FU.....N

I shouldn't promote bad behavior of my nieces and nephews, but it's too easy to do, especially when they're hysterical.

Cynderballz made me a pot roast dinner last night and invited me to take a break from my dissertation. I stopped by (it was delicious) and there was some debate about who was going to eat the last croissant. Everyone had one, but one family member already had two and was hawking to get it for his third (no names. Okay, Dylan). Disappointed, he went downstairs to blow up Nazis and destroy Russians.

Nickerdoodles finally decided because she's young and growing that she'd be the person allowed the second croissant, but being genetically connected to Casey and me, she couldn't eat it until she called her brother back upstairs. When he arrived, she bit into the croissant, which triggered and "F.U." from her brother and a "go to your room" from Cynderballs and Mike.

As he marched away, Nikki said sarcastically, "The poor boy. He only wanted a roll."

Inappropriately, we all started laughing. Cynderballs looked to the bottle of wine for a last drop and discussed something about pan-sexuality and I went to Dylan's room to tell him, "Dude. If that was me. I would have said no one ever listens to me. I'd tell them if they listened, they'd know I was spelling F.U. - D.G.E., because I wanted some for my vanilla icecream. You need to be more clever next time."

Karma is watching my childhood exhibited before my eyes through the antics of my niece and nephew.

Happy Halloween! I'm dressed as an apathetic uncle who is going to Nikki's field band championship at the Carrier Dome. I'm dressing up as an unenthusiastic relative who reads books while the bands perform. I hope people recognize my amazing efforts.

a song from the apple picking day

A month ago, while taking a new colleague apple picking for the first time in New York State, and with two arrivals from Uganda sitting in the back seat, a song was sung to make our road trip a little more meaningful. Rochelle sang "America the Beautiful" with her Tennessee music and filmed the scenery of upstate New York. Yesterday, she gave me a copy of the footage and I post this clip as a karmic reminder of time and how this song and her singing of "His Eye is on the Sparrow" made the apple picking extra special and meaningful.

She told me she will kill me if she knows I posted her singing, but I wanted to put it somewhere where I knew where I could find it later on. And that is why it is here.

America was truly beautiful on that day.

Oh, man.

My colleague asked me to fill in for her at a local middle school to do a writing workshop for twenty-five 7th graders. I knew the class was all girls and that my buddy, Cedric, was doing a workshop with all the boys. What I didn't know was that they established a classroom for creating young ladies, and when I arrived, a girl asked me, "Excuse me, but what does a man know about being a lady. Where's Marcelle?'

That was the first five seconds.

The girls were loud and full of middle school drama. I only had an hour and I wanted to establish a routine quickly. We practiced a call so that they knew when they needed to listen to me. "Hey, Ladies," I'd yell, and they'd respond, "Get Funky." I'd then shout, "Say what?" and they'd snap their fingers twice, clap their hands twice, then point to themselves shouting, "Diva."

It worked.

The teachers said they were going to steal this call and response from me because they've never seen the girls so focused on anything for so long.

The problem with such karma, however, is that it took all the energy I could muster to sustain one hour of their attention. I don't know how anyone worked with the beautiful abilities of Patty Labelle and Aretha Franklin for so long. I had a room full of divas in training, and man, although I needed part of the instruction to be about me, it definitely was mostly about them.

blended verbally

My friend, Cedric Bolten of Verbal Blend, asked me to judge a poetry slam at Syracuse University, and I found this story of what he does on YouTube. I took his invitation as a sign to reconnect with what I love to hear and see: youth spitting out ideas within the parameters of how they hear the muses and meters of rhythm and verse. As the evening when on, the mics got more emotional, and from each poet became a devotional display of their thoughts. Karma is what each fought for on stage. I'm at an age to appreciate such magic.

biogeokimia

Anomali alias keanehan Air

Seperti yang telah gurumuda jelaskan dalam pokok bahasan pemuaian, kebanyakan benda akan memuai (volume benda bertambah) jika suhunya bertambah dan benda menyusut (volume benda berkurang) ketika suhunya berkurang. Air mau beda sendiri… Keanehan air terjadi antara suhu 0 ^oC sampai 4 ^oC.

Antara suhu 0 ^oC sampai 4 ^oC volume air berkurang (air menyusut) seiring bertambahnya suhu. Misalnya jika kita memanaskan air pada suhu 0 ^oC, semakin panas si air, semakin berkurang volumenya. Proses penyusutan akan terhenti ketika air mencapai suhu 4 ^oC. Di atas 4 ^oC, air menjadi benda yang normal lagi. Maksudnya, volumenya akan bertambah (terjadi pemuaian) seiring bertambahnya suhu.

Sebaliknya, air akan memuai (volume air bertambah) ketika mendingin dari 4 ^oC sampai 0 ^oC. Misalnya air kita masukan ke dalam kulkas. Mula-mula suhu air 30^oC. Ketika dikurung dalam kulkas, air mulai kedinginan (suhu air menurun). Pada saat suhu air menurun, volume air juga berkurang (air mengalami penyusutan). Nah, ketika mencapai suhu 4 ^oC, air akan memuai (volumenya bertambah). Pemuaian akan terhenti ketika suhunya mencapai 0 ^oC. Volume air juga semakin bertambah ketika ia membeku menjadi es. Sangat berbeda dengan benda lain yang menyusut (volume benda berkurang) ketika benda semakin dingin.

Ingat ya, massa jenis suatu benda akan bertambah ketika benda tersebut menyusut (volume benda berkurang). Sebaliknya, massa jenis benda akan berkurang ketika benda memuai (volume benda bertambah). Ini persamaannya : Massa jenis = massa / volume. Massa benda selalu tetap. Sedangkan volumenya bisa berubah-ubah, tergantung dari suhu. Ketika volume benda berkurang, massa jenisnya akan bertambah. Semakin kecil volume, semakin besar massa jenis benda. Sebaliknya, jika volume benda bertambah, massa jenis benda akan berkurang. Nah, si air khan cuma bisa menyusut (volume air berkurang) sampai suhu 4 ^oC. Karenanya, air memiliki massa jenis paling tinggi pada suhu 4 ^oC. Sampai di sini, ar yu andersten ? 

Perhatikan grafik di bawah. Grafik ini menyatakan hubungan antara volume dan suhu air.

Jangan tanya gurumuda, mengapa air kok jadi aneh seperti itu. Anggap saja ini takdir  Seandainya antara 0 ^oC sampai 4^oC air tidak berperilaku menyimpang, makhluk hidup yang tinggal di bawah air akan punah ketika musim dingin tiba. Masa sich ?

Ketika musim dingin tiba, udara akan kedinginan (suhu udara menurun). Karena permukaan air danau atau air sungai juga bersentuhan dengan udara, maka air yang ada di permukaan sungai atau danau juga ikut2an kedinginan. Karena suhu air menurun, maka volume air juga berkurang. Karena volume air berkurang, maka massa jenis air bertambah. Air yang ada di permukaan memiliki massa jenis yang lebih besar daripada temannya yag ada di sebelah bawah. Akibatnya, si air yang ada di permukaan terjun bebas ke dasar. Temannya yang ada di sebelah bawah segera meluncur ke atas, menggantikan posisi si air yang tenggelam tadi. Ikan2 yang ada di dasar pada stress… kok tiba2 jadi dingin. Karena kedinginan, ikan2 pun berpelukan… musim dingin tiba, ikan2 makin romantis saja… Proses ini terjadi sampai suhu air mencapai 4 ^oC. Ingat ya, air menyusut (volume air berkurang) hanya sampai 4 ^oC. Karenanya, air memiliki massa jenis paling tinggi pada suhu 4 ^oC.

Ketika suhu air di permukaan sungai atau danau lebih kecil dari 4 ^oC, air yang ada di permukaan memuai (volumenya bertambah). Akibatnya, massa jenis air yang ada di permukaan menjadi kecil. Karena massa jenis air yang ada di permukaan lebih kecil dari massa jenis air yang ada di sebelah bawah, maka air yang ada di permukaan tidak bisa terjun bebas lagi ke bawah. Air yang ada di permukaan tetap berada di atas dan akan membeku duluan seiring dengan menurunnya suhu… Jika suhu udara semakin rendah, temannya yang ada di sebelah bawah ikut2an membeku. Demikian seterusnya… jadi urutan perbekuan  dimulai dari atas… Air yang ada di dasar danau atau dasar sungai biasanya tidak membeku, karena suhu tidak sangat dingin. Kecuali kalau di kutub utara atau selatan, semuanya pasti membeku. Karena air yang ada di dasar tidak mendapat jatah es batu, maka ikan2 selamat dari malapetaka musim dingin. Mereka berpelukan ria di dasar sungai atau danau… kata ikan, biar kedinginan asal tidak kejepit es batu 

Indian Summer Run

I admit I'm a total grump these days. I need to be, because I'm guessing at all the work I'm trying to do, while guessing about where I will find time to get any of it done. I wake up, and the guess-work begins and continues until I guess it's time I head off to bed, because I'm simply exhausted. There are days, too, that I realized I've had zero interaction with human beings. It's just me and my ideas.

But yesterday was a day for an Indian Summer run. There was no guessing at all. I knew it was probably the last glimpse of warmth that I'll have for a long time. The air was fresh, the leaves were beautiful, and the scenery cracked me up (including a few snakes that were sunning in the road and a rooster chasing four ducks by a small pond near my house).

Sometimes, I wish I could just wake up and physically run until bed time. My body couldn't handle it, but if it could, I would. The mental marathon that is my life never seems to end. I need to remember a day like today to fuel me for the other days where I'm guessing at what it is I'm actually doing.

At least, I guess I do.

Light Artist Marcus Tremonto

Marcus Tremonto's light art in these two photographs were inspired by video games. His compositions  show images that are full of light instead of showing a direct light source. Instead of solar light, he uses cool burning electroluminescent wires.

                                        

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/9074/marcus-tremonto.html

http://www.lightmark.de/lightmark_54.htm

cenci goepel and jens warnecke's art is more imaginitive and showing light in unreal places, while Marcus shows light in a more realistic but animated way through video games and electronic themes. 

Hmmmmm

My writing mentor, Marcelle, texted me today about making a connection with Reenah Golden (pictured above) who lives in Rochester. Reenah Golden starred in NO CHILD that was put on at Syracuse Stage. She is a writer, poet, activist and actress who works out of Rochester. Marcelle thought that it might be good to know her as I'm on the job market and there's a position opened at the University of Rochester. I've applied of course (to positions all over the nation), but something strange happened as i was reading.

I was in Manlius about to enter the school when Marcelle's text arrived. I started scrolling the message when I noticed something fluttering and blocking the light by my eyes. I looked up and there was a monarch butterfly trying to land on my tie. I thought, "Now isn't this strange." Then, when I entered the building, the door handle and wooden frame were loaded with lady bugs. They were everywhere.

It's October and a little late for nature's colorful joy, so I was a bit touched by the moment. Whether or not any of it has celestial meaning awaits to be seen. I do know, however, that I took it as a karmic moment. Something to consider as a part of the natural world.

Channeling the Bangles (and high school music)

It's MoNdAy already again. I'm living a variation of Groundog's Day the movie. Oh well. At least I had two days with a few spaces of down time in them. I will carry those moments with me for the rest of the week.

Their 80s hair wasn't that bad, was it?

24. October Casey Karma

Happy Birthday, Sis! Love Ya!

7 days a week

This morning it is Saturday. Yesterday it was Friday. Tomorrow it is Sunday. And then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

Seven days blurring together without much differentiation or change. I was told by my advisor that there might be a break around March where I'll have two weeks of lull time. March. Well, I can't wait. Six more months added on to the three and a half years I've already invested to this process.

In the meantime, I will let karma run my life. I want to finish this degree and move on, but there's still much more to do. The fun has just begun.

Here's to seven days a week. I'm thankful there's not more, because I'd have to work through them, too. I'm trusting that all of this will mean something when it is completed. In the meantime, inhale. Exhale. Write.

With appreciation to Sarah, her students, and Tupac

Yesterday, I visited a school where a student teacher was introducing a reading of Seedfolks by having them deconstruct the language used by Tupac and his poem "The Rose that Grew from Concrete." I've read the poem before, but today its meaning seemed more profound and I believe it was because of the delicate instruction of the teacher. She asked them to define the major words of the poem, which they did, concrete, rose, growth, cracks, dreams, and then they moved to judging the book of Seedfolks by its cover. The story is vignettes of diverse characters who work in a community garden, but also who share their personal stories.

I immediately thought about a cinderblock and a pot of soil and from which one a gardener can see the greatest growth?

From concrete, urban centers, we get buildings, schools, highways, sidewalks and prisons. It is a tool for which foundations are made and which institutions, both good and bad, are formed. From soil, we get food, flowers, trees and all the items that come from them: fragrance, tastes, nutrients, oxygen and shade.

As we educate youth of our cities, how do we best get them to see that they, too, can bloom? How do we provide the best fragrances, tastes, nutrients, oxygen and shade so they can breathe? How do we garden the concrete so that students have hope, desires, and dreams that go beyond the institutions that contain and constrain them? How do we help them to realize they must break through the concrete?

I did an environmental degree and never applied it to my career, but I've used it to think a lot about the urban/rural split. I used to laugh at my environmental self when I thought we were ruining the planet, especially when I bought a home and saw how quickly grass and trees would overtake my concrete sidewalk. Nature always prevails. The natural world wins. Humans can not outlast nature's strength.

I worry, however, that an aesthetic for our natural environment, even if it is a city built by cinderblocks, is not interrogated enough for the ways it limits a child's growth, experiences, and understanding of their humanity. Perhaps this is what urban schooling should be about.

Perhaps, this is why I appreciate the karma of Tupac's poetry, Sarah, and her students. From them, I too learn to breathe fresh air.

The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

Written by Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)

PS: Tupac was born the year before me. His influence on us all is enormous.

you leave me with the emptiness hope....
you breaking my love...


Now I know....
why you leave me....

BARBBITCH!!!!!!

minimalism

They say to be strong, you need to find your demons and confront them. I was thinking about my demons and how, every night when I go to bed, I can't sleep because there is too much on my mind. Sitting in front of computer, I realize that my house is an indication of my demons. I'm excessive, cluttered, abundant, messy, and all over the place. That is my personality and I wonder about it in a world that requires organization, order, structure and linear perspectives.

That's why I thought about minimalism and how I have a secret desire to get rid of everything and live in a vacant space where I can allow vacant ideas take over my life. If I didn't have anything, and nothing could get in my way, I wouldn't be distracted by all the chaos.

And this brings me to the ultimate story of Buddha, and that of Siddhartha who tried to chill out with the ascetics by dressing in rags, starving himself, and living inside his head with nothing. That was supposed to bring Nirvana.

Yeah, right. So, karma. What a mess is my world. I will accept it so that elsewhere can be more pristine. I welcome the everything.

Novus Ordo Seclorum = New World Order?

• Iluminasi harus menguasai para pejabat tinggi pemerintahan dari beberapa tingkatan jabatan, bila perlu dilakukan cara-cara kotor dengan menyogok, baik dengan uang maupun perempuan. (Monetary and sex bribery was to used to obtain control of men already in high places in the various levels of all governments and other field of endeavor).
• Iluminasi melakukan perekrutan terhadap aktivis mahasiswa yang potensial, yang mempunyai bakat dan dari keturunan yang unggul untuk dilatih sebagai anggata Iluminasi yang prospektif di masa depan. (The Illuminati who were on the faculty of colleges and universities were to cultivate students processing exceptional mental ability and who belong to well-bred families with international leanings and recommend them for special training in internationalism).
• Mereka yang sudah terperangkap dalam jaringan Iluminasi, termasuk mahasiswa yang telah dilatih dan diberikan pengetahuan khusus tentang dunia internasional, serta cita-cita Iluminasi akan dijadikannya sebagai agen Iluminasi di beberapa negara dan ditempatkan sebagai staf ahli atau spesialis yang mendampingi pejabat kunci pemerintah. (All influential people who were trapped to come under the control of Illuminati, plus the students who had been specially educated and trained, were to be used as agents and placed behind the scenes of all governments as experts and specialist).
• Iluminasi akan menguasai seluruh saluran media massa, baik media elektronik maupun cetak, memiliki dan mengontrolnya pemerintah sedemikian rupa sebagai satu-satunya solusi sehingga mampu membentuk opini publik. (They were to obtain absolute control of the press so that all news and information could be slanted to convince the masses that a one word government is the only solution to our many and varied problems. They were also to own and control all the national radio and TV channels).

Nah, jika di dalam berbagai tulisan saya menyamakan istilah Novus Ordo Seclorum dengan Tata Dunia Baru, The New World, Order, atau juga dengan Globalisasi, maka sesungguhnya itu satu pengertian, satu hakikat di mana istilah-istilah itu bisa saling dipertukarkan satu dengan lainnya agar tulisan tidak menjemukan.

Be Free, Mr. C

This is simply to post my regard to Tom Bosley who passed away yesterday and made me think about his success and a show that was central to my American landscape. America was different then, and the good, safe values of the 50s were definitely represented in his role as a father to Joanie and Richie. They represented a nuclear core that seems a lot more foreign in 2010.

As I listen to the theme song again, I'm reminded to the bop of my childhood and how this song seemed to play every day on at least one television in my home, but I also think about how naive our country was at that time about global issues and diversity. There's safety when one chooses to ignore "the rest of the world" and country.

R.I.P. Tom Bosley. I hope you parent in the afterlife from above to bring more sense to us below.

adelaide sky

Adelaide sky

I'll fly away tomorrow
To far away
I'll admit a cliché
Things won't be the same without you

I'll be looking at my window seeing Adelaide sky
Would you be kind enough to remember
I'll be hearing my own foot steps under Adelaide sky
Would you be kind enough to remember me

I'll let you know what's on my mind
I wish they've made you portable
Then I'll carry you around and round
I bet you'll look good on me

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/a/adhitia_sofyan/#share

makanan sehat!!!

Mudah stress? kamu tak sendiri. Risiko itu kian meningkat dalam masyarakat di era modern. Peningkatan itu disebabkan menumpuknya tekanan yang dialami individu ketika mereka berada dalam lingkup pekerjaan, lingkungan sekitar dan keluarga. Strees juga terkait dengan makanan. Bila ingin mencegah stress cobalah cara sederhana yakni mengonsumsi makanan yang sehat dan bergizi. Pakar nutrisi, David Zinczenko, menyatakan ketika stres, tubuh secara alami meminta pasokan kalori. Pasokan kalori itu sengaja dipersiapkan tubuh untuk menghadapi tekanan yang dialami seseorang. Karena itu, Zinczenko menilai pasokan nutrisi itu haruslah sehat dan bergizi. Pasalnya, pasokanan makanan yang jauh dari sehat dan bergizi hanya akan mengancam seseorang dari resiko obesitas. "Kuncinya adalah makanlah apa yang anda inginkan guna menghilangkan stres, membuat anda terlebih lebih ramping dan kuat melalui masa-masa sulit, "kata dia. Berikut tujuh jenis makanan yang direkomendasikan Zinczenko seperti yang dikutip dari Yahooheyalt.

Quote:

Quote: Pepaya Quote: Mungkin sebagian dari anda mengira pepaya hanyalah buah yang bermanfaat melancarkan pencernaan belaka. Jika anda berpikiran demikian, artinya anda salah besar. Pepaya ternyata mengandung nutrisi yang mampu menghentikan stres seseorang. Nutrisi itu mampu memancing produksi hormon anti stres dalam tubuh. Sebagai informasi, setengah pepaya mengandung 75 persen vitamin C lebih banyak dari jeruk. Berdasarkan hasil riset Universitas Alabama, AS satu pepaya berukuran besar mengandung 200 mg vitamin C. Dengan jumlah kadar vitamin seperti itu, seekor tikus tidak akan mengalami stres selama dua hari.Kalau pepaya juga berkhasiat buat menghilangkan stres pada tikus, berarti bisa digunakan untuk menghilangkan stres pada manusia.

Quote:

Quote: Teh Peppermint Quote: Teh dengan daun mint direkomendasikan sebagai minuman yang mampu membuat anda jauh lebih fokus dan meningkatkan semangat kerja seseorang. Sejumlah riset mengungkap konsumsi teh pepermint selama perjalanan jauh membuat pengendara lebih tahan ngantuk dan tetap fokus. Bagi seseorang yang tidak menyukai teh mungkin bisa menggantinya dengan permen pepermint atau minyak pepermint.

Quote:

Quote: Pumpkin Seeds Quote: Makanan berikutnya yang ampuh mengatasi stres adalah biji labu. Bagi masyarakat Indonesia mungkin terlalu awam dengan biji labu sehingga jarang sekali mengkonsumsi labu. Padahal labu terutama pada bijinya mengandung magnesium tinggi. Perlu diketahui, tubuh membutuhkan magnesium dalam jumlah besar. Sayangnya, hanya 30 persen dari magnesium yang dipenuhi. Akibatnya, resiko gejala stres seperti sakit kepala, cemas, tegang, kelelahan, insomia, gelisah dan tekanan darah tinggi.Seperempat mangkuk biji labu, mampu memenuhi setengah kebutuhan magnesium dalam sehari.

Quote:

Quote: Alpukat Quote: Alpukat bukanlah buah yang berasa manis ketika dikonsumsi. Meski demikian, alpukat memiliki kandungan lemak sehat dalam setiap dagingnya. Selain lemak sehat, alpukat jugamengandung potasium terbilang tinggi. Bahkan kandungan potasium apukat lebih tinggi ketimbang pisang.

Quote:

Quote: Salmon Quote: Bagi penyuka sajian ikan tentu paham dengan kandungan gizi yang terdapat dalam daging ikan Salmon. Salah satu kandungan gizi yang cukup esensial dari ikan salmon adalah omega-3. Berdasarkan sebuah studi, daging salmon juga mengandung protein tinggi, trifopan. Satu filet salmon memiliki sebagai triptofan sebanyak yang Anda butuhkan dalam satu hari. Kandungan tripofan inilah yang obat stres yang ampuh.

Quote:

Quote: Kacang Almond Quote: Kacang almond mengandung LDL yang baik untuk jantung. LDL ini akan memerangi 10 % kolesterol jahat apabila dikonsumsi secara teratur. Ia juga menurunkan resiko serangan jantung, kanker serta membuat Anda awet muda. Beberapa studi yang pernah dilakukan, almond juga baik untuk diet lantaran kandungan sertnya yang cukup tinggi. Almond juga mengandung karbohidrat yang bisa mengenyangkan perut bila dikonsumsi. Almond juga kaya akan protein, yang tentunya sangat baik untuk pertumbuhan kuku, kulit, dan rambut. Kandungan kalsium dalam Almond cukup tinggi. Karena itu, kacang almond bisa memperlancar peredaran darah dan menjaga kestabilan liver. Tak ketinggalan, Almond juga mengandung vitamin E. Perlu diketahui, vitamin E sangat memicu tubuh memproduksi hormon anti stres.

Quote:

Quote: Havermut Quote: Efek biokimia dari stres adalah kehabisan stok serotonin, hormon yang membuat Anda merasa sejuk, tenang, dan terkendali. Salah satu strategi utama untuk meningkatkan serotonin kembali ke tingkat yang sehat adalah meningkatkan asupan karbohidrat. Sebaliknya, untuk memperlancar produksi serotonin, konsumsilah makanan kaya serat seperti gandum. Lambatnya pencernaan makanan menyebabkan produksi sorotonin stabil dan mencegah naiknya gula darah yang mengakibatkan perubahan suasana hati dan nafsu makan.

From Sue n Dave with thanks for NY apples!

Senior Night

In front of me at my desk are three books: Outcasts United, Africa United, and How Soccer Explains the World. These books tell stories of what it means to be an athlete, an African man, and a citizen of the globe. As some of you know, I have ZERO talent kicking a ball and I’ve never once played soccer. Running has been my sport of choice, and that is why I wish to shout out to you during your SENIOR NIGHT of playing for the Nottingham Bulldogs. I hope to be in the stands again. You deserve the recognition.

Whether you know it or not, each of you are a testimony to history and world civilization. You are seniors in high school, athletes on a varsity team, and students who have accomplished a lot to get this far. You will reflect one day on your experiences at Nottingham as being the easiest days of your life. I want you to work hard, reflect, and enjoy every last second that you have at this school. More importantly, I hope that you are able to channel the support and love of your relatives who aren’t able to see you play tonight, the loved ones you’ve lost overseas, and the ancestry that has poured a thousand traditions, customs, and beliefs into you.

The ways stories weave in and out one’s life are rather miraculous and the very fact that you’ve introduced me to your worlds, ideas, thinking, writing, and really bad jokes (some of them are good, I guess) have changed my life forever. Although I don’t have kids of my own (just the 600 students I taught in Kentucky), working with you has made me a better man, teacher, and human being. Through you, I've gained strength.

About the game. Kick some $%#@!#$ #@!. I’ve seen you play awesome and I’ve seen you lose it. Tonight is the night for you to represent the class of 2011 and to pull out the most competitive Bulldog within you. I also want to warn you, there’s a lot of hard work ahead if you want to graduate this year. Crossing the stage is the first of many milestones in your life and I hope you will make smart choices. Be tough. Be proud. Be you. Continue to be strong.

Congratulations for being senior athletes and for leading the underclassmen through your actions, respect, and perseverance. Some people say soccer's a matter of life or death, but it isn't. It's much more important than that, especially when you realize how many people lost their lives in order for you and I to be here today in this miracle called the United States.

Be important from this day on. Make a difference through trusting who you’re meant to be. Accept this karma.

A way to life

Losing Friends

A way to life

17/10/2010

intro :
Bm - G

Bm - G - D - A
Insane the way they think my self is addiction
Is what? I’m suffering of but I can’t see those things from me
All I can’t see is you

G - A - Bm
Consciousness I’ve lost it as they told me
Self affection I’ve said it with my dignity
But I don’t care

Bm - C#m - D - E - D - C#m - Bm
Shut up, I’ll go, my way, alone

G - A - Bm
I lost my mind I can’t hear it
She’s around my head I can’t stop it
I paralyze

Bm - G - D - A
I can’t, I no change at all
To push you away as they say just once
I can feel your vein, I’m no longer could feel mine


Bm - A - G - F#
I lost my mind, I lost my soul
I lost my love, I lost mine
Getting away...