Joy that needs a voice

If you hear beautiful music, the next words out of our mouths are "listen to this". Or when you see the sun glint on the fresh snow you probably say "look at that"! Or if you have a piece of chocolate, isn't it almost immediate we say "mmmmmm, taste this"?

These are all ways we express joy. The thing about Joy is that you want to share it with somebody else. Joy is not something we can keep bottled up inside. It is joy that brings us together in this season to share and give with others.

Joy is not the same thing as happiness. Happiness, as the word implies, happens. Joy transcends happiness and goes deeper. We can experience joy even in the midst of great hardship. Sometimes that joy helps sustain us, and can help sustain others. And then there are those times we are so "pregnant" with joy so wonderful that it just has to come out.

What gives you joy? I've found times when I'm so "pregnant" with joy that I have a perma-grin. Spending time with family overseas that I don't get to see often, skiing in the Alps, discussing deep questions with my Confirmation students, or making new connections with people all develop my joy. My soul magnifies my joy!

What brings you joy? Does the stock market bring you joy? Or the Tuesday evening show lineup? A young child learning the alphabet? Someone who is in a hospital who shares words that touch your soul? Joy is found in the common, ordinary things of our lives.

Joy is good for you, and good for the world. May you find joy in the everyday occurences of your life as we enter the New Year!

Peace,
The Gust

Posted in: on Thursday, December 31, 2009 at at 3:48 PM 2 comments  

Blurry Season

This time of year is normally filled with Christmas carols, white snow and massive amounts of anything edible. Snowman are out and in full swing making many winter wonderland appearances while Christmas presents are being bought and ripped open at a rapid pace. Smiles, alcohol and a good amount of laughs are passed around like a peace pipe on an Indian reservation. Overall it’s a good time to be around friends and family and catch up on some of the happenings of the past year, regardless of how far you have to travel to see some of them.


Christmas time or even winter time is a good time for the winter advocate or the closet skier to get out and enjoy. Hopefully you live in the northern hemisphere and get to enjoy the winter sensations but even if you don’t you can still feel that “Christmas feeling” in the air.

I just wanted to make a quick note and I hope everyone got to feel that special feeling and got to see everyone they wanted to see during their few mandatory days off this winter.
*raises glass quickly*

Cheers to Christmas time… can’t wait for your drinking buddy “New Years Eve” to come along next. Shit, what to drink? Guess I have to go shopping again, but this time to the liquor store, haha…

Ciao-

Posted in: , , , , , , , , on Monday, December 28, 2009 at at 9:11 AM 2 comments  

Radical amazement

As we enter the Advent and Christmas season, we have a renewed opportunity to experience rebirth. As we wait expectantly for the birth of a Jewish baby who would grow into an inspiring rabbi, I am reminded of the insistent message of a modern Jewish rabbi about radical amazement.

Abraham Heschel was a Jewish rabbi who was born in Warsaw, Poland and who escaped to England before the start of World War II. Heschel immigrated to the United States and taught at Jewish Theological Seminary. Heschel participated in Christian-Jewish dialogues and was very involved in the Civil Rights movement. Rabbi Heschel wrote that the greatest obstacle to knowledge is our attachment to conventional notions or mental clichés. We take things for granted. What Heschel said we desperately need is radical amazement, which means being maladjusted to conventional notions.

That's right: it can be good to be maladjusted to the way we always have seen things because then we can see the world and our lives afresh.

Radical amazement is what happens when you look at a gorgeous sunset and suddenly are amazed not just at the colors but also at the very ability to see! Radical amazement happens when you not only hear beautiful music but also are amazed at the ability to hear and enjoy at all! Radical amazement refers not so much to what we know as to that we know. Radical amazement gets at the root wonder of being here at all.

As civilization advances, Heschel said, our sense of wonder declines. We take things for granted. Yet Heschel insisted that a life without wonder is not worth living. What we lack is not so much a will to believe as a will to wonder. We have the chance for radical amazement again. Our home computers are more powerful than themainframes that NASA used to land a man on the moon yet we often complain about the slowness of a program. We sit on an airplane for a few hours to travel to the coast, yet we complain about a line for boarding. We turn on electric lights for granted without giving thanks for them. Who ever stares with wonder at a light bulb? Yet a candle flame can stir up in us a sense of wonder so weapproach our life with freshness.

At this time of year we tend to light candles. We slow down for a moment to wonder at the flame. I believe our Advent and Christmas seasons are a success even if we only experience a moment of radical amazement. Radical amazement can open our hearts to the wonder of that little Jewish baby asleep in a manger so many years ago.

Radical amazement can open our eyes to see the gift of the people who are now around us. Radical amazement can open our hands to reach out to others who, like us, share the same hopes, desires, and dreams of mankind.

During this Advent and Christmas season there are many opportunities for busyness and frantic activity. We may enjoy those activities and even thrive in them. There are also occasions where people keenly notice the emptiness of loved ones who have died or moved on. We may feel saddened by those losses. Through all the ups and downs, may everyone have a chance to help one another re-discover ourselves in this season of radical amazement!

Peace,
T-Blogger

Posted in: on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Live your life

Written above are 3 simple words that are actually quite easy to say, but rather hard to follow. Many people talk about trying to do fun things and go cool places, but I feel like very few of us succeed in doing so. Many of us repeatedly step up to the plate and all we hear is the ball fly by us while the umpire screams, “you’re out!!”

Why do so many of us fail to hit the ball or even swing the bat. I guess half the battle is getting in the batters box, but the other have is finishing what you started to do. Good intentions don’t get you anywhere in life. You need to finish what you started, you need to do what you said you were going to do and live your life the bet way possible.


What do I even mean by living your life? Well, to put it simple, “enjoy your life”, but those words don’t add much clarity as people will settle with what they have and tell you time and again they are enjoying their lives. But who are they kidding? Are they really? I guess it’s not your nor mine place to say yes or no, but it is quite easy to read between the lines and see who is getting in the batters box and swinging and who is still riding pine.

You need to be able to wake up every morning and be excited about your life, your accomplishments and what lies ahead of you in your path. You owe it to yourself to have the best life possible. So why not have it?

You would truly be surprised how fun your life can be if you just let it be fun. IF you smile a bit more everyday and do a few more fun things here and there. Get out and go for a walk in the park, see your favorite movie, drink your favorite wine (and maybe have too much), laugh hard and loud without caring when and where you are and most importantly live your life.

Too often we see mid-life crises, or people that have breakdowns. We push ourselves too far to the edge and finally we do fall over. I don’t think we need to slow down, but I do think we should smell the fuckin damn roses once in awhile. I mean why not? Plan for doing something fun. Now this doesn’t mean plan a specific time for fun, but rather have fun in doing more things. Expect everything to go well, more often than not, how you think about a particular task, errand, person, whatever…, will make it that much more enjoyable in the end…

Try this, trust me…

Bamer-

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , , on Friday, November 27, 2009 at at 10:37 AM 2 comments  

Why not be gay?

Ok, ok, the title isn't the best, but at least it got you to read this far.. haha, sucker.

No but to be serious for half a second, have you ever thought about being gay? Has this thought ever trickled into your mind or have you ever had a tiny urge to try? Watch, talk about it, whatever?

Before you start getting all these weird ideas in your head about why I could be possibly talking about this, let me explain a few things. First and foremost just think about any gay friends that you have or possibly have known through out your life or maybe ones that are still currently in it. Do bad thoughts come to mind or are you giggling because you are remembering how cool and laid back your buddy is.

Chances are you are smiling because probably a pretty high percentage of the ones you know are super cool and fun-loving, easy to get along with dudes. (I will talk from the gay standpoint and not the lesbian one, because I know more gay guys) These guys tend to be the ones that simply genuinely nice. They are normally gentlemen are always making you smile or laugh.

I got to hand it to them, first of all it's not that easy to come out of the closet in today's society where it's not particularly easy to do so. Not everyone is a gay lover and there are still quite a few gay-haters (making up words now) that are out there. I tip my hat to them, because not only do they have to come to grips with something that is not socially excepted, at least not right away and then on top of it they don't have as many potentional suitors to chose from. But even after all the adversity they tend to be cool dudes.

As was recently explained to me, "Gay guys have the best of both worlds, they are caring like a women but yet chilled out like a guy..." And after hearing this I couldn't help but not my head in total agreeance. I mean being gay is a pretty good mix of the desired traits from either sex. Cleaner, more dependable than most straight males, whether that is with actually cleaning or personal hygene, I believe in my experience it holds true. And yet they still have that respect and caring that normal so desire from women. Not a bad combo.

This blog isn't really about my lust to start batting for the other team but rather a simple observation about the switch-hitters of the world. Kudo's to them for going against the grain of society and being happy. I mean I don't have statistics in front of me, but I would be willing to guess that gay couples having lower divorce rates then heterosexual couples.That in itself says something.

Alright, enough of the random gay rant, but I just wanted to give a shout out to the "switch-hitters" of the world, keep on rockin it.

Next batter please...

Bamer~

Posted in: , , , , , , , , on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at at 4:09 PM 4 comments  

Cultivate goodness

As Luke stated, I'm "the new guy" around here. My focus tends to be on what I'd call "earthy spirituality." I draw hope and inspiration from what happens around us in our everyday lives and how we are all inter-connected.


As I look at my life and at the world around me, I sometimes struggle with the slowness of change. I get frustrated at the slow changes that take place to bring about help to the people who need a hand up in life. I get frustrated at the slow changes in our society for healthy priorities in politics.

And then I look at my own life, where change is often even more agonizingly slow. When I want to make changes in how I speak or act or think, I find that old habits die hard. It seems difficult to root out all the old, bad habits personally and societally. Awhile ago I re-read some thoughts that Martin Luther King wrote nearly 50 years ago, and which I find helpful for our day as well. King wrote: "Concentrate not on the eradication of evil but on the cultivation of virtue... Evil will not be driven out, but crowded out."

This has struck a chord for me. If we focus on the bad things happening around us, we become problem-centered. However, if we focus ourselves on nurturing goodness and mercy, then these positive attributes become the center of our lives. It becomes overwhelming for us to try to root out all the evils around us, and we can lose hope. However, if we focus our efforts on cultivating acceptance, generosity, and understanding in little ways together, we will make a difference! We will, in effect, crowd out evil. Jesus Christ did not get rid of sin and evil when he died on the cross nearly 2,000 years ago. However, He crowded out their power by displaying God's deep love for us. We still deal with the effects of sin and evil, but we have confidence that they will not have ultimate power for us.

This focus on cultivating virtue rather than on eradicating evil seems helpful to me. This focus on crowding out the power of evil by focusing on joy seems more open to the earthy lives we lead, and more hopeful and realistic about what we are able to do in our day. This focus on cultivating goodness can help us to see the assets in our lives and the world around us, and then work to improve and build on them. Let us resolve together to focus not solely on rooting out evil, but on nurturing and cultivating goodness!

Posted in: on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at at 10:02 PM 3 comments  

New look, new rules...

So I am looking around and all I see is cobwebs on here, yes I know it's been awhile since I have posted a blog, but I want to get back to it soon. You will continue to find the same humor and overall awesomeness in future blogs to come, I promise, but the next time it will be with new rules and a different perspective thrown into the mix.

What do I mean?

Well I want to introduce another auther on here: The Gust or T-blogger, or a number of different aliases, but either way there will be 2 different bloggers on this site.... muwahaha! Hopefully we can invoke even more discussion on here and bring more crazy views besides just my wacky ramblings.

Just a heads up for new things on the horizon, because a little variety is great. Maybe that's why we have different guys and girls that we fuck, kiss, screw  date over the course of our crazy journeys.

Catch soon with more random rants.

Caio-

Posted in: , , , , , on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at at 8:38 AM 3 comments  

Being a guy

You ever think about, regardless of if you are a male or female, what it’s like being a guy? I can speak from personal experience and I would just like to take a moment and explain a few reasons why it’s good to be a guy. Hopefully you will get a chuckle out of this, I know I did when I thought about a few things this morning when I got out of bed.

The “meh…attitude.”
What I mean by this is that guys have an uncanny ability to just say ‘meh’ about a lot of decisions we make on a daily basis. I know that women can do this too, but guys do this on a extremely regular basis in my opinion. Think of this, “what should I wear today?” Well we could put a great deal of time into this if we wanted to but we rarely do, at least outside of the metrosexuals on the world. “…This is a cool green shirt, and this orange hat fits nice so I’ll wear that while I rock out in my sweatpants… she shouldn’t mind, we are just going to a movie…” This is a conversation we have many times with ourselves. It’s the ‘meh’ attitude. Clean my room or play video games? Wow, did I even just have that thought pass through my head? Video games, next…

Peeing anywhere
Duuuuude, we can go to the bathroom whenever wherever we want to. Bathroom in a restaurant, no problem. In the corner of a crowded street on the side of a building, piece of cake. Fishing on a boat in the middle of lake while trying to aim that little guy into a plastic cup, simple. We are actually pretty handy with that little guy and I am happy everyday that I wake up and see that I still have a hose to use. Very multifunctional. Watch this!
How many times have you heard a guy say this? Haha, I just laugh thinking about the stupid stuff I did after a statement like this. Now flip that thought and think of how many girls compared to the number of guys you just pictured also say this? I would be surprised if you said half. Guys just like to do dumb things, we get cheap thrills out of bottle rockets, firecrackers, fast cars, things that make you hurt, etc. We are programmed as well to push any limit that we see. Speed limit, haha what is it again? Alcohol limit, we can drink well over that, in fact lets buy a breathalyzer to measure our progress. Do I need to say more?

Simple pleasures
Girls probably know what I mean when I say this. Guys can find pleasure anywhere.. (ohh, butterfly.. ahh where was I…?) How many times have you tried to talk to your guy and he is watching T.V.? And of those times how many times has he responded with an intelligent answer? The percentage is one that would probably represent the amount of PSI you need in your bike tire, not much. We get pleasure out of the dumbest things. Take, for example, a ball. Guys can play for hours upon hours with a ball and be completely content. We have sports designed around ever weird shaped ball in the world, I swear. (who made the wiffle ball anyways??)

I could make this list 100 pages long, but I just want to take a moment and remember why I love being a guy. All these stupid things make us who we are, and I wouldn’t change anything for the world.

Greetz-

Posted in: , , , , , , on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at at 1:15 PM 10 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse Part 4

Fast forward to the end of the season...


That team who started with their first ever victory this season in their 3rd game of the year ended up finishing 3-3 for the season, while showing massive improvements in stick, team and hustle. Their only loss, suffered after that first win against Basel was against Zurich, the reigning champions of this league (SLL) for the last 2 years running. This is actually only technically the 3rd season the Swiss Lacrosse League has been in existence so it's safe to say the powerhouse is Zurich.

The Herzogenbuchsee boys finished with an impressive dismantling of Fribourg 17-0, and another win against Bern 9-2 en route to their 3-3 finish on the season. Remember this is a team that didn't even think of winning more than maybe a game has come a long way, both on the field and off the field as you can really feel the chemistry starting to develop as the friendships get better and the skills hone in.

What once looked like just a bunch of guys has now started to turn into a hard-hitting, ground ball winning, fast team. They have had 4 games now under their belts and are hungry and awaiting the post season which is just around the corner. This will actually be the first post-season where they have a chance to play more than 1 game and out, and you can feel some of the excitement that is building up to the 1st playoff game that is scheduled against Bern.

Bern is probably one of the most hungry teams in the league that wants to beat the boys of Herzogenbuchsee, because Bern has been downed by the Herzogenbuchsee Iroquois team 3 times already in 2009. Once in league play and 2 times in a tournament where they squared off. The score for 2009 stands at H'buchsee 3 - Bern 0. The total goals for each team are H'buchsee 19 - Bern 7. With the closest of the games coming in a 3-1 victory for the Iroquois.

Either way it's setting to be a good first round match up where either team could walk off the field with their heads held high and their arms in the air as they are pretty evenly matched. Wish the team some luck, it's the next big test for the boys of H'buchsee.

Will be back to continue after the 1st playoff game...

[to be continued]

Posted in: , , , , , , , on Friday, September 25, 2009 at at 2:49 PM 1 comments  

Awesome List Part 1



  1. Finding $20 under your seat when you finally decide it's time to clean your car, awesome!

  2. Girlfriend comes over when your out doing something and she cleans your room and then decides the dishes need to be cleaned too, awesome!

  3. Mom sends a care package filled with candy and cash when you're at school, awesome!

  4. You just beat Call of Duty 4 on PS3, awesome!

  5. Girlfriend calls to tell you she loves you after she was surprised to see the flowers you sent her, regardless that you didn't actually send them and there was a mix-up, awesome!

  6. Gas drops 25 cents in one day, awesome!
  7. Sale on your favorite chocolate at the store, awesome!

  8. Girlfriend finds a sale on new lingerie, wears them later that night and shows you, awesome!

  9. Road head, awesome!

  10. You are a girl and your tire blows out on your car in the middle of nowhere, but just as you think 'fuck' and get out of your car a hot guy stops by to change it for you and offers to take you to dinner later, awesome!

That's my first list of awesome things. I will continue this and hopefully you have some awesome things that you could add to the list? Let me know if you liked the first list or if it at least made you giggle?

Have an awesome day!

Posted in: , , , , , , , , on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at at 10:22 AM 8 comments  

Jealousy, it's here to stay...

The feeling of jealousy, where does it come from? Why does it creep into our thoughts and sneak up on us when we least expect it? It's like a lingering bad guy that just waits and waits and waits, hoping for the right moment to show itself comes along. It's the bad guy that you love to hate, the one that is truly 'unwelcome'.


We all have this feeling programmed into our brains and hardwired into our systems better than a mother board into it's computer. We actually can't really get rid of it, only suppress it. However there are some of us who express feeling no jealousy at all, but these are the lucky few. Jealousy is something that is seen at a very young age in children even. Think of a 2 year old when they realize that they are about to have a baby sister, or when they finally think about having to share their toys, food, or even their own mother with another baby. This is why we need to teach children at such a young age to share toys, their mother, their fathers, etc.

Jealousy is something that is reinforced in society and even sometimes put on a pedestal. We back jealousy by saying to everyone, "Look.. there is a soul mate out there for you and you will find them..." Give me a break, seriously? We set up jealousy on a silver platter, no wonder people get jealous when they think they found Ms. Perfect. I would be protective as well if I thought there was one and ONLY one out there. (By the sarcasm in my voice you can tell I don't believe in this all that much, understatement) In fact I can take this one step further, we even justify jealousy in our society. I read about some old court cases in Texas that involved a man killing his wife for cheating on him and he wasn't found guilty for murder?? How does that work? Obviously things have changed a bit and today he would have been accused of murder, but still, that was only back in the 1970's.

Jealousy is not a rational impulse folks, but it is a human one. It is thought of by some researchers as a primitive feeling, one that helps explain the fight or flight instinct we have programmed in us, which originally came from a time when safety and survival were scarce. But I don't really want to go in that direction concerning jealousy.

I want to talk about jealousy in and of itself and the fact that it has and will always be there. It will wait for a moment to rear it's ugly head and take control of you in the littlest ways by eating at you. Maybe you catch an extra glance or a small hug that lingers a bit too long? Then instantly that thought pops into your head that something could be going on and you start entertaining the idea. Why do you do this though? Before you know it you start getting angry and making small comments and stupid remarks all because of this tiny feeling of jealousy, despite everything pointing the other direction. Yes jealousy can get you all messed up, so the best thing to do is to try and stay rational, to try and not act upon emotion or instantaneously pass judgement. Take a breath, relax, let the jealousy monster pass, because more often than not it's not worth it.

And jealousy isn't something you are going to avoid and it's not about how or when it happens, but it's how you deal with it that does.

Last point, the thing that can combat this feeling is trust. We need trust and have to have it, it helps control the feeling of jealousy...

Trust me...

[end rant]

Ciao~

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at at 3:46 PM 0 comments  

Women: The curse

Women are great, they are remarkable and they can get men to do amazing things. We would go to the "moon and back" for women or try to accomplish the impossible, with certain failure being inevitable. But if you look at the flip side, they can drag us to the depths of hell with the most innocent of looks, the tiniest kiss or the flirtatious batting of the eyes. Women can even commit crimes without even lifting a finger, hell we do it for them... all they have to do is ask.


Every guy knows it's true and everyone has had an instance where they have gone against all morals, all good reasoning and judgement to do something for a girl. I can't even tell you the amount of times where a 'cute look' has gotten me to do something stupid for a girl. It's not even like we have to do it for love or because we need too, we do it because "she" asked. I mean tell that to the judge when you get caught for stealing a rose from someones garden, all just to impress a girl.

I would like to say that we think with our heads most of the time, but with women for sure we think with the wrong head 85% of the time when doing these stupid things. Men are dumb, dumb creatures at times and we can be persuaded to do even stupider things when asked by a cute girl.

Girls will for sure shave their legs, starve themselves, dress cute for us, but guys will lie, steal, cheat, murder and even give our right 'you know what' for you.
[...but I still like them..]

Posted in: , , , , , , on Monday, September 21, 2009 at at 10:32 AM 9 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse Part 3

Down.....Set....... *whistle*


The first faceoff was a clean win for us, not a bad way to start. We moved the ball down the field and got everything settled down by working the ball around the outside perimeter. There was a comfortable feeling already taking over, even after the first minute and the guys seemed excited to be playing and even more so to deploy their newly acquired skills that they had learned over the previous 1.5 months.

A few more passes, a pick here and there and the game started to open up for us in the offensive zone. A few guys had some early open looks, but nothing found the back of the net. The confidence at this point was building and you could feel it, I mean even the 30 or so fans that turned up were started to get a bit excited. You could tell that the guys had raised the bar and the expectations of the team were somehow nothing less than a victory for this game against Basel. I don't think the guys wanted to settle for less...

A few more changes of possession happened, our defense stood tall, and then finally after about 9 minutes of play there was a quick play from up top to a down low cutter by the crease and the ball flew past the goalie, top right, for a quick 1-0 score. There was a big celebration on the field as this team wasn't really known for it's scoring capabilities prior to this game. (3 or 4 goals total the entire season up to this point)

Herzogenbuchsee seemed to get a huge lift from that first goal and it never seemed to let up. The next faceoff was a clean win again, in fact I don't think Basel had won a single one the whole day? Today wasn't about Basel, it was about the Iroquois H'buchsee boys showing themselves that they were better than what the 2 previous years had shown, and the score quickly showed it. After one quarter it was 4-0 in favor of the Iroquois. That was equal to their entire years total with all the other games combined.

The next 2 quarters went by extremely fast with only a few penalties from each side creating the stoppages. I just kept telling the guys to keep giving it 110%, don't stop, every ball is ours and we were going to make sure we didn't give them a chance to get back into the game. Perhaps it was a bit much to tell them to keep putting them in the net, but the guys earned the right in my eyes to show what they could do, to show what they had learned.

9-2 after 3 quarters, the guys could feel the upper hand that they had at this point. All they had to do keep up the same intensity and hang on for one more quarter and they would have their first victory of their clubs existence. A pretty good feat for a group of guys that just thought this sport looked cool a couple years earlier and decided one day to buy some sticks...
The last quarter was a good one and hard fought, but it was obvious what the outcome was going to be as Basel slowly got out-hustled to the ground balls and in turn watch their chances to win the game slip away.

*whistle* game over... end score 14-2 in favor of the home team. Happy faces all around, hugs, handshakes and a job well done.

Finally I felt a big relief and deep breath find it's way out of my lungs. The first test was over, but it was just the beginning...
(To be continued)

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at at 1:06 PM 5 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse Part 2

August 9th, 2009.


My first game with the team since I took over coaching Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse in Switzerland. It was the first real test my boys were going up against since I had tried to teach them the basics of this sport and the basics of team play and camaraderie. It was the the first test for me as a trainer, the game had a whole bunch of meanings for me. I was filled with a whole bunch of different emotions as we took the field and started to warm up before the game. Technically we had been at the field for 3 hours already setting everything up, but now people were starting to show up and I was starting to feel the butterflies in my stomach and the anticipation growing from within.

Was a cool feeling overall and nothing like what I had previously felt before. I mean I had never been a "full-time coach" before. I had simply been a helper and an assistant, someone who could help teach but more or less be there to support the coaches wishes. So to me this day had a completely different feel, a feeling of a true reflections on what I had taught the boys over the last 1.5 months or so that we had to prepare for this game.

-I hoped everything I taught them sunk in?
-I hope they remembered everything and didn't let their own emotions get the best of them?
-How was this game going to turn out?

Lots of questions were going to be answered by the end of the day, that was for sure. I half wondered if the boys even knew how to win? I mean they had experienced 2 seasons worth of games without a single win. I mean, sure they had scored some goals, but mostly they had been slaughtered by the other teams in the league. Basically if you had a coach and could throw and catch the ball with a little bit of togetherness and understood some plays, then you could beat the Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse team.

Either way there was nothing more I could do about it now, it was game day, they needed to do it on their own and win for themselves. Just had to apply some of the basics I taught them and they would be alright. Or so I hoped?

Basically the pregame warm up went well and the pre-game prep talk went like this below, however I had to say it in my half-German-half-Swiss slang that I had acquired as there was very few English speakers on the team...

I have a few goals for us guys:
1) Hustle, 110% always
2) Mentality, "Win every ground ball.."
3) Have some fun and play as team, watch each others backs.

And with those three points being said it was already time for the opening faceoffs...

...was I ready?

(To be continued...)

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at at 2:02 PM 6 comments  

Swiss Lacrosse part 1

Lacrosse: A sport that is relatively unknown in Switzerland, but is starting to grow at a rapid pace. A sport of high intensity, filled with big hits, fast shots and full body contact.

This sport is one that I started coaching about 4 months ago in Switzerland and one that I have loved every minute of. Picture this: A group of around 6-10 guys on a regular basis that are trying to throw this little round pellet around as fast as they can without any real indication of which way is actually correct and which way is not. Then enters this American who doesn’t really have much experience, just a little more than a year or so in the states playing Lacrosse, and decides that he wants to help these guys learn to play as a team and not 10 individuals trying to put the ball in the net themselves.

I was definitely not an expert at this sport, but I have a real passion and love for team sports and was fortunate enough to play many team sports growing up in high school and in college. Starting with hockey when I was only 3 years old, which I still play today, along with American football among other sports.

I have had a lot of chances to teach kids before, but never really a full on chance to coach a bunch of guys around the similar age of myself. I mean what could I teach people in America, especially people my same age? Well here it’s different; the concept of team sports isn’t explained as well to them. I see many Europeans as individuals before I see them as a team. The concepts are known, but they don’t practice them, and I know for experience that these are things you need to learn and re-learn to really understand them.

So that was my chance to teach these Swiss guys about Lacrosse. I was bound and determined to take this little Herzogenbuchsee Lacrosse team, which had never won a game before in their team history, and make something out of them. I mean just by looking around that first day I could see that there was talent in the room, but no leadership or any concept of what the word “team” really meant. I mean when you work together it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

To be continued……….

Posted in: , , , , , , , on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at at 9:19 AM 3 comments  

Break in Technology

Finally back after an extended vacation where I got to hang out with the coolest guy in the world.... my dad.


Anyways I was just chilling minding my own business being cool and writing some emails when I got a work related email from a colleague that got me thinking about technology and age and more specifically how they relate. Now this gentleman is about 55 or so and is in the generation above me which means that we have a lot of differing features in the way we read, write, speak, etc. and I think most people would agree that there are huge difference from generation to generation. And after reading this email, for me, that was ever so evident.

While reading this email I got this feeling that this person was extremely angry with someone else, (not me, I was just copied on it) but when I talked to the individual that wrote it he kind of chuckled and laughed explaining that it wasn't supposed to be in an angry tone at all.. I kind of looked puzzled as I thought back to what he had wrote and the tone in which I felt it was written in. Hmm, really was he that oblivious to how the email read?

You can probably all think of a friend that you know that doesn't write emails all that much or writes in one sentence formats, and sometimes that is too much. I have seen as little as 3 or less word answers and the author behind these emails generally thinks that is enough to answer the 4 questions you wrote to them above. Really??

Now email has a many advantages such as; response time, quicker than writing, fast delivery, etc. But there are also disadvantages which include; the inability to always express the tone of your writing (especially if you from an older generation), lost emails or intercepted ones, falsely written email addresses, etc. I mean think about it, we are long overdue for someone to make a "sarcasm color rule," I mean why can't someone make a rule that when you are joking you need to write your comment in green. Pretty simple eh?

Anyways just wanted to chat a bit about the inability for some people to communicate successfully the way they want to through the Internet. For me it's easy to see a generational gap which lines up quite nicely to way people can or can't write emails.

Get with the times old people.... geeez. :P

Posted in: , , , , on Monday, August 24, 2009 at at 2:34 PM 4 comments  

Imagination 2.0

It’s 1988, you are still just a little tyke and you are walking around wearing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle underwear and superman T-shirts covered in ketchup stains. You are sitting in the sandbox playing with your Tonka truck, big yellow style bulldozing toys. Thinking about digging your way to China crosses your mind a few times, but at this age it’s not China, it’s your grandma’s house as you don’t know much else. You start to make noises in your head and mimic the sounds that you think the trucks are supposed to make, it comes out of your mouth in changing pitches of “brrrmmm” and “pshhh” as you push the toy back and forth and make them crash into each other. You have this whole imaginary world going on in your head where everything makes sense, and if it doesn’t who cares, you just assign some imaginary thing to whatever it is that you don’t understand and go along playing some more.

Life is great, life is easy, life is, as explained by Forrest Gump, “Like a box of chocolates, you never know what yer gunna get..” But at this age it doesn’t matter what you get because you are happy with it. And if you don’t have something you want you just make it up in your head with your imagination and go from there. Simple. Easy. Imaginative.

Where does this skill of being imaginative go when we get older? Where does the feeling of being able to be happy with whatever it is that someone sets in front of you go? We seem to lose it, but why?

Is it because we get older and reality hits us? Because we have bills to pay and work to do and the strain of everyday life or everyday realisms hit us like a ton of bricks? We possibly start to trick ourselves that only things that are monetary can bring us happiness. We need to buy this motorcycle or this car to be happy. The trip to the Maldives is the only ways that I would be able to get some relief from everyday life, etc. Why is that, why do we get into this type of rut?


It seems as though the “simply happinesses” that we were once accustomed to having every minute of everyday are now no more. We can’t imagine anymore about digging in the sandbox and trying to get to grandma’s house. Logic seems to get in the way and we know it’s not actually possible and if it was, it sure isn’t realistic. At least not unless you have a tunnel drilling machine. So with that being said, does that mean that we have become too smart to imagine things for happiness? Or the only way we can use our imagination for happiness is for a quick joke or if we are possibly a great inventor?

Who knows, I am just to get to the bottom of one aspect of people being happy because of reasons that don’t revolve around money, physical property or beauty. It seems it’s quite hard to do, especially if you cut out family and friends. Can we be happy by ourselves?

Just something to munch on during your hump day……

Posted in: , , , on Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at at 10:51 AM 7 comments  

The Nickname



















You ever thought about 'nicknames' before?

Like what's in a nickname or where do they come from or why do we give them to people?

When I start to think back to some of the nicknames we games to people alot of them were indicative of the type of person that we, we being his friends, perceived him as. My group of friends would pick names that were quite obvious most of the time and it was pretty easy for an outsider to figure out why we called someone "Stoney." Or why we called someone else "Whiskey."

But then you have those names which really don't make any sense to an outsider. They are names like "E" or "Turtle" or maybe even "Sally" for another friend. At first you might guess that the first guy likes drugs and the second guy is always slow or late. While the second nickname does hold true, these are actually nicknames from a hip HBO TV series 'Entourage'. (BTW if you haven't seen it, you are missin ' out)

So you have your 'quite clear' nicknames that are self explanatory, then you have your nicknames that are only explainable through a story, but then you also have your third kind which are the ones that are extensions of existing names. (Kind of like Bamer for me, as my last name is Bame) Outside of these three reasons there aren't too many other explanations for nicknames, unless they are pet names from girlfriends or your mom still likes to call you 'peanut' or something, even though you are 6'2'' and weigh in at over 200lbs. :)

Now that we know where they come from a bit, I want to ask the question, "why do we give them to people?"

I think it could be because we want to personalize these important people in our lives and in our inner circles. We want to make them 'ours' so-to-speak. I think we name our friends and family member differently because it places them in a higher status in our own lives. I mean lets be honest, you aren't going to call some friend "flipper" unless you know him really well and you would do anything for him, and vice versa. These silly little names we use stand for more than just some cheap amusement, but they stand for a symbol of some sorts. A symbol that says that they belong in our circle and that they are our friends. And they show that you have a good bond with that person.

What do you think? Why do you think we give people nicknames? Just for fun or for some other subliminal reasons.

Posted in: , , , , , , , , on Thursday, July 30, 2009 at at 10:24 AM 11 comments  

The Metro

Two definitions of a Metro below. Both are quite different, I even think one was written by a metro? Check it out.


1) me·tro·sex·ual [ mèttrō sékshoo əl ] (plural me·tro·sex·uals)

Definition: young straight stylish urban man: a young, straight, sensitive urban man who is unashamed to enjoy good clothes, stylish living, the art of decorating, and improving his personal appearance ( informal ) [mid-20th century.]
2) Definition: A metro sexual is a man who is meticulous about his appearance. He is always in fashion and very well groomed. Some people mistake a metro sexual for a gay guy.


Above are two definitions for the same 'type' of guy. One dictionary depicts it as a guy that is looking to where good clothes and be well groomed. Well what the fuck, that means that I am a metro as well then? I find this definition to have many holes in which doesn't create a very good stance of which to logical have an argument about what is or what isn't because most men would argue that they fit those above points, no?
And the second definition talks about a fashionable, well groomed man that people think is gay. So what are you trying to tell me here, that if I like to look good and care about my clothes that I am a metro and most likely the majority of people peg my sexuality as being homo-istic? Give me a break.

To me both of these definitions are quite problematic, and raise the question of "what is really a metro sexual?" Perhaps you can think of a better definition? Maybe if you change the words of the first definition and add 'in excess' to it, then I could see that one being a bit more correct and having less problems.

Either way, this isn't the point to my random thoughts. Which were brought up when I read a blog about douche bags today from a friend, but that's a whole other topic for another day. :) Today we will keep it on metros and not on the d-bags.

What I wanted to talk about was how there seems to be more and more metros out there nowadays. I see more males with better looking outfits than the women then ever before. I see males with more 'bling' (rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc) then I had previously in the last 3 years combined. These guys must spend at least 2 hours in the mirror before they are ready to go out?

And these metros are getting help from the stores, it's not like they are hand making these $300 dollar jeans by themselves. They go out and buy them at designer shops that pride themselves and making guys look like models/accessory magnets/girls, etc. These stores can price their shirts so high because they know that the metros have money and will dish it out willingly in order to get that shirt with pink strips and a picture of Alice in wonderland on the front. Is that actually fashionable or bit too metro, 'too' meaning a bit on the gay looking side like the second definition above explains? I don't know, you be the judge?

Metro sexuals have lots of money normally, that's how they can afford their expensive shopping habits and their massive amounts of hair gel, not too mention their affection for the most expensive shoes. (Move over girls, your shoe collection my not be the biggest anymore..)

Other guys are out spending money on beer while these metros buy green vodka-red bulls. They smoke cigarettes in an almost 'sexual' way, and you will constantly see them disappear into the restroom to see if their hair still looks good.. AS if the 10kgs of hair gel would let it move?

There is a big plus though in being a metro. You definitely don't have a shortage of girls around, especially the dumb ones that can be persuaded by money easily and eat up your bullshit like its a 4-course meal. You will always see them with other metros as typical guys can't normally handle more than one in their group. (Because for sure he will steal all the girls with his half buttoned shirt and tight jeans, I suppose dropping money like it grows on trees helps?)

Let me know if you notice an ever growing population of metros? I see this in Europe, Switzerland, America, almost everywhere I have been. I am not writing this to say I don't like them but rather that I see more and more of them. It's almost like they multiple right in front of my eyes..

Anyways, check out and see if the next guy that orders a vodka red bull is a metro, chances are he is. And if he doesn't look like it, he probably is a wannabe.. (He just needs a bit of encouragement)

Good night from Switzerland...

Bamer-

Posted in: , , , , , , , on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at at 10:53 PM 5 comments  

Life and Friends

We meet so many people along this crazy road called, "life." We have huge highs and lows along the way and there is never a shortage of friends that are along for the ride as well. Some only jump on the train for a bit, but some how manage to have an impact on you like no other. While others jump on for the whole trip and these are the ones who are always there for us and love the journey, the beer and the friendship that you provide each other. We need these people, we need them so much it's unreal.. Make sure you appreciate them, and that you are appreciated back, but most of all just enjoy the ride.. because the ride wouldn't be the same without them riding shotgun. And the ride won't last forever, we all get off eventually.


Take pictures, welcome new friends and cherish the old ones, and make new experiences everyday of your life. Don't ever let it get dull and remember that you and your friends can make life as good as you want to, it's entirely up to you...

[turns off reggae music and proceeds to 'puff puff pass'..]

Posted in: , , , , , , on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at at 11:43 AM 5 comments  

Stress Level Meter

I have been doing a bit of thinking about this topic lately and a few questions have raised. So I decided to post a few of them below concerning our: Stress Level Meter?

So do you think we have one of these? Do you think that all of us are given some imaginary number inside our brains that is our limit and that dictates how much stress we can handle at any given time? And if pushed over that limit, that's when shjt hits the fan? Who knows, but it's interesting to contemplate.

So I am sitting here (being super cool), and I am wondering what must happen in order for us to finally let the stress in our lives 'get to us'? Do you think that each little thing that happens throughout the day adds to our stress level and once we reach a critical point we break? I mean for example, maybe there is a point system that our body makes up that is catered only to us? Because we both know that certain thinks 'irk' us more than other things... Here, let's make up an imaginary point system. (Maybe even add a few in there yourself?)

[Based on a 100 point system]

Stress Contributors:

  • Spilled coffee on lap: 2 points
  • Locked keys in the car: 11.5 points
  • Forgot to do the laundry: 4 points
  • No sex for a month: 3 points
  • break your favorite pair of heels: 14 points
  • You're sick: 57 points (You are basically already starting ever day that stressed/mad)
  • Too much work at work: 18 points
  • Someone fails to come through on a promise: 25 points
  • Your Internet connection doesn't work for a day: 31 points
  • Boyfriend gets his 5th speeding ticket and has spend the weekend in jail: 100 points
You can start to see where I am going with this. Everything is given a point system and how each one affects you is different from person to person. Maybe you don't get that mad when you are sick or when you lock your keys in the car? But I know I do. (In fact, Who knows, but either way it all adds up until it gets to that breaking point.

Now think about this in the other direction. Is there such a thing as stress relievers? Maybe certain things relieve the stress that we have throughout a normal day? Here is another list of examples that could potentially be stress reducers.

Stress Reducers:

  • Favorite coffee in the morning: -2 points
  • No traffic on the drive in to work: -10 points
  • Boyfriend bought you surprise roses: -40 points
  • You ate your favorite food for lunch: -4 points
  • Gas prices went down: -4.5 points
  • Just scored 2 free tickets to see your favorite band: -17 points
  • Girls/Guys night out this coming Friday: -55 points
  • Bought a new pair of jeans: -22.5 points
  • Sex: -68 points
  • Awesome sex:-120 points :P
  • You won an all paid trip to Hawaii for a week: -1,000 points
So you can see again that this internal S.L.M. can be affected in both ways. You can lower it by eating some chocolate or taking a run for lunch, but you can also affect it the other way by stepping in mud when you are on your run... ticks me off. :)

I personally think we have one of these and all those imaginary points get added up before you finally need to do something about it, before you explode. I think that we all operate with some level of stress everyday, but it's more important to control that level and manage it, than the actual fact that we have it. Being more stressed puts a strain on every part of your life as well, it certainly makes the other parts of your life suck more. Maybe it makes it so you don't want to get down & dirty that night with your significant other, or you aren't "in the mood" to go do something that you normally LOVE to do. Who knows?

Either way this S.L.M. needs to be taken care of and managed quite closely, and you need to decide when you should boost it back into a managable level, because if we don't manage it well we will have more of those 'wished I would have stayed in bed' days. :P

Just a short rant.

Can't wait for the weekend, -60 points!

Posted in: , , , , , on Friday, July 17, 2009 at at 10:58 AM 4 comments  

The Humble Line

I have had many conversations regarding being humble vs. egotistic. Being good and confident in what you do and being cocky. Obviously one side is better to be on than the other. And you would rather have someone think of you as humble than egotistic and the same goes for confident or cocky, right?


Now there seems to be a lot of grey area on this subject, the middle ground seems to be quite large as to when you cross the line and when you haven't. When you start to gloat about how good you are, or were, as opposed to just confident and good at what you do, or have done in the past.

I think this grey area is definable and at least able to narrow down the subject of being humble or cocky a bit more. And what I mean by that is that this grey area is completely subjective to each person in the way that it is defined by his or her own definition of egotistical vs. humble. This didn't become apparent to me until I had a conversation last week about what someone else viewed as egotistic and not confident, and that their view was completely different than my own. We used an example about another person and how good they were at a particular sport. (should be easy for everyone to relate to this) I thought this person was good at what they did and were also confident that they played it well. Where as my counter-arguer thought the other person was being egotistical because they knew they were better and acted as such. (Basically they liked to talk about the good games they had with others)

This is where I started to think about why some people put alot more people in the ego category than in the humble category. It's almost as if some people refrain from using the word humble to describe someone for only a select few? The chosen extreme humble ones, and that all the other ones got thrown into the grey area or all the way into the ego category. What's up with that? I felt as though it was a mild attack on people with confidence. And more so that if you knew you were good at something you couldn't be confident in it... or you run the risk of looking cocky or over confident.

Where is that grey line again?

So I started to think a bit more about this and one of my friends told me the other day that their definition of egotism vs confidence is simple. It's like this: Confidence is when you are good at something and know it, but don't use that to make yourself more superior than others. You don't tell others that you are better than someone else because you are better at a certain sport, photography, cooking, etc. If you know it, that's cool, and it's even cool to share your big victories and good things you have done or even won, but as soon as you start to think that you are better than another person, (possibly someone who is less gifted) then that's where it crosses into egotistical. When you think you are a better 'person' because of your god given talent, etc. That's when it crosses from one side to another.

And to me that was a good explanation and definition of confident vs. humble. I don't think you should ever suppress the victories you have achieved or the goals or events you have won, but I also don't think that you should make others feel inadequate that you can do one thing better than them. It should more sharing than a 'look at me' festival.

Maybe the difference is talking about it vs. gloating about it? Or maybe you know a person that always has to be first and never wants to show a weakness? It could even be in the way you say it? I don't know, but either way there is a fine line between being humble and being egotistical, and I think how you define the two is ultimately going to lead to what side you will be on when listening to someone else's story about the game winning goal they scored.

My question: Do you find more people egotistical or just plain confident? And is your view a reflection on you? (Maybe you are less fortunate at sports, so when you see a good athlete and they talk about how well they did, you feel a bit jealous? Just a thought)

-----------

And just as a side note, have you ever had the girl or guy that comes around and just looks for the compliments that they know you will dish out time and time again? Why do we always tell them good job, or tell them how good they look? Some of us are really good ego 'strokers' at times.. oops.

Posted in: , , , , , , on Friday, July 10, 2009 at at 1:42 PM 3 comments  

Baby love

How is it going?


I hope you are kickin off your week in a good way, and I hope you enjoyed a happy 'Independence Day', if you are an American. :) I didn't hear about too many firecracker accidents.

Anyways, I wanted to write a quick blurb today about babies and this ever growing feeling that people around the age of 22-35 or so have. And I know you know what this feeling is. Let's just call it, 'baby love'.

It's that feeling of wanting a baby. (If you haven't already had a few that is) You get to this age and you start looking at babies and thinking of how cute they are and how bad you want to have one for your own. This feeling is normal and it's instinctual. We are no different than any other animal out there, in the way that we want to reproduce and have some offspring.

But this feeling inside seems to start to hit full stride between this time period. Maybe a bit earlier for some and later for others, but either way it's something we all want to do. Alot of times you hear women talking about their 'internal clocks' and that they are ticking. This is that ticking that they are talking about. And I am hear to tell you that guys have these damn 'clocks' too. In fact I feel like I can't turn it off sometimes, but rather just change the station in my head. I mean I can't tell you how much I have thought about making a 'mini me' from time to time.

I know you can sit there and think, "Well then make one.." But it's not as easy as it sounds. Life puts alot of roadblocks in the way first. Here is a quick list below to show you want I mean.

Roadblocks:
-Finding the right girl/guy (This one is huge)
-Making sure you are ready (physically, financially, etc.)
-Being able to.. (It's not a given that you even can?? wtf??)

These are just a few but as you can see, it's not so easy to just pop a few kids out. More so I mean it's hard to do it the 'normal' way.. (normal being used in the sense of marriage/partnership, career, house, etc, before you finally have a kid) But if you want to bypass this, I am sure you can run to the local 'whore house' and make a whole in the condom?? (Let's hope you didn't actually consider that) I just shuddered...

Anyways, why do we get these 'baby love' feelings? Why do we have such an instinctual urge to reproduce? And is this controllable, because I have some friends who never want to have a baby... How do they control this urge? (Maybe they hate sex?) I dunno, but either way, this 'baby love' feeling can be killer at times.

Did I just write that?? Must be getting older...

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , on Monday, July 6, 2009 at at 3:33 PM 8 comments  

Fake happiness?

I recently had a friend send me a link to a YouTube video that talked about how we should try to be happier. About how this will help everyone, and not only ourselves. Of course we will see the most benefits from being happy, but it also affects everyone around us. Anyways I found quite interesting and I wanted to share my views on 'faking happiness'.


There was a blurb about faking happiness and if we could, and I want to weigh in here and give my opinion on why I think the speaker was right. I think we can fake happiness and not only that, but I think we are really good at it. We actually do it all the time in our everyday lives. We are damn good actors if you think about it. And I have a few examples to prove it.

1) Dad says, "If you are good, we will go and get ice cream later.." Now I know all of us have heard this or something similar at least a few times when we were kids. And, at least in my case, you better believe that no matter if I was sick, tired, mad or whatever I was going to be really good for that next hour so I could get me some a dat chocolate ice cream I was always craving. So this meant that I faked being good or happy.

2) You hate to work with Mr. A-hole at work, but you know you have to and on this particular day you have a meeting with him about some new 'thing' you want to change/improve/etc. Now normally you avoid him or just keep everything extremely brief, but this time because he has the final say on something you want, you fake happy towards him. (Not to mention you were faking happy every time you saw him in the hallway or wherever at work) I know everyone has had a boss before and faked happy to him or her.

3) Your are going to the movies and the person at the counter selling the tickets is really slow. You have been waiting for 15 minutes or so and the movie is going to start in 7 minutes and you don't even have popcorn. Not only does this make you mad and irritated, but you know the reason it's taking so long is because of this one person. But instead of you getting up there and sayin, "what the hell??" You simply roll up there and mumble, "2 tickets to Transformers 2." More or less just thankful to get the tickets as quickly as possible so you can get your butt in the theatre.

So out of those 3 above I am sure most of you reading this have done at least 2 of them. But why do we do it? Why do we fake happy? And if we are so good at it, why do we do it only when we want something? Why not all the time? I mean if the whole world was a bit happier don't you think it would be a lot more fun to live in? I do.

Before I answer those questions, how about I pose another one?

Do you think that if you 'act' or if you 'fake' happy that your actions or behaviors can shape your feelings? To explain further, do you think you can make yourself feel better by just faking your happiness?

Woo-wee, I know I am asking a bunch of questions and laying it on thick, but how about you give me your feedback and tell me what you think? Can we fake happy? Can it affect our real feelings if we do it long enough? And lastly, should we?

I know that sometimes I do. I know that I am a pretty jolly guy most of the time and that I am happier because of my faked happiness at times. (Not saying I am a fake'r or anything, but you get my point. Or at least I am not a fake'r like some women can be in bed... haha... that was just a joke, hope you don't need to fake it)

Anyways, throw me your thoughts.

Ciao~

Posted in: , , , , on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at at 2:15 PM 9 comments  

The Feeling of "New"

Just a short tidbit today, but I wanted to talk about the feeling you get inside when you get, see or touch (for that matter) something new. But to make things simple we will talk about 'new' in the sense of a 'thing' or an object.

It's great, you get excited even before you have this thing in your hands. You can't stop smiling and you get all giddy and happy. Maybe this thing was something that you have waited for, for a long time. Maybe it was something that happened to a be an impulse buy and you are waiting on the shipping guy to stop at your door with the delivery. Either way it's new and you are excited.

This thing can't seemingly be in your hands fast enough and you can barely contain yourself, not to mention you have probably already told all your friends about it. Twice!

But when this thing comes and you can see it for the first time, you are so happy it's almost unbelievable that an object/toy/thing can cause you so much joy. For once you don't care much about being materialistic, because what the hell, you deserve it and you wanted it. And now it's finally here. The waiting is over, the anticipation has finally come to a halt and you are ecstatic.

You get your thing and immediately you deem it the 'coolest thing ever' and you go around and show all your friends. They think it's cool too, but they are more or less just happy that you are so happy. Almost to the point that they giggle and point at you. Whatever.. you don't care, it's yours and you are happy, so that's all that matters. Muwahahaha!

Usually things of this nature don't happen often and fall into the less meaningful more need than a want category. But when these new things come along... it's awesome.

So without talking about it further, here is my 'new' thing. (below) :D <---- they don't make these smiley faces big enough.

Love your 'new things'!




Posted in: , , , , on Friday, June 26, 2009 at at 2:00 PM 159 comments  

A simple word

A simple word that so many people on this earth forget. It's a word that means alot and people sometimes only need to hear it. I think the world would actually be a heckava lot better if it was used more, and that word is "Thanks."


We do things for others all the time, and other people do tasks and little things for us as well, but we need to remember to say thank-you to these people. It's so simple and it's so easy to say it, and more often than not it's the only thing that your friends or family want to hear after doing something for you.

So why, may I ask, do we forget to say it?

I don't know? Sometimes I think it slips our minds and we are in a rush and have 15 other things going on at the same time, but for whatever reason, we forget it. This is a horse shjt reason, but you see what this can start if you do forget? The person ALWAYS remembers that you didn't say 'thanks' or that you didn't seem grateful for the thing that you accomplished for them. And that's a big problem. It's a downward spiral. Maybe after the first time they let it slip, maybe even a few times they continue to help you when you need it, but eventually they will realize that you 'take them for granite' and they will dispose of you or move on, or even worse, simply stop doing anything for you and stop being someone you can rely on. (meaning you simply lose something solid to stand on that you had obviously become a bit dependent on at times.)

And this all started from one little word, one tiny phrase which carries enormous weight when you look at it from the side of what happens when you DON'T say it.

So say it more often than not. Say it 3 or 4 times when someone does something for you. It's better to say it too many times, (even though I think that's impossible) than to say it, not enough times. The people around you need to know that you appreciate them and everything they have done for you. All the time sacrificed or money spent, etc. So let them know.. They will be happy to hear it.

I promise.
[end rant]

Posted in: , , , , , , on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at at 11:13 AM 13 comments  

Knockin it out of the park

You ever get that feeling of ecstasy, that moment when you know you just rocked out at something. Maybe you just scored the game winning goal for your hockey team or you just aced an exam? Or maybe you just cooked a kick-ass meal and everyone i s congratulating you on a wonderful meal? Who knows, but either way you get an immediate 'high' following these moments. A feeling that you just killed it, and knowing that there was no one else who could have done it the way you just did.


These feelings are great and a bit empowering. You get overtaken with emotion and it feels good. You want to share your test score with your friends and let them know how proud of yourself you are, and if they care they will be ecstatic with you and be overjoyed right next to you. And this just only intensifies the 'high'.

When you know you did something to the max and it feels good, then share it with the people around you and remember how it feels so you can visit that feeling again soon. Pat yourself on the back and let yourself know that it was a good day. And most of all smile, because these moments don't come along often. That is of course unless you simply kick-ass all the time.

Just a quick note, keep rockin out..!
Caio~

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , , on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at at 8:44 AM 6 comments  

Personal Brand: You

First off, I love this topic, and I would like to point out that all of us at times are either building or tearing down our own personal brand, all the time. But what we need to learn is, not how to tear or destroy it, but how to continue building it and creating more equity and trust in ourselves, from other people's point of view, which will create a stronger brand, "YOU." I also like to encourage people to build their personal brands as well. But before I get into it, I need to explain what our personal brand is?


Your brand is your reputation, as seen through the eyes of your 'clients', etc. A personal brand is a promise of the value your clients will receive. (Clients can be your friends, family, business related, or just about anyone you meet) In an amazingly complex and competing world--where it's increasingly hard to know what's real and what's not--having your customers not only acknowledge but support the promise of your brand is the key to building a thriving business or personal brand.

Who cares? Why do we build a personal brand anyways, what is it good for? Well these are good questions or questions that people may ask or want help with answering the 'why question'. Below is a list of why we try to build a brand:

Brands have a number of strategic functions, enabling you to:
  • - Differentiate yourself from your competition, it creates a unique YOU.
  • - Position your focused message in the hearts and minds of your audience, friends, etc. Let them know what they are getting when they are friends with you.
  • - The way you act and react to people should reflect your personal brand.
  • - Deliver your message clearly and quickly, it shouldn't be 'murky' as to who you are.
  • - Create strong loyalty with your friends and family, they know what to expect from you every time no matter what.

If you establish a place of trust and relevance in others' minds, you're already in the door. The more people that believe in your brand (believe in you), the more it will spread throughout your network, etc. without your pushing. If your brand is clear, distinctive, and easily understood, and expresses a unique, compelling benefit that people believe in, it will bring you many people towards you, business related or personal related.

To summarize what I mentioned above, I want to say that building your own personal is something we do everyday anyways. We constantly 'give off' who we are and what we are about. This in and of itself is good, but are we doing it in the best way? Most probably not.. There is probably a few things that you could change, also that you want to change, that would make appear and be seen the way you should be as well as want to be seen. You want to be seen as trustworthy, honest, caring and efficient. So show yourself that way. Make sure you are always punctual and on time, courteous to others and always give 110% regardless of what it is that you are doing in your life. Take every task as an opportunity to showcase who you are and what your made of. Build the brand "you" will only help you in the future and make others see you the way you should be seen.

So go ahead and build the "new YOU!"

Posted in: , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at at 11:25 AM 5 comments  

Idiot of the year

Here is a quick compilation of idiots, just for your viewing pleasure.

I don't want to talk about this too much, but a friend of mine brought to my attention, this very crazy tattoo. And I don't know if I laughed more at the tattoo or how dumb the girl was that got it? I guess you can be the judge? (on the left, I think this monkey eats bananas)

And if that wasn't enough, look at this genius. I don't know how nor do I care much, but I know that this can't be healthy? And it can't feel good can it? wtf? Definitely another candidate for idiot of the year. Please can I tattoo my eye? (look below on the right)

And just for your viewing pleasure to make you squirm in your seats a bit. I know I did when I saw this pic. Discalimer: never play with a fire cracker, I know we were all taught this at a young age, but I guess some people don't really listen? And most certainly, never play with one and put it in your ass... (I just started laughing while writing that.. haha) moron.. (Check out below.)
So who wins out of these 3 candidates? You pick?

Posted in: , , , on Friday, June 12, 2009 at at 9:25 AM 8 comments  

Be Different

Raise your hand if you want to be a completely normal person?

I bet no one even thought about taking a finger off of their mouse. This is maybe because you looked at ‘normal’ in a bad way and not a positive way. Or it could have been because we haven’t defined what ‘normal’ is yet.

Let’s create a quick definition to define the word normal. Normal is someone who follows and blends in with the crowd. They never really standout especially if they don’t have to. Their life is good, no financial problems, have a wife, maybe kids, but all-in-all it’s relatively bland. (or ‘safe’, for you normal people out there reading, haha)

Now with that definition in mind we can start to look at why people probably didn’t want to take their hand off of their mouse when asked if they were normal.

Why is that, is it because no one wants to be like someone else? No one wants be thought of as a follower. Especially because a leader receives a lot more praise and recognition. Who knows, could be the reason, but that’s not my point that I want to get at.

What I really want to say is being different is cool, and being unique (IMO) is the best. Don’t go out and try to put on the most crazy shjt ever, out of your closet, but be happy in your own right. Be yourself and no one else. Be different, because god knows we aren’t all the same. And if you want to get technical, we are not even close. I mean, I for example, look nothing like my dad. (But damn, the postman looks like my twin, lol) Nah just playing… sort of.

Anyways, just a random rant to all the people who, either are different and love it, or to the posers who try to be different. Big hint to the latter group, it ain’t gunna work. Us original people will be able to pick you out in a heartbeat, we know the fakes. So take off the 15 color shirt and the messed up jeans with the stolen cap, we know. You do it for the wrong reasons, and that’s to get attention. The real originals just are. We don’t mimic or copy, we just do.

Later-

Posted in: , , , , , on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at at 3:12 PM 7 comments  

Managing Expectations

“Managing Expectations”

Life can be completely characterized by this one concept, about this one piece of advice. But how can these 2 words above, possibly help you daily? How would you go about tackling this one phrase day after day after day? I will try and explain what I am getting at as you read further.

What I mean by this is that we need to manage many things in our lives; we are constantly juggling 10 or more tasks from day to day. On top of these daily tasks we are dealing with monthly goals and career or long term choices and decisions as well. These choices and decisions that we need to manage seem to never end and continually pile up. And this frustrates us at times, but we can’t turn face and let them be, we need to go at them head first and trudge through them. Or if you are good at managing expectations you seemingly glide over them. But, here comes the question, how do you do that?

How do you manage your expectations?

How do you get the tasks, work and goals in your life completed? And not just completed but in a relatively quick time period and done well and professionally?

Example: You are expected to get this big presentation done by the end of the week, and you know it will take a lot of time and effort to get it done, but you are not sure how much time you will be able to spend on it, as you are already spread pretty thin as it is with current projects. So what do you do?

Simple, you manage your expectations. You get done with your most important projects first and you go from there. You start with that presentation as it seems to be the hardest thing on your plate and the one project that has a specific deadline and has the biggest weight behind it. Then work your way down, and by doing so this will accomplish a few things for yourself in the process. First: You will get the most complex and mentally trying task out of the way first and ensure that it gets finished before the deadline. Secondly: you will guarantee that all the tasks that you do therein after will be easier and go by more quickly than the first as it was the biggest and hardest for you. And third: you will be happier as it always feels good to get the hardest things done first. It is always better to “eat your toads” first. (Toad = hardest task from every day on your to-do list) Think of the flip-side, if you start with the easy things then work to the hard ones, you will be dreading the end of your day everyday, which doesn't sound like much fun does it?

So don't do it that way.

Juas a couple of quick notes: Manage what is expected from you. Manage your projects and prioritize them accordingly from high to low. Always meet your expectations and when time and space permit it, exceed those expectations. Especially as you get more practice with this, because you will eventually get extremely good at it and be able to take on more and more with less and less stress. Trust me.

Till later, Caio-

Posted in: , , , , on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at at 10:13 AM 9 comments  

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