What Happens to a Dream Deferred?
Does it Shrivel Up like a Raisin in the Sun?
Or Fester like a Sore and then Run?
Does it Stink like Rotten Meat?
Or Crust and Sugar Over like a Syrupy Sweet?
Maybe It Just Sags like a Heavy Load.

–Or Does it Explode?

 –Langston Hughes

Read It!  Think about it!  Take notes! Most of all interact with it!

Reading is an act of giving.  An act of giving away control and lettiong your mind wander with the artist’s (author’s) direction.  You let the artist lead your hand through the interpretation with the guides they give you in the piece.  There is still plenty left for you to do in regard to your imagination.  I call this reading in the moment, you let yourself be aborbed into the time period, the location, and the description of the times and places the artist takes you to.  It is surrendering yourself to the will of another by faith.

In order to make reading worthwhile, you must feel the literature.  Live it as you read and the reading will have meaning.  Overtime your can begin to understand with your whole heart and your being.  Literature is a living art and should be treated as such.  Once you can be open, then you can respond to the message the artist has in mind.

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 Many people in this country have a job.  They receive payment for the work they do.  Then the government steps in a collects a portion of the proceeds they receive.  The government distributes this payment as they see fit.

 In order to get this paycheck, they submit a random urine test to their respective employer.  This is should not be an issue for any law abiding citizen.

 In reality what any citizen of this country should be concerned about are the people who receive a welfare check.  Welfare recipients do not have to pass a random urine test.  Since our government is supposed to be a system of checks and balances, why is there room for this discrepancy?  

 For the most part, United States citizens are quite giving with their money and don’t have a problem doing their part.  It should be no problem for the populous to help a few people back on their feet.

 On the other hand, there is a problem with the people that receive this money who choose to sit around, be unproductive and/or use drugs.  If they have enough money to indulge in these activities, they do not need any monetary assistance.

 The only thing not covered, is who pays for the testing?   Why not have it applied against the balance of the money the recipients of the welfare system receive.  Surely they shouldn’t mind since they are on the receiving end of the bread line anyway.

 Just think, with that money saved maybe we could funnel it into education.  Maybe we could balance the budget?  Who knows?  The possibilities are endless, and perhaps you could employ the people who failed to administer the testing.  Then they wouldn’t have a need for the assistance in the first place.

 The truth be told, this system is outdated.  It was a necessary evil at the time when it was enacted; however legislation is subject to change in order to fit the demands of the present day.  Something needs to be done.  It is only a matter of time till we will make a stand and take action.  Why not make it happen today.

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(Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3kKUEY5WU)

Jim Croce: Time in a Bottle

(Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILf-54Smv9M)

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I was reminded by this while one of my colleagues was celebrating his birthday last Saturday.  While he and I speak about our business ventures to each other quite frequently, we both live our own lives and carry on through seperate lines of work outside of these other ventures.  This night in particular, we were both celebrating.  In the midst of the celebration he brought up some business I have known both of these people for a number of years.  Thankfully, they both took my advice and the celebrating continued.

While there are somethings that I may say to try to do all the time, there is a time and a place for everthing under the sun.

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The closest this project has come to home was Nashville, Tn.  The outcome of the project will be shown at the Belcourt Theatre. So without futher ado, here is a trailer of the film Cock.  A tale of drugs, cops, money, sex and lots of laughs along the way.

(Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8GmcSM-JdA)

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This rainbow capped off a rather crummy day.  Like always, its whats at the end of the rainbow that counts.  Its very nice to see the sky smile at you.

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…then a bet was made…

Since then I have a new found source of smiles.  I am full of joy, smiles and deep rooted satisfaction.  You might say I am quite possibly back to being my normal uber-cheery self and happy for no apparent reason.  I need many more days like this to follow.

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While I think that it is a wonderful idea for economic and social change.  It needs to happen, but to what extent?  More importantly which set of morals should we change to?

First off, socialism is not the answer.  It doesn’t work on a large scale.  An individual will rise to the top of the chain of command and then will push the country into a dictatorship.  See Cuba, Russia (Both the USSR and currently,) a number of South American countries, and many Eastern European countries as well.

More over, I would pull for less government involvement in the personal lives of its citizens and companies.  While I believe safety regulations and environmental controls are a necessary evil.  Let us not get on a high horse and cripple our ability to let our market driven consumerism operate properly. 

The time for change is know, but how are we to do this with our choices for the fiasco in November?  Our elected officials are supposed to be the best and brightest our country can offer.  These choices we have do not fit into this category even remotely.  So I guess I might as well cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Or might just try to change the world through music and let all creation feel the love in the idea of doing what is best for all.  While it may force a few lazy people to get off thier rugged looking rumps and do a hard days work.  Surely everyone can do something to help there fellow man.  All it takes is a little bartering to cover the basic needs of a person.  Together we could make this work.  Unfortunately, I think I’ll probably just be writen off as a hippie nut, but oh well.  I’ll be here doing my thing until I can’t do it anymore.

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Whack, Unwrap, and Enjoy!

Tip: Thanks to Beth for the links.

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