Family...

Thank God for Thanksgiving Day; a day where the environment is conducive for reflection. As I reflect on the things I have to be thankful for, I think about my family. My family has been on my side through successes, failures, wins, losses, good times, and bad times. I wouldn't be able to grow from my failures or enjoy my successes if my family didn't give me the foundation of a strong value system. For that, I am thankful for those soldiers who've stayed on my side. I love you family!

Ireland's No No

Whatever happened to "always have a plan B."

Tunnel Vision

Staring at a dark night painted by translucent clouds and saddened thoughts, I write… How dumb was I to preach that complacency could constitute ones demise, only to later make complacency my home. You know they say the bigger you are the harder you fall and here I am at the peak of my game getting up with blood shot eyes and a scarred face. I made complacency my home, and now it seems that this lovely abode has turned into a dark tunnel with a dim light of hope in my hindsight… Fuck… I should turn around and take off in a full out sprint towards this light but I don’t want to… All I want is a new starting line.

How Much Can We Blame the TSA?

Recently the Travel Security Agency (TSA) stripped a young boy of his shirt and dignity in Salt Lake City, Utah in response to what investigators are still attempting to find out. The video was posted on YouTube over the weekend and received over 715,000 views before the weekend ended. The story goes on to say that the innocent little boy was stripped and humiliated as a result of the TSA's impractical screening procedures. It has many over the nation fired up with many blogs posts and articles aiming ridiculing the TSA and videos by CNN portraying TSA officials as users of their power for covert, sexually ulterior intentions. However, its important for America to step back and really assess the situation. America would find that this situation was largely constituted by the vested power into the TSA to prevent future drug smuggling and terrorist attack attempts.

Thinking back to the 1990s, there weren't many stories like the aforementioned in the media. Even after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, stories as such weren't pervading as heavily. Now we see headlines such as "TSA airport screeners gone wild in San Diego- again", "TSA pats down a screaming toddler", "TSA Screening Soaks Bladder Cancer Survivor with His Own Urine" and even "TSA Makes Cancer Victim Remove Prosthetic Breast." This is all a result of our vested power into the TSA.

To examine overly endowed characters of various folktales and war stories, we notice a pattern: an over-endowment of power resulting in a lessened respect for morality and logic. Think of the actions of Gilgamesh when he was portrayed as an insurmountable king and Hitler when he began to kill off Jews for the rise of the Aryan race. Both began to exemplify unethical and seemingly illogical actions as a result of their immense amount of power.

Its as if too much power can pull one out of touch with humility, and create a mindset within that individual that places itself above the critique of others. Its as if that individual is no longer subject to questioning (to themselves). With this, many ideas and actions go untampered--resulting in the the execution of some thoughts and actions without screening. However it is this screening that is vital to our everyday prudence and good citizenship, because it helps us winnow our thoughts towards the right decision.

Some officials of the TSA have realized the power vested into them by the American people and may have gotten out of touch with their subconscious screening processes. As American people, we can't blame them too much, because as always, we're part of the problem.

... I'm Back

In English 250 we have presentations that we must "breathe new life" into texts we have already read. Today, my classmate exposited the story of Sundjata and the supplemental movie, Keita, to prove the importance of an exile. His message was that in exile one inevitably takes time to reflect, and gaze deep within introspection. From this, that person will have been enlightened from their own experiences and will become a step closer to fully elucidating their life's dharma. Being away from this blog was like an exile. My reasoning was frivolous, and not well thought out. I was afraid of too many people beginning to understand my train of thought, and assumed that quitting cold turkey would some way help my personal and professional advancement. I was wrong.

While I attempted to better to myself, I only truly attempted to conform. I had gotten away from the initial premise of my blog to express my thoughts irregardless of how they complemented this society's world-views. Reality is... I am heretical, and while I was so focused on transforming into the token child of the business world, I am glad this exile has taught me that it's never necessary to embrace conformity; yet, it's always important to embrace contentment. With that, "I'm back on my blog shit" (Wiz Khalifa)--harder than ever. Good Morning World. Your troubled child is back with my ass in the air, ready to wipe it with your opinions.

#NowPlaying J.Cole -Too Deep for the Intro