why tuesday?

I picked up my kindergarten notebook today. No, I don’t keep it on quick reference in my library, I was clearing out my storage room. I started flipping through it. My favorite color: Blue. My favorite animal: Tigers. My favorite day of the week: Tuesday. My favor- Wait. What? Tuesday? Who likes Tuesday?! It’s right after Monday and Friday does not follow? Why Tuesday? I read on. “I like Toosday beecuz it is rite in the middul of the week.” It was a quote, I had to use the exact spelling. Suddenly, I started thinking about it. Right in the middle of the week, eh? I was one happy kid. Monday through Thursday is usually the grind. The work. Then it hit me. If you’re happy with the world you are living in, the middle of the week might as well be a Saturday. I am holding these connotations to days. Like: Monday sucks. Why? It’s Monday. Well, why does Monday suck? Maybe I’ll get ice cream on Monday. Regardless, I realized that I had to stop. I had to start living for living. I enjoy my weeks. Why do I hate Tuesday? I obviously used to love it. It’s time for a change. (insert motivational music here)

Aaaaaaaaaand, the prophets

What ever happened to God talking to people? Back in the old days, he was making regular visits. Moses, Abraham, President Bush. Ok, scratch that last one. I won’t make this political. But, really: what happened? Did he get a cosmic cough that has left him without a voice for two thousand years? I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he is still talking to us. Maybe he’s talking to those homeless guys in New York City, and we just don’t know it. They really ARE talking to someone.

I guess I ask because I think society drones out most of religion, at least in this part of the world. We refuse to take it as something more apparent than our blackberry. I think we’ve lost our faith. Boo.

after the fact...

I recently had the chance to catch the new trailer for the upcoming Batman film ‘The Dark Knight.” After watching, I caught myself thinking, “Wow, I can’t wait to see Heath’s last big performance.” And I was suddenly struck with another thought. What is it about experiencing something for the last time that makes it so great? Is it the novelty in that final moment? Why are the musicians and artists appreciated more after they pass?

I would say that as people, we naturally want what we can’t have. It started when we were kids.

“Cookie?”

“No. Go bother your father.”

We find the gaps in our lives, and naturally try to fill them. A lack of satisfaction is simply one of those gaps. We always, always want more.

the music scene

Last week, I was told that the music industry is in quite the dire state. Barely ever signing new artists, it has taken to reinventing its older names. This, naturally, concerns me. I understand that business has gone down since the recent boom in pirating, but what else is going on. Two friends of mine were ignored by labels until they were selling enough independent albums to be individually noted on iTunes as ‘Artists to Watch.’ Why the reluctance from the labels? What is going on? Anybody? Bueller?

A Crusade... Anrejevic brought this on himself

In my opinion, iSpy should go. Although the text did bring up very valid and debatable points, the means in which it went about doing so were a little farfetched. The language Andrejevic used was in a high English academic style – It was not right-brained in the least.

I would recommend finding a text similar, or taking excerpts from Andrejevic’s text. As a whole, this book was quite the headache.

i googled me

I sat at my computer staring at the screen. “That’s it?” I thought to myself. “I really need to create a personal webpage so my name gives better Google results. What if somebody else does this? I can’t have some random person thinking that the extent of my online existence is a couple YouTube videos, and a list of a couple shows I’ve done. I mean, shoot… There has to be something else.” I spent the next 20 minutes clicking the ‘Next page’ button. Nothing new, though. Say for one thing. I was brought up in a friend’s Zanga about 3 years ago. I apparently had lunch with her on March 22, 2005. Good to know.

One thing that amazed me after I sat back and thought about it all was how concerned I was over my Google results. We live in a logged on age. And this stuff is becoming a part of the ‘image’ we hold

Online Politics? DIE!!!

Oh, how my head hurts. So, the long and short of it is that political blogs give me a headache. I feel as if there is no behavioral standard in the online world, and people use that as an excuse to take things to an extreme limit. I’ve been browsing around Pam’s House Blend for about 30 minutes now, and it’s hard to find a truly interesting post–comment discussion.

I think my friends at Red vs. Blue got it best with that video. (ignore the sections besides the politics one)

My side of the coin reads... Wait, what?

From day one, I was raised with an ‘open political mind.’ So, thanks Mom and Dad. They didn’t believe in party biases. They were history buffs who would take a critical look at the country, and decide what it needed accordingly. In my personal opinion, this always seemed like the healthy course of action, and it is why I have adopted the same sort of system.

At the moment, I am very open to say that I feel the Republican Party has been destroyed by our most recent political figure, and that our country’s next and best hope lies with a brilliant senator from Illinois.

on the subject of retirement...

At ninety. I would hope that I would feel satisfied. That I would feel accomplished. At the point I am at in my life now, I see the rest of the time I have here as time to achieve all the goals I have for myself now and may have in the future. At ninety, I would like to be able to look back on the world I was a part of, and feel as if I impacted that world in my own way. I want to be able to look at my wife, my kids, and my family, and feel an indescribable sense of love that I found.

Time has an unwanted tendency to slip away. And I hope that throughout the course of my life, time can slip away from me as I hold a smile. What may I accomplish? Good question. Life happens. And my wants and needs could change in a heartbeat depending on what life throws my way.

around my neck

I held my necklace in my hands. It couldn’t have been that expensive. It looks to be steel, or some other silver metal. There is no hook in the back, there is just enough space to fit the necklace over my head to my neck. At the end of the necklace, there is a small cross, very intricately designed. My brother gave me the necklace years ago. It was a gift for no particular occasion, just a brotherly love.

Holding it in my hands brings two immediate thoughts to my mind. First, is my faith. It is a constant reminder of what it is I live by, which, in my world, is quite necessary. It is a reminder that there are things I can believe in and agree with, and there are other things that I feel I must make my own decisions on. Secondly, I do think about my brother.

I realized recently how uncomfortable I get if I happen to forget to put on my cross. I feel as if Jesus has suddenly left the building, and I am susceptible to bad luck. It’s strange how, as people, we attach such strong emotions to the objects around us.

Defining a Gentleman

It’s funny, considering my last blog. I’ve begun work on a non-fiction. I was re-reading some of the responses I received to me article “Reply: What Happened to Women with Class,” and I thought that I may find some success with tackling the other side of the spectrum – The Gentleman.

The book will be titled “Defining a Gentleman,” and will serve as a quick reference guide to the gentleman of today. It will re-define and re-shape what it means to be a gentleman. Man, I am using a lot of words that start with ‘re.’ Anyways, the text will erase the previous standards, and put together a new style and code of behavior centered around class, sophistication, goals, and what it means to be ‘cool.’

Fingers crossed and at the ready… Go.

As the ink disappears

I was thinking today – About the lack of emphasis on creative writing. Literature, in general, has taken quite the dive. It’s depressing. It really is quite depressing. As a writer, I always wanted to write a book. But with a lack of an audience, why write it? Chances are I’m not looking at a bright future. The fiction authors that sell are the authors that are established, and have been selling for years: Tom Clancy, Steven King, etc. So, what do I do?

Easy answer: write a non-fiction. Ha. Alright, I need a better solution for the fiction authors of today. Give me a minute…………………… Maybe 5…………….. Alright, so, I don’t have a solution. This journal entry just went from a strong attempt at creativity and has subsequently turned into a cry for help!

Help! I need somebody! Help! Not just anybody!

Reefer 2

For this blog post, I am simply going to say – Look at the post of my article “Reply: What Happened to Women with Class”

Reefer 1

To be perfectly honest, I feel as if the government would have no means to truly control the content of the internet at the moment. Due to the huge amounts of information and users WORLDWIDE, it would be quite the daunting task. That aside, I don’t feel that the government has the right. The strongest foundations of the internet have been laid down by the civilian users and due to that, a sudden burst of control would unravel what the internet is. If that be the case, we will not really be dealing with the ‘internet’ anymore. It will become something else entirely. Net neutrality touches on very similar topics.

I’m also wondering what the government may have to gain by closing off a currently public medium. Perhaps some capital, but what would they really be gaining? huh? Huh?!!?? HUH???!?!?!?!?!

To be or n- No, just to be

Oh, what it means to be a consumer. Taking a hard look at myself, I realize that my consuming patterns really depend on what it is I am consuming. For example: Items. This category includes clothing, video games, music, and movies. Looking at this category, I am very picky, and only buy something when I really want / need it. I have biases for clothing. I will only buy a certain level of quality or better from certain designers. I have biases in games, as well. Different production companies immediately have my attention if they are releasing a new game. Music and movies are completely situational in their state of purchase.

Now, on the flip hand, I spend more money on food than anyone I know. For this, I blame my mother, who was a chef. At least five times a week, I am eating in a place away from my dining room. Some guys get impulses to buy TVs, girls get impulses to buy shoes; I get impulses to try the new Thai fusion restaurant that opened down the street.

Looking at the state of the economy at present, my tastes (ha, double meaning) are going to have to change. *insert deep, exasperated sigh of sorrow here*

at the movies...

So, I realized something sitting in the theatre tonight. That previews have become something I now look forward to at the movies. When I was young, I used to hate previews. I used to get to the movie 15 minutes late so that I could just see the movie. But over the past several years, I have found that I have progressively wanted to see them more and more, and that my love for the previews has really developed a little bit of a movie routine.

Firstly, I have to have some food on my stomach, so, dinner is a must. And knowing my food tendencies, that is always an event of its own. After the food, it’s straight to the theatre. And I can’t be late. I, actually, have to be quite early, and by early, I do mean at least a half and hour before the previews. What is that half hour for? Good seats, $5 candy, and talking about movies with whomever I’m with. Then it’s time to sit back and enjoy. No talking in the movie. Unless extremely necessary. The film is followed by a post-film discussion over coffee, and then the goodbyes. Oh, how I love the movies.

So, thanks previews. You’ve redefined my experience.

An online routine...

My everyday website is YouTube. It has become my reference point for anything and everything that can be encompassed into the social realm of today. Whether I am looking up a stand up comedian, a musician, or popular news feed, YouTube is my first stop. It serves a purpose as a reference (politics, news) but at the same time holds strong entertainment value (music, comedy, film).
I think one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is due to the community that forms it. YouTube is completely user based. People have their videos, upload them, and those videos are suddenly for the world to see and enjoy. Brilliant.
While there are similar sites on the web (FunnyOrDie, etc), YouTube is the only one to encompass many aspects and still stay strong. So, bravo, YouTube guys. You keep me well informed, well updated, and quite entertained.

New Media Project

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8lbjwGh_uVU

Reply: What Happened to Women with Class?

FACING THE FACTS: WOMEN WITH(OUT) CLASS

By: Stefan Alexander Kempski

So, the question stands: What happened to women with class?

Where are the girls who know how to hold themselves? Where are the girls who know how to look sexy without looking like sluts? Where are the girls with culture? Did a giant asteroid wipe them all out like the dinosaurs? Since when did the majority of cute girls take life advice from MTV? How do girls expect to find guys worth dating when they're idea of partying is acting like they're on Spring Break in Cancun in front of a Girls Gone Wild camera crew?

The answer is that "class" is no longer a solidly defined term in the pop culture dictionary.


Taking a step back, it's easy to see why girls from their early teens to late 20's act the way they do. So, why? The answer is in the simple concept of where society has put the standard.

Before jumping in, let's take a few things into context: One, morals today are more like traffic lights in Italy; They're suggestions, nothing more. Two, the bar for how girls should act in a social setting has never been set lower. With mass marketed programs such as 'Sex and the City' and the quasi-reality TV shows MTV pumps out, women are presented as materialistic, shallow, sexual objects. The truth in that? Should be none. Yet due to popular public reaction, there is. Why? Because there is a significantly large group of viewers that take a look at that fiction and see it as a behavioral standard.

Not ok.

Really, really, really not ok.

But thanks anyway, MTV, for ruining the majority of dating as I know it.

Now for the hopeful part: There still are girls with class out there. I've met my handful girls that have really caught my attention as something more: They are the women with culture, realistic morals, and ideas that they can describe without using the word "like" as an adjective, noun, pronoun, verb, and all together thought.

I apologize if this seems cynical or judgemental. I don't intend it to be. There just hasn't been much evidence pointing away from it. Let's just be happy I didn't write an article on how love is shit, and we're all doomed to live Shakespearean tragedies with broken hearts. Thankfully, I can say I've got a little bit of hope.

So, to the girls who think this article is ridiculous because they embody the MTV standard: Please, for your own sake, snap out of it. No guy worth having is ever going to really look your way. Except to check you out, and move on to checking out the next generic girl wearing two popped polo’s, a mini skirt, and Uggz.

To the girls with class: Strut your stuff. It is unique, attractive, and, damn, is it sexy. I know guys can fall into stereotypes of their own, but there are still plenty of us out there that are looking for more than a one sided conversation.

The Post Script: Top Ten Things a Classy Guy Looks For

1) We care about what you think. Don’t be afraid to express your views. Because, guess what! If you agree with everything we say, we won’t care about what you think!

2) There's a fine line between dressing 'sexy' and dressing 'slutty.' It's very easy to cross, and it makes all the difference in the world.

3) Traditional isn’t a bad thing. If a classy guy hears a girl say “Hey, I’m not going to bang your brains out right away,” guess what, that’s actually great. It let’s us know two things: A) You have standards and B) You don’t have Herpes

4) Realize that dating is not a ‘game,’ it shouldn’t be a ‘game,’ and if you decide you’re going to play ‘games,’ we will very quickly find someone who doesn’t.

5) A kiss should say something. Don’t get me wrong, I like making out just as much as the next guy, but if there’s not anything behind it, why are you kissing me? Is it my abs? Or my deep, piercing eyes? I knew it. Just leave.

6) Clingy screams insecurity. We know you have insecurities. Truth is, EVERYONE DOES. But clinginess is not a good reminder. So, breathe. We are thinking about you. Probably more than football and videogames. Except on weekends, but still.

7) Romance and chivalry is a lost art. Don’t look at us like we’re crazy when we open a door for you.

8) Intimacy doesn’t always have to mean something sexual. Sometimes it means a couch, a blanket, hot chocolate, and an old movie.

9) Know yourself. Know your limits. Know your standards. If you don’t know yourself, how can you expect us to want to know you? If you have a big question mark over your head, it doesn’t exactly scream ‘keeper.’

10) I’m very well aware a lot of this can be applied the other way, so, no need to comment on that. Note that this article is written from the perspective of what a gentleman is looking to find in the world of dating and romance.

Hope you got something out of the read. I'm going to go take a shower now, and sing "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones while shampooing my hair.

~Stefan