The Zen of Sarcasm.

In honor of my birthday, I was told to appreciate how it's no coincidence that the number of rules matches up with the number indicating how old I am...well, at least for this year.

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I
may not follow Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me
alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky
tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your
neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be
promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car
payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

10.Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and
a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

AND

22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Thanks go to all those who have wished me well for today and many more years to come. A special thanks to brothasoul, my distant support and mentor.

2009...All You Need Is...

17 songs...Something I do every new year's eve is turn on my computer and let iTunes run into the new year. Call me crazy but I feel sometimes that whatever songs play within the first hour of the new year will give me an idea of how the year will run. It's been fairly accurate in past years. So this past new year's eve, the same procedure was carried out. Music has been one of the basic foundation of every event that's ever happened to many of us if we really think about it. Whether it be that pop tune with the repetitive rhymes or the gracious sounds of baroque classical from a Johann Sebastian Bach, these words or these notes will serve a memory that will affect the future decisions we make about such event...like a soundtrack...something we can associate with our lives. That is the beauty of human nature. As simple as some may think memory is, it's not just something you remember. It's the experience that re-defined the course of your destination, positively or negatively. Nietzsche once said that "many a man fails to become a thinker for the sole reason that his memory is too good". So memory would be the foundation for regression, no? We just remember what once happened, therefore we feel that this is the way things will develop again and again, so then we fail to evolve, we remain close-minded and we stay away or we try to bring down what we don't understand. Music may have that same effect on you. Wondering if you should break up with someone when suddenly, James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" comes on, is a ridiculous example. Or should you be wondering after several failures if you should keep going regarding an area of study or something of the sort, and then Heather Headley's "Proud" comes on...the lyrics will have that effect on you depending on what you're going through. What you need to decide now is how you interpret those lyrics, should you choose to ignore them or pay attention to them. Dr. Samuel Johnson, an English author from the 18th century once said about music that "it is the only sensual pleasure without vice"...Thinking about my analysis, I would disagree with this statement. The vice is that it being heard by human ears and interpreted by human minds. Then again, it can also be a quality and can drive you to feats we once thought unreachable.
So from 2008 into 2009, the year should go a little bit like this:
Closer by Ne-Yo
As Tears Go By by The Rolling Stones
Feel What I Feel by Kat DeLuna
What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? by Taking Back Sunday
Darkness Takes Over by Nicholas Hooper
Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
Thunder by Nuttin' But Stringz
Rock This Party (Everybody Dance Now) by Bob Sinclar
Outrageous by Britney Spears
Hagrid the Professor John Williams
Bring Me Down by Brandy & Kanye West
Get Together By Madonna
Irreplaceable [Irreemplazable][Mix] by Beyoncé
Simple by Katy Perry
Bebot by Black Eyed Peas
Dead Wrong by The Fray
Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional
Interpretation is all up to you now, friend. I wish you a great and happy new year 2009.

"Music is all around us. All you have to do...is listen"
- August Rush