What, Me Worry?

In season 3 of "Desperate Housewives," Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) has a dream while in the hospital recovering from a chemotherapy session.  She dreams of the day her neighbor, Mary Alice Young, committed suicide.

In the first season, Lynette came home one day, saw her neighbor at her mailbox reading a troubling piece of mail, asked her how she was, the neighbor said "Fine," and like guys usually do, took it at face value and moved on.  She didn't know that later that night she would commit an unthinkable act. And yes, if you're being picky on plot details Lynette's groceries were leaking something which made her move it and get inside rather than take a few minutes to speak with her neighbor.

The dream in Season 3, however, was different. Please watch the following clip and think about the implications (if you feel like it, otherwise, watch it and move on I guess, or don't watch it at all if you don't feel like it) in your life.  What's troubling you?  What worries you?

If you didn't feel like watching, that's cool.  But the message is twofold, and both pieces dovetail well.  Mary Alice tells Lynette that "We can't prevent what we can't predict." In other words, stop worrying so much about everything, even though this is what the media and politicians try to get you to do.

They want you stressed so you'll worry about things beyond your control.  They want you to worry about your body image and think you're not good enough so you'll buy lots of products to help you lose weight through dieting, exercise, or both.

The media wants you to think that the world will end if you personally don't fit into it.  They want you to think that you need to keep up with all of the latest fashions so you'll feel like an outcast if you don't buy the best clothes and the best accessories.  They want you to think you need to have Gatorade or need to eat Subway because athletes do it and if you don't, there's something wrong with you.  It's all a grand distraction.

The second piece of Mary Alice's message is to "Enjoy this beautiful day.  We get so few of them."  Take the time to actually enjoy your life.  Have fun.  Relax.  Enjoy the sunshine.  Focus on the little things that make you happy. Be yourself.  When's the last time you took a moment to look up at the sky and watch birds fly, or airplanes shoot across?  It's probably been a while.

Life is short: enjoy it.  "We can't prevent what we can't predict." None of us knows how tomorrow will turn out.  As Americans right now we have so many things on our plate: war in Afghanistan (still?  oh yes), money troubles, how we look, how we fit in at work, school, and home, and many other things.  But we can't control a lot of it, so there's no need to worry.  In the next blog I'll have some tips on how you can help make yourself feel better and be happier.  At least they work for me most of the time, and I hope perhaps they can work for you.

But what does that even mean?

The back of your one dollar bill.  Here's a challenge: can you spot the hidden owl on the front of the bill? What does that mean?

"We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected the promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world-government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries."

David Rockefeller, Trilateral Commission Address, June 1991

In "A Scandal in Bohemia," Sherlock Holmes chides his sidekick, Watson, for not knowing how many steps lead from the outside of his apartment on 221-B Baker Street to the top. "You see, but you do not observe," he says.  How many of us have done this?  We walk through the construct that is our world, living with the comfort of routine.  We see (or hear), but we do not observe (listen), whether because of our own choosing, or because we have become so comfortable with the world and its conventions as they are, that we often fail to observe what some say is right in front of us.

A friend of mine in the financial sector (who shall remain anonymous) recently sent me some well, let's just call it "new and deliberately not being covered by the media" information regarding the prospects for the US and ultimately world economy in 2012 and the following years.  It unnerved me and once I did some research on this information, I began, like Neo in "The Matrix," to dig my way down the rabbit hole to see how far it went.  Search words or videos on youtube suddenly led to other redirects, and my internet hunting began.

While I am not one to be easily influenced by propaganda or fear-mongering, this information certainly got me thinking and piqued me enough to share.  I have decided to write a mini blog series regarding these ideas and events I have learned about after my initial search, and this blog entry serves as an introduction to what I will be covering.

I am not saying that I believe every single thing that is being written with regard to the economy, the US, and the world at large, but it is food for thought. Some of the ideas, once I started doing my research, gave me pause.  Some theories I outright reject.

I thought it would be fun to present these things and hear what others have to say about them.  Please leave whatever comments you like.  All I ask is that you retain your ability to think critically when you read these. Choose to believe what you want.  I just ask that you think.  

Here are some of the topics I'll be writing about in the near future, in what little free time I have between work and other activities, although not necessarily in any particular order...

1) The Georgia Guidestones (google it), a.k.a. "The American Stonehenge."  I had never heard of them. Who had the time to carve all that into stone?  Let alone what person thinks these are governing principles?  Yoko Ono said they were good to live by.  Maybe that's reason enough to dismiss them. She did break up the Beatles lol.

2) The Illuminati and Masons.  Sure, most of us have read "Angels and Demons," right?  But what do you think of this video? 

3) CHEM Trails.  Did you ever notice it seems like there are a lot more planes in the air? What is HAARP?






4) What's up with people in the music and movie industries making these various hand symbols???   

You two too, Jay-Z and Beyonce?

Rihanna? Is that you?

Ok, you get the point.  One symbol looks similar to the "I love you" sign in ASL, but notice the difference with regard to the thumb.

5) What is the Bilderberg group?  How do they relate to the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission?  Why do they meet in secret every year, and some politicians, against US law, attend?  How does this relate to the Federal Reserve System, which technically isn't sanctioned by the US government?

 6) You've heard of the European Union, which is in the midst of chaos and disorder.  You know, seemingly now a borderless continent with one currency, the Euro.  Have you ever heard of the North American Union with the Amero as currency for the US, Mexico, and Canada?  Me neither.

7) Corporate Logos...is there any hidden symbolism?  Do you notice anything?

These are just some of the topics I will be writing about in the future.  Again, don't necessarily believe everything you read but I hope you enjoy what I present.  Welcome to 2012 everyone!

It's the Economy, Stupid!

This mantra swept Bill Clinton and Al Gore to an upset victory over a president whose popularity tanked not only because of the bad economy but also because he was viewed as being out of touch with everyday Americans.  Oh yeah, and did I mention he also decided it would be a good idea not to visit hurricane victims in Florida until like a week after the storm?

As I've mentioned before, this generation has seen the worst downturn and seemingly perpetual gloomy economic outlook and environment since the Great Depression.  The media and other pundits have labeled our current climate as "The Great Recession," which I think is neither cute nor great.

Every day I think to myself, when the hell are we going to get back to the good old days of the 90s and aughts (I bet you didn't know that's what the decade from 2000-2009 was called, did you?) when the dotcom boom made millionaires overnight?

But, as crummy as the economic atmosphere is and as tired as we are all of it, there are ways around it.  I tire of the people I hear about who say they can't get jobs (and ergo make any money) and therefore are relying on unemployment benefits that will likely run out soon.  Jobs are not the only way to make money.  I'm not saying these people have easy access to jobs, because in most cases it's very difficult to get a job right now.  But we need to get back to what made America: creativity, ingenuity, and self-startedness.

 

What happened to traditional American characteristics?  We grew up learning about the American Dream: the ability to do anything and do well for yourself regardless of where you started socioeconomically.  So you can't find a job.  There are millions like you.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be thinking of other ways outside the strictures of the work-get paid-pay bills cycle.  So here is a list of a few ways to earn some extra cash in this rotten economy. 

Don't throw it away if you can make money off it!

When I lived in Worcester, every now and again I would clean out my apartment.  Any old furniture, books, or dvds I didn't think I would want any more, I would just leave at the end of the hall for others to take, which they almost always did.  I was more concerned with getting rid of unwanted things rather than thinking about how to cash in on them.

I'd even throw away my old cell phone once I got a new one.  In hindsight, especially since I was a student at the time, I could have tried to sell them on Amazon or Ebay and made some extra scratch. 

I learned my lesson and began selling things I didn't want any more.  Even yesterday, someone bought my Droid (who needs a Droid when you have a new iPhone 4S?) on Amazon and I netted $74.99.  No, it's not going to make me rich but it's money I didn't have before.  Hmm, $0 if I get rid of it and $74.99 if I sell it.   Tough choice.

There are plenty of things that you probably have around your apartment or house that you might be able to sell.  You may not get a ton of money for it, but if you sell a few dvds and let's say an old phone, you probably have enough money to pay your electric bill for the month. 

This also goes along with my idea of getting rid of that which you don't need.  If you haven't used it and don't plan on using it, sell it and make some cheese. 


Selling, Part 2: Don't use Craigslist

I learned this the hard way.  Initially (a few years ago) people on Craigslist were true to their word.  If you had something they wanted to buy and they set up an appointment with you, they came by.  But nowadays they are so inconsiderate of people's schedules that it is simply a waste of time.  Plus they try to lowball you on what is probably a reasonable price you set.   They're not the nicest people in the world, either.

Selling, Part 3: Consign it!

Consign-It Furniture is a store in Kennett Square, PA that I have used to unload a lot of stuff.  I have made probably close to $1000 with all of the things I have consigned there.  It is true that when you consign something, you are only getting a portion of the profit if it sells (60% in this case), but stores like these have experts there who know what sells and what doesn't (and they'll let you know, believe me). Most importantly, they know how to price the items. 

It's also a great place to find some terrific bargains, as the price of each item decreases 10% each month until the end of your contract, which is for three months.  Do you really have the time or want to spend it trying to sell furniture on CraigsList to people who are just trying to get you to lower your price and throw in something extra?  Are you really going to put an ad in the paper for that old desk you inherited from your grandmother and think it's time to part with?  Doubtful.  Consign it.  You get rid of stuff and you make money.

Be Creative!

In the United States, where is the most money made, if you can do it right?  In my opinion (I have nothing to back this opinion up, but I bet these are some of the top cash cows) it's all about movies and tv, books, or music.  If you have an idea, write about it.  In fact just this morning on the Jason Ellis Show (Sirius Starz

Not everyone is an artist but here's food for thought: do you have an interesting story to tell?  Has anything unique, death defying, ironic, hilarious, etc. ever happened to you?  Write about it!  The US has a ton of contests looking for short fiction.  If you go on Wikipedia, you can see the long list of feature films that were made from short stories and other forms of short fiction including "Apocalypse Now," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Blade Runner," and "Total Recall," just to name a few. 

I'm writing a short novel about a week of events that took place in New York City when I was there one week 5 summers ago.  It's a unique story, it only happened to me, and I've told the story only twice to a few people I am very close to.  Each time, I held the attention of everyone in the room.  They had so many questions and were just utterly shocked at all that had happened.

That being said, I thought why not write about it?  I've seen enough movies and tv shows, and I've read enough books to know (at least I think) what makes a good story so I'm giving it a go.  Again, if you are reading this and want the URL, let me know. 

If you can't get a job, make one up

Back to the idea of the American dream: you can pilot your own life.  I know that sounds more like an infomercial than anything else, but it is true.   Create something for yourself to do.  If you like antiques, spend time doing research and yard sale hopping on the weekend.  How do you know when you'll buy something worth a lot of money from someone who's selling it on the cheap?

Invent a business for yourself involving something you love.  You could do odd jobs on the side--selling things on ebay or Amazon, jobs around the house, and oh yeah.  It doesn't matter.  As long as you're doing something you enjoy and are able to turn a profit, however small, it's worth it. 

Now get out there and be Americans...live the dream.  It's not dead yet.

A Novel Ending?

I've spoken about the tough economy before, and the impact it's had upon all of us as not only Americans but also world citizens.  Even the chief of the IMF just said that unless fiscal policies in countries change drastically, this entire decade could be "lost" economically.

Well, I certainly don't want that to happen and I know neither do any of you, so I thought for fun I would begin doing something I love so much and wanted to be when I grew up: a writer.  It's all about making it big.

I do write on this blog and I enjoy it, but it's not the same as actually sitting down to write a short story or novella, as I would like to do.  That being said, since I'm so tired of these poor economic conditions, being overworked and underpaid, I am going to do it.  A boy can dream, right?

I want my piece of the pie and I hope that this story is good enough to spark some interest.  I'd love to see it be turned into a movie as well, but let's take this slowly.  Success doesn't happen overnight (unless you're Diablo Cody and happen upon lightning in a bottle after working as a glorified stripper).

I'm writing this because I enjoy it and it's everyone's fantasy to have all the money in the world so that neither we nor our families have to worry about anything again. 

After having a phone conversation with my mom the other day and hearing how stressed out she is, knowing my sister is stressed out between her work and her impending (even though it's a year off, that time will be here before you know it) wedding, I thought I'd go back to the writing well. 

It's part whimsy, part seriousness, but wouldn't it be great to sell a novel and make some bank to help your family and yourself?  It could be just like the Jeffersons.  They wanted a piece of the pie and ended up on the East Side.  However, I had to ask myself: what kind of story would I write? 

To write a good story, you need to keep people interested.  You also need to have more dialogue than description, otherwise the story can slow down.  My 10th grade English teacher said it best when discussing The Scarlet Letter:  "Admit it.  When you were reading that, you cringed when you saw long, descriptive paragraphs.  When you saw the dialogue, though, you were glad because you knew it would go by more quickly."

She was absolutely right, although I guess the same could be said about any book.  Unless you like lengthy descriptions of things.  Let's see...lots of dialogue, suspense, action, and perhaps other vices?  I have just the story.  Although the novella (if it gets that long, but I guess I won't know until I start writing it) itself will be based on a semifictionalized series of events that befell me one week in New York City.

This is not the New York City you are thinking of. This is the New York City you warn your children about. You tell them to be careful.  You tell them many things.  But do they listen?

Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t go out late at night by yourself. If you’re in a strange city, don’t go unaccompanied. Most importantly, never go with strangers.  No matter how well-intended they might seem.

We will begin the tale in Massachusetts; it will shift to Washington Heights. And later to the underbelly of sin and vice. The story may seem pretty normal initially. But appearances can be deceiving. We all have our dirty laundry.

Find out what happens when a white guy out of his element descends upon the dark, sinister streets of northern Manhattan and the Bronx after hours. When the cops have gone. When no one cares. And when the sharks are out.

I haven't forgotten about HuskyTaco, though, and will still be posting entries here.  But the entries here are going to be more about movies, TV, and other things I've written about before. 

But seriously if you're interested in what I am writing, it's on another blog channel.  If you want the URL, let me know.  Otherwise you'll have to wait until publishing!