Friday, May 25, 2012

Schoolyard Yoda

[Picture unrelated]

Living in this society it’s not hard to feel lonely, left out, and unappreciated. It’s a fact, and we’ve all felt that way at some point in our lives. Anyone who denies these feeling is either lying or not human. When we’re feeling these emotions it’s obvious that we want human attention, or affection. I’m sure you all know at least one person who takes you out of these infamous states of mind. I’ve only known one...

A couple months ago I was in a continuation school. I was alone. I was young. I had no friends. I was going through a massive change in my life; and I was not adjusting well. I had to take the bus to school every single day for my government class. I had to get there early since I had no car. Before class I was either sitting under a giant umbrella, reading, or talking strolls on the beach (The school was located two blocks from Venice Beach). One day I was reading with a noticeable sad look on my face. I heard footsteps walking towards me and soon, there was a giant shadow being casted on the book I was reading.

I looked up to find custodian staring at me with a smile. He was a big, tall black man. He must’ve been in his mid 50s because he had a grey beard. He nodded his head and asked if I was alright. I said no and told him about my girlfriend situation. He completely understood the problems I was having but he simply replied: “You know, dude. Don’t even worry about females. Fuck ‘em. They just mess with your head and distract you from what really matters. Right now just focus on your studies and the good girls will come to you, no doubt about it.” It was amazing! How someone could say something so simple, yet be so correct and wise.

Throughout the three months I was there, he became my life teacher; my sensei; the schoolyard Yoda. He’d toughen me up by telling me some of his life experiences and how he overcame them. Most of the his were financial problems, though sometimes he’d talk about the shitty relationship he had with his girlfriend’s children. In return I’d to help him out, introduce him to new music and teach him how to use The Pirate Bay. He made my stays at school meaningful and worthwhile.

My whole whole experience at that school was like a cliche intercity movie about fuck ups in high school. We had the stereotypical hip chubby custodian who secretly took minutes from his job to school the deadbeats about life, and encouraging them to not give up and go big. It was quite nice.

What really struck me was how content he was. Not once did I see him without a smile on his face. You’d think that being a  janitor at a continuation school would negatively affect the way you look at life, but no, not in his case. He was a champ. He was one of those people who made the best of what he had. He was a genuine modern-day Buddha. When you encounter these type people at the oddest places, you just ask yourself: why? Here is one of the most influential, genuine, wise people I’ve ever met, and he’s a custodian. It’s not that I’m looking down on him or the job he has; I’m just shocked because such an amazing person should not be working full time, cleaning after disrespectful teenagers. They should be chilling at a Caribbean resort, writing books for the millions who want to soak up some wisdom.

He set a very strong example for everyone who knew him. Especially me; he was somewhat of a father figure. Though I only knew him for three and a half months and never got his name, he taught me more in that time frame than my biological father taught me in in eighteen years! Not because I have a bad father, but because I related more to the unknown custodian. His life lessons were hardwired into my brain and will remain with me until the day I die.





Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Top Three Rappers

So I've narrowed it down to only three. They are not organized in any particular order. Here they are, My Top Three Favorite Rappers: 


The Notorious B.I.G.


- The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls. Not many can compete with his flow, actually, the only other one who can is Snoop Dogg. His way of rapping is like no other. Its almost as if he's not even trying. He pronounces every single word perfectly. Not only is his flow clean, his lyrics are perfectly understandable. He tells stories of his life in the streets and his personal issues, and does it with ease and perfection.


Favorite five songs:
Suicidal Thoughts
Me And My Bitch
Juicy
Unbelievable
Everyday Struggle



Snoop Dogg


- Honorably entitled the Doggfather of Rap. No one else sounds like Snoop. He adds his own little modifications to words-- all those "izzles" really have a positive effect on the music. He and The Notorious B.I.G. have the sickest flow. His music just makes you want to get up and get down. He is heavily influenced by funk so you can understand why his music is dance-able. I love Snoop, you love Snoop, who doesn't love Snoop?


Favorite five songs: 
Murder Was The Case
Who Am I (What is my name)?
Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)
Gin and Juice

Doggy Dogg World


Ice Cube
                         
    
- Oh man. While not the founder of gangsta rap he is indeed the best at gangsta rap. Every single verse he spits out makes perfect sense and rhymes tremendously-- no verse goes unused, they seamlessly connect to each other. He paints pictures in your head of life in the "hood". He is a real gangsta.


Favorite five songs
It Was A Good Day
Check Yo Self
You Know How We Do It
Bow Down
Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It




*UPDATE*


Tyler, The Creator/ OFWGKTA


- My favorite kind of rap has always been the kind where it's just the beat and the rapper. I don't like it when they over do it with big choruses or effects. Also, Tyler is real: he doesn't rap about what most rappers of my generation rap about. Tyler has no boundaries. This just goes to show that he does it because he wants to. If he wanted to do it for the money, he'd follow the rules and he music would be playing on the radio. He's on here because he's not the typical rapper. He and his group (OFWGKTA) are taking us to a new level of rap music. I'm glad I'm a fan now, when they're rising up to fame, rather be a fan later when everyone realizes how good they were. 


Favorite five songs:
Oldie (Odd Future) 
Radicals (Tyler)
She (Tyler) 
Goblin (Tyler) 
Transylvania (Tyler) 






Thursday, April 26, 2012

Funny Experience


It was just like any other night. I had just logged off of Facebook and was laying in bed, staring at my ceiling. And like every other night, I couldn't just sleep on command. I was wide awake, thinking about what I was going to do tomorrow. Probably ride my bike or watch a movie with my girlfriend, you know, regular teenage stuff. Little did I know, my whole perspective on life would change that night. 

As my thoughts were fading and fading away and I was slowly drifting into a subconscious dream, a sudden rush of what felt like a swarm of ants came crawling from my toes, up my spine, and to my face. I've never had a swarm of ants crawling on my skin, but I was pretty sure it would of felt like that. I started breathing hard, my limbs went numb, and my vision blurred. I was hyperventilating (a.k.a. having a panic attack). I had one last summer; the first day of summer school, I was rushed to the hospital. The only thing I had on my mind aside from the fear of passing out was the question: What are you going to do about high school? 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Evil Organized Religion


Ever since I was a young boy, I always doubted the idea of a personal god. The idea that you can pray to "Jesus" or "Allah" and get what you want without working for it never clicked in my head. Perhaps, it was my parents' fault for not taking me to church every Sunday; whatever it is, I'm glad I'm not a believer. 

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Being A Man



Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. 


That's being a man. Being afraid of something and yet, still, going through with it. I will live off this goddamn quote. Jim was the man, his legacy will be on this planet for centuries to come! Jim Morrison is a perfect role model. You have to be smart to choose him as a role model for the right reasons. He was a drunk, loud, obnoxious clown. He was also a poet, a lover, a man, a very smart human being with unique ideas. Jim was a man's man. The type of guy who starts fights at bars and takes home the sweet mamasitas. A bloody blues poet. He left us with a vast collection of music, poems, and quotes. Where's your will to be weird? Enough about Jim. 

Being a man isn't about being tall and muscular. Its about being confident and independent. 

Sunday, January 8, 2012

A Penny Skateboard Review


The Penny Skateboard, it's retro, fun to ride, and it turns heads, but is it worth buying? 
Penny has been around "Since Forever", it's the Australian company with "The Original Plastic Skateboard".  

I recently bought one for myself and boy is it awesome. The price is one of the down-sides to this skateboard (It's $99!). I had to sell my Schwinn road bike to buy this. Penny claims that this is a special "new" plastic, but from what I can tell, it's plain-ol plastic (I've had other products made out of this material). Stating that, I'm not saying it's crappy board, a car can literally run it over and the skateboard will not take damage. Aside from being practically unsnapable, the board is very susceptible to burning down. It's made out of plastic so friction is a killer (Make sure you don't use the tail to slow down). It's quick and agile, carving is as smooth as slicing butter. The wheels are extremely high quality, however the bearings, oh, they're ABEC-3. You'll have to buy better ones to go faster (I recommend Bones REDS, they're $15). As you can see, the board has no grip tape, but it grips really well. 

Although this skateboard is nearly perfect! It has a couple flaws. I would rather buy a wooden version of this skateboard. The plastic just seems... cheap. But I love board and it definitely deserves the hype it's getting.