When I Was Young...

When I was young

I wanted to be in the city

Crowded places

Lots of faces

Dreamt of skyscrapers

And of busy streets

Cramped rooms

Days go vroom

It appeared to be full of life

It appeared to be dynamic

Loud music sounds

Opportunities abound

But as I grow older

City lights lost their charm

Life is stressed

Time compressed

I dream of the big sky

And plenty of country

Clear air

Less crowed affair

I want a starry night

Dynamic sounds of wildlife

Barren land

Opportunities grand.

Today is so yesterday...

Today is so yesterday
Tomorrow is fast approaching
No time to contemplate
The speed is scorching

Opening mine eyes
Ready to doze off
The cliff of fiscal responsibility
Makes one ready to jump off

Celebrations a-plenty
The losses are discouraging
The joys and the sorrows
Keep me a-whirling

The 31st is here
But just for a fleeting moment
The countdown begins
The 1st is speedily fervent

As the curtains close
And a door opens anew
Hope and anxiety arrive
I bid the past pains adieu

Time to make things happen
Plans are already set in motion
No recourse from the old
Full steam ahead is the notion

All that I ask
In this new year
Is to go a bit slower
Set in a steadier gear

Though somehow deep
Beneath my physical self
The soul knows better
What is to become of oneself

Today is so yesterday
Tomorrow is fast approaching
No time to contemplate
The speed is scorching.

The Pressure's High!

The pressure's high
Hot smoking steam
Clamored in confusion
I just want to scream

Whether I turn left
Or even in the right way
My missteps
Hinder the day

The walls cave in
Thinking on the whim
Impatience clutters
A level of dire grim

A need for change
Crying out in the desert
Can I be heard
Ineptitude to assert

I need to break loose
Widen the field
Think more clearly
For a foundation's build

The pressure's high
Enclosed in the burrows
My sorrows entrenches
Fallen into a furrow.

US Soccer Pride

What a summer?!

There were many great moments in the world cup this year from defeat of the defending world champions Italy to the surprise German youth movement. Obviously, what is etched in my mind is the Landon Donovan winning goal shot in extra time against Algeria. That certainly will stay with me forever.

Slowly but sure, soccer or what the world calls football is growing in the US. Let's hope for a brighter future in 2014. But for now, we take a pause to reflect on our national unity and the motto that drove the 2010 US Men's National Soccer Team. Please enjoy!

Forever Young

Wouldn't you want to be forever young? I'm sure I would, but alas the world does not work that way. A fruitful alternative therefore would be to have a "young" state of mind. Why? It will maintain our creativity and innovation.

Never Give Up

Never give up
No let down
When times seem bleak
And the tide overbearing
Face it full steam

Get off the ground
Refocus the senses
Fixate the eyes
Listen to the beat
Follow the heart

The pain throttles
But soon subsides
The vitality grows
Rage burns furious
A forward march

Resistance to loss
No more agony
I see the goal
Never give up
Never let down
------------------
In dedication to perseverance in attaining personal goals recently realized. A calculated risk taken and rewarded.

Education and Innovation

What is education? What function does it play?

If you ask most people, education is the training one needs to foster the growth of the mind and nourishes us toward career goals. That to me is a short-sighted goal. Indeed, our minds needs growth and education shall help us reach our careers, but is that all? I would like to suggest that it should also provide us with the setting to be creative, to socialize and to learn morality.

Why?

If you look at the structure of our school system, one will soon realize that it is hierarchical in order. Math and science is king. Do not get me wrong, it is quite important for us to have math and science because it is the crux of our technological revolution, but it does not necessarily provide for creativity.

What then is to nurture our creativity?

It is the arts. The arts help us opens up the mind to new adventures and makes us think out of the box. This ability to visualize newer ideas and thoughts will help society grow in better places and foster the vitalization of society.

What shall we do?

We must change the social structure of school. I am not implying we de-emphasize math and science because it is still necessary, but we should bring on par the importance of the arts. I might even dare say it is the arts that will save our humanity and fix the problems we currently face. Innovation comes from minds that can think differently and creatively. The arts will nourish such a prospect.

Please do check out this video below on schools and creativity:

Quip of the Day

"The truth shall set you free"

Without a doubt, the truth will always find a way to present itself to others. It is in our best interests to express what is morally correct at first knowledge. Otherwise, you shall face the consequences later on when you are discovered in a lie, a farce and cheat. It is better to discuss the truth on your terms rather then another's when they can mold much greater adversity to your respectability and character. Pure and simple, it is much better to tell the truth right off the back.

Dedicated to and inspired by illegal users of performance-enhancing drugs.

When One's Character Is Built

The times are bleak indeed
The cold bites bitterly
All is in discouragement
Despair and sadness
Every avenue exhausted
Pain exponentially grows
The losses mount higher
Wind chill factor negative
Precipitous disaster

These are also the times
When courage takes hold
Persistence pays off
The never die attitude
To try and try harder
Failure is not an option
Hold fast to the goals
Instilling the fight
Of one's moral compass

These are bleak times indeed
These are also the times
When one's character is built.

Bioscience Ethics

With the explosion of knowledge in science and medicine today, it seems that many theoretical questions are now being answered in a practical manner. The inferred is now a reality. These discoveries can be used to better a person's quality of life. It can also be a detriment. Obviously, with the increase in knowledge there comes a responsibility to use this information ethically.

A show I recently watched on the Science Channel caught my attention. The topic of that show was called Superhumans and, one discovery worthy of note was the formation of a chimera between a hippopotamus and a mouse. The scientist heading this project was a man named Bruce Lahn (if I remember correctly) and he foresaw that this would be a great moment in the history of genetics. Truly, it is unique to see that you can cross two totally different type of species to form a "hippomouse." The significance of this scientific discovery and how it could translate into medicine is the ability to one day have "animal farms" growing human organs to supply transplantation. It is widely known that there is a long list of patients that are in dire need for transplants of the heart, liver and other various organs, but only the severely ill receive the transplants first. One could be on that list and possibly die never getting a needed transplant. Even after receiving a transplant, rejection of the organ is a major issue due to a host of factors including receiving an organ from the wrong blood type. With an "animal farm" as claimed by the scientist, one can produce the organ of need of the right blood type and exact genetics of the host for transplantation.

Though this may seem to be a great idea on the periphery, at a deeper level it actually opens up a "pandora's box" of sorts in terms of scientific and medical ethics. With this landmark discovery in genetics, one could theorize the possibility of cloning humans, merging species of animals and/or humans as well as debating what is life. This is only a partial list of ethical points of discussion as I am quite sure there are others. One can analogize this issue to global warming as we humans have used and abused the surrounding environment to a point that changes have occurred to the Earth beyond natural processes. Likewise, by mixing species of animals from different parts of the evolutionary tree, it is possibility that a weakened animal could result leading to species die out similar to us endangering the human race with pollution. All I am doing here is to raise questions and awareness about possible repercussions down the line that may affect us greatly. The consequences can be beneficial or detrimental. I would like to ideally see us debate the ethical ramifications before the widespread use of a novel idea or discovery. As all of us know, the pace of new ideas, inventions and discoveries is exponentially rapid. The question I would like to see discussed is it ethically correct to deliberately crossbreed vastly different animal species and what could result for the species over different generations.

What do you think?

Principles and Standards

Living within the principles that one has set up for one's self to me is the highest achievement anyone can reach. It provides with the best joy as the goal that was set previously now has been attained. However when it seems that times are bleak and you falter, there erupts an inherent angst. Why is this so? Is it because you've always been on time and honest to a fault? For me this is exactly how I feel. I hold myself to the highest standard because when I follow the principles I have set forth, I usually attain my goals. I guess that is what I'm so hard on myself. It keeps me sane and even-keel. Sometimes I hold these same principles or standards to others around me resulting in much friction and disgust. This is especially true of the people I care about or love. I guess I hold them to the same "bar" as I am and when they falter, I am disappointed as if I were the one that faltered. I must realize and most of the time I do, that others are not like me. I must be malleable or flexible to their lives and needs. I guess that is why there is such that is called compromise. I can compromise for the the synergy of the greater good. I have done it before and I shall continue to do so. Maybe what I'm explaining here today is my own personality so that others may understand. What is that you say? I am a principled man following the narrow path that I have set forth. It is the only one I know about and the most reasonable for me. I shall allow for others to join me, but must and shall not push my standards onto others. I expect they shall understand who I am and I suspect that they shall understand me as well. I am a person of princples.

Thought of the Night

"Failure is never an option."

I saw this phrase on the shirt by Busta Rhymes in his new music video, We Made It, featuring Linkin Park which hit me profoundly. If you truly and sincerely believe in what you stand for, what you want to do and where you are going, then go fully confidently in that direction. Never give up, never quit. Even though others degrade and dismiss your aspirations, your belief in it will be your guide. Though times look bleak, hold tightly to your goals. Its not an option to quit otherwise all you are is a hypocrite, a liar to yourself. I am a trailblazer cutting a path to the unknown. Where this path leads, I do not necessarily know, but within me burns a yearning indicating that my chosen path will lead me to the promised land.

New Knowledge

The drive for life
To learn something new
Begins with strife
A struggle to do

For within that strife
Comes new knowledge
About oneself's life
Truthfully to acknowledge

On one approach
It can be applied
That I must reproach
What is to collide

On the other hand
Meet the challenge
Head on with a stand
Fully in the range

By hanging on the edge
Certainly you will learn
Precariously on that ledge
The true concern

Rather than be arrogant
Pompously closed mind
Humility will grant
The openness to find

For growth fruitful
The smart intelligence
New pathways bountiful
A fortuitous absorbance

So the learned lesson
Be open to mistakes
Struggle with a question
Even when the head aches.