Chasing Dreams

YEAR OF TRANSITION

2011-12-31T20:01:00.003-05:00

I was originally planning to dedicate my last 2011 blogto the protestors here in America and around the world that have instigatedregime change without the need for war, influenced the social and economicconversation by exposing the income disparity here in the US and demonstratedto the “powers that be” that the people are the real power when we worktogether. I wanted to touch on how the “Tea Party” has matured from protestorsto political constituent on their way to perhaps becoming a Political Party separatefrom the Republicans that don’t seem to know how to fully assuage them. And ofcourse I wanted to highlight how the Occupy Wall Street movement introduced theterm 99% into our vernacular that has seemed to catch fire all over the globe.But TIME magazine beat me to the punch, so I’m going to write about somethingTime isn’t writing about yet… me.

2011 was truly a year of transition not just for politicsbut for me personally. It was a year for many firsts that I am proud of. I started the year by bringing together mywriting and photography into my first self-published book called “Corporate Liaison”a love story narrated in a mix ofpoetry, image and short excerpts; a project that I plan to continue as a seriesto highlight some of my past and future travels. By the way you can still get your copy onlineor directly from me at a reduced price.

It was the year of my first journey to the Far East,sharing a trip with a special friend for my birthday to Japan in January rightbefore the devastating tsunami and then onto Thailand where we encountered peopleand a culture that many only read about. Being shuttled through the streets ofBangkok in a Tuk Tuk, named for the puttering sound of the small enginepowering the three wheel cart is an experience best enjoyed with your facecovered to protect against all the carbon monoxide… I don’t think these peopleknow anything about emissions regulations. The trip allowed me to let go ofsome ideas of control as my friend persuaded me to extend my stay and gooutside of my economic comfort zone. As a result I was able to visit thecoastal city of Pattaya and enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon at the Hilton Pattaya high above the beach town, sipping tropical drinks, talking aboutlife and watching the edge of the magnificent infinity pool as it seemed totouch the Andaman Sea in the distance. Did I mention that winter in Thailandgenerate 85 degree weather?

We ended the trip in Puerto Rico, where I avoided thetail end of the big snow storm in New York and discovered a tropical paradisein my own backyard. Puerto Rico has never been on my list of places to visitbut the crystal clear turquoise waters and cerulean sky is only hours away. Itwould have been perfect if not for the death my beloved camera. You don’t comeback from salt water damage.

This past year wasn’t just about me hopping on a plane. Mysearch for purpose was rekindled as I seriously flirted with the idea ofselling everything and starting from scratch. It was only five years ago since I left the advertising world to pursuemy dreams of being a creative owner but the depressed economic environment anda longing for all things advertising refocused my efforts to the ad world and Iapplied for every interesting marketing position I could find includinginternal positions at Delta Air Lines. It would’ve meant moving to Atlanta butI was willing to do so if I could work on the strategic end. Rising oil prices,and falling passenger loads forced Delta to reduce head-count in the form of a voluntaryexit package that I surprisingly qualified for. If a company is looking tobecome stronger by cutting staff it will be a long time before opportunitiesbecome available again and my customer service exposure was beginning to erode mybelief in humanity. I mean I do lovepeople but working in the front lines with the public is taxing on the soul. Soarmed with that knowledge and several years of future travel as part of thedeal, I took the package marking the second time in my life that I have left ajob with not even the hint of a replacement in sight; just a world ofpossibilities.

I became a quasi part of the unemployed statistics I’veoften written about in other blogs. Icontinued to work at a part-time job that I had during my tenure at Delta, so technicallyI wasn’t unemployed, the economic term is underemployed. I felt the same pressure most of thenation felt with limited jobs available but still knew in my heart that I wasdoing the right thing.

My job search increased my digital footprint as I fully embraced social media. I didn’t do much with Facebook since it feelsmore “social” and less “professional” but my activity on Linkedin and Twitterskyrocketed. I tracked my socialinfluence using Klout and started to share my ideas about the industry that had become a part of me over the last few years; theairlines. I was writing about the airlines, go figure. It took me a while but I realized that I wasn’ttrying to escape the airlines, I am an account manager and I was simply lookingfor an account to manage. I found justthat with a strong young brand by the name of Jet Blue which I will be joining2012.

So… just about to order a new camera, for an exciting projectrelated to the Arab Spring, several story ideas and training for a new position in a week. It’s a going tobe a good start for 2012.

AND THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

2011-11-20T13:31:00.001-05:00

Last week we witnessed what looks like acoordinated police effort to stem if not stamp out the growth of what in mostcases is peaceful expressions of civil disobedience across the country.

The eviction of OWS camps at Zuccotti Park in NYC, galvanized thousands in a planned march to commemorate two months of the occupation. The day of unrest threatened to cause disruptions on Wall Street as well as the transit system. The movement which started in New York and spread globally has shined a light on the surprising income disparity in the US with reporting from foreign news organizations that reveal an America that many wouldn't recognize.

Occupy Wall Streeters Evicted in NYC

Clashes in Oakland

Students pepper sprayed

All of these scenes are eerily similar to clashes occurring aroundthe world. Just look at what flared up only days ago in Egypt.

Scenes from Egypt last week

The common thread is people tired of the economic disparity,protesting for a more balanced system. Now despite the show of force in thiscountry at least we enjoy the right of free speech and assembly afforded by ourconstitution. But the question is whatdoes the next evolution of the movement here look like?

Although I agree that the visuals of the camps are a way tokeep the issue “top of mind” that alone is not enough to bring aboutchange. Without a clearly articulated messageand being unfairly characterized by certain media outlets, themovement is in danger of losing its connection with the public at large andstraying into an isolated fringe. Let’snot forget that it was the result of a growing gap between the rich and poor inthis country. As I understand it, the gap is a result of policies to encouragethe growth of big business (good) but at the cost of the average wage earner as average incomes decrease (bad). All accomplishedthrough the increase of lobbying especiallyby Wall Street.

Sohow can these legitimate frustrations be channeled into productive and persuasiveaction? Well, by taking a page out of the lobbying playbook. OWS can’t match the economic power thatinfluences our representatives but they CAN do one better. We know contributions are made to fundcampaigns and win elections. OWS has in its ranks, smart people from all walks of life. They need to leverage that resource throughinvestigative reporting and research to create transparency as to who is contributingto what and how it affects legislation. They need to connect the dots and bring it into the light. Only then will they have access to the mostinfluential power in this country short of the military… the US vote. This may not seem earth shattering but if politiciansknow that they will not be able to garner votes with just an impressive campaign warchest because of the stigma of receiving certain contributions, then it removes the power of special interest money in our government byremoving the incentive.

OWS is a movement that has to become a constituent so that our representatives can begin to represent usagain.

OCCUPY WALL STREET IS GOOD FOR AMERICA

2011-11-12T08:50:00.001-05:00

Like a lot of fellow Americans and people all over the worldI have been following the progression of this movement. My last blog addressed why the need formovements like this exist but now I am blogging in response to various claimsthat these protestors are anti-capitalist and therefore Un-American.

So let’s start with the definition of Capitalism. Unfortunately there is no static universalagreement except for certain elements which include; private ownership ofdevelopment, manufacturing and distribution of goods and services for profit ina market where prices and wages are set by competition. We’ve all heard aboutSupply and Demand, well COMPETITION is the heart of Supply and Demand. Theother important component of the idea of Capitalism is the expectation that itencourages Economic growth.

One last defining point before I jump into it. As a student of economics I cling to the portion of the ideadealing with Free Markets which consists of a fluid pricing system where supplyand demand are allowed to reach their point of equilibrium without interventionby the government.

Now one would think that I wouldn’t be a supporter based onthe notion of a system unfettered by government intervention but what we havehere in the US is not pure capitalism. The idea has been corrupted by back door deals, corporate subsidies, taxloopholes and an army of special interests lobbyist that have all become anaccepted part of business as usual. Nolonger is competition won by the best product or service, it’s ruled by whichcompany has established the best industry advantage. Striving for that advantage used to be good forAmerica because it meant innovations in research and development or manufacturing, but today that advantage is gained by who has hired the mosteffective lobbyist, that advantage is now a result of legislation. Just look atsubsidies for the energy sector that artificially inflate profits whichattracts investment. According to Forbes, even liberal activists in the Rocky Mountain Institute, the SierraClub, and the chairman of the Global Environment Fund, believe the time has come toend energy subsidies in the tax code and allow market forces (supply anddemand) to let the best fuel win.

So how this all ties back to the Occupy movement and whyit’s good for us is this:

Corporate Americahas lost its way, (for the most part). Instead of achieving market dominance through product excellence, it’sachieved through clever deals to best position the company.
Through the supplyand demand model in our current system, the “better mouse trap” has been replaced with a "better lobbyist" as demandfor an advantage in the market is high. Made in America used to mean something a longtime ago.
This manipulationof the system does not allow for prices and wages to find a natural equilibriumwhich produces income disparities the likes of which we haven’t seen in 30years.
This movement will help start the conversation, activate the public andput the politicians on notice eventually getting us back on track and reversingthe growing income divide in this country.

Consider this, the income disparity, which is measured by something called the Gini Coefficient, is more pronounced in the US,the greatest nation in the world than in Egypt, and we all know what happenedthere. Note: the greater the index number the greater the income disparity.

Capitalism was not designed to create a nation of “Haves andHave Nots” and THIS is what the Occupy movement is about.

Now no one is saying privately earned profit is bad for America. Let’s look at one of my favorite companies, AppleInc. Apple’s mission statement on itssite starts with, “Apple designs Macs, thebest personal computers in the world…” Sounds like a better mousetrap tome. Because of its superior design,demand of Apple products is in the clouds… globally (which is an importantpoint I’ll get to later). This allowsthem to price it accordingly; we all know these products are not cheap, butplaced in the marketplace in competition with others, a natural equilibriumprice is allowed to be reached without subsidies, loopholes or lobbyist. Thelast point is one of the most important, and has to do with encouragingeconomic growth. Although Apple enjoysindustry dominance it creates opportunity for other companies. Apple’s success created a market for MP3 players,a unique online music store model, tablets and phones that is stimulating competitionfrom Blackberry, HTC and others. There is a growing market for iPhone andvarious mobile device docks, chargers, cases, screen protectors, and repair shops all creating opportunity, generating economic growth which is a hallmark of capitalism.

There is a saying, “When the US sneezes the Worldcatches a cold”, the US has been the economic model for a lot of economies in theworld yet we see the Republican Party seeking to adopt the practices of our foreigncompetitors. I’ve written about it before but here is what I mean. Some of our global competitors do not have the same high standard of living supportedby wages for their citizens. They don’t have the same corporate tax structureor regulations. So what we’ve seen is a conservative movement to level theplaying field by attacking unions that protect wages and workers rights,attacks on regulations that protect consumers and the environment and a call tominimize corporate taxes. The Warren Buffet example of the top 1% paying almostno taxes is based on rewarding wealth earned through investment versus work,all in an effort to attract investment and positioning the US to compete. Isubmit the only way to compete is to invest in education to foster the next generation of American ingenuity. Henry Ford realized that by paying his workers more, itreduced turnover AND allowed them to buy the vehicles they were buildingcreating a market. THIS is the Americanway and this will bring us back to our once economic dominance, NOT mimicking countriesthat have governments that have been infiltrated with special interest corporatedollars and little regulation.

It is sad that the debate is not fullyunderstood by the opposition. Maybe I’m being naïve in believing they don’t getit but this week while watching a discussion on how California could become thebase for many Occupy protestors during the winter months, a conservative punditquestioned why Hollywood wasn’t being occupied as if the debate was about poorvs. rich. It’s true that movie starsmake millions for a few months of work but the pricingmechanism in Hollywood isn’t rigged. If Bruce Willis is paid millions to make DieHard 5 and the movie is a bomb, there is no government subsidy funded by taxpayer money to provide corporate welfare to the studios. If the studio makes a bad bet the repercussionsto John Q public will amount to a bad review and maybe $50 for tickets andpopcorn for two, however, this argument is about how deregulation and corporate influencehas created a system where the richest in this country have become richer whileeveryone else has seen an decrease in real income during one of the toughesttimes we’ve ever seen. It’s about how when Wall Street makes a bad bet itaffects everyone including the world. They may think it’s safe to call it classwarfare but it’s really about undoing the wealth redistribution perpetrated bythe Bush administration that this country can not afford.

My hope is that the Occupy movement reaches atipping point that challenges the allure and influence of special interestdollars. My hope is that it reminds our confused “representatives” that VOTERSnot DONORS are their true constituents and despite the fact that corporationsare legal entities they are not endowed with the same inalienable rights ascitizens because they are not people, sorry Mr. Romney.My hope is that through the discussion that is generated we move to fulfill the dreams of the next Henry Ford and SteveJobs by becoming competitive through our inventive nature and not through ourability to rig the system.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF LEADERSHIP

2011-10-08T00:48:00.003-04:00

Supply and Demand; basic Econ 101. Thisfundamental law describes a dynamic between two variables which can be appliedto any field. The relationship isinverse so as the supply of something decreases, say gas, the demand increases.Such is the case in our American political system. The supply of adequate leadershipand representation is rare and on the decrease if one examines the field.

The movie“The American President” with Michael Douglas comes to mind. In an exchange the fictional president is told the following:

“People want leadership, Mr. President, and inthe absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to themicrophone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawlthrough the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water,they'll drink the sand.”

Well I’m not criticizingour President alone, because our system doesn’t allow for the country to be runby one person, no American monarchy here. However, in his attempt to achieve bipartisanship he has compromisedmuch of what he’s tried to accomplish. With our representatives caught up in apolitical game where representation is on sale to the highest donor it makesperfect sense that the people would begin to cry out for change as the demand for leadership skyrockets. We sawthis in part with the Tea Party movement, which I’m still skeptical about and now we see the rise of the “Occupy Wall Street” or "The 99%” movement, whichcould grow into a significant power with its populace anthem.

Indealing with consumer products, when the demand increases either the price willincrease, which could hurt sales if the good is elastic, meaning substitutes existin the market or supply is increased to a point where the market achieves an equilibrium, which is what we want. For too long, no legitimate substitute hasexisted in our two party system, making “leadership” inelastic, limitingconsumer/voter choice and allowing the “sellers” to raise the price instead ofincreasing leadership. Believe me, weare all paying the price. .

Bothmovements have an organic feel to them, although like I mentioned before I’mskeptical of the “Tea Party” but that can be simply because I don’t agree withtheir ultra-conservative leanings. The Occupy Wall Streeters feel more like anorganic peoples’ movement, born out of the frustration with the inequities inthe system. I’ve blogged about thegrowing income disparity in my “Wake Up America” post and wondered why thestreets didn’t look like the 1960’s. Well the 60’s are back, ripe with a healthy dose of civil disobedience,mace and the most important ingredient… young people.

Themovement is young and spreading fast all over the country. It bares a strikingresemblance to protests springing up all over the world in Egypt, Greece,Spain, led by people that want nothing more than to earn a living and get theirpiece of the proverbial pie. This feelslike the sleeping giant has awakened and it’s an exciting time to bealive.

Why isthis good for the country?

Well ifthis movement reaches the tipping point, together with the Tea Party, it willforce our two party system to engage each other and the problems this countryfaces. Back to my economic analogy; whensubstitutes are introduced to the market place the entire dynamic is affectedbecause choice is now a factor. If a seller has kept supply low, increasingdemand and inflating the price then the introduction of a substitute will makethat product elastic making it harder to keep prices high because consumershave a choice. These movements could andwill, with time give rise to parties other than the republican and thedemocratic parties. More choice is always a good thing for consumers in amarket especially our market of democracy.

Why it’s notgood for the Republicans.

Althoughthe Tea Party has galvanized the conservative base it could split a party thathas historically been extremely disciplined, single minded and always onmessage. The Occupy Wall Streeters couldfurther erode support with out of work working class swing voters that usuallypunish the incumbent, in this case Obama. If the anger and frustration startsto coalesce into a coherent message that people can grasp then both partieswill have no choice but to listen and the President is already speaking the same language.

Why it isgood for the Democrats

The TeaParty with all their homogenous passion and conservatism have a small, closedtent. They don’t appear to be inclusive, with a desire to go back to asimpler America but the only problem is in thatAmerica of the past, women, people of color and people with alternativelifestyles had little or no voice. So guess where those voters will go? That’sright, to the Democrats, at least until new substantial parties form. At first, I wasn’t sure about the potential effectsof the Occupy Wall Streeters on the Dems. I mean on the surface it appears thatthey can only bolster the party as they echo the points of the DemocraticPresident. But my concern was, like theTea Party, they could split support within the party causing some to vote formore progressive and more liberal candidates with other parties that don't have enoughsupport to win, effectively fracturing the base. Then I thought about how bigand open the Democratic tent is and I realized it can’t be more fractured thanit already is.

In theend both movements are the result of dissatisfaction with our party system. If either party wants to survive for anotherdozen election cycles they will have to evolve or face certain extinction.

If you would like to get involved and be a part of the movement to remove/reduce financial influence from our political system read the following petition and SIGN IT!

iBURN

2011-10-07T03:22:00.000-04:00

I wasn’tsure where or how to start this entry. Obviously it’s an homage to the late great Steve Jobs. Anyone that knows me, knows the fierceconnection I feel towards the brand. Notjust the products but the idea behind the brand. The mantra of “Think Differently” isingrained in my soul. When the whole world says white my first instinct is tothink black.

Now this isn’t born out of a sheer love of being a contrarian, noit’s the result of having WHY burn inside like a primal fire inherited from myancestors that received that gift from Prometheus. “WHY” is a gift that allows usto… on the surface question the status quo but go deeper and one will discover that“WHY” actually allows us to innovate. I like to think it’s the flame of geniusthat consumes those that dare to embrace it as others simply choose to admireits light and warmth.

Myintroduction to computing was on a PC and that relationship was nothing morethan utilitarian, a means to an end that I didn’t even think about. Myintroduction to Macintosh and the unique operating system improved thatexperience but the love affair didn’t start there. It was the marketing, product development anduser integration all working in concert that did it for me, which was allSteve. Although I am an ad guy, I am not immune to the effects of smart advertising,but this was something more than a clever headline or an inspirational 30:second commercial. It was thearticulation of an idea shared by so many disconnected eccentrics. When the worldsaid, “We use PCs and so should you” we all laughed reveling in our exclusivityand felt connected.

Althoughit was not needed, it provided some validation which inspired me to embrace WHYin more aspects of everything I did and will continue to burn in everything Ido.

I nevermet the man but I can say that he did impact my life beyond the Apple productsI own. So I’ll end with an appropriate quote from Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner”

“Thelight that burns twice as bright burns half as long and you have burned so very, very brightly…”

WAKE UP AMERICA, THE DREAM IS OVER

2011-04-28T14:03:00.008-04:00

So here I am, back on my soap-box but this time it’s a political rant. On a flight back from Barcelona I saw the movie “Inside Job” which was an excellent critique and analysis of our current economic crisis. Yes crisis my friend. If you are the average American then you have seen your real income, the hard earned money you make adjusted for the cost of living, decrease, while the wealthiest Americans have seen an increase.

As of 2006, the United States had one of the highest levels of income inequality, as measured through the Gini Index among high income countries comparable to that of some middle income countries such as Russia or Turkey, being one of only few developed countries where inequality has increased since 1980.

We are becoming a Nation of the “Haves and the Have Nots”

So why is it that our Republican leaders are all calling for tax breaks for the job producers at the cost to the wage earners? If you think this is rhetoric look at the cuts to education grants like Pell as well as the proposed plan by congressman Paul Ryan that would eliminate Medicare and Medicaid’s current reimbursement scheme by providing beneficiaries with tax credits.

It is the conventional wisdom among republicans that US companies pay a disproportionately higher tax rate when compared to our foreign competitors, despite the fact that many companies exploit loopholes in the system to avoid paying. To add to that, US wages are disproportionately higher especially when compared to India and China which is the main driver for outsourcing. Together this makes for an unfriendly playing field.

So if you look closely, the plan is to level that unfriendly playing field by paying wage earners less and taxing companies less. It may sound like a simple solution but WTF? You mean to tell me that the only way these people can bring back the glory of the US exports is to decrease our standard of living to that of China and India? That would explain the current assault on Unions that protect wages.

If you’ve read my blogs you know I’m a pretty progressive and sometimes open to the occasional conspiracy theory but this is an outright attack on our way of life, on the American Dream that has attracted so many from all over the world. During the Clinton administration taxes were high for all but the budget was balanced and we even had a surplus. Now the Republicans are trying to sell this idea that average Americans need to tighten our belts more, while the top 5% enjoy more tax breaks. Something does not compute.

How can a government perpetrate a fraud of this nature without risking an all out rebellion? The key is information. By the coordinated efforts of disinformation and poor education you produce a nation of sheep that can easily be lead. Cuts to Pell grants which have provided an avenue for the education of lower income Americans is starting to make sense. Distractions by our so called news organizations and the media would explain why more Americans know more about the candidates on America’s Top Model than our leaders and more vote in American Idol than any of our primaries. We are becoming sheep and it’s not a good thing.

It’s becoming harder to do anything as the middle class is becoming an endangered species. The only answer is to be informed and get involved.

The time is now my friends.

CORPORATE LIAISON

2011-01-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

Well 2011 is off to good start so far. I have officially completed my first self-published project. It is a very unique book entitled "Corporate Liaison" and you can take a sneak peek here but definitely order your copy soon, Valentine's Day is right around the corner.

Corporate Liaison by Garfield Harry | Make Your Own Book

This project was in the works for some time now, mainly because of the various creative elements that had to be blended together into a single cohesive venue. First we have the actual story, which drives everything. It's a erotic love story about two ambitious professionals that fall for each other despite the pitfalls of an office romance. A project like this without a strong plot and interesting characters is a waste. I believe I've been able to capture both.

Then we have the WAY the story is being revealed which is what makes this book so unconventional. It's a collection of poems linked together by short scene descriptions and punctuated with pictures. Yeah I know, crazy but I make it work wonderfully in a way that allows you to feel the energy and emotion of the moment. The anticipation as these two characters meet for the first time, have that spark of attraction but have to wait. The passion felt later on as well as the confusion and heartache. I take you through the full cycle of a relationship in this quick read that will leave you wanting more.

All the poems are real, in that they were inspired and written for women before I ever conceived this project. You can't just write a poem with real emotion to fill a gap a book... not without a perceptive reader feeling that something is missing.

The last device I employed was writing it in a way that allowed the reader to fully immerse themselves in the story. This was not easy but I accomplished it by creating fully developed characters that YOU the reader have to envision. Now I know with books we always have to envision what the characters might be, which is why the book is almost always better than the movie... our imagination is never quite captured on the big screen. I took this a step further turning a limitation into a positive. I deliberately did not include descriptions of either character, with the exception of personalities of course. So you can easily slide yourself into the role and escape the rigors of life into this little fictional world. I didn't even give them names, which provided a tiny hurdle towards the end of the book when we see email exchanges between them.

Developing the female character was also not easy, not because I'm not a female but because I wrote this with female readers in mind. I wanted to create something that would make women feel sensual and empowered. So the challenge was to create a strong yet feminine female character that would not take any shit BUT didn't come off as a bitch. I didn't want to turn men off but more importantly I didn't want the female character to be foreign to women. I want women to be able to relate to her even if they're not like her, they should be able to say, "I like how she handled that. I can do that."

Without revealing too much about the book or what happens to them, I can say that this is just the first of a series featuring these two. The later books will not have poetry in them but I plan to take them around the world featuring my travel photography and experiences in cities like Paris, Athens, Cairo and Barcelona just to mention a few. It should be like an international escape.

Thanks for reading and buying my book, I look forward to a very interesting 2011.

CALENDAR WOES

2011-01-07T06:07:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year.... the end is near. Ok people it's 2011, one year closer to the dreaded 2012. You know what I'm referring to... the end of the world as predicted by folks who have mis-read the Mayan calendars. Personally I believe the Mayans just didn't create a calendar beyond 2011.

They were busy, fighting off Europeans or plagues or something but the fact that the calendar they did create ends in 2012 somehow translates into the end of the world as we know it. People are funny.

But you know, we have seen some really bizarre things recently, slug creatures in the sewers of North Carolina, we've had mass animal deaths as recently as few days ago. On Wednesday officials in Kentucky reported the death of hundreds of birds that seem to fall out of the sky, for the SECOND time this week. Sweden reported 50 jackdaw birds found in the streets of Stockholm and 50,000 dead crabs washed up on the shores of the UK. Similar events are being reported from Arkansas, Brazil, New Zealand and Maryland where millions of fish were found dead in Chesapeake Bay this week. Oh and perhaps the strangest of them all... Sarah Palin.

Sure officials have logical explanations like the extreme cold killing the fish in Maryland and the coldest December in 120 years killing the crabs in the UK but this all seems a little unnerving to me especially since no one is even attempting to explain Palin. Which brings me to my main point... Am I ready? Are YOU ready for the end? Now I'm not being spiritual here, I have a healthy relationship with my belief system which can be called something like quantum meta-physics, no I'm referring to fending for yourself when everything goes kaboom.

Being able present a killer PowerPoint presentation to close that deal will not help you in a world where water and gasoline become the new national currency. Hey I've seen enough post apocalyptic movies to know, one needs a strategic defenseable position to rest your head, some make-shift form of weapons and transportation, sustenance and ohhh yeah... a dog.

It's time to get my survival skills up. Need to get my puppy soon.

Ok so I'm gonna share my master plan with you. Walmart... yup... that's right. When the Moon eclipses to black and the sea turns red all hell is gonna break lose, but me and a loyal band of "new worlders" are heading directly for the malls. All we need is to take over a Walmart and a Home Depot.

Once we are securely inside, down with the security gates which will be our first line of defense. We then have our boys with the power tools in Home Depot tunnel across, about 50 feet below, creating safe passage between the twin fortresses. After that it's just a matter fortifying the walls with as much welded metal to withstand any attacking zombie-like horde. It should be safe enough for anything short of an attack from a rogue military division.

The plan is almost flawless. Walmart has enough food supplies to last a while and the garden section should have seeds and soil so we can grow what we need inside. I figure in about 90 days any animal protein will be completely exhausted, but we'll be either in a position to barter with the poor fools outside to get what we need OR strong and healthy enough to go out and grab what we need, based our stores of medicine and vitamins in the pharmacy department.

Did you know Walmart has weapons? Assorted knives, guns, ammunition for hunters... need I say more. That coupled with the power tools from Home Depot we will be able to build anything we need including a fast armored all-terrain vehicle that would make the Road Warrior jealous.

So, although I don't really garden, or weld or do any of the end of the world stuff that Will Smith and Mel Gibson are famous for I can plan and organize and what's more important than that?

So you wanna join my team or what?

A JAMES BOND NEW YEAR

2011-01-03T22:35:00.011-05:00

Yeah so I thought my first blog of the year was going to be something profound and inspiring... naaaa... it's about James Bond.

It dawned on me watching "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig how the James Bond character is a physical manifestation of the male Id. Now just so we're on the same page, by Id I'm referring to that part of the personality that is pure and basic drive not guided by morals or societal rules like the ego or the super ego. It's the child in us all that just wants to take what we want without concern of consequence and is ruled by the "pleasure principle", seeking to avoid pain or unpleasure aroused by increases in instinctual tension.

For anyone who has seen the Bond franchise this is not news but the last two Bond films, "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" provides background to why the character behaves the way he does and more importantly it provides a glimpse into why men in general behave the way we do. I know I'm biting off a lot here but stick with me.

The movie is based on the original Ian Fleming novel written in 1953 which I have not read but which I hear is wildly misogynistic, even more so than the 22 movies it spawned. The plot is centered on Bond who has just acquired his infamous double 0 licensed to kill status, which he uses liberally without remorse, however unlike the earlier 20 films, he seems to be driven either by self preservation or honor.

During an active operation, he genuinely falls in love, which reveals a human side to this womanizing, killing automaton and when he realizes she has betrayed him he does the unthinkable... he forgives her further revealing a soul. All of this is very unlike the Bond we have come to know but upon closer inspection it all makes sense and as I've have stated above, provides a glimpse into the motives behind men's actions.

The Bond we know is cool, calculating, emotionally closed off. He's able to park his gorgeous Aston Martin, kill the villain on the walk from this car to wherever he is going to meet some stunning woman that he will sleep with, walk away from and do it all without batting an eye. All things that fall under the motivation of the male Id; driving around in a conspicuous symbol of success, with the trust and approval to exact justice to the point of death on evil-doers all in the admiration of women that are unsuccessfully pursued by others. It is the ultimate male fantasy. But when you look deeper we see the insecurity that plagues us men.

Why is Bond emotionally closed off? Well he appears to be closed off even before he meets Vesper the love interest but she is smart, witty, strong as well as beautiful. Not his type as he tells her when she asked if she will have a problem with him keeping his hands to himself. She thinks it's because she is smart, he tells her it's because she's single. Avoidance of complications... shear physical pleasure. But she is exactly his type as he is unable to see it for himself. Because she is a challenge that acknowledges his charms yet does not fall for them mindlessly like so many before. This combination is intriguing and allows her to move into his heart where she takes up residence. Near the end, he actually contemplates leaving the service to live happily ever after with her. He tells her he loves her. Who is this? Surely not James Bond, but in an attempt to salvage what is left of his soul and find happiness, he walks down this path only to have it taken from him in a dramatic double denial by fate. First he realizes she has betrayed him, which could mean she never shared his feelings. But he is able to excuse that based on the situation she was forced into. Her death was a message from fate that happiness would not be his and it was enough for him to emotionally close himself off because it may be lonely in there but at least it doesn't hurt as much.

I think this is an appropriate analogy for most men and our emotions. It can actually be extended to almost all people men and women alike, except women don't display this self-preservation tendency in the same way.

Men are so misunderstood. There is much fragility in our strength. Under calm cool facades we sacrifice emotional health because despite what people say, if you're an emotional wreak, and we all are from time to time, no one will take you seriously. Yeah sure, people will excuse it, and even support you, but forget about you taking the lead on anything.

I admit, I don't show a great deal of emotion. In fact I reveal very little, especially when I need people the most. I know this to be an issue and I'm actively working on it, however, I'm very verbal. Although I don't show it, I have no problems talking about it which is immensely cathartic. Being able to get shit off your chest and just purge is something all my fellow brothers need to practice. Now actually showing it? That needs a little work but it's only the 3rd day of the new year, I've got 362 more days to make some progress.

Happy New Year.

THE PLOT THICKENS

2010-11-07T11:18:00.000-05:00

Life is more than just a collection of random events and our reactions to them... at least for me it needs to be more. Like a lot of people I need purpose, adventure, friendship and most importantly variety... routine is poison for creative people.

But as I'm learning, purpose finds YOU, so there is no need to go looking for it. Adventure gets the heart pumping fast but it walks hand in hand with drama. You might think you don't like drama but interesting lives are usually filled with some kind of dramatic event or combination of such.

Friendship, well that's all about how much you're willing to open yourself and your lives to people that have an effect on you. I have lots of people I'm friendly with but a select few friends... I mean people I can rely on.

That brings us to variety... or the need for variety which is really just the need to grow, the need to evolve, to learn, to see the world through different eyes. This has been the driving factor in my life. It is the reason why I cling so readily to the concept of "NEW", why I embrace change like an old friend and as a result it has brought me adventure and friendship. Purpose still seems elusive but as I stated above it will find me.

I recently came to a crossroads... where I needed to start thinking about where I'm going... professionally as a marketer, artist, writer and fate has opened a path for me in the direction that I was not opened to before. It's funny how the answers to the questions that cause to the most angst are sometimes right in front of our eyes. Too simply see.

Anyway I won't into detail here suffice to say adventure, friendship and variety is on the way and purpose is not too far away.

THE BIG BOUNCE

2010-08-13T22:11:00.002-04:00

Ok now... I am back. My car is back home with the help of my family and although I now have to change the dead battery that I suspect might have been switched during the 2 days in the city pound it's good to have wheels again. It's hard to understand how it's actually more expensive to NOT have a car in NY. Yeah I know all the arguments about parking, tickets, maintenance, etc but the daily cost of a commute from home to JFK works out to be less with a car... funny.

Attended an amateur comedy night last night at a friend's fabulous apartment. It's a community of artist that is designed to promote creativity. They have periodic shows, comedy and music and gotta say it wasn't bad. Not sure if I enjoyed myself because of the company I shared or because it was a little escape but it might have something to do with the Cuban meal, with sangria and the Johnny Walker Black on the rocks we shared on her incredible deck complete with a view of NYC. Open air, witty conversation and good ole booze would make most things enjoyable.

During the little get-together afterwards I got some good feedback on the direction I'm taking my book. I've won over another fan or at least an interested party which just pushes me to get this out there sooner rather than later.

Things are looking up. The "day after" always seems to offer some sort of renewed promise. I'm am not nearly as distressed as I was just a week ago and looking forward to the future.

So I'll end this entry without my usual deep thought and just say look out because here I come.

ALMOST BOTTOM

2010-08-09T21:13:00.000-04:00

Well today was one of those days that feels like I’ve fallen to bottom of a pit of misfortune. That’s right folks I’m gonna grip now. My cable is off so this was written on Tuesday August 3 and I’m not sure when I’ll be publishing it to my blog. My 4 year old Razr is on it’s last legs evidenced by the occasional blank screen that I’m only seeing because I lost my beautiful Droid. And on the 4th day of working 14 hour days, I go home to change for my next job and emerge to find that my car has been towed for multiple parking violations on the day that my divisional decides to pay us a visit. I now have to go to my family to borrow the money to get my car out of the pound before it is sold at auction… yeah it’s one of the days that I hope I never to see again.

And all of this on the heels of me finally self-publishing the picture book that I’ve working on for so long. There is a lesson in all of this but I’m not sure what it is yet.

Just when I feel that I have hit an all time low one of my coworkers finds out that his best friend’s cousin committed suicide. It kinda puts things in perspective. I mean my problems are still very real but nothing compared to something so tragic. I’m numb and realizing that I still have some control over my life. Perhaps the lesson is to make the best of every situation. I often feel like giving up but never considered ending it all. I’m under a mountain of financial debt of my own making but I still have options and those options along with the love of my family and friends keeps me going. The belief that this gamble, this lifestyle change will pay off soon is the light at the end of my dark tunnel. I can not imagine what compelled that young mother to take her own life but I know that I have so much to look forward for.

Today has been a truly emotional day that I will not soon forget but instead of slowing me down I am re-doubling my efforts. I WILL NOT STOP… until I cross the finish line and even then I will continue to run because that is WHO I am. This was a wake up call that I will not ignore. It’s time to shift into overdrive and pull from my reserves.

To my co-worker, the good soul that I share time with, I say you have my deepest condolences.

Life can be a struggle that we don’t always win but I don’t intend to lose. Not this day. Not tomorrow. Not ever. I will fight until my last breath because I will only see the bottom if I surrender and that is something I don’t know how to do or intend to learn.

REENTRY

2010-07-05T22:06:00.002-04:00

So NASA's space Shuttles have these fantastic tiles designed to withstand the tremendous heat of reentry but what about me and my precious emotions?

Ok this is what I mean. I work in one of the most inhospitable environments known to man, otherwise called the airport. Now don't get me wrong, the job is not horrible... all the time. But something happens to people when they get in an airport. I think the fear and anxiety of air travel for some is redirected and expressed in ways that don't always make sense. Unless you're a psychologist you don't see the connection and think that these passengers are either crazy, sadistic or just plain stupid. But if you look closer you'll see most of them or just scared little kids that want to go on vacation but don't want to fly so they arrive late or fuss and obsess about minor things. Now of course you DO have your share of obnoxious assholes that try to get over and don't care who they run over.

My coworker had a woman complain about missing a flight because she and her family were late. She blamed it on the wheelchair bound passenger that was in front of her saying something like if we didn't spend so much time helping the "special needs passenger" we could have focused on her and her family at which point my buddy said "I can't believe you said that" and walked away.

Dealing with the public is challenging, so when I get a chance to go away and leave it all behind it's like I'm on a different world. Stress free, maxing and relaxing.

So when it's time to get back to reality, returning from my different world I need to prepare my self for reentry. Plan a day between time-off and first day back as a cushion... read my company emails, prep uniform. I do all of this but none it ever seems to be enough. It always feels like a smack in the face. This last trip to Italy was great but I returned just in time for the July 4th rush... It's only been a week since my return and I'm ready to go again. Heat tiles! I need heat tiles to protect my delicate psyche cause I feel like I'm burning up.

I start planning my next big trip soon. I think Cape Town is in order. I'll try for South Africa again. Small trips and lots of shots in between now and then but the next big adventure happens in October.

ITALY

2010-07-01T18:07:00.004-04:00

So I was planning to go to South Africa with some buddies of mine to see the World Cup but as it turns out there was no credible way for us to get back in time for me to get to work. So it was either I pack enough stuff to just start a new life in Jo'burg or go somewhere else.

We chose Italy.

Now I'm no novice to travel but I don't really do the trains in Europe unless it's taking me from an airport to my affordable hotel. So when my buddy Steve mentioned "training it" to several cities I was intrigued. I was even more intrigued when he mentioned NOT booking a hotel ahead of time. I think he said something like "we'll figure it out when we get there". WHAT?!?! Ok... I've been known to hop on the last flight to Vegas with another buddy, eat, drink, gamble, look for women and a good party then head back to the airport for a first flight back to NY. No hotel, no room but THAT'S in a place where they speak English. This whole "jetting" across the pond and not knowing where I'm going to lay my head is all new to me.

We land in Venice and I'm cool because I love an adventure. We drop our bags in storage and make our way to St. Mark's Square. Water taxiing through Hudson-like waters gave us a good view of the city edges but we wanted to see the guts. Imagine visiting NYC and only seeing the West Side High Way or the FDR Drive... same thing. So we get off and make it around on foot. I got nice shots despite the rain. Gondola's and old Italian buildings are great subjects for my lens.

Milan was the next stop. The train ride wasn't bad. We stayed in a B&B... I don't remember the name. Yes I did stay in Bed & Breakfast with two guys but in my defense I wasn't staying in some hostel in Europe to find myself in a tub of ice because my organs were harvested to the highest bidder. Man that movie must have ruined business for a lot of little hostels.

Milan felt a lot like NYC, very metropolitan but distinctly European... on second thought it felt more like San Francisco.

Pizza with a nice house wine for dinner at a cool spot, topped off with good gelato at Grom and a soccer game in a little cafe/pub with some guy that looked homeless as he walked into the back with his shirt open almost to his navel, to watch some of the game. I think he was the owner of another shop because he stuffed his foot into a little waste paper bucket to push the garbage down. His foot got stuck... so he proceeded to walk into his store with the bucket on one foot. Ahh yes.

Started the next day with an espresso and marmalade filled croissant... good stuff... then off to the Doumo where I wished a panhandler good luck after chasing him off. Got some amazing shots, and almost laughed my ass off when my boy Donnie had another panhandler put a piegon on him. Museum... lunch then train to Genoa or as the Italians say Genova.

I don't remember how long the ride was because I think I passed out a bit from the heat. It was only about 85 degrees that day but on a train with few open windows that let the sun beam right in, it felt like 100. My other buddy Steve was quietly sitting by a window that did not open Donnie was sitting across from me complaining most of the way before he finally passed out. We were so glad to see Genoa.

Finding the B&B was another mini adventure but along the way I was surprised to see a Guyanese flag flying in the coastal breeze along with other countries. I didn't get the shot... oh well.

Genoa was great. I really have a thing for water and coastal towns but it was more urban that I expected. Genoa is the birth place of pesto and the home of Christopher Columbus both of which I enjoyed. In fact right outside Christopher's home, a hottie pulled up on a red Vespa that made me ready to explore new worlds...lol. We had a good birthday dinner for Donnie with some of the best swordfish carpaccio I've ever had... the only swordfish carpaccio I've ever had. I need to go back with a woman and spend some time.

We were off to the last stop on our tour when we got word that the Italians were planning a general strike which would shut down air travel and along with trains and almost everything else. The plan... get to Pisa and go home.

We got the airport too late to make the flight but didn't start worrying until we found out Air France canceled flights because of a strike, Italy would def be experiencing a strike and Lufthansa might be joining... Are you kidding me???

Fortunately the room we booked which was nice and only $50 USD for 3 people a night... was walking distance from the Airport. The plan... check in. Clean up. Contact managers in US to let them know I may NOT be back in time. Back to airport confirm rumors. Get Steve on a train to Rome so he has options.

Turns out, Delta was not affected, so we went to see the leaning tower, ate, drank, walked and headed back to prepare for a potentially long day because we didn't know what to really believe.

We all made it... no prob...
Caio Italy

SNAKE EYES OR SEVEN

2010-05-21T22:29:00.000-04:00

Ya know sometimes life feels like a crap-shoot. You plan and plan and fate gives you a hand you didn’t plan for. I like to think that is what makes this existence interesting but sometimes it can take a toll on your soul. I mean here I am struggling to make my dream a reality 3 years after walking away from a great career and comfortable life. Now don’t misunderstand, my life now is still great. Next month I plan to spend a week in Johannesburg experiencing one of the greatest sporting events on this planet, The World Cup but the goal of me leaving advertising was to make it as an artist and it still feels out of reach. The time I SHOULD be spending to make it happen is spent working to pay the bills.

I won’t let this blog post spiral into a rant about how hard my life is. Too many people don’t have jobs and will never experience the things I have been fortunate enough to call memories. It’s just sometimes the weight of your dreams can feel like a burden. I guess that’s why so many of us never take the risk to chase them.

I’ve come to believe that quote from Friedrich Nietzsche, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” My time working in the airline industry has helped me develop the more aggressive parts of my personality which was needed for a such a nice guy to help shape his future.

The quality of your life is not shaped by the events in it, it’s shaped by how you choose to react to it. I am propelled by need to succeed not by the fear of failure. I have learned to embrace failure because within each misstep is a valuable lesson.

I am on the verge of self-publishing a long awaited book of poetry which will serve as a vehicle for some of my shots and hopefully be the first of a series of books. I am in talks with an accomplished producer about my script about the advertising world that I hope to develop or sell. We will no doubt also work on a project about the airlines if all goes well.

I have so much talent that feel OBLIGATED to produce.

I am often reminded of the parable of the talents in the bible. We are all given talents some more some less but we are all expected to produce. To whom much is given, much is expected.

So although things seem difficult now, I will turn my snakes eyes into a seven because I know I can.

800 MPH Standing Still

2010-04-24T00:13:00.001-04:00

Life is truly fascinating. I mean everything is relative or gray, perception is the only thing that is black and white. I look at myself, through the judgmental lens of impatience and wonder why it is that I am not the successful sought after photographer/writer I set out to be. I look and judge comparing this venture to previous leaps in my life that were more successful.

And as I was researching some trivia one day I had an epiphany. Standing in the middle of Times Square in NYC with yellow cabs, delivery trucks and bicycle messengers whizzing by it may appear as if I’m standing still, not moving at all. But all I have to do is look up at any building and notice the clouds moving behind them, except the clouds are not really moving it’s the earth rotating, it’s me moving on this spinning rock from morning to noon to night. What’s even more fascinating is the fact that although we appear to be rotating just a bit faster than a snail's pace the REALITY is we're spinning pretty fast. Consider this; the earth is about 25,000 miles around and we cover that distance in 24 hours. That’s about 1,000 MPH and if you adjust for the longitude and latitude of NYC it’s actually 800 MPH… a far cry from a snail's pace.

So when ever I feel like my career is leaving a trail of slime behind me and I should avoid salt I think about the surface of the earth speeding through space and I realize that although it’s not happening as fast as I would like… it is happening.

Back In the Saddle

2010-04-09T23:25:00.001-04:00

Ok so I haven’t blogged in a while but it’s certainly not for lack of subject matter. We are living in the truly historic times; times that our grandchildren will ask us with wonder what it was like to be alive then.

After stepping back from the brink of what appeared to be economic oblivion on a global scale, America is remaking herself… she is engaged in the most epic make-over which started with the election of Barack Obama and was punctuated with the passage of the health-care bill, both monumental historic events.

Blogging about the fantastic meal I had at Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem a couple of days ago just seems too trivial for these times. I mean President Obama is signing nuclear disarmament treaties, Supreme Court Justice Stevens is stepping down and the Stock market is moving into really strong territory again but all I can think about is that brisket, chicken and ribs that was smoked to perfection before being slow cooked and anointed with a savory thick sauce that was the very definition BBQ. Add to that mix a Cajun style potato salad, delicious mac and cheese and some baked beans that would make any western cook sing it’s praises and you got a meal that ranks up there with world events.

If cowboys ate like this the West would have been lost not won because they would all be fat and sleeping. Oh… did I mention the cheese-cake that came with a separate container of whiskey caramel sauce to drizzle over it. MMMMmmm.

What a meal, and sharing it with friends just made it all the more enjoyable. I’m going to tell this story often to my grandkids.

My Inspirational Week

2009-05-17T23:03:00.005-04:00

Well it’s Sunday and looking back on my week and I realize that I have a pretty amazing life. Now I know that may sound a bit arrogant but it’s true.

Last Sunday my family took my mom out for mothers day, I had a hearty meal and decided to walk home from the restaurant which was a little over 4 miles… did it in an hour and half.

Tuesday I flew to Spain, business class which is the only way to fly…lol, to chill with a friend and help her move some stuff back to the US. Saw the new X-Men movie in one of the only English theaters in Madrid.

Thursday got a bottle of desert wine on the way back from one of the friendly flight attendants.

Friday watched the new Star Trek movie in Queens NY.

Saturday met Cedric the Entertainer and Kareem Abdul Jabar (man he’s tall)

And today, Sunday escorted and made small talk with the revered Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu and his wife, who blessed me twice. I’m not a fan by nature, I treat celebrities like regular people and don’t get all crazy but it was a genuine honor to meet the Arch-Bishop and to be able to share some time with him. I was struck by how real he is especially when approached by a fellow South African citizen who was almost moved to tears as she thanked him for all he has done and was eager to introduce her husband.

But the strongest impression I came away with was the interaction between he and his wife as he looked at her and one point asked, “Miss Tutu how are you doing” and her response summed it all up “Doing well Arch.” It made me smile because I knew I had just shared/witnessed a moment with such a great humanitarian, such an outspoken critic against apartheid, winner of the Nobel Peace prize among other great accomplishments and staunch opponent to the humans right violations in Tibet… at that moment he was just a husband and he was comfortable enough to just be.

What a week. What a LIFE!

Morning Blues

2009-05-16T22:01:00.007-04:00

So I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about me NOT being a morning person, despite having this crazy job that demands I be at work by 5 AM. What the hell… is this the bloody Army where we do more before 9Am than most people do all day…LOL.

Working for the airline industry is a little whacky but perfect for a man like me that needs to have the work thang wrapped up early enough so he can devote the rest of the day to more important pursuits like photography and writing.

Anyway my friend was amazed that I had acclimated to the morning so easily and it made me think. Was I always a morning person trapped in late night body? Truth be told I’m at my best at 9PM, ironically that's when I have to start winding down in order to be any good for work the next day. It didn’t make any sense to me. People don’t just switch bio-rhythms like that. So my geek side really put some thought into it and came up with an interesting theory.

Stay with me on this, it’s gonna get a little quirky but the ride is worth the read.

SOME BACKGROUND
There is a pseudo-scientific hypothesis out there called Morphic Resonance which postulates that like forms appear alike because the governing creative force “remembers” the form through repetition almost like a template or a mold. You know that saying, "they broke the mold when they made you", well THAT mold is what is what is referred to here... I think. It proposes that this is true for everything from crystals to organic material to human thought… I guess that’s why couples start to look like each other after years of marriage and pets start to look like owners over the years. It gives new meaning to the term "Birds of a feather flock together."

The practical application of this theory was applied to people who do the notoriously difficult New York Times crossword puzzle. The researcher Sheldrake, noticed that people found it easier to complete the crossword puzzle the day after it was published. He proposed that it was because so many other people completed the puzzle on the day it was published, they created a morphic field or template that we receive like psychic cliff notes entered into the human data base called the collective unconscious, first proposed by renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung. Weird huh? This would mean that we are all connected which I whole heartedly agree with.

So back to me. I never felt comfortable in the morphic field created by morning people, all those 9 to 5ivers that live in the Mon to Fri cycle. You know who I’m talking about, those people that use phrases like “Happy Monday”, man sometimes I just wanna slap the shit of them…lol . The ole school rapper Whodini made a song called the “The Freaks Come Out At Night” which is much more up my alley. I feel much more at home in the template of “different thinkers” like in the Apple commercials and can only hope to tune into that remarkable Morphic Field.

So after careful consideration I realized that I’m still NOT a morning person because when I get up at 4AM to leave my warm cozy bed, all those “Happy Mondayers” are still dreaming of ways to spread their nauseating good cheer in about 5 hours at 9AM.

Ahhh yes… I’m still a proud misfit operating outside the so-called mainstream.

Live Long And Prosper

2009-05-15T23:36:00.002-04:00

Tonight I saw the Star Trek movie, which by the way I highly recommend even if you ain’t a Trekkie like me. As with a lot of movies that have the right blend of a solid script, good acting and special effects I came away thinking about my place in this trek we call life. If you’ve read my other blogs you know that I can get a little deep about seemingly insignificant things but I truly enjoy finding the profound in what might otherwise seem like the mundane.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not thinking about joining the Air Force at 39 years of age with hopes of entering astronaut training, no buddy I’ll leave the fancy space walking to better and younger men. I am however thinking about how our choices affect not only us but the people that are close to us. I’m thinking about how chasing ya dream can be a lonely endeavor especially if the people in your life can’t see your vision and don’t understand your choices. Even the diehard rebel needs those voices in the crowd that yell out “yeah man stick it to them.” But fear of not receiving that approval can be the most daunting obstacle we face. Visionaries are rarely recognized as such until afterwards. Until after the world takes notice and acknowledges that there was some sort of method to the madness. I believe the mainstream refers to this as being eccentric.

Well eccentric is a label I wear proudly. I go left when everyone else goes right. I like to think that I am a visionary but the truth is, like the rest of the world I’m waiting to see the results myself. I’m more eager of course because I know what’s coming and I hope to God it’s not just a pipe dream from a Trekkie that’s seen and been influenced by too many good movies.

Time will tell. So stay tuned as I go where no man has gone before.

"The Man" Is Black

2008-11-27T14:18:00.004-05:00

BREAKING NEWS – Nov 5, 2008 the people of the United States of America elect Barack Obama, a black man president! This shocking news will surely mean a drastic reorganization of the system designed to hold black people back. You know the system I’m talking about… it’s called “The Man.”

For years I’ve heard too many brothas refer to lack of opportunity or access to the American dream as a conspiracy perpetrated by “The Man” and it always pissed me off. Now don’t me wrong, I’m not saying that inequities don’t exist because they do, the playing field is NOT level with respect to race. A black man still has to work twice as hard and be twice as smart to be recognized outside of the field of sports or entertainment, however, access and opportunity is still there for the taking. That is the main reason so many Mexican, Haitian, Asian brothas risk life and limb on inner tubes, in cargo holds and in the stifling heat of car trunks to cross borders into America.

But the question remains what will be the excuse now that “The Man” is black?

Bill Cosby among others has brought the discussion of personal responsibility into the main stream with his controversial remarks back in 2004. Truly the only controversial aspect of his comments was to paint lower income blacks with such a broad stroke. You can and will find struggling lower income parents “parenting” their children and teaching them standard English but it’s rare. Some have said that the system is designed to make this difficult… well a lot of times that’s true but it ain’t impossible and it’s better than focusing energies on the forces that would hold you back.

Which brings me back to our President elect. I’m not gonna rehash his struggling past, by now I’m sure you’ve either read it or heard about it but consider this: he went through the most grueling and intense interview this country has to offer and was hired by millions, beating an older, rich, white man who happens to be an American war hero. If ever there was a description of “The Man” John McCain is it… and Barack beat him, which is important because it opens the door to so much.

Young non-white people all over this country can say with some level of confidence “With hard work even I can grow up to be president”, America can start to see that black men can be more than talented ball-players but most importantly the bar has now been raised for black men. Brothas are gonna have to step up, shed that crutch that America, or The Man, or fate is holding us back and go get that prize. It’s hasn’t gotten easier, in fact it will probably be a little harder because conservatives will no-doubt use this election as an example for why we no longer need affirmative action initiatives. But the one thing that will change over time is perception, how black men are perceived will change and that change is unstoppable thanks to a nation’s awakening.

Barack Obama is "The Man."

Chasing Dreams

2008-11-19T04:57:00.004-05:00

So you find yourself in your 30’s making it in the real world and you wake up one day and realize that life didn’t turn out exactly how you expected it to. I mean it’s ok but “they” didn’t tell you that even if you follow all the rules you won’t make everyone happy and get everything you’ve ever wanted.

Then you remember the dreams you had as a much younger person. Dreams of being a pilot, or a rock star or an artist and you look at all the bullshit you’ve accumulated over the years that require you to stay at that 9 to 5 that fills your week and I ain’t just talking about that antique looking chest from Pottery Barn, no, I mean expectations from your family and peers, responsibilities like car payments and mortgages and for some of us the ultimate… a family. And just like that you start to feel trapped, with little or no options.

The movie “Fight Club” comes to mind when the lead character deals with the malaise and monotony of his unfulfilled life by splitting his personality into two to create Tyler Durden who fire bombs his condo destroying all his sweet Scandinavian press-wood furniture, basically giving him the “license” to follow his dreams despite the obvious breach of contract we all adhere to in polite society.

Too extreme for you? Not for me baby. Now don’t get me wrong… all my personalities are integrated and intact and I LOVE my Coop with it’s Pottery Barn wine cabinet and press-wood Ikea bookcase but I realized that any meaningful change needs some aspect of extreme action otherwise it ain’t gonna take hold… it just ain’t. We’re naturally drawn to what is familiar and comfortable. So if I was going to chase my dreams… I could NOT “half-ass” it and treat it like a hobby, I had to go all out and let my passion replace my comfort.

This all sounds romantic as the protagonist listens to his true inner voice… Carpe Deum and all that plus I gotta admit I enjoy playing the noble hero but walking away from a stable career and from the security of a steady paycheck to follow my passion WAS NOT easy, despite how inspiring it might sound. If you’ve done it before then you know you’re filled with constant self-doubt, I plan and plan and don’t pull the trigger nearly enough because I realize that I’m no longer reading from a script… I’m writing the fucking thing. Life is “live TV” with no second takes and I’m now the star, the producer and the director so if the show bombs I have NO-ONE to point the finger at but me… I get all the glory and ALL the blame.

That my friend is some heavy shit to carry and I think it’s the main reason why so many people don’t quit that miserable job that keeps them in a tiny cubicle for 40 hours a week like a worker-bee in some corporate hive and follow their heart. It IS the reason why I took so long to finally say “fuck it” I’m gonna do it. I walked away from a promising career in the Ad world, working on brands like Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and MCI to become an artist/photographer. Wow… man just writing that was a little emotional… am I crazy? Am I completely insane? Well I might be but for the first time in a long time I feel alive and yeah I know it sounds corny but who the hell cares.

In 2006 I worked my ass off to develop my website, get my name out there through various gallery shows in Red Hook and Chelsea and now my “day job” allows me to travel almost anywhere to get some of the best shots in the world. No I’m not a photojournalist but who would have thought I’d be able to get killer shots of the Sphinx or majestic shots of the Eiffel Tower but that is where my path has lead me and although life is not as comfortable as it was before, I’m following my own rules, making myself happy and I have a sense of purpose that I hope you can see in my shots.

I’ve been blessed with the talent to make it happen and with friends that think like me. To Jane B, who reorganized her life after a painful divorce, packed up and moved to Madrid... alone as an English teacher and to my young comrade Sixz who has been chasing his dream as a musician since very young and helped me to see that passion is the recognition of “what we are wired to do" in this life… I say thank you.

Hoorah for everyone with balls enough to chase the dream… hoorah for me baby.