Today was the first day of VooDoo Fest 2012 and after an almost three hour drive through ridiculous traffic to New Orleans from Baton Rouge I arrived in enough time to catch the one and only master of funk and Parliament's own, Bootsy Collins in action. He wowed the crowd with not only his music but his extravagant wardrobe changes donning four different, unique outfits throughout his set. He had the crowd feeling the funk from the chords on his equally extravagant guitars playing classic hits from his days with Parliament and its sister act Funkadelic gaining the most sing-a-long back up vocals from the crowd during his 1976 hit single "I'd Rather be with You" which featured a very moving bass solo by the funk legend. To top it off Collins, against the wishes of staff security, leaves the stage to walk in the crowd among his fans while his band continued playing without him until he returned to the stage. It was also the singer's birthday as well and he was presented with a cake by his crew on stage at the end of his set...
There will be more coverage of VooDoo Fest to come so be on the look out here and at OnWaxMagazine.com.....
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Definition
Throughout my life I have grown into my own philosophy of how to live and what is really worth living for. As a child I was constantly teased and ridiculed for my differences (much like everyone else), be it the way I talked, dressed, walked, the manner in which I carry myself, the people I chose as friends, and even my definition of who I am was always targeted.
However, I chose not to let anyone else define who I am and to leave that up to me and God to decide.
Definition of one's self should be left to that person to decide in whatever fashion they see fit, but today it seems more prevelant to live life between the narrow lines that society has drawn in order to evade suspicion or judgement and that is not living to me. I decide how to define my relationship with people, I decide how and who I interact with. I define how I love and to which standards to hold the people I let into my heart. I decide my own definition to the various parts of who I am and what makes me (in lew of sounding clichè), ME.
I want to believe that my children will live in a world where people just simply lived life without worrying about how others choose to live theirs. A world void of social judges and juries who would deem them outcasts for just being different or label them by the company they choose to keep.
The most ignorant phrase I had ever heard is that "if you steal, you'll kill" automatically associating one act with another, I know people who have stolen before and killing is not in there character.
I used that phrase because we seem to take that attitude with people in regular everyday situations, I was told once by a peer of mine in high school that I shouldn't hang with certain friends because of their indulgence in "herbal stimulation" or another friend because of their sexual preference to avoid rumor and like a young fool I did, but did I escape rumor?
Hell No...
I was approached by not only by law enforcement but teachers about a rumor they had heard of me selling and doing drugs, mind you I had already cut any persons who might have been involved with that stuff out of my life, yet and still it did nothing.
That among a plethora of other instances and rumors have helped me realize that assumption is the true ignorance of man. That failure to get to know a person and understand that person's view has caused many confrontations and in some cases war. Assumptions have left deep scars that are difficult to cope with in many people including myself. I have been outcast, bullied, ridiculed, and passed over due to assumptions. I have hated (myself and others), cried, lost friends, and fought for the same reason.
Many of my tears could've been avoided if my persecutors would've only took the time to understand me, and I am just one example of this. Think about the countless others who cry the tears I once did or fought the bully that once loomed over head as a child. The countless lives that could have been spared by sitting down and understanding one another. I am one to never shy away from taking up arms to defend myself but there will always be a time for understanding as there will be a time to throw down.
Assumption, to me, is a bi-product of fear and to qoute Master Yoda of the Jedi order, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."
Not knowing something is admittedly frightening even for me but taking that step to learn and understand can take humanity a step further away from self destruction.
I may sound crazy to those who read this but this is how I see things. Definitions give meaning to meaningless, it fills voids and gives people purpose.
At least that's my definition of a definition anyways...
However, I chose not to let anyone else define who I am and to leave that up to me and God to decide.
Definition of one's self should be left to that person to decide in whatever fashion they see fit, but today it seems more prevelant to live life between the narrow lines that society has drawn in order to evade suspicion or judgement and that is not living to me. I decide how to define my relationship with people, I decide how and who I interact with. I define how I love and to which standards to hold the people I let into my heart. I decide my own definition to the various parts of who I am and what makes me (in lew of sounding clichè), ME.
I want to believe that my children will live in a world where people just simply lived life without worrying about how others choose to live theirs. A world void of social judges and juries who would deem them outcasts for just being different or label them by the company they choose to keep.
The most ignorant phrase I had ever heard is that "if you steal, you'll kill" automatically associating one act with another, I know people who have stolen before and killing is not in there character.
I used that phrase because we seem to take that attitude with people in regular everyday situations, I was told once by a peer of mine in high school that I shouldn't hang with certain friends because of their indulgence in "herbal stimulation" or another friend because of their sexual preference to avoid rumor and like a young fool I did, but did I escape rumor?
Hell No...
I was approached by not only by law enforcement but teachers about a rumor they had heard of me selling and doing drugs, mind you I had already cut any persons who might have been involved with that stuff out of my life, yet and still it did nothing.
That among a plethora of other instances and rumors have helped me realize that assumption is the true ignorance of man. That failure to get to know a person and understand that person's view has caused many confrontations and in some cases war. Assumptions have left deep scars that are difficult to cope with in many people including myself. I have been outcast, bullied, ridiculed, and passed over due to assumptions. I have hated (myself and others), cried, lost friends, and fought for the same reason.
Many of my tears could've been avoided if my persecutors would've only took the time to understand me, and I am just one example of this. Think about the countless others who cry the tears I once did or fought the bully that once loomed over head as a child. The countless lives that could have been spared by sitting down and understanding one another. I am one to never shy away from taking up arms to defend myself but there will always be a time for understanding as there will be a time to throw down.
Assumption, to me, is a bi-product of fear and to qoute Master Yoda of the Jedi order, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."
Not knowing something is admittedly frightening even for me but taking that step to learn and understand can take humanity a step further away from self destruction.
I may sound crazy to those who read this but this is how I see things. Definitions give meaning to meaningless, it fills voids and gives people purpose.
At least that's my definition of a definition anyways...
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
My to do list for 2012
Seeing that this may be the last year on earth due to the proposed Armageddon that has yet to receive a definite date I have a few things I want to do before we all perish....Just kidding I don't know whether or not we will all perish nor due I believe it fully, I just simply have a lot that I wanted to do for some time and figured that since this is the year of the dragon (my Chinese zodiac) I would take advantage of the energies that I receive from it. So I decided to put together a list of things that I want to do this year (personal development, professionally, and etc...), no specific order just do it.
1) Go to Cali to visit
2) Go to New York
3) Buy a new camera w/ lenses
4) Learn how to sing
5) Take archery lessons
6) Go to London
7) Re-redesign my blog
8) Create a publication
9) Go Snowboarding
10) Get a pet
11) Get a new apartment/place
12) Get 3 people to understand how I see the world
13) Take 88 meaningful pictures
14) Ride a rollercoaster
15) Go to the Zoo (never been to one)
16) Grow a flower
17) Be more of a social person
18) Dress better (more fashionable)
19) Record a duet
20) Be in a play
21) Get 5 tattoos
22) Write a manga
23) Get to know people I have in my friend/follower list on these social website (at least 3 of em)
24) Make my blog more popular
25) Design something special
26) See a Broadway show
27) Become closer to the people I love
28) Plan my list for next year
So that's basically my To-Do list for this year...kinda long but I'm sure I can these done in enough time lol... This is my year for change and enjoyment, I plan to at the very least make the most of it.
1) Go to Cali to visit
2) Go to New York
3) Buy a new camera w/ lenses
4) Learn how to sing
5) Take archery lessons
6) Go to London
7) Re-redesign my blog
8) Create a publication
9) Go Snowboarding
10) Get a pet
11) Get a new apartment/place
12) Get 3 people to understand how I see the world
13) Take 88 meaningful pictures
14) Ride a rollercoaster
15) Go to the Zoo (never been to one)
16) Grow a flower
17) Be more of a social person
18) Dress better (more fashionable)
19) Record a duet
20) Be in a play
21) Get 5 tattoos
22) Write a manga
23) Get to know people I have in my friend/follower list on these social website (at least 3 of em)
24) Make my blog more popular
25) Design something special
26) See a Broadway show
27) Become closer to the people I love
28) Plan my list for next year
So that's basically my To-Do list for this year...kinda long but I'm sure I can these done in enough time lol... This is my year for change and enjoyment, I plan to at the very least make the most of it.
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