It has been said that, for every watch, there is a watchmaker.
As I ascend to 35000 feet, nestling in and out of the clouds over Manhattan, I am struck with the notion of how I (too often) forget that we are truly unique and complex beings capable of amazing things. Too often, I forget that, while we are all individually unique with talents that range from Architecture to Doctor to Civil Servant, we are strikingly similar in more ways than we realize. Even though our very DNA and fingerprints have their own unique design and genetic makeup, our eyes and hair different colors, I cannot dismiss the notion of how truly similar we all are. By "all", I mean every living, breathing thing on this earth.
From corner to corner, sea to sea, we all have a common bond that threads the very fabric of our DNA together. Humans and animals alike share it. It bonds us together with strikingly omnipresent characteristics. It cannot be detected by science, it can only be observed by instinct. This thread is LOVE.
At some point in our lives, we have loved (or been loved by) someone or something. We spend lifetimes searching for it, yearning for it and longing to experience it in ways greater than before. It is threaded within us at the core of our genetic makeup. Love is the one character trait that bonds every living organism on this planet together. A mother’s lover for her child is one of the most instinctual characteristics on earth.
It has been said that, for every watch, there is a watchmaker.
If we can all accept the notion that we were uniquely designed akin to the watchmaker who uniquely designs a watch, then it is easy to see that we, as complex, individually designed people, have a watchmaker too. We can't see Him in the flesh, but we can recognize it in our actions, in our lives, in the way we speak and the way we act. Every watchmaker has a signature, their proverbial “stamp” on every piece... It is the common thread that each and every one of their designs has that completes their unique collection. They may have different faces, second hands and features. They may even have internal workings that vary from one to another, but each piece has the common thread that binds the collection together. If we can accept this as analogous to our genetic makeup, than can we accept the fact that, perhaps, the very same thread, the same signature, the same stamp lies in all of us. If we can accept that every person is capable of love in some capacity, then we can accept that our unique signature is, in fact, LOVE. If every human being could recognize that this kind of love is what bonds us all together and does not separate us, then I have only one question:
What kind of world could we live in?
It has been said that, for every watch, there is a watchmaker.
The Christian Bible mentions the word “love” 610 times. Specifically, the Bible says that "Faith, Hope and Love are good gifts from God, but the greatest of these gifts is LOVE.". The Bible also says that "Christ IS love." It speaks of his compassion for people, his love for the sinner AND the saint and his unabashed spirit to share this love with all those who choose to receive it. He asked for nothing in return, other than to share the same gift with others – the gift of loving others as you would love yourself. This is the message of Christ. Can we step back and realize that, while we all have vast differences that can tear us apart in some cases, we have similar characteristics that we share. If LOVE is the common thread in all of us, and If Christ IS love, then Christ dwells in all of us. If Christ IS love, then we all bare the same watchmaker and have the same signature. If we as a people, a civilization and a world could only recognize our similarities first, perhaps we could learn to cope with our differences. Perhaps we could learn to accept one another even if we fundamentally disagree.
It has been said that, for every watch, there is a watchmaker.
Inside every living organism is the instinctual capacity to love. Learning to tap into that capacity...that deep desire to serve something larger than yourself is much easier than you can imagine. It requires no studying or preparation. It only requires an open heart to believe that we as a people have a designer that is all-knowing and all-powerful. This designer has left his signature on each and every one of us. That signature is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit – aka, LOVE. Each of us has it, and each of us can choose to accept it or reject it.
Acception purely means a cognitive decision to believe in the power of this spirit that is within you. A power so great, that it created the heavens and the earth. A power so wonderful, that even the smallest level of faith will ensure your place in eternity. You have a choice today. You can choose to accept that this signature is within you. You can believe that the power and capacity to love dwells inside you so deeply that, when all else fails, it’s the last quality you would possess. You can believe that Jesus Christ, who the Bible says IS love, was sent to you with a message to believe in Him. Believe in the promise that Christ IS love. Accept Christ, accept His love in your life and you will begin to realize the full potential and capacity of love. It reaches far beyond a love of material things…for Christ’s love reaches to the furthest places in the heavens…it surrounds absolutely every single thing seen and unseen and it was meant, very specifically, for YOU.
I come to you today as a man who once was unaware of the source behind the love I had in my heart. I felt, at the core, that I was an inherently “good” person who loved and cared for others. It was when I understood and accepted the promise that the source of my instinctual love was the same love of Jesus Christ, that my life took a direction that I could only dream of. You don’t need to do anything, you don’t need to spend any money, you don’t need to travel anywhere or burn any candles. You only have to do one thing… Close your eyes and say, “I believe.” That’s all He asks of us. Then, live your life as he did…sharing the grace, the faith, the hope and, above all else, the Love that he has given you.
Honestly and truthfully, in your heart, say this prayer. When you’re done, I promise you that your life will be forever different.
"Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge my unique design. I believe that your stamp is within me. I believe that you are within me. I lift up your promise as my statement of faith in you. I believe that you sacrificed yourself for me. Through your birth, death and resurrection I am shown the symbol of the ultimate statement of your love for me. I believe that you gave your life so that all who seek to know peace, grace, faith, hope and love can do so. I accept you in my heart today as my Lord and Savior. I believe in your power as my creator. I ask that you fill me with your strength so that I can avoid the pitfalls of this life and recognize the victory I now have in you. It is in your most holy and precious name I pray. -Amen.”
My prayer:
Father, I can only pray that all those who seek to discover their own path to righteousness uncover the one who saved us by grace and mercy alone. I believe in the love inside me and can only imagine how small a percentage it compares to how much you truly love all of us. Thank you so much for my failures, my short-falls as well as the successes and victories... For all of them have brought me to you. Thank you for the love that dwells in me. May this love serve as a lighted path to your Kingdom, so that all those who seek to understand the way can have their steps guided. It is in your holy and mighty name I pray. -Amen
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Why President Obama is FAILING...part 2
Grading Barack Obama is not as easy at is seems…
We must aggregate the grades and blend an average between the short term and long term policy decisions in order to determine the appropriate score… with the long term, in my opinion, being weighted much more heavily than the short – given that the legacy of decisions made today have a much more lasting impact. Hopefully, we can all agree on that.
SHORT TERM:
Outlook:
· Are American’s happy, excited, optimistic, climbing slowly out of the recession, feeling good, benevolent that we’ve elected a African American…? The answer here is, YES.
Notes:
· It’s hard to ignore the fact that Barack Obama is very inspiring, articulate, charismatic and a champion of his own cause. For being the person at the leader of the pack, and for being the one to inspire America with promises of the years to come, President Obama deserves a decent grade
Grade:
· B+ (85% average)
LONG TERM:
Outlook:
· Americans feel good in the short term based on the promises of President Obama. The only problem is that these aren’t just promises…they’re empty promises and, even worse, they’re destructive.
Notes:
· As a result of electing this man, we have allowed for short-term giddiness to get in the way of long-term prosperity. We, as a nation, are falling further and further into the realm of dependency. When do the bailouts stop? Will corporate giants like Wal-Mart (who support the majority of the lower class) allow themselves to take larger risks, knowing that the Fed is there to protect them? What will become of our society in 10, 20, 50 years if we allow ourselves to be at the mercy of the Federal Government? It scares the hell out of me…that my children will grow up around a society that preaches Government first, Capitalism last or, even worse, gone. The fact of the matter is that Capitalism built America. Of course there needs to be freely-elected oversight that allows for the evil-doers to pay a price for taking advantage of the system, but a Government made up of power-hungry-do-nothings, out for their own self interests, stuck in the bureaucracy of Washington, making decisions about my personal resources scares me to no end. Think about Capitalism’s effect on the agricultural revolution and how it led to a nationwide rail system that produced competition and job creation all over the country... Or, the Industrial Revolution leading the way to competition and gain in production… Or, the Technology Revolution paving the way for companies like Apple and Google… Capitalism is what makes America great. The Ultimate Fighter, Barack Obama, amongst his bushy-tailed constituents, has Capitalism in a choke hold… If we’re smart, and I believe we are, we will realize that Capitalism is not immortal and I fear the day that it slaps its hand on the mat and taps out. We’re slowly climbing out of the recession because Capitalism is STILL AT THE CORE of our economy. Pumping a Trillion dollars into a system that still relies on Capitalism will, of course, act as a set of jumper cables. The problem is that the bureaucracy of Washington has led to a slow and steady decline in the performance of Capitalism…In essence, the battery is dying. While jump starting it will get us further down the road, it still doesn’t fix the problem. Capitalism needs to be restored! We’re killing the very system that built us in the hopes that trying a different system (big government) will provide a better result. The decisions that President Obama is making are forcing Americans to debate a very scary topic: “What happens if Capitalism fails?” The answer from my perspective is simple…if Capitalism fails, then America fails. That, my friends, is SCARY. For being the person who is setting America up for failure, President Obama is failing.
Grade:
· F (50% average)
If we aggregate the grades and give the Long Term a heavier-weighted average (double), then Obama has an 85%, 50% and 50%.
OBAMA’s OVERALL GRADE:
· D- (62%)
A few quotes from Ron Paul:
· When the federal government spends more each year than it collects in tax revenues, it has three choices: It can raise taxes, print money, or borrow money. While these actions may benefit politicians, all three options are bad for average Americans.
· A system of capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. Capitalism cherishes voluntary contracts and interest rates that are determined by savings, not credit creation by a central bank.
· The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people
· I am just absolutely convinced that the best formula for giving us peace and preserving the American way of life is freedom, limited government, and minding our own business overseas.
· Our country's founders cherished liberty, not democracy.
We must aggregate the grades and blend an average between the short term and long term policy decisions in order to determine the appropriate score… with the long term, in my opinion, being weighted much more heavily than the short – given that the legacy of decisions made today have a much more lasting impact. Hopefully, we can all agree on that.
SHORT TERM:
Outlook:
· Are American’s happy, excited, optimistic, climbing slowly out of the recession, feeling good, benevolent that we’ve elected a African American…? The answer here is, YES.
Notes:
· It’s hard to ignore the fact that Barack Obama is very inspiring, articulate, charismatic and a champion of his own cause. For being the person at the leader of the pack, and for being the one to inspire America with promises of the years to come, President Obama deserves a decent grade
Grade:
· B+ (85% average)
LONG TERM:
Outlook:
· Americans feel good in the short term based on the promises of President Obama. The only problem is that these aren’t just promises…they’re empty promises and, even worse, they’re destructive.
Notes:
· As a result of electing this man, we have allowed for short-term giddiness to get in the way of long-term prosperity. We, as a nation, are falling further and further into the realm of dependency. When do the bailouts stop? Will corporate giants like Wal-Mart (who support the majority of the lower class) allow themselves to take larger risks, knowing that the Fed is there to protect them? What will become of our society in 10, 20, 50 years if we allow ourselves to be at the mercy of the Federal Government? It scares the hell out of me…that my children will grow up around a society that preaches Government first, Capitalism last or, even worse, gone. The fact of the matter is that Capitalism built America. Of course there needs to be freely-elected oversight that allows for the evil-doers to pay a price for taking advantage of the system, but a Government made up of power-hungry-do-nothings, out for their own self interests, stuck in the bureaucracy of Washington, making decisions about my personal resources scares me to no end. Think about Capitalism’s effect on the agricultural revolution and how it led to a nationwide rail system that produced competition and job creation all over the country... Or, the Industrial Revolution leading the way to competition and gain in production… Or, the Technology Revolution paving the way for companies like Apple and Google… Capitalism is what makes America great. The Ultimate Fighter, Barack Obama, amongst his bushy-tailed constituents, has Capitalism in a choke hold… If we’re smart, and I believe we are, we will realize that Capitalism is not immortal and I fear the day that it slaps its hand on the mat and taps out. We’re slowly climbing out of the recession because Capitalism is STILL AT THE CORE of our economy. Pumping a Trillion dollars into a system that still relies on Capitalism will, of course, act as a set of jumper cables. The problem is that the bureaucracy of Washington has led to a slow and steady decline in the performance of Capitalism…In essence, the battery is dying. While jump starting it will get us further down the road, it still doesn’t fix the problem. Capitalism needs to be restored! We’re killing the very system that built us in the hopes that trying a different system (big government) will provide a better result. The decisions that President Obama is making are forcing Americans to debate a very scary topic: “What happens if Capitalism fails?” The answer from my perspective is simple…if Capitalism fails, then America fails. That, my friends, is SCARY. For being the person who is setting America up for failure, President Obama is failing.
Grade:
· F (50% average)
If we aggregate the grades and give the Long Term a heavier-weighted average (double), then Obama has an 85%, 50% and 50%.
OBAMA’s OVERALL GRADE:
· D- (62%)
A few quotes from Ron Paul:
· When the federal government spends more each year than it collects in tax revenues, it has three choices: It can raise taxes, print money, or borrow money. While these actions may benefit politicians, all three options are bad for average Americans.
· A system of capitalism presumes sound money, not fiat money manipulated by a central bank. Capitalism cherishes voluntary contracts and interest rates that are determined by savings, not credit creation by a central bank.
· The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing bankruptcy and economic turmoil to our people
· I am just absolutely convinced that the best formula for giving us peace and preserving the American way of life is freedom, limited government, and minding our own business overseas.
· Our country's founders cherished liberty, not democracy.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Why President Obama is FAILING
Periodically, I whip out the proverbial soap box and go on a tirade in order to shake the frustration off and get back to my day job. Today isn’t just frustration, it’s a level of furiousness that I cannot comprehend and my blood is beyond boiling. This is absolutely petrifying to me.
North Korea is launching ballistic missiles (whose launch was a violation of U.N. agreements) that can carry nuclear warheads to the United States in less than 33 minutes and Iran (who has stated that their mission from god is to “annihilate” Israel) has completed the process to enrich uranium in order to create a nuclear weapon. In the meantime, President Obama is shaking hands with Hugo Chavez (who has publically stated that America is his “enemy”) and appeasing himself to tirades of world leaders who are taking advantage of his obvious timidity. Obama is becoming a whipping boy and that scares the living hell out of me.
Ronald Reagan (and McCain for that matter) would’ve blown that North Korean missile out of the sky the moment it left the launch pad. Instead, Obama goes on TV and says how “disappointed” we are and talks about economic sanctions. In their first face to face meeting, Ronald Reagan looked Gorbachev in the eye and said, “Let me tell you why my country doesn’t trust you.” He was firm, fair and respected. His rhetoric sparked a national movement that translated to public policy. Ronald Reagan was, in many ways, prophetic in my opinion and it’s time we start heeding his long-standing advice. In 1964, he said “We’re at war with the greatest enemy that has ever faced mankind in his long climb from the swamp to the stars. And it has been said that if we lose this war, and in so doing, lose this way of life of ours, then history will record – with the greatest of astonishment – that those who has the most to lose, did the least to prevent its happening.”
Still rings true today doesn’t it..? OBAMA, I’M BEGGING YOU, WAKE UP!
-CDV
North Korea is launching ballistic missiles (whose launch was a violation of U.N. agreements) that can carry nuclear warheads to the United States in less than 33 minutes and Iran (who has stated that their mission from god is to “annihilate” Israel) has completed the process to enrich uranium in order to create a nuclear weapon. In the meantime, President Obama is shaking hands with Hugo Chavez (who has publically stated that America is his “enemy”) and appeasing himself to tirades of world leaders who are taking advantage of his obvious timidity. Obama is becoming a whipping boy and that scares the living hell out of me.
Ronald Reagan (and McCain for that matter) would’ve blown that North Korean missile out of the sky the moment it left the launch pad. Instead, Obama goes on TV and says how “disappointed” we are and talks about economic sanctions. In their first face to face meeting, Ronald Reagan looked Gorbachev in the eye and said, “Let me tell you why my country doesn’t trust you.” He was firm, fair and respected. His rhetoric sparked a national movement that translated to public policy. Ronald Reagan was, in many ways, prophetic in my opinion and it’s time we start heeding his long-standing advice. In 1964, he said “We’re at war with the greatest enemy that has ever faced mankind in his long climb from the swamp to the stars. And it has been said that if we lose this war, and in so doing, lose this way of life of ours, then history will record – with the greatest of astonishment – that those who has the most to lose, did the least to prevent its happening.”
Still rings true today doesn’t it..? OBAMA, I’M BEGGING YOU, WAKE UP!
-CDV
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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Thursday, February 19, 2009
You've got to love New York City...
July 20th 2008 – 8:52pm express train
Stamford, CT to Grand Central Station, NYC
The following story is 100% true and factual and happened to me tonight…
I spent the weekend with my parents on their boat in a very nice, and quaint, village harbor in Noank, CT. We had a relaxing weekend of basking in the sun, enjoying cold beverages and eating great food. As the weekend came to a close, we left the marina and my parents dropped me off at the train station in Stamford, CT which is about a 45-minute ride into Grand Central Station. I’ve ridden on this train several times and this was, without question, the most crowded train I’ve been on yet. Imagine a can of packed sardines…now picture the same thing with people. Standing room only turned into barely-any-breathing-room only. It was REALLY crowded.
I decided to stand in the main area, where the train doors open, since this was the least-crowded area of the train. There were about 6-10 people around me. In particular, there were two high school girls next to me who spent most of the ride text messaging their friends.
About 20 minutes of silence and checking emails on my blackberry had gone by. As I stood there, realizing the drastic difference that sitting on the back of a boat with a light beer has in comparison to a smelly, hot, crowded, train, I hear the conductor come over the loud speaker announcing our first stop in the Bronx, NY. This particular train was an “express” train which means it only stops once before its final destination (and my official stop) in Grand Central Terminal. The train pulled to a stop and the double doors opened. Slowly departing the train in a parallel line of two people, passengers started to get off. It was then that I noticed something VERY strange started to happen. Like the parting of the Red Sea, as the passengers got off the train, each side of people JUMPED to the left and right and simultaneously yelled “AGHGH!!” Confused, I looked straight ahead of me as to what the problem could possibly be.
That is when I looked down at the train platform and noticed what was running towards the train… I say “running” because that is exactly what the RAT was doing! There, on the 194th street station platform in the Bronx, a genuine New York City RAT was running straight towards the open train doors…and straight towards where I was standing on the train. Now, I’ve seen a RAT on more than one occasion in NYC before; some much larger than others. This particular RAT was not one of the larger ones I’ve seen, having only been about 6 inches in length with a 3-4 inch tail (I’ve seen some that look like small cats). However, what this RAT lacked in overall size in comparison to his NYC brethren, he made up for in spirit.
Just when I thought that it couldn’t possibly get any better, the RAT decided it was time to play the role of “Evil Kneivel, the Wonder-RAT!” Setting the stage, the distance in-between the station platform and the actual train itself is approximately 12 inches. A modest distance for any person to simply step over, yet a grand-canyon-like leap for any small rodent. The RAT made the approach and left the platform at the perfect spot, reminding me of a long jumper in the Olympics. He landed inside the train with a foot to spare. This is when the real drama occurred…
The first thing I noticed, besides the screams of people trying to maneuver away from the rodent in the sardine-can of a train and the fact that we were now dealing with a RAT that belonged in the Olympics, was the two young high schoolers next to me who decided to jump, literally, on top of me. The RAT entered the train and, spooked by all the commotion, didn’t know which way to go. So, he decided to run up and down the isle of the train. In and out of people’s legs, over bags that were on the ground, up and down, back and forth. People were screaming, jumping on top of their seats and pressing the call-button in the hopes that the train’s conductor would not close the train doors and leave the station.
It was too late.
The doors shut behind us, and we are now on a 25 minute train ride with Mr. Wonder-RAT. One woman had a dog that was going crazy and another had a pet-carrier with a cat inside…One woman yelled out, “Ma’am, please let your cat out so it will kill the rat!!” The woman replied, “what are you, crazy!? I’m not letting my cat out to kill that thing!!” Up and down, back and forth, left and right the RAT went…and, like the wave at a professional baseball game, the row of passengers went from sitting on their seats to standing on them.
There were no attacks, no bites, no major injuries and no trauma caused to any of the passengers, however, I couldn’t stop thinking to myself… “If only the world could have seen this entire episode, the image of ‘Tough-New-Yorkers’ would go down the toilet in about 2 seconds.”
I rarely have the luxury of being part of stories like this but, since I witnessed the driver of my cab get in a fist fight with another cab driver at a red light within the first month of me living in New York City, I can’t help but keep track of these episodes as they arise.
A fun-filled weekend, a drama-filled train ride, and a RAT that moved from the Bronx to New York City without paying for a ticket…
You’ve got to love New York City…
Stamford, CT to Grand Central Station, NYC
The following story is 100% true and factual and happened to me tonight…
I spent the weekend with my parents on their boat in a very nice, and quaint, village harbor in Noank, CT. We had a relaxing weekend of basking in the sun, enjoying cold beverages and eating great food. As the weekend came to a close, we left the marina and my parents dropped me off at the train station in Stamford, CT which is about a 45-minute ride into Grand Central Station. I’ve ridden on this train several times and this was, without question, the most crowded train I’ve been on yet. Imagine a can of packed sardines…now picture the same thing with people. Standing room only turned into barely-any-breathing-room only. It was REALLY crowded.
I decided to stand in the main area, where the train doors open, since this was the least-crowded area of the train. There were about 6-10 people around me. In particular, there were two high school girls next to me who spent most of the ride text messaging their friends.
About 20 minutes of silence and checking emails on my blackberry had gone by. As I stood there, realizing the drastic difference that sitting on the back of a boat with a light beer has in comparison to a smelly, hot, crowded, train, I hear the conductor come over the loud speaker announcing our first stop in the Bronx, NY. This particular train was an “express” train which means it only stops once before its final destination (and my official stop) in Grand Central Terminal. The train pulled to a stop and the double doors opened. Slowly departing the train in a parallel line of two people, passengers started to get off. It was then that I noticed something VERY strange started to happen. Like the parting of the Red Sea, as the passengers got off the train, each side of people JUMPED to the left and right and simultaneously yelled “AGHGH!!” Confused, I looked straight ahead of me as to what the problem could possibly be.
That is when I looked down at the train platform and noticed what was running towards the train… I say “running” because that is exactly what the RAT was doing! There, on the 194th street station platform in the Bronx, a genuine New York City RAT was running straight towards the open train doors…and straight towards where I was standing on the train. Now, I’ve seen a RAT on more than one occasion in NYC before; some much larger than others. This particular RAT was not one of the larger ones I’ve seen, having only been about 6 inches in length with a 3-4 inch tail (I’ve seen some that look like small cats). However, what this RAT lacked in overall size in comparison to his NYC brethren, he made up for in spirit.
Just when I thought that it couldn’t possibly get any better, the RAT decided it was time to play the role of “Evil Kneivel, the Wonder-RAT!” Setting the stage, the distance in-between the station platform and the actual train itself is approximately 12 inches. A modest distance for any person to simply step over, yet a grand-canyon-like leap for any small rodent. The RAT made the approach and left the platform at the perfect spot, reminding me of a long jumper in the Olympics. He landed inside the train with a foot to spare. This is when the real drama occurred…
The first thing I noticed, besides the screams of people trying to maneuver away from the rodent in the sardine-can of a train and the fact that we were now dealing with a RAT that belonged in the Olympics, was the two young high schoolers next to me who decided to jump, literally, on top of me. The RAT entered the train and, spooked by all the commotion, didn’t know which way to go. So, he decided to run up and down the isle of the train. In and out of people’s legs, over bags that were on the ground, up and down, back and forth. People were screaming, jumping on top of their seats and pressing the call-button in the hopes that the train’s conductor would not close the train doors and leave the station.
It was too late.
The doors shut behind us, and we are now on a 25 minute train ride with Mr. Wonder-RAT. One woman had a dog that was going crazy and another had a pet-carrier with a cat inside…One woman yelled out, “Ma’am, please let your cat out so it will kill the rat!!” The woman replied, “what are you, crazy!? I’m not letting my cat out to kill that thing!!” Up and down, back and forth, left and right the RAT went…and, like the wave at a professional baseball game, the row of passengers went from sitting on their seats to standing on them.
There were no attacks, no bites, no major injuries and no trauma caused to any of the passengers, however, I couldn’t stop thinking to myself… “If only the world could have seen this entire episode, the image of ‘Tough-New-Yorkers’ would go down the toilet in about 2 seconds.”
I rarely have the luxury of being part of stories like this but, since I witnessed the driver of my cab get in a fist fight with another cab driver at a red light within the first month of me living in New York City, I can’t help but keep track of these episodes as they arise.
A fun-filled weekend, a drama-filled train ride, and a RAT that moved from the Bronx to New York City without paying for a ticket…
You’ve got to love New York City…
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Experience means everything...
Watching two financial analysts talk on the subway...
I'm on the subway this morning in New York City. It's rare you bump into to someone you know, so typically it's a quick ride of newspaper-reading and coffee-drinking. Today, however, the guy next to me obviously bumped into a friend of his. Both guys couldn't have been over the age of 24 since one was talking about "getting carded" at Marquis last night (a popular NYC night club for the 20-somethings).
Here was the convo:
Guy 1: "How's it goin' bro? How's the finance biz?"
Guy 2: "Business is crazy - all we're doing is data analyzing for the partners so that they can figure out what the heck is going on in this economy."
OK. Stop there. I realize this may be my ignorance since I'm not in the financial business, but do we REALLY have a bunch of 20-somethings "analyzing" what is going on with our markets??? Does this concern anyone? Are these "partners" sitting in their ivory towers waiting for the hungover, pot-smoking 23 year old to give them a thorough and analytical look at the market's data?
ARE YOU KIDDING?
To the partners: Climb down from the towers...PLEASE. We need you.
I'm on the subway this morning in New York City. It's rare you bump into to someone you know, so typically it's a quick ride of newspaper-reading and coffee-drinking. Today, however, the guy next to me obviously bumped into a friend of his. Both guys couldn't have been over the age of 24 since one was talking about "getting carded" at Marquis last night (a popular NYC night club for the 20-somethings).
Here was the convo:
Guy 1: "How's it goin' bro? How's the finance biz?"
Guy 2: "Business is crazy - all we're doing is data analyzing for the partners so that they can figure out what the heck is going on in this economy."
OK. Stop there. I realize this may be my ignorance since I'm not in the financial business, but do we REALLY have a bunch of 20-somethings "analyzing" what is going on with our markets??? Does this concern anyone? Are these "partners" sitting in their ivory towers waiting for the hungover, pot-smoking 23 year old to give them a thorough and analytical look at the market's data?
ARE YOU KIDDING?
To the partners: Climb down from the towers...PLEASE. We need you.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A view of Freedom from history's window...
January 20, 2009
Do you think they saw it back in 1960, 63, 64? Did Rosa Parks see it? Did John Lewis See it? Did Martin Luther King Jr see it? If there was a window to the future - to 2009 - do you think these people had a Divine eye towards Freedom's future?
As a 30-yr old white man, I can't help but feel an overwhelmingly-strong sense of pride for our nation...a nation that has the capacity to rise from the depths of segregation to the heights of freely electing the first African-American President of the United States.
Today, I am especially proud to be an American. Today, we showed the resolve and resiliency of the Great Society. Today, we are a visible representation of Freedom in its purest form...real, relevant and tangible.
Today, we made history.
Let our demonstration show the nations of the world the power and potential of Freedom. Let today mark the moment where Freedom and peace start on their global crusade. Let this monumental occasion chart the course for the future of Freedom around the world.
As we relish this push-pin on the map of history, let us ask ourselves one very important question: If, today, we had a window to Freedom's future, what would we see?
Do you think they saw it back in 1960, 63, 64? Did Rosa Parks see it? Did John Lewis See it? Did Martin Luther King Jr see it? If there was a window to the future - to 2009 - do you think these people had a Divine eye towards Freedom's future?
As a 30-yr old white man, I can't help but feel an overwhelmingly-strong sense of pride for our nation...a nation that has the capacity to rise from the depths of segregation to the heights of freely electing the first African-American President of the United States.
Today, I am especially proud to be an American. Today, we showed the resolve and resiliency of the Great Society. Today, we are a visible representation of Freedom in its purest form...real, relevant and tangible.
Today, we made history.
Let our demonstration show the nations of the world the power and potential of Freedom. Let today mark the moment where Freedom and peace start on their global crusade. Let this monumental occasion chart the course for the future of Freedom around the world.
As we relish this push-pin on the map of history, let us ask ourselves one very important question: If, today, we had a window to Freedom's future, what would we see?
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