notes into an audio tracker then mix it all by hand. It’s another thing altogether to have a dedicated MIDI Keyboard capable of doing it for you. This should make my job easier in the coming days. My goals are clearly in sight; my ducks are lining up. Soon I should be able to start providing samples of original work. Every creative type needs an outlet.

Vocabulary Words from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

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That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;

I’m not interested in waxing too poetic tonight. It’s just not how I’m feeling today. However, I do feel the spark of inspiration just now and when I hear the call I have found that it is wise to answer. If you don’t, you miss out. You have no one to blame but yourself. There’s nothing else to be said about it.

There’s plenty to say about it.

I’m just lazy and creative.

fette’s vette – mc chris
Word.

I’m typically a highly agreeable person. I have a high threshold for putting up with things I don’t necessarily agree with or like to any degree at all whatever. (This has not always been true.) I do have my limits, the absolute lines that should never be crossed; there are things that simply cannot be tolerated. I believe everyone can feel me on that one. But, for all intents and purposes, I’m a pretty open and layed back kind of guy. I enjoy structure, learning, and developing my personal assets. I aim to be right with God. It should take a lot of work, and I see no reason why I shouldn’t be walking that path. I consider that it makes me a better person on a daily basis. With only a minimal amount of effort, you can make yourself a better person than you were the day before. With that same amount of effort, you will naturally make the world a better place than it was yesterday, and you will have done so directly through your action. Words are beneficial for teaching, preaching, reproving, and for setting things straight. But just as faith without works is dead, the word without action is without adequate value

My People are what makes existence worth living. My friends, family; my socialites, my party peeps, my colleagues, coworkers, and comrades, yes, everyone has their place in My Universe.

People are the Foundation of Society; To Benefit from Society, you must be of use to people who are also of use to you.

With a little help from my friends – Joe Cocker
People Need People.

And so we get to the Meek. Forget what you read in a google search. I’ll explain what the Meek are, and later, when I’m feeling better, I’ll probably give you all the nitty gritty details. The Meek are the people who have swords, they know how to use them, and they choose to keep them sheathed. The Meek are not harmless. The Meek do not let themselves be pushed around. The Meek make choices, they stand by them, and if push comes to shove, The Meek are capable of shoving right back (if it serves The Good). These are the ones who will inherit The Earth. They bide their time, they pick and choose their battles, they weight consequences, they wield the power of choice to the ultimate degree, they accept responsibility and bear the undue suffering inevitable within the Circle of Life. They are a rare breed, and few are the ones finding the path. The Meek are the ones who will inherit Everlasting Life as Themselves, not as slaves or pawns to Other Powers. (And there are a number of Other Powers.)

If you believe in the many, you must also believe in The One or you shall run into a major problem in the future. There are certain Trump Cards in this Universe, and if you encounter them unprepared you can and will wind up taking a severe beating (psychological, spiritual, physical, legal, or otherwise) if you fail to show the proper respect, regard, and judgement in dealing with these Ultimate Powers. But the Most Ultimate is The One. The One does not discriminate like other powers as long as you follow the rules. The rules are not for The One, they are for those who would benefit from It. Disregard the Animus Code at your own peril. You yourself are made up of it.

Think about it. What do you think?

True Survivor – David Hasselhoff
Permit Denied.

I don’t know how much more I should divulge at this time. These are some pretty basic esoteric concepts that you can find and put together yourself with minimal effort if you are inclined toward the more philosophical side of things. If you’re more practical, a lot of this will probably seem like nonsense. Just remember that it’s all about the narrative. In the end, it’s all just a Story. It’s Never Ending. Peace.

I actually do welcome people to talk to me about things. Agree or Disagree, do feel free to let me know.

Or just read it at your leisure. Or not. Whatever thrills you most.

Never Ending Story – Limahl
Who doesn’t like this? Be honest.

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Nothing can stand up against the will of God. Nothing.

Nothing can stand up against the will of God. But nothing can.

Are You Gonna Go My Way? – Lenny Kravitz
Remember the Tao.

Let’s get weird. Think about a faucet that is turned all the way up and is spraying liquid everywhere in a massive, forceful torrent. It spills out and enters the basin, and as it does it takes a shape. The shape is malleable and changeable within its confines, never staying exactly the same for more than an instant. The faucet is the true source from which everything else is manufactured, the Well Spring of Positive Energy in its pure and raw form. The basin is the Pattern, the unalterable shape that contains all other shapes as they form and dissolve back into the whole in an endless, everlasting cycle. And then we have the drain which represents the Void, the final destination of everything that enters the pattern, the destructive force that acts upon the world by its nonexistence. These things must all exist within a balance, else the machine stops working properly. If you stray too far to any extreme, you will find yourself a prisoner of your own inability. This Way and That Way all lead to Death. There is only one source of life, and it alone is the deciding factor at every extreme, for it is the One. Without it, there is only Nothing.

The One overrides The Many. Without The One, there could be no Many. Everything depends upon The One. Only Nothing can dispute this.

Nothing disputes this; You cannot prove a Negative.

Steal My Sunshine – Len
You cannot because I say you may not. Technically both are true.

In the contest between All and Nothing, the raw Divine Energy that pours out from the well spring can be thwarted when it pours directly into the drain. This is because it has no effect on the pattern. It is not a matter of force against force, it’s a matter of Activity. Something cannot act upon something else if there is only Nothing to act upon. And so it becomes that the something is created in the face of nothing, not from it or because of it, but in spite of it. Anything that exists does not exist from nothing, it comes from something. Else: It could not exist. Negativity as a source is only destructive. It cannot give but only take. It cannot create but only destroy. And when it meets The Maker, it falls, because Nothing flees in the face of Creation, just as the dark retreats from the light. The infernal and the abyssal cease to be a factor in the face of the divine. There’s simply no other way for it to work. BUT: It does require faith.

You have to have faith for this to work on me!

Jerry Dandrige, Fright Night (1985)

Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong – Spin Doctors
Heh. Because I like to argue. I really do.

The problem with the divine source is that it is a torrent and it is indiscriminate. It will pour the raw energy indefinitely forever and ever, and anything that gets too close or in its way will be burned or washed out of existence. It can only be approached from afar and indirectly. It can be channeled, but like with the basin, the energy’s form is dependent upon its vessel. If there is a flaw, it manifests itself in its energetic form. And like with the basin, the extremes cause the machine to function improperly. Too little energy and there’s no effect. Too much energy and you’ll overflow and burn out. And because it’s based on faith, your will also plays an important part. In a contest between the Divine and the Infernal (or Abyssal), the channeler will fail long before the source does (like a light bulb). Until that point, the negative forces must remain outside the perimeter of the light.

Cheating gets it faster.

Working lasts forever.

Get It Faster – Jimmy Eat World
Aha ha. Aha ha ha.

It is easier to be destructive than constructive. You can tear down an empire with relatively little effort, but to build one takes a special something. In this way, a person can make great strides and progress very quickly along the dark path, amassing what seems like great amounts of power very quickly. The light side, however, is relatively slow in the beginning. It requires discipline, merit, and hard work to truly master, yet when utilized properly it will always succeed over the darkness. The light and the dark do not cancel each other out. They are not equal and opposite. One is clearly the superior of the other in a contest of strength. If it’s a contest of numbers, Darkness wins, but all the darkness in the Universe cannot stand against a single source of light. Period. That’s the end of it.

I can illustrate this in a number of ways. I can draw you all the pictures and diagrams you could ever hope to want. I can even demonstrate this in reality given the chance. There’s simply no contest. Divine wins.

Where It’s At – Beck
Bottles and cans. Now give me your applause.

That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you.

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This one was based on a conversation I had with a really cool person. I’ve thought a lot about it for most of my life, and this is the only thing that stands true in the face of everything and nothing. Given that existence is true, this must also be true, or nothing exists. And while nothing does exist, it does not exist by itself and is therefore not a factor.

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I have a really busy day tomorrow. If I have time, I’d like to do more math, talk more guitar, and explore some of my other interests and goals. It all depends on what happens. Sooner or later I’m going to start drawing pictures and diagrams of all this esoteric stuff. I already spend a lot of time making them, but I will eventually want to post them for effect. That time is not now.

Do it do it real good.

The Sounds, Tony the Beat

Far Beyond The Sun – Yngwie Malmsteen
This.

King David Liked Stringed Instruments

It’s time for more MATH! Only because it’s so much fun. Last time (on Dragon Ball Z!) we discussed the 10,000 hour rule and determined that a person would have to work for 402 days (or 1 year, one month, and one day (roughly speaking)) nonstop to reach full mastery with the musical instrument. Given that this is impractical, and given that I have other things to do, and given that I want to complete this goal, I have to formulate a different plan with more reasonable limits.

It’s easy. All you have to do is follow the steps.

Fuminshou No Nemuri Hime – 雅-Miyavi
This.

I’ve determined that I have to design a practice sheet and track my progress in order to hold myself accountable. It is unfortunate that I have not been doing so up until this point, as I have no way to even estimate how much time I have spent already. I would place myself at roughly 33% of the way to my personal satisfaction, but I want 10,000 hours confirmed. So I may have to start over. It depends on what the math looks like. I seriously don’t know what is practical yet. Shall we get started?

Do you believe in Rock and Roll? Can music save your mortal soul?

Don McLean, American Pie

Highly Strung (feat. Steve Vai) – Orianthi
This.

If the goal is to reach 10,000 hours of practice, and you spend 1 hour of practice a day, it would take you 10,000 days to reach your goal. There are 365 days in a year (roughly speaking); 10,000 ÷ 365 = 27 years. (If I had started when I should have, I could have been there by now. Live and learn.) That’s a little bit much. I believe the problem could be mitigated by putting in more time each day. 2 hours a day would half that. (10,000 hours ÷ 2 hours a day = 5,000 days = d; d ÷ 365 (days in a year) = 14 years (13.69…rounded up). )That’s a little better. The most I’d be willing to do, to start, is 2.5 hours a day, and only on days when schedule allows. But if I did it every day, it would take (10,000 hours ÷ 2.5 hours a day = 4,000 = d; d ÷ 365 (days in a year) = 11 years (10.95…rounded up).) That’s a good first chart. I think I could do better. I think I could get it done in 10. (But that’s not entirely up to me.)

The next step is to build and share the practice sheet. Then it will be up to me to use it to document and track my progress as I move closer to the ultimate goal. It will be an interesting exercise to see how far I make it. Either way, it should provide me plenty of content to continue my project until I am content that I have reached my satisfaction.

Satisfaction is not guaranteed.

Rule 19, Rules of Acquisition

Always With Me, Always With You – Joe Satriani
This.

How thrilled are we?

Very thrilled. Have some vocabulary words from Crime and Punishment

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That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;

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I still have topics in the queue from yesterday. I think it’s probably good to spread them out as it pleases my self. (And I am very pleased.)

I fly a starship across the universe divide.

Highwayman – The Highwaymen
And when I reach the Other Side.

High Strung

I had a really good conversation with some really good people today. I really enjoyed my time with them and I respect them from the bottom most level to the top. We were discussing an issue that I find personally amusing. Without going into detail, which I am not at liberty to do, I observe that an event, when it occurs, causes people to act in a humorous manner. People get really bent out of shape about something that literally does not cause any kind of harm at all to anyone. Period. The response I received was that it’s annoying. To which I responded: “If I let everything that annoys me get to me, I’d be the most miserable person in the room.” I paused a beat. Then I said: “For real. EVERYTHING ANNOYS ME!” Another beat. “I just don’t let it show.” And then I smiled, because I am actually a genuinely happy person. But it’s the truth, and I am proud of myself for saying so. I look for reasons to like people, not complain about them. If you show me the person, I’ll show you the crime. It’s not hard to do. Everyone is flawed. I will pull the shit right out of you. That’s the easy way. It’s NOT the proper way. It’s about Tao.

For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:2, New American Standard Bible

Manic Monday – The Bangles
I love my people.

I was going to write more, but I’m a very busy person who has a lot of things to do and I was busy doing them instead of writing. I’m perfectly fine with that. It means I already have a schedule set for tomorrow. I already knew what else I was going to write about today and it all works out. I have an early morning tomorrow. There are places for me to be and people for me to see. And then I get to work more on myself. I appreciate the opportunity every minute provides me. My journey is unique and not like any other. I hope that you are well whenever and wherever you are.

Welcome to the New Age.

Radioactive – Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix
Imagine Dragons Cover.

That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;

Bangarang – SKRILLEX feat. Sirah
Bitch, please.

The purpose of articulation in this format is to better understand exactly what I believe, why I believe it, and whether or not I can change for the better. Some things simply do not stand the test of time. I’m not the same person I was yesterday, and the things I said then may not apply tomorrow. I reserve the right to change my mind. In fact, I would go so far as to say the purpose of my project is exactly that: to change my mind for the better.

Words I didn’t know before I started reading Crime and Punishment. I know them now. You should look them up so you can know them too. If you know them already, good job.

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It.

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The difference between me and other people is the things I put forth are actually my ideas, they aren’t things I’m reposting because they appeal to me. I have typed everything out. There are errors in grammar, spelling, and judgement. These are inevitable, but I do try my best to mitigate these difficulties, and I have experienced some level of success. As predicted, I am getting better at it. Soon I will be able to document my progress in other areas. It’s a matter of working the formula. The code is universal and it applies to everything at all times. If you can learn to understand it, you can learn to write it for yourself. It’s all about your story. Who do you want to be? What exactly is stopping you?

Yes I’m Siskel, Yes I’m Ebert, and you’re getting two thumbs up.

The Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang
Like the lost catacombs of Egypt, only God knows where we stuck it.

I ask a lot of difficult questions. I work hard to solve them and figure it out. People frequently come to me for advice in my personal life. I’m not always right about everything, but I do try my best to be helpful. I think people sense my sincerity. The problem becomes the fact that the truth isn’t always nice, and I’m not always a very nice person. I have an exceptional level of empathy, and the pain I sense in others affects me to a debilitating degree. Being around people can be positively draining, and afterwards I often sink into depression. It takes a lot of energy to be what I am when I choose to be it. And I am everything I ever want when I want. I mean, aren’t we all? If not, why not?

I am all men as I am no man, and therefore I am a god.

Caligula, what a peach.

Digital Love – Daft Punk
There’s nothing wrong with just a little little fun.

I really enjoy music to an absurd degree. My family, especially my mother, thought that having an appreciation for music and its theories was an important part of my education, and I was gifted with a large range of musical tastes and abilities. Over time I’ve met different people who share my passions and some of my talents, and they have helped me grow past where I thought I could ever be. I do not know where the uppermost level is. My chosen instrument is the guitar, and I’m admittedly a bit rusty. My goal is to put in my 10,000 hours required for ‘true mastery‘ within my lifetime. I have recently been working to accomplish this by practicing roughly an hour a day. Some days I do more, and some days I do less (for reasons), but every day I feel like I get a little bit closer to that goal. My only regret is that I don’t have a band. There’s nobody for me to really practice with outside my house. I believe that’s something I need to grow. Either that, or I need to start performing solo. One or the other must become true. I’ll let you know what I decide.

Shout out to YOU. You’re here. That means something.

Don’t you feel pretty awesome right about now? I bet you should.

Butterfly – Crazy Town
I’m the smartest choice you could make. Do you think?

Let’s do some math. That’s always fun. It takes 10,000 hours to accomplish mastery. There are 24 hours in a day. 10,000 ÷ 24 = 402* days. With 365 days in a year, 402 – 365 = 37 or 1 year and 37 days. Thus, by my reconning, a person needs to spend roughly 1 year, 1 month, and 1 week of his, her, or its life playing the guitar to become a master. I’ve already put in quite a bit of time, but I’m not where I want to be by far. Having the numbers in front of me helps. I should create a practice sheet like we used to use in school.

Hey, self. That’s not a bad idea. Why don’t we make a practice sheet like we used to use in school?

I agree. It’s a splendid idea. Let’s do it.

Hail To The King- Avenged Sevenfold
Kneel to the Crown. Stand in the Sun.

I feel like everyone else is playing video games. I haven’t really played video games in quite a long time. I have a hard time remembering the last time I really played significantly advanced video games. I sometimes play old school games, or games made in a hi-bit style that’s similar, but they are not games that require a lot of time, thought, or attention. I can jump in for a few minutes as I please and then jump out and go on with my life. Some of these games are purely for enjoyment. These games would include things like Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. But there are also games I play on my mobile devices that are of a more educational bent. I enjoy working with flashcards and there’s a game centered around morse code that I think is awesome. My only regret is that I don’t have anyone I can share these things with. It’s a shame, too, because it’s really cool.

Are you ready for the best damn ride of your life?

Hell Yeah – Rev Theory
Give me a Hell. Give me a Yeah.

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Encore

I was looking to finish up right there, but I really just want to talk about my book for a minute. I’m reading Crime and Punishment and it’s having an effect on me. I am completely gripped by this story. I love it when this happens. The problem is, this book, so far, is really exceptionally, profoundly, negative. Anyone who has never read a book like Crime and Punishment would be unfamiliar with exactly what this type of negativity is. There could be no frame of reference. It’s just awful in its own way. The further I descend into this hellish scenario, the more obviously thankful I am in my real life. It’s strange kind of therapy, if I’m being objectively honest. I don’t think the people around me have a clue. I don’t think they even know they are born.

Those born with privilege are most often blind to it.

Post-Modern Proverb

All The Small Things – Blink 182
Enjoy the little things.

That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;

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* 401.666666…7; Rounded up for simplicity.

Later on I want to talk more about my goals, guitar, and some of the games I enjoy playing. I might want to talk about the games I like to design as well. That could be fun.

“The Funk’s Your Brother.”

A Mondegreen; What I used to think this song said.

Funk Soul Brother — Fat Boy Slim
If not now, when?

I was given a very nice compliment today by someone at work. She told me that I had a great attitude, that she was always happy to see me, and that she had even told other people about it. It made me feel very good. We got to talking and we began discussing the Power of Positivity. One of the questions we pondered was about the benefits of Negativity, as in: “What does that give you?” It makes you sicker, it makes you age faster, and it makes people like you less. We shared mutual experiences about our problems and solutions, and it was a pleasant diversion. Moments like those are special. They remind me why I do the things I do. I genuinely want to see everyone grow and succeed in this life. The secret that few people seem to stumble upon is a simple one: The Success of the One depends upon the Success of the Many; The Success of the Many depends upon the Success of the One. It is in my best interest to look out for your best interest; It is in your best interest to look out for mine. Period.

The best way to find yourselfis to lose yourself in the service of others.

Mahatma Gandhi

Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop — Scatman
This guy could beat Thanos.

I don’t agree with a lot of the things that the people around me believe. There’s plenty of room in this world for me to find enough common ground to get along with just about anyone. Some people are easier than others to communicate with. Sometimes it’s easier, if not better, to remain silent. In fact, it is my belief that a person has the absolute right to Remain Silent if he, she, or it chooses to do so. This is the other side of my fundamental belief in the Absolute Freedom of Expression. If you want to express yourself, you have the absolute right to do so until your expression infringes on the right of another. (This does not free you from the consequences of your choice to express yourself (except in the legal sense, of course.)) With the right to remain silent, however, I struggle to think of a time in which I believe speech should be compelled. It seems to me that there are obviously times when a person should speak up, but I am hard pressed to think that someone must or else. This is something I should have to ponder a while longer before I know for sure where I stand. (Silence is the Default, Not Speech.)

Doctor Zaius, Doctor Zaius! Oh, save me, Doctor Zaius!

Planet of the Apes (The Musical), The Simpsons

Rock Me Amadeus — Falco
For the Record: I love Classical music, but I prefer Baroque. (Johann Sebastian Bach, to be precise.)

So I’m back into my language studies. Turns out I have an opportunity to use Spanish in my professional life after all. I’ve spent great portions of my life amassing knowledge in a variety of languages, including the aforementioned Spanish, Japanese, Greek, Hebrew, and, most recently, Russian. I’ve also got experience working with Morse Code, Braille, and a few relatively obscure ciphers. I enjoy topics like Cryptography, Translation, Transliteration, and Transcription. I actually have a talent when it comes to the written word. It’s been a while since I’ve been serious in my studies, but I have faith that with a little effort and some brushing up, I can reach the level that I’ve always wanted to see. With enough time, I’m the type of person who can translate virtually anything into anything else (including sheet music.) Unfortunately, I’m far better with the written word than I am with the spoken. I still struggle with rolling my r’s. Sooner or later, I’ll need to practice with native speakers of each language so that I can reach a level of Mastery that I can truly feel proud of. (My current level of Mastery, while significantly better than the average person, embarrasses me.)

Think about your goals. What would you like to achieve? If you were to die today, what would your biggest regret be? Think it over and use that to help you act.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

Sultans of Swing — Dire Straits
I listen to this song almost every day. It soothes me so.

That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;

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Later on I want to talk about more of my goals.

Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is just fine as long as its contained.

Robert Ludlum

Gimme Shelter — The Rolling Stones
It’s just a kiss away.

Things continue to happen that are beyond our control and comprehension. There are hidden motives, reasoning that happens behind the scenes. It’s not always clear why decisions get made, but once made they must be carried out. The whole structure must possibly collapse otherwise. It never happens all at once. There’s a reason why patience is a virtue. Fools who rush in where angels fear to tread will bring about their own ruin by acting rashly in the face of blind circumstance. Anger is the path to the dark side precisely because of the way it motivates one to unthinkable action. Even righteous anger, when left unchecked, can serve no good purpose. People are easiest to manipulate when they are out of sorts. This is what causes people to become tools.

What pisses you off beyond reason? Something does. You won’t hear anything to the contrary. Where does the anger come from? And why? Think about that for a while.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

Soak Up The Sun — Sheryl Crow
I’m going to tell everyone to lighten up.

It’s not easy to be happy in this world. While every moment is definitely precious, the special moments are fleeting and easy to miss. When something terrible and tragic happens, when you lose a loved one, when someone dies, or even chooses to walk away, the unfathomable hurt that accompanies it is so very absolute that all the light in the world just seems to wink out. Time expands and it seems like the pain will never end. These are defining moments for people, these are the times when a person gets tested most. Do you give up and give in to resentment? Do you say fuck redemption? Or do you take the opportunity to make the right choice, no matter how hard it is, and try like hell to manifest your best self? Do you push people away? Or do you accept the help you so desperately need? How do you trust in those circumstances? These are all very important questions.

He was high on intellectualism.
I’ve never been there but the brochure looks nice.

Every Day Is A Winding Road — Sheryl Crow
Everybody gets high. Everybody gets low.

I’d like to just take a moment and say that I make an effort to not use two songs by the same artist in a single post. I’m making a conscious exception here because the current vibe calls for it. There’s something about the combination of these two songs by Sheryl Crow that makes me stop and think twice. That’s worth a mention and a look. A long time ago I got this song on cassette. I didn’t care for it so much at the time, but I would sit and listen to it while reading my Sonic (and Knuckles) comics on our big orange couch. I remember those days fondly. I would sleep there sometimes in the summer. There was such an innocence there. Like all children, I failed to appreciate the true significance of my life at that time. I never realized how good I had it. (Those were lessons that would come later.) Somehow, though, I knew that I would eventually realize what these songs were trying to tell me. I would like to share that with other people if I can. There are simpy things everyone needs to know.

Just keep swimming.

Dory, Finding Nemo

If You’re Going Through Hell — Rodney Atkins
Just Keep Moving

I’m not without my struggles. I do not like to talk about my real problems because it doesn’t really do me any good. I have found that I’m better off trying to make the best of my situation using the tools available to me. Once upon a time I hit rock bottom. I was as good as destroyed. I crawled my way back from my own person hell of my own design. The worst prison in all the world is the one inside your head. I had help, sure. But it doesn’t do to compare one person’s situation to another. The proper metric is yourself today to yourself yesterday. At any time, at any moment, a person can make the conscious decision to stand up and realign him, her, or itself to the proper way. It requires effort and dedication. It requires repentance. But in the endgame, the reward is redemption. I have to believe that everyone has a choice. And I have to believe that everyone can choose the good.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,”
They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
There is no one who does good.

Psalm 53:1, New American Standard Version

My Sweet Lord — George Harrison
Hallelujah.

In Buddhism we are taught about the Bodhisattvas. These are individuals who have achieved a level of enlightenment that would allow them to escape the cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth (aka: Samsara) and enter into Nirvana, yet, out of compassion, they choose to delay their exit so as to help ease the suffering of others. In some of the source material, it states that these individuals will delay their escape until every single soul has also escaped. This means forever. (Simple math. Pure Land Buddhism recognizes the existence of an infinite multiverse. Infinity = Infinity. Period.) This makes me think of the ideal, that thing that one must strive for against all odds. Sometimes the fact that it will never happen doesn’t matter in the face of the fact that it could. If you want it bad enough, what should stop you? Think about that.

Those who cannot dance say the music is no good.

Jamaican Proverb

Three Little Birds — Bob Marley
Every. Little. Thing.

That’s all for now.
Until next time,
Thank you;