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Tuesday, December 20, 2005

True meaning of Complain... or Money (Pink Floyd)


Complain: to express grief, pain, or discontent

"You've complained about not having enough money and even asked me 2-3 times in the past if I could borrow you 5 dollars the week prior to getting paid."

I have never complained, I have said something about it but I have never complained about not having enough money. I may have complained about other people, other things, even the weather, but there are things that I do not share, my life is private except for those things that I want to let people know about. I don't even like to have people over to my place unless I feel comfortable with them. You see, I feel so much more secure when I'm alone, so I guess, I'm admitting that I am actually an introvert compared to how I act in public.

Not once have I ever said that "I wish I had more money" or "I need a new job cause I need more money", saying that I don't have money is not complaining, asking to borrow money before payday is not complaining. If someone doesn't want to loan money, all they have to do is say no. I don't beg, I don't get upset, I just go on and find other ways of getting more money in ways that are legal. If it were illegal, I wouldn't be working. Like the saying goes - "Don't bite the hand that feeds you".

- Money, get away.
- Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
- Money, it's a gas.
- Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
- New car, caviar, four star daydream,
- Think I'll buy me a football team.

When it comes to money, I have my priorities. First and foremost is my bills. At times I may skip the first part and spend it on myself for things that could wait, but it's only because I rarely do spend money on myself. I do have dreams of having a new car or getting caviar (and do I so wish that I could get some caviar on a Blinni with some creme fresh) or upgrading my computer with the latest and greatest toys or electronics but the bills come first. I'm not married, I don't have a girlfriend, I pay my own rent, all by myself, I have a vehicle that I own (not the bank or finance company), I have utilities that I have to pay in order to see what I'm doing at night or to cook my own meals. I don't have someone waiting for me when I get home. I own out right all that I have (with the exception of the apartment). I enjoy the good life, but can I afford it? No. Do I dream about it? Yes.

- Money, get back.
- I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.
- Money, it's a hit.
- Don't give me that do goody good bullshit.
- I'm in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
- And I think I need a Lear jet.

When I can, if I have a little extra, I do have a tendency to give it away to those that are in need of it, those that I don't expect to get it back, those who are worse off than I am, that would do anything to have money but can't. It's only to those who I feel that it would make a difference and would make the most of what they get and not just blow it all away either or both gambling or doing drugs/alcohol. I can't tell you how I know. I just do. There have been only a couple of people in the past that I had been mistaken about, but for the most part, most of them truly need it.

Now take Spike for example, I could tell that he is a good person, someone that I would trust, someone that if need be, would give my life to protect. Yes, you too Pizza boy and the Dark one, you know who you are and what I'm talking about. Even though we have had our differences, my loyalties are with them, I would back them up no matter what. However, recently there was a person that I had met that I had trusted and was burned in the end, to put it bluntly, I was used as a get out of jail free card, it is those types of people who don't want to cross my path again nor get any sympathy from me.

- Money, it's a crime.
- Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
- Money, so they say
- Is the root of all evil today.
- But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise that
- they're giving none away.

So with that said, I wonder how close did I come in my analysis of Spike? He's got me all figured out, not. Well, at least one part of his analysis he hit it on bulls eye. Could it be a gift or just experience that if I did figure him or anyone out or came close. I know one thing, I'll only speak to those people when I need to but won't get into a conversation, especially with Spike, only because I don't want to talk about or hear about religion, nothing against it, but I just rather not only because if someone can't keep certain beliefs to themselves unless asked or mentioned by other parties, then it's better not to talk at all.

- "HuHuh! I was in the right!"
- "Yes, absolutely in the right!"
- "I certainly was in the right!"
- "You was definitely in the right. That geezer was cruising for a bruising!"
- "Yeah!"
- "Why does anyone do anything?"
- "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time!"
- "I was just telling him, he couldn't get into number 2. He was asking why he wasn't coming up on freely, after - I was yelling and screaming and telling him why he wasn't coming up on freely. It came as a heavy blow, but - we sorted the matter out"

Friday, December 16, 2005

The Out Of Place Hawaiian

Mood: not sure

I wake to the sound of the alarm clock buzz, my eyes are still closed. The cat is standing on the bed next to me crying out as if responding to each buzz that emanates from the alarm clock. I flip the covers off and the sudden realization that I am no longer back home hits me with the chill of winter. As I acknowledge the cat first, thanking her for helping out the alarm clock wake me up, then rolling out of bed and hitting the snooze bar then rolling back into bed and covering myself back up with the warm blankets and try to sleep again thinking that what is reality is actually a dream.

An hour later, the same thing, I wake to the buzzing of the alarm with the cat responding back to each buzz. I finally get out of bed to get ready for the day and the apartment is cold, even with the thermostat set at 80 degrees, the apartment is 70 degrees all over. I guess that's better than being at 65 degrees a couple of days ago. As I stumble about the apartment with the cat in tow, I begin to wonder why I ever left Hawaii and wished that I was back there now. I can feel the slight pain in my throat and my body feels weak, I think to myself "Dammit, I can't get sick". I start planning on drinking a lot of liquids and take the multi vitamin that I have sitting in the cupboard (I think I got them about a year ago, it should be still good shouldn't it?).

Well, after I got ready and down to warm up the truck, I realize that I forgot to drink more water and take that multi-vitamin, oh well, I'll get to it when I get home tonight. After sweeping the snow off the truck, it's warmed up enough to start driving to the park and ride about 10 miles away. Again, my thoughts are thinking of the warm weather there, sitting on a beach with my cooler full of drinks and a lunch, fishing pole and the line out waiting for a fish to take the bait. Even if that doesn't happen, it's a nice sunny day, listening to the waves wash upon the shore, warm sand between my toes. I've reached my destination, the park and ride. The snow covered grounds, I leave the just warmed up cab and start walking to the bus stop. Cold wind blowing, the crunch of each step as I walk through the snow.

A song starts to fill my thoughts, several songs, California ', Far too Wide for me, My Hawaii, and Honolulu City lights. The memories of my happy days, driving around the island, sitting in a park and watching all the people enjoying the day, at night, sitting in the parking lot at the beach and listening to the waves break on the shore... I can feel the cold cutting through the layers of clothing that I am wearing to protect me from the winter air.

I finally get on the bus and after taking my seat, I feign a sleep while listening to my mp3 player, thoughts that come to mind is if I had made the right choice by moving to Minnesota, what would my life would have been like if I had stayed in Hawaii or what would it have been like if I had chosen another state, like California or ? I contemplate a lot of "what if's". What I now know, if I had known then, would I have made these choices? I wouldn't be able to answer that fully without deeply thinking what the outcome maybe. I do know that there are a lot of things in my past that I would have like to change. I suddenly realize, I am a Out Of Place Hawaiian. Maybe a out of place person or soul. I don't know. All that I know and thought I knew wasn't what I had thought it may be.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Religion: humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, generosity, and diligence.

Mood: irritated

Ok, there are some topics that I don't discuss. The reason for this is that there are some people that are uncomfortable talking about such subjects. One of them, as you can tell from my topic today is Religion.

There usually is a time and a place to talk about such and the workplace is not the place (unless it is a business oriented to such). There is this person, we'll call him Spike, when discussing several topics, about work, life etc... he tends to inject Religion into the conversation. I don't mind, but when someone is SO "passionate" about the subject and I can see that they are getting irritated, I tend to go for that raw nerve. Anyway, last week we were discussing jobs and either finding something else that pays more or staying where I am at now. Spike adds that his "father" will provide for him, well, I was thinking that his family (either paternal or in-law), so I replied, "well, that's all and good, but I don't have family that I can rely on here".

Well, the father he meant was God, well, let me tell you, that just opened up the flood gates... You see, religion (Christianity, Catholicism), teaches tolerance and it seems that Spike doesn't have it.

- In addition to the four "cardinal virtues" of prudence, fortitude, justice and temperance some Christian theologians promoted the idea of three "theological" virtues, faith hope and love. Together, they make up the sevel cardinal or heavenly virtues.

Now it doesn't seem very spiritual that a person gives up on a "lost soul", according to Spike's words "I'm done talking to you right now. Your past has got your thoughts of me all jacked up. I will just pray for you. I cannot even convert a peice (sp) of bread into toast without a toaster." Now let me say this, Spike is a young person, in his late 20's and hasn't been anywhere or done anything except live in the city that he's lived in. I've been to different places and to another country, I've seen the worst of people and the best of them, so my opinions are based on experience. Some of the things that I have also been involved with, I have seen just about it all.

Now, Spike's response to all this is "Than my advice is don't complain to me about your life or any of your problems.", never in all our conversations have I complained about my life or my problems, to him or to anyone. I keep it to myself, I believe that my problems are my own unless another is involved in my problems.

The Seven Contrary Virtues:

Humility - the quality or state of being humble

Kindness - 1 : a kind deed : FAVOR
2 a : the quality or state of being kind

Abstinence - voluntary forbearance especially from indulgence of an appetite or craving

Chastity - purity in conduct and intention

Patience - the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient

Liberality - the quality or state of being liberal

Diligence - persevering application

Now Spike, he's absent in 4 out of the 7 virtues, Humility, Kindness, Patience and Diligence. With humility, he's guilty of being prideful and arrogant of his position at the company, he thinks that he maybe favored at the company, but my experience has taught me that no one is immune from being dismissed, no matter how close (or think so) you seem to someone (i.e. the boss, etc...). In the corporate world, like in the political world, if they are not kissing babies or shaking your hand, without you looking, their stealing their lollipops or stabbing you in the back.

For kindness, it doesn't seem very kind to be intolerable towards a person that doesn't hold the same beliefs as you do. For patience, he's not very patient towards me. Spike has also been inpatient with a couple of people that he's talked to or associate with... not very spiritual if you ask me or others... Diligence, Spike doesn't seem all that diligent, either with work or with his religion. Again, I've never complained to him or the people that I work with about my life or situation.

Everyone at my company had to go to a Harassment training, as defined by the training, Harassment doesn't have to be a physical situation, if a person feels uncomfortable about something and another person continues to make those uncomfortable by pushing their ideals on another, than that is considered "Harassment".

Spike's claim is that people are not his provider, however, I don't see "God" paying his bills, making him healthy when he or his family is sick or giving him food when he's hungry. The people that either use his services or uses the company that he works for DOES provide the money to pay for all of the above. He states that he owns his own business, but if he should be slapped with a lawsuit and goes bankrupt fighting the suit, I don't think that money will appear out of nowhere or as a gift from "God".

Now, my question to Spike and I hope that Spike reads this, is that how many times have I told you F*&$ you? If I did, with the exception of today, it has always been in play. I don't like being lectured or told what to do with my private life, unless you've walked in my shoes, you have no basis for your lectures. If I wanted to be told what to do with my private life, I'd talk to my Aunt (whom I really despise because of this, only because she's trying to control my life).

So get your head out of the clouds and get back to reality. This is the real world, God is there, but he's not directing our lives, we make the decisions and life with the consequences. Also, walk a mile in another persons shoes before judging them. Making judgments on others should be left to God himself. Besides, Jesus died for all our sins, unless we do something that is so heineous... you guess the rest. In other words, I have seen the best and the worst of people, been there done that.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Where to go, what to do, what I could've done, what I could've been...

Mood: not sure

Niitakayama Noborimasu. Sen nihyaku hachi, moichido, sen nihyaku hachi!

Today is December 7th. Not everyone is familiar with the significance of the date and it seems that a lot of the younger generation has forgotten what happened that day on December 7th 1941 at 0755 that morning.

For me, I can't forget, my family was affected by this date. My grandfather was interned at Manzanar in California. Manzanar was a Japanese "relocation" camp for those of Japanese ancestry who were considered a risk to the United States of America.
The other date that also has a big significance for me is August 6th 1945 at 0815. My ancestors and family are from Hiroshima, one of the cities that the first Atomic bomb was dropped, the other was Nagasaki on August 9th in 1945.

If anyone is wondering what the first line of todays journal means, in Japanese, it means "Climb Mount Niitaka, 1208, repeat, 1208" which was the Japanese Imperial fleets code to commence the attack on Pearl Harbor. The meaning of the code phrase is "NIITAKAYAMA is the highest mountain in the Japanese Empire. To climb NIITAKAYAMA is to accomplish one of the greatest feats. In other words undertake the task (of carrying out assigned operations). 1208 signifies the 12th month, 8th day, Itex time."

Anyway, continuing on from the History lesson and going into the meaning of the title of this entry... lately I've been thinking of what it would've been like if I had gone into the Military, I suppose that I could still sign up for the reserves, the age limit is 40 years of age. If I had gone in right after high school, I think I would've made a career out of it. I wonder if I would've chosen the Army or the Marine Corps. Either way, PsyOps or Recon would've been what I would have like to have selected as my MOS.

Both would have been just the type of MOS for me, I wouldn't want just infantry, something where I would have been on my own a lot. In high school, when my friends and I used to engage in war games, I used to go off on my own and operated the best alone. I would be the one to make the first hit and take the last hit. Mostly not at all, all of my friends would get tired of searching for me...

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

The Shield

Mood: not sure
Hurt (mp3)

The lyrics from yesterday's title is from the teaser for The Shield. Vic Mackey is a character that I've identified myself with. As described on FX's The Shield website:

"Vic Mackey, a tough street-savvy detective, lives by his own code of ethics and believes the ends justify the means. He is fiercely loyal and protective towards those he cares about but unforgiving to those who cross him."

The lyrics and mood of the song seem to best fit my situation that I've been going through this year. The next seasons teaser is almost a chronicle of my life since last year.

Since high school and learning the background of my ancestry, I have held honor as my highest ideals and like the Samurai of old, believe in being fiercely loyal and protective of my family as well as to those I consider my very good friends. Like the Samurai, I would sacrifice my own life to preserve the lives of family and friends. The Shinobi or what is commonly known as Ninja's also held these same ideals, but not in such a displayed fashion. At times both of these ideals conflict with each other, but it is an ideal that I have found a way of blending them both.

There are times when one ideal becomes dominate over the other, it is when this happens, I seem to loose my way or forget these ideals. It is these times that situations don't seem to go right and realize sometimes a little too late. It is also those times that give me even more determination and clarity.

This can explain the way that I have been acting lately, cause it seems that I had strayed from the path and have been having a difficult time returning, but I am returning to the path.

"A path that is chosen must be followed till the end"

There are those that may say that we are able to change our paths and we make our own destinies, however I believe my path is set and no matter what people may say, it can not be changed. This may sound like giving up, but its not, there are things in this life that cannot be explained nor no matter what other people may think, may seem like this is an attitude of a person depressed and giving up.

All I can say is that, it is not.

Monday, December 05, 2005

Hurt (Johnny Cash)

Mood: not sure

I hurt myself today,
to see if i still feel,
I focus on the pain,
the only thing thats real,

The needle tears a hole,
the old familiar sting,
try to kill it all away,
but I remember everything,

(Chorus)
what have I become,
my sweetest friend,
everyone i know,
goes away in the end,

and you could have it all,
my empire of dirt,
I will let you down,
I will make you hurt,

I wear this crown of thorns,
upon my liars chair,
full of broken thoughts,
I cannot repair,

beneath the stains of time,
the feelings dissapear,
you are someone else,
I am still right here,

What have I become,
my sweetest friend,
everyone I know,
goes away in the end,

and you could have it all,
my empire of dirt,
I will let you down,
I will make you hurt,

if I could start agian,
a million miles away,
I will keep myself,
I would find a way,

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Songs...

Mood: not sure

It's almost 0100 CST and I can't sleep. I need to be up for work at about 0630 and be at the bus stop by about 0800 so that I can be at work by 0900. Going to try and pick up some extra hours, I'm sure that I won't see it till either my next pay day after this upcoming one or next month. The zipper on my jacket broke and the snap buttons don't work very well. The jacket is my one and only Winter coat that I have for work and going out. I do have another one but because the seams are falling apart, it's better as a work jacket (like working on the car or yard work).

I do have a rain coat that I rarely use, it's a drover coat, the coat like the cowboys used to wear while riding horses, I don't have a liner for it but I do have either a sweater or pull over that I could wear under it. I just got done water proofing it with a special cream that is specific for that coat.

I've been playing Battlefield 2 a lot, the video card that I have currently is not supported by the game and keeps kicking me out. I want to upgrade my video card, but currently don't have the funds to get the card that I want. Not only that, it seems that AGP video cards are becoming obsolete and may have to concider upgrading my motherboard again so that I can get a PCI Express video card, the problem with that is that I'll have to upgrade my CPU, Harddrive and Memory as well. I know that for sure, I'm not getting an overclocked video card again, too many issues, too many problems.

Now, getting to the title, lately my entries have had lyrics to songs, the best way that I can describe my feelings and my life has always been through music. Music has always been a large part of my life.