...Just thought id let the world know that my 7th graders balled their asses off and won the tourney. The way i was given the trophy was a bit crappy, but hey, rival coaches arent supposed to be buddies, are they?
I imagine if i had made 100k dollars today for bought a new car, more people would give a shit.
Oh well, maybe that is why i cant tolerate shallow chics, my family doesnt bother calling for the "holidays", and i can count my real friends on one (maybe two) hands.
The problem with us is that it is easy to say that kids are important. To say that you put family first. To say that you love to give. But when it comes to the actual sacrifice, people just go back to their cars, concerts, tv shows, playstations, ipods, clothes, and bling. Maybe being born as a short black man of rather high intelligence and a desire to live out some of those lessons learned in sunday school, gives me a unique perspective.
People live in bubbles where they wont acknowledge a problem until it happens. Then it goes to who is at fault.
Hey, you can wake up one day at 400 pounds and decide that you need to overhaul your life, or you could just eat one more serving of raw veggies and one less serving of fried garbage today, then do it again tommorrow.
You can save 50 bucks a week. Spend and hour a week with a kid. Turn off your tv. Read a book. Meet someone different than you and try to be friends. Try something different. Do something you feel is beneath you. Attack your stereotypes.
Say hello to someone you dont know.
When people wake up in a year and find a world worse than the one they remember, they will wake up and say how did we get here.
They wont ask themselves why they themselves werent outraged at the Iraq war. They wont ask themselves why i look for the cheapest instead of researching where all that stuff in wal mart comes from. They wont ask themselves why I didnt eat dinner with my kids everyday before they ran off and did something rash. They wont ask why they didnt talk to the homeless man outside the store before he loses hope and robs it as a last resort.
Sometimes we cant look at the end problem and just put a band-aid on it. The band aid is the american way to fix everything. Obama cant create 25 million jobs in 4 years, at least not the kind of jobs that most americans want. We cant fix these superlarge problems with a bandaid. So what makes us think we can solve any problems with one.
How about sometimes with just do something for some other fucking reason than making a dollar off of it. Or at least make sure for every dollar we make, we are helping people improve the quality of their lives.
Im getting tired of watching people milk others of their faith in good for profit. Do it because its right.
If you do something to make the world better, there is a better chance that your kids can live in a world where they dont need a gun.
...now back to life.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
A tale of two students.
I understand why teachers (good ones) are willing to take such a small amount of money to do something that is more important to society than bankers manipulating stock prices for profit or polititions selling their values for money.
Lets start with a 15 year old girl named Murashima. She has for two year tried to win the Kasuya Gun english speech contest. This year, she won it. She doesnt strike you as the kind of girl that enjoys getting infront of people and speaking, but she does quietly have a strong work ethic. She understands that practice and listening along with making the most of the moment are all necessary characteristics in success. Her effort, along with my giving of about 4 hours a week after work for a month, led to her going from a shy 7th grader to a successful 8th grader. I am very happy for her.
Second, is the story of Nagamatsu. A young 7th grade boy who just moved to kasuya from Kagoshima. No friends, no way to connect to his surroundings in a new school except the desire to try and learn basketball (from the very very very beginning). The other 4 starters (all 7th graders) have played since elementary school, but he is a beginner. What he lacks in skill, he makes up for in hustle. He is a great example to the whole team that defense and rebounding is "want to". He earned the respect of his team mates in less than 3 months of playing basketball.
And the both of these kids earned my respect. It is so amazing seeing kids exhibit qualities that we as adults seem to forget sometimes. Hard work. Practice. Putting feelings and comfort levels to the side. Even realizing that its ok to do something different. These are all things that i am allowed to learn everyday...as a teacher and as a basketball coach.
B.T.W. I installed a 2nd offense DURING A GAME. Tell me kids dont learn quickly.
Lets start with a 15 year old girl named Murashima. She has for two year tried to win the Kasuya Gun english speech contest. This year, she won it. She doesnt strike you as the kind of girl that enjoys getting infront of people and speaking, but she does quietly have a strong work ethic. She understands that practice and listening along with making the most of the moment are all necessary characteristics in success. Her effort, along with my giving of about 4 hours a week after work for a month, led to her going from a shy 7th grader to a successful 8th grader. I am very happy for her.
Second, is the story of Nagamatsu. A young 7th grade boy who just moved to kasuya from Kagoshima. No friends, no way to connect to his surroundings in a new school except the desire to try and learn basketball (from the very very very beginning). The other 4 starters (all 7th graders) have played since elementary school, but he is a beginner. What he lacks in skill, he makes up for in hustle. He is a great example to the whole team that defense and rebounding is "want to". He earned the respect of his team mates in less than 3 months of playing basketball.
And the both of these kids earned my respect. It is so amazing seeing kids exhibit qualities that we as adults seem to forget sometimes. Hard work. Practice. Putting feelings and comfort levels to the side. Even realizing that its ok to do something different. These are all things that i am allowed to learn everyday...as a teacher and as a basketball coach.
B.T.W. I installed a 2nd offense DURING A GAME. Tell me kids dont learn quickly.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Palin hits the airwaves
So when she is about to be vice president, she has no time for the media. She loses and now she becomes a g*d d**n reality show.
The precise reason i have turned on my tv exactly twice since the election last week.
My goodness.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Greatest 5 rap collaborations ever
I wanted to make a list of the greatest rap collaborations of all time if for no other reason than to have links to them all in the same place.
One thing i truly miss about rap, songs where tons of different rappers get together to make one song, sharing bars.
5
4
3
2
1
One thing i truly miss about rap, songs where tons of different rappers get together to make one song, sharing bars.
5
4
3
2
1
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The matrix
I know there is a matrix.
I know it now. I am free to write what i feel in a "free" world, so I will write it.
I notice that many people are not in tune with the world around them. I think many people dont care to be in tune with the world around them.
It is great that we have a black (half white half kenyan) president. I hope he can fulfill his promises.
But that is a world very far away from the real worlds that most of us live in. It is a symbol of the progress that we must make happen in our own daily lives and in our ways of thinking.
I admit that i am not as progressive when it comes to gay rights as i could be. Prehaps i just need to meet a gay person to better explain to me the issues at stake.
But what is important is that we are willing to continue to challenge our views of things. We must be more able and willing today than yesterday to live outside of our own comfort zones.
The world is changing faster than people think that it is. In good ways and in bad ways. Yet many people believe that if they know little of the problems that plague africa, central asia, the carribean and so on, then those problems dont exist. They take refuge in watching garbage on fox and mtv. Blasting recycled, remixed, retooled, uncreative, uninspired music from their different yet matching ipods.
We elect a black president and think we have done something. The work STARTS now. We owe people. People we dont know and havent met yet. People who havent been born yet. People who havent waken up yet.
When a person can openly honestly admit that their live is primarily about becoming rich at any cost, their pursuit of wealth costs someone else. With so many in the pursuit of material wealth, many others are left to want. In america we learn that those without arent willing to work. What the real truth is, is that greed trumps all other feelings when dealing with people. It clouds the conscience.
Greed as in, i want to be rich. as in, my looks are the most important thing to me. As in, i want people to know that i am the best dresser and stay in style. As in, look at my car and my house and you can see how important i am.
I have said it before and will continue to say it. I hate materialism. It is a symbol of the failure of humanity. A scourge to humanity. A planet of human beings who have come to value something other than humanity the most. A planet of people who judge people on their culture, sex, skin color. A planet of people who classify themselves who by country they were born in, where their parents came from, what foods they eat and dont eat, what the name of their god is.
All of these things cloud people from thinking the most important thing; how does my listening to this ipod everyday help the human race as a whole? How does me buying the large house made of plastic from sweat shops in asia help the human race as a whole? How does me buy a 200 dollar button down shirt worth a wholesale price of less than 10 dollars help the human race as a whole?
Its like the high school student who procrastinates on his homework until he has so much that he cant catch up.
How long can we live super extravagent lifestyles at the cost of the rest of the world? How long before they get tired of it?
Worse yet, what kind of world would it be if everyone tried to live like americans?
There is the matrix. Thinking that a car a house, a six figure income, 3 weeks vacation, and an extended wardrobe is the culmination of life.
I hate to believe this, but i think soon, americans will get a more real experience about the things in life that are the MOST important. The people that choose to help them survive.
People are too slow at adapting to change. And if we dont get better at it, we will soon find that darwin theory applies to not only individual humans, but to all of human kind as well.
Money cant by protection from every thing.
I know it now. I am free to write what i feel in a "free" world, so I will write it.
I notice that many people are not in tune with the world around them. I think many people dont care to be in tune with the world around them.
It is great that we have a black (half white half kenyan) president. I hope he can fulfill his promises.
But that is a world very far away from the real worlds that most of us live in. It is a symbol of the progress that we must make happen in our own daily lives and in our ways of thinking.
I admit that i am not as progressive when it comes to gay rights as i could be. Prehaps i just need to meet a gay person to better explain to me the issues at stake.
But what is important is that we are willing to continue to challenge our views of things. We must be more able and willing today than yesterday to live outside of our own comfort zones.
The world is changing faster than people think that it is. In good ways and in bad ways. Yet many people believe that if they know little of the problems that plague africa, central asia, the carribean and so on, then those problems dont exist. They take refuge in watching garbage on fox and mtv. Blasting recycled, remixed, retooled, uncreative, uninspired music from their different yet matching ipods.
We elect a black president and think we have done something. The work STARTS now. We owe people. People we dont know and havent met yet. People who havent been born yet. People who havent waken up yet.
When a person can openly honestly admit that their live is primarily about becoming rich at any cost, their pursuit of wealth costs someone else. With so many in the pursuit of material wealth, many others are left to want. In america we learn that those without arent willing to work. What the real truth is, is that greed trumps all other feelings when dealing with people. It clouds the conscience.
Greed as in, i want to be rich. as in, my looks are the most important thing to me. As in, i want people to know that i am the best dresser and stay in style. As in, look at my car and my house and you can see how important i am.
I have said it before and will continue to say it. I hate materialism. It is a symbol of the failure of humanity. A scourge to humanity. A planet of human beings who have come to value something other than humanity the most. A planet of people who judge people on their culture, sex, skin color. A planet of people who classify themselves who by country they were born in, where their parents came from, what foods they eat and dont eat, what the name of their god is.
All of these things cloud people from thinking the most important thing; how does my listening to this ipod everyday help the human race as a whole? How does me buying the large house made of plastic from sweat shops in asia help the human race as a whole? How does me buy a 200 dollar button down shirt worth a wholesale price of less than 10 dollars help the human race as a whole?
Its like the high school student who procrastinates on his homework until he has so much that he cant catch up.
How long can we live super extravagent lifestyles at the cost of the rest of the world? How long before they get tired of it?
Worse yet, what kind of world would it be if everyone tried to live like americans?
There is the matrix. Thinking that a car a house, a six figure income, 3 weeks vacation, and an extended wardrobe is the culmination of life.
I hate to believe this, but i think soon, americans will get a more real experience about the things in life that are the MOST important. The people that choose to help them survive.
People are too slow at adapting to change. And if we dont get better at it, we will soon find that darwin theory applies to not only individual humans, but to all of human kind as well.
Money cant by protection from every thing.
I realize that my romantic views of l ove...
...are a bit outdated.
Since high school I have really had only one critera for the person that loves me...
love me for who I am and not what i am.
Here i am 16 years later single and not anywhere close to love.
I had a girl tell me that she used to love me, but she doesnt anymore (understandable). But when asked "When did she stop loving me?" She answers, "I cant remember, but I just dont love you now."
My first reaction to that is, Does she even know what love is? What it really means? One issue i have with japanese language/culture is that there is no really word for love.
The use 好き、ラブラブ、or 愛する。 But the first is a mix of like and love. Like I love chocolate and romantic movies love. The second is more like having a crush on someone. And the third one no one ever uses.
I am not really so disappointed about her not loving me as much as i am irritated at her saying that once she did. It feels like she is saying it to ease her own conscience. No matter.
What i am learning is that i can do now what i once thought i couldnt. Live without being loved.
Sure my family says they love me, then go a month without any communication. Sure a girl can say she loves black men so she wants to date me. Sure my kids will say "i love Monte", but i mean the kind of love that i grew up feeling. That mom taking the last bit of money in her pocket to buy my some shoes or sacrifice an hour or two to let me play ball at the park. The love that came for the pride she had signing my report card and promising me the dinner of my choice for straight A's.
That kind of love exists no more.
It was kinda difficult for me to get used to the idea that i would never find love as just a normal black man, being responsible and going to work daily. Not rich but with enough to be crafty and please a woman. I now see that this means little to the world of women chasing Brad Pitts, Micheal Jordans, and Will Smiths.
So after a few years of waiting and wishing, i realize that the lovethat my mother gave me was one of a kind. And I would find anyone to love me near that much again. And maybe it is this that give me an advantage in my career goals.
Maybe emotional attachment is weakness. It is very possible that is the case.
Should that be the case or not, the last 7 years of emotional solitude have made me stronger. At times i feel like a forgotten warrior. Knowing that no help will come for me and I alone most find my way.
So to anyone who has any disagreements with how i have chosen to live my life...
..Fuck off.
Shalom to everyone else.
Since high school I have really had only one critera for the person that loves me...
love me for who I am and not what i am.
Here i am 16 years later single and not anywhere close to love.
I had a girl tell me that she used to love me, but she doesnt anymore (understandable). But when asked "When did she stop loving me?" She answers, "I cant remember, but I just dont love you now."
My first reaction to that is, Does she even know what love is? What it really means? One issue i have with japanese language/culture is that there is no really word for love.
The use 好き、ラブラブ、or 愛する。 But the first is a mix of like and love. Like I love chocolate and romantic movies love. The second is more like having a crush on someone. And the third one no one ever uses.
I am not really so disappointed about her not loving me as much as i am irritated at her saying that once she did. It feels like she is saying it to ease her own conscience. No matter.
What i am learning is that i can do now what i once thought i couldnt. Live without being loved.
Sure my family says they love me, then go a month without any communication. Sure a girl can say she loves black men so she wants to date me. Sure my kids will say "i love Monte", but i mean the kind of love that i grew up feeling. That mom taking the last bit of money in her pocket to buy my some shoes or sacrifice an hour or two to let me play ball at the park. The love that came for the pride she had signing my report card and promising me the dinner of my choice for straight A's.
That kind of love exists no more.
It was kinda difficult for me to get used to the idea that i would never find love as just a normal black man, being responsible and going to work daily. Not rich but with enough to be crafty and please a woman. I now see that this means little to the world of women chasing Brad Pitts, Micheal Jordans, and Will Smiths.
So after a few years of waiting and wishing, i realize that the lovethat my mother gave me was one of a kind. And I would find anyone to love me near that much again. And maybe it is this that give me an advantage in my career goals.
Maybe emotional attachment is weakness. It is very possible that is the case.
Should that be the case or not, the last 7 years of emotional solitude have made me stronger. At times i feel like a forgotten warrior. Knowing that no help will come for me and I alone most find my way.
So to anyone who has any disagreements with how i have chosen to live my life...
..Fuck off.
Shalom to everyone else.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The other side.
You know that old saying "when given lemons, make lemonade", they must be talking about obama taking the presidency, because George Bush is handing him a bucket full of lemons.
A bushel.
I think it is important for us all to have realistic expectiations.
There is a major monetary crisis happening now. I dont totally understand it, but when I see the value of the euro, canadian dollar, new zeland dollar and the australia dollar all concurrently lose 30 percent of their value to the yen, something is going on.
I can help but feel that obama will be an administration that will have to preside over a nation in crisis. Much like Abrahm Lincoln. As a matter of fact, i bet Pres. Bush cant wait until January 20.
Now where can i buy some gold again?
A bushel.
I think it is important for us all to have realistic expectiations.
There is a major monetary crisis happening now. I dont totally understand it, but when I see the value of the euro, canadian dollar, new zeland dollar and the australia dollar all concurrently lose 30 percent of their value to the yen, something is going on.
I can help but feel that obama will be an administration that will have to preside over a nation in crisis. Much like Abrahm Lincoln. As a matter of fact, i bet Pres. Bush cant wait until January 20.
Now where can i buy some gold again?
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